ER Tip Of the Day #1

In honor of the start of my ER rotation today, I'm beginning a new short series of posts entitled "ER Tip of the day." In these posts I will attempt to share various short bits of practical, every day wisdom with the rest of the world so people just like you can avoid potentially hazardous, ER-worthy situations. Consider this your warning... :-)

Tip #1:

If your girlfriend attacks you with a kitchen knife after a small argument, it may be time to find a new girlfriend....or invest in some plastic silverware.

True Friendship

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares."--Henry Nouwen


It's one thing to be friendly to someone. It is incredibly easy to be with someone when things are going well. It is enjoyable to share the sunny moments in life with another person. Who doesn't want to laugh and smile while life is going well?

However, it is an entirely different issue to go willingly into the darkest places with a friend. There is something to be said for the person who is willing to truly SHARE the pain of another person. I'm not talking about sympathy, listening, or even offering advice. There is something so completely God-like in the person who realizes that they cannot fix your current situation or heal our current hurts, but sits with us in that dark, cold, and desperate place.

I have been blessed with so many amazing friends, two of which I consider to be my best friends. It has only been recently that I have realized how deep these friendships run. I recently found myself suddenly in one of the darkest, loneliest times of my life. The details are not important. What is important, however, is the response of these two friends. In a time where I couldn't see the way out and was constantly riding a rollercoaster of emotion, these two friends came alongside me and supported me. They had no advice to offer, no quick fix solutions, no cure for my current situation. However, they were simply there for me...they truly felt my pain...they were truly walking through this time in my life with me, not just watching from a distance. They were my only connection to hope for a future beyond the current situation. They were truly the face of Jesus in my life at a time when I needed it most.

God has since answered many prayers and brought me through the pain to a much more beautiful place filled with hope and alive with so many possibilities for the future. Through the difficulties and pain I have begun to learn a new way to live. Through it all, however, I was able to lean on two very amazing women who were my support when it felt like everything I had held on to before had crumbled. I am embarrassed to say that it took a situation like this one for me to realize that I was so blessed with two amazing friendships. I hope and pray that everyone has friends like these. In life it's not a question of "if" hard times will come...it is simply a matter of "when." It is in these times that we most need our faith in God and a few solid friends to show us the face of God when we're not able to see it for ourselves.

Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12
9) Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:
10) If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
11) Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
12) Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

A quick recap

Since it's been about 5 months since I posted anything on here, here's the quick highlights of the last few months. :)

• December--Peds ER; good traumas, good residents, snotty nosed kids, the 2 month sinus infection that followed-->Definitely not cut out to be a pediatrician.
• January--Internal Medicine; lots of crackheads (literally), crazy naked inmate holds 2 patients hostage on my night on call, open heart surgery at the bedside (same week, different call night), writing the same progress note over and over, 7 different attendings, more CHF/COPD/DM/HTN/CP than I ever want to see again in my life...Definitely not cut out to be a medicine head.
• February--OB/Gyn; do you even want me to describe what I saw this month?? Saw the "miracle" of birth...I thought it was gross. Got to scrub on some cool surgeries...retract for hours on some not so cool ones. Definitely not cut out to be a Gynie Girl.
• March--Psych; Worked 5a to 7p several days a week, got to see prison psych, unmedicated schizophrenics, and more ADHD kids than I could keep count of. My attending was practically manic but hilariously sarcastic. We got along well. Enjoyed the month despite the hours....Still, not cut out to be a shrink.
• April--Pulmonology (AKA, "And, how long have you smoked?"); worked with two of the best attendings yet. Saw more than my fair share of lung cancer, chain smokers, pneumonia, pleural effusions, and acute respiratory failure. I learned a lot, and had fun, but still....I don't want to go into internal medicine.
• Mid April--sat down and really thought about what I want out of my life and my career...finally decided AGAINST surgery and returned to the original plan of emergency medicine. I'm really excited about this and I haven't had any doubts since making this decision. :)
• April 23-25: Washington DC! I got the opportunity again this year to head out to Washington DC for DO Day on the Hill. There were about 16 people from my school that were able to attend and we were part of a group of 800+ students, doctors, and residents that lobbied for healthcare related issues with our representatives and senators. I also got two full days of sightseeing in DC in which was fun as well. It was nice to get away for a few days, but I also loved coming back home to some peace and quiet.
• Monday--I start my ER rotation! I'm nervous and praying things go well, but also very excited for this rotation. It should be a blast and hopefully will solidify my decision to head into ER. :)
• I have 2 more months in my 3rd year and then I'm officially in my last year of medical school! It's flown by and in 12 short months I'm going to be a doctor! Crazy...and terrifying all at the same time.
• Melissa Key's wedding is in just 5 weeks! I am so excited. It will be so much fun!

Well, there you go...my life in a nutshell. Many more things have happened I'm sure, but these are the big highlights. I'll hopefully be writing more later. :)