The Big Lightbulb
After a few bad weeks, things are really starting to fall into place. Life is starting to feel like life again. My days and my routine and my home and my friends HERE all feel "normal." This life, here in B-more, is starting to feel like my real life instead of some strange little temporary tangent. And that feels good.
Even school is getting better--beyond getting good grades. All the course work is starting to come together in a way that makes sense on a macro level. Last week was full of several little "a ha!" moments, and now the big light bulb in my head is officially on. It is shedding light on everything.
Don't get me wrong...this still isn't "home". There are things about California that I miss in visceral ways. Sometimes when I merge from one freeway to the next and I have an option to go "west" I really think about where that road could lead and what I would do if I just took it. All the way. It sounds silly (and a little like a Western, what with driving off into the sunset and all). I never come close to actually doing it, but I think about it. I think about picking up and driving home.
The funny thing is I don't know that I will move back to California. If things go as planned I am here for at least 4-5 years. And when I am done I don't know what I'm going to do. I kind of like it that way.
On top of the everything becoming more clear and more normal, last week was my best clinical. It was good and informative, but it was also kind of funny. So I'm going to share some of what happened with you. (Warning: Some of you might find this kind of gross.)
My patient was on a gastro feeding tube. The RN was showing me and another student how to reconnect the feeding tube and to make sure all previous liquid food had been digested (yum). She was demonstrating how when you open the cap, you should make sure to point the opening away from you and/or wear a mask. There are often pressure differentials and sometimes things will splash out of the stomach, through the tube and into the room. She was standing on one side of the bed. The other student and myself were across and on the other side. The RN pointed the tube away from her (as she suggested) so that when the tube opened, guess who got partially digested stomach fluid splashed on them? Yep, that's right. Me and my fellow student.
It wasn't a lot, and the timing of it all made it funny.
I have a really strong stomach and not much disgusts me, but I have to say...this kind of did.
Even school is getting better--beyond getting good grades. All the course work is starting to come together in a way that makes sense on a macro level. Last week was full of several little "a ha!" moments, and now the big light bulb in my head is officially on. It is shedding light on everything.
Don't get me wrong...this still isn't "home". There are things about California that I miss in visceral ways. Sometimes when I merge from one freeway to the next and I have an option to go "west" I really think about where that road could lead and what I would do if I just took it. All the way. It sounds silly (and a little like a Western, what with driving off into the sunset and all). I never come close to actually doing it, but I think about it. I think about picking up and driving home.
The funny thing is I don't know that I will move back to California. If things go as planned I am here for at least 4-5 years. And when I am done I don't know what I'm going to do. I kind of like it that way.
On top of the everything becoming more clear and more normal, last week was my best clinical. It was good and informative, but it was also kind of funny. So I'm going to share some of what happened with you. (Warning: Some of you might find this kind of gross.)
My patient was on a gastro feeding tube. The RN was showing me and another student how to reconnect the feeding tube and to make sure all previous liquid food had been digested (yum). She was demonstrating how when you open the cap, you should make sure to point the opening away from you and/or wear a mask. There are often pressure differentials and sometimes things will splash out of the stomach, through the tube and into the room. She was standing on one side of the bed. The other student and myself were across and on the other side. The RN pointed the tube away from her (as she suggested) so that when the tube opened, guess who got partially digested stomach fluid splashed on them? Yep, that's right. Me and my fellow student.
It wasn't a lot, and the timing of it all made it funny.
I have a really strong stomach and not much disgusts me, but I have to say...this kind of did.
Labels: Adventures in Healthcare, B'more
posted by Follow the Frog at 5:32 PM
2 Comments:
NOT COMING BACK!?! Joking of course, I understand that long term plans are up in the air. Glad things are looking up. Light is good.
keep the good/gross clinical stories coming!
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