tap tap...this thing on?

So....I used to have this thing called a blog.  And I would update it on a semi-regular basis.  Then I started this thing called residency.  And my blogging took a backseat.  As did my housework.   And my personal hygiene.  And my knowledge of celebrity gossip.  Can someone please tell me what Lindsay Lohan is up to these days?  Rehab?  Jail?  My world is spinning out of control. 

I'm finishing up a pretty rough three month stretch.  I started out on night float at the VA.  Not a bad gig.  My job there is essentially to make sure that nobody dies over night and admit any new patients who show up in the ED.  And I actually got a little bit of sleep each night.  Pretty sweet when you can sleep at work. 

After night float, I went to the ICU.  I believe I blogged about this previously, so I won't bore you with too many details.  Lots of ventilators, vasopressors....that sort of stuff. 

Then I went to cardiology.  This is one of the more dreaded rotations.  We cover both floor status patients and really sick cardiac ICU patients....who have come in with a major MI....and coded several times....and are clinging to life by a thread.  You know....that sort of stuff.  I managed to survive that rotation relatively unscathed.  As did most of my patients. 

Now I'm on a general medicine rotation in the hospital.  My team (an attending, one senior resident, two interns and a menagerie of medical students, pharmacists and pharmacy students) round on about 16 inpatients daily.  We have a constant influx of admissions and discharges (Can you have an influx of discharges?  Does that make sense?  Is that an oxymoron?  Am I a moron?  Don't answer that.).  It's super busy, but I enjoy it. 

On a sad note....one of my very favorite patients passed away this week.  He fought a long hard fight against a nasty disease.  I will miss you, my friend. 

On a happy note....in exactly two weeks, I will be on vacation!  Yippee!  Perhaps I will catch up on my personal hygiene. 

Happy weekend everyone!

CBart, MD

PS - let it be known that I spelled "menagerie" correctly on the first try.  Spell check did not have to correct me.  It's the little things.