PGY 39, Day 32
It has been a brutal week ... lots of casualties. We had a few hours of down time yesterday afternoon, before last night's "bolus" of new trauma patients. I always tell folks to enjoy the down time, because it never lasts long ... always more patients out there. The need is great.
Most are very sad stories for patients and their loved ones. They are truly casualties ... many victims of self abuse ... drugs, alcohol, lifestyles that breed pathology, momentary stupidity and bad decisions. And there are the many "innocent bystanders" who are victims of the fall out from the bad behavior. So sad, but, no time for emotional and big picture considerations during the heat of the moment. But it does take its toll for the patients, the families and the providers ... forever. We are all changed forever.
My focus on defining, treating the precise and most important targets of care is intense ... undivided attention must be given to the patients and their problems to enable precision, timely intervention where seconds and minutes can mean the difference between life, loss of limb, organ damage, or death. That is Critical Care.
Between driving inexperienced people in the right direction, keeping them focused on the key targets, engaging families, avoiding distractions and sleep deprivation, by the end of my week I am all used up.
This is my recovery time ... my time to sleep, decompress and to think about the emotional impact on me & larger picture ... problems and solutions. Always thinking about ways that we can make it better for the patients and the proviers ... the many people who need our services. Healing is a labor of love.
Ciao for now,
Dr. Mike
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