My first call: Home again

I finally was able to discharge a patient who was going home on amiodarone which had cardioverted his atrial fibrillation, and then I had a quick lunch from the cafeteria. $120 on my name-badge goes a long way! Further work kept me at the hospital till 2:30, but I left, feeling tired, but satisfied, knowing I’d done my best to take care of my patients.

A three hour nap at home awaited me, followed by dinner with a few friends at a nearby restaurant.

We followed that with a few rounds of Balderdash. One of my most creative and believable (so I thought) definitions was for a word temblor, which actually means trembling as in an earthquake. Reminded of the word tenebrous, I scribbled my definition: “a mood or aura characterized by shadows and mystique.” Perhaps it was the small glasses of Bailey’s we’d enjoyed, or perhaps it’s true that people are funniest when they aren’t even trying, but the room exploded with laughter when my definition was read! Everybody immediately knew I’d written it!

We finished the evening with a quick trip to the top floor of the parking garage where we could see the fireworks that the city put on just west of downtown.

My first call, continued

Already I’m starting to see the value of a hospital that doesn’t depend on residents to do everything. With a teaching service that picks up “learning cases,” our census is filled with diversity and even intrigue. Going home post-call I had seven patients (the first three are old ones I picked up on July 1st). See if you notice a trend.

• An older gentleman with his first MI and subsequent atrial fibrillation.
• An older woman with a retroperitoneal abscess and MRSA. She also suffers from dementia and/or delirium.
• An elderly man with hyponatremia and an AKA.
• An older woman with a stroke.
• An elderly woman with a GI bleed.
• An elderly woman with a UTI and possible pneumonia.
• A middle aged man with uncontrolled diabetes and a serum glucose of >900.