48 hours in the life of an on-call gynecologist

An on-call weekend: 48 hours of being at any moment “on,” of being edgy, of being exhausted. This weekend included a full house of patients to see in the hospital, a patient list of three pages to be exact. As I went from patient to patient, room to room, each held its own unique story filled with the yin and yang of life. I realize too, this may be a vulnerable time for them, a time they feel weakened and tired of their medical issues or just the fatigue of childbirth, take a toll on them physically and emotionally. To help create order out of the disorder with the variety of patients before me at the hospital, I mentally organize them into groups. It allows me to organize my head for what each patient may need and ready my heart for their heart. Hospital rounds On the postpartum floor, I see new moms, exhausted moms, disheveled moms, moms happy to be away from the other children to peacefully focus on their newest one, moms with uncontrollable high blood pressure. And I see the sickest mom in the ICU because of a coronary artery dissection recovering from her c-section having delivered her baby a month earlier than it was due to save her own life. Teary, wanting to see her baby who was in the nursery, wanting to be out of the ICU and free from the monitors and lines coming out of her neck and arms. She’s lucky to be alive — probably not realizing how close she was to death. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your on...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Physician Hospital-Based Medicine OB/GYN Primary Care Source Type: blogs