Today’s post is a bit more philosophical. Being a doctor is hard. It’s even harder when things go wrong. Most of the time, the things that go wrong aren’t our fault. They usually aren’t the patient’s fault, either, even if they are a direct result of the patient’s actions. How is that possible, you ask? If a patient comes in
» Read moreNo one likes being put in a box. We hate labels, and we fight having them applied to us. I recently saw a patient with adenomyosis. She initially presented with heavy vaginal bleeding and was treated by one of my colleagues with a 6-day taper of combination oral contraceptive pills. Her bleeding stopped while on the pills, but as soon as
» Read moreI have been spending a lot of time in the clinic lately, which means one thing: lots of patient calls. The latest trend goes something like this: Patient sees me in clinic. I order an ultrasound (or other test) for a non-urgent concern (mostly for heavy or irregular periods). I schedule a follow-up visit for a few days to a
» Read moreOn a more philosophical note today, I recently had a very uncomfortable experience with the mother of a young patient. The patient was 16 and presented to my office complaining of heavy and painful periods. She was missing school because she leaked through her pads in class and was afraid it would happen again. Her mother kept her home 2-3 days
» Read moreI had a very interesting interaction with a patient today. I was down on the postpartum floor consenting a patient for a postpartum tubal ligation, when a different patient’s nurse flagged me down. The patient had just been brought down from labor and delivery after delivering twins vaginally. She asked her nurse for narcotic pain medication, which I do not
» Read moreDuring my internal medicine rotation, I took care of a gentleman with end-stage heart failure. He was young (early 50s) and personable, and I saw him every morning for a month. I followed him on a journey, we went through the ups and downs together, and I spent at least an hour in his room every day explaining his test results, answering his
» Read moreI delivered my first baby this week. Not MY first baby, that is, but it was my first time on the other end of the table. It was 3am (the time the labor and delivery floor gets really busy) and it was my patient’s second vaginal delivery, making her a relative pro. Baby was a little bit early at 36
» Read moreMy patient was transferred to a rehab facility today, and I didn’t say goodbye. He was admitted over a week ago, 19 years old, sick, and terrified. I saw the fear in his eyes when the resident told him that we would need to perform a lumbar puncture, that we would need to place a large needle in his spinal canal
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