As a doctor, your whole “raison d’etre” is to fight death. When you win, you’re a hero. Even if you lose, you’re still a hero, as long as you put up a good fight. “He did everything,” they’ll say, looking at you in awe. Doing everything, however, comes at a cost. The one …
Wanna come along for a trip through Chiang Mai? Check out this photo essay – a two miles trip to the Crematorium dogs, the homeless dogs we volunteered with. Check out \”The Art Of Taming.\” Drying chilis on the sidewalk. Where else? Garlic, bananas, and sunflower seeds too. Rada Jones is an Emergency Doc in …
You don’t like to be told what to do. Especially not by arrogant doctors who act as if they know better, just because they’ve been through a little training! Your child hates shots. As her parent, your main job is to keep her comfortable. Dr. Google told you about side effects: fever, pain, irritability. “The …
Humor is a shield in the ER. It helps us cope, so we laugh a lot. At each other, at ourselves, at the weirdness. Check these out. They are all real complaints of real ER patients. \”I have Bavarian cysts.\” \”My doctor said that I may have a blood clog in my leg.\” \”I have a stiff …
The heavy young man curled on his left side is in the ER for a pain in his backside. The sweaty blue dragon on his chest smells like fear. “It’s an abscess. I’ll have to open it. It’s gonna hurt.” “Can you put me to sleep? I hate pain.” I can. Should I? …
Addiction in healthcare K: “I was assaulted by an intoxicated female. She punched me and ruptured two discs in my back. I lost my whole self. I could no longer take the CPR course required. I lost my income which was supporting myself and my 3 children. I needed the narcotics not only to dull …
Lessons from a little prince. My best friend died three months ago. Her name was Gypsy. She was a German Shepherd and the other half of my soul. I’ll talk about her someday when the hole in my soul will start to close. Right now I can’t. I can’t see to type. I walked. I …
Every time I call a friend, all I have for them is more work. I’ve never yet called to say: “I hope you’re having a great day. Why don’t you take a break and have some fun? You’ve worked enough.” Nope. I only call to give them extra work. Whether it’s 2AM or …
Murphy’s Law as it applies to the ER: If something can go bad, it will do so in a hurry. If it can’t possibly go bad, it will still find a way. Clock’s First Rule: All the patients will crash at the same time. Usually when the computer system goes down. Clock’s Second Rule: …
The abuse of healthcare workers. “Kane County jail inmate Salters, 21, from Chicago, was at the Geneva hospital May 13, 2017, recovering from surgery after he ate part of a jail-issued sandal. He was in a patient room when Loomis unshackled Salters so he could use the toilet, according to an Illinois State Police summary …
