Saturday, March 22, 2008
Two things:First: Woo Hoo! I just won a "Shadow the Trauma Surgeon" silent auction item at a charity gala. I'm going to get to spend the night at my ER alma mater, MemorialHermann Medical Center's Level I Trauma Center, shadowing a trauma surgeon and seeing up close and personal what his life is like at work.
I was talking with the surgeon's wife about the details. She said, "Do you want a shift that's really hectic and gory?", to which I said "YEAH!". She said I should choose a weekend night, a holiday if possible. I'm going to see if I can hang with Dr. TS on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. I'm thinking that will be a nasty night in the trauma center.
Second: As you might have guessed from my glee under #1, I'm very much a tailgater when it comes to the infinite ways the human body can be beat up and put back together again (or...not). This was true even before I got crunched, and the internet has only made it possible for me to learn more. For instance, tonight I read a story about a man who lost control of his SUV. I'm putting the link to the article here but not the picture because it's pretty brutal, even though I wish it were higher res so I could zoom in. This one is special because of the story that goes with it:
The top rail of a chain link fence went through the vent window on his truck, through his lateral chest wall, through the seat, through the back seat, and through the floor of the jeep. At no time did he lose consciousness, and only complained of being slightly short of breath. Advanced Care Paramedics arrived and started IV fluid during the extrication. The patient could not be removed from his seat, so the patient and seat were removed from his vehicle as a unit. The patient underwentWhoever wrote this has a wicked sense of humor. (Emphasis mine.)
immediate surgery and recovered fully.
The pt was not interested in keeping the seat.
Labels: headlines, medicine, personal urban drama
# posted by Carol : 9:53 PM
