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May 10, 2017
Dear Memphis, You are not that pretty. Actually, in some places you are kinda dirty. Your river is muddy, everybody thinks you are dangerous, and you are very expensive to fly to. You are famous for BBQ, the Blues, and a King who never really ruled anyone. You have a strange pyramid in the middle of your city, you have a sports team named for an animal that doesn’t live even remotely close to you, and you have a “island”...
April 18, 2017
Yesterday, I came home from work a little early. I just simply could not. do. it. any. longer. Total exhaustion. I wandered around the house aimlessly, in a fog. While trying to get my younger boys ready for the Cub Scouts Pack meeting, I mumbled my words…or couldn’t find words altogether…they got lost somewhere in my head and I couldn’t get them out of my mouth. “C’mon boys! Put on the…you know…the thing. That…whatever it’s called…” I faded quickly at...
March 31, 2017
Last week, Allie, my 14-year-old daughter, and I went to the doctor together. Neither of us are sick. We are preparing to travel out of the country together, so we set up an appointment with a travel medicine physician, to be sure our immunizations are up to date and that we have our malaria prophylaxis covered. I handed the doctor the tattered stack of papers I have been carrying around since medical school, proving I have had my tetanus shots...
February 20, 2017
The other week, I finally tackled the job of painting Scott’s office. He works from home now, so we agreed that setting up his office was priority #1 when we moved into this house. I decided on a paint color and blocked off a Sunday afternoon to sequester myself in his office and get it done. I have painted many, many rooms in our homes over the years. I have, what I think, is a pretty good system. Tape on the...
January 1, 2017
Across my desk, sat the Vice Chair of Surgical Education. She was debriefing with me after an observation of my interactions with the residents and students I have the honor of teaching and mentoring in my new job. She offered some kind and complimentary words followed by a few pieces of advice to make me a better teacher. The interaction was comfortable, but matter-of-fact and compulsory as part of my role as academic faculty. But just as she was getting...
October 1, 2016
Scott has been out of town on business. And while I miss him terribly, we are doing fine. We really are. As far as I am aware, the kids ate every meal this week. Some on the go, some with friends, and some standing around the kitchen, but they ate. And they bathed. At least a few times. They made it to school. And practices and games. The laundry is done. The dishwasher run. I was on call twice this...
September 13, 2016
I have a confession to make. While I am posting pictures of sunsets and palm trees on my social media accounts, deep down in my heart, I feel a little guilty for being here. I mean, I have to be here. I am presenting our research at this meeting, the most prestigious trauma surgical society in the world. It’s an honor to have the 4′ x 6′ space to display a poster and have 5 minutes of time to discuss our...
August 6, 2016
I have had just about enough of this week. Getting four kids ready for school, in a new school, is wearing me out. That sucking sound? Yeah, that’s the audible hemorrhage from our checkbook…new clothes, shoes, and backpacks; computers, pencils, and Kleenex tissues…yes it specified Kleenex tissues. By Monday night, I could be heard saying, “Is this week over yet?” My car was at the dealer for an oil change, the dog was incarcerated at the vet for the weekend so we could go to...
June 21, 2016
These feet were made for walking…12,234 steps on call last night, all after a painful 5 mile walk/run in the scorching heat yesterday morning. (Touché: Both Jack and Scott told me not to run at 11am.) Taking the stairs more often than not; walking the long, long underground corridor from my office building to the ED; to the OR-for a somewhat intense case; to the call room. And back to my office this morning. I didn’t mean to be so...
May 24, 2016
We powered through rounds this morning, knowing we needed to see all of our patients and carry out most of the work of the day before 1pm, so we could turn our attention to the outpatient trauma clinic. My team did a great job, changing dressings, ordering tests, talking with families, writing notes. Folks who were ready to go home had discharge instructions written and prescriptions printed in record time. And our hard working intern even found the time to...