I went on a date then woke up early the next day to study....still studying now on Sunday.
I was in the ICU. I'm still in the ICU, and we just got another train wreck admission from a nursing home with no hope of recovery for me to torture.
On the last day I had off, I filled out my health care proxy form and had it signed and witnessed. Then I called my sister up and had a chat about futile care, and how I don't want any.
What we do to people in ICUs is just horrible. Maybe that's where premeds really ought to try shadowing. Maybe there should be grand tours for the public. Maybe it wouldn't matter even if we did. People are remarkably delusional about death and dying....
What we do to people in ICUs is just horrible. Maybe that's where premeds really ought to try shadowing. Maybe there should be grand tours for the public. Maybe it wouldn't matter even if we did. People are remarkably delusional about death and dying....
Congrats! It's a wild ride.Thought I'd share. Today marks one year since I decided to become a non-trad premed.
Started a cure on a 4 lb slab of pork belly I bought after work. Should smoke it Thursday for some high quality artisanal bacon. Cure includes bay and garlic for a more savory bacon
The last ten days of my mother's life she spent in the ICU. Her liver had failed and her kidneys were starting to fail. I had health care proxy for her and, though it was the hardest thing ever, I authorized the DNR. Thankfully, I had enough rational thought at the time and an ICU physician who was pretty honest and frank to lead me to the decision. My Mom died 13 hours later, by the way.
In my limited experience, an ICU is the most impersonal place to die. There is no privacy, visiting hours are limited and half the time the nurses asked you to leave even during the posted visiting hours, so I barely saw my mother in her last days. Now, this may be specific to the ICU where my Mom was, but there was no communication. The nurses claimed to not know anything when we asked about my mother's status and you had to make an appointment to see an ICU physician to get an update. There wasn't even communication among staff. The social worker who talked to us the day before my mother died looked puzzled when my sister and I asked about hospice because she didn't know my mother was dying, apparently.
We had a small course recently at school which covered some end of life issues. I told my small discussion group that hospice sounded wonderful and I wish my mother could have died at home.
I was in the ICU. I'm still in the ICU, and we just got another train wreck admission from a nursing home with no hope of recovery for me to torture.
On the last day I had off, I filled out my health care proxy form and had it signed and witnessed. Then I called my sister up and had a chat about futile care, and how I don't want any.
What we do to people in ICUs is just horrible. Maybe that's where premeds really ought to try shadowing. Maybe there should be grand tours for the public. Maybe it wouldn't matter even if we did. People are remarkably delusional about death and dying....
My wild friday night involved me and my physics book....suspenseful...we are at it again today
Congrats! It's a wild ride.
I'm not normally a big pork eater but this sounds really good! How long does it take to cure bacon? Q and I are coming over!
Sure, if you mean the monetary kind.Sounds like somebody needs some bacon!
Heh, except that I'm a vegetarian and grew up Jewish. Definitely not a pork eater.I'm not normally a big pork eater but this sounds really good! How long does it take to cure bacon? Q and I are coming over!
I agree with you on all these counts.In my limited experience, an ICU is the most impersonal place to die. There is no privacy, visiting hours are limited and half the time the nurses asked you to leave even during the posted visiting hours, so I barely saw my mother in her last days. Now, this may be specific to the ICU where my Mom was, but there was no communication. The nurses claimed to not know anything when we asked about my mother's status and you had to make an appointment to see an ICU physician to get an update. There wasn't even communication among staff. The social worker who talked to us the day before my mother died looked puzzled when my sister and I asked about hospice because she didn't know my mother was dying, apparently.
We had a small course recently at school which covered some end of life issues. I told my small discussion group that hospice sounded wonderful and I wish my mother could have died at home.
Unfortunately, we wouldn't be able to use that as evidence of your wishes, at least not in my state. You should tell whoever would be your next of kin surrogate (spouse, adult children, parents, then siblings, normally) what you want, or better yet, put it in writing as a living will.I'm tattooing DNR on my chest, NOT joking on this one.
I didn't realize that bacon was made from pork bellies. All the more reason not to eat it. I visited a pig farm once while in college as well as cared for pigs myself, and you don't want to know what those pigs would eat.Thanks. Cure for roughly 4-5 days, depending on how thick your belly is. Then you hot smoke it for a few hours. Really easy and so much better than store bought. Foodie trivia: the thin striations of meat in bacon are actually the pig's abdominal muscles.
Unfortunately, we wouldn't be able to use that as evidence of your wishes, at least not in my state. You should tell whoever would be your next of kin surrogate (spouse, adult children, parents, then siblings, normally) what you want, or better yet, put it in writing as a living will.
tatiana 3325 said:I am so incredibly sorry to hear about your experience. How horrible and stressful. I feel for you. I guess I'm going pretty off topic but hospice is not without its challenges. My mother, aunt and I used hospice for my grandmother, but elected to be her 24/7 caregivers with the hospice nurse coming for about 30 mins each day and her doctor checking in twice a day. We divided the time into shifts (2 day shifts and one night shift) as she required constant care with something needing attention about every 30 mins if I'm remembering correctly.
Sure, if you mean the monetary kind.
Heh, except that I'm a vegetarian and grew up Jewish. Definitely not a pork eater.
Thanks, Tatiana. It is certainly a tough and stressful situation to be a family caregiver and to watch a loved one suffer with serious illness. I like to think it will make us better physicians.
Whoops, sorry Q! You might remember I once thought you were male so it's no wonder I messed up these other details! Anyway, I have celiac sprue so I'd bring some vegetarian gluten free lasagna or something.
I didn't remember, but I won't take offense. Today on the way home from work, I stopped at a grocery store and the checkout guy at the next lane was telling his customer, "Look, if you need help, there's a nurse!" I'm like, woah, who you calling a nurse??? To be fair, I was wearing my department zipper hoodie over my scrubs, which is something that the nurses often do, but still!Whoops, sorry Q! You might remember I once thought you were male so it's no wonder I messed up these other details! Anyway, I have celiac sprue so I'd bring some vegetarian gluten free lasagna or something.
Nope and nope. I'm a gringa, and "quimica" is the Spanish word for "chemistry."For some reason I thought she was Latina. Quimica is in Mexico I think?
Fortunately, someone reminded me that I had my motorcycle boots in the resident lounge (again, long story). So I wore those for the rest of the day, then walked home in them. I'm not sure which made more of a fashion statement: bloody scrub pants with no-slip hospital socks, or ill-fitting OR scrubs with motorcycle boots. I think I entertained the entire unit quite a bit today.
For some reason I thought she was Latina. Quimica is in Mexico I think?
Motorcycle boots? We're learning even more about you, Q!
Today on the way home from work, I stopped at a grocery store and the checkout guy at the next lane was telling his customer, "Look, if you need help, there's a nurse!" I'm like, woah, who you calling a nurse??? To be fair, I was wearing my department zipper hoodie over my scrubs, which is something that the nurses often do, but still!
was back working nights this week. Resuscitated a patient we later found out was dnr/dni. Ugh. Taking step 3 of the usmle on mon/tues. Should be eligible for my full license by june, although i'm probably not going to apply for it. Too expensive.
Was back working nights this week. Resuscitated a patient we later found out was DNR/DNI. Ugh. Taking Step 3 of the USMLE on Mon/Tues. Should be eligible for my full license by June, although I'm probably not going to apply for it. Too expensive.
Grading chemistry stuff while working on the cardio... and then off to do HIV outreach and try and pawn off as many condoms as I possibly can before I move at the end of May.
Faaaaantabulous!
I'm reading over 25 lecture pages for orgo, 50 lab pages, and divorce papers that just arrived... :/