Renu's Week

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Report of 7 May '09

Hello from the Carmel public library -

Every time I am here, newly from India, I affirm that every country ought to treat its citizens thusly - with public libraries, good roads, drinking water from the faucet.

This morning, I ran at the gym for 30 minutes and the machine said I'd burnt 180 calories. One little square of chocolate can undo all of that. 30 minutes and 180 calories??? I'd hoped for a good 600 calories at least. But alas, not to be, not at the speed I run.

I have been rounding at St. Vincent, my residency alma mater, with Dr. Robert Love. It is good fun and I ask all the questions I want. It is a treat for me to soak up medical info from those more brilliant than I, so this week has been great.

Last week's interactions included my med school biochem professor, Richard Luduena, and his wife and daughter, Linda and Sara. I spent one night in their lovely, book-filled house, and Sara joined us for dinner that night, which was a treat. Linda dropped me at the airport the next day, and I flew to Albuquerque to see our friend, Greg Brown. Greg's been to India multiple times and is quite enamored of the place, and is great company. I spoke at his residency program and met his very cool program director, Ann Gateley, also an alumnus of our med school. On arrival in Indiana, Olivia Fondoble and her parents, Rhonda and Glenn, picked me up and took me out for dinner - that was a big treat, as the company was so great. I got to the Tabers' that night - my home away from home - and it was nice to see Christopher, Colleen and Mark. On Sunday, Colleen and I went shopping so that I could get that dreaded task out of the way, with some fun company. We also caught up with Carolyn Scanlan and her mother, LuBea, which was rejuvenating.

We saw the movie "Wolverine" so that I could salivate every time Mr. Jackman came on screen.

This week, I was very privileged to see Kris Rea and Gabe Soukup, and their daughters. We had a delicious meal, punctuated by loud laughter every few minutes, and that was memorable. I have long held Kris and Gabe in high esteem, for overcoming trying circumstances in prior lives, and for being remarkable individuals.

Patient care is fun, for the most part. This week, I had to tell a lady who had recovered from a near-fatal pneumonia, that it was in her best interest to stop smoking. As I told her that she seemed very nice, and the world could benefit a little longer from her presence, all of a sudden her relative was hugging me. And thanking me for telling the lady that. Hugs are nice. I imagine it makes a difference when someone in a white coat and with a stethoscope around the neck says something with regard to a person's health. All in a day's work for us, but apparently very important to patients and their friends and family.

Unw -

R

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