Report of 10 Jan 2021

Happy New Year!

The 2nd dose is in an arm that has taken every vaccine in recent years.  We pick the non-dominant arm for various reasons, do we not.

After the first dose, my arm went numb.  My boss thought the injector had hit a nerve.  We were to sit in the room after our vaccination, for 15 minutes - monitored by a nurse.  I did not say my arm had gone numb as I would have been whisked off to the Emergency Room/Casualty and been subjected to a workup of workups.  So I flexed my fingers and made a fist and shook my arm, and was better.  The 2nd dose reportedly has some worse side effects - headache, nausea, malaise.  Some docs had to take the day off and I did not think that was fair to the team.  So - advised by Scott - I changed my 2nd dose to a day when I would have the day off the next day, took the 2nd dose yesterday and lay on the sofa yesterday and today, eating chocolate and feeling completely justified to do so.  

We got takeaway from a local restaurant - we love supporting the local economy, wherever we live - and enjoyed it.  

Work is good.  Busy.  COVID patients and others.  Our hospital system has sent some ventilators to California, where the COVID situation is worse.  It is good to share.  

I had a patient with pancreatitis - inflammation of the pancreas - which she has often, and also has flares.  It is easy to dismiss young patients as seekers of narcotic pain meds.  Her pain appeared genuine and I gave her pain meds + meds to keep down her nausea.  She got better slowly and was discharged 2 days ago.  She gave me a pretty picture that she had colored.  It was nice.  Her mother, whom I updated on the phone, was classy and sweet.  It is lovely to hear such a voice on the phone.  No visitors are allowed in the hospital, and it must be unnerving for patients' family members at home.  Our leadership urges us to update family members and we do so daily; I never used to have the time for this, but am making the time.  

Scott has been cook and housekeeper extraordinaire.  There is a steaming bowl of soup for me every evening and clean laundry.  We live next to a pond and we enjoy watching the ducks.  

We spoke to Naren and Nat, and that was nice.  We also spoke to our parents on the Sunday calls, and that was the lovely experience is unfailingly is.

It is a privilege to be in the profession.  

Unw -

R