Report of 7 Feb 2021

 Good afternoon!

The sun is shining, the snow on the ground reflects it brightly, the pond that our apartment overlooks has ducks swimming away - don't they ever get cold?

We are well and hope the same with you.  I had a long stretch of work and then we travelled.  I realised that I had not blogged in some time.  

A memorable patient was a young, handsome man whose blood sugar had been low at the previous hospital.  They had transferred him to us.  Young and handsome patients are rare, thus the nurses - 2 in the room, totally unnecessary! - were tittering about, anxious to get the attention of Y&H.  It made my evaluation slightly lengthier, which I was not happy about.  Anyway, I finished the admission and suggested to the team the next day to get a neurology consult as the young man also had seizures.  I checked the next day, and the patient had had a seizure.  There was apparently blood around his ears and - while getting the patient back to bed - the nurse found a blood-filled syringe on the bed.  A syringe not used in our hospital.  They checked his possessions, and found a small bag with uncapped syringes pre-filled with insulin.  It seemed like this patient was going to concoct or fake all manner of things, confounding the caregivers.  I was incensed.  I can normally take most things that the patients dole out, but found the need to completely confuse the providers cruel.  I think the patient left against medical advice (AMA).  As his doctor said to me, playing with low blood sugar was not wise and could be fatal.

Ball is a great place to work.  Good leadership.

We had lunch with Nat after I finished my long stretch of work and that was lovely.  My Dad had cautioned me not to ask her questions about her new venture and I did not.  Nat opened up herself and talked, and seems happy at the farm.  We drove the next day to NYC - Scott would rather walk than fly domestically in the U.S. - and spent a couple of days there.  We saw Naren - which was also lovely - and ate our way around Brooklyn.  Naren is also happy where he is.  We drove back before the storm hit hard.  

I had a few days off, so did some Continuing Medical Education and read.  We talked to our respective parents this morning and that was fun.  My Dad has received the first dose of the vaccine, as has Scott's Mom.  My Dad was initially not going to get the vaccine, questioning its usefulness; some providers do that.  It was a nice chat.  

The cold is lovely and I like walking in it.  But not the ice and not the wind.  All part of the seasons.  

Unw -

R