spearfisher's Journal

Today was great. My first case of the day was a THA. Morbidly obese, pulm dz, cardiac dz, DM, sleep apnea, "difficult airway." The MDA finds out this is week 2 for me, smiles and says "good luck with that one." I had to use both hands to mask her while my CRNA bagged during induction. MDA is staring over my shoulder while I tubed. The whole time asking me, what do you see? Cords. He keeps telling me I dont see cords. I dont know what he was looking at. I saw cords as evidenced by a clean, quick ...

I am GLAD that is over with! Whew. One down many to go but at least I have some idea of how things are going to work. I called myself going to bed early last night (2100). Told the wife I was sacking out and set the alarm. She asked me 3x what time I was getting up and if she needed to set her alarm. She was worried I would oversleep (like I was gonna sleep). I couldnt fall asleep so I sat up and read some pharm, patho and ran induction sequences thru my head, phsyio responses, drug classes, doses ...

First clinical day is........TOMORROW. I've read enough horror stories here and heard enough from the seniors that I am just not excited about it. I was at the beach for a few days this past week. Starting saturday, I got a little nervous and by sunday i was hardly talking to anyone (wife and kids there with me). Just quiet and reflective. Now, I dont really feel nervous.....I feel....ready? As I can be given its my first day. But not really wanting to go. Accepting of the situation I guess. Accepting ...

Actually its been done a couple of days. We finished it up on Sunday with ACLS/PALS day. The preclinical test that we "had to pass" in order to move on to clinical is done and thankfully I did pass it on the first attempt. Now I have until June 2 to sit back and relax. And study some Can't NOT study. Planning a short trip back to the beach with the family. Then coming back to get it on!!! I did another shadow day yesterday (last one). I am already overwhelmed at what all I will have to do. Makes ...

I just had my 2 hour sim lab for regional and peripheral anesthesia. We had these little dummies with water in the column so when we did the spinal it was "wet". Landmarks were pretty realistic. No interspinous "feel" but the ligamentum flavum was "there." Wow, I feel so much better about doing epidural and spinals now (dont step in the sarcasm, you may slip and fall.). Yea I feel pretty confident about poking a needle in someones back now............and to think one day, I'll look back at this ...