The Plague

I am fairly certain that I woke up this morning with the plague.  Sure, it was fairly well iradicated by the late Middle Ages, but I'm starting to believe that it is making a comeback.  I don't understand what happened . . . I felt perfectly fine when I went to bed, but by 3 am I was coughing up a lung and felt as if someone took me outside and beat the crap out of me.  I medicated myself - one of the few advantages of knowing people within the medical profession - but felt no better 3 hours later when it was time to go to work.

Which brings me to the real crux of this diatribe.  People ask all the time why doctors go to work sick.  I can tell you exactly why that happens.  Did I feel like going to work today?  NO  Was I a potential infectious source for already sick people?  Absolutely.  So why did I go to work?

My day started off with an hour drive in the rain to the suburbs for my community outreach clinic.  Once there, I saw 5 new patients, 3 post-operative patients, and 4 follow-ups.  These patients, their significant others and in quite a few instances additional love ones had all arranged their work and life schedules to be free this morning.  They had arranged the days around the idea that they were going to be able to speak to the person that they had been led to believe might actually have a way to save themselves or loved ones from a disease that many had just leaned they might have, and for which they are well aware of kills way too many of its victims.  I then traveled an hour back to the main campus to repeat the experience.  Did I "save a life" in the operating room today - no.  Could these patients have been rescheduled - sure, but if it were you would you have wanted to be rescheduled?  Me either - which is why I took my plague ridden body to work today.  Now I'm going to put it to bed.

Beginning to look a lot like . . .

The Palm Trees are a light and the temperature is a moderate 85 degrees - so Christmas must be right around the corner.  The Christmas season in South Florida can be a difficult mental leap.  I went Christmas shopping today in a sleeveless dress and flip flops.  As I drove around town with my convertible top down, I found myself singing "Winter Wonderland".  All of that being said, Christmas season is indeed upon us.  For the first time in quite a few years, I actually find myself in the Christmas spirit this year.  I am almost finished with my shopping, and have a big day of wrapping planned for tomorrow.  I'm also planning to put up the tree after my cleaning lady leaves.  Not sure why I was able to catch the fever this year, but am happy that the joy of the Season is back.