Happy 2013!!!

Happy New Year - only a day late in making that wish to you is good for me. 

It has been a very interesting close of 2012 for me.  It is no secret that I didn't have the best year - professionally or personally.  The close of such an annus horribilis would normally have been a time of great anxiety for me.  It would have led to much soul searching, bemoaning the hand that fate has dealt me, and schemes for a better new year. 

However, against all odds, and perhaps good sense, I have a good feeling about 2013.  I have no scientific evidence to back up such a claim, and nothing has happened per se in my life to lead me to this belief.  I just know it to be true, truly.  It isn't one of those hoping for the best things; I actually know that 2013 is destined to bring great things for me.  Perhaps my inner intuition is blossoming here in my 40th year, or perhaps the logical side of me is just playing the odds - statistically I am due for a good year.  Regardless of the reason, I am fully embracing this feeling and going into 2013 with an open spirit.

Therefore, I make only one "resolution" for the year - I will be open to all that 2013 has to bring.  Here's to a great year.

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.

Where to start . . .

Okay - I've been bad.  I'm sorry.  I would say that it won't happen again, but we all know that is likely not true.  In my defense, it has been a very tumultuous time here in South Florida, and much of the last few months have been mostly about trying to stay alive.  

A little hyperbole there - we were barely glanced by the tropical storm.  However on a professional level, it's been fairly treacherous here the last few months.  I won't bore you with the details, mostly because they are too depressing to discuss.  However, for an example of the last few months, I was at a meeting with the Provost of the University recently when he likened a faculty member's concern (which truly was a petty issue) to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.  The man who runs my University feels that we are on a sinking ship - hmmmm - time for a job search?

Things are still incredibly unstable here, but I'm trying to remind myself that my mother is right - things usually happen the way they are supposed to - even if it doesn't fit my personal timeline or plan.  I won't tell you that I completely have my mental state back to a good place, but I'm working on getting it there.   

I Hate Mondays!

I think the world would be a much better place if Monday's simply did not exist.  I know what you are thinking - eliminating Monday's won't solve the problem, next you will hate Tuesday's.  Any day that follows the weekend is destined to be despised.  I disagree.  I think there is something inherently evil about Monday.

It's not that I hate Monday's because I have to go back to work after a nice long relaxing weekend.  Relaxing weekends are rare in my world, and having been on call for the last 18 days straight - I"m not sure that I would recognize one if I saw it.  I routinely work every other weekend, so if it was just the going back to work thing - I should only hate half of all Mondays.  Yet, I find myself dreading every single one of them.

What makes them so evil?  I'm not sure exactly, but they almost feel like a taunt.  It is like the Cosmo is saying . . . if only you had made a smarter career decision. . . if only you had a normal job . . . if only you had a life to enjoy. . . if only.  Perhaps that is why I hate Mondays.  They seem like yet another opportunity that passed by without me taking advantage.  Proof that time is passing by way to quickly.     Okay, perhaps it isn't the day itself, but my life that I am railing against.  However - at present I'm sticking with blaming Mondays.

Things not to say at the airport . . .

This story has a little back story.  A few months back, a heart transplant team from the Mayo Clinic here in Florida were killed when the helicopter they were flying in crashed.  I first heard of it when I received a panicked phone call from my mother who missed the Mayo clinic part of the story.  Following the story, seemingly thousands of emails have circulated among the transplant surgeons and powers that be here at UM regarding liability and life insurance.  The final consensus was as "transplant" surgeons, we expose ourselves to more potential harm than a "non-transplant" surgeon.  Therefore, the plan was to have additional insurance coverage should something happen during a harvest.  There was much debate about how much and how best to go about obtaining it, but quite honestly when they started discussing the tax benefits of establishing estates - I quit reading the emails.

Then yesterday rolled around.  The weather here in Miami has been atrocious since Saturday.  Heavy rain with dense clouds and no sunshine in sight.  I get the phone call that I'm needed to fly to Puerto Rico to harvest a heart.  Not overly excited, I climb into the car and head to the airport.  Due to the rough flying conditions, we are sharing the flight with the liver team.  We usually prefer to let them go first as their part takes longer, but in this instance the plan was to have me bide my time in San Juan while he got started.  During our ride to the airport, we were both discussing how little we were looking forward to the rough flight ahead. 

Then, simultaneously both of our phones chime signalling incoming emails.  The subject of the email - "death insurance".  It was an email from our VCA telling us that all the "kinks" of the additional life insurance policy had not been worked out.  Hence, we were still only covered by our standard hospital policy.  It was consequently his recommendation that we both go "online" and purchase an additional trip policy coverage of 5 million dollars for which the department would reimburse us. 

Let's just say this did not allay our fears.  It also turns out that pilots don't really like it when you ask them to delay your flight so that you can quickly go online and buy insurance in case the plane crashes.  We knew it was going to be a bumpy flight due to the weather, but pretty sure they were looking for "pockets" to hit.  At least all is well that ends well - until next time.

Still Here

Despite my several month absence, I am still alive and kicking.  Okay - not so much the kicking, but alive definitely.  I would love to tell you than my inattention to this blog was due to all of my attention being taken by some super hot guy, my new modeling career, a secret agent mission or the fact that I moved to an island without internet access.  Alas, it was work - as usual.  (Note to self - careful for what one asks.)  I have recently given work so much attention, that I have nothing to write about - as my mother has assured me on more than one occasion that NO ONE wants to hear my work stories.  I've been in a very reflective mood the last several days, and am trying to break this rut.  Stay tuned to see - hopefully.