Saturday, March 21, 2009

The Land of Happy People

I forgot what it was like. Being happy sometimes. It turns out in the Emergency Department (ED) they feel this way quite a bit. I am not sure why, whether it's their natural disposition or a combination of poorly regulated and documented narcotics in the trauma bay, but the ER docs are by and large good people. Friendly, happy, good-natured, and not too terribly demanding. Almost makes me want to be an ED physician myself were it not for the fact that I strongly dislike the style of medicine they practice. Nevertheless, this month has been the first month I have had two consecutive smiles and it kind of hurt the corners of my mouth a bit. It has also been the first month that I pulled a rock out of a 4 year old's nose using a pediatric foley catheter and the only month I pulled a shark-tooth shaped piece of glass from its location embedded in a woman's foot, but those are neither here nor there. The point is the ER doctors have reminded me of what it is like to be genuinely, consistently happy and for that I am grateful. I have eaten almost nothing but breakfast for the past month as a result of the wacky hours, but dysgeusia is a small price to pay for that.

Oh, and today the Fighthing Texas Aggies will beat the UConn Huskies in the NCAA tournament. I know this because I have stayed up late at night and had visions. Visions of glory.

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