smirkingatyou

I'm back home on my neurology rotation now. It's all clinic work, which isn't my favorite thing to do, but the hours are nice. I arrive at 8 AM, and I'm out the door at or before 5 PM. I'm not complaining at all about that. Some parts are really interesting. I'm getting to see some really interesting things. The downside is that, like a lot of medical disorders, there is little we can do for some people other than help them hold onto whatever they have (mobility, comfort, autonomy, life) for as long as we can. Over the last two days, I've seen a bit of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The experience has been sobering.

I've met many people in positions similar to the ones in which my current patients find themselves. Most were patients. Much fewer in my personal life. Each deals which their experience differently. Some turn to religion. Others rely on drugs. For others, misery has become part of their identity, and they wallow in it. A few deal with it the way most of us wish we could deal with life's simple annoyances . . . they accept what they need to accept and move on. Today, I met one of those people. We did the doctor/patient thing for a while. Then we just shot the shit about random stuff: allergies, sports, jokes, work. I took a little longer than I should have. In truth, I got a bit distracted and behind in my work for a moment which led to me catching some grief from my boss. I'll survive. This guy was cool. He's someone I'd probably buy a beer. I have a feeling this is going to be an interesting month.