The Decisions You Didn't Know You Made

I'm good at multiple choice tests. 

What I've found is that if I can turn a patient into a multiple choice question, then I can generally come up with the right answer.  But my newest realization about patient care is that most of the time when the wrong decision has been made, it's a decision that you didn't know that you made.

When we have a choice, we choose right.   But when we have momentum in a direction and no one is asking any questions; then we charge ahead without recognizing the number of decision that are being made without deliberate consideration.  It's not until something goes wrong that can turn around and look back and saw, "Why didn't we do x, y or z? "

Maybe that's true in life too.   I think that's what mid life crises might be about- all of the sudden you realize that you've made a bunch of decision without realizing it and are somewhere different than you should be.  I'm going to start trying to recognize the impending "mid life crises" of patient care, and recognizing the slowly boiling pot of water that's about to cook the frog.

Little Surprises

-I just started ENT, and I found out that I'll have Dec 24, 25 and 26 off of work!! In exchange, I work the next 19 days without a break.  Still, I think I win. I get to fly home and see my family!!

-I'm slightly terrified of starting peripheral vascular surgery next month at county; but I just found out that my co-intern used to work as a phlebotomist.  Translation:  I don't have to do all the every-6-hours labs draws by myself!! Or at all!!  YAY.

-Fencing is really REALLY atheletic.  I'm sore allllll over.  Ouchy. Also, see how the sword bends when it hits me?  That's how I got a whole bunch of little bruises everywhere.  Here are other funny thinks about this picture, (1) I think Dan is smiling/sneering way too big under his mask  (2) I think Dan is planning on karate chopping me after he stabs me (3) even though his stab coutns for a point, I think that my across-body swipe would be more deadly in real life (4) doesn't it look like we are wearing grown-up onsies?