30 Something Baby Doc

"Possess superior attitude and superior state of mind"

Steven Segal (Mason Storm) in HARD TO KILL

Dialogue during a routine annual exam.

Dr. tommy - are you periods normal?
Patient - yes, like clockwork
Dr. tommy - have all you pap smears been normal in the past?
Patient - yes
Dr. tommy - are you sexually active?
Patient - does a vibrator count?

After almost ten years of practicing medicine (including residency) I've been named as a defendant in a lawsuit. I went back and reviewed the specific case in detail and the ONLY connection I have in the case is that my name appeared on the chart as the admitting physician. I had no real participation in the patient's care or outcome.

It's frustrating, I feel my name is tarnished. (I have to mention this lawsuit everytime I apply for new hospital privileges). It may also take several years to resolve this matter. I'm Pissed. If you're gonna sue me, Do it for a case I was directly involved in. I've always strived to give my patients the best care humanly possible.

My senior partner has advised me not to worry, stating that the case was frivolous and my name would likely be dropped. I'm still worried. This doesn't cause me to dislike our current legal system (as most physicians do) although I do have a distaste for it's occasional lack of specificity.

I was in OR #1 tonite assisting my intern as she was performing a dilation and curettage on a patient who unfortunately had an incomplete miscarriage. Suddenly the nurses were calling me to OR #2 because a patient who had twins was ready to delivery and screaming her head off. My 3rd year resident was already in the room coaching the patient to push. The head of baby A started to crown. The patient let out a loud scream and her first infant was delivered. Baby A was healthy and crying vigorously.

The duration of time waiting for the second twin is a critical period. A multitude of things could go wrong and usually do for me. The second twin could flip to a breech position or the infant's heart rate could suddenly drop prior to delivery. I called for the ultrasound inorder to monitor the position of the baby B. I place the ultrasound scanner on mom's belly and the 2nd twin vertex (head first). I instructed the resident to break her water and she quickly pushed baby B out. The 2nd infant was well and crying. The nurse the walk over to me, gently takes the ultrasound scanner from my hand and say (Dr Tommy, you can stop scanning the mother now her baby is out "

I spent my evening on tuesday volunteering my time at the homeless shelter serving meals. They were very short on volunteer help yesterday because so many individuals feel the need to engage in overconsumption of riculously expensive meals in honor of Valentines Day.

No, I don't feel this way because I'm a bitter single man.

I strongly feel this day was created to make the Hallmark/Hershey execs richer and at the same time emasculate men in our society.

I'm very certain my longterm and recently married male friends punked out yesterday.

I've been taking a spin class at the YMCA for the last 3 weeks. It gives me a new respect for cyclist. This was one very tough workout in the beginning and I didn't believe I could continue. But now I'm kinda addicted.

Only problem.

All of the bikes are in a row facing a mirror which helps in maintaining appropriate form while pedaling. Today, the woman on the bike next to me commented on the expressions I make when I'm nearing exhaustion. She said," I hope you don't make those silly faces during sex"

After spending several hours in a difficult surgery I walk into the family waiting room, seeing the intense concern in their facial expressions and telling them their loved one is fine and everything is OK.

I really like that.

I'm here on call at the hospital tonite working on a 3 hour lecture for the 3rd year medical students rotating on the service. I just starting preparing the fucking thing today and will likely be up all nite. The lecture is scheduled for wed. Why do I always do this to myself?!?!?!?!

This kinda reminds me of a funny story. I usually call on the students during the lecture inorder to evaluate their participation and see if they've been doing the reading. Last year, one of the female students came up to me in private before the lecture and informed me that she had taken several laxitives the nite before because of severe constipation and now she been running to the bathroom constantly the morning of the lecture with EXPLOSIVE diarrhea. She begged me not to call on her that day as it might upset the delicate balance of her intestines (She was as serious as a heart attack). I tried to keep a straight face but was laughing hysterically on the inside.

I just spoke with a college friend of mine from the East Coast. I feel incredibly sorry for him and his wife. R (my friend of nearly 20 years) has been married for over 15 years with 4 chidren. He's also a physician (cardiothoracic surgeon) who continually cheats on his wife. R is a very nice person, good looking, a great conversationist and open with his feelings. He's always good to his wife and children and I can't really understand his many indiscretions. He rationalizes he behavior by claiming he never dated other women before he met and married his wife. Like a retroactive sowing of wild oats. I tried countless times to convince him to either stop cheating or divorce his wife. His wife knows he has strayed in the past and offered to seperate, but R was upset by the thought of her leaving with his children, so they attempted worked things out. He promised to remain faithful.

R met a attractive flight attendant recently and they've been having an affair for over a month. He likes her wild side and stating she's very sexually adventurous. He also claim that they have alot in common outside the bedroom. I feel this affair is worse than the others, because they are both beginning to develop feeling for each other and have used the "L" word. R recently revealed to the flight attendant that he was currently married and she had an emotional meltdown stating she would never see him again but unfortunately fell back into his arms.

I feel tremendous pity for R's wife as well as R himself. It's a frightening and stressful situation he has created for his family and himself. He won't leave his wife and at the same time he won't stop cheating . I also believe that his wife's self esteem is so low that she continues to tolerates his infidelity. R is that last friend ever would have thought could be capabale of this behavior and it make me question our motivations for marriage when it potentially could result in the above.



*obtw, R gave me permission to blog about his situation*