Multiple crises averted.

I was up this morning until 5am working on my proposal when I finally clicked SUBMIT. Anyway, right after that, a very large FML cloud appeared and it started raining. I left a few messages for some people and decided to sleep for about 40 minutes before heading to Ben Taub.

Except, my sleep latency was so short that I didn't set an alarm. Woke up at 632am. I had to be in BT by 655am. What followed was a series of emergency maneuvers I had only theorized of in my head.

I popped up and ran. It's a good thing my scrubs were already on my bathroom floor. Took a shower in 5 minutes, which is one of my all time lows.* Brushed my teeth while changing into my scrubs.

It's a good thing I have a checklist in my head of things to take - paper, pens, phone, keys, stethoscope, ID. Like a meandering stream that hasn't changed course in thousands of years, I was out the door within 10 minutes of getting up, popped my car in sport mode and raced out of my garage. I was shaking in my car since I had to sit still for a few minutes, having forgotten how cold it was from the morning Blitzkrieg.

I made it to the BT L&D floor at 650am. Incredible.

I feel like I should give an update. With the submission of my proposal this morning, all my battles have ended. (There are more on the horizon.)

5 wins, 1 loss, and 1 up in the air (I guess I'll find out about this proposal in a few months. It'll be epic fail, I'm sure). Can't have it all, right? Absolutely no regrets.

One of my patients sobbed uncontrollably for 10 minutes after finding out she had an STD and that she'd have to be admitted to the hospital (for another reason). Couldn't speak english, so I didn't quite know what to say. My corny jokes don't translate well. I was told to get a fetal heart rate reading. It was kind of difficult, actually. There wasn't much I could say, but there was a lot I had to do. She lit up a bit when I said "Puedes escuchar el corazon de su nino en esto machina". Very minor patient care win.**

My Spanish is pathetic. You know what's worse? Doing charades to get my message across. Like charades for.. flatus, or bowel movements, or urination, or valsalva manuevers. They have privacy screens for both the patient and the doctor.

That's all for now. Stay frosty, troopers.

*: I usually finish all the hot water in these cold winter days.
**: I'll work on it.