Seems like several months since I have put anything down here. As I write this I am sitting at the kitchen table, a candle simmering in the center, one half is a class of phonics, with Alec attempting to sound out different words and forming sentences, trying to read my expressions as to whether he is correct or not in his guesses until I make him really read it by himself. Jan is on the opposite side, working on her pen-woman-ship, and completing riddles and sentences of her own. Anne is playing with cars, of course, in the living room below, with Pati doing her best to be annoying as she tries to play with Anne, and running to the bathroom every so often telling mom she has to go, which she does.
The other half of the table is occupied by me, my two laptops, and scattered recovery disks, windows reinstallation disks, and a screwdriver. The Hard Drive went out in one of the laptops (which are identical models, both gifts to us) and I know this because it started making loud scraping noises, followed by an error message and crashing of the computer. Being poor, and a man, I decided not to ask for help and found a new hard drive online and bought it. So, now I have removed the hard drive, replaced it with the new one, and was attempting to reboot the computer when I encountered all sorts of error messages. The other computer is used to search all sorts of help on how to go about navigating the error messages, and I am now waiting for the new hard drive to be formatted, so I am taking the moment to blog. Oh, this is about midnight for me, since I am on nights right now and have just come home from work (even though it is only 10:30 am).
Work has been frustrating for me lately. There have been days of sunshine, where the pager is mostly dormant, the patients are getting better, and everything goes our way in the OR. Mostly, however, lots of death, poor prognoses, and sharing bad news with family. This past three days, I have seen three people die, taken care of one guy who shot himself in the head, and then kept him alive enough so his organs could be retrieved (preferred to the word "harvested"), which took place about 3am this morning. Another lady I admitted as a trauma patient really had nothing wrong with her, and I was contemplating sending her home but decided on keeping her overnight since she was a kidney transplant patient, and I wanted to be sure. Well, apparently she was doing well that following morning, walking the halls, cheerful and then her nurse found her unresponsive in her room. Initially she was confused and then not very alert so the decision was made to intubate her to protect her airway, upon the completion of this she was noticed to be without any pulse and after 45minutes CPR was stopped, leaving everyone shocked and stunned, wondering what had happened. We have gone over the records of this 42yo woman, and meticulously examined the films in a vain attempt to identify some passed over clue, but will have to wait for the autopsy.
Then we have the lady who comes to the hospital because her life is unbearable, so we keep her until she decides to be healed and await her return. Next to her is the lady who likes to have problems, and injects herself with stuff to produce infections that need treatment, pain medications, and attention. Fortunately, there are the folks who are more "normal," and joke around with me about their symptoms, opinion of the food, various tubes coming out of their orifices, and remind me with their gratefulness why I am still putting up with the ridiculous hours, the criticism of the smallest mistake with the sledgehammer, and the expectation that I have no need of sleep, am sitting around waiting for work, and make lots of money.
Fortunately, the Lord knew what He was doing, and surrounded me with a loving family who support me and endure this with me. Honestly, I don't know how the single ones, or the ones with poor social dynamics survive.
The whole goal for me is to be open to serve wherever and however the Lord directs us, but with my experience here, coupled with the current political climate, I am feeling like getting out of the US, as I am concerned about the lack of good relationship between doctor and patient, undue expectations of patients, impending socialism, and decreased reimbursement coupled with higher taxes and cost of business to where the profession will be so undervalued that no-one will want to enter it, and for good reason. That being said, and quite gloomily at that, I know for sure I am where I am supposed to be, that the Lord will work it all out, and every once in a while the pat on the back, or the patient who says "thanks" seems to keep me going for at least another week or two.
Well, we are nearly 83% formatted, but I don't think I can remain conscious for the end of it, so I suppose I will be installing all the software tomorrow, or perhaps on my one day off this weekend.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all. I do appreciate hearing from anyone about how they are doing, what is new, etc.... If you want to go sledding on Thanksgiving, come on out, we have about 4 or 5 inches, and it is snowing now.
Dr. Meat
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Snow this week
The forecast is snow for at least three days this week. Probably nothing much will stick, but the kids are excited and I am trying to forget that snow and snow clothes will be around through April and just be excited about it too.
We have all had a busy fall. David is back at Akron General working more than he ever has. We are lucky to see him at all. "They" hope that things will improve schedule wise some time in February, which is nice to try to look forward to, but we have been disappointed so many times (I think nearly every time) in promises of things getting better than I am feeling pretty cynical about this one. Somedays we handle it well and other days we don't.
The children are enjoying school time at home and learning some really fun things. Jan is reading pretty well and Alec is getting the hang of it too. We have gotten involved in a Christian homeschool co-op that meets on Fridays. It has been something fun to look forward to and a good learning time for all of the kids, but especially Jan and Alec. They are enrolled in a science class together and right now are studying insects and metamorphosis. Alec is in a Knights Class - he and a group of 10 other boys learn about daily life in the Middle Ages, training for knights, being gentlemen, having good manners, etc. Last week they made a battle ax out of cardboard and tinfoil and began tripping over themselves to open doors for "ladies". Jan has learned to knit and is trying to keep pace with the girls knitting class (she is too young to enroll in the class, but they share the patterns with her and she knits with the older girls at recess). She is in an Authors Class and has worked on and illustrated two different books during her class time on Fridays so far.
Anne enjoys her preschool class but forgets how much she likes it every week and always cries when she gets there. This last Friday they had a fireman come in teach about fire safety.
I really resisted the idea of getting involved in the co-op because I thought that it would be too much "running around", but it has turned out to be a great thing to be involved in.
My Mom came out to visit in September and we had so much fun with her. For the first few days of her visit she brought a friend from our church in Washington, Sieglinde Kolberg, so that she could run the Akron Marathon. We got to see Mrs. Kolberg finish the Marathon with a really good time. David and I both got to run the relay part of the marathon, I just ran with one team, but David figured out a way to be apart of two teams - I ran a 10k leg and David ran both a 10k and then a 5k leg, one them for my team, and one of them for a team from Akron General. My Mom probably ran a 5k that day too even though she didn't enter the race! She got the kids up and ready and rushed over to the kids run and made it work for them to be apart of that race which they look forward to all year.
Every day when Pati wakes up the first thing she says is "Dadee home?" Today the answer was "yes" (at least until 5:00 tonight when he leaves for work). So we are off to do something fun together for a few hours (it might just be grocery shopping...which is really just a stop at the restrooms with occasional ventures into the actual supermarket before heading back to the restrooms).
We have all had a busy fall. David is back at Akron General working more than he ever has. We are lucky to see him at all. "They" hope that things will improve schedule wise some time in February, which is nice to try to look forward to, but we have been disappointed so many times (I think nearly every time) in promises of things getting better than I am feeling pretty cynical about this one. Somedays we handle it well and other days we don't.
The children are enjoying school time at home and learning some really fun things. Jan is reading pretty well and Alec is getting the hang of it too. We have gotten involved in a Christian homeschool co-op that meets on Fridays. It has been something fun to look forward to and a good learning time for all of the kids, but especially Jan and Alec. They are enrolled in a science class together and right now are studying insects and metamorphosis. Alec is in a Knights Class - he and a group of 10 other boys learn about daily life in the Middle Ages, training for knights, being gentlemen, having good manners, etc. Last week they made a battle ax out of cardboard and tinfoil and began tripping over themselves to open doors for "ladies". Jan has learned to knit and is trying to keep pace with the girls knitting class (she is too young to enroll in the class, but they share the patterns with her and she knits with the older girls at recess). She is in an Authors Class and has worked on and illustrated two different books during her class time on Fridays so far.
Anne enjoys her preschool class but forgets how much she likes it every week and always cries when she gets there. This last Friday they had a fireman come in teach about fire safety.
I really resisted the idea of getting involved in the co-op because I thought that it would be too much "running around", but it has turned out to be a great thing to be involved in.
My Mom came out to visit in September and we had so much fun with her. For the first few days of her visit she brought a friend from our church in Washington, Sieglinde Kolberg, so that she could run the Akron Marathon. We got to see Mrs. Kolberg finish the Marathon with a really good time. David and I both got to run the relay part of the marathon, I just ran with one team, but David figured out a way to be apart of two teams - I ran a 10k leg and David ran both a 10k and then a 5k leg, one them for my team, and one of them for a team from Akron General. My Mom probably ran a 5k that day too even though she didn't enter the race! She got the kids up and ready and rushed over to the kids run and made it work for them to be apart of that race which they look forward to all year.
Every day when Pati wakes up the first thing she says is "Dadee home?" Today the answer was "yes" (at least until 5:00 tonight when he leaves for work). So we are off to do something fun together for a few hours (it might just be grocery shopping...which is really just a stop at the restrooms with occasional ventures into the actual supermarket before heading back to the restrooms).
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| From September 2008 |
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| From September 2008 |
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| From September 2008 |
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| From September 2008 |
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Happy Birthday Grandpa!
Thinking of my Dad on his birthday. We all wish we could go out to his house and wish him a happy birthday.
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| From July 2008 |
Monday, August 25, 2008
last days of summer
Some of the trees on our street are already beginning to turn color. Such a change from last year when the leaves stayed green until late October. Most everyone here starts school tomorrow, but we won't start up our school until mid September. David has a week of vacation in September and the plan is to start when that is over.
We have done some more swimming out at the little neighborhood lake and Jan and Alec can hold their own now (I do make them wear life jackets when we swim in a lake, even though they can swim just fine without them. The dark water is what makes me nervous, once something sinks, you sure are not going to be able to find it so I want my kids to float!)
We have had cooler temperatures in the morning and evening so they have had opportunity to wear their new sweatshirts!
Jan and Alec are pleased about starting school. I am realizing that I need to have a schoolbook for Anne too. I tried to get her to use crayons and a coloring book one day last week when the older kids were writing in last years school books. She let me know that she was not fooled. She wasn't using crayons, she needed a pencil and a real paper. It should be a fun year of learning for all of us.
David managed to get a few hours of sleep last night so he took the kids to Alec's flag football practice tonight. Jan counted out .75 in pennies to spend at the concession stand. All three girls can get a treat for that much money and they feel pretty special sitting on the grass with their suckers.
Alec eats up the chance to play football. Several of the other boys just are not that interested and their attention span is gone after half of practice. I think that the coaches have an amazing amount of patience and do a good job of teaching them what to do and how to do it. We were at the concession stand just before leaving after practice last week when a boy came up with a ziplock bag of change and asked "Is this enough to buy a hot dog?" While he was waiting for it to come he high fived Alec and informed me that "Wow, Alec is tough! He is just a little guy, he is only five and I am six and he can knock me down!" He was a pretty little guy himself but he sure walked like he thought he was six feet tall. The girls and I have fun people watching while we wait for practice to be done. Lots of funny people out there. I bet we do our share of providing entertainment for the other people too.
I won't say what this is but it has been a common happening this summer and we hope that we see less and less of it.
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| From August 2008 |
We have done some more swimming out at the little neighborhood lake and Jan and Alec can hold their own now (I do make them wear life jackets when we swim in a lake, even though they can swim just fine without them. The dark water is what makes me nervous, once something sinks, you sure are not going to be able to find it so I want my kids to float!)
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| From August 2008 |
We have had cooler temperatures in the morning and evening so they have had opportunity to wear their new sweatshirts!
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| From August 2008 |
Jan and Alec are pleased about starting school. I am realizing that I need to have a schoolbook for Anne too. I tried to get her to use crayons and a coloring book one day last week when the older kids were writing in last years school books. She let me know that she was not fooled. She wasn't using crayons, she needed a pencil and a real paper. It should be a fun year of learning for all of us.
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| From August 2008 |
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| From August 2008 |
David managed to get a few hours of sleep last night so he took the kids to Alec's flag football practice tonight. Jan counted out .75 in pennies to spend at the concession stand. All three girls can get a treat for that much money and they feel pretty special sitting on the grass with their suckers.
 |
| From August 2008 |
Alec eats up the chance to play football. Several of the other boys just are not that interested and their attention span is gone after half of practice. I think that the coaches have an amazing amount of patience and do a good job of teaching them what to do and how to do it. We were at the concession stand just before leaving after practice last week when a boy came up with a ziplock bag of change and asked "Is this enough to buy a hot dog?" While he was waiting for it to come he high fived Alec and informed me that "Wow, Alec is tough! He is just a little guy, he is only five and I am six and he can knock me down!" He was a pretty little guy himself but he sure walked like he thought he was six feet tall. The girls and I have fun people watching while we wait for practice to be done. Lots of funny people out there. I bet we do our share of providing entertainment for the other people too.
I won't say what this is but it has been a common happening this summer and we hope that we see less and less of it.
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