Being on call means:
- I arrived on the floor at 4:30 a.m. Monday morning.
- I stayed on the floor and went to all traumas for my service until 10 a.m. Tuesday morning.
- I slept for 45 minutes.
Being post call means:
- Been up for almost 30 straight hours
- I almost fell asleep at the wheel on the way home: had to slap myself awake.
- Hazily processing what I saw last night
Last night's trauma included but was not limited to:
- A person with penetrating wounds to the chest. I subsequently watched trauma surgery squelch around some intestines looking for an abdominal bleed.
- Several car crash victims
- Crush injury from construction equipment
... etc. Well, folks, it was just another normal day in Surgery I suppose.
Figure 1: A Post-call Yawn
As always, I love to hear about your experiences :) Hope you are taking lots of Vitamin C and taking care of yourself well- it sounds like this schedule would take a physical/emotional/mental/spiritual toll on anybody!
ReplyDelete