stories told and songs sung

Life is full of stories and songs. By sharing them, maybe we see a little more clearly how we are all connected.

Name:
Location: Deep South

I grew up in Texas and then went off to college in Tennessee. There I met my future wife in a great story you'll have to hear someday. Med school was back in Texas. We got married during my 2nd year. After med school, it was on to Neurology residency in the Deep South. Now that I'm a full fledged neurologist, I'm just trying to balance it all with a new baby on the way...

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Cracker

Anyone who knows me knows that, besides music, another big obsession is watching TV series. Once I get into a series, I watch it obsessively. I guess with a series, you get to know the characters better, and I buy into their stories. Anyway, my newest obsession is the British show Cracker. Of course I highly recommend it. It's about Fitz, an overweight middle-aged psychologist (played by Robbie Coltrane of Harry Potter/Hagrid fame) who uses his astute psychological analysis to solve crimes. But since it's British, you really get into the characters' lives. Fitz sees so easily into these criminals' lives and what drives them to commit the crimes that they do. But this is juxtaposed beautifully against the total shambles of his on personal relationships. Obviously I highly recommend it, but if you could watch one, watch the episode "To Say I Love You." It is an interesting look at how far we will go for love.

Landslide

I was listening to Landslide, the Stevie Nicks song covered by the Dixie Chicks, and it conjured up some interesting feelings I have about moving. When I left Texas to go off to college, I thought I might come back, and I did for med school. But now I have even more friends here, and this time I might not be coming back. I'm not one of those crazy Texas-or-bust types, but there's still a certain permanence of this move that makes me a little sad. Am I just afraid of such a big change?

'Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail thru the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?
Well, I've been afraid of changing 'cause I built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older too'

New state, new residency, new house. I guess it's time to get bolder because change is coming whether I'm ready or not.

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Should've bought a grill

I had a patient last week who was carried into the ER after having been deliriously unconscious all day. She reported no medical history and hadn't seen a doctor in 50 years. When we found that her blood sugar was 975, I had to be the bearer of bad news that she had diabetes.

Later on during her admission, she mentioned to me that her cousin George was coming to pick her up upon her discharge to take her out to his ranch and teach her how to cook and eat right. She was distressed about this because she was going to have to give up her beloved soul food and have to use "his grill." She said that she was the only cousin who didn't have one of "his grills." I told her that it must be nice to have a cousin who cared about her so much, and then when I thought about it further, I said, "wait, who is your cousin?"

"George Foreman," she said. Ah, thus the grills. So she was the only cousin without a grill and the only one with diabetes. Maybe it's time to buy a grill.

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Bluebonnets


Bluebonnets
Originally uploaded by Janelle and Victor.
One of the things I will miss about Texas when we're gone.

Butter

Another story. I have a friend who is seeing a patient in clinic who recently had lap banding surgery for weight loss. The surgery had no complications, but 6 weeks after the surgery and the patient still had not lost any weight. My friend found this odd, and so took more history...

Upon further questioning, the patient finally admitted that on a daily basis, she had been melting an entire tub of Country Crock butter in the microwave and drinking it. Where's Fabio and his "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" when you need him?

Laden With Guilt

Something that's been on my mind this week has been the tragic passing of a young nurse who worked at the same hospital as me. I saw a posting at her nursing station about her memorial service and asked how she passed. I was shocked to hear that she had taken her own life. I didn't know her well, but I knew that she was bright, energetic, and had a young baby boy.

We interact with so many people on a daily basis, whether it is at work or at the grocery store or whatever. I just couldn't help thinking about the times that I had spoken to her in the past. Was I ever rude when I asked her to do something for one of my patients? Did I ever blow her off when she came to me with a concern about one of my patients? I mean, I know I didn't cause her death, but now I have no more opportunities to compliment her on her hard work, her caring for the patients, or even her bright smile. Could those little things have made a difference? Maybe not individually, but I think that life is the sum of all the little things. And I know that I want to make a bigger effort to make the little things matter more.

Appropriate to that is a song I have long loved, "Laden with Guilt" by Caedmon's Call. Because they're so beautiful, I've included the entire lyrics below.

Laden with guilt and full of fears
I fly to Thee my Lord
And not a glimpse of hope appears
But in Thy written word
The volumes of my Father's grace
Does all my griefs assuage
Here I behold my Savior's face
In every page
This is the field where hidden lies
The pearl of price unknown
That merchant is divinely wise
Who makes the pearl his own
Here consecrated waters flow
To quench my thirst of sin
Here the fair tree of knowledge grown
No danger dwells within
This is the judge that ends the strife
Where wit and reason fail
My guide to everlasting life
Throughout this gloomy vale
O may Thy counsels, mighty God
My roving feet command
Nor I fosake the happy road
That leads to Thy right hand