Many people stand out in my memory:
A woman who appeared much older than her stated age, but dressed much younger than her stated age. She had a history of drug abuse and struggled with the death of her young son and depression. She was a woman who after sharing her stories of abuse looked into my eyes and said, "You have a trusting face. I can't believe I just told you all of that. It took my psychiatrist years to get all of that out of me." I learned the importance of first impressions.
A young girl struggling to breathe, racing heart, blue lips, a high fever and a very low oxygen saturation... She will forever be my first emergency situation. As my preceptor prepped the Emergency Room in our little clinic and the nurse provided a nebulizer treatment and oxygen, I took the history from a panicked mother on the verge of tears. I learned to be calm in a storm.
A man in his 50s suffering from mental illness and chronic pain, labeled a poor historian, because of his inability to relay his health problems... A man with fragile limbs, an expressionless face and child-like behaviors. He was a man that had slipped through the cracks of preventative care. Despite being a frequent visitor of the clinic, he had no records of referral for screening procedures, nor did he have any record of a full physical exam. I was challenged with teaching him about colonoscopies and their benefits. I learned about the sad and true stories of inequality.
Each patient has a lesson to teach and a story to tell; and with each of them I sit and listen with an open heart.
As for life away from the clinic, I spend most of my time with family and friends, being a bum, and working on various homework assignments. I am attempting to get back in shape after nearly a month without being in the gym, but my knee, of course, is giving me a hard time. I look forward to the short bits of time I spend with my lovely boyfriend, the impromptu BBQs with my family, and hours spent watching a good old movie on TV. I pray for our dry and vulnerable state, the well-being of our firefighters and heroes, and those living near the flames and fury. I look forward to the Fiestas in Las Vegas, a night at the Drive In, my family campout, a trip to Alamogordo, spending time with Laura and Tony in Seattle, and many more adventures that the summer has yet to bring.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
A Piece of PIE, a Piece of Their Life
Pie- a word that used to only describe a sweet dessert with a crust base and delicious fruit filling and often topped with something yummy and aesthetically pleasing. A pie- something I often bake for holidays or days off from school. My favorite pie is the Millionaire pie, which I learned to bake in high school. It's a whip cream and Eagle Brand milk base mixed with a variety of fruits and nuts.
Now the word PIE has taken on a whole new meaning. PIE, in all caps, stands for Practical Immersion Experience. It's a time to learn, gain experience, and give back. It's an exposure to rural medicine and its designed for complete inclusion in a small community. My PIE is in Pecos, NM, where I will be working with a family medicine doctor.
The alarm clock went off earlier than usual, because I'm so paranoid about being late for the first day. I had already laid out my ironed clothes, my white coat, and my stethoscope. My white coat, which conveniently has half a dozen pockets, was rather heavy, as I had stuffed many of the pockets with resources I thought might come in handy- a pharmacology pocket book, my handy dandy notebook, a pen, a back up pen, and my phone- an invaluable resource with all of its applications :) I arrived to my PIE site and everyone welcomed me with friendly smiles, some with handshakes and many with hugs. I was walking into an office that I knew all too well. Family members and friends of the family worked in various areas, and there were also many new faces. Many nurses told me how pretty I was, and many told me I looked just like my mother. I smiled bashfully and thanked them. There was a large office staff and an even greater medical team- getting names straight would be a challenge in and of itself. My experience thus far has been slightly chaotic, yet highly enlightening. My preceptor had an emergent back surgery and will be out until further notice, so I was assigned to one of the PAs in the office and later to another doctor.
PIE has been an opportunity to learn medicine. With each visit something unfamiliar is mentioned by my doc, and I often jot down notes for later review. I have been handed medical lab reports and asked for my interpretation. I injected shots into the large and wrinkled arm of a very talkative elderly woman (whom I will never forget, as I have learned much about her adventures as she danced the night away as a young woman in California cities, how she owned a big beautiful home that she sold because the neighborhood got so bad, stories of her grandchildren and great grandchildren, some of which she calls hoodlums, and her battle with Shingles. She showed me all the medicines she had in her purse and said it was hard to remember what to take, when to take it, and which needed to follow a meal- there were more than 10 bottles. She talked to me about her struggles with race- how she didn't like the local community center, because they only played Mexican music and how she only felt comfortable with White and Chinese doctors. She meant no harm and probably didn't realize who she was talking to, but I couldn't help but feel a tinge of frustration.) I've met with other patients and performed a knee exam. I've listened to more hearts than I can count on two hands and I've looked into ears- some infected, some clean and some so dirty I had to help the nurse clean.
I have already worked in a clinic and have been exposed to the practice of medicine, as a result I have noticed so many differences from my Albuquerque practice. I have noticed how more concerned patients are with cost- everyone inquires about the cost of a procedure, test or prescription that the doc mentions. I have also been exposed to drug seeking behavior, neglected chronic illnesses, and the co-morbidities that arise a result of poverty and poor education. I've seen elderly patients complain of tired bones, men complain of aches and pains that prevent them from mounting their beloved horses, young adults struggling with pre-Diabetes and high blood pressure, and women my age with growing families and deteriorating substance abuse problems--- in only THREE days of working. I guess you can say that I have seen real life, real problems, and the real struggles of my New Mexican neighbors. Each time I enter the medical examining room, I enter the lives of patients and their problems. They share their stories and their hardships. I've already seen tears.
I'm learning- there's no doubt about that. I'm learning about myself, my community, my future profession, and my own misunderstandings. I'm learning about the real faces behind chronic disease, the real faces of poverty and the all too familiar faces of drug addiction. It's an adventure and it's only just begun.
Now the word PIE has taken on a whole new meaning. PIE, in all caps, stands for Practical Immersion Experience. It's a time to learn, gain experience, and give back. It's an exposure to rural medicine and its designed for complete inclusion in a small community. My PIE is in Pecos, NM, where I will be working with a family medicine doctor.
The alarm clock went off earlier than usual, because I'm so paranoid about being late for the first day. I had already laid out my ironed clothes, my white coat, and my stethoscope. My white coat, which conveniently has half a dozen pockets, was rather heavy, as I had stuffed many of the pockets with resources I thought might come in handy- a pharmacology pocket book, my handy dandy notebook, a pen, a back up pen, and my phone- an invaluable resource with all of its applications :) I arrived to my PIE site and everyone welcomed me with friendly smiles, some with handshakes and many with hugs. I was walking into an office that I knew all too well. Family members and friends of the family worked in various areas, and there were also many new faces. Many nurses told me how pretty I was, and many told me I looked just like my mother. I smiled bashfully and thanked them. There was a large office staff and an even greater medical team- getting names straight would be a challenge in and of itself. My experience thus far has been slightly chaotic, yet highly enlightening. My preceptor had an emergent back surgery and will be out until further notice, so I was assigned to one of the PAs in the office and later to another doctor.
PIE has been an opportunity to learn medicine. With each visit something unfamiliar is mentioned by my doc, and I often jot down notes for later review. I have been handed medical lab reports and asked for my interpretation. I injected shots into the large and wrinkled arm of a very talkative elderly woman (whom I will never forget, as I have learned much about her adventures as she danced the night away as a young woman in California cities, how she owned a big beautiful home that she sold because the neighborhood got so bad, stories of her grandchildren and great grandchildren, some of which she calls hoodlums, and her battle with Shingles. She showed me all the medicines she had in her purse and said it was hard to remember what to take, when to take it, and which needed to follow a meal- there were more than 10 bottles. She talked to me about her struggles with race- how she didn't like the local community center, because they only played Mexican music and how she only felt comfortable with White and Chinese doctors. She meant no harm and probably didn't realize who she was talking to, but I couldn't help but feel a tinge of frustration.) I've met with other patients and performed a knee exam. I've listened to more hearts than I can count on two hands and I've looked into ears- some infected, some clean and some so dirty I had to help the nurse clean.
I have already worked in a clinic and have been exposed to the practice of medicine, as a result I have noticed so many differences from my Albuquerque practice. I have noticed how more concerned patients are with cost- everyone inquires about the cost of a procedure, test or prescription that the doc mentions. I have also been exposed to drug seeking behavior, neglected chronic illnesses, and the co-morbidities that arise a result of poverty and poor education. I've seen elderly patients complain of tired bones, men complain of aches and pains that prevent them from mounting their beloved horses, young adults struggling with pre-Diabetes and high blood pressure, and women my age with growing families and deteriorating substance abuse problems--- in only THREE days of working. I guess you can say that I have seen real life, real problems, and the real struggles of my New Mexican neighbors. Each time I enter the medical examining room, I enter the lives of patients and their problems. They share their stories and their hardships. I've already seen tears.
I'm learning- there's no doubt about that. I'm learning about myself, my community, my future profession, and my own misunderstandings. I'm learning about the real faces behind chronic disease, the real faces of poverty and the all too familiar faces of drug addiction. It's an adventure and it's only just begun.
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