in stitches...

when i moved to chicago, i took a job in an area of medicine where i was essentially clueless. i felt like a student all over again. all my knowledge of diabetes & hypertension & ear infections from my 2+ years of family medicine was suddenly unimportant. i would occasionally stitch a finger or hand back in Oklahoma & felt inadequate each & every time. things are quite different in my clinic these days. in the almost 6 months i've been working here, i've put in more sutures than i can possibly count.
since this procedure has become routine, i believe i have lost sight of what the patient is actually experiencing as i address their wound like a problem to be solved. it is easy to dismiss their pain & dive into 'fixing' it without so much as a thought about how this ordinary event in my day will abruptly alter their lives for the next 5-10 days at minimum.

well...today was my turn. an accidental slip of a knife while cutting an avocado & suddenly i became my own clinic's patient:

don't worry, mom & dad. i'm ok. i got two stitches...one on the inside & one on the outside. (thanks, doc B!) from now on, i'll never tell my patients that lidocaine will cause just a little sting. damn!! 

hello, Perspective. nice to see you again. i always appreciate your visits. please come again without bringing your friend, Physical Pain. he's not so nice.