Residency 1.3: GOMER, Jr.

The Emergency Department. What can I say? A haphazard blend of the sickest of the sick, the accident prone, the unlucky, and the stupid. Yup, the stupid. I am not trying to be mean, but how else do you explain the mom who brings her kid in at one in the morning with a chief complaint of "crying for two hours" and then sits in the room watching "Wizards of Waverly Place" while I try to examine her (sleeping) child? Or the parents whose kids are running around in the dark at ten o'clock at night who just happen to run face first into a pole and bite through their lip? Put your children to bed!

I don't mean to be (that) cynical. In fact, though we complain a lot about people bringing in their kids for the most random and bizarre of reasons, the truth is that many (I don't know if I would go so far as to say a majority, though) of the kids do need to be there. And it's a little terrifying and a little thrilling to be able to be their doctor while we figure out what is wrong and, hopefully, fix them.

The ED is an interesting place, at the same time one of the highest stress and most laid back places (probably because they LIKE being high stress). On the high stress end, yesterday we had a cardiac kid come in with fast breathing and suddenly they're doing chest compressions and intubating and bed-side chest tube and central line. But on the other hand, there's always plenty of chocolate (think giant donut-shaped cakes and huge bags of assorted miniatures) and teasing to go around ("I just called you another bad name in my head"), and the camaraderie there is unmatched. The nurses and pharmacists are way on top of their game, which is super helpful to fledgling doctors like myself. And they let nearly-completely-untrained people stitch up kids' faces and stick needles in people. It's great! (Okay, don't be too worried, I am trained...ish)

I had a lot of firsts this month--first LP, first sickle cell crisis, first rule out child abuse, first homicidal ideation, first I&D, first (second third fourth fifth etc) doing stitches on an awake patient. And I have a lot still left to see (no codes, no major traumas, no deaths), but overall a very good month.

Next up...Gold Team!

Around the world in 12 1/2 hours

I know you were all on the edge of your seat for part two of our Orlando Adventure. Wait. No. Longer!

So...Epcot. It's kinda like 2 parks in one. Future World--rides and activities involving space, technology, environment, etc.--and World Showcase--11 "countries" to sight-see, eat, be entertained, shop, etc. Once again, I made my family get up early and get to the park before it opened, because I had heard that if you didn't get in a ride Spaceship: Earth like 10 minutes ago, you were going to have to stand in line for 3 hours and then you would never get to eat at the French bakery EVER. So, naturally, we had to be first in line. Well...we must have gone to Epcot at the intersection of a full moon and the summer equinox and I'm sure pigs were flying somewhere because, I kid you not, there were no lines ANYWHERE! I mean, there were lots of people, yeah, whatever. But we waited longer in said French bakery than we did anywhere for rides. We walked straight onto Test Track TWICE. So, I felt kinda dumb for doing all this research and making a big deal about how we have to get fast passes and do this and then do this. But in the end it all worked out. We did just about everything (I mean, not EVERYTHING...seriously the place is massive), but I have very few regrets about what we missed (a little more time in England, Italy, and Germany would have been nice).

I won't bore those of you who have been to Epcot by explaining what each of the activities and rides are. Well, maybe a bit. We got to lead our own space mission to Mars (kinda made me sick, but kinda cool that it was like space training, we got assignments and things), got to design and ride our own rollercoaster (I think ours was like the Frozen Ostrich or something), rode through the Epcot Greenhouse with some freaky looking plants, like dragon fruit and a huge tomato tree, and saw dolphins play in the Nemo Aquarium
.

But the real fun, of course, was the countries, and the real fun there, of course, was THE FOOD! French quiche and eclairs, German brats and beer, Moroccan couscous and falafal, Italian cannoli--Yum! And yes, Mary had a cheeseburger in America. Awesome. The Voices of Liberty Choir was really good, as was The British Invasion. And one of my favorite things was playing the "What do they call that in Britain?" game with another set of twins from Florida and after we ran through the whole list (including me shouting out "Torch" for "flashlight" in a VERY British accent by accident--I got excited, ok?), we all got celebratory Epcot buttons. Thank goodness for watching too much Harry Potter and James Bond.

Wish I had more pictures to show you. I just have a few that are on Facebook, nothing really exciting as we were literally too excited to get around and do everything to bother stopping for pictures.

So, there you go. Until next time...

Up to no good

Oh, how to put into words the experience that is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I mean, I can show you all the pictures and tell you about all the details down to Moaning Myrtle in the bathrooms and moving photos in The Daily Prophet. Pretty much it was like we were in Hogwarts. Just picture yourself there. And that's what it was like. And the Butterbeer! Oh, the Butterbeer! Creamy, foamy, bubbly, delicious, perfect Butterbeer. If I were the chemist who perfected that one, I would retire, because, seriously, what career move is going to top that one?

Heaven in a glass!

Okay, so I really could blog every detail and love it, but that would bore you (or maybe not, if you're a true Potter fan), but I'll settle for some highlights, and then I can get some real work done.

1. Hogwarts. If you're like me and have already read up all there is to read about the park, you know that the whole line for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (Ride #1) is an experience in itself. You walk through all the areas of Hogwarts, from the Herbology greenhouse to the Gryffindor Common Room, from the Great Hall to Dumbledore's office, and the details are just fantastic. The moving portraits are by far one of the greatest achievements of the designers, because they look like portraits, not screens, until they start moving. Because there was no line (not complaining) since we went first thing in the morning, we moved a little fast through everything, and probably could have gone through a second time and still not seen everything, but overall, awesomeness.

Welcome to Hogwarts

2. The storefronts. Again, the attention to detail was amazing. While waiting to go into Ollivander's, you walk past rumbling bludgers trying to get out of the Quidditch crate, stacks of Gilderoy Lockhart's books with him waving from the cover, screaming mandrakes, storefront dress robes on floating mannikins, etc.

3. The Dragon Challenge. A ride VERY well done. Again, the details while you go through line, through the Champion's Tent, past the crates with the dragons in them--awesome. Then you pick your dragon--Hungarian Horntail or Chinese Fireball (we went with the latter). You are suspended from the top with the track above you, which allows for a very unique ride, and then the dragons depart at the same time--released to fight each other--and spend the ride twisting, flipping, and flying straight at each other before veering upwards in a loop. I think I screamed the whole way. And maybe drooled on myself a little. At any rate, I couldn't even walk straight when we got off, had to grip the wall for several steps.

4. The FOOD. Okay, really the highlight of everything. I mean, see above for the Butterbeer description. But also, all the sweets at Honeydukes--treacle fudge (really unique taste), cauldron cakes (Mary said it was awesome), chocolate frogs, ton tongue toffee, pumpkin juice. Plus the Three Broomsticks fare of turkey legs, cornish pasties, roasted corn, Hog's Head Brew, chocolate trifle--holy cow, I'm full again just thinking about it. Yum.

All aboard!

So yeah, that was The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I'll try to find time soon to fill you in on Day 2: Epcot (warning, more raving about delicious food).

Are You Gonna Drink That?

KC Irish Fest on Friday. I was out to celebrate my other cool ethnic 1/8. They dyed the fountain green (awesome!) and had the traditional fish'n'chips, shepherd's pie, corned beef sandwiches (wish I could have just eaten there all day), and some really awesome musicians that made you just have to jig a little. I found the Ryan family crest in the heritage area; and it matches the one in my grandparents' bedroom, wouldn't ya know. And got to play a little DDR too. Slainte!