Twisted Something was wrong. Every fiber within me was screaming this but my mind refused to accept it. The nausea, lack of energy, and the constant feeling of being tired were becoming commonplace in my daily life. The thought of going to see a doctor was not something I was looking forward to and had not been entertained frequently by me in the past. I had always taken pride in being active and healthy. Unbeknownst to me, doctor visits would become a regular, unpleasant, occurrence for me in the months to follow. It was a cool crisp fall morning in October 2013. The air had the distinct aroma of the winter months that were pressing hard to reveal themselves. A light breeze softly scattered the leaves gently across our front yard. It held the promise of becoming a beautiful day, but not for me. Thinking back, I remember how I used to love this time of year, but this year felt very different. My husband Darrell and I had finally found the perfect house to rent after a year of searching. Even though we hated the process of moving it was something we had looked forward to for such a long time. Darrell was up early that morning packing, labeling, and busying himself with various other tasks required for such an event. Normally this was something I would gladly have jumped right in and helped with. However, I was not as energetic as he was. I had noticed lately I was lacking in the motivation category and everyday chores seemed to drain me quite easily. This feeling had
“It was a rollercoaster,” Drew, who had been experiencing symptoms like stomach illness for almost 3 years, said. “I still look back on that time and remember that gut feeling that my heart sank. I still barely believe it.”
I had been nauseous for months. The nausea came in waves and would strike without warning. My focus shifted from school and friends towards the fear of this omnipresent pathology, and fear of when it would present itself and how powerful it would be, dominated my life. My parents took me to see multiple physicians. After trips to my pediatrician and to the ER, we still had no answers, no way to solve the problem. A visit to the gastroenterologist finally yielded an unexpected answer. I was referred to a psychiatrist, the gastroenterologist believed that my condition was a result of anxiety. A few weeks after an appointment with my psychiatrist and being put on anxiety medication, the nausea was gone, my thoughts were no longer dominated by
When I arrived DD was in a meeting with her behavioral specialist. I was informed that DD informed staff and her behavioral specialist that I allow DD to carry her own money. I do not allow DD to carry her own money nor did DD carry her money while at Denny's. DD's behavioral specialist was at the house and conducted a meeting. DD has been well behaved. DD completed her dishes before we visited wintergreen. DD was well behaved at wintergreen and politely asked to leave. DD has been well behaved and cooked dinner around 5PM. DD cooked spaghetti and sauce. DD took her daily medication and went to sleep. DD is currently
This past Thursday was the first OB clinical day and I was assigned the post partum unit. I was paired with Nurse Donna, who was full of information. Originally we had three couplets, with one baby in the nursrey. As the day went on and families were discharged, all our patients had gone home so we gained three other patients from two other nurses so they could go home for the day. I was able to give two moms their TDAP (tetanus, diptheria, and pertusis) vaccines and learned a new trick when it comes to giving intramuscular shots. Donna told me to have the patient hang her arm down by her side and wiggle her fingers. This not only had the patient concentrating on something other than the shot they were about to get, but it helped activate the
In the duration of about two months, I had visited my doctor, urgent care, and even the ER trying to find out what was wrong. They tested me for many different illnesses, none of them coming back positive. I went to the ER again, at a different hospital than usual, and they automatically had ideas of what it might be. They finally thought they knew what was wrong, but I needed to have
My second clinic rotation is internal medicine and I’ve had many encounters, both with patients and colleagues, which have made me pause and reflect. One of those encounters, in particular, will still be on my mind long after I finish typing this reflective journal. The patient at the center of it all is a lady I’ll refer to from here on as “Mrs. Flowers.” Mrs. Flowers is an 81 year old female with dementia and diabetes. She arrived on our unit with a diabetic foot infection that had progressed from a simple toe ulcer to wet gangrene. Over the last 2-3 months, gangrenous changes encompassed the distal half of her left foot. During pre-rounds, our medical team unanimously agreed that we would contact surgery for a consult. At time, it was obvious
A medical consultation is a consultation, which takes place between a patient and a physician. It is important because it is the main opportunity for the doctor to explore the patient’s problems and concerns. However, respect and kindness between the physician and patient should be in consultation.
“When all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free” (U.S. President Barack Obama, 2013). As early as 1924 our country has debated the idea of gays. In 1969 The Stonewall riots sparked the gay rights movement. In previous weeks debates continue involving the shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando on June 12, 2016. However, our nation has fought for the ability to be equal, to embrace differences, and to build upon different ideas and cultures. Although, prejudice and discrimination still lerk among the hearts of Americans who will argue negative consequences involving the ability of same-sex marriage; yet embracing same-sex marriage supports financially, will support children involved, and
I thought today would be just another normal day in chilled Maryland, but oh could I have been more wrong. The day started out just like every other. My little eleven-year-old heart was full of jubilance. I was having an admirable day with all my friends, and I had no worries. None of my siblings knew that an event that night at dinner was about to change our lives for better or for worse. My family and I sat down at aged table and we could all feel the tension that surrounded the air. “We have something to tell you guys, and we don’t want you to get upset” declared my mother. This statement made me nervous. Anytime some says not to get upset, you know something has happened that is going to change your entire live. “We are moving
Health Visitors/GPs: Health professionals may be involved in order to examine children to determine whether any injuries which may have been sustained are accidental. They will also always be alert during the course of their practice to any injuries which they may suspect are signs of child abuse and inform other agencies as appropriate.
We were doing all of our tasks perfectly fine now. But, it was time for another family meeting……. we were going to move in two weeks. Disbelief at first, then sadness, then anger, then sadness again.
During my time shadowing physicians, I have realized that physicians need to be expert listeners in order to effectively assess a patient and fully understand their problems. I observed that the more a physician actively listens to their patients, patients trust their physician and can openly express any further troubles. My upbringing has given me the ability to be an effective listener. Raised in a quasi-conservative Indian household, I learned to carefully listen to everything my elders have to say. As a physician, I will take advantage of this skill to be an active listener for my patients and be able to better implement the appropriate treatment plans.
I woke up in my comfortable bed and walked downstairs. I walked to the door that leads outside and opened it. I could smell the fresh air of the country. It has been a week since I moved from New York. I use to live in a crowded suburb in New York City where I couldn’t smell the fresh air. Now that I moved to South Carolina with my wife and two children, I think my life is taking a turn for the better. I live right on the coast, so I also get an excellent view of the ocean from my porch. I continued to breath the fresh air for a while longer. After about five minutes of standing there, I went inside and closed the door. The rest of my family was still upstairs sleeping. I went to the kitchen and started to cook breakfast. The smell of freshly
Jr. have realized over the last decade is these symptoms are extremely similar to the effects of
I had already been to three or four doctors’ appointments since I started feeling this way but the doctors kept saying there was nothing wrong, so we made another appointment and try again.