DYING TO DIE

I could write a whole blog about end of life. Was on palliative consults this week, and can't believe how many families are like, "when God is ready to take him/her, that's fine, but until then continue to aggressively treat them [with painful, futile, inhumane procedures that only extend their suffering]."

I just want to scream and pull out my hair!!

Modern medicine allows us to extend life indefinitely with tubes and machines and chemicals, but these people are already dead, for all intents and purposes. I know it's enormously difficult to let a loved one go- but at some point you have to realize how selfish it is to keep them suffering because YOU can't let go.

Waiting for God to "make the decision" will NEVER HAPPEN. That's because it already happened, when we put the tubes in, turned the machines on, and started dumping the chemicals into them.

TGIF

Another great thing about consult months: Fridays are really Fridays! And no worrying about patients over the weekends- their primary team can deal with that mess.

'ROID RAGE

Don't consult a team for a question if you're not planning on listening to them at all.

Ask about giving steroids, and then give them even though we said it would be inappropriate?

Fastest way to get us to sign off.

CONSULTING FIRM 2

Love those 4:45 pm consults.

Sir, your patient will be seen in the morning.

CONSULTING FIRM

First month of consults. First off, I don't have to be up at 5 or stay late. In fact, since we didn't have any patients for the first two days I got to leave by 3:30pm!!

Consult months = weekends off, no prerounding, no hand offs!