Ok, so after a flurry of emails/comments regarding my last post, I feel the need to clarify.
No, I am not happy people die or get sick. Nor do I take joy in it. Howver, people die every day. In my line of work, I’m bound to see it and often. If you thought that I was rejoicing in someone else’s loss for even a moment, I suggest you read here more often. I do however, take joy in learning a new job skill. Especially one that I enjoy. My enthusiasm is borne from a desire to help those around me. Duh!
One particular email compared me to Satan which I find HIGH-larious. First of all, if the mythical hell really did exist, I’m sure the gays would move in, fix it up, make it hip and then all the straights would want it again. As if.
For the rest of you, yes he lived. I rarely know the outcome of my patients however, I happened to know one of the interns so she emailed me. It was a clot, as suspected, and it was successfully removed. The patient has already moved to standard care bed and will be out of the hospital soon.
Remember the tweaker chick I told you about? Apparently, she got one fix too many. She ran out in front of a muni bus. Witnesses in the area said she was yelling that gaint bees where chasing her. She is no longer w/us. Still think meth is fun?
well I hadnt read the post till I saw this so I scrolled down and read it.
yes indeed it READS as very callous in the extreme to one who does not know you.
However, I have read your posts long enough to know that there’s a whole lot of compassion and care in you, Moby. I’ve always thought that maybe you care too much and are vulnerable to burnout.
So here’s the deal: Look there- It’s all those nasty emails rolling off your back and out the door!!
there they go!
Those that don’t work in the “business” don’t realize that we look at life and death and injury and sickness in a different light. It isn’t that we are callous or uncaring — it’s just that we’ve seen it all too many times and yes, we can deal with it simply because we have to. If we couldn’t deal with it, then we wouldn’t be able to do our jobs well. If I get emotional over my patients then I can’t possibly helpt them.
What they can’t understand is that at the end of the day, in the privacy of our own homes, we do feel it acutely and we do cry.
A lot.
Hmmm! I never read it as necessarily callous! Just that you were enjoying your career direction’s challenges. Guess it’s just me.
I understood where your excitement came from. You were getting to do what you were trained for. I asked if he survived just out of curiosity. Wasn’t meaning to seem judgemental. Mama always said I was a feeler, so I’m a big pussy when it comes to people and animals dying.
It’s unfortunate that you have to defend yourself on something that is your own. This is s’posed to be a place that you can express yourself, ANY way you want. BTW I totally got where you were coming from, glad to hear that things are going good at work.
Having worked in a Hospital pharmacy for 10 years, and having read you for many months Moby, I don’t really see your post as the slightest bit uncaring or callous. I know your on the job, enthusiastic about helping others, and I know in Medicine, you never really “know it all.” In other words, you are constantly learning new things. (Which adds to the enthusiasm for your job)
And how you wrote is exactly how people who love their job in some form of Medicine would talk about a patient. No one enjoys seeing a patient, that they were part of their medical care, die. That is a given, number one. Those who would say otherwise, either have not worked in medicine, or are looking for things to be critical about. I hope this never discourages your enthusiasm, or from telling of your different cases.
I love your enthusiasm and dedication to your job. NEVER let negativity inhibit this.
Sincerely,
3T
Moby, you should never feel like you have to explain or defend your feelings/experiences. After all, this is your blog. We’re just along for the ride. I enjoy reading… 😀
When I read your previous post I thought, “Moby’s going to get some emails on this one.” I realized that the more experience you get with these cases the better prepared you are to deal with them when you are “on your own”. Keep blogging. Those that don’t like it can just click and go away.
Hi there,
I miss the time when you could write, talk or make jokes without people being so easily offended.
Moby, thank you. Great blog, great links.
Dood,
Just keep bloggin’ and ingore the overcritical.
In most cases, overcritcal = underaware.
*SMOOCH*
Hi Moby. I’m a new reader and have gone back and read some of your things. I totally understood why you were excited. People (some) can be such dumb ass’s! About the meth girl, wow. That’s really sad. Keep bloggin to hell with the ones that don’t get it.
I hate when I whinge about teaching, as someone invariably tells me I should quit. One can’t summarize me from one post, and someone shouldn’t summarize you.
You are Satan, however. It’s the devilish body. You just haven’t added the horns yet.
But what if giant bees WERE chasing her? Did anybody think to check? Hell, one regular bee could probably send me in front of a bus.
Why defend yoruself? Delete the mail and move on. If a dark comment is left, leave it. So what? You write the blog for you not for “US”.