Sunday, May 9, 2010

I promised my next blog entry would be less depressing than the last. True to my word, this one will even include happy pictures!


I had a young patient last week come to the PICU after surgery. She had something called craniosynostosis, which causes the sutures in your skull to fuse early. This often requires surgery to restructure the skull, because it grows abnormally when the sutures fuse. After the surgery, the patient's newly shaped skull is wrapped in a big white bandage.


So my little patient, about 18 months old, came from the OR to the PICU with her big white bandage, and right smack dab in the front was a little pink bow. They'd made it out of something pink in the post-op recovery room... I'm not quite sure exactly what they used. Either way, that little pink bow taped to the top of her hed turned her from a patient with a big white bandage into a little girl with a big white bandage.


It reminded her parents that, beneath the swollen shut eyes and new bruises, they baby girl was the same baby girl as before surgery. It reminded them that even when they couldn't recognize her, it was still their daughter.


The little pink bow took only a second to make... but it made a huge difference to that patient and her family. So take just a second to do something little that will make a big difference to someone else!


And, just because this is a HAPPY post, here is a picture from Reynolda Gardens, when a friend and I spent some time walking and taking pictures this afternoon.


Until next time,

Kari


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About Me

I am a Family Medicine intern at a community hospital in Indiana, navigating the new world of being a physician. I am privileged to work in a field I love, where every day is a new and unpredictable challenge.
I am not only a doctor, but also a cyclist, runner, DIYer in the making, lover of the outdoors, traveler, and human.
Human, MD is a glimpse into the world of a young doctor who is just trying to stay true to herself through the grueling whirlwind of residency.

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