How many of you have a scar on your knee?  One that required stitches?  How about one on your chin or forehead?  Congratulations, you have officially lived a normal unsheltered childhood!  In the last two shifts in the pediatric ED, I've decided that if you come out of childhood (which I will say includes college, because lets face it, it's four years of regression in the decision making and coordination/balance department), without a scar on your chin, forehead, or knee, you've probably spent a lot of time in a bubble or small padded room, were never allowed to go to parties and Chuckie Cheese, and your mom put neosporin on everything, including bruises, just to make sure they didn't get infected.

I've had the privilege of introducing two young kids to the world of stitches.  Both on the left knee.  One was the victim of an AC grate, and one the victim of his bicycle.  It's like a rite of passage into childhood!  The mom of the kid I stitched up tonight said to her son, "she's done this a lot before, it looks good as new!"  I chose not to tell her this was the 4th time I'd even done it, but I get much better every time!  I thought it would be better to let her live in the world of oblivious faith in my skills.  There's a reason I don't wear my (short) white coat in the ED... none of the patients would ever let me do anything! 

One of the things I'm enjoying about the ED is getting to do procedures... laceration repairs, abscess I&Ds, lines, etc.  I was pretty uncomfortable with them before this rotation because we just never got much practice.  Now's I'm totally comfortable with most of it!  Ahhh, progress.  It's a beautiful thing. 

I suppose there IS a reason we go to school for 4 years... we work hard to become something beyond glorified WebMD readers, contrary to the belief of some patients... 

Tomorrow Betsy and I are going to try to go horseback riding...  I hope neither of us end up needing stitches.