I'm ending this medicine block on call, standing by while one of my patients slowly dies.

She's 95, a DNR, and this is what she wanted: an unexciting death.

But still, I wish there was a way to make it easier for her family to watch... she's comfortable, they agree that this is what she wanted...  but it's not easy to stand vigil when you know the outcome and are just waiting for it to happen.

The end of a block is less exciting when it coincides with end of a life.

Ironically, tomorrow is the start of a new rotation, and the start of some new lives as I head into the world of OB.

Talk about the circle of life...