So I'm on Geriatrics right now ....which means I never blogged during Plastics. That was mostly because I had no free time on Plastics and any extra time not doing my daily post-work activities of eating, showering and reading meant going to bed a little earlier. I did like Plastics--it's a fun field, I got to actually assist in the OR (did a skin graft by myself!) and saw a lot of different things. A couple take-home points from plastics:
1. If God-forbid I get breast cancer and require a mastectomy, I think I will elect to not undergo breast reconstruction. What a long process....
2. Whoever said that in the US cosmetic surgery is never paid for is wrong, breast CA survivors get reconstruction covered by the government. Mind you that after the first two surgeries, a lot of the reconstruction process IS cosmetic...but it's still covered.
3. A plastic surgeon analyzes your appearance just like a psychiatrist psycho-analyzes you during conversation.
4. Posture is important. Your speech should be clear and free of "umm's". Appearance is important because that and the dressings are the only thing a patient sees.
5. I hope I never get burned.
Ok, on to geriatrics! Yesterday, one of my patients in clinic was the oldest sports captain still alive! Some of my patients are retired physicians, psychology professors, CEOs of national companies, artists...they're quite wonderful, actually.
My 87 year old patient today, Mrs. B, told me that she makes all her clothes and that she used to make pants for her mother when she was younger (gasp! pants!!). "I still only wear skirts and long slips because you see, I don't wear undergarments. I used to but I kept getting rashes so I just stopped." What a lady.
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