Trauma Surgery

I have finished the first half of my 8th rotation!! I am at UK on the Trauma surgery service this month (otherwise known as Blue Surgery). I have dreaded this rotation since September...but I hate to admit that I actually like it. The worst part is not having a life since I have to go to bed before most people even think about it, but I really like the rotation. I have to round with the team at 6 AM. So I usually get up at 4:15 to leave my house by 5 so I can get to the hospital and look up labs and drug information on my patients before we round. I really like that the doctor I round with values my opinions and listens to my recommendations. Since we are the trauma service, we make sure that patients are on anticoagulation to prevent deep vein thrombosis since most cannot walk and are very immobile. This service really is a good lesson to why you should pay attention when you are driving...and also a good message against driving while intoxicated. Many people have multiple broken extremities and undergo multiples surgeries. We've seen several people that have wrecked while having alcohol blood levels of 0.200 or higher. It's crazy. My craziest patient of the two weeks is a man that came in due to a chainsaw cut to the neck. He was using a chainsaw and it kicked back and cut him in the neck. Luckily the chainsaw only cut the nerves and blood supply to his right arm...and not any other major artery. At the moment he has lost the use of his right arm (besides wiggling his fingers), but he is very lucky to even be alive with an injury like that. Even better than that...he's already out of the hospital in less than a week. Pretty impressive if I say so myself:)
I'm going to go ahead and wish my brother a happy 30th birthday tomorrow! I can't believe he's already 30:) I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it home to celebrate, but I am sending him well wishes from here.
The cruise is booked and flights are booked!! I'm so ready for February 28th to get here. Six weeks...yay! I really need a vacation:)