Weekend Update

You know, I used to love the aforementioned skit on Saturday Night Live until Norm McDonald started doing it. I don’t know why people find him funny – I really don’t. Anyways, Tina Fey is pretty funny, Jimmy Fallon was tolerable, and the other girl who does it now with Tina Fey is not so bad. So, it is watchable again.

So lets see, this weekend….. I was in the ED for about 6 hours on Friday. Dr. Khine was there as well…. No patients… no surprise. I am beginning to feel that this research is an exercise in futility. Either these patients don’t come it when I am here, or there just really aren’t that many first time wheezers in the Bronx. I have no interviews this week or next week so that’s gonna be 13 straight days in the ED…we’ll see how many patients I get in that span (I am on day 5 now – so far 0), over/under is at 4.

Anyways – some exciting news, Dr. Khine has another study that she ALREADY got IRB approved (thank God) on anesthesia and lumbar punctures. So this research study is a chart review – so retrospective instead of prospective – which is good, b/c then I am not patient dependent. All the patients I will use for the study have already come and gone. Dr. Khine doesn’t have a babysitter this week, but she is going to try to get her parents to baby sit for her on Wednesday so she can come in and get me started on the data collection. She said she had some residents who were interested in doing stuff, but they haven’t done anything yet, so I will get a crack at it. Perhaps I can accomplish something.

Finishing up the research part of the weekend – I was back here in the ED yesterday and holy crap was it busy! Packed to the gills as they say! Even the asthma room! But yet, in the almost 8 hours I was here, there was ONE first time wheezer under the age of two with a family history. And we actually enrolled her! Took me 20 minutes of talking to the mom an grandma, and then to dad on the phone, but everyone agreed to be in the study; we got the consent signed, gave the kid the medication, and she vomited it. Really disgusting vomit. Nonetheless, in the study we planned for this and we waited half an hour and tried to administer the medication again – this time, one of the nurses, Liz, gave it very slowly and the kid vomited it again. So that was it, she’s out of the study. That was a new one.. but at least I was kept busy for two hours.

Rest of the weekend – we were at my parents house in Monsey for shabbos. It was one of their very good friends son’s aufruf, which was nice (big kiddush), and of course, Sammy came to shul. He is soooooo cute. He was extremely interactive this weekend, which was very nice. He sort of rolled over for the first time…. We gave him a little help (a little pat on the butt) but he did the rest himself. Of course, he rolls on top of his arms and then gets frustrated that he can’t use them.

On Saturday night, Shosh and I went to go rent a movie, which is not usually a big deal, except it is the first time we both went out without Sammy since he has been born. I was fine, I think Shosh was a little nervous. Anyways, Sammy made it through the hour we were gone just fine. We rented Hitch – which was pretty cute. Movies, that’s something else I need to write about. I love movies. Regarding Hitch - I like Will Smith ever since his Fresh Prince days, so I enjoyed the movie. Sammy kept distracting us though, but it was okay.

Sunday was the big Chanukah Party at Yaeli and Elnatan’s house… it was really nice. Aside from my family coming, all of Shosh’s “extended family” (The people that her parents have been friends with their entire life) were there and grandma Buzz (Buzzy’s mom) was there as well, which was very nice. Sammy got a ton of presents, which is nice for him (and heavy for me). And the food was very nice, and they did a great job decorating the place, and we had a good time. We slept over at Buzzy and Phyllis Sunday night and then I went back last night after being at Monte for candle lighting and dinner.

And let me mention the 2005 Llamas are the champions of the Fanatics FFL!!!! A 25 or so point victory over Howard Deutsch’s Athletic Illiterates got me the crown, and bragging rights for the next year. Now I begin the arduous task of structuring my team for its championship defense.

And what have I gotten for Chanukah so far, you ask? I got a shower radio, which I have really wanted, a pencil sharpener (which I need), a neat figurine of a pediatrician which is really cool, the Replacements (a fun movie) and, best of all, TiVo!!! By the time I post this I will likely have it hooked up and be totally absorbed in pausing live TV. I’m psyched.

Anyways, I’m gonna go stroll around the ED.

Danny

Wednesday PM addendum:
- FINALY got TiVo working.
- Met with Dr. Khine today, starting retrospective study tomorrow after meeting with Dr. David. More on that soon

D