Monday, August 4, 2014

Grady, baby.

On the way into rounds yesterday morning at Grady.

Recap of rounds at Grady


Someone smoked but now they have a bad cancer. One that can't be cured because it is too advanced.

Someone has a weak heart muscle that is too damaged to even respond to our standard medicines. We are trying something non-standard and hoping it will work.

Someone loves to drink sweet tea but can't eat by mouth anymore. Which left me thinking about things like coffee and red wine, both of which bring me joy when I take them by mouth.

Someone has a chronic illness but has no family to "see about" them. No balloons or cards will be there because there is no person anxious for them to get out of the hospital.

Someone drank a lot of alcohol and is now in intensive care. Maybe they will quit but maybe they won't be able to do it just yet.

But.

Someone proudly told me that she was a "Grady baby"--the proud distinction of those born in this hospital.

Someone was smiling with gleaming gold teeth while giving me fist bumps.

Someone was laughing, loud and hearty for no reason other than just exuberance.

Someone was singing, too. Not really able to even carry a tune, but still with a song on his lips.

And someone held my hand today and said, "Thank you, Miss Manning." No. Not Dr. Manning, but Miss Manning. Another proud distinction unique to Grady that you'd have to be here to understand.


Joy, pain, sunshine and rain. Each of these a reality and all of them necessary pieces of this dream called Grady.

***
Happy Monday. I am on wards and this is Grady, baby.

4 comments:

  1. I saw that Grady ambulance on the news this morning, straight from the airport. I thought, Grady has the courage ad the humanity. Of course, it would be Grady.

    You know what I'm talking about, right?

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  2. So often your blog posts put a smile on my face!

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  3. I love to read your posts because it's so damn nice "hearing" a physician who loves what they do. I totally understand why so many docs are frustrated, burned out and disillusioned. Especially those in private practice. It's so hard to balance the patients with the payment with the bureaucracy. So I'm especially grateful when I read that there can still be magic in medicine. Thanks for seeing it and writing so compellingly about it.

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  4. Thank you for allowing God to use you. Not only at Grady, but here to. With sincere adoration. DT from NY in DC

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"Tell me something good. . . tell me that you like it, yeah." ~ Chaka Khan

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