Rethinking the title

When did I become so pessimistic? I guess some of that could be attributed to my dramatic nature, but, seriously, it all seems doom and gloom when I look back on it. During the past few days I have been thinking about all the meaningful and live altering topics that flood my head everyday, and deciding what to write about. The only problem is not that I am having a difficult time choosing a topic, but that there are no deep and meaningful thought or topics flowing through my mind.

If you were to ask my closest friends, they would tell you up front, that all I talk about is me (so that's not a big surprise.) What I find surprising, however, is the fact that I swear at some point in my life I have had meaningful conversations with people that had nothing to do with me (or med school). But now I have nothing.

For example, the best topic I could come up with for today was: questions your doctor may ask you that you don't even know the answer to. (at least I have a hard time with them) Like, can you tell me what an apple and a horse have in common? Can you count backwards from 100 by 7's? Can you tell me what, "a golden hammer opens an iron door," means? Rapidly alternate hitting your thighs with the palm of your hand and then the back of your hand.. then go faster. Performing poorly on any of these tasks will earn you lower scores on mental status exams (just so you know).

I also have pieces of advice for patients when they go see their doctor.

1. Ask lots of questions. This serves to purposes: it is a doctor's job to give you information, so make sure you get your money's worth. every once in a while, a patient that asks questions will make doctors feel like they are doing their part in educating patients (or you will really annoy them [which is something that should happen at times, just to make sure that doctors don't forget what their job is]).

2. Please be patient. Good doctors like to talk to patients. And sometimes, even good doctors have their hands tied about not being able to spend time with patients and overbooking their day. They are also trying to earn a living. And the money is still good, but it comes at a much steeper cost.

3. If a really young doc comes into see you, don't freak out or tell them that you want to see a "real" doctor. Everyone has to start learning somewhere, and there is always a supervisor, so you really are getting to see real doctors. Plus, the new doctors still may be a bit idealistic about medicine, so cheer them up and cheer them on, on their quest to saving the world.

4. Listen to what the doctor says. They actually have your best interests in mind. And even though, it may seem like they have no idea what they are talking about, they kinda do. You try learning everything about how the body works and all the different things that can go wrong at a time. You get the basics right, but the human body is so far from basic, that it is a life time process.

5. If you ever see a doctor that is a little too overworked: give them a smile and a thank you and I can guarentee you will make their day. Acutally, that is for just about everyone in the whole wide world.

So, on that note, I end. Maybe this big black hole that I have gotten myself into, isn't spinning that much out of control. Maybe I just need a change in perspective (or a nap, and yes, that means at least 90 mins [btw: naps and sleep should be taken in intervals of 90 min because that is how long a sleep cycle is]).