Reality check HNT

Do you ever stop in your day and realize how grown-up you have become?

Or question the reality in what you really do at your job?

I had one of those moments today. I was taking a screw out of a women's ankle, chatting with her about my the weather, what her husband did for her for Valentine's Day, making small talk. All of this while I have a three-quarter inch incision in her ankle and a screw driver backing out a piece of hardware. I got the screw out, put in a couple stitches, bandaged her up and sent her on her way. 15 minutes later I was scrubbed in on a total knee replacement and spent a half hour closing that wound.

Today was particularly busy for us because we had to be done with our cases by a certain time today. Plus we have a pretty full house in the hospital. In the middle of micromanaging all of that it dawned on me how much responsibility I have in a single day. And frankly, it scared me!

Just a few short years ago I was a college kid who liked to stay up late, study at the last minute for huge exams, and basically be a college kid, emphasis on the kid. I was highly emotional, not always very logical. There are days where I am in disbelief that I grew out of that.

Ever just ask yourself "wow, did I really do that? am I really capable of that?" and then after a pause, answer yourself with "yeah, I did do that" and walk away with a quirky little grin.

So today I give you a picture of my hands. Very different from the hands of that "kid" from a few years back. Those hands use to be adorned with at least three rings and they always had nail polish. Now, I rarely wear my rings because they have to come off any time I need to put gloves on and in general get in the way. I can never wear nail polish because that's not allowed when you scrub into the OR either. So they aren't as "dressed up" as they use to be but these hands have now held fragile human fractures in place, held the hands of patients and family, coached unsure new docs...



















So, take a moment and think about what you do now as an adult...remember to do that reality check and not take what you do for granted. You've come a long ways!