Hard to Let Go

If you're anything like me then you have a favorite clothing item that you refuse to throw away. These shoes, over 2 years old, are the most comfortable footwear I've had in a long time. Wife hates them, asks me when I'm going to get rid of them, and blushes in shame if I wear them anywhere with her. They're well worn, dirty, and greyed, but are just not going anywhere. They've stood up to long hours retracting in the OR and have dealt with the ignominy of the OB "incident". I'll toss almost anything else, but I just can't seem let these go.

Auscultung!

Liana’s post here had a somewhat off topic interest for me: how do you wear your steth?

For me it’s always been cumbersome and rather weighty around the neck. After 12 or more hours that relatively light piece of equipment begins to bore into the back of my neck, causing stiffness and discomfort. For a while I tried to just keep the ear pieces wrapped around my neck while the heavier piece dangled around my stomach, like a tie. However, apart from feeling like I was being strangled, I found this quite absurd when trying to write and bending over a patient during exams. Swoosh. Careening completely out of control whilst knocking the shit out of a patient or two.

I’ve seen those who favor wrapping their steths around their waists, using the drawstrings of their scrubs as a type of belt. It seems, however, that unless you are a tall, yet petite female, a very effeminate male, or have an instrument that’s so absurdly long you couldn’t hear a train while auscultating this just isn’t feasible.

There has been a resident or two whom I've seen wear a type of device they clip onto their belt or scrub pants that allows you to “holster” your steth. Apart from being a little odd looking I found this a fantastic device; keeping the cumbersome, yet completely necessary tool at one's side without taking up much space. Considering this, I have still not procured one for my own use - yet.

What I currently prefer, based on a surgical resident’s insight that "surgeons don't wear stethoscopes", is to just simply wrap it around itself as demonstrated below, and stuff it into my large white coat pocket. Out of sight, out of mind.


Now there are some disadvantages to this - like getting the ear pieces hooked on a piece of furniture and getting pulled to the floor as you run for that code, or eventual damage to the tubing necessitating another purchase - but for the most part I find it a helluva better alternative than wrapping it around my neck or having an episode of vasovagal syncope from bilateral carotid massages.

Tieless

In an attempt to make me feel fantastic despite having to dress up for the first time in several months I ditched the tie. Open shirt collar, white undershirt, dress slacks, nice shoes and matching belt, white coat – no tie.

For whatever reason this made me feel fantastic this morning. As did the Tassimo coffee that I’d been missing since I was away for a month.

Now, time to fake interest, yet again, in a rotation with little to offer.

Croc

Well, I finally went and did it. I joined the millions of medical professionals who wear plastic and cheap looking footwear to work and purchased a new set of Crocs. I just couldn't take the smell my sneakers were giving off after this last month. It was getting really bad.

So now I have the "outdoor type" that's all manly looking and burly. I kept tripping on them yesterday. Damn near fell down some stairs, but hopefully I'll get better at walking. I've only been doing it for 29 years now.

And the best thing? My feet remained relatively comfy and rather non-malodorous throughout a 13 hour day. Awesome. My residents of the past are thanking me right now.