Big Fayetteville. Week 2.

This week has been a bit of a change from last week. I've been working at a smaller hospital called Highsmith that is an offshoot of Cape Fear, and only one RD is employed there, so we've been having some quality time. I've been writing a bunch of notes (not in NCP format...), and I even got to formulate a TPN recommendation (the RD can't order a TPN, frustrating...). Sometimes I feel like I'm just typing on the computer all day and not really getting to see any patients. And sometimes I feel like I'm making the same recommendations over and over again to no avail. But I have gotten to learn and witness interesting things. And I have gained an appreciation for people who work in hospitals and deal with tough situations constantly. Today, a PT named Laurie (we're buddies) let me come watch her change the dressings for several stage 4 ulcers. The patient was a 19yo guy who was quadriplegic from a gunshot wound. I just cannot imagine being that young and being confined to a bed for the rest of my life. But that is what we are here for. To help these people. What beautiful lives of service we have ahead of us, no matter which career path we choose.

And I also got to be a part of a sleep apnea support group (which included about 50 people) this evening. The RD that I've been working with, Erin, gave a talk about weight management, and asked if anyone had any nutrition questions. We just got bombarded with random questions about Splenda, chemicals in foods, gluten allergies, green tea, the ol' butter vs. margarine debate, etc, etc, etc. It was a helpful learning experience for all involved.

And P.S. If you are ever considering joining a gym that is a bit far away and is kind of junky but offers a fairly cheap student discount which is really not all that cheap if you are on a budget, just wait a day before you cement your decision. Because you will probably end up meeting some guy the next day who will give you a 2 month free pass to a super nice gym right next to your AHEC that you thought was too expensive to join which was why you chose the cheap gym far away from your house in the first place. Lesson learned.