This week went well- things at Duke Raleigh are starting to feel routine and I seem to get more comfortable as time goes by. Feedback from the dietitians continues to improve. Some highpoints:

• Observed a modified barium swallow. The patient ended up having no swallowing problems with any of the different consistencies, so I got to watch a normal one. Seeing the x-ray was neat.
• Did some diabetes education. We don't get the chance to do much diabetes ed with patients as our Diabetes Treatment Center receives consults from the doctors. The RDs that work there, and the CDEs, meet with patients and go over in-depth carb counting, exchanges, and insulin dosages.
• Picked out the patient I'm going to write my case study about. She's in her 60s, was admitted in March for hip surgery, and landed in ICU for almost 3 months with perforation of the colon, sepsis, and intubation. Last week we finally advanced her diet from TPN, then tube feeding, to mechanical soft, and she went home this Tuesday.
• Went to the goodbye celebration for my CNM. He'll be training his replacement next week, and leaving officially on June 12th. It will be interesting to see how the transition goes...