Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Why are older women less attractive?

As I was off most of the day today I had time to reflect on matters related to my personal life. This topic is not new in my head as it has been troubling me for quite some time.

"Why are younger women more attractive?" It would make more sense if we are attracted to women our age since those are usually what we get anyway. This is not a problem when we are 22 but how about if you are in your late 20's, early 30's, or even older.

From an evolutionary viewpoint it is understandable, men and women look to mate with those that will benefit themselves and the species. Younger women mean more childbearing years as well as the physical ability to assist in home building, physical labor, and protection of the young. From a woman's perspective a younger male means greater strength, this translates into having a better ability to protect the woman and her offspring, as well as a greater ability to hunt and gather food.

In our times a woman's biological clock, though improved, still exists. The ability to protect the young and home building are likely less relevant. The hunting gathering benefit of a younger male though is arguably non existent. The ability to bring in food, build a home, and protect is now related to financial security which invariably is inversely related to age.

So why can't I get a younger woman. The answer must lie in the fact that our genetic makeup hasn't caught up with society, and in the meantime I am left without a (good looking) date.

Monday, February 26, 2007

Bored at 4:55 AM

Sitting here at the above noted time. I guess I can watch Scrubs or Curb on our "multi-media" in the library but I get paged so frequently. But is sounds better than writing this blog. Fortunately nothing too exciting aside from the anxious Russian who "desats" (breathes fast with her oxygen levels dropping to dangerous levels) with her nightly anxiety attacks, and the dying black man who can't breathe and coughs up blood. We decide to give her, anti-anxiety meds, and to him some "nebulizers" to help him breathe and some pain meds. Technically speaking they are both on their way out. You see the the goal of night float is to prevent them from dying on your shift. As the adage goes "Our job is not to save lives but rather to prolong death". Till the next journey
G'night

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

attendings suck

just got a call today from one of the chief's , apparently the effeminate attending wanted me to cab in from across town last week and use up 1/3 of my days salary instead of taking public transport during the snowstorm. This way I get to face a room full of empty chairs earlier of the patients who themselves could not show up to clinic due to the inclement weather. It sounds like he wanted me to apologize for my tardiness instead of using my logic. What an ass. He called the chiefs on me....don't they have better things to do.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

euthanasia

Let me ask you.... what is the line between killing someone and withdrawal of care. I understand the idiom of respecting a patients wishes, but how do you know that the wishes remain the same until the end.

My experience is drawn from pt "K", an individual that did not want medical intervention for his terminal illness but was completely lucid and communicative at first. What transcribed was so depressing. First he becomes DNR (do not resuscitate), then we dope him up, stop blood draws, d/c the anti-biotic, and finally stop IV fluids and feeds. The moment he would groan the family would interpret this as a sign of agitation so we slosh him again by knocking him out with more fentanyl (stronger narcotic than morphine). Maybe his groans were wishes that he wants us to save his life or at least feed him. I will never know....he passed away this past Friday.

Since when is a "respecting a patient's (initial) wishes as noble as saving a life", as my attending tells the family. This is not what I signed up for.

Monday, February 5, 2007

the ease of death

3:30 AM here so close this week to a patient dying on me. 28 year old women apparent allergic reaction . So close yet so fortunate for us both. Though I am quite certain it was a correct decision on my part man will I be more careful next time when I suspect allergies.

my first post