| Good morning!I hope this finds you well and ready to go outside. Pretty cool stuff there, right?I feel like your parent. Time to go outside and play! No worries, I’ll call when dinner is ready.Just a heads up, with the pandemic I’m writing this edition from home, unlike all the others, that I write from…home. Excuse me David, can I interrupt for a minute. This is really Rachael, unlike the times when he pretends I’m talking in these things. It’s a big day, and we want to make sure everyone knows what happened 50 years ago… |
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| Back to the newsletter. I’ve had plenty of Zoom calls with other physicians regarding how to best tackle this virus. Testing, hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir, disinfectants, prone positioning, UV light, Kawasaki’s – you name it. The conversations have inevitably leaked to telemedicine, as it is pretty much new to all of us.I thought you might find these back conversations interesting, so that is the topic of this morning’s newsletter.I’m sorry, could you hold on just a second?“HONEY COULD YOU GET THE DOG? I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NEWSLETTER”.Sorry. So, below I’ve listed the most shared sentiments among the docs. 1. Everyone misses their patients, a lot. There’s something we all pick up from observing eye contact shifts to picking up subtle changes in their delivery. Let alone the incredible power of simply laying hands on our patients as we listen to their heart and lungs. We miss the emotional connection lost over a Zoom call. 2. Now, doing telemedicine from home, as you might have imagined, most all doctors are not wearing pants. (I would’ve NEVER imagined that!) It’s often gym shorts but I’d be lying if I didn’t share the flannel boxers doc in Maine – I mean, seriously?! 3. You won’t see this either, but there’s always a dog in the room. You know how pups cannot stand to have us closed off in a room without them. First, there’s a scratch on the door, then you just find it’s easier to just let them in. Word to the wise – don’t share anything you wouldn’t want the neighborhood English Bulldog to know about you. They’re listening. <LOUD FLUSH>I have a really good guess, but we’re apolitical here. 4. For those of you that have an ‘office’ visit after 5:00 pm and your doctor is drinking “Iced Tea”, ummm…let’s just move on to #5, shall we? 5. The doc likely has a 8.5 oz but quite possibly at 16 oz bag of Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Puffs on their lap. Don’t believe me? Ask ’em to stand up. I dare you. Look, I agree this wasn’t easy for me to hear either as I’ve always been more of a Cool Ranch Doritos guy. Honestly, what really bothers me is how they keep their Cheetos fingers ‘quiet’. Do they have wipes on their lap? Still working on this one. Do you want my real thoughts on the best diet? Click here, baby! The movie is on its way and it’s brilliant. Oh, someone in the back has a question. Yes, please go ahead.Masks?So glad you asked. My personal beliefs based the best I can on the science.Yes. Yes. Yes.I see people in the store with masks and I just want to go up and hug themYou are protecting others. It is not only thoughtful, it is common sense. You should be proud of yourself and steer clear of those that aren’t able to understand. Ignoring a pandemic is not smart. Fauci’s no dummy. If we’re outside, we have them on us jic if it gets crowded, but we usually don’t wear them as we go out of our way to walk well more than 6 feet away from others. 6. Those docs that have the earbuds in? Often white AirPods? Do you think they’re listening to you when they’re nodding their head and smiling? Sorry. My private conversations say maybe not.Could be Coldplay, maybe Taylor Swift. I don’t want to rat out my colleagues (aren’t we well past that?), but just between you and me – some tips to look for:(a) they appear to start playing air guitar or air keyboards.(b) Lyrics may slip out – if you hear “Back in Black!” entirely out of context or “Put another dime in the jukebox, baby.” It’s likely trouble.If you’re my patient and see the earbuds – 100% chance it’s this song. 100%. By the way, you haven’t lived until you’ve inadvertently told a semi-retired, 67 y/o trucker from Mount Vernon, OH “I need you, I want you to stay right here with me.” And those are the video visits.The telephone visits? Oh, dear G-d. Who doesn’t think more clearly when they’re dancing? Name me one person.As my renowned Ohio State Professor Emeritus Milton Radnor MD would always tell us on pulmonary rounds, “These dance moves don’t learn themselves.”David Oh, yes up front. We do have time for one more.What am I reading?Thanks for asking. Currently reading this. Then this. Then this.Goodnight everybody! |
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| Watch Code Blue Here |
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| Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. David, Rachael, Bryan, Jessica and Kayleewww.walkwithadoc.org |