18 June 2014
16 May 2014
Eye-opening
Yesterday I had my first experience at getting a real good glimpse of some of the conditions of the First Nations reserves, especially in these remote settings. Yesterday morning I embarked on a two-hour boat ride with my attending physician to do a clinic at one of the smaller, even more remote villages than where I am already stationed. They only have a nursing station there full-time, and he's the only visiting physician at the moment.
Their health centre there is impressive; it looks like it was built within the last decade and is still in rather good shape. My clinic had its interesting variation - MRSA impetigo, uncontrolled diabetes, an incision + drainage, etc.... but it was the home visits that made the most lasting impression on me.
Without going into too many details, I saw some of the worst conditions of poverty that I can remember in my life time. I'd like to think I've had my fair share of exposure to seeing people live in dismal conditions given my mother is from the Philippines, and ensuring I witness the realities of living conditions there from a young age, and the summer I spent in rural Tanzania a few years ago. But some of the conditions I saw yesterday... I couldn't remember the last time I saw some situations that hopeless. One particular household, I don't think I'll ever forget. Everything from the condition of this prominent non-mobile elder who we were treating, to the condition in which he and his family lived was not something you could make up. It was a confusing feeling too. They were not a conventional obvious lack of food, clothing or basic needs like you see in those World Vision ads. This household seemed to have these necessities; but its upkeep was non-existent. Clutter was scattered everywhere from old discarded electronics to food crumbs. There was food out, which had clearly been out for weeks given that it was covered in mold. Our patient only seemed to have his home-care nurse looking after him judging by the dry urine and flaking skin around him. Earlier that week, apparently a dog had to be removed from the property due to being severe malnourished. I spent that morning on a two-hour ride on a 17-foot boat in choppy waters after eating a gigantic egg and cheese sandwich, and it was after that home visit that I felt the most ill that day.
It's not a feeling of pity I took away from the home visits. While I did feel sorrow and sadness for these families, it was more than that. I felt embarrassed that these living situations occur regularly on these First Nations reserves within our country on which we pride ourselves on our strong social infrastructure, and that while we call ourselves a "first world nation", these pockets all over the country are clearly no better than developing nations.
I can't attach blame to these feelings though, or offer insight into what I've seen. My time here is also shedding even more light to me on the layers of complexity of the relationships between the government, First Nations people and other citizens of this country. Many fractures exist. In many ways I have seen the friendliness, openness and beauty of these First Nations villages and its people, but I have also learned more about the politics, tensions, dynamics and bureaucracy that exist at many levels. Some people dedicate their lives to these aforementioned areas.
There's still so much to learn.
Their health centre there is impressive; it looks like it was built within the last decade and is still in rather good shape. My clinic had its interesting variation - MRSA impetigo, uncontrolled diabetes, an incision + drainage, etc.... but it was the home visits that made the most lasting impression on me.
Without going into too many details, I saw some of the worst conditions of poverty that I can remember in my life time. I'd like to think I've had my fair share of exposure to seeing people live in dismal conditions given my mother is from the Philippines, and ensuring I witness the realities of living conditions there from a young age, and the summer I spent in rural Tanzania a few years ago. But some of the conditions I saw yesterday... I couldn't remember the last time I saw some situations that hopeless. One particular household, I don't think I'll ever forget. Everything from the condition of this prominent non-mobile elder who we were treating, to the condition in which he and his family lived was not something you could make up. It was a confusing feeling too. They were not a conventional obvious lack of food, clothing or basic needs like you see in those World Vision ads. This household seemed to have these necessities; but its upkeep was non-existent. Clutter was scattered everywhere from old discarded electronics to food crumbs. There was food out, which had clearly been out for weeks given that it was covered in mold. Our patient only seemed to have his home-care nurse looking after him judging by the dry urine and flaking skin around him. Earlier that week, apparently a dog had to be removed from the property due to being severe malnourished. I spent that morning on a two-hour ride on a 17-foot boat in choppy waters after eating a gigantic egg and cheese sandwich, and it was after that home visit that I felt the most ill that day.
It's not a feeling of pity I took away from the home visits. While I did feel sorrow and sadness for these families, it was more than that. I felt embarrassed that these living situations occur regularly on these First Nations reserves within our country on which we pride ourselves on our strong social infrastructure, and that while we call ourselves a "first world nation", these pockets all over the country are clearly no better than developing nations.
I can't attach blame to these feelings though, or offer insight into what I've seen. My time here is also shedding even more light to me on the layers of complexity of the relationships between the government, First Nations people and other citizens of this country. Many fractures exist. In many ways I have seen the friendliness, openness and beauty of these First Nations villages and its people, but I have also learned more about the politics, tensions, dynamics and bureaucracy that exist at many levels. Some people dedicate their lives to these aforementioned areas.
There's still so much to learn.
12 May 2014
Remote BC
Just finishing up my first week in a super rural remote First Nations village, Bella Bella, along the pacific coast of British Columbia. It's on a small island that actually faces east towards the mainland of BC but between the two land masses is a pristine ocean channel through which fishing boats, whales, kayaks and the occasional ship traverse.
The town's most prominent guests are its ravens, crows and bald eagles. On any given day, I can count a handful of any of the above either soaring high in the air, perched on a tall post or tall tree branch or flying low above the rooftops. I've never seen this many bald eagles in my life. On Sunday, when I think some fishing boats came in, I saw at least four bald eagles circling above. They're basically the pigeons of this town. Haha.
A pleasant custom I learned on arrival is you wave or greet anyone with whom you cross on the road. It doesn't matter if you're driving a vehicle or going a walk, a friendly wave is the norm, regardless of familiarity. It adds an extra element of openness and courtesy. Anonymity is not likely around here.
The band store is where people get any sort of groceries. It's not cheap to import anything so while I was looking to maybe have a half pint of blueberries today, I'm also not keen on paying $6 for it. It hurts paying $6 for a 1 L bottle of milk too. Unfortunately, the cheapest things in the store are canned or preserved meals, candies, sodas and junk food. Good luck making an affordable salad or snacking on fresh fruits for very long. Trying to bake an apple crisp would probably set somebody back at least $20 on the apples alone.
The people here are pleasant and actively interested in who you are, which makes the transition easier. They want to know your name and where you're from. It's been a week and I've stuffed myself full from two gracious dinner invitations.
I've spent an afternoon kayaking on the calm waters, watching the soaring birds of prey look like circling specs over certain areas of forests. You gotta wonder what kind of prey they're stalking. I'd love to catch one of them in the act of swooping down to catch a mouse or fish.
On a run, looking west of the town are rolling hills of coniferous trees as far as I could see. Of course, the rolling hills meant my pace was getting destroyed on that run, haha.
I hope to check out some hiking trails this week if the weather clears up, and of course more kayaking. What I would give to see a whale while I'm on the water...
The town's most prominent guests are its ravens, crows and bald eagles. On any given day, I can count a handful of any of the above either soaring high in the air, perched on a tall post or tall tree branch or flying low above the rooftops. I've never seen this many bald eagles in my life. On Sunday, when I think some fishing boats came in, I saw at least four bald eagles circling above. They're basically the pigeons of this town. Haha.
A pleasant custom I learned on arrival is you wave or greet anyone with whom you cross on the road. It doesn't matter if you're driving a vehicle or going a walk, a friendly wave is the norm, regardless of familiarity. It adds an extra element of openness and courtesy. Anonymity is not likely around here.
The band store is where people get any sort of groceries. It's not cheap to import anything so while I was looking to maybe have a half pint of blueberries today, I'm also not keen on paying $6 for it. It hurts paying $6 for a 1 L bottle of milk too. Unfortunately, the cheapest things in the store are canned or preserved meals, candies, sodas and junk food. Good luck making an affordable salad or snacking on fresh fruits for very long. Trying to bake an apple crisp would probably set somebody back at least $20 on the apples alone.
The people here are pleasant and actively interested in who you are, which makes the transition easier. They want to know your name and where you're from. It's been a week and I've stuffed myself full from two gracious dinner invitations.
I've spent an afternoon kayaking on the calm waters, watching the soaring birds of prey look like circling specs over certain areas of forests. You gotta wonder what kind of prey they're stalking. I'd love to catch one of them in the act of swooping down to catch a mouse or fish.
On a run, looking west of the town are rolling hills of coniferous trees as far as I could see. Of course, the rolling hills meant my pace was getting destroyed on that run, haha.
I hope to check out some hiking trails this week if the weather clears up, and of course more kayaking. What I would give to see a whale while I'm on the water...
28 February 2014
Costa Rica thoughts
On vacation in Costa Rica, and it is a rather intriguing country to visit. Its natural beauty is obvious and the Costa Ricans have done an excellent job (from what I've seen) in preserving much of it, especially given the immense tourism industry it possesses.
Some thoughts on things I've noticed while visiting:
Some thoughts on things I've noticed while visiting:
- On first impression in the airport, when arriving, it is absolutely flooded with tourists. I haven't been to Mexico or Hawaii so I can't speak in relative terms but I felt like I was in an American airport like in Florida or something. The crowd consisted mostly of tweens and young families with a few interspersed retirees.
- Poverty exists and is apparent in some areas, but it doesn't quite have the feel of typical developing nations, nor does it give off the vibe of it putting up a massive luxurious front to hide the rest of the population (more than other places, at least). There does appear to be some money floating around in its economy from the thriving tourism industry.
- I don't sense a strong resentment nor a will to exploit the tourism industry from the people here. More often than not, it more seems that the locals are proud to show off what their country has to offer, but are also fiercely defensive on preserving it... I appreciate both of those qualities.
- We asked one of our tour guides what has made Costa Rica safe for so long, and he quickly replied that their country has no army! A google search verified that it has been abolished since 1948 after the end of their most recent civil war. Since then, unlike any of its neighbors, there have been no further conflicts in over 50 years.
- Again on tourism - I think it's astounding that given the foreign money that comes in, the locals still don't expect tips. They are gladly appreciated of course, but unlike many other places I've visited with strong tourism, they haven't taken tips for granted to this point.
And I haven't even talked about what we've explored yet. Until next time!
18 February 2014
Blog adjustments in the dead of winter
Just my luck, my last winter in Ottawa is apparently one of the most miserable ones they've had here in years. I talked to a physician today who has lived here her whole life and says this is the worst (combination of cold, snow, cloud) that she can remember.
Despite that, I haven't really been keeping up with this blog. Finishing my research took up a lot of my time for a couple weeks in February, and studying for the big exam has begun.
With that said, I wanted to announce a "shift", I'll be making with what I'll be writing here. I wanted to make it more useful for the people or tumbleweeds who come across these parts. Self-serving blogs are a dime a dozen. The interesting, insightful and engaging blogs are the ones that people want to read. Every now and then, I'll still use this as a sounding board for something I'm going through in the raw moment because hey, it's the internet... but I feel that this blog should also serve some usefulness rather than me using this as a virtual soapbox half the time.
There still won't be a particular topic of focus. I keep myself busy with too many random things (at least for now) to commit to that. You can see on the right side the plethora of random labels I've assigned to blog posts over the years... but the focus will shift... I'm gonna try to see howeach most posts can be one or more of the following: a) a post of interest, b) a post of insight or something to think about, or c) a post of utility to you, the reader.
Despite that, I haven't really been keeping up with this blog. Finishing my research took up a lot of my time for a couple weeks in February, and studying for the big exam has begun.
With that said, I wanted to announce a "shift", I'll be making with what I'll be writing here. I wanted to make it more useful for the people or tumbleweeds who come across these parts. Self-serving blogs are a dime a dozen. The interesting, insightful and engaging blogs are the ones that people want to read. Every now and then, I'll still use this as a sounding board for something I'm going through in the raw moment because hey, it's the internet... but I feel that this blog should also serve some usefulness rather than me using this as a virtual soapbox half the time.
There still won't be a particular topic of focus. I keep myself busy with too many random things (at least for now) to commit to that. You can see on the right side the plethora of random labels I've assigned to blog posts over the years... but the focus will shift... I'm gonna try to see how
17 January 2014
Friday night music: Home call
Home call. Quiet evening. It's a Miles Davis/Nina Simone kind of night.
09 January 2014
Top ten favourite albums of 2013
Thought long and hard about these personal rankings. There's a few more albums I want to listen to more closely like Laura Marling and Kurt Vile, and I'm still trying to convince myself I like more than a handful of songs on Arcade Fire's Reflektor. Alas, these are the ones I encountered throughout the year and that I feel will have the most staying power for me for years to come.
10. Robby Hunter Band - Magic City Hippies
9. Darkside - Psychic
8. The National - Trouble Will Find Me
7. Lorde - Pure Heroine
6. London Grammar - If You Wait
5. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
4. Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe
3. Phoenix - Bankrupt!
2. HAIM - Days Are Gone
Honourable mentions: Lucius - Wildewoman, Sigur Ros - Kveikur, Rudimental - Home, Basia Bulat - Tall Tall Shadow
Daft Punk takes home the title in the end... not because I love all of it (Cupid Deluxe and Psychic are the only two albums I would listen to all at once in the future), but when it hits its strong parts, man they're strong. I've listened to "Give Life Back to Music", "Giorgio by Moroder", "Get Lucky", "Motherboard" and "Fragments of Time" countless times, and I don't know if I'll ever tire of them. Unfortunately I didn't quite 'get' "Touch" which is supposed to be the piece de resistance of the LP, but the supporting cast of the back half of the album made up for it. To me though, this album was more than just the songs. In a day and age where it's cool to have made an album in a day in your underwear, the robots crammed every bit of sound and layer in ridiculously expensive studios, almost exclusively used live instrumentation without looping, and marked the trendy return of disco in the music industry this year (which looks like will continue into 2014).
In the end, there wasn't one album that I absolutely loved from top to bottom, and of course HAIM and Daft Punk were as close as it got, with them more of a 1a and 1b, I'd say. I like how the list covered all parts of the year... there were a few weeks in the summer where I was almost exclusively listening to Phoenix and Vampire Weekend. Lorde's album caught me by surprise in the fall when I was really into If You Wait. The National just hung around all year.
With all that said, I'm gonna be making some changes with the blog. I'll detail more in the next post but I think I'm gonna be moving all my music-related posts to my tumblr except for Friday Night Music.
10. Robby Hunter Band - Magic City Hippies
9. Darkside - Psychic
8. The National - Trouble Will Find Me
7. Lorde - Pure Heroine
6. London Grammar - If You Wait
5. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
4. Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe
3. Phoenix - Bankrupt!
2. HAIM - Days Are Gone
1. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
Honourable mentions: Lucius - Wildewoman, Sigur Ros - Kveikur, Rudimental - Home, Basia Bulat - Tall Tall Shadow
Daft Punk takes home the title in the end... not because I love all of it (Cupid Deluxe and Psychic are the only two albums I would listen to all at once in the future), but when it hits its strong parts, man they're strong. I've listened to "Give Life Back to Music", "Giorgio by Moroder", "Get Lucky", "Motherboard" and "Fragments of Time" countless times, and I don't know if I'll ever tire of them. Unfortunately I didn't quite 'get' "Touch" which is supposed to be the piece de resistance of the LP, but the supporting cast of the back half of the album made up for it. To me though, this album was more than just the songs. In a day and age where it's cool to have made an album in a day in your underwear, the robots crammed every bit of sound and layer in ridiculously expensive studios, almost exclusively used live instrumentation without looping, and marked the trendy return of disco in the music industry this year (which looks like will continue into 2014).
In the end, there wasn't one album that I absolutely loved from top to bottom, and of course HAIM and Daft Punk were as close as it got, with them more of a 1a and 1b, I'd say. I like how the list covered all parts of the year... there were a few weeks in the summer where I was almost exclusively listening to Phoenix and Vampire Weekend. Lorde's album caught me by surprise in the fall when I was really into If You Wait. The National just hung around all year.With all that said, I'm gonna be making some changes with the blog. I'll detail more in the next post but I think I'm gonna be moving all my music-related posts to my tumblr except for Friday Night Music.
16 November 2013
Trail mix
Nothing compelling to write about today, so instead it will be a pot pourri, nay a TRAIL MIX of quick points:
Arcade Fire - We Exist
- I had a couple interviews this week for two very good programs. Two more to follow in the next two weeks. I always find it interesting the extremely friendly yet underlying tense atmosphere behind interviews especially when it is happening en masse. It's also intriguing how one portrays and sees oneself because it is a time where you're putting yourself on display, like a product to be purchased.
- I think these interviews were actually the first time I've faced the 'panel' format versus the in vogue 'MMI' more commonly seen for medical school and residency interviews. The most striking difference is it is essentially over before you know it. There's no rest time to regroup. You gotta lay it out all on the line all at once.
- I really like that music can be (in fact it should be) a shared experience. Some of my most favourite and unique artists, were from friends' recommendations. Basia Bulat is an example, from my friend Courtney who randomly went to her concert, and I've posted one of her songs below.
- I wrote 'can be a shared experience' above because it's not always shared. It can often be a rather unilateral dictation of what people should or should not like especially in the blogosphere, or what's good and what isn't. I've always maintained that songs I post here are "favourites" (i.e. subjective taste), and not something that can be objectively seen as "best".
- Speaking of favourites, Arcade Fire is out with their newest album Reflektor. I've listened to it a few times and the album as a whole isn't quite pulling me in. It's growing on me a little but, only a few isolated songs stand out to me. I posted my favourite one below.
- Another pet peeve about the blogosphere climate is only a handful give credit where it's due or cite the site (lol) when they post something "new". Comes with the pretentiousness I guess.
- I miss gourde season.
Arcade Fire - We Exist
02 November 2013
Who needs coffee when you have CCR?
Busy night? Yeah. A couple hours of interrupted sleep, on home call night no less.
How do I fix this zombie-like sensation?
How do I fix this zombie-like sensation?
- CCR - who needs coffee when you have them?
- Fresh ground coffee, just for good measure
- Avocado scrambled eggs - I made these a few months ago when I had some extra guacamole lying around and the results are MARVELOUS. The avocado add this extra creaminess in the eggs that just make it melt in your mouth. Added some cilantro, feta, cheddar and grape tomatoes today. Hallelujah!
Walt Jr. would be so proud.
13 October 2013
Thankful
It's been a tiring weekend. Three overnight shifts in a row, with the last one tonight. I'll likely be sleeping through most of holiday Monday.
But I'm still thankful. I'm appreciative of the series of opportunities I've been fortunate to have, leading to where I am today. I'm grateful for the support I've received at every step of my life. I'm thankful for my safety, health, experiences and where I am in my career. I'm thankful that I still enjoy my career the far majority of the time. I'm very fortunate to have been born where I was and when. I'm indebted to my friends and family.
But I'm still thankful. I'm appreciative of the series of opportunities I've been fortunate to have, leading to where I am today. I'm grateful for the support I've received at every step of my life. I'm thankful for my safety, health, experiences and where I am in my career. I'm thankful that I still enjoy my career the far majority of the time. I'm very fortunate to have been born where I was and when. I'm indebted to my friends and family.
11 October 2013
On stress and respect / Friday night music
I was walking in the Market today and a woman exclaimed, "I have enough stress in my life as it is!"
Immediately I was annoyed but I couldn't tell why. Everyone has stressful events in their life, and they're rarely easy. Not only that, but I don't know who she is, or to what stressful event(s) to which she was referring. And some people truly do go through some extremely difficult tribulations in their lifetime.
However, there was something about the statement I found irritating. The tone seemed entitled, in some ways disrespectful, which also seemed to convey in her body language. But the biggest thing I realized was the statement itself. Does she have a magic ruler that measures that she has surpassed her lifetime permitted stress levels? Has she been able to compare or quantify that her stress is more significant or more important than those around her?
Again, let me reiterate. I am not doubting this person has stress, is/was struggling with some current stressor(s) in her life, or has a valid reason to feel "stressed". What I truly have issue with is that she was using her stress or whatever affliction she has to justify or allow her to shit on the person/people around her.
The more general point I'm trying to get to is that too often it seems people decide certain conditions, afflictions, privilege or abilities are justification to be downright disrespectful to people around them. Sadly it's rather commonplace in medicine. It can happen with staff to learners, physicians to patients, physicians to nurses, or residents to nurses (or vice versa!). It drives me nuts. We're all human beings so let's treat each other like they're one too.
I'm not trying to be a debbie downer. It's Friday! We've all been guilty at least a couple times of a similar situation above, so let's try to change that. Be kind to one another, and at the very least, respectful. Be nice to your bartender or waitress tonight. Try to dial down the road rage. It's not all about me, and it's not all about you.
Enjoy the company.
------------------------
Friday night music //
Got two treats for you tonight. First, I spent half my day off the other day compiling this playlist and making sure the flow was just right. It's a relaxed, chilled out playlist full of songs featuring female vocalists encompassing a number of genres, including some of my favourite releases from this year. The lady on the cover is London Grammar's Hannah Reid.
The next song is from American folk rock band Dawes. Also fitting for a laid back Friday night in its own way.
Immediately I was annoyed but I couldn't tell why. Everyone has stressful events in their life, and they're rarely easy. Not only that, but I don't know who she is, or to what stressful event(s) to which she was referring. And some people truly do go through some extremely difficult tribulations in their lifetime.
However, there was something about the statement I found irritating. The tone seemed entitled, in some ways disrespectful, which also seemed to convey in her body language. But the biggest thing I realized was the statement itself. Does she have a magic ruler that measures that she has surpassed her lifetime permitted stress levels? Has she been able to compare or quantify that her stress is more significant or more important than those around her?
Again, let me reiterate. I am not doubting this person has stress, is/was struggling with some current stressor(s) in her life, or has a valid reason to feel "stressed". What I truly have issue with is that she was using her stress or whatever affliction she has to justify or allow her to shit on the person/people around her.
The more general point I'm trying to get to is that too often it seems people decide certain conditions, afflictions, privilege or abilities are justification to be downright disrespectful to people around them. Sadly it's rather commonplace in medicine. It can happen with staff to learners, physicians to patients, physicians to nurses, or residents to nurses (or vice versa!). It drives me nuts. We're all human beings so let's treat each other like they're one too.
I'm not trying to be a debbie downer. It's Friday! We've all been guilty at least a couple times of a similar situation above, so let's try to change that. Be kind to one another, and at the very least, respectful. Be nice to your bartender or waitress tonight. Try to dial down the road rage. It's not all about me, and it's not all about you.
Enjoy the company.
------------------------
Friday night music //
Got two treats for you tonight. First, I spent half my day off the other day compiling this playlist and making sure the flow was just right. It's a relaxed, chilled out playlist full of songs featuring female vocalists encompassing a number of genres, including some of my favourite releases from this year. The lady on the cover is London Grammar's Hannah Reid.
The next song is from American folk rock band Dawes. Also fitting for a laid back Friday night in its own way.
08 October 2013
Sometimes life's OK, some med news, big music days
Typically I feel kind of blue when I come out of a long stretch of inactivity or inconsistency with blog posts, like I'm not imaginative, creative or committed enough to keep up with posts. After all, it's designed to be an outlet to share my thoughts, ideas and/or things I'm enjoying.
I think this is one of those times, however, when I'm not as regretful. As Modest Mouse says, "sometimes life's OK". It's been a busy past couple months with longer hours at work, applying for future endeavours, committees or commitments around work like journal club or meetings, and trying to stay active. Unfortunately, blogging isn't the only thing that takes a step back. I haven't had a long chat with my family for a couple weeks although I've shot a few emails and texts a couple times a week.
Of course, since it's been almost two months(!!) since I've posted, there's a lot to share!
First off, a rare comment about a medical matter. Over the last couple months, word has gotten out about a new decision rule to be used in emergency departments developed here in Ottawa: the Ottawa SAH (subarachnoid hemorrhage) rule. Some of the same people brought us the well-known Ottawa ankle rules, Ottawa knee rules, and CATCH pediatric CT rules, Canadian CT head rules, and Canadian C-spine rules. Some people like long walks on beaches, but these guys prefer to make RULES. Who can blame them? They make clinical decision-making for some difficult scenarios a lot more streamlined and methodical.
The unique side of things from my side is that this is the first time that I've been close to the action, so to speak. It's making some waves in local press, but it's also intriguing to see one of these rules come hot out of the oven with its results, and immediate response, critique and feedback in essentially real-time in the medical community. It is impressive that it offers 100% sensitivity, but what's even more interesting is how they're able to achieve that goal, as detailed in this blog post. You can find a more critical discussion here. It will be interesting how this unfolds in the next few months.
On to music...
The number of quality releases in 2013 continues. As previously discussed, I was a huge fan of Entertainment! and Random Access Memories which were my big two for a huge chunk of the first half of the year. In the tier below, I also listened heavily to new albums by Tegan & Sara, the National, Savages, How to Destroy Angels and Bonobo, and more.
This fall there has been another massive wave of solid albums. As solid as two-week old bread. Wait, that's not a good analogy. What's a good solid? Like a never-ending popsicle on a hot summer day.
I've been trying to simultaneously balance...
Lastly, in tribute of the end of the best ever shows on television, and from another great 2013 album...
I think this is one of those times, however, when I'm not as regretful. As Modest Mouse says, "sometimes life's OK". It's been a busy past couple months with longer hours at work, applying for future endeavours, committees or commitments around work like journal club or meetings, and trying to stay active. Unfortunately, blogging isn't the only thing that takes a step back. I haven't had a long chat with my family for a couple weeks although I've shot a few emails and texts a couple times a week.
Of course, since it's been almost two months(!!) since I've posted, there's a lot to share!
First off, a rare comment about a medical matter. Over the last couple months, word has gotten out about a new decision rule to be used in emergency departments developed here in Ottawa: the Ottawa SAH (subarachnoid hemorrhage) rule. Some of the same people brought us the well-known Ottawa ankle rules, Ottawa knee rules, and CATCH pediatric CT rules, Canadian CT head rules, and Canadian C-spine rules. Some people like long walks on beaches, but these guys prefer to make RULES. Who can blame them? They make clinical decision-making for some difficult scenarios a lot more streamlined and methodical.
The unique side of things from my side is that this is the first time that I've been close to the action, so to speak. It's making some waves in local press, but it's also intriguing to see one of these rules come hot out of the oven with its results, and immediate response, critique and feedback in essentially real-time in the medical community. It is impressive that it offers 100% sensitivity, but what's even more interesting is how they're able to achieve that goal, as detailed in this blog post. You can find a more critical discussion here. It will be interesting how this unfolds in the next few months.
On to music...
The number of quality releases in 2013 continues. As previously discussed, I was a huge fan of Entertainment! and Random Access Memories which were my big two for a huge chunk of the first half of the year. In the tier below, I also listened heavily to new albums by Tegan & Sara, the National, Savages, How to Destroy Angels and Bonobo, and more.
This fall there has been another massive wave of solid albums. As solid as two-week old bread. Wait, that's not a good analogy. What's a good solid? Like a never-ending popsicle on a hot summer day.
I've been trying to simultaneously balance...
- Haim, Days Are Gone (I was waiting for it for months and gosh it did not disappoint)
- London Grammar, If You Wait
- Lorde, Pure Heroine
- Disclosure, Settle
Lastly, in tribute of the end of the best ever shows on television, and from another great 2013 album...
16 August 2013
12 August 2013
Some advice...
If you see something by London Grammar, you LISTEN TO IT. I heard "Strong" a month ago and was like "how do I get more?" alas... I was disappointed. Fortunately, it turns out their Metal & Dust EP is on Spotify and all of it is excellent.
Think xx and Florence + the Machine's love child. Sounds too good to be true? IT'S NOT
Their LP If You Wait is out this September. CAN'T WAIT.
Now go!
Think xx and Florence + the Machine's love child. Sounds too good to be true? IT'S NOT
Their LP If You Wait is out this September. CAN'T WAIT.
Now go!
11 August 2013
Mind drawing a blank
It's odd, I haven't posted much recently not due to forgetting about the blog per se, or not having much going on (quite the opposite)... I guess I'm just having trouble finding topics I really want to talk about in a longer, more united post. Maybe I'll just leave it up to a "quick hits" post today:
- I did my first ever triathlon last weekend! It was a sprint triathlon (500 m swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run) and was an interesting challenge. I remember feeling more mentally and physically exhausted after the half marathon, but this was its own challenge. My relative inexperience in the open water swim and the cycle leg showed, not to mention my transitions. Fortunately I made up a lot of ground in the run. I'll be looking to do another with a long-term goal of finishing an Olympic length triathlon by the time
I'm 30, no let's say 2014... - While "training" for the triathlon I found myself trying to challenge my times with some slightly longer run distances. Ever since I started hitting the sub-5 min per km consistently this spring, I've been pushing myself distance-wise. I'm now at the point where my all-time 8 km record I achieved in Grade 10 (2003!) of 36:45 is now within reach... my most recent run hit ~37 min, so I'm still a few seconds off. It's gonna be hard but not impossible at this stage...
- The next six months are really going to be testing my resolve and discipline as I look to go through CaRMS again. This may be the hardest I'll have to work to earn something...
- Mid August means that first "smell of fall" is on its way. What I mean by this is that there's always one morning probably 4-6 weeks before the first evidence of autumn hits where you can just smell or feel the fall air. It's kind of neat, but also kind of depressing even though I really do like fall. I don't think anyone really looks forward to summer ending.
- As much I've been trying not to, I've been binging on a lot of music this year. I partially blame Spotify, but I think there have been a lot of solid albums that have been released so far in 2013. I'll post some of my favourites soon.
31 July 2013
Helplessness
First post with some substance in a while, and it's gonna be a heavy one about work. I'll try not to divulge too much in the interest of not being too specific about the patient's case but I'll try not to be vague-city either.
I'm working with the ICU team right now so I help deal with calls from other units when their patients are in trouble. There was a guy we were called about last week who wasn't really responding to anything. At first I think the nurses just thought he was having a deep sleep but over time it became clear he wasn't responding to anything. He was generally high functioning and independent before coming to hospital for a totally unrelated issue. A young grandfather and a husband. I met his family. For the better part of an hour or two we really had no idea what was going on. He had a huge work-up done yesterday for a similar issue and nothing came back remarkable. Labs so far showed nothing either. Besides him being essentially comatose (GCS ~4), he was otherwise stable. I actually had to leave in the middle of transferring him to ICU to go to clinic in the afternoon.
Later that evening I decided to look up the CT of his head because I had an inkling he had something neurological going on. He had a massive intracranial bleed with midline shift and herniation. I was floored. I don't think I've been shocked about a test result for a patient in a long time. He had imaging the day before which was pristine and overnight for no reason he bleeds.
It made me think that despite all the training we get, the hours we put in, as much as we label ourselves "experts", when something like this happens to somebody, we're completely helpless to do anything. There was nothing that was significant in his history that could have caused it, nor could it have been prevented. In a profession where we are constantly searching for answers or remedies to ailments, mother nature pulled a fast one on us where all we could do is look and not have an answer.
I'm working with the ICU team right now so I help deal with calls from other units when their patients are in trouble. There was a guy we were called about last week who wasn't really responding to anything. At first I think the nurses just thought he was having a deep sleep but over time it became clear he wasn't responding to anything. He was generally high functioning and independent before coming to hospital for a totally unrelated issue. A young grandfather and a husband. I met his family. For the better part of an hour or two we really had no idea what was going on. He had a huge work-up done yesterday for a similar issue and nothing came back remarkable. Labs so far showed nothing either. Besides him being essentially comatose (GCS ~4), he was otherwise stable. I actually had to leave in the middle of transferring him to ICU to go to clinic in the afternoon.
Later that evening I decided to look up the CT of his head because I had an inkling he had something neurological going on. He had a massive intracranial bleed with midline shift and herniation. I was floored. I don't think I've been shocked about a test result for a patient in a long time. He had imaging the day before which was pristine and overnight for no reason he bleeds.
It made me think that despite all the training we get, the hours we put in, as much as we label ourselves "experts", when something like this happens to somebody, we're completely helpless to do anything. There was nothing that was significant in his history that could have caused it, nor could it have been prevented. In a profession where we are constantly searching for answers or remedies to ailments, mother nature pulled a fast one on us where all we could do is look and not have an answer.
14 July 2013
On the Zimmerman trial
I don't normally comment on that many current events on this type of forum but I felt compelled with this particular case. The reason is that it illustrates to me the difference between what is 'general knowledge' in the public and a further, deeper understanding of the story behind the title.
The Zimmerman trial just wrapped up yesterday with the well-known acquittal. Not surprisingly, it resulted in an immense amount of outrage among those that saw it turn into a symbolic battle of racism and civil rights in the US. As a superficial follower at that time who really didn't know much about the case, it seemed odd to me that this guy who shot this unarmed teenager got away with no sentence at all. So I read deeper...
The defence's case had a number of flaws, as outlined in this New York Times article...
Unfortunately, yes.
The Zimmerman trial just wrapped up yesterday with the well-known acquittal. Not surprisingly, it resulted in an immense amount of outrage among those that saw it turn into a symbolic battle of racism and civil rights in the US. As a superficial follower at that time who really didn't know much about the case, it seemed odd to me that this guy who shot this unarmed teenager got away with no sentence at all. So I read deeper...
The defence's case had a number of flaws, as outlined in this New York Times article...
- The only witness (Ms. Jeantel) of the incident had her credibility torn apart by inconsistent testimony
- Outside of Ms. Jeantel, nobody else witnessed the actual altercation clearly. Yes, Zimmerman was following Trayvon Martin, seemingly on a vendetta, but did Martin lunge at Zimmernan first? There's some reasonable doubt there.
- Florida's self-defence laws when it comes to trespassing are terrible, at best. From the same NYT article:
The laws allow someone with a reasonable fear of great bodily harm or death to use lethal force, even if retreating from danger is an option. In court, the gunman is given the benefit of the doubt.As a result, it's not really a surprise the jury could not come to a "guilty" verdict. What that requires is they have to have evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that manslaughter or second-degree murder was committed. Was Zimmerman out to prove a lesson? Probably. He pursued the teenager against the police's instructions not to do so. Was he profiling Trayvon Martin? Probably. However, was there reasonable doubt surrounding the sequence of events and in the context of Florida self-defence law?
Unfortunately, yes.
12 July 2013
Friday night music: some "hip hop jazz", versatile dream pop, and new but 'classic' JT
Hey folks, I know it's been a while but I've got a few gems for you.
The first band, who hails from Toronto, is, as Wikipedia puts it, "an instrumental hip hop jazz" group. That last sentence had a lot of commas. Anyways I heard them on the radio the other day on my drive to work and a quick Shazam later I find out who they are and am currently digging their stuff on bandcamp. They're called BADBADNOTGOOD, and in a way I wonder if it refers to their skills at using they keyboard because they clearly don't know how to turn off caps lock.
In some respects they remind me of the late J Dilla and of course they have that jazz element to them that I like. Of course I'm a fan of both of the aforementioned so it's not a surprise I'm currently trying to decide which album of theirs to buy first.
The second band I wanted to talk to today I actually heard from Aaron Paul, of Breaking Bad fame. They're a duo from the Big Apple who actually cut through a couple genres. Sky Barbarick's vocals fit the dream pop mold pretty well, but the accompanying instrumentals vary from a single guitar and percussion to a more electronic vibe that fits better in one of those downtown lounges. Either way, they sound great, especially for those clear summer nights when you're up late just chilling and chatting with friends over some drinks. Have a listen.
Lastly, JT is out with a new single from his 2nd part of his 20/20 Experience album... because having the highest selling album of the year so far wasn't enough. Some vintage JT here... that's what I like.
The first band, who hails from Toronto, is, as Wikipedia puts it, "an instrumental hip hop jazz" group. That last sentence had a lot of commas. Anyways I heard them on the radio the other day on my drive to work and a quick Shazam later I find out who they are and am currently digging their stuff on bandcamp. They're called BADBADNOTGOOD, and in a way I wonder if it refers to their skills at using they keyboard because they clearly don't know how to turn off caps lock.
In some respects they remind me of the late J Dilla and of course they have that jazz element to them that I like. Of course I'm a fan of both of the aforementioned so it's not a surprise I'm currently trying to decide which album of theirs to buy first.
The second band I wanted to talk to today I actually heard from Aaron Paul, of Breaking Bad fame. They're a duo from the Big Apple who actually cut through a couple genres. Sky Barbarick's vocals fit the dream pop mold pretty well, but the accompanying instrumentals vary from a single guitar and percussion to a more electronic vibe that fits better in one of those downtown lounges. Either way, they sound great, especially for those clear summer nights when you're up late just chilling and chatting with friends over some drinks. Have a listen.
Lastly, JT is out with a new single from his 2nd part of his 20/20 Experience album... because having the highest selling album of the year so far wasn't enough. Some vintage JT here... that's what I like.
07 June 2013
Friday night music: 3-for-1! Bass slapping, and post rock x 2
Hey folks, quick post tonight. Three songs I'd like to share... what a treat! I was thinking of posting something longer but working overnight happened and I slept until mid-afternoon.
Let's start things off right with something upbeat from The Preatures, a band from Sydney, Australia. Love that bassline!
Next, Sigur Ros just released another single from their upcoming album, Kveikur, and this is the title track. I heard them play it live earlier this year and it was definitely my favourite from the new songs they played. A few YouTube videos of live versions were floating around, but give a listen to the studio version. One of their more "dense" songs they've released in a while:
Lastly, here's "Campaign" by Russian Circles, a post-rock band. I used to listen to this album when I'd work out and need focus and I happened to play it again last night, reminding me how much I enjoy it. Great for some late night tunes.
Happy Friday!
Let's start things off right with something upbeat from The Preatures, a band from Sydney, Australia. Love that bassline!
Next, Sigur Ros just released another single from their upcoming album, Kveikur, and this is the title track. I heard them play it live earlier this year and it was definitely my favourite from the new songs they played. A few YouTube videos of live versions were floating around, but give a listen to the studio version. One of their more "dense" songs they've released in a while:
Lastly, here's "Campaign" by Russian Circles, a post-rock band. I used to listen to this album when I'd work out and need focus and I happened to play it again last night, reminding me how much I enjoy it. Great for some late night tunes.
Happy Friday!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)