Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Novemburrr

I say 'burrr' because things are getting chilly, or at least NOLA's version of chilly. I have to say, this weather is amazing, yesterday it 80's and we've had mid 70's most days this month. Going back to New York for Thanksgiving break was a little bit of a wake-up call. It snowed twice in the week that I was there, the cold was brutal to my healing pelvis, but seeing family and friends was all worth it.

This month I decided to do my volunteer hours during Veteran's Day. In the transplant unit that I normally volunteer at, we have numerous veterans, but I never realized how many. It was a pleasure to be able to give what small help I could back to these brave men who put their lives on the line for my freedom. I had the pleasure of listening to a few war stories (mostly from 'nam), and having lunch with some of the veterans and their families. One of the directors of the cafeteria organized visits to the veterans during lunch with little gifts they had made for them. I was able to help hand out these gifts, and however small they seemed, I could tell they meant a lot to the patients who received them.

In addition to all of this, I was able to join in on rounds with the residents and attendings, and was able to ask questions about drug regimens that some of the patients were on which helped me to understand pharmacology we have gone over this semester. November may have been one of my favorite volunteering months because I was able to see the impact I was making on the patients more-so than before, and attending rounds allowed me to learn more as well.


Hours for November: 3