My first serious post...dun, dun dun!

This semester is all about research for me.

I've been working at El Camino Hospital on 2 research projects.

One of the research projects is with the palliative care team. I'm working with the nurses in the ICU to eventually improve the palliative care we give patients with life-limiting illnesses/conditions.(Palliative care isn't hospice; these people have a life limiting illness but may continue active treatment while they are receiving palliative care vs. hospice which focuses on patients with less than 6 months to live and have stopped all treatment. It's like having someone who specializes in pain help with your care even if you haven't decided to throw in the towel and die.)

Basically, I go through the patient database and look up the patient charts on all of these patients who've been identified as candidates for the study. These people are very sick. It is my job to document and interpret the type of care they received (or in many cases, didn't receive). Although I love this and find it super interesting, it does get depressing...

The other day amidst my research I came across the medical record of this poor woman. She was under 35 yrs old, married, and had a baby at home. She also had extremely aggressive cancer that was diagnosed less than 6 months ago. Unfortunately, this patient expired.

I have gone through dozens and dozens of patient records and many of them die, but this particular patient's story just really hit me. It reinforced how vulnerable we are and how quickly life can change. It also made me so appreciative for the many blessings I have in my life. Not only do I have a wonderful family and husband, but I have a career that allows me to be there to help people during some of the most exciting, emotional, and tragic moments of their lives.

A professor once said "It is a gift to have a career that allows you to be with patients as they welcome new life into the world and when they leave this world"

I couldn't agree more.