Behind the White Coat

Happy Holidays

Or to be more specific, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and ?Happy Kwanza, and soon to be Eid Mubarak as well!

I am still alive... I have done 3 of my 4 overnight ER shifts now... Christmas Eve and Christmas were quiet I must say... Bunch of sore throats and some itty bitty injuries and some vomiting... Last night was a whole different story.  It was nonstop action. Patients just kept coming, and sick ones too.  I didn't even get to eat dinner because I spent an hour trying to get a spinal tap on one poor dominican guy, and by the time I was done (2am) the late night diner in the hospital had closed.  Great.

Anyway, one more night left!  Hope everyone is faring well for the holidays, and I look forward to having New Year's off.  Since I am too tired to recap any stories for now, I'll save them for later.. (And spare you at the same time)

My Merry Christmas

Day 2 of the transit strike.  How long can this go on?  I am just hoping this will end before the christmas weekend, for everyone's sake!  For now, it is not really affecting me personally since I have a reverse commute from Manhattan to the Bronx, except that I just am giving rides to a lot of people when I go up to work, which I don't mind at all.  The Ali Shuttle Service is alwyas happy to help out!  However, starting Satruday Christmas eve, I have my epic 4 overnight ER shifts in a row (7pm to 7am).  Ah yes, I will be spending my Christmas holidays in the Monte ER.  Lovely.  Hopefully it won't be too bad, and  people will wait it out before they come to the ER.  Of course the day after christmas I'll probably be flooded with people who indulged during the hoildays and are in florid heart failure and diabetic comas.  What is even worse is if there is a transit strike, I will then be going into the city in the mornings, and I certainly won'th ave 4 people in my car.  So how the hell am I going to get home?  I wonder if I can pull the doctor card to the cops checkin the cars, but somehow I don't see them cutting slack for a Montefiore resident giong into the city in the morning.  This could mean that I have to live at Monte for 4 days.  Good lord, living in the cal room for 4 nights? Can you imagine? I loathe the thought.

Today I am day-float on Klau (the medicine wards building for you non-readers), or as we like to call it "Day Bitch".  That is basically what I am.  I cover the residents going home pre-overnight, or the ones who go to clinic in the afternoon, and I 'babysit' the patients who haven't been seen by the residents yet.  Exciting. Luckily there was nothing to do in the morning, so I slept for 2 hours in the shitty ass call room to see what I am in for--which, given those beds, seems like recurrent back pain.

Well tonight is the holiday party at Au Bar, so I have something to look forward to. Hopefully I can get some scandalous photos of debauchery to hold as blackmail against my fellow residents in the coming years, hehe.. I have learned this tactic oh too well from Docblog's years at Einstein, oh yes.

The MTA Strike

The New York Mass Transit Authority workers.  What a bunch of heartless bastards.  Seriously, in my opinion, they deserve to get sued.  A selfish act on their part, going on strike, on the holiday season, not a week before christmas nonetheless!!  After all that New York City has endured in the recent years--morally, emotinally, and economically--our own blood comes around and screws us.  All of our city's arteries, shut down.  It's like a massive anterior wall MI (sorry had to throw that in there).  Now I aint saying I agree with the what the "deal" was that offered by the MTA to the workers, fine . Lets say for a moment that the "middle ground" that was reached was not good enough, and the MTA workers were not satisifed, and they want to strike.  Why in the name of God would you do it in the holiday season? Why when it is 20 degrees in the city?  Is it us the people you hate?  You make a hell of a lot of more money then us residents, and do you see us complaining? Try working my hours. The tourists, the relatives, the commuters, all levels of the working class--these are the people you are affecting.  Kids going to school, doctors going to work!  What if one of your relatives suffered as a result? Would you be satisifed then?  I heard of one poor guy who could not get to his dialysis session.  There are probably visiting nurses who can't get to the homes of their patients, important health care appointments unkept.  People had to cross bridges to get to work.  It was probably 10 degrees on the bridges!! People probably peeled over and died because you forced them into the FREEZING cold.  You know how many small businesses are suffering? Shops, restaurants, stores, deliveries.  They are only allowing cars with 4 people into the city!!  That is NOT easy to do.  Random people in random cars trying to make it within those rules.  You Local 100 workers are not thinking of the city, of the people, of the economy and of the heart and soul of the entire Nation even.  You are selfish.  You can only imagine how chaotic it was this morning.  In my opinion, sue them all.  They imposed the 1 million dollar fine per day. Good.  Bring in the scabs I say.  There are probably plenty of people waiting to get jobs in the MTA, plenty of displacced workers from New Orleans.  Fill in the gaps.  This is New York City. The transit system serves 7 Million People.  Unacceptable.  But you know what. we are down, we are hurt.  But we functioned.  Props to Bloomberg for the contigency plans that worked the best it could given the situation.  Shame on you Local 100. Shame on you all.

That's my initial two cents.

Images of Pakistan

Catchin the bus.
Riksha vs. Donkey cart
That's the milkman, seriously.

Garment shopping in KHI

Poor guy's a little off today

Our version of the all-purpose truck.

If you go to Islamabad, you can't miss out on the drive-in snack spot "Munchies"

My other business.

Dubai

Dubai.  What a city.  It is a desert oasis amidst the third world and the conservative middle east.  My sister and I took our two night detour there from Karachci to visit our friend Tarik (also known as "LT" to us NY'ers).  It really is something else.  In case you do not know,  Dubai is a mega-rich city in the United Arab Emirates, smack in the middle east.  You'd think you were in the middle of Europe though.  The architecture is phenomenal, the cars are flashy, the malls are huge, and the people beautiful.  You'll see arab men and women walkin in fully robed in dishdash and abayas, then you'll see scantily clad lebanese and european girls walkin around, and bikini stridden peeps sprawling the beaches.  The malls have all stores U.S. and European, no taxes.  In fact, believe it or not, in the Emirates  Center mall, they built a freakin indoor ski slope!  And I mean a climate controlled, snowy village with chair lift, rentals, and the full deal.  See the pics for yoruself!

Even though its a muslim nation, alcohol is available.  Sold by all the bars and restaurants, and you can buy it at the airport.  However, they don't have stores where you can purchase it, unless you have a specific license.  Kind of weird, but a middle ground I suppose.  But def dont get caught driving drunk.  You'll get your ass deported!  There are also a slew of desis there.  Pakis and Indians everywhere, and shit it's an hour and change plane ride for most, so why the hell not?  Lot easier than getting a visa for the U.S.  Lot of the stores are also run by filipino and asian people, so the working class is everything but arab, so it puts an interesting twist on the city.

Anyway, we hung out at a few of the hotel resorts for drinks and dinner, including the amazing Hyatt Regency for drinks on the terrace overlooking the pier, the Jumeira Beach Hotel at the outdoor bar jutted out on the small pier, "360".  It is  right aside the Burj al Arab 7 star half under-water hotel. It is the tallest and most architecturally advanced hotel in the WORLD believe it or not.  We hit a bunch of other bars and clubs, varying scenes from european to arabic.  The hot girls and generally friendly peeps didn't hurt either.

We hit the big club Trilogy for our final night out, and what a place it was!  Unfortunately we missed Danny Howells who was playing the next night, but regardless the music was awesome, and the club was great.  The rooftop area is amazing, overlooking the entire Jumeirah hotel compex and beyond.  Dubai brings in a lot of talent from Danny to Deep Dish, so it is already established itself as a "party city."  I anticipate a Global Underground Dubai CD any day now! 

Anyway, LT showed us a good time, and we met some good people.  Some peeps have told me opposite experiences, but I guess it's what you see and do with your time. Dubai is a city in process.  Every year there is new developments and buildings and what not.  There are so many cranes building skyscrapers and complexes there, it'll blow you away.  It's like Sim City.  I definitely look forward to going back in the coming years to see what more Dubai has to offer as the tons of new buildings and structures are put up!

Burj al Arab Hotel

From the pier of the Jumeira

That ramp is the indoor ski slope at the mall...

A view from the inside of the mall through the glass.

Sis and I go for a new look.

At Trilogy

Emirates Towers

Me and LT on the rocks. (no pun intended)

The Quake

The plan was also to head for a day or two up the four hour mountainy road to Balakot or Musafrabad, which held the epicenter of the massive earthquake demoliting the region, but due to time, weather, and safety issues, our trip had to be cancelled.  A huge dissapointment as I really wanted to be there to see first hand the worst of it all. So instead, we saw some of the damage in Islamabad itself (primarily the plummeting of one of the Margalla tower residence, killing many people we all knew).  We also visited the PIMS hospital, the main hospital coordinating all the medical relief efforts for the earthquake in the immediate vicinity, and the satellite stations up in the mountain areas.  Things are still in process, especially for the still difficult to get mountains and valleys.  Not to mention the significant amount of subacute and long term care and provisions that is going to be required for the victims.  This includes medical issues such as rehabilitation from injury and fractures and amputations, infections, exposure issues, and of coures social issues such as housing and water and food.  Shelter remains a problem, as tents were given out on a randomized basis, with some people unlucky in the draw, remaining homeless.  Even with tents, most of them are not winterized, providing little from the perils of the wintry snow and cold.

During my visit to the hospital I talked to many of the victims, mostly women and children, as the men were out generally working in the hills and fields, as the women fell victim to the ceilings of their homes, and the children succumbed to the collapsing concrete of the schools they sat in for their morning classes.  Tens of thousands of children were killed.  A generation of people residing in the northern terretories was essentially wiped out of existence.  Cities have vanished.   It is a sad and terrible thought that should send shivers down everyone's spine.  Most of the surviving victims with injuries were crush injuries.  I saw x-rays of femurs and tibial fractures shattered and in pieces.  Virftually everyone had external fixation of a limb or amputation.  Amazingly, less then a thousand people of the hundreds of thousands (<1%) of injuries required amputation -- and that is because most of those with that serious injuries in those regions didn't have a chance to survive.

She was at home with her 3 kids, and luckily she survived.  Her 4 month old was not as lucky.

Remnants of the 13 story Margalla Towers.  Mostly bodies and limbs were extracted.

Islamabad

The bulk of my trip was spent in Islamabad, which is where most of my family resides.  Though 5 days is still barely enough to cover face time with all my relatives and do something for earthquake relief!  The weather was chilly, dropping to the high 30s at times during the evenings.  Without central heat in most houses, it makes for a cool stay.  I had 2 days of "power calling," where I would visit all my various relatives, most of the time only getting about 1-2 hours of sitting, chatting over a cup of tea, some chicken patties, and samosas.  My "nieces and nephews" (quoted since they are the kids of my first cousins) have grown well beyond the lil ones they used to be into teenagers and beyond.  I really felt old when I hear myself proclaming "I remember you when you were ye tall!"  Though I was satisifed enough by having some of the younger ones remembering even one fact about me 5 years ago, like the stud in my tongue (long since removed).

Though I must say my newest niece and nephew were too cute.  The little 3 year old terror running amock, It took me a while to get him to stay voluntarily come towards me!.  And the adorable 4 month old who actually managed not to cry in my arms, contrary to her preferred behavior. 

After 10 minutes I feared fatherhood.

Daddy with the lil one.

Home to the Cold

So the blissful 2 week break from the perils of the medical world has finally come to an end.  I landed today in the brisk chilly winds and white streets of New York.  The 2 weeks went by quickly in retrospect, but I definitely made the most of it.  My journeys took me to three cities in Pakistan, and a 2 night trip to Dubai.  Unfortunately it was still too short a journey to comfortably cover friends and relatives in so many cities, and have time to shop, visit sites, help with earthquake relief, and experience the wonderful city of Dubai.  But after 6 months of working 6 days a week, it felt like summer vacation all over again.

I took a good number of pictures when I could, and I have some stories to tell.  I gues I'll break it down by city and give y'all some of my highlights and experiences as they come back to me.  Hopefully I can get some of these photos up and running as well!   Aside from a some hospital visits for earthquake victims and inevitable family member medical consultations, I managed to gear away from most things medicine, and got 2 novels squeezed in as well.

Of course my back was screwed half the trip.  After straining it before I left, i had my ups and downs throughout my travels, and in many cases I was out and about when I should have been bedridden.... But I manageed what I could with some muscle relaxants, narcotic pain killers, the occasional rubdown from one of the servants, and a really gay back brace that doubled as a girdle.

Stay tuned....