1-Discussed pregnancy in surgery residency with a resident today and how my opinion is we inadvertently “train” people in med school and residency to ignore symptoms, prioritize the job, and put things off and this has real implications on things like maternal fetal outcomes.

2-Also, on life outcomes. A month or so ago, I had my pulse ox checked because I wasn’t breathing normally at the time. It was fine. I thought a few weeks ago, if I had a pneumothorax, this is what I imagine it would feel like. But it went away, so obvi it wasn’t.

3-i spent an afternoon laying on my office floor because I just felt exhausted a couple weeks ago. (Because I’m an ACS surgeon and a mom, we work a lot and are tired.)

4-it took me to the point that I literally could not think of a single thing to blame for my symptoms and I could not control the pain despite very good efforts, for me to go to the ER in the middle of the night, with the goal of getting pain meds, more than getting worked up.

5-(I was on trauma the following week, starting in 7 hours. I needed to have the pain taken care of so I could work.)

6-And because there was always something I could attribute my symptoms to, or they resolved, or I just didn’t have time.

6- I don’t think a month made much of a difference in my disease, but it might for others. For all the med students and trainees out there: prioritize your health. Go see a doctor if something is wrong. You have to take care of yourself to take care of others.