Reflections in a Head Mirror

I think that I shall never see
A list of posts so fun to read. 
The writing’s sharp and never dull
Because the topic’s surgical!
The stories come from many lands
And emanate from surgeons’ hands.
So whether doctors cut or write
The anecdotes should bring delight.
So, with a basic theme of “trees,”
We’ll tour the world now, if you please.    



In Africa, the baobab
Grow stout and old, but never drab.
Doc Bongi’s stories make us pause,
We read and often drop our jaws.    

Bongi’s submissions this week provide an insight into how triage is done when too many people show up with stab wounds (hint: it has to do with whether the the puddle of blood on the floor is expanding), and why Africa is both exasperating and captivating. He also shows us a happy lioness (and why she is happy). Finally, he tells a story about breaking tragic news to a family after a drunk runs down two young boys.  



Australian trees we might discuss
Include the famed eucalyptus
Med student Jeffrey gives us links
That show he reads, and writes, and thinks.  

Monash Medical Student, Jeffrey Leow, provides great surgery-related reading this week! He links to blogs about an orthopedic surgeon in Kenya who needs to do a risky spine procedure which he has never before attempted, a comment on the impending shortage of surgeons, a gallery of REALLY dreadful celebrity cosmetic surgery outcomes, a nice discussion on the difference between plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery, and a quick summary of how to irritate a surgeon, written by an ophthalmologist’s family member.    

Monash Medical Student also provides some links to recent surgery-related articles of interest. For example, he provides links to stories about an operating room fire in Taiwan, a donated cochlear implant procedure at UCSF for a young Iraqi boy who was deafened by a US missile strike, a spooky (if true) story about a plastic surgeon who apparently claimed to power his SUV with reprocessed human fat which taken from patients during liposuction, and a day in the near future when doctors will be able to reach any place in the GI tract either through the mouth or else, you know, the other end.  



In Arkansas, the trees renew
Magnolia, dogwood, redwood, too.
It’s also where Ramona tucks
And quilts, and writes, all done deluxe.  

Suture for a Living provides some great surgery-related posts! I never knew this definition for “bottoming out” before. She also tells of a polar-exploring Russian physician who did his own appendectomy! (Here is a link to other “self-surgeries” by physicians and non-physicians.) I loved the listing of the top surgically related posts that she provided in 2008.  

Other posts which she submitted this week are remarkable. Here is a tribute to several U.S. military physicians who have been killed in Iraq. She provides a moving essay written by a physician in South Asia who struggles whether to operate on a patient with very advanced cancer and little support. She also provides a link to an essay by a junior surgical resident who diagnoses appendicitis and gets to do the surgical procedure … you can feel the young doctor’s excitement!  



The patients’ blogs are strong as oaks.
Their stories brim with angst and jokes.
This week, they’re kind to all their docs
When surgery works, it really rocks!  

Here are submissions from patient-bloggers. Karon Flinchum talks about her experiences with bariatric surgery. (Here’s a link to a patient-blogger who underwent bariatric surgery at our hospital, as well.) A satisfied Lasik surgery patient also leads discussion on his blog.    



I live Up North where it is cold,
Each Fall, the trees are red and gold.
But now, the days are short, you know,  
The leaves are gone, replaced by snow.  


Even though these posts were not submitted, I enjoyed them very much and wanted to pass them along. Aggravated DocSurg hits the nail on the head in a recent post about getting “bumped” in the OR. Edwin Leap waxes both poetic and surgical in an essay on the joys of opening an abscess (among other things). Dr. T. also waxes poetic, this time about the beauty of the vocal cords (I would have to agree with her, by the way.) Dr. Val has a reflection on medical mistakes. I also include my own post on how Surgery is a form of Dance. Finally, I loved two non-surgical posts this week: DB's essay about why physician-teachers need to be thoughtful when they work with medical students, and Tony Miksanek's reflection on the Seven Reasons Why Doctors Write. All of the essays will give me much on which to reflect. 


One last stanza:  

So, now, the list of links is wrapped.
My poetry’s completely tapped.
And friends, I beg, PLEASE NEVER PRINT!
“But, why?” you ask. Well, here’s a hint:
I hope you’ll always read on-screen
Because that habit is quite Green,
'Cause blogs are made by fools like me
But only you can save a tree.              


That's it! My apologies to Joyce Kilmer. Thanks to Dr. Rob for encouraging and inspiring medical bloggers to write in verse. Thanks for visiting!


SurgeXperiences is a blog carnival about surgical blogs, wherein surgical experiences are shared. It is open to all (surgeon, nurse, anesthesia, patient, radiologist, pathologist, etc) who have a surgical blog or article to submit. The next edition of SurgeXperiences (215) will be hosted by Jeffrey Leow at "Monash Medical Student" on Jan. 18, two weeks from now. Be sure to submit your post via this form.