Do you know what it feels like to realize that you don’t have your laptop charger after driving 4+ hours away from the location where you last had it? And then coming to the crushing realization as you fruitlessly search for it that you completely forgot to pack it in your bag before you headed out on the road? Well, guess who’s currently experiencing that WONDERFUL feeling right now? SMH.

Aside from this mishap though, I had a pretty eventful weekend with my family and family friends back at home! We had gathered for the wake of my late grandmother at a nearby funeral home and then proceeded to celebrate her life back at my family’s home with food, music and good vibes all around. I talked to family members and family friends that I hadn’t seen since I was a little kid and some that I had never even met in my lifetime! They all came from all over the country to pay their respects and to spend time with my family as we continue to work through our loss. It was incredible! I was also given an opportunity to say a few words at my grandmother’s wake and I made sure to make the most out of my farewell address to her. Overall, the weekend was one filled with love and connectedness, even though the house was packed with overnight visitors throughout the weekend. We all made it work though! My family, especially my parents, sincerely appreciated the outpouring of support and love that we recieved from everyone that came through as well as from all the people who’ve given their condolences and prayers to us.

Switching gears to my most recent week of Internal Medicine, I found myself working in the ACE (Advanced Care of the Elderly) Unit of the hospital in order to help care for, you guessed it, elderly patients. Every patient that was on this floor was 65 years old or older and, for the most part, had multiple comorbidities associated with their chief complaints. While on this unit, I was made very aware of just how important it is to review the medications of this patient population in order to assess the various interactions and adverse effects that they can have on these patients. The elderly are especially vulnerable to the effects of medications, and can very well develop unwanted symptoms as a result of medical treatment targeted for another issue. In addition to learning about the effects of medication on the elderly, we were made aware about the risk of falls in this patient population and about the various causes of cognitive impairment that the elderly can suffer from. All in all, it was a good and productive week that flew by especially fast due to the July 4th holiday landing on this past Tuesday!

I’m now officially two months into my Internal Medicine clerkship with one more to go before I switch over to OB/GYN! That also means that I’m about 1/6th of my way done with my third year! Time keeps flying by man…I’m literally trying to slow it down at times because things are moving too fast for me lol. This month will be my general medicine month, where I’ll see a wide array of patients who will be just as diverse as the illnesses that we will be working to treat while they’re in the hospital. I’ll also be working night shifts for the first time all of next week! That’ll surely be quite an experience…

Have a fantastic week and continue basking in the (almost unbearable) summer sunshine!

“Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life.” – Dr. Christiane Northrup 

– Black Man, M.D.