My Experience With Anesthesia and Analgesia

I had four wisdom teeth pulled yesterday. Three of them were pretty easy to get out, but the fourth one, the one on the right lower side, was actually turned sideways pushing into the tooth in front of it. It was actually causing erosion on that tooth, that I had a toothache for the last six months.

Anyway, the procedure was yesterday and I had to go under sedation. It was my first experience. I've sedated lots of people, but never experienced it myself. I thought it was pretty cool. I remember getting the Versed (sedative), and then when I woke up they were sowing me up. The procedure lasted longer than the duration of the medicine, I suppose. No pain though, since the oral surgeon had given me local anesthesia.

Post-op analgesia was a different story. I was really hurting that afternoon. The oral surgeon had prescribed me Vicodin, which I had some reservations about using. However, I remembered learning that it is not addictive if used for pain. Sure enough, I recieved pain relief from taking the medicine without its euphoric side effects.

Four hours later, I thought I should take another one, before the first one wore off. Boy, was the experience different. When I took it for only mild pain, I was hit a lot harder by the side effects. No sedation or dizziness, it just felt plain good... I mean REALLY GOOD... I mean SCARY GOOD. For lack of a better analogy, there is this point when you orgasm, when you experience this rush of pleaseant euphoria from deep down inside, spread all the way to the tips of your fingers and toes; now imagine that, but let it last four hours. It was THAT good, and man, was I scared. I understood why the stuff, or related compounds like opium or heroin, was so addictive. I woke up the next morning craving another one. Luckily, my pain is better now and I can put the medicine away.

It's Still On

"I have this really young grilfriend and she's into more wild stuff than I am."

That was what this patient prefaced his story with everytime he had to explain his unfortunate situation. Apparently, someone was using a battery operated dildo on him, and well, it got lost (up there). The remarkable part was actually his abdominal exam. I could feel it vibrating through his belly. I told him "It's still on." He agreed. As far as the rectal exam, it was way too high up to get that way.

I called the general surgeon, who heavily sedated him and still could not safely pull it out. The patient had to get a operation to get it removed. I told the surgeon that he should take out the patient's appendix while he was in there, that way if anybody asked about his scar or missed work time he could say "Oh, I had my appendix removed."

Brad Bird is the Steven Spielberg of Animation

I missed The Incredibles in the theater. However, I saw it for the first and second time last night on DVD. Yes, I liked it so much I watched it twice in the same evening. The movie was so damn fun. It transcends it's genre. I'm not just talking about animation. I'm refering to the action/adventure flick, the type of movie that provides the escapism we look for in our entertainment.

Movie studios promise this every summer with their effects-laden extravaganzas, and every year we end up with mediocre crap like Armageddon, The Mummy and National Treasure. Well, The Incredibles truely delivers. It can entertain all ages; NOT in the Shrek way where there are separate jokes for the kids and adults implanted in the same film. Instead, it has the "wow" factor. It truly can mesmerize a viewer of any age. It also makes its characters so real (despite obvious physical impossibilities).

I realized, after watching it, that I have not seen a movie this fun and this engaging in many years. The first Matrix movie came close, but it took itself too seriously. Then I remembered Raiders of the Lost Ark. I remembered how fun that movie was; how I was totally engrossed in the action, the drama, the mystery, the humor... everything. Like that first Indiana Jones movie The Incredibles really is epitome of everything we love about these escapist flicks. It's been a long time since studios could deliver on the promise they make us every summer.

A lot of credit goes to Brad Bird; his writing, his attention to detail. His previous movie The Iron Giant has frequently been compared to E. T. , and The Incredibles does measure up to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Well, I am certainly looking foward to seeing his equivalent to Schlinder's List.

Hip Is In. Back Is Out.

Have you ever seen someone reduce a hip dislocation? It's one of the most fun E. R. procedures. After making sure the patient is sedated you climb up on the stretcher and pull up on the patient's thigh as hard as you can, while the rest of your team is holding the paitient down.

I did one of these procedures Friday night. Unfortunately, I woke up Saturday morning with the worst back pain. I could barely tie my shoes without going into spasm. Well, after about 3 grams of Tylenol and 1200mg of Ibuprofen, I'm starting to feel better. I told my collegues about this and they universally responded with "Oh, THAT procedure? I don't do that anymore because of what it does to my back." Well, I wish I had known that Friday night.

Kaitlyn Anne Nguyen

My niece Kaitlyn Anne Nguyen, daughter of Long and Mary Nguyen, was born today March 18, 2005 at 7:25 AM. She weighed 6 lbs 8 oz, more than her brother Alexander. She has the distinct honor being the first granddaughter of both Long's and Mary's parents. Congrats to all!!

I Dreamt the Recipe

Blackened chicken with a sundried tomato, corn and black bean salsa.

Yesterday, I woke up early to defrost some chicken breast. However, I realized I had no idea what to do with it. I usually like to make a cream based sauce to go with it, but they are sometimes too heavy for Megan. We just recently made a coconut curry sauce, so that was out. I also did not want to bake it, simply because the chicken comes across too bland for my taste. Anyway, I took a nap, because I wanted to be well rested for my late evening shift.

I must have been pretty anxious about having a dish done on time because I dreamt of this southwest style chicken meal. Upon awakening I seasoned both sides of the chicken breast with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin and vinegar. Placed it on high heated pan. When both sides were blackened, I removed the chicken and sweated chopped onion in the pan. Then, I deglazed the pan and put chopped sun-dried tomatoes, corn and canned black beans in. I seasoned it with vinegar, lime juice, sugar, placed the chicken on top of the mixture and cooked slowly for another 10 minutes. Served the whole thing with a side of rice.

It felt so unreal to me. There I was eating a meal, that I had never even concieved of having 5 hours earlier. It was as if some divine process had implanted the recipe in me.

Visiting My Sister

I'm writing from Exton, PA today. Home of Mary and Long (my sister and her husband). Her 14 month son is almost walking on his own. He still has to grab on someone's hands, but wow, that guy can move fast. The most wild thing is that he's understanding simple questions, shaking is head "no" when you ask to do something he disapproves of.

Mary's a ticking timebomb. I think she's about two weeks before her due date for the couple's first daughter. For those of you who remembered, she delivered her son Alexander two weeks early. Anyway, look foward to the yours truely, the pround uncle, to publish pictures of his nephew and his future niece.

Leftover Ice Cream

I know we're a little late hopping on this trend, but Megan and I tried out Cold Stone Ice Cream for the first time yesterday. It's insane! This stuff is gluttonously delicious. I had the "Apple Pie a la Cold Stone" last night. Megan could not finish hers, so she put it in the freezer. Anyway, guess who has his face buried in an ice cream bucket tonight. I don't know which flavor this is.. some cardiac-arrest-causing combination of chocolate and caramel. Well, I have to keep this one short because the keyboard is getting sticky.

Obsessive Compulsive Music List #1

Ever since Megan gave me the i-Pod, I've been slowly converting my music collection into mp3 files. The process has allowed me to reflect on the music I love and I've been making "best of" lists (i.e. best albums of the 90's, best hip-hop songs etc..) Well it's time to commit some of these onto paper, or at least onto webspace.

These lists are obviously subjective and are meant for discussion. I am interested in seeing what other people think and I'm looking forward to publishing other people's lists and comments.

I'm going to start with a general topic:

The 10 Greatest Rock Songs (according to myk)

• "Strawberry Fields Forever" by the Beatles (1967) It's really the Beatles heavily influenced by The Beach Boys Pet Sounds. However, the Fab Four outdid their American counterparts in the psychedelic pop song department. It starts as a simple ballad, then it slows down and becomes hazy and dream-like, even a bit terrifying, near the end. John Lennon's vocals demonstrate why he's my favorite rock singer. He combines a simple, poignant melody with enough syncopation to make the song interesting but still accessible. I also love the conversational lyrics.

• "Respect" by Aretha Franklin (1967) This song would make two "best-of" lists. It's both the ultimate riot grrl song and the greatest cover of all time. Franklin broadens the meaning of the Otis Redding song to include themes of race and gender, not by changing any of the lyrics, but by the power of her voice and presence.

• "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" by Jimi Hendrix (1968) Guitar virtuosity has always been linked to rock and roll (not always to good effect). Jimi Hendrix does it right here. A precise riff, chaotic solos, and bold rhythm guitar playing make this song a complete package. He also distills great hard rock down to its most basic form, mainly blues you can bang your head to.

• "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye (1973) Remember, rock and roll was originally slang for sex and this is the greatest of the "I want to have sex with you"-style songs. It's the most visceral song of its genre partly due to it's raw, live-sounding production (listen to those drums), but mostly because of Gaye's earnest crooning.

• "Love Will Tear Us Apart Again" by Joy Division (1979) This song is full of contradictions. It's both passionate and bizarre. It has a simple, poppy melody, but the production buries the voice into the background. Ian Curtis's vocals are both affectionate and idiosyncratic. As a result, this song is the blueprint for great indie rock: music that is simultaneously beautiful and challenging.

• "Once in a Lifetime" by Talking Heads (1980) This is a pop song? What is that nervous guy rambling on about? Is it suburban dissatisfaction, Taoist philosophy or both? Is the music polyrhythmic African funk? This is the formula for the most catchy, most dance-able pop anthem? I guess so.

• "La-Di-Da-Di" by Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh (1985) In the early days of hip-hop, those not boasting were telling funny stories. This song is the greatest of the bunch. Yes, it's humerous, but a little twisted and dark. Slick Rick has a smooth delivery whether he's rapping or singing. He makes his rhymes serve the story and not the other way around.

• "With or Without You" by U2 (1987) I know I just threw my indie rock credibility out the window, but bear with me here. Rock-and-roll and the crescendo go hand in hand. Who doesn't love a song that starts soft and ends loud? I've seen you bopping to Zepplin's "Stairway to Heaven," Metallica's "One" and Jane's Addiction's "Three Days." In this one, U2 bee-lines from whisper to scream in under 3 1/2 minutes. They don't even have to step on an effects pedal either.

• "Debaser" by The Pixies (1989) I want my list to have the guise of objectivity, but I can't avoid putting this one on the list. I've thought about songs with simple, bold, memorable riffs like the "Satisfaction" or "Jumpin' Jack Flash." I've considered songs that just plain rocked, you know, rocked liked "Search and Destroy" or "Holiday in the Sun." I've even looked at "Smell's Like Teen Spirit" for its stop/start dynamics. However, "Debaser" is the only one I could think of that does all of those things and more. It wraps those elements into a concise pop song. I love the lyrics; the kind that invite you to sing along with them. And its length, at under three minutes, it is more dramatic than any band's seven minute song, and short enough to make you want to immediately press rewind and hear it again.

• "Scenario" by A Tribe Called Quest (1991) There are so many hip-hop songs in which MC's trade the mic ala "Rapper's Delight." This one is my favorite, because it's just plain fun. It's fun to rap/sing along with and fun to jump to. The icing, of course, is the wild Busta Rhymes verse that closes the song

Let's get it started

In my experience, there are only two factors that predict ED business. That's essentially weather and television. The emergency department is invariably busy. It does not mattter if its weekday or weekend, day evening or night. It could be Christmas Morning or Thanksgiving dinner and people will still find a reason to come in.

The exceptions are the following. If there is something good on TV (I mean, really good. It has to appeal to all demographics) then the ED will be quiet. Two recent examples are the Superbowl and the recent presidential election. The other is extreme weather. It has to be severe weather, like so hot you'd blow up if you went outside or so snowy you can't see 2 feet in front of you.

Tonight it's an extreme weather night. 10 degrees F, so I get to start a blog.