I ended up working in Kentucky longer than I expected due to Covid19. Although the patients were quite challenging, I learned a lot and felt like I made a difference while I was there.
I acquired a handful of patients with congestive heart failure that were typically in the hospital every 2 weeks. Once they became my patients, I saw them in the office every 2 weeks which prevented a hospital admission. The patients were happy and proud that they hadn’t been in the hospital over the past 5 months that they were under my care.
I also had several new patients that hadn’t had a PCP for the majority of their lives. Just by doing routine screenings I was able to catch early stages of cancer in a few patients. One patient had a PSA of 210 (normal is less than 4), his prostate biopsy of course was positive for prostate cancer. Unfortunately, he had metastasis to the bone, so he likely had cancer undiagnosed for a long time. I had another patient that was a chronic 2 pack per day smoker and ended up having lung cancer. This was caught just by doing a screening chest xray. Fortunately, his lung cancer was in the early stages and was treated quickly with a lung lobectomy.
After 5 months, I knew it was time for me to go home. I felt bad leaving because the new physician wouldn’t be starting until the end of July (I was leaving at the end of May). However, I knew it was time when I broke out in Pityriasis Rosea, which is a viral rash caused by stress. Luckily, my rash wasn’t itchy, but it spread throughout my entire body which did not look pleasant. I am usually very stress free – so by me breaking out in this stress rash, I knew I was overdue for a break. I had only taken 2 days off during my entire 5 months in Kentucky. This is not my norm.
My co-workers were sad to see me go, but they spoiled me with cake and gifts on my last day. The flight home wasn’t great. All of the non-stop flights from Louisville to Miami had been cancelled, so I ended up with a layover in Charlotte, NC. That airport was packed with people. Some weren’t even wearing masks which annoyed me. My plane was full too – so much for keeping the middle seats empty… I did not enjoy wearing a mask for hours at a time while being in close proximity to a lot of people. I think for my next assignment I will look into being local so I can drive over instead of traveling via plane again.
And now, on to my relaxation….
