July 25, 2002
I pray a lot while I am at work. I don't pray as much as I should, but I do pray. I pray that I won't screw up, I pray that so and so will sleep, that so and so's blood pressure will go down (or up), I pray that so and so will stay in bed and stop trying my patients. I should be thanking the Lord for all of the moments that go right. All the good blood pressures and good decisions I make. For all of the sleeping patients. I also am a bit superstitious at work. I wear my stethoscope around my neck most nights for fear that if I take it off, someone's blood pressure will be high. I carry nitroglycerin spray (for chest pain, not bombs) in my pocket because if I take it out, someone will inevitably have chest pain. Those are the only examples I can think of right now, but I seriously will be putting my stethoscope into my backpack and will stop myself and put it back around my neck. Most of the time, my patient's have nice, average, "I don't have to call and wake up a doctor" blood pressures. If I get a little rebelious and decide to take it off anyway, you can bet a blood pressure rises. I have been conditioned. It's all very silly and probably just coincidence, but I keep on doing it.