So I thought I'd make a list of ways that I've changed over the last year. Not sure if these are due to medical school, having a dog, or building a house... but for SURE none of these would have occurred in my prior life without SEVERE emotional distress:
1. Today dog poop fell on my hand while I was picking it up at the dog park. I just rinsed my hand with water (NO SOAP AVAILABLE!!), and went on with my conversation (while drinking coffee). Normally I would have been itching to get home to disinfect.... but folks, I didn't even think about it!
2. My clean dishes are on a dishrack in the BATHROOM. Why? Because this is the only place I have to wash dishes. Yes, there are probably fecal colonies forming on them. But I'm ok with it.
3. I made persimmon cookies the other day, and threw away the persimmons after getting what I needed for the batter. Later I found out I needed more persimmon pulp for the glace. Since these were the only 2 persimmons in the city I could locate, I actually took the persimmon OUT of the TRASH, washed it off, and used the pulp from the inside. O-my-god. This is huge.
4. This year I cut up a human body. Ok... fair enough this one I'm still not at peace with. I actually still can't go in the anatomy lab without holding my breath. But hey, I did it.
5. My beloved SUV, which I have babied and polished and waxed, and kept its leather conditioned and every knick painted.... is doggie-fied. Hair everywhere. Toys, doggie shampoo, poop bags (empty of course lets not get nuts), etc. I do give it an overhaul every few weeks... but in between it's a total dog car. You would certainly mistake it for a soccer-mom car.
A Family's Cry...
5 years ago
Learning about the human immune system is such a liberating experience! You can do all sorts of things your mother said were unsanitary. "That's okay! I want to keep my immune system on its toes."
ReplyDeleteI have definitely made peace with urine and feces, but I'm not okay with sputum. Patients often comment that doing pelvics must gross me out. Not at all. But as an intern, we were required to gram stain sputum samples on all patients, meaning tease away the spit and get to the colored goo within. THAT grossed me out. I have to remind myself to use soap, hot water, and take my time washing my hands during my day at the office, and I do make myself throw away peanut M&Ms that fall on the office floor.
ReplyDeleteOk. I don't have much of a gag reflex, but when it is initiated LOOK OUT! @WordDoc, mucus totally grosses me out... of all things, so I could NEVER imagine having to manipulate it in any way...
ReplyDeleteAll in all, I'm an avid user of Purell... used the clipboard pen at the DMV? Sanitize. Used the no touch soap dispenser and sink in a public restroom with an automatic door? Sanitize. Yes, I can be an OCD lame at times.