It’s About Making the Patient Comfortable
My apologies for my lack of “stuff learned” tidbits during my nephrology rotation. Perhaps it’s my senioritis, perhaps it’s my “residency tunnel vision,” perhaps it’s laziness, or perhaps it’s just nephrology, but I have just been uninspired/unmotivated to write about the things I’ve learned during my nephrology rotation.
It’s definitely not for lack of learning, though. I’ve learned quite a bit during my 4-week elective. Tomorrow will be my last day, and then Monday it’s on to Pain Management.
One thing I know for sure is that nephrology seems to be a somewhat depressing field to me. The vast majority of the patients we are consulted on are very, very ill. Most of them are nursing home patients or otherwise rapidly decompensating. The prognoses are generally very grave. It seems that once your kidneys are on their way out, many times, so are you. It’s a sad, but true fact that I’ve experienced lately.
I’d say that I’ve heard “at this point, it’s about making the patient comfortable” all too many times. There tends to be very little that the doctors can do to “save” the patient, once a nephrologist has been consulted. There are exceptions, but I’ve found this to be true most of the time.
The photos from this post were taken during my walk this morning. The snow was coming down hard, and I enjoyed tunneling through the cold flakes of water during my journey to the hospital.
“Yo Brooklyn, Fuhgeddaboudit” Photo Series
My name is Kendra and I am a newly minted doctor about to begin my residency in Psychiatry at 
my mother died of kidney failure. it was a difficult death, full of fear, angst and discomfort. when dialysis was no longer an option she went relatively quickly. the toxins that were not being eliminated from her system caused hallucinations, paranioa and anxiety. she basically drowned in her own body fluids. there were a few moments in the hours before her death when i questioned if i could find the strength to stay present. i did. in the end it was a powerful, healing transition for both of us.
nephrology would be a tough row-to-hoe.
mom’s nephrologist told me kidney failure is epidemic and getting worse in large part because of the amount of over the counter drugs people consume.