The Salty Oncologist

Physician. Scientist. Dog-Enthusiast.

[thesaltyoncologist]

I’m deep in my feels and no amount of mind altering substance are helping. I replaying a conversation I had with a dying woman. I told her she was dying. I told her to call her family. I told her I was worried that I may not be able to get control of her cancer. I told her I was worried about her ability to make it out of this hospitalization alive. I broke her heart. I broke her husband’s heart. I’ve always priding myself in not side stepping the hard parts of oncology. But man, this one hits hard. It can’t feel this bad to do the right thing.

[animentality]

[thesaltyoncologist]

Happy new intern day!

[thesaltyoncologist]

Ibuprofen, a couple gummies, and a hoodie… ideal old man Friday night

[thesaltyoncologist]

Today I managed to pay off my car loan after owning it a four months shy of owning it two years.

Don’t ask me about my house or medical school loans. That’s not what we’re talking about.

Also low key trying to figure out whether it’s better to start funneling money into my home loan (higher interest currently) or med school loans.

[academicssay]

[thesaltyoncologist]

Currently at my first in-person conference in the post covid era. Yeah, I’ll pass. I’m much happier with my virtual option. Quite frankly I’m shocked people actually enjoy this. Something’s wrong with y’all.

Though I do enjoy meeting up with my former cofellows. Last night two of us got lost walking to a restaurant quite literally two blocks away. Even with GPS. There were four doctorate degrees between us. Just goes to show that you can’t teach common sense.

[thesaltyoncologist]

I got a consult today that consisted of the absolute worst gaslighting of a female patient in pain that I’ve ever seen. Multiple ED visits over the course of at least six months. Lots of thinly veiled skepticism of this lady’s pain. Silly diagnoses thrown out in a haphazard manner to basically just get her to shut up. This happened repeatedly. At my institution as well as others.

Turns out she has antiphospholipid syndrome. The pain? Ischemia related to multiple arterial clots.

Then it got worse. Went to see her today, to check in, and she was in tears. Postop pain. Understandable since she’s POD #1 from bowel resection. Then, I’ll be damned if her own fucking nurse didn’t pull me aside and continue to gaslight her. Told me she was fine. Only started crying when I came in the room.

What. The. Fuck.

It took every once of restraint not to start yelling. After all this woman has been through. All the pain and being told her pain was imaginary. Finally getting a diagnosis, and STILL being gaslit by the very person who is supposed to be her biggest advocate.

It’s heartbreaking.

[thesaltyoncologist]

I hate whatever asshole first decided that complex patient interactions can and should be shoved into 15 minute appointments.

[thesaltyoncologist]

Few things hurt my pride as much as using my new steam cleaner for the first in the kitchen and subsequently steaming my fingers.

Just goes to show you that all the education in the world can’t provide me with a little bit of common sense.

[itchy-9884]

[03josten]

i mean this from the bottom of my heart: no one is impressed by your loud ass car. actually we talked about it and we all want you dead.

[crazy-brazilian]

[thesaltyoncologist]

Ive never met Mark Lewis, but he seems like a genuinely good person. Plus he’s hysterical.

[thesaltyoncologist]

Where the fuck did my boop counter go?

[stargatebarbie]

[thesaltyoncologist]

Nothing like wrapping up the work week with a “second opinion” consult that turned out to be little more than an angry family and a dying man. I get that their anger wasn’t really directed at me. It was the situation. It’s just never fun to be the punching bag.

[academicssay]