Foo - The preliminary schedule for DrPete's BF demise...

So as many of you already know, my schedule goes all to hell in July, as will my racing/training as I know it... But I just found out some of the particulars.

July thru September will have me at the Naval hospital in Bethesda. As part of the restructuring/integration of military hospitals in the DC area, I'll be going over there as the first Army guy to rotate on their surgical service. I'll be the chief resident on one of the surgical teams, most likely focused on general and trauma surgery, read: lots and lots of combat casualties. So that's the first three months. There's still a chance I'll be able to sneak out for some weekend racing, depending on how sleep deprived I am. My average workday will be back to the 5AM-7PM thing with some overnight calls thrown in there for good measure.

What I don't know yet is the sequence of the other three rotations... Three months at the Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore (one of the busiest level 1 trauma centers in the US, if not the busiest), three months at Children's National Medical Center in DC doing pediatric surgery (big operations on really little kids), and three months of vascular and cardiothoracic surgery at Inova Fairfax hospital in Virginia.

I'm in the process of locating a beater bike to set up on a trainer in my office, because I think that's what my training will amount to most days...

It's strange. I've been out of my element for the past 11 months doing all this research stuff, so I'm kinda itching to get back to the OR and assume the new level of responsibility that comes with being a senior/chief resident, but at the same time I've thoroughly enjoyed this year. I got married, I've done tons of riding on a dream bike I built myself, I've spent time with family, traveled, etc. and losing the flexibility and freedom I've enjoyed this year will be a major loss.

And hey--I've come to thoroughly enjoy me some BF.

I just hope that I can keep riding. I know it's not realistic to maintain the volume and intensity that I have, but I've come a long way in terms of my fitness, etc. and I want to hold those gains!

So for the 3 or 4 people who might care, there it is. :)

three and a half, easy ;)

You'll make time, Doc. It's too important not to.



(oh, and here I was hoping this was some foreshadowing of a Ryanf DrPete showdown, with one of them exploding into a 5th dimension alter-world, Highlander style. My money would be on Pete, for the record)

three and a half, easy ;)

You'll make time, Doc. It's too important not to.



(oh, and here I was hoping this was some foreshadowing of a Ryanf DrPete showdown, with one of them exploding into a 5th dimension alter-world, Highlander style. My money would be on Pete, for the record)

:roflmao:

I think the trainer in the office trick is going to be a big help. I'll just keep my bibs on under my scrubs. :D

Soooo the Dr. will not be "in the house"?




That sux.

Heh. You're gonna have Foo-withdrawal, Doc. :D

Don't worry. It only hurts the first 36 hours. If you can make it past that, you're home free. As for me, I fell off the wagon at that point, and, well, as you can see, I'm still here. :rolleyes:

Lessee...... Dex, Dipper and Vega. I'll be number 4. That's it. I'm done.

^^^ No kidding! Guess I'll have to check in between cases. :D

Throughout your BF life you will proceed at various paces. Unlike Rock n Roll and not withstanding Neil Youngs plea, it's not better to "burn out than fade away." ;)

Buddy of mine is an ortho in PA. He has a lot more time to ride than I do. Survive the residency/fellowship march and you'll be back on your bike in no time while all your business and lawyer buddies are getting fat pushing paper at midnight.

Buddy of mine is an ortho in PA. He has a lot more time to ride than I do. Survive the residency/fellowship march and you'll be back on your bike in no time while all your business and lawyer buddies are getting fat pushing paper at midnight.

Hehe... good advice. :)

BTW, SpongeDad, we're throwin' together a BF ride Monday morning if you're interested. Info in the racing forum. :beer:

Sounds like you are going to be a busy lad, there, Dr Pete!

Best of luck though, because from what I've seen of the posts where medical issues come up, you sound like a d@mn fine Doctor and I hope if I ever need services in your area, I can get you for the job!:D

Why a beater for the trainer? Wouldn't it be better to ride your real bike? Just get a beater rear wheel but that way, you'll be riding the same - exact same - seat, geometry, handlebars, etc etc as when you race.

Remember, train like you fight... fight like you train!

Hey DrPete - us foosters (and me :D)are seriously gonna miss you! hope you are able to keep in touch with BF occassionally cause you'll probably have some withdrawal symptoms if you don't!

good luck!

karen

Good luck with the rotations Dr Pete.

WHAT??? You are MARRIED?!!!

oh, and we'll miss you 'round here. come back and visit often!

Hey, I didn't realize you and I are about the same age, Doc. Never checked your profile before. Anyway, if I get fat pushing paper at midnight in my quest to make partner, I'll look you up for a good lap-banding or something :D

Hope your schedule isn't too relentless, but I'm finding it's way better to be busy than bored. Idle hands and whatnot...That sounds like a great rotation to my layman's ears - lots of different experiences.

Toss a trainer tire on your bike and keep it in the office!

Why a beater for the trainer? Wouldn't it be better to ride your real bike? Just get a beater rear wheel but that way, you'll be riding the same - exact same - seat, geometry, handlebars, etc etc as when you race.

Remember, train like you fight... fight like you train!

This is true, but things are known to disappear from hospitals if not bolted to the floor. I'd love to hop on the Pinarello, but it might be a little too enticing for someone.

WHAT??? You are MARRIED?!!!

You sound surprised. :o Do I need to delete my pics from the hot guy thread or something? :(

Hey, I didn't realize you and I are about the same age, Doc. Never checked your profile before. Anyway, if I get fat pushing paper at midnight in my quest to make partner, I'll look you up for a good lap-banding or something :D

I'm not quite sold on the long-term results of the lap band, but it's a fun surgery...

It's strange--I do feel myself getting kinda cranky at times, and I find myself really missing the OR. I guess all those folks who talk about healthy sublimation might be onto something after all. :)

You sound surprised. :o Do I need to delete my pics from the hot guy thread or something? :(
he he...just joshin'...keep the pix up :D

I all I can say is thank you for serving and putting back together all the warriors that lay it on the line so that my family can live in America. Hope you find some time to ride in there, and if you ever get to Dallas, I would be honored to meet you.

Hope you'll be able to keep popping in Doc - love your input!

You sound surprised. :o Do I need to delete my pics from the hot guy thread or something? :(

uhh, no. better leave them there!

OH NO>>>>you might miss the return of.......ryanf.....ahhhhhhhhrrrrrrgggg (cohophysh runs away screaming into the cold dark night)

You sound surprised. :o Do I need to delete my pics from the hot guy thread or something? :(

Well, not because you're married.:rolleyes:

I'll miss ya doc, but i envy what you've done with your life...i would love to trade places honestly.

Hey Doc, add me to the list of those who care. You are a great addition to BF in general and Foo in particular.

I also appreciate what you do for your country.

Thanks,
Randy

Well, not because you're married.:rolleyes:

:beer:

With all that sleep deprivation you could jump right into randonneuring. Start with the 400k and work up to the 600k - then the 1200k. Start a training ride right after your shift, ride all night (or day). Repeat.

:)

Good luck.
Beater + Trainer might work.
Sounds like you need more stimulation than that though...

Rock on, Doc! :beer:

Actually, good luck in your rotation...your sense of humor will be missed...see ya when you get back

I all I can say is thank you for serving and putting back together all the warriors that lay it on the line so that my family can live in America. Hope you find some time to ride in there, and if you ever get to Dallas, I would be honored to meet you.

I'll definitely keep that in mind. I've only been to Dallas a couple times--my sister got her PhD at UT Southwestern, but there's always a chance I could end up down there for a conference or something. I'd love to meet up with you and the TX BF crowd sometime!

Thanks to everyone for the replies and the words of support--not sure what I was expecting when I started this thread, but this has been a pleasant surprise.

This has been a tough few years. For as long as I've been a doctor (got my MD in '03) this war has been going on. Taking care of these guys is an honor and a privilege, but eventually the nonstop flow of blown up people and their associated massive injuries takes a toll. And because we take care of the most complex, most critical injuries at Walter Reed, there's no such thing as a "minor" wound in my day to day experience. But popular or unpopular, right or wrong, there's a war going on and these men and women deserve the best we know how to give them.

I'm glad I got to spend some time away from it, but am still glad to be heading back. Research is a big part of what we do, and the experience of this year has been invaluable. But not to be overlooked is the way that this year has rekindled my love of cycling. There's a lot of peace to be found with your wheels buzzing down the road, and I'm so grateful that I've had a chance to remember that. So my drive to keep riding in the coming years, the "big push" toward finishing up my training, comes less because I want to ride and more because I need to ride.

On my bike, there is peace. Even in the midst of a war.

You guys seriously rock, and many of you have had more to do with my newfound passion for riding than you know, and I truly appreciate it, not to mention that there are just some really great people on this forum.

But enough with the group hug--I still have a month of riding and killing time on BF! :)

Best of luck to you, Peter.

Good luck Dr. Pete. :)

btw, ever think of changing your screen name to "Hawkeye"? :D heh - sorry, can't help but think of "MASH" sometimes when I read your posts. Keep up the good work.

^^^ I still haven't learned to make moonshine. :)

I think it involves having your arse waxed and dropping your pants.

If that is all you lack Dr. Pete, that part is easy. Just need a bunsen burner, a little sour mash, a glass flask and some copper tubing. If you want to take the easy way, pour some wine in and use it - the result will be brandy...

You probably don't know it but I was born in the Ozarks... ;)

Down here they have this stuff called Guaro - distilled from sugar cane. If you don't like the taste you can always use it for fuel... :eek:

Oh, back on subject - I also will miss your postings. Stay in there at least at maintaince. You don't want to end up in your 40s saying "When I was a boy, I used to race bikes..."

I think the trainer in the office trick is going to be a big help. I'll just keep my bibs on under my scrubs. :D

Get you a Brooks on that trainer and you won't need no bibs under the scrubs...just some nice tight poly undies. :)

Let's hope that the number of combat-related trauma cases are drastically reduced by the time you get to Bethesda.

^^^ I still haven't learned to make moonshine. :)

Sounds like you might have to pick up a new hobby. :)

This has been a tough few years. For as long as I've been a doctor (got my MD in '03) this war has been going on. Taking care of these guys is an honor and a privilege, but eventually the nonstop flow of blown up people and their associated massive injuries takes a toll. And because we take care of the most complex, most critical injuries at Walter Reed, there's no such thing as a "minor" wound in my day to day experience. But popular or unpopular, right or wrong, there's a war going on and these men and women deserve the best we know how to give them.

All I can say is be thankful you weren't around for the casualties of WW1, 2, Korea, Vietnam...The casualty rate for this war is low. Also, the fact that you're getting to treat the most complex, critical injuries is a testament to the effectiveness of modern field triage and preliminary treatment. I'm sure at least half of those you're treating would have never made it to you 20 or even 10 years ago.

Also, Bethesda? You're going to love Annapolis, if you've never been there.

All I can say is be thankful you weren't around for the casualties of WW1, 2, Korea, Vietnam...The casualty rate for this war is low. Also, the fact that you're getting to treat the most complex, critical injuries is a testament to the effectiveness of modern field triage and preliminary treatment. I'm sure at least half of those you're treating would have never made it to you 20 or even 10 years ago.

Also, Bethesda? You're going to love Annapolis, if you've never been there.

You're right about the initial pre-hospital and in-theater care. We're quite proud of the fact that we have the highest survival rate of any modern war, and we're taking care of some really, really complex stuff. The Air Force, for instance, has Critical Care Air Transport Teams (CCATTs) that serve as the ICU in the sky shuttling patients between Germany and us. And these are patients that would be considered way too sick and complex for the ICU of most community hospitals in the US.

Unfortunately, it seems that the bad guys are getting more and more lethal with their weaponry, so that's becoming a factor too.

My wife, the retired Chief Corpsman, suggests that if you learn to hum 'Anchors Aweigh' in the OR, the staff at Bethesda will be impressed. And if you start to say 'deck' rather than floor, 'bulkhead' rather than wall, and 'ladder' rather than stairs, they will offer you a lateral transfer as an O-4!

My wife, the retired Chief Corpsman, suggests that if you learn to hum 'Anchors Aweigh' in the OR, the staff at Bethesda will be impressed. And if you start to say 'deck' rather than floor, 'bulkhead' rather than wall, and 'ladder' rather than stairs, they will offer you a lateral transfer as an O-4!

I can't do it. I just can't. Been there, done that. I can't refer to the floors of a building as "decks." I also don't know how to "hit the head." :D

I am practicing my humming of the Army song, though... :)

Good luck DrPete.

Thanks for all you do, not only keeping us entertained, but for our servicepeople.

Unfortunately, it seems that the bad guys are getting more and more lethal with their weaponry, so that's becoming a factor too.

Just curious--who are the bad guys?

Why the VC advocates, of course ;)

Just curious--who are the bad guys?

In Afghanistan there's more direct combat with insurgents/militants from the Taliban and Al Qaeda, but in Iraq it seems to be a smattering of insurgents from various groups.

So it's finally here. July 1st.

Tomorrow morning I show up for work bright and early at 6AM, to start my rotation as the senior resident on a busy cardiothoracic and vascular surgery service--A slight change from the original schedule, but one that I'm actually pretty happy about...

I just hope I can keep up with riding amid the madness. :(

Doc, Keep on ridin' and healin'