Neurology Clinic

This morning when I walked out of the garage I was struck by the moon still up in the sky. It was full and bright on a cerulean blue backdrop of sky and framed perfectly by the branches of my neighbors tree. Loved the pictures I got.

Today I was at the neurology clinic at our local hospital. I love pediatric hospitals. They have a completely different feel from adult hospitals. It is all about making the "tiny humans" feel more comfortable and at home in the worst of situations. There are a ton of bright colors and fun prints, toys, books, interactive computer screens, cartoons on every TV, natural light, and some of the most innovative designs. I was taking pictures like crazy. All the exam rooms have I Spy like pictures behind the exam table - perfect for parents to play with little ones while they wait. We even had one kid pretty successfully point out named objects with his eyes covered (2/3 is pretty good). The waiting rooms are all set up perfectly for parents with children. Normally when sitting in an office with kids you are concerned about what they might get into and who might be annoyed, but in these waiting rooms there are divided sections that might hold comfortably 4 adults and 2 children. Much less worry. They each have an interactive screen positioned near the floor - perfect for little kids. And of course there are the necessary play area and cartoons on TV. BTW Paw Patrol is a pretty cool show - I definitely would have been watching that when I was a kid. The hospital also has activities (crafts and book readings), a library, a Build a Bear, popcorn in the lobby, and an outdoor play area (castle themed with a dragon).

I got to work with another very efficient physician. He did a great job responding to my typical questions for specialists: When should a family physician refer ____ to you? What work up would you like done first? I also feel like I learned a lot about doing a quick and efficient neurological examination just from watching him. It was bread and butter neurology in terms of cases: seizures, headaches and tics. So I feel like I picked up some good pointers on determining the condition being described from a patient's story, including some things that look like seizures but aren't. In the afternoon I was with a physician who specializes in movement disorders. So I got to see some EMG "guided" BoTox injections.

The awesome pup in this picture is Chanel (as in Coco Chanel). She is a therapy dog that works with the pain management team at this hospital. Her brother works on the rehab unit. They are working on getting 6 more dogs for various units. She consoled one of our patients (slightly reluctantly) and begged a lot of attention from everyone in the office. I became a favorite, probably because she smelt my babies. However, I was quite receptive to loving on her. She is just as soft as she looks. Plus she knows tricks. I got her to sit for this picture and after it she shook my hand.