Laurie Collins

I'm watching Sound of Music.

I feel that bursting into song is not an appropriate response to your problems.

Captain Von Trapp is a hottie though, good choice Maria.

When the people in my emergency department go out of their way to make sure I at least get a cupcake with a candle in it.

<3

As a medical professional, there are often decisions you make that are difficult and at times the choices you make can appear cruel, or even heartless but you do the best you can with the resources and the knowledge that you have.

Firstly, an older article on the costs of blood screening, these are for tests that they already have and know what to test for:

https://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=754

The health system in America is broken - there are no buts about it. Money plays way too much of a role in the system and the choices made due to that fact can be draconian.

Not taking openly mutant blood is as much about cost as it is about prejudice, although I do believe there is fear involved.

It is much, much easier to simply say 'We will not allow mutants to donate' then it is to fund research into new blood screening that will take into account the huge variance of possible mutations and how their blood might interact with that of a recipient.

I am not saying the decision by the Mayo clinic is right, or fair, or helpful in any way. I do not excuse the results of fear, even if it can be warranted. But there is more then just one side of this story. Do not blame the people on the ground for these decisions. They have a job to do just as everyone else does. If you must protest, then protest where it's needed, at the executive level, at the Government level.

Or go into business and design those new blood screening tests and then offer them to the Red Cross and other donation places for free.

http://cornellsun.com/2017/10/31/largest-witchcraft-collection-in-north-america-opens-at-cornell/

Think they have anything actually real?

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/pandemic-everyone-fears-is-flu-in-wrong-place-at-wrong-time-180967984/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=socialmedia

Discussing Flu pandemics. Fascinating reading.

I’m not sure when my life became measureable in the amount of coffee I’ve consumed but make mine a latte with caramel swirl, please.

I'm going to take a leaf out of Warren's book and ask people to send me their wish lists.

I'm too exhausted and broken by this countries current Medical system to think beyond 'Fire bad, tree pretty' so have pity upon your poor EM resident and tell me what you want.

Unlike Warren, money does matter to this poor, not so starving student, so try not to ask for random islands or the Moons of Venus.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep - Robert Frost

Too much to do and not enough time in which to do it. I do it to myself, of course. I have always been an overachiever and an over planner and in many cases over confident and under trained.

Still.

I'm thankful for many things this year.

For my friends, who know when to pull me out of the lab and make me eat.

For my mother, who is formidable and terrifying and the woman I most hope to be like when I grow up.

For the people who were my teammates, and for the ones who are or will be my teammates very soon. You're all forces of nature in your own ways, and you keep me smiling.

I've made cookies and placed them on the bench in the main kitchen should anyone wish to partake. The ER is always heart breaking this time of year, more so then Christmas, some how. I wished to do something life affirming to remind myself that it goes on; even in the face of the times it ends.

With one's prosthetic limb?

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-39353751

I love the idea of having solar skin. I'm pondering if it would generate enough energy to do without the battery I already have integrated.

Although, maybe not enough for the taser?

Guess who drew the short straw for 4th July? That's right, the EM resident. If I have to treat one more idiot with some sort of fireworks burn, I may snap.

I am so very, very tired.