Rotation 14: Cardiology

Sorry for delay. The past month has been crazy. I did my cardiology rotation from 12/13/10-12/17/10. The week was very interesting but difficult for me to deal with. Many of the patients I saw were in their early to mid 90's with irreversible heart conditions nearing the end of their life. Cardiology deals with conditions of the heart like heart failure, coronary artery disease and much more. Patients at risk for these conditions or who have these conditions are informed about adapting to healthy lifestyles and eating a heart healthy diet that is low in sodium and fat. During the week I observed a cardiac stress test and a cardiac catheterization on two different patients. I am enjoy seeing these procedures because it helps me understand what the patients I am talking to are going through.

My favorite part of the week was the Dietitian/Dietetic Intern Christmas cookie exchange! 18 of us participated in the exchange, all with a different kind of cookie. We got to have at least two of each kind. I brought Chocolaty Caramel Thumbprints. They were a very "putsy" or time-consuming cookie. I highly recommend making them, especially if you are in the mood to procrastinate. I took one bite of every cookie during the exchange.

During the last part of this week I had my friend, Kristin, and her cat, Kitty, stay with me because in was en route back to Wisconsin for her. Kristin helped me transport my fishy, Lloyd, to one of the intern's houses so he wouldn't croak on me during my two week break. Surprisingly, there was still water in the bowl after an extremely bumpy, winding ride.