Don't Break my Hearts

"Don't break my hearts." These were the closing words of our pathology lecturer.

We made our way to the pathology lab to examine a number of delicate hearts. It's ironic, we were instructed not to "break" these already broken hearts. Some hearts were the size of walnuts, while others barely fit in my palm. Each heart had some sort of congenital heart defect. Everything from holes in the walls of the chambers (atrial septal defects and ventral septal defects) to hearts that were missing an entire ventricle (hypoplastic left heart syndrome) to hearts that had the incorrect vessels paired with ventricles (transposition of the great vessels). These hearts had once beated inside the chest wall of developing fetuses and infants and eventually could no longer perform the job of a heart.

I was lucky to have met a five year-old child, who had a hypoplastic left heart on my pediatric preceptorship. When I had met him, there would be no way to know that this child, who loved Sponge Bob Square pants, had undergone numerous surgeries to repair his little heart. Today, I got to see what his heart looked like at one point in his life.

Using our examination skills, we attempted to identify each pathology. I have to say that this was my favorite pathology lab. I am simply fascinated by the heart. And seeing hearts with congenital heart defects reminds me about the complexities involved in developing the pump of our body.

This week has taken through pregnancy to birth to development. Earlier this week, I held a placenta in my hands. The flat structure, which looks like a really flattened cake, serves as a fetus' life line, providing nutrients and oxygen.

In lecture, we had the opportunity to meet families with young children. We were given the task of guessing the age of an infant and a child. It was hard to pay attention to the lecturer with kids in the room.

Today in small group, I played the role of pediatric resident as we ran a mock code that involved resuscitating an infant in respiratory distress. Although our infant was a stuffed gold and yellow tiger, we walked through the crucial steps required in managing the ABC's- airway, breathing and circulation, a task that awaits us in the wards.

Tomorrow, my doctoring group and I will be presenting an autopsy case about a 63 y/o female who suffered a myocardial infarct with a mysterious liver problem. We examined her gross specimens that had been stuffed in a white plastic bucket, including her heart, liver, spleen, lungs and GI tract, along with histology slides. As we pieced the organs together, we worked through a long differential to put together her medical story. I'll be sharing the liver part of her story.

On Monday, I helped teach instrument ties and suturing to first year medical student during the surgical skills elective. I also learned the horizontal mattress and this new suturing technique. It was so nice to finally work with my hands for a change.

The week has been extremely busy. My mind is definitely on overdrive (in a good way). I've squeezed in some board studying when I can, but I must admit there has really been no time. We all feel overextended. As we think about the boards, we simultaneously studying for lecture and ranking our program choices for our clerkships.

All in all, I look forward to the weekend. Although, I already know what I'll be doing...

There a break for some in site. Prom 2.0 will be held tomorrow night at the Academy of Sciences with an open bar. The oversold event promises to be even better than Prom 1.0. I have opted out of attending the festivities. Guess, I won't be breaking any hearts tomorrow.