Is There A Medblog In the House?

I’ve done it. I’ve considered attending a 12-step program for it, but one doesn’t exist. I can’t deny it any longer.

I’m a medblog addict.
Say it slowly.

I’m
A
Medblog
Addict.

Somehow seeing it on a cyber page makes it all the more real – and insane. What is a medblog? Oh dear, they’re these wonderful blogs hosted by docs of all backgrounds.

It’s really all the fault of Miss Snark, a NY literary agent owning a most delicious sense of humor. She posted about a doc who was holding a FOAD Letter Writing Contest.

What’s a FOAD Letter? It’s a letter where you tell the recipient to Fuck Off And Die so nicely that they never see it coming. Given my day job, I could hardly resist racing to the link provided. Turns out this clever contest holder is a doc who has the ability to make me laugh so hard tears run down my cheeks. Dinosaur Musings, you are a bright spot in my busy life, and your FOAD contest had me on the floor.

There’s Finger and Tubes in Every Orifice whose Emergency Room stories have made me laugh so loudly I awakened my dog. Charity Doc has also brought me to tears with his sensitive portrayal of humanity at its best and worst.

Surgeonsblog is one of my all time favorites because Dr. Schwab is so adept at communicating the compassion and mercy of people who rummage around people’s insides for a living. He can turn a liver into a thing of beauty. I know, sounds disgusting. Read the post, and you’ll feel differently. And while you're at it, buy his book, Cutting Remarks. It's a wonderful blend of humor, pathos, and everything in between.

Addicted to med blogs is another hopeless non-medical addict like me, and I’m grateful to her admission. I think she and I should set up lawn chairs, eat popcorn, drink lots of wine, and watch the stories unfold before us. It’s certain that no one would allow us in an OR.

Why the fascination with medblogs? I blame it on the fact that I write medical fiction. Since I’m not a doc and don’t play one on TV, I rely on those who have been kind enough to share their lives and thoughts with me. It’s their stories, their hearts and souls that go into the portrayal of my characters. It’s not strictly the personal journeys of people who came from the bowels of my imagination, but also the truly amazing personalities who do something truly honorable.

I admire the crap out docs. They cram an infinite amount of information into a finite space and in the process, do some pretty heroic things like diagnosing Cushing’s or hearing the heart murmur in a fetus. That’s why I write about their human side – their vulnerabilities, their prejudices, their beliefs. They’re modern day heroes who are expected to be on call, have all the answers all the time, know twenty-five dollar words that most tongues lack the genetics to pronounce, and be graceful under fire. Am I over romanticizing docs? Probably. But until there’s a 12-Step Program for it, I’m going to enjoy the heck out of myself and do what I do best – write and concede defeat over my willpower. I’m hooked.