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Dr. U's Quality Views

Tom Utecht, M.D., is responsible for maintaining high quality of care and patient safety at all Community’s hospitals. Dr. Utecht is an experienced emergency medicine physician and a faculty member for the UCSF Fresno Emergency Medicine Residency Program.

That little voice

Roughly two weeks ago, I awoke to a gorgeous Saturday morning, excited to take a break and play a round of golf. While getting ready, I felt a "pop" in my lower back and the wonderful ensuing pain of muscular spasm. Several days of moving furniture earlier in the week had caught up with me.

So….I had a couple of options. You guessed it I played anyway. After nearly toxic amounts of NSAID’s, I completed 18 holes of golf all the while hearing a little voice, "this is a bad idea." After the final putt, which I could barely bend over to pick up, the voice had become a shout.

Now as I have sciatic pain and have to spend time standing rather than sitting at meetings and have begun a strengthening and flexibility program, the little voice keeps saying, "I told you so."

There are other terms for my little voice, no psychosis is not one of them inner self, Freud’s super-ego, etc. I offer that we would be better off if we listened to that voice more often, whether at work or in our personal life. We typically know the "right" thing to do. As I grimace getting in and out of my car, I’ll try and listen better in the future.

Published Tuesday, September 09, 2008 11:49 AM by tutecht

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About tutecht

Tom Utecht, M.D., is responsible for maintaining high quality of care and patient safety at all Community’s hospitals. Dr. Utecht is an experienced emergency medicine physician and a faculty member for the UCSF Fresno Emergency Medicine Residency Program.