There is a lot going on “out there” right now that has really captured my attention, and I would like to take this opportunity to share it with you.

Starting with some great blog reading. I try to keep up with it all, but sadly, life rudely gets in the way .

I am totally captivated by Billy Bob’s Wild Ride. This is a patient’s blog, but it is actually not written from the perspective of the patient (named Bobby), as much as it is from the patient’s liver’s perspective. His liver is named Billy Bob. A very unique and engaging idea, for sure! But more importantly, this is the story of someone who is struggling everyday of his life with end stage liver disease, and he is blogging about it! His insights are spot-on, sometimes humorous, more often tongue-in-cheek, and always compelling. His writings are instructive to all healthcare givers, and very moving.

More good reading . . . when you have some time to sit down with a warm pot of tea, make sure to check out this week’s Grand Rounds 4.12, being held at Odysseys of George. This edition will take you on an interesting journey. And at Cut On The Dotted Line, the 10th Edition of SurgExperiences is holding court. I thoroughly enjoy all tales from the surgical frontier. Special thanks to both hosts for my inclusion in their carnivals.

So, I have not seen the movie yet, but plan on viewing the psychological thriller called Awake, which is about a man who wakes up during his cardiac surgery but is completely paralyzed from his anesthetics and cannot tell anyone. This premise preys on people’s very worst fears, so it should probably be a big hit. I hope that people realize that awareness under anesthesia is a very unusual occurence, and my professional association has published a link on the internet to help address some of the real concerns that a sensational move like this can stimulate. Read more here and here is a remarkable video that will answer a lot of questions.

Finally, during this gift-giving time of year, I have been referred to a website that keeps on giving. Food. Rice. To the hungry. Clicking on the image above will take you to the Free Rice website. It’s a word game that you play. For every definition you guess right, 20 grains of rice are donated to the United Nations World Food Program by the website’s advertisers. The words get progressively harder, and you can play as often as you like. What a nice thing to do - increase your vocabulary and help to feed hungry people.

The FreeRice website started donating in October 2007, and already over 7 1/2 billion grains of rice have been donated. Start playing today!