Day 43 of 100 blogs in 100 days

Day 43 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

With my recent time away from blogging and being part of the disaster relief team in Louisiana, I felt an identification with the UNC Hospitals' blog. While we were tasked with mass feeding and chainsaw tree removal, a part that I didn't experience with the medical assistance side.

Recently at the dentist, I commented on how many people we encounted had toothaches. How could hurricanes cause teeth to hurt? Actually, after business were destroyed, records lost, accounts receivables gone, dentists salvaged what they could to reestablish their practices elsewhere, leaving people to contend with their toothaches and scarcity of available dental services.

In offering relief, it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body of compassion to those in need. A team of UNC Hospitals' physicians and staff left Sept. 2 to travel to the Gulf Coast as part of the MidCarolina Trauma RAC's State Medical Assistance Team II. Here is their account: UNC Hospitals' Hurricane Katrina Response Blog

I have thought about whether this experience has made me a better person. It has allowed me to be more aware of things in my life. I've appreciated all that I have and all that I do not much more. I've noticed that certain things that use to irritate me are not as important any more. However, it has become more difficult for me to accept certain things. I'm not as tolerant of behavior and attitudes that are selfish and narrow-minded. At the same time, I feel a greater amount of empathy for those who hurt, thus am more dedicated in doing what I can to help alleviate their suffering.