[voiceover] We are always looking for ways to ease the pain. Sometimes we ease the pain by making the best of what we have. Sometimes is by losing ourselves in the moment and sometimes all we need to do to ease pain is... call a simple truce.
[voiceover] When you've tried everything but that headache don't go away, you can't stop coughing, the swelling don't go down. That's when you turn into a professional. As surgeon we spend years developing skills of perception that allow us to see exactly what the problem is. Trouble is sometimes all that time spent developing those skills of perception can leave a person with an extremely narrow point of view... And how are you supposed to argue with someone who has science on their side?
Look, I can remove the tumor and the diseased carotid together. All I have to do is run balloon catheters in through the femoral, place them in precise position, inflate them to stop the blood flow, do two arteriotomies, then feed a hepernized shunt into place, and reestablish blood flow.
[voiceover] We may not like it but it really is important to stop every once in a while, get out of your own head and see the bigger picture. Actually find out that you were looking things all wrong can be sort of liberating. And suddenly you see new potential, new possibilities, where you’d never seen them before. And that's all fine when a hopeless situation suddenly looks good. Unfortunately sometimes it goes the other way.
[voiceover] As surgeons we are trained to consult with each other to get opposing views. We even encourage patients to seek second opinions. But why seek a second opinion when you know that you are right? Cause if we are honest with ourselves, surgeons are more like cowboys. We are more likely to go it alone.
[to Cristina] I've been up since 4:00 A.M., studying for the boards with Callie. Since 4:00 A.M. I haven't seen my husband or my baby since yesterday. I don't even care, because Callie blew my mind. She blew my mind. My hair is on fire. I mean, literal flames shooting out of my head.
Well, uh, playing for Tuck means throwing things, breaking things, um, shooting things at people and things. I don't think Zola would survive a play date with Tuck.
I can't wait to get back to neuro. At least with lost causes, you know where you stand, and the patients can tell you when they have had enough. I don't know how Morgan can bear it. I don't know how any of you can.
Come here. (shows her pictures of preemies on a wall) Jolene Joramo, one pound, four ounces at birth. She's 12 years old now. She's a goalie. Uh... Benji Gellerman, one pound, two ounces at birth. He's 9 years old, plays the trumpet. This one, Hannah Slavin? I worked on her myself. She looked like a hamster when she came out. Her dad just called, said she took her first steps. Some of them survive.
