Me: “He’ll need a chest tube.”

Nurse: “Should I call the surgeon?”

Me: “Surgeon?!”  (Now with an nursing/tech audience, so with a little flair…) “Dr. 10/10 puts in his own chest tubes.”

Them: (Responding to this new cockiness…) –general murmuring approval–

Thirty minutes later: I’ve cut a hole in his side and opened up a space between his ribs.  I repeatedly aim the 36 French tube at the space but keep missing.  Finally I give up, and downsize to a 32 French.  This works; it goes in.

Except it doesn’t.  The follow-up xray shows the tube still outside of the ribs.  Ugh.

The lesson, as always — don’t be cocky.  Even joking cocky.  The medicine gods will quickly strike you down.