Few understand the life that physicians and surgeons lead. They communicate with people that have no where else to go for help. They are brought face to face with challenging medical conditions and are required to be at their best all the time in order to heal the sick and suffering. I often talk with friends who are not in medicine about my hours and cases and they always seem to be unaware, and often times uninterested, in what we do for a living. We have been given a tremendous responsibility to enter the lives of other human beings in order to learn more about their problems in an attempt to alter their current path of health. We have taken an oath to constantly learn and provide the best care possible. It is a true joy and challenge to do this. And so I wanted to share this trip with you all. Each poem stems from a separate surgical case that I have encountered in my training in New Mexico. Each tells a story and hopefully sheds some light on what we do on a daily basis. Please enjoy!