#lauda archives

I started this blog during sophomore year of college, which just so happened to be one of the toughest years of my life from a personal standpoint. When I heard the story of Niki Lauda, I was inspired by his courage. I felt a connection with his unique personality, determination, and strength of character. At some points, when his sarcastic comebacks or introversion abounded, it was almost like looking in a mirror. I’m currently applying to medical school, so my fascination with him was not only due to his personal success, but was also with the medical aspect of his recovery after his crash.

When I first heard Niki’s story during the summer of my sophomore year, I was in the process of obtaining my EMT license. I remember flipping through my textbook, comparing several life-threatening conditions to Niki’s near-death experience. While observing in the emergency department, I saw a crashing trauma patient for the first time, and I truly realized what it meant for someone to be on death’s door. I couldn’t help but think of Niki as I watched the medical team hurry to manage the patient’s airway and place a central line. As I started to understand all the ways that his life could have ended in the weeks following his crash, I began to truly appreciate the work of every physician who played a part in his treatment plan. I knew that if I could contribute even a little bit of this care daily towards my future patients to improve their lives, I would consider myself blessed and successful.

The most fascinating part of Niki’s recovery, from my perspective, were his scars. Scars stick with you for life, and I think that the mental and physical aspect of recovering with scars is one of the biggest testaments to someone’s character. With my interest in the field of surgery, I was also fascinated by how surgeons were able to transform Niki's third and fourth degree burns into a result that was both functional and cosmetically appealing. I encourage you to look again, if you can stomach it, at the incredibly realistic makeup replica of his injuries in Rush. The raw, charred remains of what was once beautiful and healthy skin, pushed to the brink of what the human body can endure. His burns were life threatening, and yet when you look at his face years later, even a layperson can tell that the grafting work is extremely impressive. (And that’s with only medically necessary surgeries and not cosmetically oriented procedures, as stated by Niki.)

The tactile and visual nature of surgery has always called to me, and the aftermath of Niki’s crash expanded that surgical interest into the field of dermatology. I wanted to provide patients not only with treatment for skin conditions, but also with a cosmetically appealing result that would improve their quality of life.

After much searching, networking, shadowing, and applying while still in college, I found an opportunity to work as a Medical Assistant in the fascinating world of Mohs micrographic surgery. This highly specialized surgery aims to treat skin cancer by removing the minimal amount of healthy tissue in delicate areas such as the face, scalp, ears, and genitals. While it is extremely precise, sometimes we need to remove massive amounts of skin (like half of a scalp on one memorable patient) or even cartilage on the ear or nose where the cancer has spread. Skin grafts and flaps are a daily occurrence to repair certain areas of skin after we obtain clear margins, which means that many patients require long term wound care. Their appearance and lives are forever changed by what we do, but I am proud to always bring positiveness on their journey in order for them to be confident post-surgery.

Although Niki’s grafts and scars were not a result of skin cancer, he inspired me to be where I am today. Although I am still on my way to becoming a doctor, I have worked my butt off to get to where I am, and I am proud to be working at 22 years old in my dream medical specialty. I am proud to impact patients in a positive way every day, stemming from my inspiration that started with Niki’s journey. I wrote this reflection as a love letter not only to the memory of Niki Lauda but also to every single healthcare professional who contributed to his recovery. Thank you so much for inspiring people like me to better the world every single day.

I will end with this. A few months ago, I was preparing for surgery on a patient’s ear. Once we began, the surgeon realized that the cancer had spread into the patient’s cartilage, and we were going to have to remove practically his entire ear. Removing someone’s ear is obviously a massive undertaking, and as we were going through the intricate grafting process, I once again thought of Niki. Good ol’ Niki with one ear and half a right thigh on his face. I often wonder what he would say to my patients, who come out with wounds reminiscent of a much milder version of his own. Would he console them? No, he’d probably joke that having a scar was actually an improvement on their looks. For some of them, that might actually be true. Ha! Only joking, ya crazies!

While I’m not quite as blunt as Niki, I do try to bring aspects of his outlook on life, quick-witted humor, self-confidence, and courage to each and every patient I see. After all, everyone deserves to experience a little bit of the indomitable spirit of the Super Rat, Niki Lauda.

Danke Niki.

note: if anyone wants to message me about medical stuff or niki or just wants to chat, I will gladly respond, it just may take me a day or so!! miss y'all.

Why are ENFPs and INTJs an ideal pair?

ENFPs and INTJs may only share one letter preference in common (N for intuition) however, they share two common cognitive functions; Introverted Feeling and Extraverted Thinking. (x)

INTJs like to make sense of everything (and everyone) and an ENFP is an exciting challenge to say the least.

INTJs are fluid in thought and in conversation. It's an absolute breath of fresh air for an ENFP that spends most of their time engulfed by high electric mental surges.

Growth and attraction: one is strong where the other is weak.

INTJs are drawn to the ENFP’s warm, outgoing nature, and enthusiasm. ENFPs are naturally playful, open-minded, and have a good sense of humor. ENFPs, in turn, are drawn to the INTJs resolve, intellectual passion, and driven nature. INTJs have an intense focus and a natural efficiency and goal-oriented nature that is captivating to the ENFP. (x)

INTJs tend to harbor a dark side, whether in the form of emotions that they have a hard time/avoid exploring or a more intellectual dark side. ENFPs are truly unafraid of the dark. Their natural curiosity and unrelenting positivity draws them to the INTJ; the Ne desire to explore is overpowering for an ENFP when intrigued. Nothing will stop an ENFP from investigating once their attention is captured. The INTJ in turn is thrown off by the disarming level of openness ENFPs offer - it’s a true case of opposites attract. One is drawn to the mysterious, the other to the uncapped effusiveness. (x)

The ENFP and INTJ each have a different tolerance for social situations. There is a balance between heart and head with these personality types and each of you can help the other become a better, more well-rounded person. Once you’ve breached the “getting to know you” phase, the INTJ can be the ENFP’s favorite sounding board and the ENFP will become the INTJ’s greatest cheerleader.

ENFPs are attracted to the INTJ's solitary confidence, honest outlook of the corrupted world, unique ideals, passion, hard work, and charmingly witty sense of humor. Despite being extroverts, ENFPs enjoy non-awkward mutual silence, exactly like INTJs. But when the pair of them do talk, it is never shallow - they are always leaving the shore.

The Intellectual Dream Team

The ENFP and INTJ are the intellectual dream team. The ENFP’s main cognitive function acts as a tireless idea-generator and the INTJ’s main cognitive function optimizes ideas. They can be an unstoppable force for innovation.

When the two work in concert with each other, a wonderful combination of morality, ethics, and objective logic can be applied to any problem. When the two are out of sync with each other, the INTJ will see the ENFP as a head-in-the-clouds idealist who doesn’t understand how the real world works and the ENFP will see the INTJ as a stone-cold bastard who doesn’t give two shakes for their fellow human beings. 

The ENFP and INTJ will quickly click as their conversations focus on impressions, ideas, opinions, and theories. 

Similar Mindset

INTJs and ENFPs are going to hit it off and experience a natural spark because they will both live and thrive in the world of ideas, possibilities, and meanings. The INTJ may feel that the ENFP is speaking out loud intuitive thoughts and feelings that they have internalized. The ENFP may feel that the INTJ is grasping a deeper and more focused approach and insight into their ideas and possibilities, causing them to have a clearer focus and perception themselves.

For both the ENFP and INTJ, discovering new things is extremely important. In fact, when they first meet it can feel refreshing to talk with someone at length about deep ideas rather than the small-talk they both dread. This mutual connection over life-long learning and a refusal to take ideas at face-value can act as a fantastic relationship base. 

Good Communication...most of the time.

They both appreciate direct and honest communication.

The ENFP is clearly an Extrovert, so expressing inner thoughts and ideas happens more naturally than it does for the INTJ. The upside to this communication dynamic is the INTJ sometimes feels happy to let the ENFP carry the conversation. It puts less pressure on them to come up with something to say and allows the INTJ more mental energy to break down the ideas presented to them by the ENFP.  It’s a great combo, until the INTJ feels steamrolled by the ENFP. (x) 

It’s the chemistry of the mystery in meeting someone totally opposite of ourselves, yet oddly bonding. Imagine that you have lived all your life perceiving the world through a different lens than most people. Everyone around you is boring because they all think the same. You ask yourself, 'How can they all be like that? Why doesn't anyone think for themselves?’ Then in comes along an ENFP. Someone who is as weird and quirky as yourself, but with better social skills. Finally, you have found someone who actually fulfills you.