From Ms Avacado to Ms Alvarado

90% vs 10%

We have all heard of the 80:20 Pareto principle, either from a book or that one Instagram reel that shows up every week.
But recently, I stumbled across the 90% vs 10% rule. And apparently, there are two versions of it, one by Stephen Covey and the other by some random article I found on the internet (lol). But honestly? Both are kind of beautiful. We will talk about second version in next blog ;)

The Covey Version

Covey says 10% is what life gives you, and 90% is what you do with it. Together, that is the story of what ends up happening to you.

Take a simple example:
You wake up, put on your fresh white t-shirt, ready for a nice weekend brunch with your people. And then of course someone spills coffee on it.
Now what?

Do you let it ruin your mood?
Or do you shrug, laugh, and say it is a limited edition abstract print when people ask?

The choice feels obvious right now, but honestly, what do we actually do in real life?

My 10% Moment: Appendicitis Edition

Recently, I was on a 24-hour call. I have this habit of getting so busy that I forget to eat while preaching nutrition to my patients (ironic, I know).
That day, running on caffeine, I finally got my first proper meal at 4 PM. And even though feeling dizzy on call is normal-ish, this time, something felt off.

I started having pain.
Ignored it.
Continued working.

Later at night, lying in bed, the pain became excruciating. My abdomen was tender, and my thoughts were spiraling:

Okay, it is just gastritis.
Two minutes later: Wait… is this acute appendicitis? I did every physical examination test I knew like any doctor would.

During my third round of the day, a patient and their family saw me walking weirdly, holding my right lower abdomen.
Doctor, are you okay?

And honestly, that is when it hit me. I was not okay.

I took antacids, took a proton pump inhibitor, tried to push through, but nothing improved. And somewhere between pain and panic, I realized how much I had been stressing lately. Interviews, career worries, skipped meals, no rest… everything was catching up.

So I finally did what I always tell my patients:
Eat. Hydrate. Sleep. Take care of yourself.

I told the other doctor I was not okay, got my ultrasound and labs done the next morning, and well… the ultrasound showed acute appendicitis.
Thankfully, I responded to conservative management, and here I am on day 7 of antibiotics, gassy as ever, typing this blog from home.

Birami Doctor

One of my patients called me birami dactar, which in Nepali means the sick doctor.
And instead of being embarrassed, I felt loved.
Cared for.
Seen.

And it made me realize that to care for others, I have to care for myself first.

My best friend even renamed me from Ms Avocado to Ms Alvarado yes like the Alvarado score for appendicitis.
Honestly, I will take it.

So here is the whole point:
The 10% was appendicitis.
The 90% is the promise I am making to myself to sleep, eat, hydrate, work out, and listen to my own advice.

In case you forgot what we were talking about. 😌