stories abound of her saving lives on the operating table , of her uncanny ability to know in the emergency room whether surgery will save a patient , of her patching up ax wounds , bullet wounds , and skull fractures resulting from falls and car collisions , of her operating for ten hours straight without fainting , of her quiet and expert handling of frightened interns and cranky nurses , and of disapproving colleagues and administrators who have advised her from time to time that she takes too many risks .