It's been about 2-3 weeks that I've been back. Feels like months. When I stepped off the plane in Chicago, the cold air was an unfriendly greeting. I know noboday feels bad for me when I complain about the cold because I missed the worst of it. But I still really want spring to come. I've been super swamped at work since returning. It seems to be the policy that if you decide to not be physically at work for 6 weeks, even though you are working, the perception is that you haven't been working and that you "owe" more time at the hospital. I know, it does not make logical sense to most people. So, I was forced to do overnight call every 2nd or 3rd night since returning. Which really doesn't help a person who was about 10 time zones away acclimate well. Now that the overnight calls are done, I remain on "jeopardy" for the remainder of the month, which basically sums up to not being able to have fun or go places because I may be called into work at any moment. Yeah! Well, at least the in-house calls are done...until next week anyway. The calls themselves aren't bad, so I really can't complain. I did have to stick 5 newborns in the back to get a spinal tap. This record is quite amazing now days, because we don't seem to perform as many spinal taps as we did back in the day. Now that I'm 4 years into residency, I find myself saying "back in the day" a lot. We used to do spinal taps on tons of newborns when I was a first year intern. If a kid looked at us funny, we would tap them. Now days, the babies really have to put a lot of effort into earning a spinal tap, ie developing a fever, acting really weird, etc. The interns now days don't even know how to do spinal taps as well because the actual numbers of spinal taps have dropped. Oh well. The thing that kills me is having to explain it to the parents. They get so scared and nervous for their kid (expectedly so), and my job is to tell them that the procedure sounds a lot worse than it is. Which is true. But I still feel like they don't believe me and that afterwards, their kid will be paraplegic for life. Well, only a couple more calls like that in May and I'll never poke a newborn in the back with a needle ever again. Crazy!
So I'm again trying to get the Sydney pictures posted. I can't figure it out, again. I'll keep trying, keep checking for an update.
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2 comments:
Hey--
1. Residency blows. Real Life is so much better. You actually get paid for what you do! I once figured out I made more money per hour busing tables in high school than I did per hour being a doctor helping kids, even sometimes saving a life. Go figure.
2. I agree about the less invasive approach--it very much is that way in Real Life too.
3. You're almost done!
4. How is KJ working out as director?
Hey dana! I just decided to post again and saw your comment! KJ is not working out as director. She's very uninvolved and distant, doesn't know the residents at all. Oh well, I'm almost done! Just have to get through fellowship...
Caroline is so cute! Love the pics! Congrats!
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