Giving Thanks

Whaddup? So it's been a while since I've done this.. be inspired and subsequently sit down and write/type. The two things haven't really lined up recently.

So family medicine was fun. Somewhere between knee injections, shoulder injection, flu shots and a once in a lifetime urethral swab/torture... I found it quite enjoyable but not for me. What would be difficult is the paperwork, pain control and managing patients. When you think of medicine, at least for me, you think of healing, curing ... intervening in a disease process. With adult patients , you catch them somewhere in their disease process, most likely toward the chronic...preventing organ failure stage. Don't get me wrong, the long term relationship with the patients is really cool because every time you see them, it's not so much history gathering and trying to put the picture together.. it's more treating the acute problem and chatting about life.

So now I'm on pediatrics which I was really looking forward to. After two weeks, I'm back to being optimistic but it took some effort. You see, it's different being on pediatrics because you don't get nearly as much contact with your attendings. The bulk of the time is spent in this conference room without windows working on patients whether it be following labs, doing discharges, admitting, writing notes, etc. That can be really tiresome because I'm someone who likes to move about and see people but pediatrics especially with our residents is kind of a paradox. They tend to treat us like kids , making sure we ask to go get breakfast or coffee and always seem to want to keep on an eye on us to the point of us sitting in the room for hours doing very little. On the other hand, we also do a whole lot more. We're writing orders during rounds and doing discharges and admissions ... all we need is a signature but all in all it's really neat.. because now we can adjust oxygens, make and adjust medications and just ask our residents to sign off..... also the nurses and other residents will talk to us directly concerning the patients we're assigned to.

I mean my patients are really my patients. If they need something, I can write for it, get it signed. I can follow up on labs and operative reports .. I also check in on them throughout the day, checking my asthmatics making sure they are satting well. So all in all, it's been a good experience, having the responsibilities of an intern minus the ability to sign for my orders and scripts. The hours are ridiculous, I worked 110 hours from Monday to Monday... most of my days are 11 hour days but the great thing is that I'm on inpatient till Christmas then when I get back , no call, no weekends, good hours. Next week oughta be good :call Monday, Thursday, Saturday = another 105+ hr week.... oh... Peds how you steal my life away ... but after that I'm on PICU (pediatric intensive care.. i'm looking forward to that.... it'll mix my interest in critical care with pediatrics)

A few things that's been on my mind:

I'm really happy to be a Muslim. It's hard to appreciate but there's something to be said about praying in synchrony, saying Amen in synchrony with the rest of your brothers and sisters during prayers and today was especially unique in that we had both an Eid prayer and our Friday congregational on the same day.

Another thing to comment on, don't underestimate the value of great friends. i am really blessed in the friends that I have. I feel like each of my friends add their own unique spice/flavor in the casserole that is my life.

Regarding the girl situation, nothing to comment really. It's one of those, good things come to those who wait.... sometimes it's really hard to not want the good that seems so close... though...

All in all... Life is Good and wouldn't have it any other way....