What's Up Doc?
Two months down, 96% of my residency left to go. Where haven't I been? All over the children's hospital, to radiology at 2:30 in the afternoon, and the laboratory at 4:45 in the morning. To the pediatric ICU (PICU) as fast as my little legs (and the elevator) could take me. In and out of patient rooms. To a lactation consultant in Riverdale, family court so far downtown I could almost touch Brooklyn, and to the Manhattan SVU on the edge of Spanish Harlem. I've had enough high points to count on one hand, many moments of fear and despair, minutes of anger and frustration, and hours and hours and hours of catch-up sleep. Tomorrow begins a new on-call rotation: cardiology. Physiology, especially cardiovascular physiology, has always felt like my weakest subject, my version of physics if you will. And yet it's always been the most exciting to me. Those 2 weeks I spent in medical school working the cardiac ICU, running from the helipad or the ER to the cath lab to the unit running dopamine drips, those were some of the biggest highs of my 29 years. And some of the lowest, after hours of CPR finally having to "call it." The enormity of this endeavor lies before me...the fragility of 20 little bodies with their transplanted hearts...and me, alone, overnight. So the adventure begins.
Three months down in NYC, at least 33 more to go. I once read that NY is a city of optimizers, and it's funny how almost immediately upon arrival I felt the need to reinvent myself. Some things I've noticed:
- Everyone wears flats. When I first moved Upstate, I had all of these ugly flats. So I threw them out and bought heels, thinking it was just my bad fashion sense. Now I realize that everyone in NY wears flats because they're fashionable and because they're practical.
- Everyone reads books on the subway, and some people even use those electronic books. Inspired by my spiritual anxiety and competitive spirit, I borrowed Eat, Pray, Love from the library. I'll stop there.
- Everyone carries the Le Pliage bag.
There have been so many deeper thoughts swirling in my head...so much that I don't care to write about it now.
Oh, and how's Tom? Enjoying the chocolate chip muffins I just finished baking. Try them, I dare you.
2 comments:
We have missed you these last two months, Dr. Whimsy. Delighted you are back.....
Oh how I miss you! Wondering how you were when we shared that first night on call, then again when I watched that little baby die under CPR, or when I tried to remember the name of some genetic syndrome you would have had at the tip of your tongue. I hope everyone is treating you well back in NYC! And if your fancy leads you to it, St Louis is a great place to do fellowship. :)
Post a Comment