Almost Post Call Ramblings

So I'm almost post call...about 53 minutes to go. I started my call at 5 pm and it's about 8:07 am. Lasts until 9 am b/c it's a weekend (otherwise I have to work till noon).

This is how my night went.

Call starts...get handover from the team during the day...forgot to get the code pager...went back for it. Started to grab dinner but got called by a nurse to see a patient who is quite sick...started looking after him...never managed to get dinner. As I'm moving him to a more monitored bed in the emerg, I get referred another patient who is so sick that had he not come in he would have died. He needs all kinds of procedures done so supervising that...plus managing the first patient who is getting sicker...his breathing is getting worse. All the while I am also eye balling other patients that are getting referred to our service.

The juniors are seeing the other patients and working them up. I am still looking after the sick patients. No ICU bed for the sicker of the two...called out...get a bed about an hour and a half away from the city...the ambulance will have a nurse but no doc/paramedic to handle the life threatening stuff....need to call air transport and have him taken by helicopter.

All the while still looking after the other sick patient and trying to triage the other referrals appropriately. Now have to go pee but no time to go.

Finally, around 11:30 pm, things settle down...have only managed the two other sick patients. Have not reviewed all the other referrals that were already seen. Have dinner (which some awesome junior ordered in really good greasy chinese food)...first pee (2.5 hours after I first had to pee)...eat...start reviewing my consult from 6 pm at 12:30 am.

The ICU patient's helicopter arrives. they want him on life support...do that. Then the other sick patient gets sick again...treat him. FInally he settles down and the other one leaves.

Get another sick patient but luckily his problem is surgical and they take over.

Now it's 3 am.

Sit to review the other patients (1st time I sit all night). Get more referrals. One needs another procedure...supervise that (takes a while). While doing that, admit another patient myself.

It's 5:45 am. Get to brush my teeth (YAY) and have a crispy crunch for breakfast. Review with staff from 6 am to 7:30 am (keep getting interrupted). Call ends at 9 am...done but have to stay in case of code. Tidy up the sick patient from the night before. Call their staff to update.

It's now 8:15 am...writing on my blog. Have checked email and facebook.

45 more minutes to go. Hopefully can relax a bit now.

My arms are sore, my legs are sore. I have peed twice since 5 pm last night. My eyes are blood shot.

Need to drive to Toronto after this.

This is my story...almost post call.

Scented "Feminine Products"

So the other day, in my normal disorganized state I realized I had run out of "feminine products" (or more aptly, maxi pads). And of course, I was on call that day so in my rush to get to work, I grabbed the first familiar package I saw and went to work. What I did not realize was that a "subtle" change had been made to my favorite pads...they were now scented like "flowers."

Now I don't know about you ladies, but I certainly have not felt that I was malodorous while on my period...nor has anyone commented that I was (and believe me, my friends and sis would have told me). So with that said, why do I need scented maxi pads. If you maintain good hygiene, you do not need scented pads to make you smell "fresh." You should not smell of anything at all!!!

Also, even if I wanted scented maxi pads, why would I want to smell like bad air freshner???? Now this is what these pads smell like...BAD flowery air freshner. I bet you it was a man (a lonely single man who obviously has never lived with a woman) who came up with this idea b/c I don't know of any woman who would want to smell like that. Besides, bad air freshner scents give many women headaches!

Air freshner scented pads...I was SO ticked off the whole day b/c I could not leave the hospital and get a normal package of pads...bloody hell...gave me a headache and I smelled like that stupid stuff all day and all night!

Absurd...I'd like to find out what "genius" came up with this idea!

Dinner with the Two Men in my Life

So my sis and mom are back in the home country doing my wedding clothes shopping and I'm babysitting my dad.

I asked my dad to go out to dinner tonight...and he wanted to bring my fiance along.

Very wierd having both of them out to dinner with me at once...especially b/c they don't have much to say to each other but thank god there weren't too may awkward silences (in part b/c my dad talks a lot, in part b/c my fiance was able to get my dad talking about stuff :P)

On our way back for the first time my dad realized that my fiance and I meet on a regular basis (man he is in such la la land) and he told me that my fiance is a "good man" (hear the indian accent in ur head when u read good man :P)

I really do think my dad likes my fiance more than i do :P tres cute...hopefully it will last! Amazingly, he's mellow around my fiance and doesn't insist on being right all the time...

Residency Training

Of late (actually since August), I've been bitching quite a bit about work and I've sorted out some issues in my head as to why.

1) Being a senior is tough...you make the final decisions, especially at night. You run the hospital. You often have nobody to turn to (ie a fellow senior). If your lucky the emerg doc on will be good and you can run things by them however, their focus is emerg not internal medicine. All in all, it can get very lonely

2) Now that I have things to do, I find work very intrusive, especially the hours. I always feel like that is the # 1 priority and everything else has to take a back seat. Even on my weekends off when I am doing other things, work is on my mind as there is SO much I have to do (ex. studying, working on a project, writing up a couple of case reports)

3) For some people, medicine is a calling. For me it's a job...I've said that before but now I truly feel it. Don't get me wrong. I love what I do and I enjoy it but I like my friend's philosophy...I work hard until 5 pm and then I go home...I walk out at 5 b/c then someone else is on. I don't need to stick around at all endless hours b/c some things can wait, other things can be handled by someone else. And this friend is a phenomenal resident.

4) Medicine is draining. Aside from the hours and all the stuff you have to do on your own time, the constant having to perform at 100% (and how people notice when you don't)...the things you see is draining. Aside from the medical issues, the social issues, the depressions, people's circumstances get you feeling down. It sucks the life out of you at times.

5) There are things in place to help residents lead a balanced life however if you are not proactive, they will not come searching for you. There should be some way to incorporate into our training tips and strategies to make yourself a priority despite having such a high stress and high demand job.

6) I wish I could go on a beach and veg for 6 months. Sigh :P

7) Can't wait till 3rd year starts and I get some of my life back

Orlando...land stuck in the 80s

So I went to Orlando for a conference in December...I must say, I've never seen so many peach and green or pink and blue or yellow buildings. I felt like I was back in Miami Vice. There is not much to do there except go shopping at the outlet malls which are OK...it's next to impossible to find a really good dining experience (although I do reccomend Pio Pio...this small Latin place in a strip mall that serves rotisserie chicken and some other items. VERY good food, very fresh, cheap (you could eat for about 20/person all inclusive) and felt like home cooking. Atmosphere is cute.

My impression of Orlando...I'm shocked it is a tourist city as there is no culture there...but then I guess I'm used to a more cosmopolitan/metropolitan thing and that's what I enjoy.

Drove down to Daytona Beach...hmmm...there isn't even a nice coffee shop to sit on and look out at the water. What there is instead is a few fast food places selling fries, and hot dogs and such along with an arcade/chucky cheese type establishment. Tres "classy"

Saw some jellyfish on the beach...kinda creep me out.

Mail Order Wife

Saw a movie a couple of days ago (needed a desparate study break)...called Mail Order Wife. It's a small, independent production. Highly recommend it. Not going to say much about it b/c I don't want to spoil it for people but I will say it's not what I thought it would be. The beginning may put you off, but do finish the movie. At the very least, it will get you thinking. Not sure if you will find it at blockbuster but you may find it at smaller video stores.

Starting Nov

So over the last few months, not only have I let this blog lapse, but I've also let the people most important in my life "lapse". Haven't been keeping in touch with people like I should...havent been calling, haven't been emailing.

The reason: a few really. Been feeling overwhelmed at work with too much call, being a senior resident, presentations, teaching, exams. My licencing exam part deux is at the end of the month. Also the commuting back and forth from TO finally took a toll...no energy to do much. And lastly the wedding preps and family committments (the latter of which haven't been too many but with my crazy schedule were enough to feel like too much). But it's finally winding down...end of this month things should lighten up.

Goals for November:
1) need to keep in better touch with my friends...missing them too much now. hopefully it'll be easier with less call, a more relaxed rotation, no exams or presentations.
2) work on myself...i've said this time and time again but I realize that I don't take care of myself in any way...have to start..small baby steps.
3) need to make up for disappearing on certain people...not fair to them just b/c I've made my life so busy.
4) update my blog...haven't had much time to reflect on things but am starting to again.
5) lastly, read again...I miss reading just nice, normal stuff.

Let's see how this goes.

politically very incorrect

got this as a forward...thought i'd post it... (not meant to be serious...)

Been A Long While

It's been over a month since I updated my blog...kinda sad considering that since the beginning of May I've had the lightest rotation possible at work. While work has calmed down, my life is more hectic than ever.

So a quick rundown of what's happened in the last few month: met a fabulous guy. He met my parents a couple of weeks ago (see future blog for how that went). Still haven't gone to the gym. Thinking more and more about it though (it's a start :P). Actually a couple of my good friends have also met great guyz/have taken their exisiting relationships to a new level.

Lessons learned in the past few months:
1) While it's important to make an effort and seize opportunities, there is no point getting overly worked up. Things happen when you least expect it (yeah I know...very cliche but I realize that it's very true)

2) With each person you meet/interact with , you learn something about yourself so long as you take the time to reflect on.

3) I tend to ignore the "not so perfect" things about people, especially my friends. Perhaps the better strategy is to make note of it and file it away instead so you are aware of them. It'll only help you connect with people more.

4) My mind runs a 100 miles an hour...need to slow it down and think about what I will say at times before it comes flying out of my mouth :)

5) Didn't realize how big of a cheese I was until I met "A". It's nice

That's it for now...will try to write more in the next few days