More Happiness

First of all, let me say that I am not looking forward to call tomorrow (Sunday). However... it's my last one! Until I have medicine again in January, which I'm actually terrified for, but whatever. As of Monday 8am I'm on vacation for a week! w00t!

I'm watching "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," and am again struck by how convincing they make the main characters' love affair. It makes me wish to be in a relationship again, but on the other hand, I'm pretty busy and fulfilled as it is. I mean, of course I wouldn't turn down a relationship, but in a way it's just as well that I'm single, because I've been needing a lot of sleep lately. Speaking of which, I'm hitting the hay.

Contentment

I'm actually really happy right now. I had another great day at work and I got to walk home in the sunshine with my senior resident. It's funny, I'm really looking forward to vacation next week, but since this has been such a great rotation, I have mixed feelings about it ending.

In general, intern year has been fantastic. I haven't felt this fulfilled in a long time, as stressful as it all is. w00t!

there's no place like home

This is what I'm watching right now, before bed:

And I think it's appropriate. I had a fantastic couple of days. Well, I was on call yesterday overnight to today, but it was not bad at all. I got sleep, and felt like I knew what was going on with my patients. Which meant a) I got to leave early, b) I just needed a couple of hours of naptime afterward, so c) I could go out to Mom and Dad's house with Maggie and the boys. (Mom and Dad just returned from London today.) We had pizza in the living room and I curled up in front of the fire, and Dad rubbed my back for a while. We were all tired and mellow, and it was so nice just to sit and laugh and catch up. And now for an early bedtime. :)

B101

I'm so tired. And out of it. It's amazing, the difference between me when I'm on the ball (and caffeinated!) and when I've been up for 24 hours.

Call wasn't bad, at least until the 1am hour, when I was finished my work and went to lie down for all of 15 minutes before I got called for bradycardia (slow heart rate), and THEN it turned out we had another admission. Grr! So I did the admission, but was slow-witted and could not think through the plan very well, and instead just went along with whatever the night float resident wanted to do. Then I slept from 3:30 to 5am, but was woken up because this difficult patient was refusing his treatment and was also complaining of chest pain. And then was refusing an EKG. Lord. The words "chest pain" are like a big red button that sets this clanking robotic mechanism into place. So even though he said it was just a twinge, twice, and did not sound at all like any kind of heart problem, I had to get an EKG. It of course looked like his previous EKGs, meaning, no changes at all, so I left it.

Anyway, the bottom line is, we admit all day and then, when we're sleep-deprived, make formal presentations to the attending, and I just fell on my face (figuratively) the whole morning. I was incoherent. I don't do well with little sleep!

I walked home at 1pm, after a morning of very slow work, and realized something funny -- light rock was just what I wanted to hear! Bring on Uncle Kracker's "Follow Me" and Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" and Sophie B Hawkins's "As I Lay Me Down." It was so warm and comforting to have this boring music. So... people who like that music must live their lives like they're post-call! Horrible.

Philly

I love this town.

Carousing

Yesterday I went after lectures with five of my co-interns to the New Deck, where we shared drinks and nachos and laughs, and it was awesome.