Dirty Dancing

So I've been doing this Zumba class for about 2 week now. My Monday night class is actually somewhat a workout but my Thursday class is fluff and ass-shaking more or less. If I wanted fluff I would dance around in my grandma's living room. There is something to be said about group classes, there can be a lot of people in one room who are suppose to be doing the same actions but in tonight's class there was some heavy recruiting from the main gym to get people to try the class - great idea except there were a lot of people in one room, not doing the same actions looking completely confused and to top it off, the lady next to me was dancing in my dance space! If you've ever seen the movie Dirty Dancing you would know the when people are dancing, it is essential to stay in your own dance space. I don't mind dancing close to other people, in fact it's reminiscent of my dance team days in college but the people I was dancing close to then knew what they were doing and didn't dance in my space and sure didn't whack me occasionally when going to wrong direction swinging the arms the wrong way. The least I can say was my Zumba class was more dirty disaster than dirty dancing. If I didn't get out of work between 5 and 5:30 I could attend some of the other classes that sound interesting and more, um advanced and less booty shaking. After Thanksgiving I suppose.

Shawn has caught up on his sleep I think finally. He spent the afternoon with our niece and nephew. Wish I could be up there hanging out with them but all in good time...Wednesday is only a little over 24hrs away! YAY!

Clinic flew by today. Some interesting patient histories to accompany the patients: a 5 yr old who at age three was diagnosed with malignant pancreatic cancer - now in remission and in for a sinus infection - um wow. A 40+yr lady with Dandy Walker syndrome (I had never heard of this syndrome: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dandywalker/dandywalker.htm ) in for a pap. She has two children in their 20s who are perfectly normal. There were a couple others too, but can't remember the entire gist of it all, so I will save them for when I do remember.

Fighting the Urge

It's hard to fight the urge...especially when it would be so easy to give in. I gave in partially this morning by sleeping until noon hoping more rest would fight off the looming illness in my head and throat. I'm a firm believer that once you give in to the idea of getting sick - you will. For the record - I'm not getting sick, just cycling through a multitude of fun symptoms; headache, body aches, sore throat, nasal drainage. I don't have time to be sick right now, I have to make it through 2 1/2 work days to Wednesday afternoon when I will be driving to IA to visit my hubby and in-laws. I can't believe are finally in the same time zone, although truth be told I wish I were going back to NW but beggars can't be choosers and I am just very grateful to be able to see Shawn, no matter where he is. If he could have stowed away our 4-legged furbabies the holiday would be complete but at least I can watch them play on the webcams at daycare.
So until Thanksgiving passes, I will be fighting the urge to be sick and so for all of you patients out there and family members, cover your mouths and wash your hands, this holiday is about giving thanks, not your colds and strep throat.

Special Delivery

My phone rang at 9pm last night - it was the doc telling me our OB pt wasn't dilated more than 2 - maybe tomorrow "we'll get a baby out of the deal" (one of my docs commonly used phrases). I went to bed around 11 and my phone rang again at 12:20 - "she at 9." I said" let me throw some clothes on and I'll be right up" (in retrospect this sentence doesn't sound good in or out of context, but hey I was rocked mid-sleep cycle). I wasn't sure what to wear but threw on a pair of corduroy pants, a nice shirt and my dress shoes. I was there and in the room by 12:30 - not too shabby. I go changed into my scrubs - which looked ridiculous with my brown dress shoes and pink and white argyle socks showing from my buckle shoes, and my hair was a dry-sweat mess from the workout earlier in the evening (would have taken a shower but grandma didn't want me using any new towels until the next day since she just washed them and didn't want a single dirty towel). The mom-to be looked radiant, you wouldn't even know she was in labor. After 2 hours of pushing and a grade 3-4 episiotomy out popped a beautiful 8.5# little girl (much bigger than anyone thought). I was scrubbed in, but didn't do anything but massage the uterus after delivery for about 10 seconds. Oh well, I've helped deliver a couple before - but it would have been cool. The new dad almost lost it and passed out when the birthing coach had him look at the head of hair popping out of his girlfriend. I just can't imagine delivering babies gets old. How fun. The new parents were in shock and awe - new dad talking on the phone to his basketball buds - "it was just insane! the whole thing just crazy! I have a little girl." I may have been exhausted to make a house call at 7:15 this morning to a quad with hemorrhoids the size of a small head of cauliflower - no joke, but it was totally worth it to be there early this morning to watch the family pace as they waited for the first grandbaby and the expectant parents finding strength and endurance and bonding with their new little one. sigh.

It's a small world

There's nothing more awkward then rounding on your grandma unless it's taking an aerobics class from one of your OB patients with a class filled with people I have also seen -I've managed to accomplish both this week. Do I get extra points for that? Even if I did I am so done with Typhon I wouldn't take the time to add it on to my patient list anyway. I brought grandma home from the hospital at lunch time after rounding on an OB who hopefully will deliver in the next 24hrs. I will be sleeping lightly in the anticipation of a phone call to jet up to the hospital and catch.

I don't think I could live and practice in a town this size - I don't mind running into people I know here and there, but not everywhere: wal-mart (greeter, cashier and lady at the fabric dept), Applebee's - hostess, at the gym (on the treadmill, eliptical, free weights and in my exercise classes) and when my mom drug me to the Elks' lodge last weekend for a fish dinner. I feel like everyone is watching me and I'm sure most have met my grandma at one time or another (she chats up anyone within ear shot) and I'm sure they've formed opinions at some point too. I'm also not from a farming background so although I try to pretend like I understand the trials and tribulations from those working 16hr days in the fields to get the milo and grain packaged and take care of the livestock north of town, I probably really don't have a clue.

Last night my mom drove 2hrs from where she works and lives during the week to take me out to dinner - to celebrate my 2 yr anniversary with Shawn. It wasn't the same, but it helped not being alone on my anniversary. I also found out today that I can skip clinic next Fri (after turkey day - it's only a half day anyway) to run up to IA to see Shawn for 2 of the 4 days he's in town - YAY!! I am so ready to see him and my in-laws and niece and nephew and sister in-law. I love Thanksgiving!!

I've almost finished with Typhon - from the last rotation thank goodness, at least if they go to check it I will get a majority of the points I hope - it should make up for the lack of perfectness on my paper.

Conflict of Interest

I am frantically trying to squeeze this short note in when I should be up at the hospital with grams. I suggested she go to the ER yesterday w/ her 3 days of facial pressure, hoarse voice, sore throat cough and then the n/v/d. Long story short (and after disinfecting the ER room from the previous patient myself) she was admitted for hyponatremia (119) and an infection. IV fluids and a little azithromycin. I will finish the story later, I realize now as I start to write, I can't in anyway finish this story in 5min, not even in bullet form. But I am proud of mysefl for keeping my mouth shut for the most part about how these crazy small towners practice medicine out here...oh Lord, ship me to KC if I get sick. More to come...

Long Road Ahead

It's been one week, and although it moved along pretty quickly, I am realizing I have a long way to go and at this point I am not even sure it's worth it - the time away from my husband, the expenses, the strain this has put on everyone, including me. It's not just being homesick, but my whole way of life has been upset for the last 18months and for another 9months yet. The way I eat, sleep, play, the whole nine yards. I keep thinking it will get easier and better, but truth be told it's not. I am also realizing why I love the NW so much. It's so different from what I grew up with and Shawn and I have adapted quite nicely to way we live together and away from the Midwest but this whole experience has just upset the basket of apples. I'm not a big fan of change once I find a rhythm for something I like to stick with it. I realize being here for just a week, that won't be the case. I guess I just needed to vent. I am ready for this journey to end. The problem is, Shawn and I don't have a normal routine. Since we started dating I have been in school, and although I worked too we've moved so much that we haven't had any "us" time in a really long time, we don't even have our apartment unpacked from our last move. Once I graduate it'll be time to work (a lot to pay off those stupid loans) and we'll both be working lots to buy a house and another car and pay off my loans oh and kids (which were the first priority when we got married suddenly seem to be on the back burner) - I swear it's never ending. When is it time for us to just sit down and breath, enjoy each other, enjoy the rest of the world? There just isn't enough time for us to do everything and unfortunately it seems that the one thing being sacrificed right now is us and honestly, that doesn't work for me. And as I sit here, staring at my pile of papers to add to Typhon I see it's going to be a long road ahead.

Zumba

These week went by pretty quick. Tomorrow's Friday!
Today I finally saw patients by myself - sort of. I saw a patient got the scoop (met mostly with - uh is the Dr. not in today because I can reschedule by the patients) then he went in to see the patient. i was right on track what I was telling patient - he repeated nearly everything I told the patients, so I am well on my way I think. I don't know how many times I overheard a patient ask the nurse rooming the patients "I don't know why someone would ever become one of those PAs or NPs and not go to medical school" usually followed by1. "they must be lazy" 2. "they must not be smart enough to go to med school" and 3. "why see a PA when I can see the doc?"
Sigh....
I saw everything from Well Child Checks (made a new mom cry when I said her kid looked like a million bucks) to HTN checks to a guy with a unidentifiable rash (even to the derm doc). It was a long day but a good day - complete with a drug rep lunch who spent 2 minutes talking the whole time saying "here are my drugs, take note pads, we won't have those come January. Want seconds? thirds? boxes for dinner tonight?" We had a catered Mexican lunch - it was awesome!
Dictating two of my patients not so awesome. He told me to just do two today, and see how I do and if I feel comfortable I can do more tomorrow.
Tonight I went to din with grams (although seriously not hungry after lunch) I had to eat light so I wouldn't be full for my group exercise class. I am not a huge fan of group classes - especially the choreographed ones: "Here we go! And 5-6-7-8, work it out ladies.... feel the burn" and so on. I get embarrassed, I feel like everyone is watching me look like complete retard in my uncoordinated long limb fashion. I took a class called Zumba. The commercials look cooler than it was - our instructor didn't speak the entire time - unless it was in Spanish. 85-90% of the class were overweight Latina women - including the instructor. The remaining 10-15% stuck out like a sore thumb...but it was still fun. I salsa'd and mambo'd my way to thinner thighs and sculpted abs. I may have to try another class in addition to this one and my cardio and weight lifting time - I am going to be exhausted. Maybe this will help me sleep.
I'm ready for Friday.