hi

February 16, 2007

it’s been a busy 10 days. not too busy to post anything — no one is really ever truly too busy to post, in my opinion, but i do understand how being otherwise occupied can sap the desire to spend time blathering on about things over the internet. and i’ve been occupied. with the emergency room, with girls on the run, with attempting to learn spanish, with kaplan teacher training, with cross training, with strength training, and with remedial running (ok, fine, recovery).

i’m actually pretty happy with all this. i like when i can keep a lot of things going on at once, and so far nothing seems like it’s on the verge of crashing down. this is subject to change, of course. i keep thinking of how in just a few short months, just balancing my job alone with Basic Life Activities (eating! sleeping! and more!) is going to be an enormous challenge.

for now, though, i’m managing, and i’m pretty much enjoying it all. yes, the ER is filled with people who are not having any sort of ’emergency’ whatsoever, but whatever — as a student, it just makes my job easier and less stressful when half of the people i see are only marginally sick! i’ve gotten to put in a few IVs, did my first ABG* and i’ve done all other ‘required’ procedures (NG tube placement**, Foley catheter insertion*** – not the most exciting) except i haven’t gotten to stitch anyone up yet! not that i want to encourage kitchen mishaps and nonserious suicide attempts, but i would really appreciate it if someone in durham would get a nice, not-too-deep slice on the arm or leg for me to practice on during one of my shifts. preferably someone with a high pain tolerance and little regard for aesthetics. heh.

i have a 3 pm – 11 pm shift today. i have have lots more to talk about, but i am going to try to be productive (the gym, studying, some kaplan prep) this morning. but i promise — more updates (and fewer pictures of ugly 1980s tennis shoes) to come!

PS: to the commenter below (the awesomely honest A, i am guessing?) — i know i’m a nerd — and don’t worry, i’m totally okay with it! wouldn’t you want your kid’s pediatric endocrinologist to be at least somewhat of nerd? i thought so. at least i don’t wear the keds anymore.

* ABG = arterial blood gas. This involves sticking a needle into someone’s radial artery to get info about their state of oxygenation, so it is a little bit more exciting than going into a vein. Also, more painful.

** NG tube = tube that is fed into the nose down into the stomach, usually to suck out the contents of someone who has a blocked GI tract. you can also put things down the tube, like oral contrast, if the person won’t drink it. this is not hard to put in at all, as long as the patient cooperates.

*** Foley catheter = inserted into the urethra to drain urine. not hard at all except in big, big, patients. of which we have plenty of.

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