happiness is....
- my friend Katie emailing me pictures of her scarf-in-progress (she is officially a knitter now)
- being the only one my age at The March of the Penguins; and laughing at the previews along with the little ones and elders around me.
- hunting down trekking sock yarn this weekend (and then scoring with both #100 and #68 at a competitive price)
- a newly replaced car headlight bulb
- breakfast with my family at my parents house
- $1 off coupons
Two weeks down, six more of medicine to go. It was an interesting week because my afternoons are spent doing hospital admissions, either from the ER or from the office. Usually there are several patients to see and lots of paperwork to fill out – but not this week. I spent a good 2-3 hours in the library each day because there wasn’t anyone to see. (the time in the library was spent under the watchful eye of a resident or the medical librarian. Thus there was no internet-ing, no knitting or fun reading. Instead I caught up on journal reading and looked a lot of things up. I did manage to sneak in some looking out the window daydreaming…) Each person I speak with has a different theory about why this is happening but the common theme is that the weather is too nice, most people are on vacation and many are traveling. As glad as I am that people are feeling well, I’d like to be busier this week! (we’ve hit some sort of record for fewest admissions and I’ve been told that it won’t last.)
I had a chance to flip through Aran Knitting and am glad I held onto it until I had time to read it. St. Brigid continues to call my name, but with the time constraints of this year I’m not sure I’ll have time to commit to it until Christmas. I’ve been flipping through Charted Knitting Designs each night and have the beginnings of an aran planned out in my head. Even if I don’t get to it for another few months it certainly is fun to think about.
A few of the residents have seen me scurrying to put my socks away before the morning meeting and have found me later to let me know that they knit too. One person saw me and exclaimed “you’re certainly in the right place and fit right in with us!” It seems she used to knit sweaters for (small) profit on the side and has a soft spot for other knitters. I’m glad I’ve been carrying my needles and yarn around. (it is nice to reach into my bag and feel the wool during particularly trying moments; I feel okay about carrying around a security blanket, er, sock.)
What I learned this week:
If I get to my morning meeting early enough to knit a few rows each day then I’ll have a pair of socks finished by Christmas.
The number of times someone has seen something on tv (news reports, morning shows or (heaven forbid) drug ads) or read it in the paper (local or national) is directly proportional to how strongly they feel they have ________ disease. How strongly they feel they have the diagnosis is proportional to the amount of talking it can take to convince them that they might not have said disease.
Though it is no substitute for ironing, it is possible to get some wrinkles out of a shirt by hanging it near my steaming morning shower.
Dishpan hands have nothing on hands that have been seeing patients (and then subsequently washed or otherwise disinfected) all morning.
It is impossible for me to stay awake and/or functioning (they are no longer the same thing) after 9:30pm. This bedtime will decrease by 20-30 minutes each weeknight so that by Thursday I am headed to bed by 7:30. I am not ashamed to admit it, but will try and think of a better excuse when explaining why, on Friday morning, I don’t remember much from the article I was given to read the night before.
- being the only one my age at The March of the Penguins; and laughing at the previews along with the little ones and elders around me.
- hunting down trekking sock yarn this weekend (and then scoring with both #100 and #68 at a competitive price)
- a newly replaced car headlight bulb
- breakfast with my family at my parents house
- $1 off coupons
Two weeks down, six more of medicine to go. It was an interesting week because my afternoons are spent doing hospital admissions, either from the ER or from the office. Usually there are several patients to see and lots of paperwork to fill out – but not this week. I spent a good 2-3 hours in the library each day because there wasn’t anyone to see. (the time in the library was spent under the watchful eye of a resident or the medical librarian. Thus there was no internet-ing, no knitting or fun reading. Instead I caught up on journal reading and looked a lot of things up. I did manage to sneak in some looking out the window daydreaming…) Each person I speak with has a different theory about why this is happening but the common theme is that the weather is too nice, most people are on vacation and many are traveling. As glad as I am that people are feeling well, I’d like to be busier this week! (we’ve hit some sort of record for fewest admissions and I’ve been told that it won’t last.)
I had a chance to flip through Aran Knitting and am glad I held onto it until I had time to read it. St. Brigid continues to call my name, but with the time constraints of this year I’m not sure I’ll have time to commit to it until Christmas. I’ve been flipping through Charted Knitting Designs each night and have the beginnings of an aran planned out in my head. Even if I don’t get to it for another few months it certainly is fun to think about.
A few of the residents have seen me scurrying to put my socks away before the morning meeting and have found me later to let me know that they knit too. One person saw me and exclaimed “you’re certainly in the right place and fit right in with us!” It seems she used to knit sweaters for (small) profit on the side and has a soft spot for other knitters. I’m glad I’ve been carrying my needles and yarn around. (it is nice to reach into my bag and feel the wool during particularly trying moments; I feel okay about carrying around a security blanket, er, sock.)
What I learned this week:
If I get to my morning meeting early enough to knit a few rows each day then I’ll have a pair of socks finished by Christmas.
The number of times someone has seen something on tv (news reports, morning shows or (heaven forbid) drug ads) or read it in the paper (local or national) is directly proportional to how strongly they feel they have ________ disease. How strongly they feel they have the diagnosis is proportional to the amount of talking it can take to convince them that they might not have said disease.
Though it is no substitute for ironing, it is possible to get some wrinkles out of a shirt by hanging it near my steaming morning shower.
Dishpan hands have nothing on hands that have been seeing patients (and then subsequently washed or otherwise disinfected) all morning.
It is impossible for me to stay awake and/or functioning (they are no longer the same thing) after 9:30pm. This bedtime will decrease by 20-30 minutes each weeknight so that by Thursday I am headed to bed by 7:30. I am not ashamed to admit it, but will try and think of a better excuse when explaining why, on Friday morning, I don’t remember much from the article I was given to read the night before.
posted by Kristen at 9:20 PM
8 Comments:
wow, not sure what else to say, it's busy but i am happy to hear that your socks are getting some attention. Just in case I ahve not mentioned it before I love your happiness is entries.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
There is nothing at all wrong with headed to bed at 7:30...I'm amazed that you've even been making it past 9!
Glad you found some knitters (or have been found out by them). :)
I'm SO with you on the bed time earlier and earlier. If I could go to bed right now (9:36 AM) I'd be very happy indeed.
I wish I could make myself go to bed early! I've always been a bit of an evening person, and I can jsut keep knitting way past when I should. Although, I've just been told by a doctor that I NEED to get more sleep, for a condition that is worsened by fatigue, and only made better by nasty drugs or surgery. So, sleep it is!! I guess our bodies know what we need better than we do :)
One does tend to sleep one's life away in medicine. C'est la vie. I've been thinking about my post yesterday, and realizing how little control of anything there is in the medical life. And then trying to figure out how people stay motivated despite that.
I totally hear you! My mom called me the other day at 9:15, and I was sleeping, and had to mumble through some polite conversation before saying, "I can't talk, need sleep, love you...." Also, THANK YOU THANK YOU for the awesome present! I'm cooking one up for you in return, just you wait and see!!! ;O)
I just stumbled on your blog, and it's great! I had to read your list of what you've learned this week to my hubby, an internist. He's only been an attending for just over a year (loves it) and sympathizes mightily with you.
Btw, if you're looking for a residency program that's a little more humane, kick me an e-mail so I can tell you all about Kalamazoo, Michigan's great program. I don't work for them or anything, but my hubby went through their program, and it was sooooo much better than other ones we've heard about. Most of the residents are married with (or expecting soon) children, so they're pretty supportive of each other. You can get me at riverwalkyarns at comcast dot net.
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