Current events...

Currently on:

Outpatient pediatrics!!! It is so awesome. It is amazing to work 8-5 (or even 4:30 occasionally!, 5 days a week) instead of 5-8 (6 days a week). This is actually a new rotation, as last year as interns, my fellow classmates did a whole month of inpatient pediatric wards. Now the interns (yes, I'm still doing "intern" rotations-- this my last, though!) do 2 weeks on inpatient (which I start in a week) and 2 weeks of this outpatient stuff. Did I mention that it rocks?? I've spent a couple mornings at Kaiser- in the autism clinic at Rancho Cordova and the general peds clinic in Davis, a day with the lactation consultants and an additional 1/2 day at WIC, learning everything one ever wanted to know about breastfeeding, and then at a few half days of FP clinic. I even had a morning designated for reading, which is great (I'm still a big nerd and love to devour my American Academy of Family Physician, Journal of Family Practice, and Green Journal of OBGYN journals when they come in...). I have had time to album-ize all the photos I've taken this year (!), get some errands done, eat lunch outside in the California sunshine, and go to the gym, which has been totally rejuvenating. Why can't life always be like this?

I've also had time to do some reading! On Wendi's recommendation, I'm currently reading and thoroughly enjoying John Grogan's Marley and Me. It is utterly amazing that people could have the energy to put up with such a rambunctious character (makes Scrubs look like an angel!). If you're a dog lover, this is extremely humorous and a very entertaining read.

Currently planning:

A trip to Central America!!! Last week, Shomir and I bought tickets to fly to Belize for our vacation in October. I've been browsing the Lonely Planet guides to set up an itinerary, but in addition to exploring Belize and relaxing on the beach in Ambergris Caye, we want to try to hit the Mayan Ruins of Tikal in eastern Guatemala (another country to the list!). Darina is giving us some recommendations of places to stay and highlights (I'm already set on cave tubing and visiting some wildlife refuges). We are then flying from Belize to Boston (visiting Shomir's sister and nieces, and hoping to meet up with Tia/Rob and Nicole/Bay) before flying back to Sac. I can't wait! This trip will be the light at the end of the tunnel of a every-weekend-call-filled September and October for both of us.

Doesn't this look marvelous?? :)

Other recent events:

Although it was my first weekend off in months, I was called on Friday night (I guess it would be early Saturday a.m.) around 2 a.m. because one of my FP continuity patients was in triage for SROM (breaking her water). I had built a great relationship with her in the past year, her coming to see me as she was trying to get pregnant, and then for all of her prenatal visits, and so I loyally went in to admit her and settle her in. She ended up progressing very slowly (she was also on magnesium for preeclampsia)-- I had to put in a foley bulb to help her dilate, an IUPC to assess the adequacy of her contractions, and she was on pitocin for about 12 hours. All day, the OB chief was anxious to have me just "call it" and do a c-section because of her slow progress, but I just couldn't give up that she would do this "naturally" (vaginally) even though, exhausted, I, too, just wanted the baby to come out so we could all get some rest. After lots of praying ("please, please, please, be more than 7 cm this check"), when I went to check her around 5:30 p.m., she was completely dilated and ready to push. Once the attending got there from where she lives in Davis to supervise, she pushed like a champ and, at 1854, 20 hours after SROM, she had in her arms her beautiful baby boy. Despite my frustration at the slowness of the labor and being cooped up in the hospital for half of a rare and precious "golden weekend," hearing that baby cry and seeing her become a mom made it all worth it!!!! I walked across the street to Shomir's just in time to eat some dinner and promptly fall asleep in front of the TV with Olympics on, which has been my pattern this whole week.

Today, Shomir and I went to church with Darina and her friend Adam from LA and had a yummy lunch at Crepeville (pictures courtesy of Darina, on whom I can always count to whip out her camera before I even remember to document the events for the blogs-- thanks!!)

I'm looking fwd to the Olympic Closing Ceremony tonight (I missed the what I hear was spectacular opening ceremony!). While I will definitely lament not having the sports on anymore and at being able to watch the heroic comebacks and unbelievable performances these games, I am actually relieved. As I've written before, obsessive Olympics-watching is really not very compatible with residency hours! If I felt like (on this outpatient rotation) I had a lot of free time before, I'm going to almost be BORED now, without that 4+ hours of ritualistic primetime Olympics-viewing every night :)

Hope everyone has a great week! I know I will! Yay for outpatient medicine!!!!!