clinic day!
i never appreciated my clinic days so much until this year. since i’ve mostly been stuck working in the lab for the past 2 months, the only times i really get to see patients are on clinic days [i have 3 per month] or on weekends when on call [not as fun]. to me, the best part of living this hybrid lifestyle is that it gives me a chance to figure out what i really love: and it’s patient care.
we do frown on lollipop handouts in endocrine clinic, though . . . we’d have to hand out extra insulin!
things i like about clinic
✰ it’s fun to meet new people, including [usually] cute kids of all ages
✰ there is a nice feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day when i’ve seen everyone, and a satisfaction/happiness in feeling helpful to others
✰ the day has a defined structure, with beginning/middle/end [turns out, i much prefer this. guess i shouldn’t be too surprised]
✰ there is usually a good mix of difficulty. some patient-care decisions are pretty easy, while other cases are really confusing and may require more thought. the easy ones are fun to just check off, and the hard ones keep things from ever getting boring.
admittedly, it’s not ALL sunshine and roses. there are challenging patients [“i can’t give my daughter this synthetic thyroid medicine, she’s on an all-natural regimen!”], problems i can’t solve [“you mean to tell me his obesity ISN’T a ‘glandular problem’?”], and sometimes a lot of work in follow-up that can get tedious.
and sometimes there are parts that are a little awkward, although more for the patients than for me at this point.
anyone remember what this is?
but overall, it’s great. i feel lucky that i really do love my job and in truth cannot wait to be ready to be out on my own as an attending somewhere! just 23 months to go [with 3 of those months on maternity leave 🙂 ]! now i just have to hope i can find a job . . .
off to clinic, feeling very lucky today.
brief OB visit report: week 9
i had my first real OB visit yesterday! it was somewhat exciting because up until now i’ve only been seeing the fertility specialist [and last week i had a nurse visit]. it was also very short. but, during the brief encounter, i found out:
♥ baby’s heart is still beating nicely, and he/she is growing normally. you can now visualize him/her with a non-invasive abdominal ultrasound! yay!
♥ i gained another 0.2 lbs for a total of 3.2 at 9 weeks. it is what it is! BP was 117/77. honestly, i think this is a little high for a pregnant person although they were fine with it. maybe i need to lay off the salt a little bit . . .
♥ the OB was totally fine with continuing all physical activity, including running. that was reassuring.
it wasn’t a super personal visit [she didn’t really ask anything about me] but since the visits are spread out among all of the members of the group, i guess i won’t get to know any one provider well. next time i’ll see a different provider and i’ll get a much more detailed, formal ultrasound [to measure nuchal translucency and calculate risks of chromosomal disorders]. of course, that’s something else to stress about, but i also can’t wait!
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8.29.11
workout: 30 minutes at the gym — a little over 20 elliptical, then 10 incline walking
I SORT OF COOKED!
alert the authorities! i actually made dinner!
pesto-basil ravioli + salad [greens, bleu cheese, peppers, cucumbers, homemade vinaigrette]
okay, i realize that taking pasta out of a package and cooking it isn’t exactly haute cuisine but trust me – it’s a step up from the usual these days. and YES, you can eat bleu cheese [as long as the label says ‘pasteurized’] during pregnancy! the cdc says so!
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