Man oh man...

Wow, I can't believe that it's been 3 months since my last blog. I thought to myself, wow, a Blog, what a great way to try and let everyone know what's going on without big gaps of time in between...hhhmmm....well it's the thought that counts isn't it? I don't know. I guess part of being in med school is the associated guilt about having little time for those you love and think about often. I find that if I'm not at the hospital (Layne had 3 days off this last month) or sitting with my head buried in the books trying to keep up with reading for exams, then it's sleep, oh heavenly sleep! Oh, and then there's the trying to find time to eat thing. I find lately that eating usually happens in one big feast at about 10 or 11 at night. Coffee for breakfast seems to be the order of the day.

Well...let's see...since last blog from the boonies where I did my rural rotation, I have completed my rotations in Opthamology, Dermatology, ER and Orthopedics.

Opthamology - I would rather poke myself in the eye with a sharp stick every day rather than have to look in people's eyes all day long. I do have to say though, Thank God for Opthamologists as your eyes are so important and they discover some very weird and wonderful things, which if caught in time, they can usually do something about. Cataract surgery is a pretty cool thing to watch. It's amazing to be able to restore someone's sight with such a short, fairly uncomplicated procedure.

Dermatology - not nearly as gross as I thought it would be. Again, I think I might rather rub my skin raw than be a Dermatologist. I did see some pretty interesting conditions though. Unfortunately, many dermatological conditions can only be managed, not cured.

ER - loved it of course. I must say though that I didn't happen to come across any "emergencies" while I was doing my rotation. It seems that lots of people think that a sore throat and a sniffle qualify as an emergency. Hhhmmm....quite baffling really. I am very good at using my inside voice and not looking directly at the person and saying, "Are you kidding me? You have a cold. Get some nose spray and Kleenex". Or my other favourite is, "I need stitches". Hhhhmmm, let me get my microscope out and see if I can find the gaping wound that you claim to have sustained. Oh, I know, bad student doctor, bad! I did grapple with "Does that make me a bad person?" The answer, after talking to many a physician, is a resounding NO. You just get good at "reassuring" people that they are just fine.

Orthopedics - cool stuff. Any bone or joint you can think of is involved. I quite like it and the surgeries are interesting. Everything from tendon releases to joint replacements to amputations. Unfortunately I was struck with the super bug going around and was knocked out for a week of that rotation (which happens to have been last week). So, I'm a bit bummed about not having seen more but I'll have another shot at it in residency.

As for what's next on the list...General Surgery. Interesting and exhausting. Layne just finished his Gen Surg rotation and I think he will need almost as many weeks to recover. I start tomorrow morning. I'm about 75% back in the game after the superbug. Hopefully they won't kick me out of the OR again for having germs.

As for the most interesting/sad/gross thing I've been involved in. Well, it seems that trying to commit suicide with a firearm to the jaw is common in these here parts. Two in one weekend. The last guy we were up with until two in the morning trying to sew up what was left of his face so that he could be transported. I wasn't sure what that would be like. It was like business mode, do what you can for the guy so that he remains stable and hopefully lives. The hard part was when we were wheeling him into the OR and his Mom was talking to his bloody, bandaged face, telling him how much she loved him. I felt tears start...and then onto the OR and the tears subsided. An interesting phenomenon. Maybe a protective instinct. I don't know what it is, but it kicks in in those situations so you can remain clear-headed and get the job done.

So the next four weeks should prove to be another medical adventure. This year has been an interesting ride. Six more months to go. Two weeks off in August and then straight into our last year. Crazy. We are in the process now of choosing our electives for our fourth year. Next year is also the year where we are going to be going insane trying to apply for residency positions, kind of like applying to med school all over again. We'll be flying all over the place to interview for residency spots. It will be interesting to see where the chips may fall. It could mean staying in BC or it could mean being on the other side of the country for a couple of years. Who knows?

On the home front all is great. When Layne and I actually do get to see each other, we are usually pretty exhausted and spend time just hanging, studying and sleeping. We have managed to get in some x-country skiing and some squash as well as a little bit of gym time. Layne successfully completed his first indoor cycling class! And he actually enjoyed it!

We had a fun Christmas in Pemberton with his family, his little guy Lochlan and his sister and her husband and their two boys. It was rambunctious and loud, but lively is more fun than quiet. The big hit over the holidays was the chocolate fondue fountain that Layne got me for Christmas. Yes my friends, a dream come true for this self-professed chocoholic. Yes, he is enabling me in my addiction and I love him even more for it. We had several chocolate fondue-fests that were absolutely insane. Think of it...think of a small waterfall...only with chocolate. HEAVEN!!!

We also managed a couple of days on Salt Spring Island relaxing and being pampered (I've turned my Layne into a true spa-boy!) before heading back to the hospital. A bit of heaven before heading back to reality.

I hope this finds you well. I look forward to hearing from you and finding out what is going on with you. Send pictures!!

Take Care,
L xo