Estoy descansando.

I am so thankful to be sitting. My feet extended in front of me on the foot rest. I'm resting.  I'm so thankful to be able to rest for this quiet short moment.

This week at the hospital, my intern counterpart was on her week of nights.  So the job that is typically done by two interns was left to me.  I went into the week, knowing it was going to be intense, with a goal for the week of 25 discharges.  That number had already been reached by Tuesday.  A 'discharge' isn't just a pat on the back and good-bye. From the perspective of the care provider, a 'discharge' is potentially a mountain of work. Coordination between consulting services, providing proper follow-up information, providing correct discharge medications, putting in discharge orders on time, and of course the discharge summary and paperwork. A discharge could take 15min (no consults, no medications, short hospital stay), but that is a rarity. Every single day this week I was at the hospital until late finishing up all my discharges from the day. Finally drag myself home at the end of the day feeling like I'd just spent the day skiing or something. Legs stiff. Feet hurting. Utterly exhausted. To get up in a few too short hours to go and do it all again.
 
By the end of the week, a 24 hour period away from it all, is potentially life-saving.  At the minimum sanity-saving. Which is why I'm so thankful to be sitting still right now.

I'm sorry to sound like I'm whining.  Perhaps I am.  Feel sorry for meeeeee. pitty meeeee. waaaaa. But please don't. It's just exhaustion speaking. And the disappointment that I couldn't be with my friends last night.  This is the process of residency.  This is the job.  These are the sacrifices that have been made, and will continue to be made.

I managed to get a few cases in this week.  Not as many as in previous weeks.  My seniors were all interns at one point in time.  No one said anything but one look at the floor list, and they knew what it ment.  Except for those few cases, most days they didn't even think about assigning me any OR time.  Friday, the 4th year assigned me to a Plastics case, and did so specifically as a reward (without actually saying it like that).  I like the reconstruction cases I've done with plastics, and I like the Plastics attending at St. Vinny's.  We don't necessarily have to work with him, but we like too.  And I couldn't even make the case. He saw me on the floor after the case was already over, and called me out on it.  "You were supposed to scrub with me! Things busy on the floor?" And he understood.  He might be the only Attending that would ever understand, accept, and forgive that.  And I hope I never have to abuse that fact again.

I get to go to church this weekend!!!!! I start my week of nights next week.  So I'm off Sunday day and will be able to make it to church. Just have to leave after to get back in time to get to work on time Sunday night.