"It's Christmas Eve Eve!" ~Eloise (from Eloise at Christmastime)
Last night, I drove into White Plains after getting off work to drop some keys off for a co-worker. On the phone, her voice was so choked with guilt it sounded as if she was about to cry. Her family is visiting for the holiday, and knowing that, her co-workers have gifted her with a three day weekend. She had not asked for it, and knowing how much others will have to work to cover for her, she was having a hard time accepting the gift.
I very quickly put an end to her qualms about accepting the three day Christmas weekend. We are, after all, surgery residents and pulling together and covering for each other is what we do. She will have ample opportunity to pay it forward and pay it back. A part of me was saddened to see that residency creates in us an almost inability to accept more than a "golden weekend" (saturday and sunday) once a every couple of months, if we're lucky. But an even greater part of me was really happy to see how our small family of surgery residents takes care of each other.
I, myself, was able to spend Christmas Eve Eve at home as well. I was able to wake up and read/study for 5 straight hours before even getting out of bed! I've had a Pandora Christmas station playing all day long, and even after putting down my books, was able to maintain the productivity. Cleaned the nooks and crannies!
I found the tin of Jacques Torres Wicked Hot Chocolate mix that my sister had bought long ago during her visit. Perhaps I could go buy some milk and make the Christmas Eve Eve extra special! Opened it. It still looked good. So then decided to shake it in an effort to mix up the separated layers. Two seconds later I had a cloud of chocolate dust settling all over my apartment. Christmas Eve Eve extra extra special! On a brighter note, it made my apartment, previously smelling like bleach, smelling like chocolate instead. So after cleaning again, I went and got the milk anyways. There was about 1/2 cup of mix left, and figured I'd better use it quick before it had a chance to fly away from me as well. Christmas Eve Eve extra extra extra special! ;)
On a follow-up note from work,
1) The kid with the machete to his wrist injury showed up back in the ED again. So we booked him again. Super excited, as we had a second chance to do his repair surgery. We waited for the day with anticipation. We even called his mom the day before to make sure she was going to make him come. (It was his mom that got him to show up back in the ED again). Aaaaaaand (drum roll....) He didn't show up.
Well, to be completely honest, he showed up 5hours late. My Attending confronted him. He's going to give him a third chance. This kid is lucky. Many Attendings would have signed off on him after the first time. The kid is also a dingbat. Even with repair and months of hand therapy, at this point, full return of function to his hand is highly unlikely.
2) I got to operate on the twins again! Only this time from a plastic surgery perspective. Talk about continuity of care! :) They are growing so big!! It's so fun to watch them grow and develop. They don't go anywhere without their fuzzy pink blanket. I say, it must be a magical blanket. One of the twins can be crying, give her the blanket, and she's instantly calmed down and quiet. It's pretty cute. They're moving up the separation to next month. I'm going to have to find a way to get in that OR, you know, for continuity of care! ;)
Much Love.
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