Estoy sobreviviendo.

I was on call last Thursday, and as the night wore on and the ED persisted in calling, my nose started dripping, my ears started popping, and my head feeling heavy.  Morning came and I was one very tired and very grumpy surgery resident. Instead of making it through traffic, I, for once, just sat and rode the traffic home that Friday morning. Knowing I was fighting a head cold I started by taking a nap snuggled under my blankets. Nap went well, so I attempted to study, which didn’t go so well and ended in a second nap. A meager second medicated attempt at studying and I soon gave up and went to bed hoping to sleep away my cold enough to concentrate on my ABSITE the next morning.

I wasn’t the only one with struggles the next morning. Another came in the throes of full-blown flu, and another came with post-call exhaustion written on his face. As I paused my test to take a break, I noticed he too had paused his test, but to lay his head down on the desk and sleep.  Who is every really ready to take their in-service examination?  There’s probably someone out there with an amazing memory and stellar immune system who isn’t post call and could perhaps be ready. The rest of us… Lord have mercy.

In the end, it doesn’t really matter how we did, but that we keep moving forward. Use it as a gauge of our progress and strive for more. Never stop learning.

And in the meantime, it is also nice to have a short reprieve from the pressure of a looming exam. I got home from the test Saturday and got to take care of some daily activities which had been pushed way down on the priority list. Things like taking out the trash and recyclables. Doing the dishes and paying the bills. Just nice to celebrate being normal for an afternoon, which ended all too soon, as my head cold demanded even more sleep.  

Much Love.