Of Releasing Pressure

Just something quick because it's late (for me anyways).

Today was crazy. The in-laws are in town. It's times like these when you have obligations to your family and to your job that you feel like you are being tugged in two different directions. You feel the need to stay, learn, and do a good job, but you also want to get the hell out of there. I struck a happy medium and was running at max efficiency today. I skipped breakfast first, and then before I knew it lunch had passed me by. I had all my ducks in a row and I was set to be done by 1pm (crazy early)...then we had a delivery...then we had another delivery...then there was a procedure I needed to observe...then my senior who was supposed to relieve me was busy with another patient so I had to wait...before I knew it, it was 3:45 - I'd run myself ragged trying to get out of there, and all for nothing, I could feel the knots in my muscles from being tense all day. As I looked at my watch leaving the hospital, the hour hand had just ticked on 5pm (which normally isn't bad, but considering what I had hoped for...it was dismal). You start to see the hospital as this monster you are trying to escape and just when you think you've out ran it, it reaches up to pull you back in. Tomorrow will be my 3rd day on call...it's what they call a "black saturday" in my hospital. Because it's a black saturday, from last monday, until next saturday I will have approximately 6 hours off (which I will probably use to sleep, because I will be post call). After that sleep is over I'll go back to work. Sometimes it seems a little brutal, but I've developed a nice little trick for getting out of it (figured this one out in medical school). 1) I think of my Dad on the farm. He'll work a month straight without blinking - so what am I whining about? 2) If I'm ever feeling burnt out, I find a movie theater and go to a movie (tonight it was toy story 3). I don't know how most people do it, but for me that is my stress relief. I can go to a movie and for two blessed hours I'm not thinking about anything, I'm in the movie...and when it's over, I can take a deep sigh and find the strength to go back to it. Without little things like that I wouldn't have passed medical school and I definitely wouldn't have the stamina to attempt this residency. I'm not saying I'm a hard worker or that what I'm doing is the hardest job in the world (it definately is not easy though). All I'm saying is how important it is to have something like that, something that can decompress you, and give you the energy to go back and do it all over again tomorrow. It makes life easier and in medicine I count going to the theater among my blessings.

- oh yeah. you should see Toy Story 3 - I recommend it.

Newbie Doc