Bad, bad blogger

I always make these promises to myself that I will blog, I will email, I will call and then I get home from clinical and, well, I move into a comatose state that lasts until bedtime.

So what have I been up to?

I went home over Spring Break (which is a wonderful thing for all my fellow BYUers that never got one). I spent most of my time with my fabulous nephews and niece (sadly Rebecca was in TX). I jumped on a trampoline. Yes, that was an event. Remember the knee surgery - I'm scared to run across the street much less jump on a tramp. Good thing I love my nephews so much! It was great fun. I fell in love with Guitar Hero and Rock Band. It was a great vacation.

I got home and jumped back into clinical. I was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which I loved but I just don't think it has all the action I'm looking for and I would have to work nights indefinitely. So I'm still set on the ER. I spent a day in the Children's ER last week and really enjoyed that so maybe that will be an option. I started an IV on a kid - super scary! I thought I was keeping my visible panic in check but then the mom asked me, "Are you nervous?". If I wasn't before I am now!!!

Now I'm in my Multi-system Failure rotation so I'll go from ICU to CCU to Cardiac Step-down to ER. I've had some time in the ICU now and let me just say, for the record, if anyone ever does that to me I will haunt you forever!! We can do some pretty impressive things to keep people alive but I wonder, should we? Some of the patients I've seen, let's just say I wrote a whole rant about it but just deleted it due to confidentiality but there are some major ethical issues going on. I don't think the ICU is going to be the place for me. Too many opportunities to tell people what I really think. Oh, and if I'm going to tell people what to do - get an advanced directive or a living will and a medical power of attorney (please note, if you're concerned about mental illness you need a separate document naming a mental health power of attorney). Document what you want so your neurotic, grief-stricken family doesn't have to make those choices for you. And please, for crying out loud, see a doctor once in a while. Not seeing one doesn't make the problem go away it just makes it less solvable. OK, I think I'm done ranting.

It is a pretty exciting place though. I got to practice some exciting skills and, I AM A ROCK STAR! I do love my job.

I'd write about my social life but there isn't much to report. I got a PlayStation 2 so we've had people over to hang out and play. I've been making an effort to get to know people in this ward and while my first impressions were a little disappointing, I'm finding some great people. This weekend, hopefully, I'm going flying with a friend. I wonder if he'll let me fly the plane. I have had one lesson. Later this month I'm going to the single adult conference in Huntington Beach. I'm trying to keep an open mind but I'm preparing myself to find the humor in it. I promise to report.

That's about all. I have to get to bed - we're practicing mock-codes tomorrow. Yea.