Website of the day: SparkPeople.com

Last night I was talking to a friend of mine who told me that while she was at home, she went on the “hCG Diet.” For those of you not in the know, this diet includes taking hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin is a protein that is produced by the uterus during pregnancy) and limiting one’s diet to 500 calories. She proudly stated that she had lost 15 pounds while she was at home (she gained 8 of it back within a week of stopping). I stared at her. She’s a physician-in-training and she is falling prey to these fad diets; it’s no wonder why the average overweight American desperate for an easy answer does the same (it also explains why I wasn’t surprised to see her Facebook status linking impending doom and gloom and (horrors!) socialized medicine because of the new legislature that was just passed. But that’s another blogging entry, which is coming up later this week, I think). I thought that we were past the days of severe, weird diets* (the grapefruit diet, anyone? The Juice diet? FenPhen?) and realized that the only way to lose weight was hard work: exercise, calorie restriction (there are still debates as to whether this means carbohydrates or fat. I’m a believer that it’s a little of both) and patience.

Confession: Four years ago, I woke up, stepped on the scale and realized that I had gone from being overweight in the BMI (body mass index) to obese. Not only that, I was severely out of shape, huffing and puffing and couldn’t keep up with my much more lean and well-build friend, Mr Ironman Chris. I monitored my calories, got a gym membership and worked out on a daily basis for 3 months and lost 15 pounds. Then the rest of third year med school happened. The exercise dwindled as I didn’t have time. I stopped bringing a lunch, because the hospitals provided free lunches of yummy noodles or Chinese food. By the end of the year, I had gained all of that weight back. And then a couple pounds more. And a couple more.

And then residency happened. Residency, where my free time was cut to next to nil, where my on-call food choices included chicken tenders or a beef wellington, where I learned to snarf down a meal in 3 minutes flat, because that was all the time I could spare. Not to mention the snacking: candy, chips, crackers, orange juice, etc, all used to keep me awake. I gained ten pounds my intern year. Last winter I hit my peak. 184 pounds. I can’t tell you how miserable I was. Due to the fact that I was sick the entire month of January, I managed to lose a little of the weight and slowly over the year, dropped a couple more.

I found a link browsing through an LJ community to a website where you could calculate the number of calories in any recipe. I was intrigued and started browsing around and was thus introduced to SparkPeople.com. I’m going to sound like a testimonial (and maybe even a Saturday afternoon infomercial), I apologize in advance, but I do realize that I have many friends out there who struggle with the weight and other friends who may be looking at just becoming more healthy all around.

Sparkpeople.com advertises itself as a “healthy-living” community and I think it lives up to its name. They have numerous articles about health, nutrition, exercise, that as far as I can see, are based on sound research and principles. There’s a nutrition tracker, where you can enter in the foods that you’ve eaten for the day, and it breaks it down into the calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrates consumed (not to mention the 20 other nutrients that you can track). I love seeing the breakdown at the end of the day of where I met my goals, and where I went over (or under). Their diet is a lower-calorie diet, but one based on age and base metabolic rate (and one that you could adjust to your particular wants/desires) and created by a registered dietician. If you want, they provide a complete meal plan for the week with ingredients and recipes. You can track your exercise and find out exactly how many calories you consumed raking leaves for example.

The best part, I think, is their very active online community. This week, I joined a holiday weight-loss challenge ala The Biggest Loser and have already met a woman who’s doing a neurology residency as well. I also found a Lord of the Rings group, where their challenge was to “Walk to Rivendell” which got me excited to get on my elliptical.

My only beef about the site is that each time you click on a link, it opens a new window. And I wish it was more like a LJ community, as I don’t like message boards much. But I guess those are minor inconveniences to live with.

I’ve been a part of the group for about two months. The first month, I just explored, the second month I started recording everything I ate. I bought a new scale, a new lunchbox (which I’ve since lost but hope to find in the lost-and-found) and a little pedometer to help keep track. I’ve lost a couple of pounds and am now ten pounds lighter than I was a year ago. I flub on the diet (Halloween is a evil holiday, which has nothing to do with demons) and could definitely do better on the exercise portion, as I’m still a slug and have a hard time motivating myself to get up once I’ve planted roots on the couch after work. But I’m learning more about myself and making small changes and seeing small rewards.

Part of the reason that I’m confessing this is because I need support. I need people to say “so, how’s those lifestyle changes going?” “what’s the weight loss this week?” and keep me on target, especially during the holidays. My ultimate weight loss goal is fairly modest, 30 pounds, which will put me right on the cusp of normal weight/overweight and is a goal that I think is reachable. I do have one reward in mind, if I make my goal: the Nikon 35mm f1.8G af-s lens. I’ve been admiring this baby for months now. I’m hopeful that by June, it’ll be mine.

How about you? Are you making any life-style changes? Is there anything that motivates you to become more healthy?

*I guess I’m not that surprised. I had a patient ask me for a prescription for amphetamine for weight loss a couple of months ago. She didn’t understand why I said no.

I had hoped to persuade everybody into thinking that I had just turned over a new leaf and decided to get back into the blogging/journaling habit. Which I did, but with a little motivation from signing up to do the National Blog Posting Month. I had so much fun doing it last year and as I never have enough time/inspiration to do Nanowrimo (one day, when I’ve finally am done with all of the training – meaning when I retire when I’m 88 – I’m going to take November off and do it. One day….), this seemed like a good compromise. You all will be very bored of me come November 30th, but I do enjoy the creative outlet that this provides. I’ve really gotten out of the habit of blogging and it requires a lot of thought and effort to come up with something new to say every day.

***

Speaking of leaves, this is my hand

after raking for 2 hours this afternoon and I’m not even finished yet. I left a smallish pile on my front lawn, a larger pile near by side door and I still have to go back over the lawn to gather all of the residue which will probably equal another large pile. Right now, I hate trees. Especially maple trees that are persistently holding onto leaves and refusing to give into peer pressure, which means, if it doesn’t snow, I’ll have to rake again. My parents suggested hiring somebody to help me out. I’m considering it, except that I calculated the number of calories consumed: 590 calories. Maybe the blisters are worth it.

From the LJ writer’s block:

What is your all-time favorite, romantic movie scene? What about it speaks to you?

This was a doozy! I thought and contemplated. My answer changes with mood, I think. I have a list of favorite movies and scenes that I watch over and over for the butterfly feeling and on a given day, I might tell you a different answer as to what is my all-time favorite. North & South, with its tender moment of reunion and forgiveness? Anne of Green Gables? “All I want is you.” Persuasion with its reunion of two separated lovers? I browsed through the archived answers of other LJ users. First choice seems to be Titanic. Second choice was a tie between Notting Hill (I hated that movie), Love Actually (I’ve never seen it, but I’ve heard its good) or Casablanca (a very fine choice).

I looked through my own DVD collection. Besides my X-Files box sets, my DVDs are, surprising to no one, mostly period dramas and romantic comedies. Then my eyes alighted on today’s answer. Big Fish. Of course. I had to do a (very small) picspam (my first!), which took me all night.

SANDRA: Daffodils?
EDWARD: They’re your favorite flower.
SANDRA: How did you get so many?
EDWARD: I called everywhere in five states and explained this was the only way I could get my wife to marry me.
SANDRA: You don’t even know me.
EDWARD: I have the rest of my life to find out.

EDWARD: I was drying out.
SANDRA: I see. We need to get you one of those plant misters. We can spray you like a fern.

EDWARD: Come now.
SANDRA: I don’t think I’ll ever dry out.

I love the surreal, colorful fantasy that he spins when telling the story of how he fell in love with his wife, contrasted to the reality of decades of life together. Not a kiss to be seen, but I honestly can’t think of anything more romantic.

What about you? What’s your vote for the all-time romantic movie scene?

I’ve definitely mentioned this before, but I have the greatest group of friends from college ever. It’s been almost 13 years since I met them and the whole group of us (The Plethora) are as close as family. I’ve been there when they dated, married, finished school, started careers, had kids, who grew up and learned to read (geez). Having a Plethora reunion is as important when I go home as visiting my grandparents because I’ve missed being around them so much.

About a month ago, somebody brought up the idea of a road trip. We toyed with going to California or to Yellowstone, but decided that the drive was too long. (Did I mention the kids? The probably 15-18 kids that would be coming? Crazy). Tonight we decided: Durango, CO in July. Mountains, Mesa Verde and Anasazi ruins, Telluride. Sounds like heaven. Even with 15 kids either screaming or asking “are we there yet? I need to use the bathroom” the entire ride there.

I have to figure out some logistics such as flying to Denver or to SLC and how much time can I take off. And we’re still looking for vacation home rentals (so if any one has any hookups, let me know) and other monetary details.

Anybody ever been there before? Suggestions, recommendations for places to stay, see, eat? Survival tips for the spinster who is afraid that the trip will turn into a variation of “get off my lawn, you mangy kids”?

I’m so excited!

(Written earlier. I fell asleep.)

I’m not a fan of sleep-deprived nights. The last six hours when you’re just endlessly discussing patients and writing notes and ordering studies are the most painful, torturous time imaginable.

But there are some nice perks to having a post-call day. Especially one where you got sleep the night before (in bed by 1 am, slept until 7:30 with no pages. Excellent) and when your coresident is willing to cover your patients for the morning, which means you can leave before 9 am.

1. The post-call nap. Depending on how much sleep I’ve gotten, this ranges from an afternoon doze to an 18 hour passout when I only wake up because bodily functions demand it. But there’s something so wonderful of sliding in between sheets and snuggling into blankets when the sun is filtered through the blinds.

2. Brushing teeth. 30+ hours without brushing your teeth leaves an extremely grimy sensation and horrible breath. My electric toothbrush takes that all away and leaves me clean and shiny.

3. Turning off my pager and shoving it under piles so I don’t hear it.

4. Being away from the hospital for 18 hours.

5. Breakfast. Historically, I used to treat myself to waffles with strawberries and real whipped cream. Now I usually go for a omelet with spinach and mushrooms. But if I’m really really lucky, the cafeteria will serve cream of wheat and I’ll load it with brown sugar, raisins and strawberries. Mmmm.

I wish I could say that I was productive on my post-call days. But I’m not. As I stepped out of the hospital this morning, I contemplated finding a fancy stationery store, raking my leaves (but thank you rain for making that impossible!), doing dishes, etc. I researched afternoon tea parties and went to bed instead. I may do dishes later tonight, but that’s it. I honestly don’t know how my friends with kids do it, as they have all of this demand on their time when they go home and they’re lucky to get a nap in.

Random recommendation: White Collar on USA is a fun show. I really enjoyed the free download from iTunes. It may get me watching tv again (how weird would that be?). Did anybody check out V?

I know that this made the rounds on Facebook a few weeks ago, but it still makes me happy. 🙂

After my previous post of the Sound of Music and now this, can anyone doubt my love of synchronized dancing? Are there any other good ones out there? I wonder why I don’t know synchronized swimming as much?

I’m on call tonight. (2 more this month, yay!) One subarachnoid hemorrhage that I helped the poor little intern manage (first call nights on neuro are beastly) and another TIA, so not a bad night. One of my friends surprised me with cookies earlier this evening: warm, buttery, chocolate chip cookies. Definitely not good for my diet, but so yummy it may just be worth it. I may just have to go to bed with a glass of milk and cookies!

I was on call on Halloween (which surprisingly, for a Saturday call wasn’t too bad), so I missed out on most of the festivities. I haven’t been able to pass out candy ever to the little trick-or-treaters, not because I’m on call every October 31st, but because the city off Milwaukee designates a Sunday from 1 to 4 pm as official Trick or Treating time (how utterly lame).  Luckily, my church had their Halloween party on Friday, so I still got to celebrate the holiday of sweets. It was still a juggling act, because Chris and Gretchen flew into Milwaukee for the weekend, as they had tickets to the Farve vs Packers smackdown. I met them and Gretchen’s parents at the airport in my costume, we went out for a late dinner and then I left for the party. I almost didn’t go. It was getting late and call is difficult enough without being sleep-deprived. But it was all worth it.

Thanks to spring english country dancing, I had a costume already made. I officially went as Emma Woodhouse, although I don’t think she wore purple in the latest adaption (which, my friends, is completely fantastic and Jonny Lee Miller makes my knees wobble and I can’t stop gushing about it).

There was cotton candy and a costume contest (I lost, boo) and dancing in the garage to Thriller. Good times.

My favorite costume was this:

You can’t tell it from the picture, but she’s Medusa, complete with snakes for hair and eyes that turn you to stone. Awesome.

Full pictures, as always, are on my Picasa page here

I went to a hockey game last weekend between the Manitoba Moose (Meese! aww!) and the Milwaukee Admirals. As it was my first hockey game ever, this was a new and exciting experience! There was a pirate ship and everything!

And a pirate A Capella group that sang the national anthem and a ballad at half-time (probably not the best choice given the audience)

I’m not sure that hockey is my type of game. I couldn’t figure out why they kept exchanging players after only 1 minute of playing (anybody know?). They spent more time climbing over the bench than actually playing.

(Save, goalie, goalie, goalie!)

And the fans are weird too. They take hating the referee to a whole new level and shout things in unison at the announcer. There were two fight, which sent the crowd into ecstasy, even more so than scoring a goal.

In true Wisconsin fashion, there was a two-third-time (what do you call the break if you have three periods?) race by food products, this time cheese:

My favorite part was the PeeWee game during one-third-time where the little tots came out and mostly fell trying to hit the puck. I don’t think anybody scored, but they sure had a lot of fun.

We won the game in overtime (which was NOT the sudden death shoot out that I thought it would be) 2-1. Yay!

It did put me in the mood to watch my favorite movie when I was thirteen: The Mighty Ducks, which can be found, in very poor quality on youtube. Rewatching it as an adult confirmed that it was not as wonderful as I remembered (oh the stilted dialogue!), I may have to start watching Fringe because I still think Joshua Jackson is awesome (even if his prepubescent haircut is absurd), and the Admirals game would have been even better if they had performed “The Flying V.” Maybe next time… 🙂

I met with Dr. W, my neurology program director, for my semi-annual review today. As Dr. F, the internal med director didn’t show up, and I’ve been in near constant contact with Dr. W over this “remediating” situation, it wasn’t quite as nerve-racking as usual. They’re still not planning on kicking me out, so I’ve got another 6 months to breath easily.

He did ask me, point blank, what my “end of residency plans were” and I admitted that I’ve been struggling with that very decision, trying to make up my mind. I feel like I’ve been wrestling with it since starting residency. Unfortunately, as applications for fellowships are due in just a few short months, I can’t afford to be indecisive for much longer.

Was I interested in multiple sclerosis? He probed.
No.
Dementia?
No.
Movement disorders?
Neuromuscular diseases and doing EMG and muscle/nerve biopsies?
Epilepsy and electroencephalograms?
Headaches?
No. No. No. So much no.
Having a continuity clinic and seeing general neurology or medical patients?
No!
And critical care?

Critical care? I love critical care. I love the patients. I love the systematic approach to complex medical decisions. I love the procedures. I love/hate that moment when the patient arrives sicksicksick and I’m terrified of how I’m going to mess this up…and then take the deep breath in and just listen to the lungs and heart while I figure out what to do. I love having the family meetings and helping people figure out what their loved ones would want, arriving at “good deaths” if necessary.

But. But. I can see myself as happy as a hospitalist or maybe working as a stroke attending. I can. And I could do that without any extra training.

My attending laughed at me by this point. Dude, he said (and yes he did say dude), You have to go into critical care and you know it. He basically parroted back everything that I had said… and he was completely right. I’ve been trying to convince myself to do critical care, (honestly since third year of medical school), but truly, I’ve been looking for excuses not to do it… and really haven’t come up with any. Except that I don’t want to go through the application process again (which, since I have to eventually apply for a job, is logically ridiculous) and that fact that I’m not nearly competitive enough. My CV (curriculum vitae or resumé) right now reads that I’m doing residency and not much else.

Dr. W. gave me some fabulous ideas of how to enrich my CV, including talking to some of my favorite attendings for letters of recommendation, and research ideas that I’m much more interested in, such as quality of life measurements and how we communicate with families. Exactly the type of stuff that I’m interested in.

So I have a plan. I’m emailing Dr. J and Dr. BFF for assistance and ideas on the research projects. I’m talking to Dr. N, Dr. L and Dr. H about letters of recommendation. I’m getting a list of good programs which to apply from my classmates.

And I’m applying for fellowship.

Every month, I switch rotations. As an intern, those switches occurred on the first of the month; as a resident, I now switch on the 28th. Just like I  think of the year starting and stopping on July 1st, I have a tendency to think of my months as only have 28 days. I mistakenly assume that I should get a paycheck on the 28th and have often planned for that, leaving me a bit in a lurch for those last couple of days (not good).

So, my October starts tomorrow. I switch from the relatively benign rheumatology (rheumaholiday as it were) rotation, where I had clinics every day and every weekend off, to the inpatient stroke team. I knew it was going to be a rough month. I hate switching from the medicine department (where I’ve spent the last 3 months) to the neuro department (where I’ll be spending the next 4) – I haven’t done neuro for several months, I find neuro to be more challenging and difficult intellectually, and the services can be overwhelmingly busy as there are no caps to admissions and we are constantly admitting and discharging patients. To say that I’ve been not looking forward to this would be an understatement.

A couple of weeks ago, my program director approached me and stated that they were having problems with one of the junior residents. He didn’t know enough, he couldn’t be trusted to do an accurate exam, he had problems with managing more than 2 patients, he’s lazy, etc, etc, etc. In the end, they decided to hold him back a month and guess who gets to inherit the problem child and attempt to remediate him? *sigh* I spent an hour getting sign-out tonight from the current senior and wow, it sounds like a disaster. Hopefully, I’ll be able to meet with him tomorrow and establish some rules.

I was going to go into a whole rant about how I think this stems from whom my program director is recruiting and accepting into the residency, but it’s getting late, and I need to be in to work early tomorrow.

So instead, I’ll leave you with the latest pic (that I’ve gotten. The parents have been lax about getting them posted!) of my nephew:

Laura’s threatening that his hair isn’t as red as I was told. I think she just needs to eat more carrots. *nods* That’s how I got my red hair, my mom told me.

I’ve got a dozen nicknames that I respond to. Today, I just added one more*.

Meet Carden James, everybody. He arrived to this world sometime this afternoon weighing 6 pounds and 14 ounces and he already loves his Aunt Julia so much, he’s got her red hair fuzz.

Carden James

Isn’t he beautiful? I have a theory that the stork has given up hope of my body producing red-headed babies (me too, storkie, me too) and is giving them away to all of my family and friends. No matter, I’m willing to share!

Congrats to my beautiful little sister, Laura and her husband Josh. Laura had the easiest pregnancy ever. No morning sickness. Able to going running every other day until right before he was born. 1.5 pounds of weight gain (only slightly kidding on that one!). I haven’t heard the details, but I’m assuming that it was the easiest delivery ever, as I got the call about Laura being in labor and the text that he was here only 10 minutes apart. Totally not fair.

I’m totally in love.

*I’ve been Aunt Julia to all of my friends’ kids, but this is the first time biologically.

I think Susan’s convinced that I am a flirt. A flirt! Me! I think she mistakes my honest, winsome, cherry, wouldn’t-mind-if-you-come-hither smile for flirting. Most of the men with whom we interacted today were married anyhow. Cute, especially the eager fellow at the chicken raising lecture we attended, but married. Now give me a single guy and maybe, maybe, I might turn on a beguiling smile, but that’s my limits. 😀

Alas, the International Cheese Curling Contest was canceled due to rain. By the time we arrived, the cheese eating contest had finished as well (despite being advertised to last all afternoon and evening) and there was no inflatable cheese maze either. Illinoisans are weak, as it was only mild drizzle. Bah. We did look at the typical tents and booths that seem to follow these fairs/festivals (“homemade” flower wreaths and various trinkets and the lemonade/hotdog stands). There was free cheese and bread samples at one of the stores (imported from Michigan) and I ended up with a delectable dill Havarti to bring home. Yummy.

We went on a carriage ride, driven by one of the local Amish. Our driver was our age and super adorable. It was fun flirting (okay, I’ll plead guilty about him) with him. He hinted that he would like to get away, go to the west… I almost took him up on it, but Suz was convinced that he was probably married with three or four kids. Such is my luck, she was probably right. Drat.

We had a picnic (or “micnic” as Alice likes to call it) under the tents of the deserted cheese-eating contest of fried chicken, potato salad, brownies, peach angel food cake and cookies – rule number for a potluck: everybody thinks to bring the dessert. The little kids ran around in the rain, jumping in puddles. All in all, despite not getting to sweep a broom in front of a stone of cheese, it was a pretty fantastic day.

From Arthur Cheese Festival

Vacation has officially started. Nine days of bliss. I left my pager at home, freed, finally, from its tether.

The drive through Illinois was gorgeous, clear and sunny, with a breathtaking sunset over fields of corn. The moon was round and cheerful, guiding the rest of my path.

From Illinois Sunset

(Click for a couple more pictures). And now, to sleep. I’ve got to get my beauty rest so that I’m ready for cheese consumption in the morning. Ta!

Super excited for the coming week.

1. Driving down to central Illinois and going to the Arthur Cheese Festival with my friends Susan and Bobby. There’s cheese eating nationals, an inflatable cheese maze, and (I’m so excited!) an international cheese curling contest! I’ve keep missing the Wisconsin cheese festivals, so I’m hoping this makes up for it.
2. Filet mignon barbeque on Monday. I’ve been so good on calorie counting this week, that I’m looking forward to splurging.
3. Three-ish days in Phoenix, AZ. It’s supposed to be over 100 degrees while I’m there. I’m going to die! But I get to see my sister and her cute 25 days to go pregnant belly (there may be attempts to induce labor early… if I could just get my hands on some pitocin!) and my dear grandma.
4. Spending three days in Madison and cheering on my friend Chris and his girlfriend as they compete in the Ironman. I think they’re crazy. But I haven’t see them for a few months and it’ll be fun.
5. Playing around with my camera. I wanna do more night shots. And black and white. And people. And. And. And.
6. No more patients. No more consults. No more patient calls. No more clinic. No more!
7. Well, at least for a week.

Snagged from claidheamhmor:
Comment with a picture of a fictional character that most reminds you of me!

One of our patients that we’re consulted on got transferred to the ICU yesterday, so we went up there today. I miss the ICU. I miss my colleagues (I didn’t tell you about my coresident who looked like a baby-face Val Kilmer, did I? He was lovely. I was crushing). Wow, it was a hard rotation and I didn’t learn nearly all that I wanted to (am more familiar with which pressors in which situation, but I still didn’t get to conquer the vents and I’m still clueless on how to treat ARDS – which, since everyone of my attendings had a different opinion on it, may be true of every one), and I nearly cried every morning rounding with one attending because he was so unreasonable (we warmed up to each other by the end of his two weeks). But today, my other attending waved at me from across the room and I chatted with one of the NPs and it felt like coming home. I think part of it is that I feel rather antagonized by the rheum department. If I hear one more word about the “silly neurology consults”… !! There is a lot of cross over between the two fields and both of them deal with diseases that tend to be somewhat nebulous, but it’s just so much more exciting to bicker. Grr.

I did promise that I’d update this, fill you in on my little life and its daily amusements, didn’t I? I can’t use the excuse that I’m too busy anymore, as I’m now on a new rotation (rheumatology) and we’ve had one consult a day. To be split between 4 residents. Bored does not begin to describe it.

Alas, since I stayed up way too late reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (the first time I’ve reread it – I plan on reviewing the whole series soon), and I have early morning board review, the update won’t be today.

So, instead, you get a video from YouTube that has been cracking me up all evening:

(It’s funny, because that’s how I sneeze. Yep. 🙂 )

Friday night, I sat vigil at two of my patients’ bedsides, as their sick-but-stable status turned into sick sick sick. I poured fluids into their veins and started them on medications to attempt to keep their blood pressures high. I worried and fretted and worried some more. I kept them alive that night, but by morning, they were even sicker. I cried that morning even before rounds with the attending, not having slept, but knowing that I should have done something more. Hindsight, that perfect microscope, tells me that I should have placed arterial lines and expanded antibiotic coverage. I should have intubated one of them sooner. Maybe it would have made a difference. But things weren’t so clear at three in the morning and even 5 days later, it’s still not entirely clear.

They’re both dying right now. I’ll probably end up declaring their deaths tomorrow on call.

It’s been a hard month, in varying shades of good and bad. It’s been a busy month, a month that hasn’t left a lot of time for recollection and organization of thoughts. I’ll hopefully be back to regular posting come September.

Surprisingly, I love night float. I love working the night shift, when it’s quiet and I can just focus on getting the patient taken care of and tucked in. I love running into CuteIntern in the cafeteria and having a moment to catch up (well, he had only a 30 sec pause; the ER keeps the radiology department pretty hopping at night)–my heart still hasn’t quite recovered for the palpitations. I love the nurses that I work with and getting to know them. My six days stretch was pretty benign – I think I averaged 3 patients that I admitted (out of a possible 7, go me!). Last night, of course, since I was really wanting sleep so I’d be fresh for my four hour drive today, I had a patient that I had to transfer to the unit, which kept me up, but it still was nothing compared to an average neuro call.

I love seeing the sunrise too. The sun is just peeking over the horizon at 5:30, turning the sky a hazy pink. I was going to take pictures of it; even brought my camera in, and then got a stern email from the head boss that no pictures were to be taken inside any of the buildings without written permission. Even if it wasn’t a patient. Grr. I’m so tired of rules and regulation all of the time.

Anyway. I just finished packing for my camping trip. Yay!! I’m heading up north, way north today to camp over night in the remote, forested and laked (silly word check, I know that’s not a word), bear-populated country, then coming down to a tamer county park for Friday and Saturday where some of my good girlfriends will be joining me. I’m bringing my art supplies, a notebook, a few of the Harry Potter books, some games, makings for smores, etc. We’re going on a nature walk, and just taking it easy for a few days. I’m so super excited. I have to shower, get the oil on my car checked and then I’m off. At least to the next rest stop – I have a feeling that I’ll be stopping for siestas all along the way. Luckily, I do have a friend going with me who will help drive and keep me awake. No worries, Mom!

Alrighty. See you all on Sunday!

I’m suffering from insomnia. I’ve never had a problem with sleeping since med school (chronic sleep deprivation means I can fall asleep at just about any point). This night float thing has wacked out my sleeping schedule. When I first started, I was going to completely convert my days and nights, and the first night was busy enough that I did just that. I slept like a log the next day, with my Breakfast-At-Tiffany’s-esque sleeping mask (no need for ear plugs.

But the following night, and every night thereafter, it’s been quiet. I’ve admitted 1-2 patients with enough of a gap to take a nap. Or two. For several hours. Tonight, I admitted a patient around 9:30, finished everything up by 10:30, and there’s been nothing since then. I went to bed, slept for a few hours and haven’t been able to go back to sleep. It’s making sleeping during the day more difficult too. I feel like I need to get sleep then, because if I don’t and it’s a busy night, then I’ll regret it.

Oh, yay, new patient! There’s one cure of insomnia! Ta!

So far this night float thing hasn’t been so bad. I had the day off, so I slept in (until 10), lounged around the house, took a nap. When I got here to work at 8, it was quiet. Since then, I’ve had time to do the silly 2 hour training that’s required since we are (finally!!) switching to an electronic medical record in a couple of weeks. I’m excited for the EMR – not having to waste time tracking down patient charts or deciphering illegible handwriting will be bliss. I do have to wonder, though, at the geniuses who decided that it should “go live” in July-the month with brand-new freaked out interns, who are still figuring out how to manage emergencies overnight. If you live in the Milwaukee area, I strongly suggest that you try to stay as healthy as possible and avoid the hospital during the last 10 days of July.

Looking over my schedule, I’ve discovered something glorious. I work the night shift for 6 days, starting tonight through Wednesday night. And then I don’t have to go back to work until the following Monday. That’s 4 days off, people. Four glorious, wonderful days. That’s almost a vacation there.

I’ve decided to go camping. I haven’t been camping since starting residency and I miss being out in the mountains (well, at least hills and forests and greens). Looking at the state parks and forests have been discouraging. Most all of the campgrounds are reservation-only, with only a few slots for walk-in, and those, the website warned, go quickly.

I know I have a few friends on my flist who are either currently living in Wisconsin, or resided here sometime in the past. Any recommended camping spots that are relatively secluded, within a 3-4 hour drive from the fine city of Milwaukee, and I would have reasonable luck finding a spot on a Thursday morning/afternoon for the weekend? Rustic spots are fine too… I don’t need electricity/ice cream stands/showers or even flush toilets to be happy!

Gotta go. Just got my third admission. Only 2 and a half hours to go!