Hellooooooooooo

Is anybody out there?  Anybody? 

Just wanted to let you all know that I'm still here.....still alive.....haven't been eaten by the boogie man.

Residency is going pretty well so far.  Everyone has pretty low expectations of the interns which is fantastic.  I'm on the Hematology service, so I see lots of patients with leukemia and lymphoma.  Cancer sucks.  That's what I've learned so far. 

My attending is an old salty fellow who is quite legendary at the hospital.  He commands the attention of everyone in the room and he makes my blood pressure, as well as my anxiety level skyrocket when he shoots me his infamous, squinty-eyed glare.  My co-intern and I, as well as the two med students on the service, have taken several a tongue-lashings from him.  But as much as he tears us down, he tries to build us back up as well.  His tirades usually go something like this:

One breath:  Why didn't you check Mrs. So-and-so's fibrinogen?  That is completely irresponsible!  Is this your patient?  Are YOU managing this patient?  Why don't YOU know the side effects of all of the medications she is on?

The next breath:  I remember what it was like to be an intern.  It's hard.  You don't know whether you're coming or going.  You guys are doing just fine.

The third breath:  Did the patient have pulsus paridoxus?  What?  You don't know?  You didn't check?  This patient might have tamponade and you didn't CHECK FOR PULSUS PARIDOXUS!?!?!?

Next breath:  You guys are doing a fine job.  I think we have a really strong team of residents and students. 

I must say, although I might be developing an ulcer, I really like this attending.  When he's not making us want to pee our pants, he's so darned funny that I forget how scared I am. 

So that's what's been going on with me.  I've been averaging just under 80 hours a week, but when I'm at the hospital, the time seems to fly.  I hardly have time to eat and go to the bathroom.  This might be the best diet plan ever.  And when I finally had time to eat today, I really had no appetite.  Hard to snarf down a quick meal when you can't get the sight and smell of your patient's diarrhea out of your head.  (Thank you, Mr. Patient, for saving that just for me.)