Friendly Reminder Part Deux

It's been a whirlwind last five weeks. I can't believe this Peds rotation is actually winding down...finals and orals are next week and then we've officially crossed this one off our list. I actually opted to forgo Christmas break for the chance to do a 2 week Peds elective so I guess I won't be technically done but whatever. No calls, no write-ups, and no presentations to worry about which will be a blessing.

Peds has been pretty hectic to say the least. I can't say I will be entirely sorry to see it end. For one thing, as cute as they may be, being around little boogers who haven't yet discovered the notion of covering their mouth when they cough means that you are perpetually exposed to germs. I got sick 4 days into my rotation and I still have a lingering cough. I've blamed it on a resurgence of my once dormant asthma, but the inhaler is been of minimal help and I hate taking steroids almost as much as I hate brussel sprouts so I'm just continuing to hack my way through life and keep Halls in business.

I'm on the NICU in my last two weeks. Plus side is that I get to wear scrubs to work. Downside is the earlier reporting time. Though I suppose 745 am will be comparatively heavenly once I start my Surgery rotation. I've seen 2 C-sections so far, which are, in a word, pretty awesome. I have to say that OB-GYNs are almost kind of violent with the way they use all their retractors and stuff to tug and pull at the incision. Today I almost kept waiting for the point where the mom's entire stomach would just tear apart. Fortunately for all of us, that didn't happen, and about forty minutes after we started, the OB-GYN made it through to the uterus and yoinked out a screamy little baby boy covered in what I can only scientifically describe as GOOP. Got to clip the cord (and consequently had to duck to avoid the blood that squirted out of his umbilical artery), wipe him down, squeeze some Erythromycin into his little eyes, and then burrito-swaddle him and hand him off to the family. One minute the kid doesn't exist and the next he's out into this crazy, messed up world. Pretty  freaking awesome.