pictures and trip report to follow

I got sick on the plane home. I think I got first month of school sickness once removed. When I don't feel like death warmed over I'll post about the trip to California and how things went with my MIL.

California here I come!

I'm off to California tomorrow with my husband and mother in law for a hiking trip for her 60th birthday. Hopefully just because it's her birthday trip won't mean that she wants to dictate everything that we do because there is a bit of shopping I'd like to do and of course I need to hang off the outside of the trollly in San Fran and sing this song. I know it's about St. Louis but it's the only trolly song I know!

MIL

I'm not sure why my mother in law visiting stresses me out so much, but here I am, a ball of stress. I'm wondering, will she notice that crack between the cooker and the counter that no broom can fit into and is full of crumbs? Probably. Will she say something? I hope not. Her room has been lovingly prepared and we are taking her to California for her 60th birthday. Our kitchen island is half put together and the kitchen's a bit of a state with boxes full of kitchen island parts but hopefully she won't mind. Our back and front yards have no grass because the drought killed them so now they are covered in compost and fledgling grass seed and look a bit like the mosh pit of an outdoor festival. Nothing seems to be "done". Hopefully she'll be satisfied with a room to sleep in and food in her tummy. That reminds me, I need to buy food. And wine for myself. How come I feel so chaotic!!!

I'm back

Well, that was certainly an adventure. My first ER shifts alone went ok. Nobody died. Nobody was seriously injured by what I did or didn't do (as far as I know). I put on a cast that the patient later disrespected by removing himself with soaking and scissors, I did more slit lamp exams than ever before, I shipped someone out who had a stroke. All new experiences, all personal growth.

I didn't ride my bike enough and so the provincial championships tomorrow are going to be very interesting. I'm glad to be home though!

Rural Medicine

Man, Rural medicine is hard. Being on your own in the emerg in a rural center with xray and lab but nothing else is hard. Thankfully the place where I am has been very supportive and there is a lot of backup and I came with a fantastic friend, but I'm still worn out and I still have 9 hours of this ER shift left, another 24 hour ER shift left to go and another 1.5 days of clinic. On my call days I'm in a constant state of hypervigilence. My bowels have never worked so well. As a good friend said to me the other day - Sheer terror, the original pro-kinetic.