So I woke up yesterday and the weather was kinda blah... Looked out the window, rubbed my eyes, and looked out again. There was snow on the ground in my back yard! In Vegas! Go figure!
As I drove to work I actually saw kids building snowmen in the park behind my house.
Well, now it is new year's eve. I have to work early tomorrow, but I plan to first go out downtown to a fireworks show and concert. I know that there is a lot of concern about security, but we're goin' anyway.
What the heck, I was in Time Square for Y2K, so what's the difference?
So I finished the 3rd and final part of the medical licensing exam yesterday (called the USMLE step 3). So, if I pass (oh please, oh please, oh please) then I am done! It included adult medicine so everything was about 80 year old patients with diabetes, hypertension and congestive heart failure who get some weird reaction from their 25 different meds. I have no idea what to do, I'm a pediatrician! Every time there was a peds question I seceretly cheered inside. At least I am certain that I went into the right field!
So tonight was the neonatal ICU christmas party at the Tropicana. I went, but because they work so closely with the OBs, Anh was there as well. My friends tried to drag me onto the dance floor but it felt so weird that she sat 2 tables away. I didn't feel comfortable at all there. So its 9:30 and I'm already home. I feel bad but I kinda snuck out.
It really sucks that we run into each other all the time. I had my studying to get my thoughts off of it, but now I'm done, so its back.
I can't wait to come home for christmas. I can't wait for our trip to Italy. I can't wait for normalcy (?) to re-enter my life.
Hmmm.... It's Monday night. Saturday I was on call (8am to 8am Sun) and got about an hours sleep. Lots of sick kids. Sunday I slept all day and studied all night. Now I'm exhausted and the biggest test of my life (up to now) is 3 days away. I wonder if that Bobby Brady method of sleeping on your book really works. I just need to review everything about Pediatrics, Medicine, OBGYN, surgery, and psychiatry in 2 days.
No problem
So I get this call from Dad. "Jim I have some bad news... uh hold on a second..." What do you mean hold on? I was freaking out. Needless to say I was shocked when I heard. I was sitting in the hospital about to start my overnight call. the next morning I got a free tic from a friend and hopped a flight to Oak, met up with Mo and Claire and weent to the hospital. Spent the better part of 2 days in the waiting room talking and trying to joke a bit with every one. It got easier as Joe got better. went to chinese food and came up with our own brand of fortunes. Mikes was "you're gonna have diarrhea" and Geralds was "just give up". Funny stuff. Got plent of studying done as well. My big test is next Thurs and Fri (yipes) so I'm freaked out.
Oh my god I forgot to say... happy birthday Gerald!
Hope it can be somewhat happy...
Joe exerpts:
Joe looked up at Margaret and recognised her, then looked at me and paused. I said "it rhymes with Jimmy" at which point he said "Jimmy rectangle" which is when I felt that he might be OK.
Joe was looking at Mike and the nurse, testing his memory, said "who is this?" He said "Mike" and she said "yes, but who is he" looking for him to say "my son". Instead he said "Uh...Mike" in a tone that said "duh!"
There was a lot of emotion over those 48 hrs and it was nice to see all the support he had. Alec and Olivia crawling under the chairs as 10 of us sat and told Joe stories in the waiting room. We spilled over to almost half the room. McGhee's take over again!
Well, we continue to pray for the swift recovery of our beloved Uncle Joe. We're not out of the woods yet, but hope to be soon.
And so I'm back, from outerspace..... I mean Thailand.
Wow, that was a great trip. First the work part. Spent 5 of 10 days working. Taught them how to take an exam to come train in america. They treated us like VIPs. Gifts on the last day. They drove us everywhere we wanted to go and paid for our tickets to all the temples (granted it was only 20 baht (about 50 cents) but still...).
Saw my first case of measles and a few strange presentations of Lupus. Otherwise the medicine was not much different than ours.
The hospital was a military hospital so we had a military escort everywhere. It was interesting to watch the soldiers at the palace snap to attention as our little (under 5 ft) Lt Colonel escort walked by. Her nickname was Nit which apparently means small. She was one tough lady and treated us like we were her kids.
So beyond the work, we had days of free time to see Bangkok and boy was it fun. First were the Thai massages. Now there are legitimate massages and there are thinly veiled brothels. We found both.
The first was great. First was the Thai massage - alot of tugging and twisting, not really relaxing. Then was the oil massage - more like the massage you'd think of in america. All legit and for about $12 an hour. The guys and the girls went there a few times.
The second was on a boys night out. Our guide took us to a club where all the women sat behind a glass window with numbers on them. You just picked a number and she was yours for an hour. I guess some sort of massage went on but the sex was an assumed part. Very odd. So we all stood and watched for a while, then went and had a drink at the bar. In the country with (argueably) the highest HIV rates in the world, this was not the smartedst thing to be doing.
Anyway, we did lots of other stuff. We went to outdoor markets, temples, a zoo, some night clubs. I must say that the people in Thailand are so fantastic. I must also say that the Thai women are the most beautiful women I have ever seen. Every greeting is with a bow and a smile.
So much more went on which I will have to write about later.
Its time to study for my boards and to try and clean up my credit report a bit so I can refinance my house.
Back to reality....