Okay, Todd, okay ... I apologize for the lack of blog material, but everything in my life lately has seemed too serious for an entry or too stupid to waste time writing about it. Add to that my complete lack of time on the computer, and you get no new blog material. Todd, Laurie and Jeanine (whom I would love to meet one day), my faithful readers, here is an entry just for you.
Life is moving too quickly before my eyes. I'm two weeks into my four week neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) rotation, and the things I've seen have blown my mind. It's crazy how little these babies are; it's even crazier the abilities we have to help them. 37-40 weeks gestation is considered full term, and our hospital will make the effort to save babies as young as 23 weeks and as small as a pound at birth (although there is frequently a certain amount of ethical dilemma involved in treating those that little versus letting nature take its course since the prognosis is so poor). I don't think I could do this forever, but now that I've learned the rules of neonatology (totally different from the general rules of pediatrics -- go figure), it's getting to be more fun. I just love the babies; I make it a point to do at least one feeding per call night. Holding the little ones is so relaxing, and some of these babies are just so cuddly! Taking care of some of the extremely sick babies is so hard; you get very emotionally attached to them, and when things don't work out perfectly, it hurts.
At least I'm back on a more human(e) schedule. The first week in the NICU, I was getting up at 4:15 every morning to make it to work by 5 or a little earlier; now that I'm getting the system down, I'm only getting up at 5. It is still weird to leave for work when it's dark and occasionally not leave for home until it's dark again; at least I'm not fighting my circadian rhythm anymore. My husband has been home for a large part of the last two weeks (only gone for four out of fourteen days!), and since tomorrow is his birthday, he gets to stay in town for an extra day. Having him home has been amazing; this is the most time we've spent together since July. I've had the chance to make dinner several nights, and even though it was nothing fancy, it was still great to cook for two. I've already had 3 out of my 4 days off this month, and he's been in town for all of them. We have almost finished the Christmas shopping (thank goodness for amazon.com) and have even put up our Christmas tree. Life has been pretty decent lately, and I'm very thankful for everything that's going on. I have never had a year harder than this one, but in spite of everything, I am still joyful.
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3 comments:
Your readers made their request known, and you answered in good form. Glad to hear all the good news...
Thank you, Sarah! Even though we've never met (and yes, I'd love to meet as well), I love being able to read about what's going on in your life. I pray for you often.
Ah...the babies. I love babies. I miss seeing babies everyday. The NICU is definitely a very special place, and if any part of the hospital can actually steal away a piece of your heart, the NICU has mine.
I just tried to post, but I'm not used to the Google account thing yet!
Anyway, it's good to read an update from you and see that things are looking up!
And I can only imagine how hard working in the NICU on a daily basis would be, but I also know that I am very thankful for the NICU doctors and nurses who helped my nieces be the healthy little girls they are today!
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