Hail to the chief (she's the chief and she needs hailing)!

2003-01-08 - 12:03 p.m.

In real life I don't tend to offer much information about myself. If someone asks me a question, I'll most likely answer it, but I very rarely volunteer. I don't know why other people talk about themselves so much. Last night Kevin called me again, this time while I was still awake. I told him that I would like to play on his team, but I can't make this weeks' game. I told him I had a birthday party to attend, which actually was an unusual bit of elaboration on my part, but I didn't tell him the party is for me. He offered to fax over the game schedule, but I don't have a fax machine at home and I didn't know the fax number at work off the top of my head so I gave him my pager number so he could page me today and I could give him the fax number. My pager message very clearly and succinctly states who I am and what I do. Kevin is a pediatrician who did his residency at the same hospital where I'm doing mine now. So when I got him on the phone, the first thing he did was ask all about what I do. He only knew me as the weird girl who happens to be a relatively decent volleyball player and who's dad he talked to on the phone. I bet he was surprised to find out I am a fellow medical professional. Most people, doctors included, are surprised when they find out how much schooling it takes to become a pharmacist, especially a clinical pharmacist. He kept asking me all these questions and for some reason I was very annoyed by that. But finally he got down to business and faxed over the schedule. I'm excited. I can't wait for the first game. Well, ok, the second game since the first game is tonight and I'm not going.

This morning I woke up feeling really crappy. I went to work and before rounds made it to the bathroom. When I looked in the potty after I just about had a heart attack. "This is it, Ethel," I thought, "This is the big one!" I thought I was bleeding out. But then I had a sudden flashback of yesterday. Yesterday when the Mole bought a big cake for the administrative staff to celebrate my birthday. A big chocolate cake covered with lots of red frosting roses. Red frosting roses that stained everyone's lips and teeth bright red. So I concluded that a day later it is entirely possible that it could stain other things red too. I breathed a sigh of relief and had a good laugh at myself right there in the stall. Luckily no one else was in that bathroom.

Oh, and guess what? Today is officially my first day as Chief Resident. Yup, that's me. The Chief. And what will be my first move as chief? Hmm...well...I'm thinking of cleaning up the residents' desk. Maybe update the calender a bit. Oh yeah, it's good to be chief! Ha ha ha...

And guess what else! This is even better than being chief. My current preceptor is Milkshake, the dad of a girl I've known since I was five. I asked him today, all casual-like, "So, what's the policy on weekends on this rotation?" In my previous rotation I was putting in 72-hour work weeks (12x6). Milkshake said to me, "Well, technically residents are supposed to work weekends, but I don't see any reason why you need to. We don't need to tell the Mole that though." Howard was sitting there too. If I had known the answer to the question was going to be so hush-hush I wouldn't have asked with Howard sitting right there. But I don't think Howard will have a problem with it. Howard likes me. I listened to his "country" music and did a fairly decent job of pretending to like it. But the point is I get two whole days off this weekend! Geez, maybe I'll go to Yosemite or something. Oh, that would rock!

Today two of the residents on my team switched out for two new residents. I'm not very good with the names of the people on my team yet. We have one attending, five long-coats, and three short-coats. And, of course, me. Tomorrow we're getting a new attending. A new attending who, according to Milkshake, likes to humiliate his interns. Great. Anyway, today one of the new residents was very quick to get on my bad side. I don't think that's super easy to do. During rounds our attending stopped to take a potty break. While he was in the bathroom this new resident told the whole team, "He's status post TURP, you know." I was so mad. That is so no one's business but the attending's. There was no need for that resident to tell anyone that. What a loser.

I'm starting to get a bit hungry. I think I'll go eat some lunch. But it's too cold to eat outside today. The sun hasn't come out yet. It's only 45 degrees out there according to weather.com. I only had one new start TPN today. I have it all worked up, but the patient doesn't have a line yet. After lunch I'll call to see whether the PICC nurse has seen her yet. She's a hard stick though so she may have to go to IR to get the line placed. Maybe we won't start the TPN until tomorrow.