work

1. while my right hand was keeping the stethoscope on his chest and my left hand was keeping his shirt raised, a very snotty 11-month old baby with an upper respiratory infection reached out and touched my bottom lip before i had a chance to push his hand away. "ew. dude. why'd you have to go and do that?" why don't parents keep a hold on their kids' hands while i listen? it's only common sense. and what on earth would possess a child to do that? (i mean, i know i have beautiful lips, but... just kidding.) i know some kids put their hands IN their parents' mouths. i dunno. and how does one sanitize one's bottom lip afterward? does lipstick/lip balm increase one's risk for infection by providing a more moist medium for viral survival? ahhhhh i don't wanna get sick...

2. it was actually pretty amazing and the mostest adorablest ootsy-cutesy (snicker, gag) thing i've seen in a while. i was seeing a 12-month old who had pretty much nothing wrong with her, just the mildest case of the gastroenteritis everyone else has. mom had been whistling to her to keep her entertained while waiting to be seen. while i was listening to the little one's abdomen, baby started putting her lips in the whistling position, and before i was done with the examination she was whistling herself! sure, that deserves an exclamation point. i have never seen anyone that young able to do that. she was immensely pleased with this, and whistled throughout the rest of the examination. i think i'm going to tell my colleagues about this and make them feel jealous and insecure, because i highly doubt their one-year olds are doing this yet. mwahahahahaha.

3. next year, get your flu shot. don't be ignorant or stubborn. just go get it. and get them for your kids. i didn't used to get them, but since i am in a couple of the high risk categories (work in health care, have asthma, work with immunocompromised children on occasion) i started getting them yearly. now, i am a 109-pound GIRL and very sensitive to medications and illnesses, as much as i hate to admit that. i have never "gotten sick" from the flu shot. i have never gotten the flu. the shot hurts way way way less than influenza does. when you have influenza, there's no mistaking it. it's just not a minor illness. it means serious morbidity and loss of productivity for days. and if your kid gets it, you have to stay home from work with him/her. don't be stupid. just get the freaking shot.

4. if you're in my unit, i don't care who you are, i will give everyone the same respectful care. if you're some sort of 'VIP', it won't make a difference. i treat all children as if they were VIPs. they are much more important to me than you are. the only thing that will make me treat you any differently is if you are rude to me. don't be rude to me. i have pointy objects and the power to give shots.

5. twelve hours, one doctor, seven rooms. it's dreadful, as in inspiring a feeling of dread in one's heart. it's even worse than the sixteen hour shifts at the other hospital. i'd been dreading the shift all week. DREADING it. it was actually a reasonable shift. i even got to eat my meal! and my cake too, even if it was in two sittings. despite their steady influx, i saw my patients quickly, no one had extensive workups, and hey, i even CLEARED THE UNIT for a few minutes!! i had staff who like me—they said they saw my name on the schedule and chose to work that shift because of it (the highest compliment i can think of right now)—and who are always very encouraging. and did i mention i got to eat my cake?