7.24.2011

Said before and I will say it again

I love baking. I follow several food blogs, and from time to time I have the urge to make this a food blog. Then I remember that I have a 7 year old camera and am way too eager to eat the food than to take pictures of it. Ergo, I will just talk about food. Today, I made these: http://annies-eats.net/2011/07/18/soft-frosted-sugar-cookies/
Holy canolli batman. I haven't even frosted them yet and I want to devour every single last one. I will of course be taking them to work with me tomorrow.

I took a break between writing that first paragraph and this one...and ate too much cookie dough and sugar today. Oh my goodness. Maybe just gave myself diabetes. I need to go food coma myself

7.23.2011

Wait a second

I know I know I know. I am still in the middle of the honeymoon. But I don't feel like talking about that at the moment. Basically, I can't summon the energy to put together that many coherent strings of thoughts. I am on day  13 of 19 straight. That is 13 days of waking up at 5am. 13 days of watching the sunrise. 13 days of having flashing lights accompany my drive to work. It isn't all bad. I get to see lots of bunnies. Bunnies are like squirrels here. No. They really are. They are adorable. Granted, working both days this weekend was by choice. Matt is still up in Seattle and comes back this week, so I offered to work both days so that I have next weekend completely off. Woohoo!

UniMed (what Creighton calls their general medicine teams) is a pretty tough month. My supervising resident and one of my attendings said that it is likely one of the hardest months. They even said harder than ICU (a resident can only follow 4 patients max in the ICU). I saw 8 the other morning. No, they aren't the sickest of patients. Some of them are rocks - waiting placement in a nursing home or what not. Some of these rocks, however, are difficult. And pokey. And remind you daily that they exist. I have unfortunately had my first encounter with a patient with whom I am fighting that whole countertransference thing. I think I have that right. Countertransference is when I treat them differently based on how they treat me. I think. Either way, I have a patient who isn't super happy with me ever no matter when I see her. Friday, she really got my water boiling. I left her with my happy voice on, but I told me co-intern that he would be taking over her care. I don't want to compromise someone's health simply because they are pushing my buttons. I believe this is the right choice.

One of the hardest parts of this month - at least early in the month - was my lack of cooking/baking and working out. With Matt gone, I don't care if dinner is at 8, so I have found plenty of time to workout and cook. While I really don't cook anything crazy and I haven't even been 'in' to cooking that long, it makes me happy. Being in the kitchen relieves stress for me. Almost as much as being in the gym or working out relieves my stress. In August I start on GI at the VA. I am hoping (but not getting my hopes up) that being on a consulting services calms my life down a little bit. We will see

BTW: Omaha is hot right now. Not like hot like "cool." Hot like hell hath descended upon us

7.10.2011

Oh Chicago

Sorry for the hiatus. Intern year has finally started, and I have been like a chicken with my head cut off. Lost my brain, feathers everywhere, no sense of direction. Ever. 1 week down...51 to go (minus vacation of course). I will update about our Chicago trip first then hit on work.


We took off early from Detroit and drove past where old Tigers' Stadium used to be. It looked a little scary. We had been told that all the bars right through that area (lots of hole in the wall sports bars), look dead from the outside but somehow still manage to get busy. We will take their word for it. Headed west and eventually south to go through Ohio. I kept trying to get pictures of "Welcome to ______!" but amazingly always managed to miss the sign. The few times I was actually ready, no sign was there to welcome us. Shame.


Our route took us through Gary, Indiana. Boy am I glad I don't live there either. About that time, Matt's stomach started to bug him. I told him that it was because he didn't eat breakfast. I know that if I don't eat for >12hrs or so, I start to get nauseous. Always have, always will. Feed the beast regularly. Chicago driving was a little stressful. This was probably the only time we snapped at each other over directions. We eventually get to the hotel, which was actually the top 10 floors of an office building. Very strange. It was a little before noon, and our room wasn't ready yet :( We leave our bags in the car and head out for Giordano's pizza!!!!!


Last fall when we went to Chicago, we went on a pizza tour where we got to sample several deep dish pizzas. This was our favorite. We walk over there (not the main one because that one is always way too busy) and get seated. Matt is feeling even worse now. I assure him once he gets something in his stomach that he will feel better. Again, being cheap, we don't get an appetizer. Sigh. Well actually, that wouldn't have helped. About 30 minutes later (5 minutes til pizza!) Matt gets stage 5 watery mouth. We have all been there. Whether with the flu, food poisoning, or drinking, you know that moment from which you can't turn back. You need a bathroom. Stat. Matt excuses himself. He returns 10minutes later, pale as a ghost, while I nom on some oh so good pizza. He tries a bite. And heads to the bathroom again. When he returns, he says "Pay the bill and box it up" just before he heads outside. Sigh. Pizza experience ruined.


I struggle to find Matt outside as he is in a bush losing his stomach. He says he feels better and we can walk around. We made a good attempt, but he starts to get dizzy and weak. Back we go to the hotel! We are about a mile away, and all I can picture is him doing down on the sidewalk and having to go get the car to get him. There is no way we are paying for a cab :D He stops at more than one garbage can to do his thing. He mumbles incoherent things at me. He gets stomach contents in his beard. But we make it back. Alas, our room was still not ready. Another heavy sigh. We chill in the cool lobby. I work on my puzzle book. Matt frequents the bathroom. 230 rolls around (300 is check in time), and I urgently request that we get our room. Stat. Of course she needs to talk to Matt since the room is under him name. OMG. We make it to the room just in time for another bathroom break. I get him some 7up and crackers, and once he falls asleep, I leave. 


View from our room

Flying guy!

To Navy Pier I go!


Here are the pics from my solo walk (above)



Awesome sandwich
Matt pretty much slept all night. Needless to say, the game was a no go. In general Chicago was a bust. I told Matt he owes me another Chicago trip. He feels bad about the whole thing. We have no clue why he got sick. I never felt anything wrong. The only difference in our food was that he had some ranch with the pizza the night before. I had none. Maybe? Maybe. Our contacts were all the same, so I feel that that isn't likely. Here are the delicious foods I ate all by my lonesome.
You can't tell, but he is sweating


On to intern year. Oh. My. Goodness. For those of you in medical school: stay in 4th year as long as possible. I mean, I have done a lot of hard things, but I think this takes the cake. As with medical school, it isn't that what I am doing is super difficult. Pretty much anyone could write notes and orders. The hard part is how much of it I have to do on top of all the other little things like dictations and calling social workers. I am getting a handle on it a little more, and this will most likely be one of my harder months. Still though. I did at least get a surprise golden weekend (48 hours completely off)!! Amazing! Matt leaves Tuesday morning (5AM flight!!!!) for a couple weeks, so I am going to be stocking the freezer!