4am on Labor and Delivery

For the first time in two weeks, there has been about a half hour here on Labor and Delivery where we actually have nothing to do.  The midwife TOLAC in room 1 is about to become an official VBAC.  Cara's managed to admit and deliver three women vaginally so far tonight and I got to section a set of twins.  I even updated Shelly's antepartum signout and sent it on its merry way to 5 East as not to disappoint her like I did yesterday.  All that's left to do is a cerclage at 6am.

An apology for those who read that paragraph and translated it to "blah, blah, blah vaginal blah, blah..."  Unfortunately, keeping a blog as a resident pretty much ends up revolving around work.  As do most things these days, especially being on nights.  So, to help out a little for my non-medical, non-obstetrical friends, I'll try to provide definitions in the forms of links wherever necessary.  As an example, here is the above paragraph with explanations:

For the first time in two weeks, there has been about a half hour here on Labor and Delivery where we actually have nothing to do.  The midwife TOLAC in room 1 is about to become an official VBAC.  Cara's managed to admit and deliver three women vaginally so far tonight and I got to section a set of twins.  I even updated Shelly's antepartum signout and sent it on its merry way to 5 East as not to disappoint her like I did yesterday.  All that's left to do is a cerclage at 6am.

There, much better.

So, as you may have read over at Regina's blog, tomorrow is the last day and night I get to spend with her until the end of May.  She leaves early Wednesday for Grenada to begin her med school adventure at St. George's University.  Words can't begin to explain how excited I am for her.  She is going to rock ass and take names.  In a way, I'm jealous of her in that if-I-knew-then-what-I-know-now kind of ways where I go back in time and get to redo medical school with a little more perspective and lot less agita.  At minimum though, I have a built in vacation spot over the next two years on one of the prettiest islands in the Caribbean. 

But let's be honest, I'm probably going to be a train wreck for at least a few weeks.  My fellow co-residents, friends, family, local Starbucks baristas, and the bartender at the Country Corner have all been put on notice.  If you happen to notice a large, sulking, bearded, homeless-looking man wandering the streets of Stony Brook, Setauket, Port Jefferson, or anywhere along the Long Island Expressway over the next month or so, just do me a favor and slow down and make sure it's not me.  I may very well have lost my keys, forgot where I parked my car, or may be looking for a natural land bridge to Grenada.

In any case, just pick me up and drop me on the 8th Floor at Stony Brook...chances are I'm supposed to be there.

Wish me luck.

And don't forget to wish Regina luck and follow her adventure at 
http://notesfromspiceisland.blogspot.com/.

Regards,
Jerry.