Wednesday, 01 July 2009
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Last First Day
This is Travis' Last First Day of school, so to speak. He's had a first day of kindergarten, grades 1-12, four years in college, four years in medical school, and three years in residency. Today is the first day of his last year of residency, and his next first day will be as a fully-licensed, independently practicing family doctor. Whew. It's been a long road.
And it couldn't come at a better time. Travis spent the majority of the last four days at the hospital caring for one of his clinic patients who is very sick, has coded several times, and is now on life support as a result of a lifetime of poor health choices. Unfortunately this type of situation is a by-product of the patient population which Travis serves; a community of people who largely abuse drugs and alcohol, can't afford to seek preventative health care, and are non-compliant with their medications. This patient is someone he sees in clinic, meaning his hospitalization is outside of Travis' regular rotation call and duties. This means when Travis' call day is over he's not done, he just switches gears. This last 24 hours he's spent helping the family decide if and when to turn off life support, consulting the legal department regarding disputes on the matter, and preparing them for the after. It's a hard job, managing the end-of-life care of his patients, and one he hates. His shift ended three hours ago and the fact that he's not home yet doesn't bode well for the day.
All that to say, I'm glad it's his last first day. The reminder that this lifestyle is only temporary, that in one year's time we'll get to begin a life where the days are much more likely to go as expected, is welcome.
On that note, James should nap and I should shower. I can't make his days or nights any shorter, but at least I can ensure that when he finally arrives home it's not to a grumpy baby and an unwashed wife with sticky-up hair and rumpled pajamas. And if I'm quick about it I might have time to fix his favorite post-crappy-call-day snack. Lucky for me I didn't marry a complicated man, as I never was any good at anything that involves the words bisque, roux, or chutney. But I can handle a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, cut in half, with a glass of milk.
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Comments (6)
did you take a picture of travis on his last first day of school??
this has been a long time in coming! horray!
I love the way you love Travis. We are so proud of you both!
@Abs7 - Maybe I will when he gets home! Cute idea.
There needs to be a huge celebration on the last day of "school" next year.
PB&J and milk. Who would've guessed?
that's so cute.... I love the sandwich and milk. Adorable. And i'm with jdkpierce...the way you love him is so neat, thanks for sharing it with us!
I am still wishing Travis were called close enough to be my doctor. I love him already (in the platonic, my friend-I've-yet-to-meet-in-person's husband sort of way).
And I wanted to tell you how I celebrated with you about James's recent foray into foods with texture. Woo hoo! (I've been keeping up, just not commenting... blah)