Today was a better peds day: I saw a kid with croup who was getting better, happy, sweet, playful and cooperative. I saw a baby with herpes on its face (poor thing really -what jerk with a cold sore goes around kissing babies' faces!) and I saw a case of mesenteric adenitis / questionable Gilbert's syndrome. Our lecture was on adolescent cases, which was a welcome, far-more interesting change (and an unfortunate rarity). I was present for a delivery in which a healthy baby was born -we did not even have to suction, her cry was so good. All in all, a very non-typical day in pediatrics. Of course, it helped that I am finally getting over this viral infection and I could actually show my face at work today after staying home, sick for two whole days.
The roughest was the psych case a few days ago -cute little kid with behavioural problems, ADHD, tics, oppositional defiance, self-mutilation, tantrums, hypersensitive to touch, possible absence seizures, has been overdosed on meds by accident because a family member was taking the same drugs in a higher dose, does not distinguish between strangers and family / friends, has trouble with social interaction and play (autism spectrum disorder suspected). Now there are the challenges in medicine that one loves, and then there are... these. It's awful. It's unfair. Why. She's just a kid -couldn't the evolutionary gods spare her and her family all this suffering? It's not a case of autism. This is comorbid to the power of a billion. That was a heartbreaking day.
But today was a better one. So this is what it's like in this little med-world of mine -up, down, up, down, up... sigh. As my neonatology supervisor's 7 year-old kid said, "I work very hard at school. It's enough, [Mommy]! I need a vacation!"
So that is what Harvard-Yale will be for me, in a couple weeks -a much needed vacation before getting started on the rotation that may or may not determine the rest of my career path -Ob/Gyn!
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