Not that I’m complaining (well, actually, I am complaining) but I would really like a tiny break between residency and fellowship instead of an overlap.  It is not a huge overlap - just 5 days - and fortunately, it’s just a few days of adolescent medicine clinic that I’ll be missing to attend orientation for fellowship.  But it’s enough of an overlap to create a likely adjustment disorder in my mind.

The scheduling powers-that-be have been sage enough to put me on “back up call” and “clinic” on my first month of fellowship in July in case I deliver early, which means that with some advanced warning, I can get called in to take call or cross-cover someone who may be sick or otherwise ill-disposed. However, I’m not sure how that will work if I’m unfamiliar with the NICU that I’ll be covering in.  Because I hate the fact that I will be brand squeaky new at my job and will not even know where to find scrubs nevertheless intubate a premature 28 weeker (haven’t done this since my second year of residency) or place a chest tube in a baby (haven’t done this ever), or….lots of ridiculous skills that I wish I were more confident with.  I know that’s part of the point of fellowship training - to get better at this stuff - but I also know that the first year of fellowship is going to be harder than intern year.

At this stage of residency, however, I am also extremely mentally exhausted, and I want a small break.  A long weekend in Vermont, or something equivalent would have been nice.  The one weekend that that I had off where this was possible is now being eaten up by a semi-baby shower that my in-laws are hosting; neither Joe or I wanted this, and we should have been more adamant in refusing, but now we are stuck.

I think this pregnancy is also making me tired.  My feet have swollen width-and-length wise to the extent that I needed to buy new shoes that are a whole size and a half larger because the only shoes that fit now are my Crocs.  Also, the joints in my hands hurt like arthritis because they are so swollen.  I wish my physical limitations didn’t make me so cranky!  Fortunately, I only have 8 more weeks of this.