Nearly there...

Intern orientation is nearly over! Yippee!! I am incredibly exhausted and ready to get to the Labor and Delivery unit and off of my seat. I spent Monday and Tuesday in surgery. I do not like surgery. I am not grossed out or upset by it - in fact it is incredibly fascinating to me. Nope, that isn't the problem at all. I just don't have any desire to stand for many long hours in one very cold spot and just do very little! Monday I watched a unilateral thyroidectomy which took about two hours. I have had a total thyroidectomy so this was of interest to me. This particular patient had a mass on her thyroid and it took some doin' to get it all out, but it was still interesting.

Yesterday, however, was flat out grueling! Patient: 4'11" female post gastric bypass surgery in need of extensive plastic surgery. Our job: to remove excess skin and fat from her abdomen and under her arms (known to plastic surgeons as "bilateral bracheoplasty and abdominoplasty with liposuction"). This surgery took SEVEN hours, people! I simply stood there - got to hold her arm up while this phenominal surgeon got her draped and prepped. Then I stood there! The doctor was incredibly nice (and believe me, some of them aren't) - he explained everything and talked and joked so the time didn't necessarily drag, but I was still exhausted! I won't gross you out with details, but that lady was wheeled out of the operating room weighing considerably less than when she went in! A rewarding process without doubt, but not for me!

Today the chaplain of the hospital came by. Ours is a Catholic hospital so we have a very strong Christian mission statement and they do a wonderful job of making certain that all of the employees know and embrace that concept. I have long held a great deal of respect of Chaplain and he didn't dissappoint me today either. I just think it is so wonderful that I can go to work in this day and age and get to listen to scripture read over the PA system at 10 AM! Chaplain is working hard on a new program he would like to establish where all the team members coming off of a code blue or any other trauma (death etc.) would be required to "decompress" after these events. He wanted to make certain that all the interns knew that he wanted to hear from us if we needed someone to pray with us or just listen. His words were so neat and I know they will remain with me a long time: "You cannot minister from an empty cup". This is so true, but I think it is just incredible that I get to work for a hospital that recognizes and attempts to address this issue.

I have been working on travel plans for this summer. When the hospital hired me, my supervisor told me to go ahead with any travel that I wished for this year so I am taking her at her word and planning! On July 3rd Randy and I will sail out of Galveston on our first cruise - I think I mentioned that before. On July 23rd our family of six will fly to Orlando, Florida and spend the next eight days at the Disney gaggle of parks there. We are excited that Aunt Esther may get to come see us for a while when we are there. In August I am going on my first "work and witness" mission trip. Our church is taking a group to Sri Lanka and I get to go! We are taking a medical team into the tea plantations of Haton. A very dear friend of ours is an obstetrician/gynecologist and she is going with us. We will be there for 10 days - I know this will be a life-changing experience and I would love to have your prayers as we go. I will definately keep ya'll updated as I travel.

Tonight I am grateful and excited that God has put me here at this time. Monday, June 23rd, I will be taking nursing state board examinations. Provided I pass, I will be finally able to close the book on the odyssey that has been nursing school.