Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Muncie Match!

Just an update-- I matched at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, IN! This was my first choice on my rank order list (ROL), and I'm very happy to know my direction for the next 3 years. Muncie was the last stop on my 16(!) city tour of interviewing craziness, but I'm glad I held out and went to that one. We really liked the people there, and my husband is super excited about the city, because they have Ball State University, with an MBA program and also this thing known as a business incubator--right up his alley.


Regarding baby business- before both my and the program's ROL were due, I called them up to break the news that oh, I'm having a baby the 2nd week of intern year--surprise! (Well, not surprise for me--baby boy was planned afterall...). I was a little nervous in calling them, but it wasn't too bad, because a resident and grad of UK almost 2 years ago had a baby the first week of internship, and everybody survived. The residency director's first reaction was "What is going on with these UK gals having babies in July!?!" Later on, he remembered to congratulate me, ha ha. I told them that if possible, I'd love to start residency October 1st, allowing me to stay here to have the baby and then move to Muncie in late August/early September. To my surprise, they were totally ok with this and just said that I'd start and finish late--no need to use electives or anything. The only condition was that I try to make the 3 weeks of orientation that take place the last weeks of June....hopefully I can make it! The picture of me, 36, 37, and 38 weeks pregnant trying to do chest compressions as part of the ACLS algorithm is pretty hilarious I think. I informed them I was planning on having the baby here...the residency director goes, "Well, this is your first right? And how far to Lexington? Oh, 4 hours....well, if you did go into labor, you'd probably be able to make the drive!" Ha ha. Let's hope we don't have to cross that bridge. My husband is doing more than hoping that doesn't happen, I think...he may do rain dances or chants to try to ward off the situation.
Below is "The Great Spirit"--a famous landmark in Muncie.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Apparently, the Comments have begun...

Today was a total blow to my pregnant self-confidence. The phase of strangers commenting on my pregnancy evidently has begun, and I'm not happy about it, not at all. What is it about pregnancy that makes people think they have free reign to blurt out whatever they're thinking within their tiny little heads? Normally, would a person start asking random questions of a stranger or try to make jokes regarding their condition so openly? I really don't think so. Even if a person is trying to comment to "make me feel cute, precious, ________, ________" whatever endearing term, I just don't really appreciate the commentary. I've had this huge (pun not really intended) fear of being one of those women who strangers look at and say "Oh, poor thing, she's got to be/looks/is so miserable." I don't want to be huge, I want to be normal and if possible, slightly cute. But, today has almost totally washed that pipe dream down the tubes.

Exhibit #1: I was seeing a 4 year old girl in clinic for her well-child check. Mom, who is 24 with an 8 year old and a 4 year old, half way through me talking to them just blurts out randomly--
Mom--"Are you having a baby?"
Me--"Yes, I'm due in July, it will be my first baby."
Mom--"Well that must be a BIG baby! My sister is due Aug. 10th and she's not nearly as big as you!"
Me--"Well, I'm a month ahead of her...." trying to keep from informing her that I didn't care how big her sister was, and that her sister was probably like 15 or something and not eating appropriately, and trying to keep from asking her if her sister knew who FOB was and all the other mean things I could think of....and also yelling at her for having a child when she was 15.

Exhibit #2: When walking back from the cafeteria at the hospital, with only a bag of Cheez.its and a spoon in hand, one of the crazy security guard people at the hospital says--
Security guy--"See, I told you to watch out about eating the cafeteria food, it's got you all bloated and stuff!"
Me--"Haha..." restraining myself against turning around and punching his teeth out.

Exhibit #3: In the clinic later on, another mother of a patient is in there-she's pregnant with her 4th child. Somebody asks her when she's due...she says May 30th-- a full 6 wks before me, but I swear, I feel that we're pretty close to the same size. I think she couldn't be older than 21....
So later on, I go back to the area where the students, residents, and doctors are sitting and lament the fact that I am feeling like I'm too huge to be barely over half-way through my pregnancy.... a male resident chimes in, genuinely trying to be helpful I think....
Resident--"So when are you due?"
Me--"The second week of July..."
Resident-- "Oh, well, is this your first or second baby?"
Me-- "My first...."
Resident-- pure silence...

The intent here was for him to be able to say, "Oh, well, if it's your second baby, then you're probably fine" or whatever....but this isn't my second.

There are a few things that get me all riled up about all of this stuff
  • Firstly, I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER HOW BIG MY BELLY IS, OR HOW BIG MY BELLY WILL GET! I'm not eating everything in sight, and I've NOT put on an extra layer of fat. I'm not exercising because I have uncomfortable cramp-like sensations when I walk long distances, but I take the stairs for up to 3 flights, and park kinda far from school.
  • Secondly, as I alluded to before--why is it that people think they have the RIGHT and the NEED to comment on my belly? It's MY BELLY! I don't comment on your belly, you don't need to comment on mine. What would things be like if people were going around saying "Hey, your spare tire looks a little inflated today!" I don't think it would be pretty. IF YOU'VE GOT THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW HUGE I AM, KEEP THEM INTERNAL---OR AT LEAST SAY THEM BEHIND MY BACK SO I CAN'T HEAR!
  • Comparing pregnant women's bellies is not fair to anybody. We've got a distorted image of how a woman should look while pregnant--all that matters is that I'm healthy and the baby is healthy! And I know, I need to take my own advice and not compare myself to another woman, because I really don't know how big I am or how big I look.
  • People can't assume to know how I feel about the way I look. I probably won't agree with ANY comment that is made, positive or negative. Right now, I feel that I'm as big as the broad side of a barn, and I've got 17 weeks to go, God willing.

Ok, I think I'm done ranting--and don't get me started on the rubbing the belly thing!

I need to get a shirt which reads "I don't comment on your belly, please don't comment on mine!"