Feeling it.

Dear goodness...I feel like a fat cow. I've got 11 weeks left (hopefully!)...or I guess 9 or 10 would be ok with me, ha ha. I just feel huge. My belly that is. I've not gained too much weight this pregnancy-- I'm on track to gain about 30 pounds total, which is normal.

I swear though, I think this child is huge! I've not gained much weight through my body, it's all in my belly. I feel like one of those yucky dog ticks that seems like it will burst as soon as you touch it! My skin seems it's as tight as it will go, and at any second, it might rip down the sides if I touch my belly because the tension is so great.

What am I going to do? I've got alot of time left in this pregnancy! Yikes!

Unexpected Vacation

Ugh. I've been off of school since Tuesday, and I'm not happy about it. This is my last rotation ever as a medical student and I'm working as an "Acting Intern" on Labor and Delivery, how apropos.

I've sworn this child might kill me before he is born, and he might also kill my medical career too. On Monday I had some (well, ummm not totally unprovoked) bleeding and immediately went to my hospital, where they found I was having contractions every 3-5 minutes. Joy. They gave me medicine to stop the contractions and sent me home, to have follow up the next day at my doctor's office.

They monitored me there for a bit, and I was having contractions still, but it didn't really seem like I was in labor because my cervix had not changed. Again, they gave me medicines to stop contractions. Right before they were going to take me off of the monitors and send me home...the baby's heart rate dropped to the 90s a couple of times and stayed there for about a minute (his heart rate is supposed to be 120-160). So, back to the hospital I went for monitoring. Again, a few contractions, and while there, the baby looked fine, so back home I went.

Wednesday, I stayed home all day on "bed rest." My mom came up and waited on me hand and foot, bless her. I had quite a few contractions that day. Thursday home again because they didn't want me to go back to school without being seen at the doctor's office first-- fewer contractions, and I saw my doctor that day. She did a test that can predict the likelihood of labor, and now I'm waiting on those results to figure out what we're going to do about school.

I hate all of this waiting, I feel terrible that I'm not there....I know and understand that the condition of my baby and my pregnancy are of utmost concern, but I feel like such a slacker. I think the people I have been working with are a sympathetic group, and I've been keeping them updated....but ugh, this is killing me. I hate this sitting at home when I know I'm supposed to be somewhere else. And I'm bored. So bored.....

Medical School=Doctor, Doofus!

I just need to vent about something that irks me to no end. This has happened to me multiple times before, but I just can't stand it anymore! Today, I went to have some labs drawn, by I guess, a CNA or CMA or certified (oh wait, they don't need to be certified in KY!) phlebotomist at the hospital. I was wearing my scrubs, because I'm working Labor and Delivery now. The lady asks me, "So, do you work here?" I go, "No- I'm a medical student at (local university)."

Her reply? Her REPLY?

"Oh, so are you going to be an RN or what?"

GRRRRRRRRRR GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR I could have just come up with the most scathing reply possible, but I didn't...I kindly tried to explain that no, I was going to be a doctor, and that I had spent 4 years doing this work (I didn't even try to explain that I already had one degree that was probably higher than hers) to be a doctor and have another 3 of residency to go. I don't think she was impressed or really cared. I'm sure she'll ask the next person who comes in and says "medical school" the same thing, sheesh.

As I was telling my husband about this tonight, he informed me that multiple people have asked him if I was going to be an RN or PA or some other allied health professional whatever (no disrespect to those degrees meant though)--and he's had to explain that no, my wife is going to be a doctor.

Why can't people understand these simple things?

--Medical School=Doctor, as in MD

--Nursing School=Nurse

--PA School=PA

I seriously wonder if this is just something that women run into....like, if I were a male, would they just reach the conclusion that I am working towards an MD? I'm sure guys who say they're going to medical school don't get the reply of "Oh, are you going to be a nurse?" And don't even get me started on those patients who assume that I'm a nurse in the clinics or up on the floors.