36 Weeks

Welcome to Good Friday and the end of Anesthetics!

Yes, I (and therefore you and the patients) have survived 6 weeks of mind-altering drugs, noxious gases, misplaced IV lines, blown catheters and even a few attempts at regional nerve blocks!

And that’s just the stuff I did outside the hospital…

But the most worrisome part about being done with Term 2 is that I only have 6 terms left until the end of the year. For those of you playing along with the Special Edition Home Version, I am 36 weeks from being a doctor. (Is it cold in here or did you just have a chill run down your spine with that thought?) It can be a disturbing thought to most – like the woman at the post office the other day. The friendly clerk asked how long until I finished; I told her in December I would be a doctor followed with my usual, “I know – it scares me, too.” The elderly lady in the next line looks me up and down and says, “Not as much as it scares me.”

Trust me; I *wish* I was making that up…

Last weekend, I flew over to Sydney to meet the intrepid travelers from Up North, my family. Or at least a good portion of it. Mom and Dad, Brother and Nancy decided to brave Vegemite and that nasty hole in the ozone layer to see Australia and, if I was available, me. While the three days we spent together went quickly, we had a lot of fun. Plenty of laughing, joking, wandering around, getting lost, and explaining the Aussie version of English. (Who knew the word ‘pissed’ could mean so many things – most of them contradictory?) Lots of pictures were taken; at one point, my darling brother thought it would be a good idea to get a Canterbury Family Picture with the Opera House as the background. You know, something nice to be used on Christmas Cards and commemorative tea towels for years to come, to remember how fun the trip was?

Of course, he asked me to take it of them…

After too much fun, responsibility reared its ugly head and I needed to head back to Adelaide to finish my term. However, I do have proof that I have a family and they did come to Australia to see me: photos from their visit are available at my blog – www.downunderdoc.blogspot.com – proudly brought to you by Ezi-lube Surgical-Grade Lubricant:

Ezi-Lube: for all those times when you need to stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.

And with that, it’s the weekend. With it being Easter, not much is going on. Good Friday saw everything closed – including the bars and bottle shops – not sure what the Aussies do to fill their time. As for me, I’ll spend the weekend resting and getting ready for my return to the renal ward for Term 3, which starts Tuesday. Not to mention getting tea towels made…

As always, Love to All and keep working on your 101 List!
Bryan