This one is for Abba

Here you go, I think you'll enjoy this one :o)

Re

Match day!!!

Feb. 11th 2008
Match day was today!!!!

And… I got the program I wanted! I am very excited, but… I do have to say that if I would have matched in my other choices I would have been just as happy. All the programs I applied to were great and I would have been happy in any of them. However, am very happy with my new residency program and I couldn’t be more excited about it!!!! Yeah!

So… my rotation… I did not like the first week, but after two individuals left and our team switched around to new people I am much happier. I am working very hard and functioning almost like an intern. I still am having problems entering orders on the computer, but the seniors are helping me out. The patients are incredibly interesting, and I am studying very hard. I really like it! Last year when I was planning 4th year I asked E.ma if I should do 3 months of family medicine (because it was easier to schedule), or try to schedule 2 months of a sub-internship and a month of family medicine. Mom looked at me (I could “hear” that look through the phone!) and asked me which one would prepare me for residency better. She was right! I feel much better about starting residency next year.

Okay, so I was on call last Wednesday and the on Sunday (yesterday). Being on call means that after your work day (it was for me), you stay in the hospital during night and care for the patients on the floor, as well as receive new admissions. Both nights were actually not too bad. I slept for about 3 hours on the first night and 4-5 hours on the second night. The resident I was with said I was a “white cloud”—meaning that I brought a calm night. LOL! It’s all random really. I’m glad I did these calls, but I still think that night float is a better system.

… I must say that having beds to sleep on is a nice change from my calls in Internal medicine, where for some reason they did not have beds for the students (that was NOT fun.)

Dad came to visit on Friday and Saturday. He decided to drive, and I was so happy he did because I was just pooped. The last time I saw dad it was about 1 month ago, and I really missed him! Living out here all by myself can get very lonesome at times. Yes, I am extremely busy, but I would love it if I had my close family around so I could drive for a maximum of 20 minutes and have coffee with Omer or Abba. But sadly, that’s not going to happen, so I’ll just whine for a bit and then suck it up. In anycase, dad and I ate at olive garden and then dad brought tons of stuff with him from Israel: Cookies made by Savta Adina (Thank you SO much! They are GREAT!), the coolest PJ’s ever from my aunt Isabelle and a beautiful little Hamsa that reminds me of the hamsa Isabelle gave mom and that she was eventually buried in (thanks Izza!). Also a movie that I’ll see this weekend (thank you Yossi(?)). And then from Abba: two shirts from Bangkok, a new book that I started reading today, the coolest black shoes I have ever seen that fit me like a glove! and… this beautiful picture called “Cat and Bird” by Paul Klee, that I saw once with Abba in MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) that Abba got me (Thank you so very much!!!) It feels like my birthday! Thank you for all the attention :o)




One of my favorite things to do with my dad is to go shopping… I think it’s because we mostly window shop and talk. By window shopping I mostly mean sunglasses, watches and shoes :o) Dad always says that E.ma taught him a lot about finding great deals, so we really had fun in several stores this weekend! LOL! Oh, and get this… I was complaining to dad last week that tomatoes cost 5$ per pound (!!!) and they really did, until dad showed up at the grocery store and the price “magically” went down :o) as tomatoes are my favorite fruit/veggie, I was very happy.



Another thing I must tell you… Last week I decided to get an exercise video. I’ve been thinking about it for a really long while and came to the conclusion that I (gasp!) must exercise. It’s really easy to come with tons of excuses and avoid the work out, but I really thought I would be happier and healthier if I made the effort. So… (and please don’t laugh,) I got myself Richard Simmons’ “Sweatin’ to the Oldies.” They way I see it, if it is fun (which this video is) I would be more likely to stick to it. So, after doing this 4 times this week I have to say that this is the greatest fun I ever had exercising! I love dancing to songs and this is exactly what this video is all about. I love the music which includes songs like: dancing in the street, beyond the sea, It’s my party, Peggy Sue, etc. and Richard Simmons is so flamboyant and excited, and it is hard not to have a good laugh while doing this. I love it, and even though I do sweat while doing this, it feels like fun. So I’m going to get more videos and keep doing this. If you have any other ideas for me for other type of exercising, I’ll be very happy to get your advice (just please keep in mind that I am very busy and can’t exercise outside in winter time)…



(Hahahahaha! Okay, even I am laughing a bit, but it is really fun, so… bite me!)












Both cats are well. Vega has gone a bit crazy because it has been too cold to let her sit on the balcony whenever she wants. KC is his normal self.




















That’s about it folks,

Love to all,

Reut

3 weeks to go... blah!

3 weeks to go. That’s what I keep telling myself… LOL! My new hospital is okay, and it is definitely would be a good place for next year. However, learning how to use a new computer system in less than a week (and this one is probably from way back in the early 80’s—not very user friendly) in order to put in orders, which I can do in this hospital, learning where everything is in the hospital, learning what is expected of me…. All of it is hard—you know, the regular stuff one faces when she starts a new hospital.
Anyways, to anyone who cares… I am being asked a lot of questions and constantly am feeling like a ‘poisoned rat…’ Oooooo (or rather, ouch!)… to be completely honest—it’s a very humbling experience. On the plus side, I am sitting down and studying and reviewing the material… so I am definitely learning, and will come out of this month knowing more academically as well as learning a bit more on how to be an intern; but I am tired and ready to be done with my second month of floor.

I have to say, my patients are extremely interesting! So far I’ve seen: Left upper lobe pneumonia, Right upper lobe pneumonia, Atypical pneumonia, Status Asthmaticus, RSV negative bronchiolitis, right upper lobe pneumothorax, marfan’s syndrome, grade IV ulcer, Sickle cell pain crisis, seizure disorder. In patients who weren’t mine I saw child abuse, appendicitis, possible osteogenesis imperfecta, and dengue fever. Quite a variety!

I am carrying 4-5 patients, and keeping everything in line is definitely a challenge.

So, all in all, even though I am complaining, this is an excellent experience, and I am sure I will appreciate it after it is over :o)

Okay, enough!

Vega and KC are doing wonderfully—they don’t get to see me much, but I think they are okay with it… cats are just so very independent like that.

~~~~~~~~~~
02-02-08
I fell asleep last night at this point, so I’ll just add that I had a weird dream with mom in it—Midnight decided to bite Omer, mom was in bed and I tried to help Omer. This of course is a bizarre dream because Midi would never bite Omer, E-ma would have yelled bloody murder if that were to happen (and she didn’t in my dream), and I wouldn’t have been frozen, but would have been able to help Omer. Oh yeah, and Omer would have been able to fend for himself.

But it was just the first dream since the 16th of last month that mom came.

:o( Come more often E-ma. Please.

Okay—great book I read:
תולדות האהבה/ניקול קראוס
Definitely a fun book—Saba, I will send it to you via Abba the next time we meet (which hopefully will be next weekend)

Oh, one more thing-- this photo appeared in the newspaper:














With this underneath:
מרגישים בעננים
מסע ארוך עבר על אלופי אוסטרליה הטריים בדרכם ממלבורן לישראל. הם עצרו לחניית ביניים לבנגקוק, שם עלו על טיסת אל על והצטלמו בקוק פיט עם הטייסים משה גפן ושמעון גוריון. גם כשהצמד המנצח הגיע לארץ, הוא לא ממש נחת על הקרקע

These are the champions for couples in the Australian Open (Tennis). Dad said they were really a bunch of nice guys. Very awesome! (Hey.. who is flying the plane? :o) :o) :o) )

That’s it ladies and gents—this week has been boring…

Love to all,

Reut

PS—I found this great song performed by Yehudit Ravitz and Nurit Galron. It is really loads of fun!!!