I have attempted a few lumbar punctures (AKA "spinal taps") during my 6 months as a doctor, but none of them had been successful until just a few short weeks ago.  That was when I got my first champagne tap.

(Champagne Tap: Successfully performing a lumbar puncture so that cerebrospinal fluid is obtained and is not contaminated with blood, thus having the appearance of a champagne color.  Often reserved for a specimen that has zero red cells on microscopic exam, though sometimes used for anything less than 20 reds, so long as the gross appearance is not bloody.)

So I guess mine was pseudo-champagne, since there were 3 red cells on microscopic… but just the fact that it was not grossly bloody (like the previous 3 I had tried) was entirely satisfying.

Alive and kicking!

And I still love my job! 🙂

And I also love running through sprinklers, setting up tents in the yard, playing Killer Bunnies, riding the bus to work, going to movies ("Little Miss Sunshine", anyone?), playing soccer, eating on patios, and kayaking. And lots of other things too.

And I promise to write more about some of them soon.

Love, Jill

P.S. My Intern Retreat for work is this coming week and should be tons o’ fun.  We get to spend the whole week in discussions about how to make life/work better and team-building activites (aka scavenger hunts, the circular sit-down activity, and kum-by-yah’s around a campfire).  Should be fun!

I had my second ever ER shift this evening, and I got to put on my first ever splint.  It was for a little girl who had taken a fall onto her elbow and had a possible fracture (by X-ray).  So I put a splint on it and sent her home to follow-up with her pediatrician at the end of the week.

I like my ER shifts – for whatever reason I feel much less pressure than I did on the wards… I don’t have a huge "to do" list always hanging over me and I can fully concentrate on one patient at a time.  I know it will probably be busier and get harder – especially in the wintertime with all the lovely viruses – but so far I’m having fun and enjoying myself.

I’ve also just started on my Development rotation, which has been good so far.  The hours are nice and the information is so interesting. I’ve only really had 1 day so far, but I am eager to see what I’ll be learning in the next few weeks.

Another fun and exciting thing is that the Stanley Stamm Summer Camp is next week – it’s a camp for kids with medical needs that prevent them from attending "regular" summer camps (things like IVs, ventilators, complex medication regimens, etc.).  Residents are invited to come and help out, and since I’m on a more relaxed rotation I am actually getting 2 days off to go down and help out.  I am really looking forward to that – especially since I haven’t been able to do Camp Casey at all recently. 🙁  Which reminds me, Camp Casey is going on right now – I hope everything is going well.  I know the planning stages can get a bit hairy sometimes, but the week of camp was always just the best part – I hope that’s still true for Heather and Carrie this year.  I wonder if I’ll get to help with the newspaper again? 🙂

And finally – on a completely different note – A.J. and I have been going to a Sunday evening church service called "in Access" that meets at a coffee shop in, hmm, Bothell (I think).  The coffee shop is closed and the church rents the space – it’s nice and comfy and there is always iced tea and some snacks.  Anyway, the great thing about this service is that it’s very interactive and discussion-oriented and the purpose is to really seek out "truth" and not just re-emphasize "doctrine".  It has been very stimulating to discuss things like original sin, the age of accountability, and heaven/hell.  The group is quite small (so far never more than 15 people at a service), which makes it nice for the discussion part.  I really feel like my input is important and that I can ask my questions and provide my opinions.  There’s good discussion, some prayer time, and then we end with worship.  We meet at 6pm on Sundays for a couple hours and so far I am really enjoying it.

I am on call right now and, thankfully, it’s a much less busy night than my past couple of call nights have been.  I am sitting in my call room in my purple scrubs (adorned on the pocket with a koala – Thanks Grandma!) and taking a moment to relax, complete some online surveys, and get my papers organized.

I know I haven’t written much lately, but just for the very quick update – I still love my job!  There have been some more stressful moments, and I get pretty tired after I’ve been on call, but I love what I’m doing while I’m here at the hospital.  I am looking forward to next month when I’ll have a bit shorter of hours and will get to sleep at home every night… 🙂

So, not much else here.  This pitiful little entry makes my life seem rather dull, but it really isn’t!  I just can’t think of anything else to say right now….

I love my job!  Today was my first day of work and, boy, was I nervous.  I didn’t really know where to go or what to do…. I mean, in a general sense I did: go see the patients and be ready to present them.  But where were the patients located?  Where could I find the charts?  What information was I supposed to gather?  All the things I’ll know by heart next week were brand new this morning and a little intimidating.

But I got through pre-rounds.  And I got through attending rounds.  And I got my notes done, and answered pages, and wrote orders, and introduced myself as "Dr. Cook" – and smiled the whole day through. 🙂

I love the people I work with… the other new interns are great, our senior residents are so helpful and generous with their time, the nurses are friendly, and the families are really nice and seem genuinely happy to meet me and have me take over day-to-day care of their children.  What a responsibility, what trust.  I’m so glad I have my seniors to back me up!

Tomorrow I’m on call, and I’m actually kind of excited about it.  I wonder what the day/night will bring…

I love my job.

P.S. Check out http://childrens.jillcook.com for pictures from our climb up Pinnacle Peak that wrapped up our orientation week.  Great fun!

I finally got my block schedule for my intern year yesterday!  I had been waiting for it since late May (when it was first projected to be available).  I am very excited about my schedule and starting residency and, just, everything!  So here it is:

Month 1: Med 1(General Inpatient Service, aka "Floors" or "Wards")
Month 2: Development
Month 3: NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, located at UW Hospital on Labor/Delivery Floor)
Month 4: Newborn Nursery (located at UW Hospital on Post-partum Floor)
Month 5: Elective (to be determined)
Month 6: Med 2 (general Inpatient)
Month 7: Continuity Clinic/Ambulatory Pediatrics (All clinic work)
Month 8: Hematology/Oncology (Inpatient service for kids with genetic anemias – like Sickle Cell – and with cancer)
Month 9: Emergency Department
Month 10: 2 week vacation and 2 weeks of "float" (where I cover for anyone who is sick, etc.)
Month 11: Med 3 (General Inpatient)
Month 12: Emergency Department

On the Med / NICU / Heme-Onc months I will be on call every 4th night (staying overnight at the hospital).  The Continuity Clinic month is call free (yay!).  When I’m assigned to the Emergency Department (ED), I will work about 18 shifts (8-12 hours each) during each month.  When I’m on my Development and Elective months, I won’t have any call for those services, so I’ll be doing a few shifts in the ED during those months.  When I’m in the Newborn Nursery for a month I’ll help to cover the NICU call nights a few times over the course of the month.  And of course, no call during my vacation, and no call when I’m a float, since I have to be available to come in whenever needed.

 So there it is!  I love that I’m starting on a floor month so I’ll have a chance to learn the new computer system / hospital layout / how rounds work / etc all from the get go.  Also, I think it’s best to be a little shaky on the floors in June (when people know it’s your first time there) rather than not having a floor month until December (like some people have) and have to remind everyone that it’s your first experience there.  I also like the spacing of months with heavier call vs. months with lighter call.  Overall I’m very happy with my whole schedule!