One good thing about the childrens’ hospital is the babies. I finally found a baby yesterday who 1)didn’t have any monitors attached, meaning she could be moved away from her bed 2)didn’t have any parents handy who wanted to cuddle with her themselves 3)hated her crib, and loved sitting on someone’s lap. The attendings who walked through the workroom while I was holding her and explaining my TPN calculations in babytalk raised an eyebrow or two. I also took her on some errands around the hospital with me; amazing how everyone’s face lights up, and they’re so happy to help, when you’re holding a cute baby (blue eyes, blond hair, pink cheeks – adorable). . . Unfortunately for me (good for her) she was discharged the afternoon after I met her. I had been looking forward to playing with her some more; but TPN does go faster without a baby crumpling your papers.

I just realized the last month and a half have involved no end-of-life discussions whatsoever. Is it bad to miss that, along with everything else I do at my own hospital? Not really miss, so to say, but notice the absence of. . .

Two more days at this hospital; only two days to go. . . The sky looks brighter already, and I’m developing the most discreditable devil-may-care attitude about what anyone at the hospital thinks of me (thus, playing with babies in the workroom in the middle of the morning; expected perhaps of peds residents, but not of surgery residents).

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