| | .: What do YOU want to be when you grow up? :.People generally fall into two categories - those who love kids and those who dont.Occasionally there is a third group; the ambivalent kind who would rather not, but dont mind if there are little people present.I guess I would fall into the first category - Ive always been clucky and at one point, thought that my greatest calling in life is to be a mother. Perhaps it still is, but Id have to dig very deep into the recesses of my mind to remember.So, it was only natural that I thought Id be a paediatrician; after the whole business of getting that darned medical degree.But..and there is a BIG but...  I have chosen to do a term in Paeds this year - a longer duration compared to normal terms. And so far, I am loving every minute of it. But wait, I also loved every minute of adult ED and general medicine. Which brings me to a dilemma - what do I really want to do when I grow up? In terms of medical specialty that is.In the last 2 weeks of my rotation in particular, I have had my emotions strung on an elastic band, more stretchy than anything you could ever imagine. I have had to assist in the resuscitation of an 11-day old bubs, who eventually died. And then, there were the two status asthmaticus-es. Plus, the stabbing/penetrating neck injury of the 2 week old neonate this morning and followed by a 14 y/o Down Syndrome boy who had an acute abdomen.In two of those cases (guess which ones), I let myself cry on the drive home.So..in the next few months (a timeline I have given myself), as I ponder about where my medical career is headed, I will take stock..and remember all these incidents, all these patients whose lives I have come across. From that little old lady who tried to take her own life after her husband died, to the 2 week old whose penetrating injury missed all the great vessels in the neck. I will remember how I felt as I tenaciously searched for a vein to try and get IV access. I will remember how I whispered prayers to God under my breath as I methodically went through the A-B-C's of resuscitation. I will think of how with each case, we are a little closer to the prevention of many others. And I will pause as I think of my husband..of the children we will have one day (soon we hope! )...and ask God to be so clear in His direction over our life.And I will remember that " For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. " Colossians 1:16-17And then...I will really know what I want to be when I grow up.   Popo and I 1984 and 2009 |
| | Posted 3/16/2009 11:16 AM - 89 Views - 6 eProps - 3 comments
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