One really, really GREAT thing about my job

So earlier tonight, I got home and got all pissed off and whiny that I had so much work to do... busy day, too tired, I had to go to school, blah blah blah.... you get the point. But, as my boss knows all too well, once the work is there, I'm going to do it. So, I got to work. And it dawned on me... not right away, it was a slow progression.. what this bonus is.

I start with Pediatric Urology and that's not so bad... the kid's they're seeing mostly have stuff they're gonna grow out of and it's rare that they get a horribly sick kid. So, it's all good there... I move on to Nephrology.

Two dictations, both patients with pretty bad shit... chronic kidney disease, stage 5 and end-stage renal disease. Both need kidney transplants and they're both at the point where only dialysis is going to keep them going long enough for that to happen... if it ever does :(

Next, I hit Rheumatology which usually isn't all that bad except for the pain in the ass of the inevitable loonnnng list of lab values. Those rheumatologists do love their lab tests. But one of the patients is a woman who is a year younger than me, and has rheumatoid arthritis, and she has it BAD. On her best days, she has trouble getting around and, on her worst days, she's lucky if she can make it out of bed. The next patient doesn't have it so great either... systemic lupus erythematosus and it's doing quite a number on her too.

I finally get through that and hit my last dictations of the night.... my favorite field and the one I'm best at, which is why I always save it for last. By the time I get down to those last ones, I'm always tired and it's nice to have something you can breeze through.

Thing is, my favorite, albeit long-winded pulmonary doc starts dictating, and it's not long until I realize he's talking about a woman who, again, is damn close to my age. She has terminal lung cancer. They've done all they can for her and now it's just a matter of trying to make her as comfortable as they can and getting her set up with hospice care, etc. My favorite doc really sounds upset on this one... says he'll see her back in 3 months but said his goodbyes in case she doesn't make it that long. The oncology doc will take over... you get the point.

So, the great thing about my job? I reaiize on an almost daily basis just how damn lucky I am that I CAN get up at 6 in the morning and run around all day getting homework done, working in between, go to school, come home and work and roll into bed exhausted and get up a few hours later and do it all over again. Will I whine again? Of course. Will I get pissed off and rant about my boss again? Hell, that's a given. But I do count my blessings every day and the job I bitch about so much has been a huge factor in making me realize how easy my life really is.

Goodnight or good morning.... whichever applies to you if you actually got this far down in the thread :P

:hug:

Thank you for that. I have rheumatoid arthritis and I am now a little bit more thankful that I can get out of bed everyday. Have a good day.

I feel for you. I really, really do. I'm glad that you're able to get out of bed every day but I also know that RA is rough on you, even in it's beginning or milder stages. :hug:

Thank you for posting that. I think that we all need to take a minute every now and then to look at the things we have.

:hug:

I just got so tired and frustrated yesterday and nothing seemed to be going right. Then I start working and realize my frustrations are nothing compared to what these people are going through. It made me sad, but happy and thankful at the same time... does that make sense? :shrug: