pedia mania

I just realized that I had so many stories to tell during the time I was in the pedia wards but I didn’t write a single thing on my blog for the simple reason that I was really busy.  Well, I am finally done with pedia wards and I have now moved on to the Nursery Catching Area to take care of newborns.  I’m excited and frightened at the same time… Why?  Because this is my favorite part of Pediatrics, dealing with neonates (newborn babies).  I always said that if only I could have be a neonatology resident only and not have to deal with the other parts of Pediatrics that would be great (Fat chance!).  Tomorrow is going to be my first duty, and now I have this heavy feeling on my chest that I always get when I am anticipating the arrival of a new baby.  This is the only real place when it is music to my ears to hear a baby’s cry and to see it flailing about and turning pink before my eyes as it catches it’s first breaths.  It is magical I tell ya.  But the tension could really kill me.  I don’t know if I am just exaggerating, but the tension that surrounds keeping that newborn alive has reached a whole new level since clerkship.  As a clerk, you feel scared but comfortable because you know that your experienced resident or intern will always be by your side as you resuscitate that baby.  But as a PGH intern, now that’s a whole different story.  They warned us that there will be times when a resident won’t be there, and that now, you have a clerk of your own to assist you.  Ahh!!! Responsibility!!!  And with all the babies that come in to PGH in a single day?  Scaaaary… Please wish me luck, tomorrow is my first duty.  Let it be a benign one please I beg you.  Save the weird cases for later.  (ok time to review!)