SIMON SCHLUTER / FAIRFAX / HEADPRESS / REDUX Jacinda Ardern’s leadership style, focused on empathy, isn’t just resonating with her people; it’s putting the country on track for success against the coronavirus. The coronavirus pandemic may be the largest test of political leadership the world has ever witnessed. Every leader on the planet is facing […]
via New Zealand’s Prime Minister May Be the Most Effective #Leader on the Planet — bluesyemre
January 2018
Bear got a new car! He’s loving his 2018 Highlander Hybrid that we’ve nicknamed “The Spaceship” — all the screens and safety features are incredible! We needed something safer and super reliable to transport our precious cargo!
On Sunday, Feb 11, we welcomed our Mini: Arden Elise Campbell. She arrived with a conehead after 27 hours of labor at 10:09pm. She was oriented OP, and I got my epidural at 4cm around 9:30am from one of my colleagues, Shiyin. The epidural was perfect — it was so nice to have to take the edge off the pain. However, because she was OP, I was still having quite a bit of back/bottom pressure from her head coming down and placing a lot of pressure on my tailbone. We tried multiple maneuvers to get her turned, but to no avail. My OB, Kim Washkowiak, came in on her day off to deliver Arden (that’s a huge deal and wonderful Around 9pm, she was 10 cm and complete…and it was time to push! After an hour of pushing an OP baby… we met our sweet Arden bug. She was 7lb 3 oz, 21 inches long, and absolutely perfect. She had a great latch, and we started breastfeeding immediately. Of course, it would take almost a week for my milk to come in. We supplemented with formula and breastfed as well as pumped to increase my milk supply. She’s been a wonderful journey so far. We’re learning new things about and us everyday.
March 2018
This month was a blur! Waking every 2-3 hours in the night to feed Arden made this month fly by! There were highs and lows along my breastfeeding journey. It’s finally settled down and breastfeeding and pumping are going well. We’re still supplementing with formula so she’s getting both.
April 2018
She’s 2 months old this month and already at 10lb! Bear sold his trusty 4Runner.
I forgot to update the rest of the entries…. so, follow along my Pregnancy #2 entries for the remainder of 2018!
I’ve noticed a trend between late nights at work, being tired, and a vicious cycle of negativity. My temper kicks in, my fuse shortens, and I’m ready to brawl any chance the situation presents itself. But that’s not me. What the heck?
 |
It’s so much easier being negative than taking the time to look at the positive side of things. I’m a realist so the positive BS gets a bit thick for me. I’m not outright rude to people, but I certainly don’t go out of my way to sugarcoat things. In today’s world, I do feel people need better coping skills. Does that make me a cold hearted snake? No, I don’t think so. I just think I’ve seen things and dealt with things that have made me stronger. Perhaps I’m out of touch.
If 40 hours/week is the magical number for work-life balance and being able to maintain “full-time” status… I’m well over that. Perhaps the lack of being able to make my own hours is another imbalance. I’m a servant to my pager and to my hospital duties. Don’t feel sorry for me; I knew that going into healthcare. Is work-life balance an illusion?
But maybe this is what needs improving. As I get older, it’s harder and harder for me to find sympathy and feel empathy in situations. I don’t have any concrete examples coming to mind, but I find myself believing that people got themselves into a particular situation without a thought of consequences. There seems to be a huge movement for being in the present — quite honestly, I wouldn’t mind if people had the thoughtfulness to think of the present while also keeping an eye on the future.
I stumbled upon the idea of transference. Interesting article here about what it is and how it alters your perspective on life.
But what if it’s the challenge of being close that can be so emotionally charging? Maybe it’s the lack of honest accurate communication?
Today, I’m #20 on the call schedule after being #2 last night. It wasn’t bad… I left work around 7:30p and never got called back to the hospital. That’s a great #2 night! A couple of days ago, I awoke with a pinched nerve along the left side of my neck and it’s incredibly uncomfortable turning my head and just doing regular tasks (i.e. making the bed). Right now, I wreak of Bengay and I’m partially comforted with some Aleve. Hot compress, you are next! Sometimes, it’s really nice to enjoy a lazy morning with zero agenda other than to catch up on life and maybe even do some self reflection.
A buddy of mine sent me this article and asked me my thoughts….
How Many Children Should You Have?
I gave it a once over and thought, this is interested. A small sample size of various parents from various geographical regions all commenting on their children. Their is italicized because it seems like commenting on what the perfect number of children to have is so personal and completely unique to their experience.
It’s a heavy duty article with a lot of good perspective. I kind of agree with them all. I liked the one with 3 kids best… and the one with no kids the least. Since when did the purpose of procreation become about supporting the older generation? I had a tough one with that. I don’t think people have kids to look after them in old age.
What do u think?
This article came at a perfect time for me. Bear and I just got married; we’re older… and we’re looking to start a family. I just went on an Amazon spending spree for knowledge:
Even as an M.D., I am thirsty for knowledge in an area that I know pretty little about. Sure, I’ve rotated on OB/GYN as a med student — but that was back in 2005. Plus, doing two months of a rotation doesn’t equal a full understanding of mom’s body and baby’s development. It taught me how to safely deliver a baby, but I need to know and understand the building blocks leading up to that. Secondly, I’m an anesthesiologist who places labor epidurals for our pregnant ladies getting ready to welcome their little bundles of joy into the world. I typically meet the moms when they are having contractions and wanting pain control and follow-up with them at delivery. So you can see, there’s a 9 month knowledge gap that I need to fill in.
If you’re a future mom and are interested in an epidural, educate yourself on the pros and cons as well as what you expect to feel and when to ask for an epidural.
My blog post regarding OB Anesthesia
Remember, it is dependent on YOU as you are in control of your pain. A pain scale will vary from person to person (i.e. everyone has different pain tolerances). There’s no magical dilation number that tells you when to ask for an epidural. Keep in mind that you will need to hold extremely still when you do ask for an epidural. So please make it easy on your anesthesiologist (and yourself) and ask for an epidural when you are able to be as motionless as a statue — otherwise, it may be too risky to request an epidural if you are in too much pain to stay still.
“Now you can’t walk away from the price you pay” Bruce Springsteen, The Price You Pay…..I was called in at 2:30 a.m. recently for an aortic dissection. Seems like no one ever dissects in the middle of the day. When Dr. Newsome walked into the room he looked at me and said, ” it seems like we’ve done a few of these over the years.” Indeed we have…these cases are generally long and difficult. There is a feeling you get at the beginning of the case, usually around the time when you first see the patient, when you realize that you are more than likely going to be there anywhere from 8 to 12 hours or longer. It’s kind of a sinking feeling, especially if you had something planned that you were hoping to do, but the feeling recedes and you go about your business doing what must be done. It is a wonderful thing to be part of doing something that prolongs someone’s life. We are also financially compensated for what we do. But it comes with a price. It is a very surrealistic feeling to be driving home on a sunny Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m. after being at the hospital since 3 a.m. People are out enjoying life, surfing, riding bikes, going out to eat, whatever else they might enjoy, and all you want to do is make it home and fall into your bed. Basically, you have given up a day of your life. Which, at this stage, is not an infinite supply. It takes a toll on your body also. You feel like you’ve been run over by a truck. Everything hurts, and it’s usually a couple of days before you start to feel like yourself again. That being said, I can’t really complain as the scrub tech for the case was the amazing Ann McCullough who seems to have twice the endurance and stamina of someone half her age. Plus I got to spend the day with Drs Stahl, Wang and Newsome as well as Danny and Chad….priceless…oh yeah, at the end of the day when everyone was leaving Danny congratulated Chad on doing such a great job and said he would take call with him anytime. Seems like a small thing but the smile on Chads face told me it meant a lot to him. Things like that are why Danny is such a great person to work with…..
Love. Laughter. Life. Medicine. 
You must be logged in to post a comment.