I find myself thinking back to medical residency. I was, of course, 30-odd years younger than I am now. But it bears some similarities to our present situation. The hours are terrible, the stress ungodly, the pay stinks, and you are very likely to fall asleep behind the wheel of your car.
I drew the first night shift, hubby and I figuring that we would trade off. Babygirl slept an hour, awoke to the drain suction, I bypassed the drain suction, rinse, repeat. Eight times. Well, to be honest, she actually slept through two of the drain cycles - at least I think so, because I know I did. I don't know HOW I did, when I could feel every bar of the futon frame pressing into my hip bones. The last cycle finished at 5 AM. If I had been more alert, I could have left her hooked up and gone back to sleep, but I unhooked her (a 5-10 minute process involving hand sanitization an face masks), weighed her, checked her blood pressure, temperature and pulse, and let HER go back to sleep. Since I was up anyway, I walked the dog and went to work out before work.
So I arrived on the job with MUCH more sleep than the average medical resident - I must have slept a total of 5 hours! Of course, the fact that they weren't actually CONSECUTIVE hours? No problem! Life or death decisions all day? No sweat!
So now hubby is upstairs. Babygirl cried like I was abandoning her when I left her with her dad. Serves her right, the little traitor - she told the social worker that Daddy was "the fun one." HA. I guess I may not be the fun one, but I'm still the Mom LOL.
I am totally punch drunk.
Lord, we need that kidney.
DeeDee
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