The long-promised update

So yes, life has been busy.  Mostly I have been working.  My four-week rotation in the CCU (cardiac care unit) seems to have taken a fair amount out of me.  I don't want to complain when I say we worked hard -- that's what you do as a resident.  There's no other way to learn.  But working almost eighty hours a week doesn't leave much time for anything else, including blogging.  Now I have a brief reprieve in the form of two weeks of Neurology.  We have weekends off!  That's right -- I didn't work yesterday, and I didn't work again today!  I could get used to this -- or rather, I wish I was able to get used to this, but it's just two weeks and then back to business.

I've had some self-pity moments, especially when I counted the pregnant women around me.  There are at least four nurses, one resident, one fellow, one of my best friends (but she lives out of town so I don't see her often), another fellow from last month (though I don't see her often), and then a speech pathologist.  Then there are more peripheral people as well.  I think my current total is twelve.  Seriously!?!?  But I guess that's (the fertile) life.  I don't know anyone in real life who is infertile.  Thank goodness for the blogosphere for reminding me none of us is alone!  I'm not sure I could keep going otherwise.

It does seem to help when I find other ways to fill my time.  When I get to teach medical students that helps.  Yesterday I had a great time with two of my closest friends.  I went to the local art museum and then a tea shop with one.  (Our city's cultural attractions are vastly underestimated.)  Then another friend and I went to dinner and a high school musical, which was actually surprisingly good.  She came over afterward and Husband, E, and I watched "Brave," which was very cute.  Pixar is pretty dependable.  Today Husband and I went to a buffet lunch at a wonderful Syrian restaurant and had all the delicacies I miss from Israel and my aunt's family: bamya, mujadra, cauliflower with tehina zaatar pie...all sorts of goodies!  And then I made plans for us for next weekend with an Iraeli ex-pat couple, and luckily it works out best without their kids, so I won't feel sad.  We need more couple-friends and it would be especially nice to have some Israeli ones.  Who else understands why American pita is a poor copy of the real deal?  Who else understands why queues are silly and punctuality is even sillier?  Or why planning ahead is just dumb when you can invite people last minute?

Anyway...

I have precious little to report on the non-baby scene.  Our Donor and Surrogate have had some recent checkups that went well, and it looks like the IVFailure #5 transfer will be in early May.  I expect nothing and am worried because the dates will coincide almost exactly with the cycle two years ago that almost resulted in a son.  Let's hope this is a חוויה מתקנת (correcting experience).  We have to make sure the contracts are all in order, and then it's just wait and pray.  I also worry because G-d willing we will be going to Israel for the first two weeks of June, which is prime miscarriage time if the cycle takes.  Having been there and done that, coping with such sadness thousands of miles away from my support network is not my idea of fun.  Add to that the fact that our Israeli friends are mostly on baby #2 and all have at least one, and we will be stuck seeing some brand new babies too, and you get the picture.  So I just really hope we don't have another distance miscarriage.  And a live baby/babies would be a nice bonus.

So that is my current state.  A week from Monday is Erev Pesach, so I will be busy this week shopping and cleaning and preparing.  It'll be busy but I do love the seder, although I will miss my aunt and uncle and their little ones who will be in Afula.  (No fair!  I want to go too!)

What else?  It's still snowy, but I hope the weather turns by the seder.  After all, Pesach is supposed to be a spring holiday.  What kind of spring is it when the weather is barely above freezing?

Have a restful rest of the weekend, everyone!  I will try to be more timely.  I may also post about the passing of one of my continuity clinic patients.  She was young, and chronically ill, but her passing was most unexpected.  I don't think I can reveal more particulars but it was the most shocking phone call I got this morning, and I still can't believe the woman who called me last night is now dead. Baruch dayan emet and condolences to her family.