Catch Up

I know it has been forever since I have posted so I am catching up - there is a lot to read if you want, so keep scrolling!

Heber had orientation the first two weeks we were here. They threw a lot of information at him, but the hours weren't too bad, then he had his first day of residency on July 1. He is doing a trauma rotation for July and August and it is intense!! There is a reason he didn't want to go into surgery and after doing these last two weeks of trauma he is for sure he never wants to be a surgeon!

He is on call every 4th day (called q4) and the original schedule was:

July 1 - 6am - 1 pm or so for orientation
July 2 - 7am - 11 or noon whenever he is done rounding
July 3 - 3o hour call
July 4 - post call, home at about noon
July 5 - off
July 6 - 7am - 11 or noon

and it was just keeps rotating like that for the rest of the month. I wasn't excited about the 30 hour call, but at least he had a whole day off afterwards, not too bad, I can handle that.

Then he goes in on the first day, July 1, and during orientation the trauma attending tells them they are changing the schedule, they have to be there everyday, 6 am - 6pm, whether they are busy or not, and they don't get the day off after call. So now Heber is gone ALL the time, (this past week he worked 99 hours!!) and I have no idea when he is off, they will just randomly tell him, "oh, take Monday off." or whatever day it is. It is so crazy and kinda hard. He is so tired all the time.

I have quickly learned that all "call" is not equal either: there is home call - where you stay home but go in if you are needed; regular call - at the hospital but you get a decent amount of sleep; trauma call - at the hospital for 30 hours and if you are lucky you get an hour of sleep. I am telling you it is nuts! So then when Heber is home he is either sleeping, sleeping, or working on some kind of assignment due the next day! We really hardly get to see Heber much at all. But, this too shall pass right!?!? September will be a new rotation and the hours should be way better.

Heber is liking it though. His first night on call was crazy - it was July 3 and holiday weekend + alcohol + fireworks and motorcycles = one crazy busy night at the ER!! He literally did not get a minute of rest all night long. He felt so overwhelmed too. This was only his 3rd shift and he was the doc on call. He had the trauma pager so if they needed a doctor he was the one they called. He said he got so anxious every time the pager went off because it would be another question that he didn't know the answer too. He had a guy come in who blew his hands open and thumbs off, cut up his chest and had debris in his eyes that caused him to go blind. He was trying to make a pipe bomb or something and it went off in his hands. That was just one of Heber's many patients that night. He was so overwhelmed that night - nothing like jumping in and learning on the job!


We are liking it here, the ward is small but very nice. There are a lot of medical students and other residents in the ward so that is nice. They do a lot during the week so that helps the girls and I get out and get to know everyone. We went strawberry picking (some of the best strawberries I have every eaten!!), swam and played in the sand at Lake Erie, went to the zoo (which is quite a nice zoo), and have just kinda explored our new home. It has been so nice to have Ken and Shelley here - they have helped us adjust and have been such great friends and shoulders to lean on as we get use to everything. Thanks so much you guys!!

Here are some pictures of some of our adventures around Toledo:

Around the city - Cherri and Jenessa

The Maumee River

My sister Cherri and Taiya and Jenessa. I still can't get over how green and lush it is here!!

Exploring

At the beach by Lake Erie

The local PBS station had an activity day and had some of the characters there.

Taiya and Jenessa with Caden and Jordan Bassett