Life So Far Being Married to a Med Student

So we are 7 months into our adventure of Medical School. Notice I stated “our” since it really has been a family adventure in all aspects. Our lives have all changed in some way or another and we have adjusted well, with a few bumps along the way. I thought I’d make this post about what life has been like since my husband started med school. I haven’t really taken the time to think much about it since we are always running full tilt ahead, so this will be interesting for me to take a minute to reflect.

The first few months are now a blur for all of us. One thing I do distinctly remember is eagerly waiting to hear about his day and the exciting things he learned. He works with a Doctor each week for 4 hours (electives) and it is always interesting to hear where he has worked each time; without the “confidential” details of course. In the fall he did some interesting rounds in the OR, paediatrics, psychiatry (eye opener for him), and obstetrics. It was a great way for him to really get to see different areas of medicine. Then came the 1st exam and the preparation for it, he began studying for the exam 4 weeks before! It was a tremendous amount of information to study and I was overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge one has to cram in…and this is just the beginning. But he pulled it off and did very well!

After Christmas we all began to get into a better routine, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights we never saw much of him as he was in the “dungeon” preparing for his week’s work. By Wednesday night he’s wiped out and exhausted and needs to take a break, which we all welcome. Friday nights are our family nights typically when he is home. We get to enjoy a movie or games on the wii with pizza and popcorn! We may have less time as a unit but we still really enjoy those times and cherish them.

Now (after 7 months of studies) when I ask about what he learned each day or for an explanation about various medical issues, I am reminded that he is definitely absorbing and learning from all the hard work because I have a hard time pronouncing let alone understanding some of the things he tells me. I’m sure that will make him smirk just a little.

As for his recent elective he’s been working in the ER department and he loves it. He gets to learn and see so much there. In school part of this semester he’s learning about human reproduction. How convenient is that? Recently I’ve also been his mock patient for various things, the latest one was gathering patient information (which was simply annoying) and getting a physical done. After hearing what next month’s lessons will be I’ve informed him he’ll have to find someone else to be his mock patient!

All in all life has been great being married to my med student and I couldn’t be more proud of his hard work and dedication. I know busier, tougher times lie ahead. I miss him sometimes but know that he’s working hard to become the best physician he can be. I have no doubt that he will be amazing just as he has been as a husband and a Dad to our children.

We just take things one day at a time and keep trucking!

Decisions, Decisions

We make them every day, little and big ones. Sometimes we don’t even have to think about it. We’re constantly making decisions that may not feel like a big deal at the time but some have a huge effect on our life! Lately my husband and I have been facing more tedious decision making with the upcoming new addition to our family and all the changes involved.

Due to my “age” I am considered on the cusp of being a high-risk pregnancy which opens the door to additional testing and increased complications. One decision we both agree on so far is that we don’t want to know the sex of the baby until he/she is born. I always thought I’d want to know when having a third child but after a very short discussion we both wanted to keep it a surprise, call us old fashion.

The latest upcoming decision is whether or not to have an amniocentesis test done. We’re leaning away from it as I don’t like the idea of sticking a needle near my baby and the fact that it really won’t change the outcome. We’ll have this baby no matter what issues he/she may have. But the question I have is, if we do have it done and an issue is diagnosed, is there something that can be done in utero to help improve the child’s life/outcome? We will be meeting with our new prenatal Doctor this week and hoping she can provide and guide us with some more information. We put so much trust in these professionals.

In writing this entry I had a discussion with my daughters about decision making and it was interesting to hear their responses to my question of “When you are faced with a decision how to you decide what to do?” Both responded similarly saying they think about what will happen, how they will feel, and how it will affect others. One also said they make some decisions with their heart. I think those are reasonably good responses for 7 and 9 year olds.

For now we’ll just do our research and keep moving forward as usual and hope for the best.

Parenting is one of the most difficult jobs in the world! But the most rewarding job ever!!