2008 Year in review (complete with links)

This year has been up and down. I made it through intern year by the skin of my teeth. I won’t lie, I battled both burnout and cat pee. The spring brought me some great surprises. I stumbled forward and ended up right here.

Since those yearly letter summaries have been so popular from my friends and fam this year I thought I'd spit out one of my own. So, here it is, my year in review. (Photos from my wintry vacation in Michigan: Kiki, Christmas cake, punch, Hanukkah cake, latkes.)

Jan: My second month of OB as an intern. Upper: Hawaii. Downer: my first whiff of burnout.

Feb: My away rotation in San Diego. Upper: pretty much the entire month. Downer: shortest month of the year

March: Surgery rotation. Upper: National Physician’s Alliance conference – reconnecting with my fellow activist doctors. Downer: surgery

April: Orthopedic surgery. Uppers: Daffodil parade, carrot soup, sun comes back to the PacNW!

May: In-patient pediatrics most the month. Upper: Vacation the first week! Meeting my friends’ twin baby boys! Meeting Shilo’s mom. Downer: q4 call and gastroenteritis.

June: Still in-patient peds. Uppers: Last month of intern year! Q4 but squeeze in… Solstice parade, Pride parade, horse time. Downer: Violating work hours this month and that stink of burnout creeps back. It’s not the Tacoma aroma, either. Only month without a posting.

July: No longer an intern. But, launched into 9 weeks of OB and continued q4 call (solo! Ack!) thus wasn’t feeling very celebratory. Uppers: Learned a ton. X-Files movie with an old friend. Downers: that not sleeping every fourth night thing.

August: Still OB. Uppers: Mom visits. Shilo time when I can. Downer: Became grumpy and not particularly pleasant to be around most the time. Are you sure I’m not still an intern?

September: Life smacks me with a big wet kiss! Rotations: In-patient family practice and behavioral pediatrics. Uppers: Vaycay in Colorado. Join the Rainbow City band! Become officially a board member of GLMA. Downer: Sive won’t pee in her litterbox – might smell worse than burnout.

October: Surgery. Again. Uppers: Dad visits (escape to Whidbey!), GLMA national (gay docs take over Seattle!), My first RCB concert! Downer: New computer system hell in the hospital.

November: In-patient medicine followed by ER. Uppers: Election. Thanksgiving with a million cousins. Caroling in Seattle. Downers: My health: Gastroenteritis (again). URI. Chemical pneumonitis.

December: Here we are. ER rotation. Uppers: Three amazing concerts. Get into the inauguration parade with LGBA! My program is supportive! I realize, I heart Seattle and I, gosh durn it, I kinda heart TFM. Christmas with family in Michigan. Snow in Seattle. Start riding at a jumper barn. Sive starts peeing in her litterbox again! Downers? What are those?