Tuesday, June 7, 2011

3 days off?

I have not posted for e few days because I have been working like a dog.  Took 3 calls over one week and I am in the midst of a 3 weeks stretch without a day off.  (there are a lot of threes in this post.)

So one of the things that hit me upside the head the other day is that they expect me to take 3 days off for this.  Seriously?  I get the one day for the harvesting (love that I am going to be "harvested" - probably only better word than "retrieved").  I understand this because I will be under anesthesia and I can't feasibly work/guarantee that I can think clearly after its done.  I had already told my boss that there would be a day I would probably have to call in sick without much notice.   No big deal.

But then during my appointment they pulled out the calendar with the words "48 hours bedrest after transfer".  Um . . . really?  I thought that jumping up and down after sex was shown to not keep you from getting pregnant so why cant I go back to work?  This just threw me for a loop - how am I going to take 2 more days off?  What if that falls on my OR day? - I don't want to postpone a patients surgery, but I cant very well stand up all day if I am investing all this money and they are recommending bedrest.

I am at the point where if my RE said to stand on my head for 48 hours to get pregnant I would be willing to do it- so I don't know where this freaking out about not going in for a few days of work is coming from.  I dont feel bad about screwing my job - I give them my life and I have more than enough sick time to cover lots and lots of cycles.  I think that so much of it is that I identify with my patients that I don't know if I can just flake out on them like that without feeling guilty, but at the same time I can't say that there is anything I want more in my life right now than for this to work.

3 comments:

  1. I was on 48 hours bed rest too. Your patients will get over it. Time to put you at the top of your list instead of theirs! I know you are a doctor but you are human with your own wants and desires. Seriously...they will get over it or someone else will take over and cover for you.

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  2. OH...didn't mean to compare IVF to "wants and desires". So didn't mean that...how about this...but you are human with REAL medical issues that needs attention. So look after you and only you for those 48 hours.

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  3. I know what you mean -- it is so hard to imagine taking that sort of time off for this. My DH keeps reminding me that it is a medical issue and, for any other medical issue, we would take the time off and everyone else would cover and deal with it. I have a really hard time accepting that. We're in professions where it is hard to not have a personal connection with the people we work with (students, patients, etc.). And, it sounds like you are the kind of physician we'd all love to have -- one who tries as hard as possible not to just skip out or hand over her patients to someone else. But, this is a time that you need to do it for you.

    I'll keep reminding you of that if you remind me of that when/if the time comes!!

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