Heather Martin Reporting News

but I'm so frickin' tired! The first two weeks have basically been reading SOPs and doing different training before I can actually do anything. I did get to go on rounds this past week and observe and help out some and I thought it was fun. There's lots I'll have to remember, all the paperwork stuff and how to write things all GLP but I think I'll figure it out quick. I also have some surgeries I'll get to do soon which I'm a little nervous about. I haven't cut in a while but that should come back to me too. I'm just not used to the schedule of getting up early and being at work for so long and getting home and feeling like i have to go right to bed or I'll be so dead the next day. I don't have a set plan yet because things can change on a daily basis. Luckily my supervisor, who was in my shoes when she first came to the company almost 5 years ago, is telling me not to work more than I have to because people will expect it, like they did/do with her now, but I feel like I have enough to do that I should stay longer to do it, and they are paying me a lot.

I was told I should be starting my day by 8am so I can get everything done but the bus I've mostly been taking drops me 1/2 mile down the street at 7:50 so that gets me on campus at 8 but then there's the walk to my office and all so more like 8:10-8:15. That might end up being okay but I'm not sure yet. Otherwise the bus before that gets me there at 7:05 and then I have more time to chill before starting at 8. Problem is I have to get up at 5:30 for the earlier bus and 6:30, way more reasonable for me, for the later bus. Now that I'll be taking over more clinical responsibilities in the next few weeks and I'll be slower in the beginning I might have to get used to the 5:30 wake up.

Then there's figuring out lunch. They have a pretty good cafeteria and I love their salad bar and it isn't too expensive but unfortunately I can't eat or drink in my office so that means if I get food from the cafeteria, it's easiest to just eat it in there but I'm used to sitting at my desk and eating and doing other stuff. In the cafeteria, my techs are eating lunch too and they're the only ones I know so I eat with them but I'm not sure if they'll want their boss eating with them everyday. And what to do about no diet coke, or any other fluids, in my office. Dehydration. It's not the most convenient thing to leave my office to go to my locker to get a drink, and that's only if I have a drink in there. Having a sip once in a while from a water fountain won't cut it.

Next thing to figure out is getting home. There's a 4:20 bus home that takes about 40 min. w/ traffic (20 min. w/out) but that's generally too early for me to leave. If I leave between 5 and 6 it's rush hour craziness even getting into NYC so it can take 90 min. If I take the 6:20 I can get into my apt. by 7:10. If I wait until 7 then it's a 20 min. ride home. But getting home after 7 makes me so tired and then what to do when I get home. I don't think I can get up any earlier to work out before work so when I get home is the time to do it.

I've been getting home to quick throw clothes around and get dressed for yoga and speed walk to the studio in time for class but class is either 7:30 some days or 8:00 the other days and it's 90 min. so gets me home close to 10 some days. Then I haven't eaten since lunch and it's late and I need to shower too because I'm so soaked. Plus I just rushed from one thing to the next and now it's time for bed and there's no real relaxing. I'm not sure how long I can keep that up. And if I get home a little earlier, if that's ever possible, and I don't have to rush to yoga because I have some more time, I don't end up going to yoga because I'm so hungry and tired that I eat something and it's too close to going to yoga after eating and I sit on the couch and don't want to move.

I just want my GTL (gym, tan, laundry) in the form of WYS (work, yoga, sleep) but I'm not sure how to get it. And then there's the studying for boards dilemma. I'm supposed to be doing that everyday but it's not as easy as I thought reading on the bus. In the morning it's not so bad but the way home can be very jerky in traffic and I get sick to my stomach if I read, plus it's so dark that the little over head light doesn't help much. And it's not real studying anyway because you can't really take notes and all but there's no other time for it right now in my day, unless I did no working out.

By Friday night I was so tired I didn't think I could make it past 6pm. I ended up calling it a night early, though I did get to eat at the Ethiopian place I wanted to eat at, and the Bear walked me home and then when back out w/ his friend. I woke up at 7:50 this morning, I wish I could sleep later, but even though I was up I was too tired to do anything. Then we walked around w/ Jesse since he's visiting and went to the Natural History Museum but I was so tired and cranky that I didn't even look at anything while we were there. I just went from one bench to the next sitting down and looking for service to check the SU game score on my droidy. I couldn't even find the energy to go out tonight either so the Bear is out w/ his friends that are visiting. Just me and Beaky at home w/ my Lean Cuisine for dinner and catching up on TV online.

I'm not complaining, yet, besides I've had raging PMS for over a week now, so actually I'm doing quite well, all things considered. I just want to figure out the best way to do my new life and get the biggest bang for my limited amount of time.