Wrapping it Up

It was really nice of Andrew to give me a shout-out, but lets be honest. I didn't have to memorize 5,000 new words like endophthalmitis, or study for exams, or have to impress people at residency interviews. I just had to play cars with this fella...

and peek-a-boo with the other fella...

Who wouldn't want my job?

The very first week that med school began was probably the craziest week of our lives. I took my finals, Andrew's sister got married, we graduated from BYU, we packed up our apartment and drove our meager belongings out to Ohio in a little blue Saturn, and we bought our very first piece of furniture: a bed. Andrew tried his best to be there for the mandatory stuff but, in the end, he missed most of his first week of med school. As soon as we arrived in Columbus he had to throw himself into long study sessions just to try and catch up before his first test. It was during those first few weeks that it began to sink in just how difficult this was going to be. The curriculum in med school and the required memorization was a whole different beast compared to undergrad or even grad school. Andrew is much better at handling stress than I am.... in fact, I think he absolutely thrives on it. That's a good thing because there was plenty of stress those first few months.

It also took a little while to determine how we were going to live as students. Our first winter, we only turned on the heat 4 or 5 times. It was a poorly insulated apartment and we decided we just couldn't afford it. I would come home from work and turn on a little space heater, throw a blanket over it and get under the blanket (not sure if that was such a bright idea). When the car broke down for several weeks, we walked everywhere in the freezing cold snow (it took about an hour to walk to my work and probably 40 minutes to school). I was pregnant and sick. Thinking back now I wonder why we were so masochistic. I should have just asked someone for a ride. duh.

A few months after finding out we were pregnant with Luke, I remember having a major sob session one night because I was sure we wouldn't be able to clothe our child until he was at least 7. How in the world could we have kids during med school? That seems so silly to me now. I'm sure Andrew was wondering if his wife was going to be this wimpy and ridiculous for all eternity. I think I've probably mellowed out a little since then.

Eventually we figured out how to get by frugally but comfortably. I'm so glad we did because I don't think I could have lived quite that poor for 4 years (call me high-maintenance, I'll take it). When a baby comes along, it's easier to convince your husband to turn on the heat "for the baby" or eat something other than ramen "for the baby". A shout out to Luke for helping us embrace some modern conveniences.

I don't know why I'm blogging about all this. I guess I just want to be better at recording these little things so that my kids know what their parents went through to create a life for our family. I'm not talking about just being able to make a living. Trust me, there are easier ways to earn a buck and I would highly suggest any of those other ways if you're interested in money. I know that there are lots of careers besides medicine that require a great deal of sacrifice and patience...I'm not trying to make us sound unordinary by any means. Like a lot of people we have had moments where we just wonder how everything is going to get done. It just seems like there is more work to do than any 2 people can possibly accomplish. So we've let go of a few things and for the rest we've done a LOT of praying. It feels good to have a moment like a graduation, where you can see how far you've come and be thankful for all the tender mercies that got you there.

Now we move on the the next phase: RESIDENCY. I'm sure it will be even more challenging but hopefully med school has prepared us for what lies ahead. No matter what, I know it is worth it to do something that will put us in a position to serve others. I'm grateful to Andrew for working hard, not complaining, being compassionate but firm when I'm weak, doing his own laundry even though it's easier for me to do it, and always making time for his family no matter the professional costs. I really don't know how you do it. :)

p.s. sorry for the weird font stuff going on... blogger drives me nuts.