Halloween is so cute!

Today is the first year that I was finally able to hand out Halloween candy during my adult life. Sure, I've distributed candy before, but it was during my teenage years when I would have preferred to do something other than opening my parents' door to hear "Trick or Treat". (Yes, teenagers are moody :)

This year, however, I was excited to pass out candy to all of the cute little kiddies in our cute little neighborhood that visited our cute little house (very cute). I forgot how entertaining (and bad, but in a cute way) children can be since I don't see them very often in my line of work. Here are my top ten highlights from handing out candy this year in no particular order:

1) The 7 year old who proceeded to bang on our glass front door like he was the police. His sister then yelled "Dang, you ain't the po po", I almost died laughing.

2) CJ, the child who robbed me of ten pieces of candy while I was trying to give treats to his baby sister

3) The cutest 3 year-old princess that I gave the choice to select whatever candy she wanted. . . . five minutes later she was still deciding, so I told her to take six of whatever she liked :)

4) The toddlers in all of their bumble bee outfits! I think the bumble bee, princess, and tiger outfits were my fav this year!

5) Being attacked by 15 kids all at once trying to grab candy from me. . . they almost took me out!

6) Watching Charmed (my cat) run and hide each time someone new came to the door.

7) Watching my kitten Hallie show that she has no fear since she welcomed most of our goblin visitors.

8) The 15 year old Pimp who came and took my candy like I worked for him! I want my candy back!

9) Running out of candy after only passing out candy for 90 minutes due to the lack of property distribution on my part to ghosts, pimps, and goblins.

10) My loving hubby running out to get more candy :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

RE: Clarification:Yes, you're pregnant and you can work!!!!!

Well, LOL, I've received a few emails from my post, so let me clarify :)

A commenter by the name of 'Weezie' made an excellent point and excellent points IMO deserve kuddos. In case you did not read her comment, it is as follows:

"agree with your point that you should not falsify a " bed rest" or " do not work" prescription..... HOWEVER, I also don't think that a woman should be looked down upon because she CHOOSES not to work during her pregnancy. Life is about choices and if she has the life-style that can afford for her to stay at home during and after her pregnancy (more power to her). Pregnancy is not a Illness or a disability but if a woman makes a choice not to work than its her right to do so..... without any negative judgment from other ( In my humble opinion it seems like we judge women who want to stay at home to harshly)."

I think she brings up the important point in the fact that if you DECIDE to take an extended maternity leave there is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with that. If a woman wants to take six months off postpartum (after delivery) that is 100% fine! If a male wants to take paternity leave, again, rock on! However, I would again be appalled if I were approached as a physician to falsify their request by turning it into a medical need.

I feel that the same applies for pregnancy. It's not that I don't care about this particular patent's pain, BUT it is not preventing her from working. She MEDICALLY can work, though she has the right to SOCIALLY take off from work if she decides to do so, I don't think that I should be cursed out when I give her alternatives or suggest that I could write a modified activity request to her employer stating that she could perform a position allowing her to sit more. She simply didn't want to work, which is fine, but don't look for me to create a medical reason not to do so because YOU CAN WORK.

And I am sorry, but if your coping mechanism is cursing out your physician because they don't provide you with a work excuse, seriously. . . . you need anger management, I will gladly write a script for that. Actually, I probably made her more upset by not getting upset (or at least showing that I was heated, because that's what she wanted. Thank goodness for my clinic colleagues who could document that I was very respectful to my rude patient during our encounter).

The only other point I'll address is a comment saying I was being judgemental. . . Yeah, I agree I was. . . however, the title of the blog is "The Loud Mouth Resident". I basically vent at times the emotions I have to keep inside in order to be professional at work. . . likewise, every post I write will not be rosey. The majority of my posts are lighthearted, but some aren't and that's kinda just the way life goes. Also, if you read the post, it is directed at my encounter with that ONE patient and does not mean that I feel women are lazy and wish to be barefoot and pregnant at home.

And actually, I do grant quite a few work excuses for compassionate reasons. For instance, the expecting mother who has a miscarriage and has a surgical procedure performed at 8am could in theory return to work the next day. However, I ask the patient if they would like 2-3 days off work to have time to process their loss emotionally. Or if a patient is discharged from the hospital on a Wed, I'll give them off until that Monday depending what the hospitalization was for. . . .

Basically, Good point Weezie. Women should not be held to different standards than their male counterparts! Equal pay for equal work, burn those bras, rah rah rah!

Yes, you're pregnant and you can work!!!!!

I started to blog about this a few days ago when the incident actually happened, however, I really had to cool off just a bit before writing something I would regret. Even as I type this, it is requiring a great deal of restraint not to make demeaning statements regarding my lazy so and so of a patient.

I know, gasp. How can a physician refer to her patient as lazy or a lazy so and so? It is truly the internal struggle I deal with on a daily basis when I am confronted by the patient who asks for . . . . . . . an excuse from work for the duration of their pregnancy.

My response is a simple one. NO YOU CAN WORK.
"But I hurt. I'm tired. My job requires me to stand on my feet, blah blah blah". Bah humbug, cry me a river, seriously. Why does the request for an extended leave of absence bother me, when the patient is only 20 weeks pregnant (aka 5 months)?

It bothers me because if I were to become pregnant right now, I would have to work 80 hours a week (if it's a good week and I'm not violating my work hours), take call for 30 hours, and work until my estimated date of confinement (aka due date) unless experiencing a pregnancy complication. HEALTHY UNCOMPLICATED PREGNANCIES= YOUR %%%%% CAN WORK!

Don't get mad at me, cry, and try to say I'm a bad doctor because I won't committ falsification/ fraud/ mentidas/ lies/ etc and write you an excuse from work when you are perfectly healthy and able to complete your work in some form or fashion.

In my previous residency program, I worked with two pregnant residents who busted their tales day in and day out, operating, standing on their feet, long hours, etc until the day their delivery date. I have another friend in a residency program who was pregnant, again working until EDC. Their is a pregnant resident in my program right now, who again, comes to work each and everyday. . . . are you getting my point?

Pregnancy is NOT a disability! Is it tough? Sure it is, but then again, who told you to get pregnant? Condoms, birth control (IUDs, NuvaRings, pills, etc) all could have kept you from feeling the round ligament pain or the occasional contractions that you believe qualifies you for disability. And if your pregnancy was desired, well now you can experience the joy of pregnancy along with the reward at the end of a long 10 months (yes I said 10, pregnancy is not 9 months). A NORMAL pregnancy is NOT a medical condition, not an illness, not something deadly.

So no! I won't give you off work. Go ahead, tell my chief I'm mean. I'm still not giving you a work excuse. . . oh wait? Are you cursing at me, well let me let you go, afterall, I don't want you to be late for WORK!