Almost There!

A lot of fun little things have happened in the past two and a half weeks, but none of them seemed adequately important to bump Amara's post down the page. This, however, is a very exciting post that is important enough to begin posting with again.

This week we got Andrew's cap and gown and master's hood in the mail, and we realized how very close we are getting. We're down to 48 days until graduation, and he only has 25 working days left in his family practice rotation. 3 1/2 years ago we were eagerly awaiting our acceptance letter that didn't come. Almost 3 years ago we finally got accepted. Weren't we just at 563 days till graduation? 531 days? 500 days? 444 days? 379 days? 296 days? 200 days? In a lot of ways it's hard to believe that we are so close.

As I was waiting in the exam room for my doctor two and a half weeks ago, I marveled at the fact that Andrew is the one who people wait in exam rooms for now. I was sitting there, waiting for my doctor to come in and give me answers that would change my life, one way or another. I'd been waiting for my appointment for six weeks, and it was finally here and I was going to get answers. I marveled at the fact that my husband is now on the other side of this relationship - he doesn't do the waiting for answers that I do, but rather the providing of answers. People wait for my husband to tell them what is wrong with them, and while we've been working toward this for years now, I am still blown away by it sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to puff him up or demand that people treat him as all knowing or anything, but rather I'm trying to remind myself of how far we've come. It's a reality check and a reminder for me. It's such a sobering thought.

People complain of doctors thinking that the M.D. is actually an M.Deity, and I'll certainly admit that there are ridiculously pompous men and women out there who think they are medical gods (just like there are plumbers and pianists who think the same thing - practitioners are human with personality flaws just like everyone else). But, the good ones are staggered by their responsibilities and take them quite seriously. People think that practitioners wear the fancy white coats to show off, but just like in the ministry, the ones who wear their robes rightly are the ones who wear them as a symbol of the gravity of their responsibility, rather than a crown of accomplishment. They are offering themselves up to those under their care as someone who is promising to give them their all in helping them with whatever ails them. It's a huge responsibility, and nothing to get snooty about. We can give them honor (and we should), but we should also thank them for taking on such a great and sobering responsibility that most of us would never want to have. It's not all golf, twice yearly trips to Hawaii, and fancy pharmaceutical dinners. It's treating chronic debilitating illnesses, dealing with patients who won't take the meds or stop the bad habits that will save their lives, and telling people that they have weeks or months to live. It's telling a woman that the much anticipated baby within her womb has died. This is not an easy, cushy calling.

It's fun to think about no more tests, no more papers, and no more student loans. But now we're beginning the culmination of it all - the actual practice of it. He has all the tools, and now he will begin to put them to use as a professional. We are so so proud of how far he has come and all that he has accomplished so far. But now the real work will begin.

Omni cui multum datum est, multum quaeretur ab eo.