Two months

Friday, January 28, I arrived at the emergency department reading room at NMH at 9pm, to begin my first ED shift of 2012. Over the next eight weeks, I was one of 7 providing 24/7 coverage. I'd work 17 more 12+ hour night shifts in the hospital, well over 400 hours total. I formally read 1322 studies (x-rays, CT, ultrasound, etc). 486 were CT exams, with between 125 and 1500 individual images. I informally consulted on another couple hundred studies for inpatients. The only low number during those weeks: the hours for family time.

Here's one person's CT who showed up with chest pain radiating to the back.

Our diagnosis of acute type A aortic dissection gave him less than a 50% chance of leaving the hospital alive. Between his quick diagnosis and outstanding thoracic surgeons, he walked out a few days later.

Work was hardly the most memorable part of these weeks. I turned 30, which was happily overshadowed by Tess turning 3. I never would have imagined celebrating my 30th birthday with a princess and fairy godmother party, but I wouldn't have had it any other way (prior post).

Back at the ED, I diagnosed a 5th metacarpal fracture. Not unusual - I've probably seen 30 before - but unique because it was in my own hand and was the first bone I've ever broken (my nose doesn't count).

It hurt a lot less than I expected. And I wasn't upset that my typing or diaper changing speeds would slow, but I was devastated not to be playing in the playoffs with my Johnny's Ice House team, the Immortals, that I started last year. Apparently they didn't really need me, as they won all 4 games and took the C3 championship. At least bench coaching the final game was fun.

However, the championship was surprisingly underwhelming. Less than 24 hours prior, Declan Kieran Reilly was born. Both my wife and my first son were healthy! The suppressed fear followed by bursting pride, fantastic relief, and overwhelming love that all fathers experience the hour a healthy child is born... it's hard to contemplate if you haven't been through it recently. Our daughters were pretty excited too:

We are very blessed.