I recently received an email from a new friend asking how I was able to make it through med school, residency, fellowship and now attending life without harboring resentment and staying supportive. I laughed. I have not always been a doting superwife and mom. We argue, we ignore each other, we avoid the conversation. But we also love each other and have somehow managed to only get stronger year after year despite the hours, the patient complications, the late nights and the absence on the holidays.
The short answer is I haven’t always and I still don’t know how we get through every day. The longer answer I broke down into a few parts that have worked for us over the past 10 years. Here are some of the things I remind myself of when I start to get that bitter feeling creeping in:
1. Keeping busy. I was in grad school during his training and worked full time. I found that was helpful to kind of throw myself into that as well as working to keep busy. Over time that transitions to other hobbies/jobs/kids/things to do as well and evolves. The biggest thing I found to keep my sanity is really living my best life and chasing after my dreams and what makes me happy. I am his biggest cheerleader but I never stop cheering myself on too.
My husband is married to his job first and me second and it sounds horrible and sad but neurosurgery is that lifestyle where that almost has to be first due to the high stakes nature of it. Accepting that was tough at first but now I know it just is what it is. I always remember: even though his job is #1 he still loves me more than his profession.
2. Perspective. He is not out at a bar at happy hour every night or staying out late going clubbing ( I feel old even typing the word clubbing ugh my 21 year old self hates me. I can’t stay out past 10pm anymore!). He is stuck at work (a place I know he would rather be anywhere else but). He wants to be home but is putting his life on hold to save others. Surely spending Christmas in an OR instead of holding his new son crushes him and would never be a choice he would choose to make.
3. Patience for Patients. When he is at work he is doing and seeing scary, horrible, amazing, life changing things. Medicine really is a calling and they are changing someones life. What a blessing and a burden to have that challenge daily. I feel bad complaining about dishes in the sink when he comes home and tells me how he was able to help someone walk again. Sure I would have rather gone out to brunch with him but to that person who he was with that morning they are given another chance at a healthy life. He has received cards and letters thanking him and given many tear stained hugs to the patients who he was with last Friday until 3am or on Thanksgiving Day. He sacrifices his time so that people can enjoy theirs more.
3. Sanctuary. I try give hime some space to decompress and relax. This is so hard for me! Typing this out is a reminder that I need to work on this more. I have my own counseling practice and take care of a young child so I am chronically exhausted and need some me time too (I get it). I want to make home a sanctuary where we both can relax and unwind. I get resentful and want him to talk to me about the bills, and upcoming event and play with our son and help around the house etc etc as soon as he walks through the door. But then I remember the insane hours he just worked and how he’s worried about a patient he operated on being paralyzed or if his patient in the ICU is doing ok.
Doctors take their work home with them and never stop worrying. He needs just a few moments to himself just like I do or else I will completely lose my freaking mind. I want our house to be as drama free as possible and a place we both enjoy coming home to. Although with a 1 year old a nice, quiet house is an oxymoron these days hey we still try. Even just 15 minutes when he walks in the door to himself will go a long way.
4. Doing my own thing most days. I don’t really plan things around him and just assume he will be stuck at work. I do what I want and what interests me and if he can join its a bonus. I see friends and go to concerts and hang out with our squishy toddler. We also have to physically pencil in (sharpie in?) on the family dry erase calendar hanging in the kitchen a date night once a week. Its really important to do something fun together and remember what its like to be us outside of Dr. and Mrs.
I will say I am not always positive at all. I am bitchy and resentful sometimes (maybe more than sometimes). I take it out on him and he takes it out on me, and thats not right. Eventually you just find your own groove and how to help each other though the tough times.
At then end of the day I love him and want to make his life worthwhile and fun and meaningful and I want to see him happy. I know he wants the same thing for me too. Really no matter what profession someone is in muutal respect and love can get you through anything 🙂 We are in our 3rd year of being an attending, we met in med school and are still figuring out how to make it work but I know it has all been worth it.
Ashley Post says
I love this post- thank you for sharing and proving it is okay to be vulnerable. If there's one thing I am certain you are doing right it's being a mom. Knox is the most incredible baby and your love shows that.
GymCoachinChic says
LOVE this! I could have written almost every word (except we are only pgy3 nsurg and still dream of attendinghood) but it's nice to know someone else out there tries to have the same perspective as me!! Thank you for sharing!
Unknown says
Hang in there – it only . . . stays the same.