Plotting my escape

A great way to remind yourself that you're not actually in prison is to take a weekend trip to Seattle. My friend Alyson was flying in from Boise for a baby shower so I decided to join her for a weekend getaway to our former stomping ground. We enjoyed a fabulous weekend catching up with our friends and trying restaurants I missed while living in the Emerald City(Hi-Spot, Harvest Vine) plus some new ones (Cheeky Cafe). We even went out for more hours on Friday night (9hrs!) than I worked on Thursday (8 hrs). Who doesn't enjoy some Capitol Hill bar hopping, junk food munching, and karaoke singing with a bunch of doctors? We also stopped by our favorite markets and only needed our rain jackets one day!

Then Monday morning...back to prison. The lockdown was still in effect, so I only saw two patients yesterday. Today was a "modified lockdown," so the medical clinic was open for business. I don't know if any more shanks were found, but I hear some hooch was found in a coffee pot. (Homemade hooch is popular prison contraband...I'm told it can even be made out of metamucil...blech!) We have a lot of medical appointments to make up, so the rest of the week should be busy.

I also heard a piece of depressing news today: our best nurse has put in her 2 weeks notice. She is my go-to nurse, the most reliable one, the only whose judgment I value most. And she looks after my schedule. I think current nurse drama has a lot to do with her departure. I also am plotting my next career move and have had a few interviews at a Denver community health center. I like the prison work overall and am beginning to see improvements in diabetes control, results of labs/studies I've ordered, and am learning alot, but the early and icy commute to Pueblo is wearing me down. As much as I enjoy collecting La Quinta points (to be used to stay in a hotel near the slopes soon), it would be nice to see my apartment walls for longer than the time it takes me to repack my suitcase. And Matt. I like him too.

The pros of this job: 3 day weekends without call, autonomy, and a relatively light clinic schedule. The cons (other than the ones staying here): no peds or ob patients, the commute, and being gone 3 nights a week. Break even trade offs: patients can get all meds, imaging, and consults within reason without having to pay for it, tempered by having to wait a fairly long time and me having to get permission from the insurance company and pharmacy committee.

I will keep you posted if I make a permanent break for Denver.