residency kit: need your expertise

[houseelf]

Ah, young love.

I remember when....I used to dote on my hubby way before surgery residency began. Now I'm too busy walking around in my housecoat throwing beer cans at the kids on the lawn.

This thread makes me feel about 100 years old.

Kelly

ETA: I write this only in jest of myself and not an indictment of you. I *wish* I could find that sweet tender place again. I'm just tired.

[Meenah]

This thread makes me feel about 100 years old.

Me too.

The call kit should include items that benefit you! Bubble bath, Pedicure, Manicure, Wine, Chocolate!!!!!!

Hey, I'm with you, Kelly. I was thinking the same thing.

I think I bought DH a gift card to Starbucks (and I would just keep adding $$ to it) so that he could pick up some coffee at all of the ungodly hours that he was out driving. Forget making coffee at home. . .he would literally jump out of bed, into the shower and into his car at like 4am.

I think I actually did get DH a little surgeon stuffed animal and it is now somewhere in the country as I donated it to Goodwill. No need to feed the ego . . . drop your scrubs at the door.

I'm sure your SO will appreciate the thoughtful gesture.

[DCJenn]

The thought never would have occurred to me to do something that nice. Hell, I never even got up w/ him. I figured we have a programmable coffee maker- I'll suffer through listening to it at 4am.

But he made his own kit that had all of the above: toothbrush, toothpaste, deoderant, etc.

Oh, I'd also throw in a roll of quarters for the snack and soda machines.

Jenn

[Vanquisher]

You are all so nice. I guess I do thoughtful things for my husband too. I don't bitch him out EVERY night, for example. I'm still here. The stuff still gets done.

No, I do, do nice things for him, and I really really try, but it is like changing my DNA to be supportive of residency.

[Gwendolyn]

Heidi, I remind DH that he wouldn't love me as much if I were any different

Before kids I might have done a card and small gift, but honestly, some days keeping the rest of our lives together by myself is more than enough...no apologies.

I think the idea is great though. I second the roll of quarters. DH was always raiding my wallet for change and singles for vending machines. The VA did not have a 24 hour cafeteria. I still always put out clean under clothes for him...socks, underwear, t-shirts. During that first year he got into a horrible habit of just wearing what he had on...especially socks...the smell :thud:

[rainbabies]

i think it's sweet that you're doing this.....i hope it lasts for you.

as for me...i didnt do a kit of anykind.

but, i do make sure he has clean scrubs, hair gel, coffee cup on the counter in the morning, and dinner for him no matter what time he gets home.

i look away when i roll my eyes at his "emergency" stories.

i try not to be a bitch to him when he is late again, or on call again, or makes a stupid comment.

i give him a reality check and a swift kick in the ass....and feel free to remind him he is JUST daddy/dh when he walks in the door...to check the baggage when he comes home.


(sometimes he asks me where the sweet DW is that he married a long time ago...then thinks about it, and re-phrases, "well, you're still sweet...just not as much to me." i guess my sweetness is gone.)

A care package is a very thoughtful gift, Karoline. You have received so many great ideas....I especially love the roll of quarters!! I'm sure he will love it!

[Meenah]

The roll of quarters is a great idea. Our hospital closes the cafeteria at 7:30 pm and it doesn't open up again until 6:30 am. I have given many a resident a can of Ensure in the middle of the night!!!

[GrayMatterWife]

I think my SO will love his package.

He will! It's a terrific idea.

On a kind of inappropriate, dirty note (I guess you can skip reading the below if you're refined and sophisticated...clearly I'm not...):

I mentioned your gift to my DH, who thought it was super-sweet. He thought the coupons were a terrific idea, but immediately said that instead of backrubs, given coupons redeemable for BJs. Even more relaxing and tension-reducing, apparently.

**Men!**

[Vishenka69]

You are all so nice. I guess I do thoughtful things for my husband too. I don't bitch him out EVERY night, for example. I'm still here. The stuff still gets done.

No, I do, do nice things for him, and I really really try, but it is like changing my DNA to be supportive of residency.

I know, I'm the same way. My initial reaction was, "A care what?" As if sticking around wasn't caring enough.

[diggitydot]

A care package is a very thoughtful gift, Karoline. You have received so many great ideas....I especially love the roll of quarters!! I'm sure he will love it!

Is there a physician's lounges at your DH's hospital? One of the PL's that DH saw a few months ago was ALWAYS open, stocked with free healthy and junk food/ice cream/energy drinks and had a Starbuck's machine that would make fresh mochas at any hour.

I guess there's something to be said for having a rotation at a private surgical hospital near Scottsdale, AZ.

[mommax3]

I can remember buying LOTS of breath mints/breath strips/gum so that he didn't gross anyone out because of his breath during a 36+ hour shift with *maybe* a couple of naps thrown in.

I bought quite a few travel-sized hand lotions, too, b/c his hands got raw from washing them so much.

I would tell him he needed a haircut and help him figure out when to go get one (there was a barber shop in the hospital and he just went for a standard SHORT military cut). He literally was so tired all the time that his own reflection in the mirror almost didn't register on him.

He can't have caffeine (heart palpitations) so he was never able to use it to get through a shift. I don't know how he did it.

I brought him dinner a lot (yes, I hauled the kids with me, too.) and he still talks about how he appreciated that.

Sally

Is there a physician's lounges at your DH's hospital? One of the PL's that DH saw a few months ago was ALWAYS open, stocked with free healthy and junk food/ice cream/energy drinks and had a Starbuck's machine that would make fresh mochas at any hour.

I guess there's something to be said for having a rotation at a private surgical hospital near Scottsdale, AZ.

He has that where he currently works, but he was at a county hospital during residency where there were zero luxuries.

Karoline you are so cute, I remember feeling like a mean old bag when you were posting about graduation gifts but now I feel even worse!


I feel about 100 years old and we are only just starting residency!

Sorry, I have no constructive ideas.