Dr. Allie Dailey - Week 1: Sustained through Fatigue

One week in to residency and boy, has it been a crazy week!

I scrubbed in as the first assist in an AV fistula creation on my first day! I wasn’t expecting to begin logging cases from day #1 but beyond excited to perform part of the vascular anastomosis with the oversight of my attending. After 2 days, I began working night shift - Monday through Friday.

My first night on call, I felt this incredible amount of responsibility for the patients. It is both a tremendous and stressful feeling. As a medical student, you see a patient and then present to the team. You are never fully responsible for a patient’s care and well-being. As an intern, you receive the first call and have to make the decision, “Can I handle this? Or should I ask my senior for help?” (I called for help multiple times!!) I was never left without support a page or phone call away, yet it was still terrifying to finally have the weight of someone’s health on my shoulders. It makes me want to work harder for the patients, to learn more, and (thankfully) to read more!

I began reading Proverbs in July to seek His wisdom:

“If you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright…and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.”
Proverbs 2:3-10

It is only by Him that I was sustained. Quite frankly, I had only received about 7-8 hours of sleep by the time I reached Thursday morning from beginning Monday night. I went to M&M, able to keep my eyes open but unable to maintain concentration. I prayed that God would give me the rest I needed and that He would multiply my energy and knowledge. (I know others are praying for me as well - Thank you!). He poured on me His energy from above and Thursday, I actually slept an hour and a half during my night. By Friday morning, I felt this unexplainable amount of rejuvenation. It could have been that I was elated that I only had to endure one more night on call…but I give the credit to His great mercies!

I am thankful that He has placed me in a supportive environment. This weekend, I am trying to recuperate. I am grateful for His provisions and pray for more knowledge, discernment, and energy!

He will Allure her…

“Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the wilderness
and speak tenderly to her.
There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will respond as in the days of her youth…”
Hosea 2:14-15, NIV 2011

Have you ever felt like you were being led into the wilderness? The commonwealth of Kentucky does not boast of a booming metropolis, but this resident’s new home is less than half the size of Lexington. This fact itself made her fear that she was moving to a “desolate” town with little attractions. Combined with the prevailing bewilderment of learning how to sail in any new city and the fear of being perceived as an incompetent intern, it left much to be hoped for. Yet, she has been blown away during the last week and a half! God truly provided and continued to assure her that this is where He wants her to be at this time.

For her, strength always starts in the Word. About a month ago, the Lord gave her this passage in Hosea. She felt that He was bluntly declaring, “Yes, you are about to enter the wilderness.” Ugh! Thanks a lot! But through it, He promises to allure her as well, “to attract [me] with something desirable,” to invite her further into His presence.

She is determined not to allow residency to be the “black hole” of her journey. She wants to not only survive residency, but to thrive! She is becoming more and more excited with each passing day. Last week she started orientation. During a meeting with HR, her fingerprints were taken and she had the opportunity to meet a sweet lady, whose name was actually Grace. She told Grace she was new to the area and, by the end of the conversation, Grace was telling her about the different churches in town and giving out her contact information, just in case she should need anything.

The next day, she was anxious to meet my co-interns. She prayed that God would unite the residents and that they might serve one another over the next 5 years as a team. God is always true to His promises. So far, they have bonded through a couple of lunches and dinners. It feels like God is putting together many of the seemingly missing pieces. She met with SIU’s CMDA Campus Director yesterday and was so encouraged by his support. He told her of a few other residents who were involved in CMDA during medical school, so she’s planning to meet with them this upcoming week. God has also provided a friend entering into urology to visit churches together and discover some of the unique restaurants in Springfield.

She’s finding that this city is not such a wilderness at all (even though residency may be another story…). It is full of kind people willing to answer her many questions, and it is a city sprinkled with a vast history. Yesterday, a waiter at a local café told her a story about John L. Lewis, who founded the Congress of Industrial Organizations, and his time and significance in Springfield. This is just one small historical tidbit and an example of the caring people the Lord has placed in her path. She loves how He gives little connections one-by-one. When she keeps her eyes open and looks for His work, He surprises her and places her in awe.

Tomorrow is another big day, filled with orientation meetings and new people. With her new friend, she plans to attend a dinner hosted by the young adult ministry of a local church and then worship together on Sunday.

It’s scary to think that next Sunday, she may be on-call, alone and in a new hospital. But for right now, she is enjoying this time of adventure and discovery.