needle stick emergency

For the past two weeks I've been working the 12 hour night shift in the ER (and on Monday afternoons I've still be working at our clinic for 5 hours...and on Wednesday mornings I still have 5 hours of didactics...yes...those are two days a week of 17 hours days...yes I have big bags under my eyes and I'm slightly more grouchy than normal.)

Except...I like the ER.  It is exciting...and crazy...and an awful lot like how they make it look on TV.  I've treated everything from a 98 year old man to a 1 month old baby.  I've sutured up hockey puck lacerations to the face, infected abscess formations, and set broken arms.  I diagnosed an intracranial hemorrhage and cared for numerous elderly fall victims (and a couple snowboarding injuries).  Not to mention the two attempted suicide patients I treated, or that stab victim.  There was even a case of meningitis...though (thankfully!) the Attendings wouldn't let me work on that one.  There are lots of codes...those are scary and I hate them.  And lots of trauma, and lots of psych issues (sometimes I have security officers escorting me with patients!!)  It's a hodge podge of nutso nights... and I rather enjoy it the fast pace of it all.  (As you can imagine, I'm tired all the time and can't catch up on my sleep...though I'm hanging in there pretty good for a lady who's 8 months pregnant!)

Tonight.  However.  I am the one with the emergency.  I got stuck with a dirty needle in the OR.  I was fine until I sat down to dictate the case and then I started crying.  I'm pregnant for goodness sake...the safety of my baby is all I could think about.  She is probably fine...but it's gotten me all worked up and freaking out.  I have to go in for counseling tomorrow about HIV, AIDS and Hep C... I better take a box of kleenix...I'm going to be a wreck.

Prayers would be awesome right now friends....will clearly keep you updated.