Out like a lamb?

I am going to admit to being a little disappointed this morning. I just completed my last ever night of call so one could question my sanity, but here is my point. I have had a "black cloud" my entire surgical call career. I am the only person that has never had a "no hitter" on call. Not only do I get "hits", I usually get to knock a few out of the ballpark.

Therefore, on this my last night of call, I came prepared for nothing short of Armageddon. I mean seriously this is the last chance that call fate has to hurt me. I figure it would at least make it interesting. I even felt somewhat invincible. I mean after you have survived 10 years of surgical training, you feel that you can survive anything for 24 hours. I felt sure that we would at least have a dissection or esophageal perforation - transplant maybe. Alas, we had nothing. I talked to a few outpatients to reassure them that it is normal to have some discomfort after open heart surgery. I had one septic patient on the floor and one in the unit, but that was child's play. I mean where was my emergent open chest, ECMO cannulation, anything.

It is a little hard to believe that I will never have to spend the night at a hospital again. It has been such a huge part of my life these ten years. I won't say that I will miss it, but the adrenaline rush could be addicting. I do want to say a Thank You to all of my patients, nurses, and residents who have taught me so much over the last 10 years of call. Now I am going to take a nap.