Wrap up.

Yesterday I completed my finals for second quarter. Midwifery Care and Gynecology, were, as anticpated a kick in the pants. I am reasonably confident that I passed MWC because I know I passed Gyn and Clinical skills. Today I want nothing more than to curl up in bed with my knitting and a cup of tea and assorted OTC drugs. Right on schedule I am succumbing to what I fear may be the flu. Body aches (big time), throat hurts, nose runs, feverish. At least my body knows to wait till finals are done before it collapses. Instead I await folks arrival for the second meeting of our little homebirth group.

Quarter two rolls to an end and the following can be said.

• I can draw blood. Or perhaps that should be I have drawn blood once. This is, however a stellar start. It was (strangely enough) one of the most fulfilling things I've done so far.
• I can perform pelvemitry (though it's arguably a big, fat waste of time), Pap smears and Gonorrhea and Chlamydia swabs (decidedly not a big, fat, waste of time), and I can provide a pretty kickin (and by kickin' I mean thorough) breast exam. Have you done your self exam this month? If not go do it then come back and finish reading. Seriously, it's important.
• I've learned that as a midwife in WA I can prescribe and administer antibiotics to a Group B strep positive woman while she labors, but I may not prescibe antibiotics for a UTI (though I can diagnose one).
  
• I can prescribe and fit women for a diaphragm or a cervical cap, but I can not prescribe birth control pills.
  
• I can perform a pap smear and associated gynecological tests for a pregnant woman, but I may not perform these exams for women who are not pregnant.
• I can administer pitocin (and methergine/misoprostol/cytotec) to a woman if she hemorrhages after her baby is born, but I may not administer anything stronger than castor oil and assorted herbal tinctures to a woman who remains pregnant two weeks beyond her due date and thus risks losing her homebirth.
• I've learned that Husband is so committed to me that he would take on another job to ensure that I succeed at school. I love him even more.