I also should have known that if I said that I had exciting news, people would automatically assume that I was pregnant. I would assume that, were I you. But I am not pregnant. (At least I hope not, not after doing spending the day in cath lab earlier this week, standing next to the fluoro beam for five hours.) Believe me, a new baby would be fantastic, few things would make me happier than having a few Cal Juniors running around all up in here, and I hope that I will have such news to tell you sometime in the next year or two. But I just...I just can't have another kid during residency. Not that I really had a bad go if it last time, but I'm already graduating four weeks late to make up for the medical leave I took when Cal was born. If I had another kid, and therefore took another maternity leave, I probably wouldn't finish up here until the year 2015 or thereabouts. And I need to finish. Soon. This residency business has dragged on far too long as it is.
Anyway, I feel bad for maybe coming off like I was trying to generate furor and attention, so I'll stop worrying and nip it in the bud by just telling you.
I'm writing a book. That is to say, I got a book deal. (That sounds weird, doesn't it? Like something someone else would say. Someone who is not me.) "Scutmonkey," a memoir about "the rarely glamorous, often caffeinated, occasionally humorous, never boring process of growing up and becoming a real doctor," has just recently been picked up by Grand Central Publishing (formerly Warner Books). More details to come soon.
Part of me wanted to wait a little longer because not unlike with a pregnancy, I thought, "isn't it too soon to tell people?" But then I figured, hell, it's not like I'm telling you that early, because this whole process really began last summer. And then another part of me wasn't sure if I should say anything because I'm not really sure about the etiquette when it relates to such matters. Is it OK to talk about it? Is it OK to talk about details? Not crass details, of course, but, you know, process details? Because on one hand, I personally find such details kind of fascinating, as might others interested in pursuing that sort of thing. But on the other hand, if I write about the process as I go, and the stuff I learn along the way, is that somehow inappropriate? Am I going to get e-mails squalling, "OH SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU SELF-AGGRANDIZING ASSHOLE, NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR DAMN BOOK"? Because I would not like to get those e-mails, no way. And I don't want to be an asshole either.
But I think it's going to be a really interesting journey, and I'm also really, really excited about the book. This is going to be a lot of fun. And I think you guys (with, hopefully, many other theoretical guys) are really going to like it.
So anyway, that's the big news. Sorry it's not a baby. But this is exciting too! Plus, no post-dural puncture headache afterwards! Maybe I'll tell you part of the story tomorrow of how this all came to be (not to be coy AGAIN, but really, it needs to be broken up, because it's kind of a long story). And thank you for all the comments yesterday. My future zygotes thank you too, and can't wait until that day in the future that they will actually get to surprise you all with an appearance.
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