How was YOUR day?

One of the other DWs brought up a great topic (thanks, Shayna!) in the comments on my last post.

So, I want to know how many of you has this happened to?

Me: "My day was terrible, hon, my boss yelled at me, I cried, I messed up a big report and blah blah blah..."

Hubs: "Wow, that sounds awful"

Me: "Yeah, it was. Tell me how was YOUR day?"

Hubs: "I had a two patients die on me and then one of the other docs called in sick and I had to skip lunch and work 3 hours over unpaid.."

Talk about disproportional bad days. I don't work in the medical world or really anything like it, so my bad days will never be proportionately bad as HIS bad days. Which, hey, that's ok because it gives me perspective and makes me grateful, but at the same time...it kind of makes me feel just an eensy weensy bit smaller inside. Not even sure if that makes sense.

This story is always one to pull out when you're at one of those awkward dinner parties with people that ask you with stars in their eyes "so what's it really like to be a doctor's wife?"

What does it mean to be a DW?

I thought I'd share what I'm calling my GET REAL perspective on what it means to be a doctor's wife (DW). If you're like me, you've cringed internally when a casual conversation turns to "wow, your husband's a doctor?" One of two things happen--either the person asks you for medical advice (hey, I've had this rash...) Yeah, because that medical education rubbed off on me, ya know. OR, that person starts to look at you differently, with an understanding that you must live a rather cushy life.

It's ok. I get it. But I don't fit your stereotype. Most of you DWs probably don't, in fact.

Here's the real life of this DW:
(hey, maybe we can start our own version of Real Housewives)

• I'm alone a lot. I've learned to enjoy my own company. I don't know what it's like to have a husband with "banker's hours." If he's home in the morning, he won't be that evening because he's working. And vice versa.
• Sometimes when the hubs is home he's coming off working a 10pm to 2am shift three or four days in a row. I know what it's like to live with a zombie.
• If my little guy has a fever, it's me picking him up from school, not my hubs leaving the hospital to do so.
• When he's not working, he's running like hell to catch up on things that he hasn't had time for: the lawn, the fix-it list, his laundry, etc. etc. So, it's very hard for me to make him "present" in my life and the life of our son.
  
• The debt. Oh, the debt. Need I say more?
  
• I'm tired. He's tired. We have a 1 year old. 'Nuff said.

So, DWs, what have I forgotten? What am I totally off base about?

I will say that I know it's a privileged life. I count those blessings every day. But it's not without it's own sacrifices and that's the point of this entry.

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About me: This is my first post, but I've been a long time reader/lurker. Hubs is an ER doc (he graduated residency in '09). I say that I earned my PHT (putting him thru) degree during those long years. I'm a 30-something mom of an 18 mo. old boy. I work in the publishing/marketing world in Nashville. I married my high school sweetheart and while he was in med school, I got my master's degree. What else would you like to know? I'm game to answer any or all questions. :)

Have you borrowed money from your parents?

Sorry for slacking on the poll. A new one is up. You can select multiple answers.

New Year!

I finally got around to updating everyone's numbers behind their names over in the side bar. Although I have been know to make mistakes, so if you have a correction, or something to add or change please email me so I can make the necessary changes! (champagneandbonbons@gmail.com) Thanks!

Congrats on another year of school/training!