The Trifecta (12, 13, 14 of 40)

I like to think of this next post as a three-for-one special, a three-fer if you will. I could pretend that I had thought this through and lumped these all together because they are so closely related, but the truth is that I have something like 26 weeks left before the big day and I have some catching up to do.

When I started the 40 by Forty list, I was still in school for my degree in Ultrasound. Obviously, graduate was top on the list. The whole point of graduating, though, is to start a career and so I also wrote down, “Get a job that I like.” In order to get a job in the world of sonography, one must first pass certification boards so I had to include “Pass ARDMS” to really round the whole thing out.

I grew up in the era of “you can be whatever you want to be” and as a child I took that idea quite literally. I assumed that when the time was right, I’d approach the person who hands out jobs and state, “I’d like to be a rich and famous singer.” They would check some box on an official form and send me down the path of perpetual profitability. Children don’t trouble themselves with details like the need for opportunity, work ethic or, I don’t know, talent...so imagine my surprise when I discovered that being whatever I wanted was going to require a bit more than simply wishing for it.

Problem was, the only thing I really knew I wanted to be when I grew up was a mother. As challenging and demanding as it is to be the primary caregiver, I am so very thankful I had the luxury to be home with my children from birth through their early elementary years. When the reality of a post-married life started to sink in, though, the need to find a way to support myself and the kids weighed very heavily on me. The facts were as follows:

1.   At 21, I had foregone my college education to follow my then-fiancé in support of his career.

2.   I had been out of the work-field for over a decade while I helped to raise and care for our children.

3.   The vast majority (roughly 80%) of women in my exact situation (middle class, stay at home parent, divorced after over a decade of marriage) end up living below the poverty line within 20 years.  

At best, I felt the cards were now stacked against me. At worst, well, I really didn’t want to know what that was going to look like.

After weighing the options available to me in my particular set of circumstances, I landed on ultrasound. It felt like a good fit partially because I hoped the medical field would provide job security and benefits, and partially because it was a two-rather-than-four-year track towards my goal. Time felt like a luxury I was only partially afforded at this specific juncture. 

I’ve already referenced my school experience on this blog so I won’t bore you with more of the same. In July of 2019, I graduated with my Associate’s Degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. (#12) Finishing the program felt amazing and I was pleasantly surprised to also be awarded valedictorian. Best of all, though, was seeing my two kids in the crowd watching their mom accomplish what our collective sacrifices had earned. 

As I mentioned, in order to obtain employment, I needed to be credentialed by ARDMS. The field is so diverse and each area carries a separate certification. I made it my goal to sit for three specialties within one year of graduation and nine months later, I had studied and passed board exams for Abdomen, OB/Gyn, and Breast ultrasound. (#13) 

If there is anything that complete life upheaval will teach, it's how to marathon. I’m not talking about running here (ew, gross), but the kind of endurance that is required to move from one set of challenges into another. As much as I wanted to sit back and bask in the completion of my degree, I knew the real work in securing a position was just beginning. 

In a field that highly values experience, finding any open door can be difficult. The very day my internship ended, I superman’ed out of my scrubs and into my interviewing suit: 

I was fortunate to find a couple per diem positions, which is the fancy way of saying, I-worked-whatever-whenever-and-every-shift-floated-my-direction. There was a solid seven months of 50+ hour weeks, weeks-long stretches without a day off, and the dreaded call shifts. 

It all paid off when a rare fulltime position opened up and I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to get to claim it. This month marks one year in that position, and although entering the medical field at the exact same time of a global health crisis is not ideal, I am so thankful for a regular schedule, set income and health insurance for the kids and I. (And PTO...oh, how I love PTO!)

Now one of the first things people say when you mention that you do ultrasounds is, “How fun that you get to take pictures of babies all day!” I have to admit, when I first started school, I sort thought that’s what I would be doing too. Truth is, that is a sweet, but very tiny part of my career. 

In the relatively short time I have been working, I have scanned more gallstones than I knew existed. I have seen grown men throw up from the pain of a passing kidney stone. I have seen women who didn’t know they were pregnant discover they are in labor. I have a tale of scanning the nether-regions of a 400-lb double amputee that, if not for HIPAA, would regale even the stuffiest of crowds. 

I’ve had to keep a straight face when I have discovered metastatic cancer in an unsuspecting patient. I have heard the pleading prayers of a mother who is losing her baby. I have looked for bleeds in the brains of premature babies and found blood clots in adults that span the length of their leg. I have built relationships with repeat patients, and especially during this pandemic, saw more than a few of them transferred to the morgue. 

It is challenging, interesting and dynamic work. It is beautiful at times and it is awful at times. There is something holy in bearing witness to someone else’s suffering, be it temporary or life-altering. Growing up, I never would have thought that this would be the career I landed on and, truth be told, I had no idea what I was getting into. But, for what it’s worth, I really do like it. (#14)