New Rotation & Festive West Edmonton Mall

On Monday I started my palliative care rotation, an area I hadn't worked in at all during medical school. I'm starting off with two weeks of outpatient palliative consults, followed by twelve days off in BC for the holidays (I'm super lucky to have been able to get that long off!), then finally a week of inpatient ward palliative care when I return in January. Having done just three days of it, my initial impressions are that palliative medicine 1) is a team sport and 2) requires limitless patience. I'll post more about my palliative care experience once I'm a little further into the rotation!

one of the many palliative care assessment tools I've been getting familiar with

Of course, with Christmas music playing in the office and treats aplenty, it doesn't feel like I'm working too hard these days. It seems that the countdown to Christmas is directly proportional to the amount of space left on the staffroom table. These days the table hosts a plethora of temptations -- cookies, chocolate, oranges... Not to mention, the Christmas lunches. Today the palliative care team pulled together an impressive impromptu potluck lunch (which was so fun and nice, despite having to work while eating it). Tomorrow is the oncology Christmas lunch, followed by a Christmas reception tomorrow evening.

a delicious Christmas brownie brought in by a thoughtful palliative team member

I realized, a little too late this evening, that I didn't have anything quite suitable to wear to this evening reception. My dress-up clothing tends towards cocktail party formal or work formal, and what I wanted was something in between. Despite it being 8:15 pm, I decided to make a quick trip to the mall to hopefully find something that would work. Upon realizing that West Edmonton Mall is open until 10 pm in these pre-Christmas days, I decided I might as well go big -- if nothing else, I'd get some exercise.

By 8:30 pm I pulled into the still surprisingly busy mall parking lot. The mall itself was fortunately not too crowded and pleasantly decorated for the holidays.

lights (and a Ferrari)

Perhaps because the vastness of West Edmonton Mall makes decorating a monumental task, the lights, baubles, and occasional trees were scarcer than I had anticipated, with the smaller malls like Kingsway feeling more festive. Still, the areas that were decorated did look pretty.

one of the more nicely decorated areas

Out of necessity, I booked it through the mall, making this my most efficient shopping trip yet, and luckily found a dress at H&M that fit the bill (and was even on sale). I was out of the mall just before 10 pm and felt surprisingly tired -- I want to say that it was because I'd covered a fair amount of ground power walking...but really, it was probably because my stamina to stay up (meaning past 9 pm) is pathetically poor these days! Ah well, a week from today I'll be free to get alllll the sleep :)

snow-dusted garland and Christmas trees aboard Columbus' Santa Maria replica

Have you done (or are you planning to do) anything special for the holidays?