Wife, M.D.

Good advice from a woman who posted to the Lives of Doctors' Wives Facebook page. I can relate to all the points, as we near the end of the hubby's intern year of Family Medicine residency:

We've been out of Residency now for 4 years. We met in college and on our journey we had 3 kids, 1 or 2 nervous breakdowns and several moves around the US. I feel your pain and so I would like to share some of my humble advise....

1. Keep looking towards the future. You are investing in your family's security and success. IT IS WORTH IT!!
2. REMEMBER TO ALWAYS LOVE THE MAN because YOU ARE GOING TO HATE THE DOCTOR!!!
3. Embrace the chaos, stop expecting normal! You're setting yourself for unhappiness. This is a process. It will not last forever.
4. Reach out and surround yourself with good positive friendships, and fill your life with your own passions and interests.
5. Remember he needs you. You are his lover, his sounding board, his psychologist and even sometimes his priest/rabbi... This is an endeavor that is difficult and challenging and filled with unexpected surprises. You have to develop good coping skills and be resilient so you can be strong for this journey.