Z is not exactly the type to brag about himself, and he is not one to share anything out there unlike me. So, allow me to brag on his behalf because he deserves it, and heck, WE deserve it! LOL 4 years of medical school, 6 years of residency, 1 year of fellowship, and 1 year into his post-training job - he is a board-certified plastic surgeon!! Elated, relieved, and a stamp of finality are some of the feelings that I'm sure he has had so far. December 15th will forever be a happy date to remember.
This has been a long journey for him, and in many ways, for me, because our entire marriage has been tightly intertwined with medical life. The effect of this type of preparation only grew even more through the years now that we have a child to take care of, and his needing to focus all his energy on his job/education/credentialing meant everything else falling on me. A week of him going away for a prep workshop, several days of being gone to actually take the exam (all out-of-town stuff), and many weekends where he disappeared into his home office to study (while Zoe is actively trying to get his attention and me doing everything I can to keep her away from him) left a lot of solo parenting/life management to me, which I admit was not something I consistently nor happily enjoyed. I made a real concerted effort to not be resentful about this circumstance because it wouldn't have been fair for him, but it wasn't easy. This is what being married to medicine often looks like - competing for his attention between his work and family - but I am proud of us for navigating this the best we can.
So, here is to no more big exams left in his career (except for annual recertification? update? to keep up with his certification) and being able to fully focus on his work with the credential he has been working so hard to achieve. Congratulations, honey - YOU DID IT!
Here is a little down memory lane to where this life all began...medical school graduation.
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