sunday, april 11, 2010

time keeps on ticking...

i am the daughter of an obgyn. no, my father didn't deliver me(gross) but i did use his practice. I was able to diagnose a urinary tract infection at a very young age(keep drinking that cranberry juice ladies, and don't forget to do those kegels!!) In the early years of my dad's practice, he was on call every other night and the phone would ring at all hours...and though he was never a morning person(and still isn't) he would always jump out of bed, deliver a baby or two (or three)and come home with a smile on his face. when we would be out together, in supermarkets or the mall, women would come over to him and gush "dr.latkin, it is so wonderful to see you" and then, she would point to her baby, or toddler or kid and say "this is shaniqua (insert the name you like here, i happen to like shaniqua) you delivered her...say hi to dr. latkin shaniqua" and the little girl/boy/whatever would say a shy hello and off they would go.

I always thought it was so creepy that these women would approach my dad, that is until years later when his partner delivered my kids and i would be just as gushy to them when I saw them in public....i guess any person that can extract a child from your innards is a hero...(though i have a certain affection for the anesthesiologist who found that teeny tiny spot on my very very large back to inject the nectar of the gods into my spine....ahhhh...the joys of an epidural).

so tomorrow night, my dad, along with some other physicians, are being recognized at a dinner for those retiring from valley hospital in ridgewood, NJ. i can't even believe almost 40 years have gone by since my dad started delivering babies there and i am so proud of the amazing career that he had and continues to have.

now, one would think that my dad reads my blog and that is why i have chosen to write about him. but, he doesn't. it isn't because he doesn't love me, it's because "blog, shmog, i am not into reading blogs" (almost an exact quote and he doesn't have time to read blogs because he is too busy reading the 5 or 6 novels that he leaves by his bed, by the couch, in the kitchen, in the car, in the trunk of the car etc, etc, etc) but that is ok. i am still his biggest fan.

hope you all had a great weekend and saw my crazy brother on page 21 of this week's sports illustrated...

happy sunday