What a week.....

I started my first rotation in general surgery on Monday, August 30th, 2010. It was a rough ride the first two days. I was just following the residents around like a lost puppy...Unsure of myself, not understanding my role on the team.....I was placed with a new team on Wednesday because every 1st of the month, the residents begin a new team. This team is wonderful! They are very patient with me and willing to teach me the ropes! I've had an opportunity to scrub in on many surgeries this week. During the surgeries, I have held retractors for the attending, operated the laparoscope, cut the sutures for the attending and resident. I was also pooped on during a surgery....I know...crazy, but it happened!

The most difficult part right now is adjusting to the very long hours and being away from my family. If they were here with me, I'm sure this wouldn't be as difficult for me. I would be able to come home and see my son's smiling face and hear his words...I would be able to get the biggest, my loving hug from my wife.....and best of all, fall asleep right next to the loves of my life! That physical comfort would be enough to get me through each and every difficult day in this surgical rotation. But they are not here, so I must move on the best I can. I will take each day as it comes and plan on having a great day of learning! I look forward to seeing my family in 2 weeks and that is what I focus on. That is what keeps me going on a day to day basis...

My goal as far as this rotation goes this week:

1. Follow up on patients and be able to confidently write a SOAP note
2. Continue to scrub in on surgeries
3. Close the wound in surgery
4. Continue to learn how to write a Trauma H&P
5. Continue to learn how to write a Surgical Consult.

Day 1: General Surgery

Today was my first day in general surgery. I woke up at 4:15am and left the house by 5:15am...didn't take me very long to get there or find the parking structure I was told to park in. I arrived on the floor at 5:30am and waited to meet my preceptor at 6am. We did morning rounds together where she checked in with her patients. I was able to get a pair of scrubs, but had to wear my dress shoes all day long! Talk about tired feet!! I then just followed my preceptor around all morning until she asked one of her fellow co-workers if I could sit in on a couple surgeries she was involved in...And I was off to the OR! I got to scrub in the first surgery which was a repair of an inguinal hernia! I also had an opportunity to hold a retractor for the doctor! That was awesome! I must admit, I felt important! Then, I just observed the next surgery...It was a long 2.5 hour surgery and I hadn't had but one granola bar up to this point and it was almost 3pm!!! I planned on going to lunch but, I had to meet my preceptor. We went through more rounds with the higher ups....We were back and forth in and out of patient rooms...So no time for food! I barely had time to use the bathroom...Yet she told me today was a slow day! OMG! Slow?? oh wow! I finally got to leave at 6pm and was told to be back at 6am! Oh, boy....the way I feel right now, I hope the next 6 weeks go by very, very fast! And I don't think surgery is where I want to work simply because of the hours....It's too tough on my family...Although, I loved holding the retractor and I'm going to love to suture!! :) I'll check back next week so let you know how I'm doing!

Reflecting.....

As I watch this show called "Boston Med", I am reflecting on my past year in school and what I am about to face in 2 weeks. It has been a long, difficult, exhausting year! There have been many who have doubted me. And some who have been allies and nothing but support! I just had a classmate tell me this week that in the beginning of the year he thought I would "never make it". And then he said he was really proud of me!

On my last day of lecture, I got into my car and the radio was on....The chorus of the song was "I made it". Can you believe that? I sure have made it!

I found a new tv show that I just love! It is called, "Boston Med" and it is on ABC (I am watching the episodes free online!!). I watch some of the interns/residents go through losing patients, saving lives, laughing and joking with coworkers, going home to their families...I sat there for a moment and felt really sad. Sad because my family will not be here with me. I won't be able to come home from a hard day and talk about how I witnessed a patient dying. Or the times where I will help save someone!! Or the little things, like suturing up a wound for the first time! I just hope that the next 3.5 months go by quick so that I can be reunited with my family and be able to share my journey directly with them.

Stay tuned as I take you through the ups and downs of my clinical rotations......

Welcome to the Wild, Wild West...

Okay, well not very wild....okay, yes wild...but not in the old western sort of way...geez...anyways...

I am excited about this next phase of our lives. Both my wife and I look at this move as an adventure...We are young, healthy women who have the ability to move across the country! How exciting!

Yes, I am still in school and yes I technically have 2 more years left...but my school is willing to work with me. For instance, I am taking my last pharmacology exam at Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, California because I really wanted to leave with my family and help them set up shop in San Francisco. I will return just before the fall semester and will fly back home to Cali between 10 days and 2 weeks or whenever my exam schedule allows. In the meantime, I will Skype with my family every night before heading to bed! I will get to see my beautiful wife and handsome son and give them hugs and kisses before heading off to dreamland and dreaming of them! We will only have to do this for the next year! And keep in mind, I have many breaks at school...There is Thanksgiving break, Christmas break, and Spring break where I can stay home for more than just the weekend (classes are only Tuesday thru Thursday from here on out!!).

Most if not all of our friends (or Chosen Family as we call them) are excited for us and jealous, but jealous in a nice sort of way. Maybe jealous is not the right word...Maybe it is envious...Wishing they too couple pack up and leave this state that has the highest unemployment rate in the country. So many people have wished us well and are very happy for us---they say, "wow, San Francisco is so beautiful!" And it is...

My family on the other hand...not so happy. My grandma cried on the phone and said that is so far away, my sister has not returned my phone calls, and my brother just said some mean, jealous things on text message to me. I find this all sort of humorous. I mean, I haven't spoken to or seen my sister since our combined birthday party back in May! And I don't think I've seen my brother since Javier's birthday party in April! So why are they all so upset about this move? Are they THAT jealous? Is jealousy the root cause of this?

I have been told that I need to deal with this (the family) and not throw my feelings aside. I'm not really sure what I feel for them. I do know that I am happy to be moving away from them. I don't like to be caught up in the drama and would rather not have my son exposed to that either. I am sad to leave my dad, but I know that I will keep in good communication with him and that we WILL come back to visit him!

Anyways, I am excited about our move....Nervous, but excited! I think we will have amazing stories to tell our children in the future! I hope you are excited for us too! :)

Wow, What a Year!

Our son is turning a year old next week! It is so hard to believe that it has been an entire year since we brought our little bundle of joy home from the hospital! This year has been very challenging. Javier has had a food allergy that was not fully realized until last month! He is now on the right formula and is growing! He has gained 1 1/2 pounds in a little over a month (which is a HUGE deal for him!). He is nearly 17 pounds now!

He is doing so many things....He is really imitating us. He loves to laugh when we are laughing, we taught him how to throw his little stuffed football, he is crawling at super speed now, he plays with his balloon, he plays independently in his bedroom, he knows that a comb is for the hair, he knows that his little toothbrush is for his mouth, he knows when he hurts himself that we go get "nemo" from the freezer (it is his little ice pack), he has recently started to climb up onto our bed and loves to look out of our bedroom window, he knows what a bath is when we say, "do you want to take a bath?"--he heads for the bathroom, and the latest that happened today is that when his mommies were kissing, he became jealous (or something???) and started whining!

This year has been challenging with his allergies, but even with all of that, Javier is a very happy guy. He just amazes us everyday! I love to watch him...

Wow, our son will be a year old next week! :)

It's Been A While....

This has been a challenging year. From going back to school, to Javier's milk allergy and all the ear infections, colds, ect..., to dealing with postpartum depression, and contracts....it has been challenging. And as I write this, lil Javi is whining to be picked up. So I pick him up and he says, "a-ya ya ya ya...a-yayaya". Then he proceeds to grab my glasses (it is time for lasik!!!) and then pulls my hair and thinks it is funny even though I say "no" very stern! So I put him down and he is content for 2 seconds. He is now pulling at my pajama pants. Yes, I am still in my pajamas at 11:40am. The life of a stay at home mommy!

Update on Javier.....He had another endoscope in February. It revealed that he has eosinophila esophagitis (which means he has allergies in his esophagus-the food tube). He was being exposed to something he is allergic to. So we had an appointment with his allergist and they drew blood to test for numerous food allergens. A few days later, we found out that he is positive for Milk. That includes whey and casein. His formula was changed to Elecare/Neocate which is a "nutritionally complete amino-acid based medical food". He may outgrow the allergy. But will not know for probably a year and a half or so. He is also on baby Zantac 3 times a day for the acid reflux. He seems to be doing much better! Since going on the new formula, he has gained about 1 pound in a month! That is excellent!

Now he has another ear infection and is on amoxicillin, ear drops, tylenol and motrin! Those ear infections are awful for the little ones! We just hired a new nanny and she is great with Javier!

She speaks spanish and will speak to him and play spanish music! She has been all over the world and we think that is so awesome!

Javier is crawling all over the place! And he is crusing down the couch and other furniture! He loves the cats! He tries to give them hugs and kisses all the time! They don't like it so much because he basically lays on top of them to hug them! He say:

mom
mama
baba
a-ya ya (?)
a-rar rar (?)
ka (kat)

Update on me and school...The winter semester is near the end (already!). I have tons of stuff due and no time to do it! I am taking 3 classes: pharmacology I, health care issues and policy, and health promotion and risk reduction. This summer I have 2 classes- research methods and pharmacology II. And then next fall, I will begin the "tougher" classes with Clinical Medicine I, Diagnostic Procedures and Physical Exam.

Micki is doing great...Working on her next contract. She is now in negotiations. We will see what happens! :)

We are planning to take a few trips coming up. San Francisco, Mexico and probably Texas. We love to travel and show Javier different culture, landscapes, weather!

That is about all for now....

Halloween 2008

This year was so much fun now that we have a baby! Not that the past Halloween's haven't been, but this year was special now that Javier is in our lives! He was a bumble bee....Micki's male coworkers had a real problem with that and they even took a poll to see if it was "acceptable" for a boy to be a bumble bee for Halloween! Can you believe that?! That is the beginning of life-long struggles for boys right there!

Anyways, we took Javier visiting friends and family in his costume! He was a real trooper! :) What fun!

Can't wait to do it again next year!