A Day Rich in History & Fun

Yesterday we spent most of the day hanging out with my Mom & Dad in Galveston for a great Spirit of Flight airshow at the Galveston Lone Star Flight Museum. It was a perfact day for such a show. The temp was great with a little wind & the skies were bright blue. It was a great convertible day, too. Another set of parents got to go for a fun ride in the MINI. ;) After the show we had some burgers & fries on the top deck patio at the The Spot on the Seawall. We were able to enjoy a great lunch while watching the waves crash, the people walk by, the motorcycles zoom by, and some more historicaly planes fly by. Very cool. For a moment, I almost felt like I was on vacation. :)

Already???

So, yesterday I brushed up my resume & posted it on Monster thinking that it may not be a bad idea to start looking for job possibilities since graduation is less than 8 months away. Well, ALREADY I got a call this morning from a "placement specialist" company based in San Antonio. The gentleman that I spoke with said that he is a medical recruiter & originally from the Houston area & could help find a position for me here in the H-town area. He wants me to send an original copy of my resume already! I have never used a placement specialist company before. Should I send my resume to them now? Any advice?

Random thoughts

Have you heard of the dog trainer, Tamar Geller? I saw her on Oprah yesterday & I think I want to buy her book. She uses loving techniques, while still being dominant to train her dogs. It sounds interesting. And we all know how much I love my Merl-dawg.

Another random thought for the day...

So, as you probably know, I am soon to be 30 and I feel like I should do something different. I am lucky in that I have 2 little vacations coming up, one at Pensacola, FL with hubby, ETK & Baby in May and another to San Francisco in June to celebrate my BFF and my 30ths togetha. But I have been thinking that maybe I should do something not-so-Alli-like. For the past 10 years I have thought off and on of getting a tattoo and/or a belly ring. Well, I decided against the belly-ring b/c I worry about infection and it getting on my nerves. So, how about the tattoo? I haven't gotten one yet for several reasons. 1) b/c my conservative side has been winning that inner fight and 2) that whole permenant thing gets to me at times. Also, where would I put it???? I can't place it in that typical above the butt spot that most gals do b/c i have a natural tattoo (birthmark) there and don't want it covered....I know, I'm weird. I don't want it somewhere that will eventually stretch and sag. So where? My back? My ankle? Should I do it???? i dunno. I have had the design picked out for YEARS, but just have been indecisive. A few years back on a visit with my BFF in San Fran and walked into a tat parlor and almost got it, but chickened out.

So, what do you think?

My design was in my head before I even knew it also happened to be one of my fav band's symbols. I have always loved suns (but don't collect them b/c don't want to over do it) for many reasons, but mainly b/c my family used to (and still sometimes does) call me "Baby-sun." So, I would get it for that reason...not the whole band groupy thing. It would be similar to this pic, but in black.

The weekend

So, we had a busy & fun time this past weekend. First we spent Saturday noon time at Chuck E Cheese's for my nephew's 7th bday. This was hubby's first time there. We got some skee-ball and shooting hoops in.

Then Saturday afternoon Hubby's Dad and TT arrived from Oklahoma to stay for the weekend. We took them out for some Tex-Mex Saturday night. Sunday we grilled burgers & sausage at lunch time and then headed to Kemah for ice cream and to watch the boats go out into the bay. We had a great time with them & wish it could have been longer. Hope they had fun, too!

I'm Back!

Yeah! I am home now!

I finished my surgery rotation this morning and drove back from Victoria this afternoon. Now I just have to finish my surgery paper & get it turned in tomorrow. I have to head to campus tomorrow to watch student presentations, and then I have the rest of the afternoon through Sunday off! YEAH! Then I start my rotation at the UTMB ED on Monday. I am looking forward to emergency medicine; should be fun & exciting!

So, as I have said over and over. I TOTALLY LOVED surgery! I am gald to be home, but am sad that general sugery is over. It FLEW by so fast! I want more! Luckily, I have one more sugery rotation which will be on the GI service at MD Anderson starting at the end of May. That will be my last rotation. I may have to start looking around for possible jobs in that arena. Surgery is great because it is hands on & you fix people (well, much of the time)!

Home-Sweet-Home

Ah, it's good to be home. It's gonna be a short & busy weekend.

Hubby's Dad & TT are coming into town tomorrow afternoon. We are very much looking forward to spending time with them. Also, tomorrow we are going to try to stop by Chuck E. Cheese's for my nephew's 7th birthday party around noonish. WOW! I can't believe that he is already 7! I feel old. Hubby has never been to a Chuck E. Cheese's. IF we can make it, we'll definitely have to get a game of ski-ball and wack-a-mole in. ;p

Unfortunately, I am going to have to squeeze in some time to work on my paper. grrrrr. School so often gets in the way of my social life! Oh well, only 8 more months!!

I'm pooped!!! I'm off to bed.

P.S. I am seriously going to consider becoming a Surgical PA. It's been so much fun. I am almost sad that it is almost over.

Today's Surgery

Yesterday was a long 14 hr day. I was POOPED! Luckily today was shorter. I got to sleep in until 7, had a educational breakfast meeting at 8am about head & neck cancers lectured by a doc from MD Anderson, did a few H&P's (patient history and physical exams) on a few sugery patients, and then helped in only one surgery. It was definitely an interesting one to say the very least. Today's surgery is was what is called a panniculectomy and was performed on a 380 lb man. This surgery is the removal of of the panniculus (also known as a pannus). I know Jen knows what this is (I remember when her doctor hubby told her what one was). Panniculus is a medical term describing a dense layer of fatty tissue growth, usually in the abdominal cavity. It is usually a result of morbid obesity. We removed probably about 45lbs of fatty tissue from this guy's belly. WOW! This will help this guy out immensely. Hopefully he will get around and take of himself better.

I should never complain about my body weight again!!!!!

Fruit smoothies and gallstones

WHAT??

Here I am internet cafe-ing it in lil' Victoria, sipping on a fruit smoothie, and writing my paper on gallstone disease. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? I know you envy me. Don't you?

;p

Your medical term for the day: Cholelithiasis (KO-LEE-LITH-I-A-SIS) = Gallstones. Who is most likely to get them.... we must remember our 4 Fs: Female, Fat, Fertile, Forties



My friend Jen found a funny thing I didn't know existed and thought I would share with you, too: http://www.craigslist.org/about/best. I used craigslist a lot when hubby and I sold much of our old apartment life furniture, but never saw this part. I particularly like this one: http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/wdc/291196665.html

Still having fun with surgery. But still miss home.... ALREADY!

Whoa!

Sooo, I just accepted my final financial aid package for my last 6 months in the program. I then totaled my ENTIRE amount of school loans that I have taken out for PA school. Let me just say.... HOLY CRAP! Man, I hope I get a good paying job. I can't believe how much 2.5 years of school + living expenses costs. The actual tuition at UTMB is not bad, but living expenses for 2.5 years sans me having a job to help pay for this is A LOT! I will be paying this off for A LOOOONG time. Man, I wonder how much debt people in 4 year grad school programs accrue.

ugh!

Good Weekend

It's been a nice, relaxing weekend. I was able to leave a little early on Friday and was home around 6:30ish. We had a nice, fattening, delicious pizza & wine night. Saturday we just shopped and watched 2 good movies, "The Departed" and "Flags of Our Fathers." Both great movies! Oh, speaking of great movies, we went and saw "300" last weekend at our local cinema grill. It was very artisitic! I loved it! 2 thumbs up! Go see it on the big screen!

Today is work day. Bummer. Hubby is out playing golf this morning & I need to get my laundry done, work on my research paper, pack & head back to Victoria tonight. I could totally use another fun day off! Oh well. No rest for the wicked! :)

Wow, only a week and half left of general surgery! Where does the time go? Holy crap! I am done with my rotations in 2 months! EEK! I feel like I could use another year!

Ok. I better get some work done.....

Another addiction

So, Hubby & I are developing yet another addiction. PUMAS!

We both just got ANOTHER pair.... I LOVE THEM!!!! These are what mine look like...

I'm so glad I married a man who likes to shop. ;)

Greetings from Victoria

Well, I finally made it to an internet cafe here in lil' Victoria, TX. I have known about it, but have been too pooped after my long days to drag my butt here. Today I got off a little earlier (but still worked 9 hours) than I usually do, and so decided to make the short trip here to get some work (and blogging) done. My roomie does have interent but it is cable & I feel bad using her computer. So, thank God for internet cafes & wireless!

Surgery is still going well. I have finally met & worked with all 7 surgeons that are in the practice I am working with this month. Each one is very different, each with their pluses and minuses of course. Overall, I feel it is going well. Everyday I am getting more and more comfortable with it. I am still hoping that one of them will take the time to teach me to suture. Only 2 more weeks left! That's not much time. Man, these rotations fly by so quickly...especially with some 12+ hr days. I can tell I have been spending long days in the OR. I feel like (and probably look like) someone ran me over with a truck. My body hates me right now. Plus, I am so paranoid that I am going to miss my super early alarm (4:45am this morning), that I not sleeping that great and keep walking up in the night. I am sure part of that is also due to sleeping on an air matress instead of on my comfy bed next to my hubby at home (also with the bad kitty at the foot of the bed, and the snoring hound next to us on her bed on the floor). :)

I am having fun here and really liking surgery, but I miss home when I am away. I am already looking forward to the weekend, although short, with the hubby. I am also glad that my next 2 rotations will allow me to live at home.

Well, I better get some work done!

Just a quick shot out to the new comers on the block:

Paint and spackle

Running through sunshine

WELCOME! We're happy to have you join us! Blog! Blog away! :)

Happy Easter!

He is risen!

He is risen indeed!

My Humps

This is hilarious!

Alanis Morissette's version of Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps." I know there are a good number of peeps that don't like her, but I always have and this just makes me love her even more. It's so funny! Hubby's car is in it!! haha

I didn't think I'd like it

I finished my first week of general surgery in Victoria and am home for the Easter weekend. Luckily, the Surgical Associates that I am working with observe this Good Friday as a HOLY-day. (It's amazing to me that more people don't...this is the day we observe our Lord dying for our sins ya know....isn't that important????)

Anywho, I really didn't think I would enjoy surgery. I had scrubbed into a few during my OBGYN rotation (hysterectomies, c-sections, tubals, etc), and really didn't have that great of experiences...although the c-sections were pretty amazing. I think those not so good experiences where b/c most of the residents during OBGYN were so stressed out with their own learning, that many times that had no patience for us PA & Med students and could be down right mean at times. I never let them break me and tried to be sympathetic since I knew they were stressed, but some of their grumpiness was not necessary. ANYWHO, I had a GREAT week in surgery this week. I worked with a different surgeon each day, and although some were nicer than others, they were all pretty good at teaching and most were pretty patient with me as I get used to being in the OR. I have to get used to sterile procedures and as the first assist to the surgeon, you have to learn to anticipate their next moves (retracting, wiping/suctioning, helping with suturing/stapling...which I hope to learn to suture this month...etc) Most of them said I was doing a good job (esp for my first week in gen surg). One of them was even suggesting that maybe I should consider a surgery career. Yesterday, one of the procedures was pretty gross...I won't explain....and the surgeon says to me, "If you start to feel sick, please let us know and step away." I said, "Yes, sir." But I was a trooper and was right in the scene the whole time, and never got sick. At the end he said I handled it very well...he almost seemed surprised. I asked him if he thought I wouldn't do well, and he replied with "I didn't know...but you did very well....what was your background before this?" Anyway, I assume he was impressed, and that made me feel pretty darn good.

I saw about 20 surgeries this week. It ranged from putting ports in for patients needing chemo, benign fibroid removal from a breast, gall bladder removal (cholecystectomy), spleenectomy, hemrrhoidectomies, appendectomies, colon resection, etc. I think the one that was most sad was a colon resection and liver biopsy on a 38 yr old woman who had metastatic colon cancer. That is not common in that age group. I got to see the HUGE tumor that was in the part of her colon, and some of the mets. Her 5 year survival rate is like less than 10%. That is really sad. A young mother of 2. :( Her surgery was considered palliative, not curative.....meaning, only to ease her pain and bowel problems.

But on a brighter note, these surgeries were good things that really help these people. I had a fun week being right in the action. Most surgeries were exciting, sometimes with unexpected findings. Watching/helping the surgeon trouble-shoot through some of it was really fun. It was stressful at times, and VERY exhausting and sometimes long days, but FUN! I really enjoyed it! hmm....so do I need to consider surgery now????? I guess we shall see......

One more silly note.............

There's nothing like holding some guys colon while the doc has to answer a cellphone call as the nurse holds it to his ear.

Can you picture me doing that???? (or maybe you don't want to).


Hope this didn't gross you out too much. ;p