All right, well I've gotten settled in here in Nacogdoches, and even survived 2 weeks in Pediatrics. I know, believe it or not, me with children...it hasn't been as rough as I was expecting. Some of that probably has to do with my awesome preceptor and the great staff here. It's a little clinic with one doc, two nurses, an office manager, and a receptionist. They run quite the operation and we stay moving during the day, but the environment is super relaxed. My preceptor is fun and approachable, so that really eased a lot of my anxiety. But don't get me wrong, we do work around here and I've learned a lot! As for Nac and Lufkin...it's different here than what I'm used to, but that's not particularly a bad thing. The pace is slower, everything is on a smaller scale, and most of the people are really nice. The drives can be kinda pretty, too. The downsides here, I'm living in a hotel (i.e. not seeing my family/husband at all during the week) and driving the wheels off my poor little tank. I've got a few classmates in the area, so we hit the gym or have dinner together...anything to keep me sane! Can you imagine how lonely this would be for 6 weeks all by myself?! No thanks. I've also got some family here, a good friend from high school, and one of my best friends just up the road in Tyler. It's already flying by, and I can hardly believe this is my LAST rotation! And for those of you who have been asking, here is the rundown: rotations wrap up June 21, then I have one class in Galveston until graduation August 17. Yes, GRADUATION. There's a light at the end of the tunnel! Then I'll have a few wrap-up classes in Galveston through October 26. I'll probably take boards sometime in November, and start working...well...who knows when. We aren't there yet ;).
Ryan started a new job up in Keller! I am so happy for him! He started that the same day I started here in Nac, so we have both been adjusting. He really seems to be enjoying it. It's only 5 minutes away from the house, and the best part is that it's back in DFW. We had a goal of being back by the end of the year, and things are shaping up well so far :).
My little sister Aimee graduated Kindergarten! My goodness, she's growing up so fast. They had the cutest little graduation ceremony at school! She is doing so well and we are just so proud of her.
I'll try to get some pics up soon. Hope everyone had a fun, safe Memorial Day!!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
BABIES!
Lol, no...it's probably not what you are thinking :).
First, I found a baby duck. I know, it was only a matter of time living this close to a pond with so many ducks and with said pond being on my jogging route (no coincidence there!). So I'm out for a usual afternoon jog and notice a group of people huddled around something. I thought they were harassing the ducks, and I was about to get mad. Turns out there was a tiny duckling in the grass. It had been abandoned (or someone dumped it). Poor thing could barely walk and was just shaking because he was so cold. I tried to put him with some other families, but they all ran away from him, and he couldn't follow :(. It was also odd that none of the other ducklings at the pond appeared to be his age. So of course, I took him home. I've had ducklings before, and knew he wouldn't survive the night as he was way too little, plus we had a storm/cold front moving in...there was no way he'd be ok. He was on the verge right then and there. So...as expected, he got fat, happy, and spoiled living here, just like the rest of the crazy family. We called him Goober because, well, it just fit. I made a place for him in the bathroom, and he was quite content. He hated to swim and loved to snuggle. He didn't even go to sleep without a towel to snuggle into. Heaven forbid I forgot his towel at night, he'd chirp and quack until I brought one in. As babies do, he just grew and grew, and outgrew our little habitat for him. It was also quite a task with 4 dogs and 2 cats that would have loved to take a closer look at him! I knew he'd gotten too big for us, plus, my mission was accomplished. He was well nourished and big enough to handle the weather. Now, it was time to find him a home where he could continue to grow. We took him to a wildlife refuge nearby, where they had lots of other ducklings. They said they would integrate him into a little group and let them grow up together. It was sad to see him go, but I know our bathroom isn't a proper duck habitat.
Second, my friend Layla's horse had her baby! The baby is a beautiful Friesian boy they named Otto. And he sure is a little spitfire! Absolutely stunning though. He is doing very well, and already getting into trouble and stealing big-kid food from mom! He will certainly be keeping the Barrington family on their toes. Plus, she has another mare due very soon! Yup, there will soon be 2 foals out there. I put foals on the same level as ducklings on the cuteness scale :).
And lastly, my OBGYN rotation is over. I really enjoyed this rotation all in all. The clinic was fantastic, as were my preceptors. In the end, I helped with delivering 15 babies, plus all the clinic business and procedures in between which kept me plenty of busy. I can definitely see doing this when I graduate. Now, on to pediatrics! Oh geez, wish me luck! But hey, it's my LAST rotation. Hard to believe it, but I graduate in August and take my boards in November. It's gone so quickly, but I can't wait to get back home to DFW!!!
First, I found a baby duck. I know, it was only a matter of time living this close to a pond with so many ducks and with said pond being on my jogging route (no coincidence there!). So I'm out for a usual afternoon jog and notice a group of people huddled around something. I thought they were harassing the ducks, and I was about to get mad. Turns out there was a tiny duckling in the grass. It had been abandoned (or someone dumped it). Poor thing could barely walk and was just shaking because he was so cold. I tried to put him with some other families, but they all ran away from him, and he couldn't follow :(. It was also odd that none of the other ducklings at the pond appeared to be his age. So of course, I took him home. I've had ducklings before, and knew he wouldn't survive the night as he was way too little, plus we had a storm/cold front moving in...there was no way he'd be ok. He was on the verge right then and there. So...as expected, he got fat, happy, and spoiled living here, just like the rest of the crazy family. We called him Goober because, well, it just fit. I made a place for him in the bathroom, and he was quite content. He hated to swim and loved to snuggle. He didn't even go to sleep without a towel to snuggle into. Heaven forbid I forgot his towel at night, he'd chirp and quack until I brought one in. As babies do, he just grew and grew, and outgrew our little habitat for him. It was also quite a task with 4 dogs and 2 cats that would have loved to take a closer look at him! I knew he'd gotten too big for us, plus, my mission was accomplished. He was well nourished and big enough to handle the weather. Now, it was time to find him a home where he could continue to grow. We took him to a wildlife refuge nearby, where they had lots of other ducklings. They said they would integrate him into a little group and let them grow up together. It was sad to see him go, but I know our bathroom isn't a proper duck habitat.
Second, my friend Layla's horse had her baby! The baby is a beautiful Friesian boy they named Otto. And he sure is a little spitfire! Absolutely stunning though. He is doing very well, and already getting into trouble and stealing big-kid food from mom! He will certainly be keeping the Barrington family on their toes. Plus, she has another mare due very soon! Yup, there will soon be 2 foals out there. I put foals on the same level as ducklings on the cuteness scale :).
And lastly, my OBGYN rotation is over. I really enjoyed this rotation all in all. The clinic was fantastic, as were my preceptors. In the end, I helped with delivering 15 babies, plus all the clinic business and procedures in between which kept me plenty of busy. I can definitely see doing this when I graduate. Now, on to pediatrics! Oh geez, wish me luck! But hey, it's my LAST rotation. Hard to believe it, but I graduate in August and take my boards in November. It's gone so quickly, but I can't wait to get back home to DFW!!!
CURVEBALLS 2 AND 3
I assume you read my post a few weeks ago titled "Curveball" regarding the unexpected passing of my grandmother. I guess things good and bad tend to come in three's, so here's the rest of the trio. #2-An aunt of mine (my mother's sister Kathy) passed away of a ruptured aortic aneurysm. My mother's family has a history of high blood pressure, and her grandmother had an aneurysm which never ruptured. My aunt also smoked. Regardless of these factors, nobody (including my aunt) knew she had the aneurysm, so needless to say, her passing was quite unexpected. Please keep our family in your prayers as we cope with yet another loss. #3-Ryan was laid off. This one was really a blessing in disguise as he quickly got another job where hopefully his talents can be utilized more. It's essentially the same position, but he should be able to teach more and really work with the club members more instead of manning a counter for most of the day. And the BEST part...it's back in Fort Worth instead of Houston! That means we are officially working on moving back! I cannot express how happy this makes me. We are so very excited about this.
Now, we also got some very good news from our vet regarding Mav. Late last year, I felt a mass along his ribcage. Being medical-minded, I decided to monitor the mass to see if it was growing, or if it just popped up and would stay the same size. Plus, I knew the first questions the vet would ask are: how long has it been there, is it growing, and is it painful to him. As it turns out, the mass was growing. It wasn't overnight, but I could tell a good difference each month when I measured it. We went to our primary vet here, who was not much help. His suggestion was: remove it or don't. Now, after having worked in oncology and having access to the medical technology I do, I know there are more options than that. I asked for a referral to a veterinary oncologist for a second opinion, and he flipped on me. I essentially bruised his ego, which rendered him useless now. So I attempted to get in with the best oncologist I could find, which proved to be about impossible. They wanted a referral, I couldn't get a referral out of my egotistical ex-vet and no other vet had seen the mass. Besides, I know more about the dog and his current condition than any vet we've ever seen does. And I don't mean that in a rude way, but we have moved around so much, that Mav hasn't seen the same vet more than twice. I have kept detailed records of his visits, can provide vaccination information, and have more info about this mass and its evolution than anyone cares to know. I worked through their referral requirement with my own means. Then, there was scheduling. They aren't open on weekends. They said they could get me in within the week, and couldn't. Any time I called for an appointment, she was either booked up or out of the office. They said they close at 5, but don't take new patients after 2...then it was no new patients after 1. Considering I'd have to leave work, drive 45 minutes home to get Mav, then drive 40 minutes to the vet...this begins to turn into an all day event. Plus, Ryan was reasonably apprehensive to take him in without me. So...we decided to pursue other options. I got a recommendation from my friend Stefanie on a good primary vet in the area. We went in on a Saturday. He examined Mav and even did a needle aspiration on-site with a cytological evaluation. All of this said and done, he was pretty comfortable that the mass was another lipoma (Mav has a few of these already), and we agreed on no further intervention at this time. I will monitor it and make sure Mav isn't inhibited or in pain, and we will just keep a close eye on it/him. That's probably the very best news we could have asked for. :)
Now, we also got some very good news from our vet regarding Mav. Late last year, I felt a mass along his ribcage. Being medical-minded, I decided to monitor the mass to see if it was growing, or if it just popped up and would stay the same size. Plus, I knew the first questions the vet would ask are: how long has it been there, is it growing, and is it painful to him. As it turns out, the mass was growing. It wasn't overnight, but I could tell a good difference each month when I measured it. We went to our primary vet here, who was not much help. His suggestion was: remove it or don't. Now, after having worked in oncology and having access to the medical technology I do, I know there are more options than that. I asked for a referral to a veterinary oncologist for a second opinion, and he flipped on me. I essentially bruised his ego, which rendered him useless now. So I attempted to get in with the best oncologist I could find, which proved to be about impossible. They wanted a referral, I couldn't get a referral out of my egotistical ex-vet and no other vet had seen the mass. Besides, I know more about the dog and his current condition than any vet we've ever seen does. And I don't mean that in a rude way, but we have moved around so much, that Mav hasn't seen the same vet more than twice. I have kept detailed records of his visits, can provide vaccination information, and have more info about this mass and its evolution than anyone cares to know. I worked through their referral requirement with my own means. Then, there was scheduling. They aren't open on weekends. They said they could get me in within the week, and couldn't. Any time I called for an appointment, she was either booked up or out of the office. They said they close at 5, but don't take new patients after 2...then it was no new patients after 1. Considering I'd have to leave work, drive 45 minutes home to get Mav, then drive 40 minutes to the vet...this begins to turn into an all day event. Plus, Ryan was reasonably apprehensive to take him in without me. So...we decided to pursue other options. I got a recommendation from my friend Stefanie on a good primary vet in the area. We went in on a Saturday. He examined Mav and even did a needle aspiration on-site with a cytological evaluation. All of this said and done, he was pretty comfortable that the mass was another lipoma (Mav has a few of these already), and we agreed on no further intervention at this time. I will monitor it and make sure Mav isn't inhibited or in pain, and we will just keep a close eye on it/him. That's probably the very best news we could have asked for. :)
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