Elliott Family News

My baby is growing!!

2010-11-17T18:12:00.000-08:00

I don't have time to write much but here are some cute pics and videos of my sweetie. Everything is good. I miss her a ton while i am at work but they love her at daycare so that makes it a little better. Chris has been amazing. He is a great hands-on dad who helps with everything from washing bottles to grocery shopping. Ava adores him and smiles when she hears his voice (see pics) She is starting to chunk up and not look so scrawny and she slept from 10pm to 4am last night!! (ps that is when i sleep)

Ava listening to her dad talk

Momma & Baby Week

2010-10-30T08:05:00.000-07:00

This last week has been my first (and only) whole week with just Ava and I at home together all day. We had a lovely time eating, sleeping, playing, and doing errands together. She has developed a pretty regular schedule which goes well except when she decides she doesn't want her naps.

Monday we went to the doctor and she is doing great. She is now 6lbs 11oz and 19.25 inches long. She behaved wonderfully and didn't cry once. The nurses were so amazed.

Ava also proved how strong she is by performing feats expected of 2 month old babies at two weeks! (see video below)

Here are a few other fun things we did ...

Bath time (which she now enjoys)


watched giraffes and lions in the crib

Here is a cute one from a couple weeks ago too. Thanks to Nana and Pop Pop for coming to visit, we had a great time!

hanging with Nana

Ava's Birth Story

2010-10-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

I am writing this story for me, for Ava, and for anyone who wants to know the details of Ava's birth. It was a beautiful and amazing night/day and I want to document it so i never forget these moments.

just short of 6lbs

Nervous and excited, not knowing exactly what to expect, Chris and I headed to the hospital at 7pm October 5, 2010. We got checked in and settled in our room. An IV was started (actually two b/c the first one blew) and, I was checked and 1cm dilated and 80% effaced. Around 9:30pm the nurse placed the cytotec gel into my cervix. I sent Chris home to sleep and planned to rest through the night for my assumed big day to follow. My body had other plans though. I had already been contracting (as i had for the past two months) but less than an hour later i was contracting more regularly and starting to have back labor.

The night passed in a blur of pain from back labor and nurses coming in to make me flip from side to side because Ava was not tolerating the labor. I was supposed to receive more cytotec every four hours but after the first dose the doctor cut me off due to Ava's decreasing heart rate. Chris returned at 6am and I was surprised to see him not realizing the whole night had already gone by.

just after her first bath

At this point Ava was looking better and my new nurse decided that it was time to start Pitocin in place of the missed cytotec. My nurse called herself the Pitocin Nazi and swore to "get my labor going." Let me just say me and Pitocin do NOT get along. Almost immediately I started having insane contractions, one right on top of the other, doubles, triples, quadruples. It was truly terrible. I couldn't breath, move, anything. The nurse tried to talk me into an epidural. I ignored her. After an hour Ava again was not looking good. Soon Dr. Hicks arrived and after looking at me and Ava she started talking about a C-section. Knowing I really wanted to have a vaginal delivery and agreeing, we decided to go ahead with breaking my water. I was now 4cm and 85% effaced.

At 7:30 Dr. Hicks broke my water, and suggested an epidural. I ignored the suggestion and continued to try to breath. The next hour or so was rough. The pain made me nauseated and i began vomiting. Chris was great and held my hand, placed cool rags on my forehead, and rubbed my back. Finally they turned off the pitocin and let me contract on my own. The pain changed and was more tolerable and having two minutes between contractions was a blessing. I was able to get into a rhythm of breathing through contractions and resting for two minutes and we went on.

At 11am the nurse checked me again and i was 5cm and 95% effaced. Chris suggested i accept a dose of Stadol and rest while he went to grab lunch. Tired and trusting his voice of reason, i requested some pain relief and an anti-nausea med (why i had to ask for that i don't know, still mad at my nurse for not thinking of it for me!). The Stadol was wonderful. It allowed me to sleep and dulled the contractions.

At 12:30pm I woke with an incredibly intense pressure and need to push. It was literally overwhelming and i felt she was coming. I yelled to Chris that i had to push and it was time and frantically pushed my nurse button. Thankfully she came quickly and sure enough i was dilated to 10 and ready to go. Dr. Hicks was called and while the nurse set up I pushed gently. Soon Dr. Hicks was there and first thought she had no time to change but the nurse pushed with me until she had her scrubs on. Then it was time. Everyone was ready and Chris held my hand as I pushed FOR REAL. I touched her head as she came out and i cut her cord once delivered.

After 15 hours of labor our baby was there on my belly. She was sweet, blue eyes wide open, lots of brown hair, and pink with purple hands and feet. She was perfect.

36 hours of work and daily naps

2010-09-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

This week has been lovely. I only worked 36 hours, usually starting at 8 or 9 in the morning allowing me to sleep in and have breakfast before leaving. I have had most afternoons off to work on my research and nap (and when i say nap i mean a good 2 hours on the couch). Me and and the dogs have been spending a lot of quality time together as Chris is gone again for military stuff.

My awesome co-workers gave me a baby shower a few weeks ago where i received a gift certificate for a pregnancy massage. I am going tomorrow for a spa day and can't wait to get pampered and hopefully work out some of the hip and pelvic pain i have developed in my last months of pregnancy.

In some of my time off i decided to get very ambitious and find Chris' power drill to put up curtains in the nursery. Chris has been so busy with work i thought i would attempt a little handy work myself. If only i had a picture of me 38 weeks pregnancy, on a chair, with a power drill. I should say chris probably could have done a better job but the curtains are up and i was proud of myself.

No signs of baby coming yet, but we are ready. She has definitely dropped (even more, who knew it was possible?) but i decided to skip the pelvic check this week. No rush, she will comes when she is ready.

where did july go?

2010-09-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

I guess i should not be surprised i lost an entire month of blogging after the busy month i just had. Shortly after Chris left, Nicole and Hannah came to visit for a week (see nik's blog for details). We had a great time and it was so nice to have people around to help out. My sisters were amazing and while i went to the doctor they cleaned my house (THANK YOU !!!). We completed some very fun and important baby shopping then worked together to prepare the nursery for Ellie (my new nickname for our no-name baby). Nicole was so helpful with all of her baby knowledge and i think we may have everything we need now. I think by the end Hannah was definitely babied out though.

love my farm animal theme, so cute!

After they left, my world consisted of keeping up with my many hours/stress of the Surgical ICU, while keeping the house together and trying to keep baby inside. There were many nights on call i would debate going down to OB for a check due to my numerous contractions. Thankfully we made it through successfully, still pregnant and and a better doctor.

work baby shower

35 weeks

Chris is now home again which is such a relief (i did not want to have this baby alone!) I am now a full 9 months preg and contractions get stronger everyday. At my last check i was dilated to "fingertip" and 75% effaced. Because i contract pretty much all day everyday, my new criteria for going to the hospital is not being able to "smile through the contractions." Chris is predicting a Sept 7th birthday but i am still holding out for the end of the month. I guess we will see.


36 weeks

does this count as a smile?

So far a great July

2010-07-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

Summer is finally truly here and the weather is beautiful. We started out this month by celebrating our 10th anniversary (can you believe it?). On Saturday we slept in a little then headed out to the Farmer's Market where we bought lots of fruits and veggies. Then we packed up some of our fresh foods, the dogs, and other goods and drove to Muskegon, a beach town about 45 minutes away. First we took the dogs (Zoey's first time) to the dog park to play in the sand, water, and woodlands. Then we headed to another park for a picnic before heading to the beach where the water was amazing and the waves were like the ocean. We spent all afternoon in the sun and and water. It was beautiful and relaxing.

Yep, i even braved a bikini with my 7 month belly. Unfortunately we forgot the sunscreen in the car and baby Elliott became a little overcooked.

On Sunday we slept in even more and lounged around the house. For dinner we went to this really nice place called six-one-six in the J.W. Marriott. The food was amazing, especially the goat cheese cheesecake for dessert!

Back at home we set off our own fireworks in the front yard. Apparently everyone else had the same idea too because we could hear fireworks until about three in the morning.

Last weekend, my good friend Altaira came up from Chicago to visit. We had a great time. It was so nice to hang out with an old girlfriend chatting, catching a movie, shopping, and of course eating! Thanks for coming Alty!

Sunday i dropped Chris off at the airport for a couple of week of training in Arkansas so i went to my OB appt alone today. I had an ultrasound to check baby's feet (last time she kicked so much we couldn't get a good pic). She has grown so much. Her feet are fine, she now has a fuzzy head of hair, and yes, we double checked and she is still a girl :) Dr. Hicks says i am perfectly healthy. Appointments will now be every two weeks now that we are closing in on the end.

since chris is gone i had to take my own 29 week belly pics. I thought i would go for a new angle. It is getting so big i can't go anywhere without someone commenting on it. Typically they think i should be due any day but no... two and a half months to go

Tornados and Closets

2010-06-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

This week has yet another busy week in the Elliott house.

I had a busy day/night on call in the surgical ICU, then on Wednesday night we awoke to tornado sirens calling out. The sky was lit by incredible lightning and the thunder was booming and continuous. I (having to pee of course) got up and looked out the front window and could not even see across the street due to the wind and rain. After about an hour it finally calmed down but i definitely needed a nap on Thursday.

Friday i took SICU overnight call by myself (i usually have a second year resident on with me). It was very busy but a good experience. I have learned a lot on this rotation and feel confident to take charge as a second year starting Thursday!! looking forward to much less weekday overnight call and more challenging surgeries. Chris has also been busy. He is now working full time for the National Guard here in Grand Rapids as the executive officer of his unit. We continue to make it work with just one car which can be challenging but we are saving and hope to add another once baby comes.

Last night Chris and I drove up the Dr. Schlatter's house (my program director) for a BBQ to welcome the new intern class. He lives in a big house on the lake and it was beautiful. Chris even walked down the hill to the lake and went kayaking down the river. We had a very nice time and it was good to get out and see the other residents outside work.

Today was full of work. I have a huge list of things to do to prepare for the baby and get the house ready. Last weekend we took the metal railing and glass doors off the upstairs bathroom bathtub and i scraped silicon and scrubbed mold and dirt until the bathtub was baby ready. Today we moved all our clothes around to open up space in the nursery closet. I have also been getting all the clutter out of the "dressing room" to make it a nursery. Poor Chris has now been delegated to the guest room so i can keep all my clothes upstairs.

All the while, i continue to grow. I get tired more easily and have started getting a ton of braxton-hicks contractions, especially when walking the dogs. Baby girl has also began kicking harder and moving a lot more. I think she is getting crowded in there.

25wks, 2 days

2010-06-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

Today a chugged 16oz of super sweet lemon lime glucola as i sat in conference doing my best not to make a face in order to determine if i have pregnant diabetes (god forbid because then i really would have to stop eating candy). Despite my recent constant uncomfortableness and inability to eat more than a granola bar before becoming full, i was told i am perfectly healthy at my OB appt. My blood pressure and pee are perfect. Even though i was sure my belly had grown 10 inches and my weight had skyrocketed i was told i am the perfect size and really only added 3lbs since my last appointment. Baby girl is also doing well and proved her health by kicking Dr. Hicks' hand as she listened to the heartbeat. Three and a half months to go.

It's a Girl!!!!

2010-05-19T17:51:00.000-07:00

Today was our long awaited "check all the parts" ultrasound. I had not wanted to know the sex of the baby but I gave in to Chris and once it was decided we were both pretty excited. I have to admit i have been very nervous about this appointment because it has been seven weeks since we checked on our little one, i have not really felt her move, and i am paranoid. When we first started looking, she was not moving at all and i could not see the heart yet so i was getting a little stressed out. a minute later i was so distracted i did not realize that we were peering at the screen between her two little legs at what was clearly girl parts. Shortly there after she started moving and her heart was beating away; my heart slowed down enough to realize we are having a baby girl. I guess it really is true that as long as its healthy, it does not matter what sex it is. Chris and i enjoyed the rest of the ultrasound marveling at her amazing perfectly forming organs and cute little arms and legs.

Baby Girl Elliott Stats:
21 wks 2 days
all parts confirmed to be intact and appropriate (except her feet which were kicking too much to check)
43 percentile in size and weight
has made momma gain 11 lbs
placenta is anterior (making it hard to feel her moving)

No names have been picked yet, so don't ask :)

We look forward to the coming months of feeling kicks, belly growing, and making our nursery. more updates to come!

Spring is Here!!

2010-05-09T08:29:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday i was post call after a pretty chill night at St. Mary's. After a morning nap on the couch, i noticed what a beautiful day is was outside. The leaves have all grown in, Chris has been working diligently in yard making out grass thick and green, and the temperature was in the high seventies. Chris and I decided to take the dogs for a walk. We did two miles to the park and let the dogs play/chase the ducks. Zoey had never done this before and jumped right in the water. Ichiban has always been a little hesitant with water and preferred to walk on the rocks.

On the way home we decided it would be a great day to break in our new BBQ grill. We visited this cute little Polish market on the corner of our street and bought homemade bratwurst and potato salad. I set up lawn chairs in the backyard and we had a delicious meal to end a beautiful day.

And of course, our 20 week belly pic

Yesterday Chris and I had a date day to hang out before he heads back to AZ for the annual canoe trip. We saw Iron Man II and ate a fantastic BBQ dinner at Famous Dave's. Overall it was a pretty good week.

Let's Catch Up

2010-05-02T17:24:00.000-07:00

So i know it has been a long time but for the sake of documenting my pregnancy somehow and letting my loved ones be a part of it from far away, here we go again.....

Recap of my last five months

January: very tired, kinda nauseated, terrible heartburn, and a little in denial. Finally bought a pregnancy test in the pharmacy at work and took it when i woke up from my post call nap. It had that positive sign before i stopped peeing. My poor husband found out we were having a baby (total surprise as i had failed to mention i was two weeks late) while he was chopping hot peppers for chili. I promise i will tell him in a nicer way if there is a next time.

February: Still very tired, even more nauseated, living on ginger ale. If you want to know how crappy i felt, i was giving up surgery cases to other residents and hoping my attendings would not turn cases over to me. (and may have snuck naps at work). The worst part was hiding it. I felt very strongly about not telling anyone before my 12 week mark but masking how bad i felt was pretty tough.

March: I started March exhausted but starting to feel better. I was on my Plastic Surgery rotation which thankfully meant i was working an avg of 60 instead of 80 hours a week and had time for naps. While i was not a big fan of plastic surgery, by the end of the month that magic 12 weeks had passed i was physically improved. I was even able to stop going to bed at 8pm and go back to my 10pm bedtime. We also had our first doctors appointment and had that special moment when we heart our baby's heartbeat and saw it for the first time.

April: This last month has been great compared to the previous three. Even though i have pelvic pain, a growing belly, and heartburn is back, i am fully functional again. I had a great month on Surgical Oncology, successfully took 30 hour call again, and even spent a significant amount of time studying (which i had given up for sleep in the previous months).

So now i am going into May, almost five months pregnant. I have noticeable but not overwhelming belly which my sweet husband rubs and kisses regularly. I am waiting for the day i feel my little one move. We have an ultrasound in a couple of weeks to check out the organs and see how it is developing. So here's to being halfway. Our quiet boring life is becoming more interesting and soon to be noisier. Now if only Zoey would stop trying to stand on my belly...

Home Depot and New Years Resolutions

2010-01-02T14:58:00.000-08:00

Today I found myself marveling at the wonders of Home Depot for about the hundreth time in the last six months. Owning a home has exposed me to a whole new world of home care and how all ills can be cured at the Home Depot...

The toilet lever breaks... Home Depot
The dog eats the air conditioner cover... Home Depot
Need to clean the gutters ..... Home Depot
Considering if it is necessary to rake the snow off the roof.... Home Depot
..... and the list goes on

and this brings me to this years New Years Resolutions..
1. Improve my home improvement skills
2. Take a multivitamin daily
3. Live in and for the present instead of the future (after years of going to school for a future career, it is hard to remember that I am here and should enjoy it)
4. stop saying that i am going to stop eating jelly bellies, red vines, and chocolate. It is never going to happen.
5. Explore more of Michigan (main stops, Traverse City, the wine vineyards, more beaches)

Holiday Fun

2010-01-01T13:06:00.000-08:00

Here at my surgery program, we have a sweet deal that either you work during Christmas or New Years and get time off during the other. I ended up with New Years off meaning that I worked my a** off for one week and now have multiple days off to recover and play.

I really did get killed at work over Christmas but Chris and I managed to exchange gifts on Christmas morning before i passed out on the couch. He gave me everything on my list including a Snuggie (yes i really wanted it), a Mokka pot (awesome coffee/espresso), and a kitchen mandolin (no, not the kind you play). We also had bought the puppies new toys and treats and had fun watching them enjoy their Christmas.

For New Years we bundled up last night and headed downtown. First we caught the concerts in the square with great music from Uncle Cracker and Boys like Girls, very fun. Then we went to our favorite Brewery where we shared a booth with a very nice couple that we met while trying to find a table. After drinks and burgers, we headed back out into the cold to bar hop and enjoy the atmosphere. Around 11pm we decided that we would head home to miss the traffic and finish New Years at home with the dogs. (yes we are old)

Today has been fantastic. I slept in, drank my coffee, then headed out with the dogs to go sledding. Oh, i forgot to mention the awesome sled i got for Christmas too! There is great hill down the street from out house and there were tons of brave children jumping onto their butts, knees, and stomachs and racing down the hill. I was terrified after trudging up this huge hill and standing at the top holding my new sled. Nevertheless, i carefully arranged myself inside and next thing i knew i was flying down the hill. About halfway down i had to remind myself to breath. It was so much fun. On the way home, Chris stopped to rent a movie and Zoey and I dedcided to jump out and walk home (at which Chris told me i was pulling a Cullen, ask nicole). We tromped home in the snow then made snow angels and i tried to make a snowman. It was all super fun and yea for two more days off!!

Christmas Spirit

2009-12-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas decorations. The hospital has been full of Christmas spirit with trees, garland, lights, etc everywhere. I finally had my first day off since Thanksgiving yesterday and Chris and I set out to bring some Christmas into our house. For the last nine years all we have had is a 3ft fiberoptic tree that i put up. This year we decided it was time to have a tree, a real tree.

I did a little research and found a tree farm Northeast of where we live and we bundled up, grabbed the dogs, and went to find the perfect tree. After much tromping around in the snow and closely inspecting tons of trees we found the perfect one. It is a 7ft, fantastic smelling, Fraiser fir. Chris sawed it down and we hauled it home. It was probably one of the most fun things that i have done in a long time. Now decorated in gold and red, it is the most beutiful tree ever

Winter Fun!!

2009-12-13T12:13:00.000-08:00

It has been snowing for the last couple of weeks and I am loving it. It is beautiful outside, It feels like Christmas. It is cold but i don't mind bundling up in my coat, scarf and boots. Here are some pics of our first snow. The dogs were crazy excited and didn't know what to do at first.
The driving has not been bad so far. Chris has been shoveling like crazy (he even gets up at 4:30am to shovel before i leave for work). He is beggin for a snow blower already but i just tell him real men shovel snow :)

2009-11-15T12:43:00.000-08:00

First, thanks to everyone for there kind birthday wishes. I spent my birthday day and night at the hospital but have spend a lovely five days off since. Chris and i have hung out and worked on house projects. For my birthday Chris took me to the 2nd annual Grand Rapids Wine and Food festival. It was so much fun to dress up, taste tons of wine and cheese, and just spend an evening together. We ended it with a late dinner of sushi and it was the perfect birthday celebration.

Life has been good lately. I am back on the General Surgery rotation and operating almost everyday. While trauma was fun and sometimes exciting, i much prefer my hernias, breasts, and appendix. The weather here has been a beautiful fall. It is brisk but still warm enough to walk the dogs and rake leaves. We had a fun halloween too. First i went the "The Haunt" with some friends from work. It is a huge very well done haunted house in which i screamed appropriatly multiple times (i was wishing that hannah and meg were with me). Chris and I then attended a party (where we were the only losers who did not dress up, oh well, there is always next year) and headed out to play in downtown GR.

The dogs are good. Zoey has grown so much but she is still my baby. Thankfully she is fully housetrained now and even learning to follow simple commands (sit, downs, up, etc). She is a total love and is happy to snuggle me whenever i want. She did give us a scare the other night when she snatched an ibuprofen that i dropped on the floor before i got to it. These are very poisonous for dogs and we spent the rest of the night make her throw up and giving her pepcid. Thankfully she is just fine.

happy times

2009-09-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

I just shooed my puppy outside for catching her playing in her water bowel for the third time today. She splashes by putting her two front paws in the water until all the water in on the floor. She is really so funny. Her favorite spot to nap is on the downstairs bathroom floor. Once she is done playing outside, she comes in, gets a drink of water, then trots downstairs and flops down on the bathroom rug. I don't know why, she just likes it down there, even if she is all alone.
It is actually very nice to be around such joy. While i love my work, trauma does begin to wear on me. I see many terrible things on trauma and watch more than my share of people, especially young people die.

On a brighter note, Chris has been assigned to a National Guard Unit here in Grand Rapids. He was given a position in the Mechanized Infantry Unit and is actually drilling as I write. He will be the second highest ranking person in the platoon, which is perfect since he is such a great leader.

The beginnings of fall have come and the leaves are starting to change color. The temperature has been just a bit cooler but still nice and forecast predicts that it will drop into the 50s soon. I am excited for the change in the weather and the fall colors and harvest. I have heard there are orchards around Grand Rapids and you can go pick your own apples, how fun.

The Surgeon and the Psychiatrist

2009-09-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

(this one is for you Rachel :)

I hate propagate stereotypes however this was a call i made this morning and afterward i had to laugh. Granted i was post-call after a 30 hour shift and had no ride home. still, no excuse. I reprimand myself!

Surgeon: Dr. Psychiatrist, i have a consult for you. She is a 13 y.o. girl who was involved in an MVA in which her uncle was killed and she sustained pelvic fractures. She is a sweet girl who is morbidly obese and has a history of depression and self-cutting. I am concerned that her grief and trauma will put her at risk for this behavior again.

Psychiatrist: wow that will be tough

Surgeon: yeah sorry (me being the sleep deprived, selfish, overworked person i am assumed that he meant that this would be a tough consult for him thus causing more work)

Psychiatrist: No, i meant it must be tough for her to deal with all her problems (being the kind, patient focused, well slept person he is)

Oh well, at least i realize my weaknesses. I will admit when i pray for no more traumas it is so i can go to bed, not so no one else will get hurt. Maybe i am a bad person. sigh.

Family of four

2009-08-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

I don't know when i last posted but today i have a reason to post other than whining about how much i work.

We have added a new member to our family. Her name is Zoey and she is (as you can see) the cutest puppy ever. She is 6lb, 8 wk old, American Eskimo puff ball that we found from a breeder south of Chicago. Chris picked her up last saturday and we have had a great first week. Of course we have the normal puppy problems but she hopefully will learn quickly.

We are training her to go to the bathroom outside but of course she is little and forgets or pees inside and then runs to the door. we knew it would be a process though and now i know why God makes puppies so cute.

She is a little naughty and loves to play in her water bowel, attack her brother constantly, and try to bite my nose, but she is overall very sweet and lovey and follows chris and I around the house.

Ichi is happy to have someone to play with and they get along great. Sometimes he forgets that she is little and plays too rough but she quickly reminds him (and us) by crying and barking. During the last week they are either playing or sleeping from playing so much.

I feel like i have a great family to come home to and i get lots of love. for never being an animal person, i am so happy that have my babies. life would not be the same without them.

a few more thing to add to the Grand Rapids list

2009-07-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

11) the streets are so narrow and people park on either side so when you are going down the road and someone is coming the opposite direction someone has to pull to the side to let the other through

12) People here LOVE festivals, there is a festival every weekend (Beer festival, Cherry festival, international art festival, i could go on and on) lol i am watching a commercial for the Arcadia Creek festival right now

13) People here also LOVE yard/garage sales. Monday through Sunday you can visit yard sales all through my neighborhood.

more to come as i find the oddities and wonders of grand rapids

2009-07-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

Well, i have officially been introducing myself as "Dr. Elliott" for the last 18 days and honestly it feels like it has been months. I am religiously following the rules of surgery

1) eat when you can (which is never)
2) sleep when you can (not so much)
3) Pee when you can (it helps if you don't drink too much)
4) don't touch the pancreas (this one has not been a problem)

Doing pediatric surgery is fantastic because we operate on every part of the body from the lungs, to the testes. and yes, i do actually cut on babies. crazy. kids are so funny too. today i removed from the esophagus a penny from a three year old and a dime from a 10 month old. just wait till the day you here the words "mommy, I ate money!". I have to say though, sometimes the parents are just crazy! While i do make many mistakes, i think i am a decent doctor but i was fired twice this week!

Balancing work and home is hard too, especially with Chris at Annual Training for the Guard in AZ. I force my poor dog outside at 5am when i leave, feel guilty enough to walk him after working 15 hours, then try to study for a couple hours before crashing to bed. Everyday i say i will go to bed earlier and every night i finally make it there by 10ish. I may have fallen asleep while my attending was talking to our pt during clinic.

Life is pretty much what i imagined residency would be and even though it is hard, i am happy, learning, and feel honored to take care of all the babies.

Things to know when living in Grand Rapids, MI

2009-06-23T09:33:00.001-07:00

Things are going well here. I have completed a week of orientation training including Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Advanced Trauma Life Support so i now officially know how to save lives, lol. I can (supposedly) now place a central line in your major arteries, put a chest tube through your.. you guessed it, your chest, and stick a tube down your trachea to make you breath, among other amazing life saving feats. Very exciting, lets just hope i don't forget everything when/if the moment ever comes.

In the last few weeks i have learned several things about living in Grand Rapids, some good, some bad, but if you are going to move here or even just visit, these are things you should know....

1) People here are incredibly friendly. Not just kind or polite, overwhelmingly nice
2) at anytime day or night, you may hear fireworks (which sound like gun shots). this occurs on a daily basis
3) sometimes people forget to wear pants... true story. I and other residents have seen women who somehow forgot to put on pants or a skirt or something before leaving the house, just panties
4) there are no grocery stores here. there is walmart and meijer (which is exactly like walmart)
thank god for the Farmer's Market
5) there is no beer at the gas stations
6) it rains ALL THE TIME
7) the cuisine here is fantastic, so many options and they are all good
8) It stays light in the summer until 10pm, not dusky, seriously daytime light. i walk the dog at
9pm
9) There are squirrels everywhere, and they are bold and like to taunt the dog
10) it really is a great place to live

All settled...almost

2009-06-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that we have been in Grand Rapids for two weeks already. It seems like so long ago that we sat in a little room and signed more papers at one time than i ever have, then slept on an air mattress in our newly bought but empty house.

Everything went very smoothly beginning with our three day drive, then the movers coming right on time, and finally our furniture shopping extravaganza. The blue wall has even grown on me. I started my orientation today (really just a bunch of CPR and shocking dummy hearts) and met all my fellow interns who seem very cool.

now that i have caught you up on the last two weeks (kinda, i am doing pictures when the furniture arrives), i will write about what is really bugging me.

The Elliott family (all of us) in an effort to become more healthy have created the Elliott Family Biggest Loser Challenge. It is very fun and i am excited for Chris and i to get back into shape. some of my new rules are no eating after 7pm, no seconds, and no sugar snacks (ice cream, red vines, brownies, just to name some favorites). Tonight we had a lovely dinner of steak, baked potato, and salad. Just one hour later i feel that i am starving. I am craving a big bowel of cereal. I want to know why??? is it just because i know i am not allowed to eat that i want to? am i really hungry or is my evil mind just trying to ruin me? How come at this very moment my stomach is eating itself even though i ate dinner? I would love someone to tell me why my own brain/body is trying to mess this up and risk the winning money that i would use to do something nice for it? The challenge ends in September. wish me well.

Oven Cleaner

2009-05-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

I know that i should be posting pictures from graduation and talking about what a fabulous weekend i had with my family...... but instead i feel the need to write about oven cleaner

Our movers come tomorrow and since everything is pretty much packed, i have begun the deep- cleaning of my home. I have lived and cook and baked in the same house for two years now and have yet to clean my oven a single time. It has become more and more dirty with overflowing casseroles and falling of pizzas through the racks. Several months ago i bought all of the proper equipment (cleaner, sponges, rubber gloves, etc) to give my oven a good cleaning but managed to always find a reason not to do it despite the smell of burning bits every time i use it.

Today, no longer able to push the oven cleaning to another day, i donned my gloves, spread newspaper over the kitchen floor, held my breath, and sprayed the noxious foam into my oven. After an hour in the backyard raking pine needles, i filled a bucket with water and went to work.

With the first swipe of the sponge i was amazed, enthralled, and totally enamored with cleaning my oven. The grease, grime, and ugliness was so easily wiped away and the beautiful oven beneath shined. I spent a happy 30-45 minutes washing the cleaner out of my oven and watching the smooth blue surface reappear.

I know i am crazy. I know my crazy OCDness is why i loved cleaning my oven today... but for all of those other cleanliness OCDers out there, go feel the joy of a good oven cleaning. It is truly amazing and oh, so satisfying.

More Michigan Pics

2009-05-03T18:22:00.000-07:00

The beach in Grand Haven, I just had to take a picture of the sign!

Nice open layout on top floor, This is Hannah's sweet room

Some great built-ins on the bottom floor

I am adding some more pics of the new house at the request of many viewers

On our last couple of days in Michigan we drove around to get to know the area, visited one of the four (that i know of) malls, and visited the beach town of Grand Haven.

We are told that after school gets out, all of the beach towns (7 of which are withing 30-60min) come alive with festivals, active boardwalks, and fantastic restaurants. It was a little quiet this time of year but Lake Michigan is beautiful with miles of sandy beach.

Success!!

2009-04-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

Chris and I are in Michigan. We flew to Chicago on Monday and stayed over night with a friend of mine before driving the three hours to Grand Rapids, MI the next morning. Things happened quicly once we arrived starting with an appointment with our lender (for which we were 15 min late b/c we didn't realize that GR is an hour later than Chicago!). When we were done signing about a million papers, we were off to look at houses and saw six the first day.

We liked a couple on Tuesday but Wednesday afternoon we saw three great houses.
(in house hunter's style, HGTV)
1. a 1940's super charming house with wood floors, a huge walk-in closet, next to the Great River and an amazing park, but only had 1 &1/2 baths and a 1 car garage

2. A newer home with a great layout, big kitchen, and everything we were looking for but had the smallest backyard and no deck and was next to a borderline neighborhood.

3. An older home that was completely renovated and had a great yard w/deck in a fantastic neighborhood but was priced 10,000 more than the others

So what did we pick? Well, we had one in mind but wanted to sleep on it. On our way home thought, our realtor called and said that there were two other offers in and if we really wanted it we had better submit ours that night!!!

With no time to sleep on it or even discuss it over dinner, we decided to go for it! We put an offer on house #2 and it was accepted!

We are so happy and can't wait to move into our new home!

my new haircut

2009-04-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

When Hannah and Megan visited last week, Meg and I got a very strong urge to cut our hair. We spent all evening researching salons, reading reviews, and trying to decide who to trust our precious hair with.

We found places that offered an "relaxing aromatic journey", salons that would restore energy and heal our minds and souls, and some that vowed to give the best haircut ever.

The next morning, we called as soon as our chosen salon opened and amazingly were able to make appointments for Megan and I later that day. Hannah, after watching our excitement finally decided to take the plunge and cut her hair too. We had a great time and i am happy with my new fun style.

Some cute pics of my puppy

2009-04-21T15:36:00.000-07:00

Ichi eating his new toy, his favorite
way to play

Ichi pretending he is a cat

Ichi snuggling with his dad

Ichi eating his bed, what a punk! I was washing
sheets and this is how he thanks me!

Fun week of family

2009-04-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

I just want to say, hurray for spring break and new jobs! Due to both i enjoyed the company of almost all (way to ditch out nik, jk) my sisters at my house this week.

Hannah, with a push from Megan and a lot of courage, drove herself and Megan from Kingman all the way to Tucson to visit me. We had a fantastic time shopping, cooking, and even got our hair cut together! They even helped me out with teaching first year medical students by being my patients. It was so nice to have someone to hang out with all day and play around. I only wish they had been able to stay longer.
(i would also like to note that i would have had a great picture to post too but they both covered their faced and then Ichi ran away)

As soon as Nan and Meg left, Sarah came with her girls. We also had a great time. We went to the park and fed the ducks, we visited the zoo and rode the train, and we got some good mall time in too. The girls were great and i loved having Sarah here. It was great training for Ichiban too. He has always been afraid of children and after having the kids here for a few days he is much better (and they are too).
(no excuses for no pics, i forgot my camera everywhere we went and i am so sad about it)

Our horrible walk

2009-04-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

My puppy and i walk everyday, usually from 30min to an hour all over the neighborhood. Today we were taking an especially long walk when my worst nightmare happened. another woman was walking her dogs (a rottweiler and another big dog) and when they saw Ichiban and i they went crazy. They dragged their owner across the street and attacked us. The Rot had Ichi by the leg and the other dog had him by the neck. I threw my body over the rest of him to protect him and the four of us along with the dogs' owner were screaming and rolling on the ground. I don't really remember what happend but it seemed like it was lasting forever and Ichi was screaming and I could not get the dog to let go of his neck. I put my hands in its mouth and tried to pry it off, I hit him in the head, i tried everything i could think of and was terrified that he was going to kill my dog in front of me.

Thankfully, the man who lived in the house who's yard we were rolling around in heard me yelling help (which i don't remember doing) and Ichi screaming and came out to see what was going on. He beat the dog until he let go of Ichiban and we quickly ran into his house to hide from the crazy dogs.

The man's wife called 911 and watched ichi as i ran after the woman and her dogs who were leaving the scene. The police came and took pictures and got our story. The whole thing was very surreal, i was shaking and had blood and scratches all over me. As soon as the police were done, the man's kind wife drove me and Ichi back to our house where i called our vet, put Ichi in the car, and headed to get him some help.

After concern's of a broken leg or dislocated hip, he thankfully is ok with no damage to any vital organs or bones. They fixed him up, gave him antibiotics and pain killers, and sent us home. He is still shook up (so am I) and can't walk on his back leg which is bit, cut, and very bruised. His neck as well as many other parts of him are cut up but he is a trooper. We survived and I am so thankful to the people who helped us and for the fact that we both came out ok from the ordeal.

Happy Anywhere

2009-03-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

I am supposed to be cleaning my house right now. I should be valiantly striving to rid my couches, floors, etc of the masses of dog hair that coat (heehe) my home (the weather is fantastic but Ichi is shedding like no other). Instead i am drinking coffee, watching Regis and Kelly, and clearly not cleaning.

I feel obligated to clean (beyond my normal OCD) because there will be a party at my house tomorrow celebrating the announcement of where i will live for the next five years. I have been very stressed and nervous about match day until last night when after many St. Patty's day Guineeses, Chris asked me why i was nervous because it effects him just as much and all he is, is excited.

I feel more pressure because it i feel it is my fault if we don't go somewhere high on the list. He told me wherever we go we will be together and we will be happy. He is right. We only applied placed in the US we thought would be fun to live. Chris makes me happy, not my location. This should be exciting, not nervous.

I won't lie, i still have that nauseated feeling in my stomach when i think about opening that envelope. I believe in the match though. I belive in the process and I know i did my best in the last five years to make this moment good.

Today i am going to clean my house and try to focus on the excited. Tomorrow i am going to smile for my class picture, turn in my keys and pager, pick up my graduation regalia, and open my envelope.

Then i am going to party because i am moving to one of 11 amazing places with my husband and we will be happy. Oh and PS, i am going to be a surgeon!

2009-03-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

as much as i love kingman, it is really good to be home. there is really something to be said for sleeping in your own bed, cooking in your own kitchen, and just hanging out on your own couch.
I have only been back for 5 days but it feels like i never left. that is another nice thing about home, it waits for you. it stay the same except for the collection of a little dust. it is comfortable in that familiar, everything is where it is because i put it there way.

my days are slow and quiet now. i wake up around 8-8:30; i putter around the house and while i enjoy an entire pot of coffee by myself. I leisurely clean, do laundry, shop, and cook. I hang out with my dog and watch endless hours of the food network.

I have also been learning. This morning i did a two hour tutorial on understanding mortgages. I have been researching articles about renting vs. buying. I have also been searching for houses in salt lake (i know i am going to jinx myself but i can't help it!). It is really amazing how fast the day goes by even when you don't think you have that much to do.

i imagine my days will continue to be full yet relaxed and this is a very nice way to live with all of the excitement and work i know is in my future.

There is Hope!

2009-02-18T17:23:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to add an update on last night's grumpiness....

I called Sallie Mae today and discussed options for deferring my loan or getting a forbearance which thankfully are still available to me despite the new legislation and most likely i won't have to pay anything for a while (good thing cuz that is NOT the loan you want to default in!)

My very generous grandparents have offered to pay for three months worth of my medication so that i can still have it

Still coughing, was up a lot last night despite breathing treatments, cough medicine, etc but hoping for a better night tonight

Another gorgeous baby has entered the world by my hands, hope i did not pick the wrong specialty!

Life is good, but i am exhausted !!

Warning, this is a VERY grumpy blog

2009-02-17T19:08:00.000-08:00

I am a generally happy person and I do feel that i have many things to be thankful for, however, this week is becoming quite frustrating.

First of all, i can't stop coughing. it is endless, all day and all night and i can't breath and i feel like an old woman who takes twenty pills a day and is still sick.

Second, after fighting with three different doctors in Tucson, all who refused to prescribe me the medicine that i really want, if finally had a doc here in kingman write it for me only to find out my insurance does not cover it and it is $116.00 a month!

Third, legislation recently passed that students now have to pay off there medical school loans during residency and Sallie Mae has officially changed my first payment due date from some time in the far future to 6/2/09!! I won't have even started residency yet!!

On the positive side, i delivered three beautiful healthy babies (by myself) this weekend. I also spent some more quality time with my family. Best of all which may cancel out all of the above bitching, my amazing brother in law recovered all of the info from my previously crashed hard-drive and i now have all of my music back, YEA!!!!!!

PS for all who are interested, Chris and I are having our final residency ranking conversation on Thursday night and I will be certifying my list this weekend. Wish us wisdom!

2009-02-12T13:33:00.000-08:00

So i hate to start a blog with excuses but i feel that i must explain my long pause in postings. Once i finished all of my interviews, all i wanted to do was lay on my couch, play with my dog, and not think about anything. After doing nothing for two weeks, i headed to Kingman for my rural health family practice rotation. I really had planned on telling tales of my patients and life back in Kingman but i have been having some very annoying internet problems. Today is the first day that i have been able to play on the net in my own home (kinda) on my own computer so i am back.

As always, Kingman is great and terrible at the same time for me. I love the medicine, my family, and the slow pace of life here. On the other hand, my lungs hate the air here and i am back on a million meds just to breath. Despite my lack of oxygen, i have been enjoying myself. I see sweet elderly patients along with pregnant mommies all day. I have already had the pleasure of babysitting for all of my nieces (not at the same time), had many dinners with family, and have already delivered 3 babies with more to come this weekend.

While i am in Kingman, i am staying in the house the hospital owns with other medical students. There are 7 of us altogether and it is quite a full house. While it is a little like Real World on MTV, we all get along well and it is fun sharing stories and advice at the end of the day.

So close but so far away

2009-01-20T13:50:00.000-08:00

These last couple of weeks have been filled with lots of traveling, hard decisions, and uncertainty. For someone who likes to be very planned, organized, and think through her choices, all of my spontaneity of late has left me a little unsettled. While i am glad that i was bold and wrote to the program directors of my top choice programs and the results were very encouraging the last minute changes have been hard. I hope that i am making the right choices.

I really struggled when i had to choose between interviewing at University of Washington or Vanderbilt but when it came down to it, the people at Vanderbilt were so overwhelming nice that i could not say no and i am excited to go there. I will interview at Good Sam in Phoenix on Thursday and fly from Phoenix to Nashville immediately after (and when i say immediately i mean i hope i don't miss my flight!).

Anyway, I am tired, mildly depressed, over traveling, and done spending money but i only have a couple interviews left and i know will make it. I am really looking forward to going home to kingman for a month and getting away from the whole interview scene. In fact, i plan to try to go a whole month without thinking about residency at all!!

Well, that is where i am at in life. I will take all well wishes, prayers, etc for stamina, wisdom, safety, and all other good things.

Taking fate into your own hands

2009-01-13T14:54:00.000-08:00

When I went to Utah to interview i forgot to bring a book to read. While i could have bought a book at the airport, I had one I was working on at home and another i wanted to start. I chose to fly to and from with nothing to occupy my time but my thoughts and my ipod. I thought a lot. I thought about all the places I had been to interview and the first through fourth drafts of ranking lists Chris and I had put together. I began to panic as i realized that there were only two places on my list which had both an excellent program and a ideal location! I panicked more when i remembered i only had three places left to go, all locations i have been to (seattle, phoenix, las vegas). By the time Chris picked me up from the airport in Tucson I was really worried. I want a strong top five, not top two!!

Through this whole process I have taken the approach that i would do my best and let fate decide the rest. I accept my rejections, have taken every interview offered to me, and i let my intuition guide me. After my airplane panic and now growing concern i decided to take some initiative. Of my original top choice schools i have only been to two and this was not ok with me.

I took action. I wrote emails to the program directors at the schools that i continue to consider to be top choices and told them i should come interview, that i should get a chance because i will be a great resident and a great surgeon. As a result I am now going to UNC to interview on Friday instead of Las Vegas (although i hope to reschedule). I am proud of myself and while fate is great, knowing what i want and going for it is even better.

Oh My Puppy...

2009-01-03T09:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday as i was happily sleeping in, my husband kissed me good-bye and asked if it would be ok to leave the dog in the house when he left for work. I peeked over the side of the bed and saw my puppy sleeping in his bed and said of course. About ten minutes later, Ichi came over to lick me good morning and let me know he was awake and i made a note to get up soon. A little while later i heard him eating and playing in the living room and thought what a good dog he is.

Then i got up. It was about 20 minutes since he first woke me and as soon as he heard me he ran into the bedroom and gave be a guilty look and i knew something was not good. Warily i put on my glasses and headed out to the living room where i found his handy work.

My camera bag and camera were on the floor sporting chew marks (how he got it out of the bag i don't know, my dog can undo zippers!), there were pieces of plastic everywhere (which i later identified as my memory chip), i found a plastic knob that came out of a still unknown piece of furniture, and worst of all, my paperback of Atlas Shrugged was shredded.

I learned early as a dog owner that you can't get mad at your dog for getting into things because that is what dogs do when you are not paying attention, just like little kids. I yelled anyway. I bumped my dogs nose with my shreded book. Ichi hid his face with his paws and gave me his "sad i am sorry" look.

The story ends with me cleaning up the living room and then taking my dog for a walk. He really is a good dog and i have learned my lesson about sleeping in. I would never let an eight month old baby play alone in the living room while i slept and now never an eightt month old dog either!!

Vacation and Holidays

2009-01-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Ever since i got back from Seattle life has been wonderful. Every morning i sleep in till 8 or 8:30, I get up and drink a few cups of coffee, then i walk my dog in the amazing Arizona sun. I spend the rest my day leisurely doing errands, cleaning my house, working on small projects, and best of all, laying on the couch watching the food network and reading. I have also been cooking my husband the best dinners ever!! I finally have time to spend hours in the kitchen and try all the recipes I have been collecting. (not to mention my wonderful husband gave me a cast iron skillet and a gorgeous ceramic coated cast iron pot for christmas, i love him!)

I could not be a happier girl right now and i wonder how i can be so happy at home and yet so happy with my 80 hour a week real life.

The holidays have been fun. I was going to make a beautiful lamb dinner for Christmas but then we were invited to the Brownstein's for a Jewish Christmas dinner of brisket and potato pancakes. On New Years Eve we went to a party with all of our friends and it was fun (what i remember of it). New Years Day was spent recovering from our big night, doing dress fittings for Rachel's wedding, and assembling her invitations.

My vacation ends on Monday and i leave Tuesday for Utah. I am sad for my quiet time to be over but i know i need to get back to work and finish up these last few interviews.

Unprepared

2008-12-18T15:30:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, where do I begin? It is not just me, my whole world is unprepared. I am stuck in my hotel room on a Thursday afternoon after finishing up my interview at Swedish Medical Center. Not stuck because i am a sissy about snow, but because the whole city of Seattle literally shuts down in the rare occasion that it snows and there is nothing to do!! I am in this beautiful city with fun places to go and see but the weather has cut me off from all of it. Even the restaurant where i am staying (and planned to eat dinner) has closed early due to the weather.

In addition to my restlessness i am cold and personally unprepared. After my trauma from my 100lb luggage on my last trip i packed super light this time. Too light. I packed my suit but forgot to pack clothes to wear after my interviews. I left my boots at home which would have been very useful in all this snow. I don't even have a warm hoodie to hang out in and i spilt coffee on my sweater that i flew here in (the warmest thing i brought) and now i can't wear it.

So wish me luck when my hunger drives me back outside to search for food. At least i have a coat, scarf, and gloves, even if i have nothing to wear underneath!!

My second home, the airport

2008-12-17T07:34:00.000-08:00

It is 8:34am and I am sitting in the airport in Albuquerque, NM. I am on my way to Seattle but of course have to change planes to get there and I have a 2 hour layover.

I must say that I love the fact that most airports these days have wireless internet. I honestly don't mind layovers because they give me a chance to pee in a real bathroom, get some food, and get some space. I was resisting this trip all day yesterday and therefore feel a little unprepared because i sat on the couch last night instead of getting ready. In my resistance I also decided that I would go to the airport at 6am for my 6:55 flight.

Normally this would not be such a bad idea, the Tucson airport is pretty quiet and i have always gotten through in 10-20 minutes. Today however i walked in to find a HUGE line for Southwest as they had 5 flights leaving within the same hour. I started to get nervous but i soon realized that everyone else in line had not planned for this either and people with flights at 6:30 were just arriving. Needless to say, Southwest had quite a bunch of people to deal with and we got filtered this way and that and they had to delay flights but I we all made it to our respective flights just fine (i least everyone around me did!)

Now i know that even if I don't plan enough time, most likely I won't miss my flight. Not a great rule to live by, but when you are traveling as much as I am lately, it is nice knowledge to have in the back of your head :)

Pics from Cannon Beach in Portland

2008-12-16T10:16:00.000-08:00

I survived!!

2008-12-16T09:39:00.001-08:00

Well I am back and recovered from my two week interview trail, just in time to leave again tomorrow! I have been all over and I learned a lot of things along the way. To be honest the hardest things were not the interviews, those were actually fun. It was not really the transportation either which i kinda expected to be tough. I never got lost cruising around New England or had a taxi come late. What was hard you ask? Carrying my luggage!! Yes, hauling around 103.1 (i weighed all my bags at the airport just to see) was terrible, and no i did not over pack! I wore everything i brought, sometimes two or three times! When I finally got to Phoenix, my last place to carry everything at once, they gave me the car the farthest away in the lot and I almost cried.

I did learn some things along the way that I might never have had the opportunity to learn or do again. I learned to eat alone in a restaurant without feeling uncomfortable. I learned how to enjoy art, scenery, and discovery by myself. I have mastered how to pack a suitcase that weighs exactly 49.8lbs (no charge under 50lbs!). I have become quite confident navigating my way around completely unfamiliar places, i might even venture to say i have developed a sense of direction. I have changed planes in airports across the US which is not really a big deal until you get to Detroit where it is necessary to go outside, take a shuttle to another terminal, go through security again, then take an escalator to a tram to go to another part of the terminal, then up an escalator... you get the picture. Anyway, I think that i have returned from this trip a more world smart and confident person.

The most important thing that happened during this trip is that after answering the question "why surgery"? about a dozen times, I am absolutely sure that surgery is what i want to do. Most people close to me know that it was a rough decision for me to make but I answered this question over and over with conviction and honestly for why I think surgery is the best career for me. Just a warning though, if anyone outside of an interviewer asks me though they are likely to get hit :)

Chris and I went over the program i have been to so far and made a rough ranking list which we will fit the remaining programs into as i finish the process. Please wish us luck in making wise decisions.

First stop on the interview trail

2008-12-02T20:54:00.000-08:00

So, where to begin? This has been a very enjoyable but very crazy week in Portland. I flew in on Friday and we have been running ever since. My wonderful aunt and uncle have taken me all over Portland, showing me cute shops downtown, specialty stores, delicious restaurants, and we even took a trip to the coast today. The weather has been fantastic, not too cold, very little misting, and i even saw the sun today.

Hidden in all of our fun was a very chill interview at Oregon Health and Science Center. The people there were very nice, very happy, and not intimidating in the least. Overall, i thought that it went very well.

It has been very nice to be with family and have someone to show me around. My cousins are quite entertaining and have not stopped talking since i got here. We (well i did at least) had a great time decorating the house for Christmas which was nice because i probably won't have a chance to do that at my house this year. From the many unique animals to the very rambunctious children, it has been an eventful week.

This morning I received an exciting but complicating call. I finally heard from Brown University but instead of asking me to come on Dec 8th like i had hoped, they invited me to come on Dec. 5. This is causing me to have to change all of my travel plans for the next week from flights to transportation, to hotels. Hopefully it is as wonderful as i imagine and well worth the trouble.

I haven't even started and I am already tired...

2008-11-17T18:34:00.000-08:00

This last week went by quickly with no big occurrences. I have been checking my email twenty times a day and making travel plans every night. I am exhausted from trying to coordinate flights, rental cars, hotels, etc. My excitement to visit programs is starting to be overshadowed by the stress and hassle of the whole thing. Nevertheless, I will be flying to Ontario, CA this Thursday for my first interview (Loma Linda) this Friday. Wish me luck.

New Interview List... (up to 12 now but STILL waiting on the big guns..)

Flight: Nov 20 to Ontario, CA
Interview: Nov 21, Loma Linda University

Flight: Nov 28 to Portland, OR
Interview: Dec 1, Oregon Health and Science

Flight: Dec 3 to Dever, CO
Interview: Dec 4, St. Joseph's Exempla Kaiser Hospital

Flight: Dec 5 to Hartford, CT
Interview: Dec 6, University of Connecticut

Flight: TBA
Interview: Dec 10, University of Michigan, Grand Rapids

Flight: TBA to Phoenix, AZ
Interview: Dec 11, Good Samaritan (maybe)
Interview: Dec 12, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale

Flight: Dec 17 to Seattle, WA
Interview: Dec 18, Swedish Medical Center
Interview: Dec 19, Virginia Mason Medical Center

Flight: Jan 6 to Salt Lake City, UT
Interview: Jan 7, University of Utah

Flight: TBA to Las Vegas, NV
Interview: Jan 16, University of Nevada

Flight: TBA
Interview: Jan 24, University of Washington

Another Year Older

2008-11-11T13:59:00.001-08:00

Well, I am now 28. I still have not figured out how i feel about 28 yet. I remember last year being very upset about 27, very resistant, and feeling very old. This year i just feel resigned. It was a quiet birthday with no big party, no drunkeness or dancing, no dressing up and no limos. it was a good day though. Chris and i went up to north Tucson to La Encantata, one of my favorite places to walk around. We roamed Crate and Barrel, Williams Sanoma, Potter Barn, and other fun stores. We had espresso and pumpkin cheesecake at AJ's and ate a wonderful lamb dinner after a wine and cheese board appetizer. If you can believe it, after having desert first we decided that we should have desert after too dinner too and headed to the new gellato shop for italian ice cream!! Needless to say we both have been running extra the last two days but it was well worth it.

As i had hoped, more interviews have been coming in this week already. I am about to give up on the big places like Brown, Vanderbilt, and UNC, but i am very pleased with the places i have so far. I will update the list again as soon as i get date confirmations from a couple more spots. Sadly, as the interviews rack up so does the credit card balance so this week i am praying for a lottery win :) Feel free to join me or donate to the dawn interview fund.

Oh, PS i was going to add some pictures but everytime i try my computer wigs out so for now it is news only, sorry

Update on the Interview Trail

2008-11-02T15:53:00.001-08:00

The final step in my residency application process is complete. My official Dean's Letter, which is a narrative of my life in medical school, has been released (national release date Nov. 1). This was the last piece to my application and the part many programs wait to read before offering interviews. I am hoping in the next couple of weeks my interview numbers will go from the 6 i have now to many more (i applied to a total of 20 surgical programs). I wanted to make a cool map and show how i will be jetting from city to city but i am not computer talented enough to make that happen so i am just listing my interview dates and flights here as they come. So far i have...

Flight: Nov 28 to Portland, OR
Interview: Dec 1, Oregon Health and Science

Flight: Dec 3 to Dever, CO
Interview: Dec 4, St. Joseph's Exempla Kaiser Hospital

Flight: Dec 5 to Hartford, CT
Interview: Dec 6, University of Connecticut

Flight: TBA
Interview: Dec 10, University of Michigan, Grand Rapids

Flight: Dec 11 to Phoenix, AZ
Interview: Dec 12, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale

Flight: Jan 6 to Salt Lake City, UT
Interview: Jan 7, University of Utah

Happy to be Home and Kudos to the Parents

2008-11-02T15:42:00.000-08:00

I am back home. Back in my bed, cooking in my kitchen, watching my TV, and hanging out with my family. It is so nice. I think that it is so easy to take all of your own personal comforts for granted. I am so settled in my own world. I did have to get my house back in order over the week/weekend. Chris tries to keep everything clean bless his heart but my level of clean is so different! Honestly all week i could barely look at the house because i would be cleaning constantly. The sink is not washed out, there is a spot on the floor, there is dog hair on the carpet, etc. These are all normal things i am sure but for an insane person like me they are huge defects in my perfect house. I spent many hours this weekend dusting, sweeping, moping, de-cluttering, and now i can look around an be content. I still have a few projects to get to but mostly my house is back to normal, or a least my normal. I used to curse my mother for making me this maniac clean freak, but over the weekend i was actually realizing how thankful i am that i was raised to be so clean and diligent. My parents raised me to never be lazy, procrastinate, or let things go. Lists are made and checked off, if something needs done, you do it, and cleanliness is next to godliness. None of these things are qualities to be sad about having. Now if only they had taught me not to like chocolate......

Life Update, I'm Going Home!!!!!

2008-10-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

I work with great people, I live with fun girls, and I am living in a nice city but... I miss my husband and my dog and my friends, and my school, and..l anyway you get the picture.

Last week in finally got in touch with someone in the Medicine department here and discussed with them whether or not to complete the Medicine SubI i am scheduled for next month now that I am doing surgery. Together we decided that it would not benefit either of us and they kindly allowed me to drop the rotation.

Then i was stuck. Do i do another surgery rotation here and really convince them i would be the best resident ever, or do i go home? Well, after talking with multiple people in the program, i decided to go home. I think that i have done a good job here and two months might be overkill and did i mention that i miss my husband, dog, friends...

Anyway, I will be driving back to Tucson this weekend. My only problem is that I set up to rent my room for two months and now I am leaving. My roommate has already posted my room on craigslist but as far as i know there have not been any takers yet. I would like to ask everyone who reads this blog to pray to whoever it is that you pray to that someone will rent my room because while i did not sign a lease i am too nice of a person to leave my roomie broke like that and I really don't want to pay rent for a room i won't be using. Thanks for your positive thoughts.

oh, and Chris started his new job at Wells Fargo today, yea for no more living on commission!!

Lessons Learned

2008-10-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

In the last couple of weeks i have learned many little lessons of patience and choices. While I really like Utah, there are a few things that drive me nutty. First, the stoplights. Every morning (well almost) I sit at at least 5-6 red lights in a row. i stop, go 10 feet, stop again, wait, go 10 feet, stop again, etc. One morning i got so frustrated (remember i go to work at 3:30am so i am the only car on the road) so i decided to take a different route. Bad choice, i ended up running into construction, going in a big circle and ending up pretty much where i started 15 minutes later. Patience learned? yes. later in the week i was cleaning my house (as i often do b/c i am a clean freak and i live with two other girls) and i went to take out the trash. When I went to go back inside the door was locked! Little did i know that if the lock is a certain direction it automatically locks itself! of course my phone was inside, my whole life was inside and i was stuck outside. So i did the only thing i knew to do, I ran to stay warm and thankfully one of my roommates came home 45 minutes later. The last of my tales this week is probably my personal saddest. I made the poor decision to let a boy(who looked 16) in a salon on the corner wax my eyebrows. Again, bad choice, i now have two short, thin lines of hair above my eyes that used to be my eyebrows.

Despite all of these unfortunate occurrences, I had a pretty good week. I worked on the general surgery service, I shopped at a great outdoor mall and found a very nice suit for interviews. I discovered Cold Stone flavored jelly bellys, I have learned to love my long walks to and from work, and I even had time to catch a movie.

P.S. I must apologize for all of the whining that occurred last week. Apparently I experienced an unusual short-lived cold-front that by Tuesday had passed. I am now living in what many of you told me I should be enjoying, the Fall. The leaves have suddenly changed to beautiful yellow, oranges, reds, and browns and are fluttering in the breeze outside. The early morning and late evenings are chilly but during the day it is all sunshine. It is really quite pleasant.

It's Colder!!!

2008-10-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, i know i am still whinning but now it is snowing i am so not ready. I keep telling myself that it is beautiful and and I should enjoy it but really i am just cold. It is not just cold rain or sleet snow either. It is big fluffy pieces of snow, snowing. Again pretty, but such a hassle. And for all my resisting yesterday, i went back to the store today and bought a heated mattress pad because i froze all night last night (ps air-mattresses are NOT warm). After the store i headed over to my new coffee shop spot and hauled all my books, bags, and computer of the car and through the snow only to find that it was closed! so sad. So then i started driving to a different coffee shop and the snow kept getting thicker and thicker and i began thinking, "should i just go home? are the roads going to get bad? should i give up? if i do is that being scared and weak or would it be smart? is God trying to tell me i should not be out today?" All this is running through my head as i keep turning toward the coffee shop then back toward home alternatly. I ended up going back to my house and i am still not sure if that was a smart choice or an intimidated by the weather choice but either way i am alive (but still cold...)

It's Cold

2008-10-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

The sky is gray, it is cold, really cold, and every morning i have to walk what seems like miles from my parking spot to the hospital. Yesterday i was sure that i would freeze to death before i reached the building, that i would never be able to suture because i would never feel my fingers again, and that while everyone tells me it is fall i think utah skipped fall and this is winter. I do love it here but my fear of sliding down an icy hill on my way to work overwhelms me. I know, i am a big ninny, but i am an arizonan!!! Even worse is the fact that the furnace in my home is broken and even when i go inside i am still freezing :( Thankfully it is soon to be fixed.

On the happy side, I ventured outside my little downtown area and drove to Union Fork to visit the super target (very cool) and buy some warm jersey sheets(I fought the urge to buy every blanket i saw). I have an excellent reason to drink more coffee and hot chocolate and was able to easily resist the ice cream aisle.

Otherwise nothing big happened to me this week. I did go out with my roomies last night for the first time and must say the boys here need some help on their girl skills (not that i am responsive anyway but come on..) One told me i was pretty EVEN THOUGH i wear glasses and another asked how i can be a surgeon if i am left handed. Both received my best dirty looks. Stay tuned for more Utah maddness...

Breast Cancer

2008-10-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that i am doing a surgical rotation in breast disease this month. In the last four days i have seen more breast cancer then i ever before and i feel compelled to write about it. Breast cancer is a terrible, tragic, life changing disease and this week i have learned that it truly can happen to anyone. Of the patients i saw this week, three were in their twenties, all were otherwise perfectly healthy women, and few actually have a family history of breast cancer (or any cancer). Many had been diagnosed based on their yearly mammogram, not from symptoms or feeling a lump. Yesterday i had a patient who felt a lump in her breast over a year ago. She bought herbal medicine online and never sought medical treatment. She now has a VERY large tumor that has eaten away her breast and metastasized to her liver. I have also seen patients who felt a lump but waited to go the doctor thinking that it was probably nothing. I am writing about all of this because i cannot let this happen to my friends and/or family. There is no certain type of woman that gets breast cancer, anyone can get breast cancer. So tonight i am using my blog for my current soapbox. No matter how old/young you are, if you feel or see something in your breast, get it checked out, soon. If you are over 50, get your yearly mammogram, it could save your life. I am not just saying this because i am in medical school. I am saying this because i have had the crap scared out of me and every preconceived notion stripped from me this week.
Don't let your busy life, aversion to medicine, or fear of results keep you from seeing a doctor or getting a mammogram. As terrible as it is, breast cancer can happen to you.
PS as bad as it sounds, i am loving working with these amazing women who are fighting their disease

Livin' in Utah

2008-09-29T17:08:00.000-07:00

Well, here i am, a resident of Salt Lake City for the next two months. I live with two girls in a cute little house (currently i live in the living room but will have my own room on the first) in west salt lake. They are very chill and fun to chat with. My neighborhood is kinda ghetto but I am close to the hospital which is nice. Utah is beautiful and the hospital is really a huge complex of newly built buildings at the base of the mountains. I work with a great woman surgeon who loves her job and has made it her goal to make me into a surgeon too. Today was my first day and all went well. I would also like to celebrate the fact that i have yet to get lost in my new town or hospital which makes me oh so proud and happy (turning the wrong way does not count if you realize it and find your way back, right?). So far Utah has been great for shopping and exploring too. I went to Park City with my sister-in-law and yesterday grocery shopped at a Smiths that was two stories and had an escalator! That is all for my life right now. Sorry i never filled everyone in on my PICU experience but i lost my writing moment and have moved on....

The Sheba Scream

2008-09-20T08:34:00.000-07:00

So I have had a long and somewhat sad three weeks (see blog later) and since yesterday was my last day in the Pediatric ICU, Chris and I bough pizza, wings, an beer, watched our favorite show on DVR and decided to stay up late and sleep in this morning. The plan was going well and I was happily snuggled in my husband arms when we heard the scream.

If you ever read about sheba inu's, it will tell you they have a distinctive "scream". I sat straight up in bed as did Chris when we heard this high pitched, super loud, fairly tragic sounding screaming coming from the backyard. Ichiban had been outside for about two hours and when we found him after grabbing a robe and dashing outside, he was in the corner of the yard screaming like no other. Chris got him to the porch and we put our arms around him and tried to calm him down. We examined his legs, paws, face, body, everything over and over to make sure he was not hurt. I brought him inside while chris looked around the yard for the cause.

My puppy seems ok now, though he is extra snuggly and wants lots of love today. We never found what caused our baby to scream, I think it must have been a snake or scorpion. Anyway, it was quite a way to wake up and needless to say our sleep in morning was lost.

I applied!!!

2008-09-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

So this morning I sat on my couch, read and reread my CV, personal statements, personal information, everything in my residency application. Then i went through my program choices for the millionth time, checked the boxes, held my breath, and submitted my residency application. I don't think that I have felt so nervous, serious, and excited about anything in quite some time. Will I get interviews? Where will i end up? and the big question, what will i be? So, i felt like i was running out of time in applying and i did not want to miss out on getting interviews at my top choice programs because i waited too long deciding what to apply to, soooo i applied to both MED-PEDS and SURGERY!! I am hoping by interview time i will have made a decision and will only go to one specialty or the other but you never know. Maybe I will let the match decide for me, rank both in every other spot (ie 1. med-peds, 2.surgery, 3. med-peds, etc). Anyway, hopefully the interviews will start coming in and i will be off all over the U.S. trying to make people like me :). BTW, for those interested my top choices are Salt Lake City, UT, Chapel Hill, NC, and Nashville, TN.

Puppies and Kids

2008-09-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

While we did not get Ichiban as a child replacement, when our attempts to make a baby were unsuccessful we still felt the desire to expand our family. Ichi has been great at adding something special and giving Chris and I a new focus. I always thought that people who called their dogs their "babies" or "children" were very silly and somewhat over adoring of their pets. After a fantastic week of dog owning, I am beginning to see how easily the comparison can be made. Our little puppy sleeps most of the day, loves to snuggle, and loves his stuffed animals. He also requires me to get up at least three times a night to take him to go pee, even when it is raining outside. Yes, i have found myself standing in the rain at 3am in my flip-flops and pajamas telling my dog to "go outside" (which means pee already!) . He also is having problems wetting his bed when he is asleep and we have had to wash his bed sheets four times in the last week! As with children though, we love him anyway and can't help but rub his belly and smile. He went to the vet today for his shots and he only yelped a little, for being so good he got to go to the dog park and make some new friends. Such a good puppy :)

2008-08-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

So, I have never been a dog person, not really an animal person altogether really. I have to say that I am in love with my dog though. My big house is no longer lonely, I don't have to feel crazy when I am talking to myself, and if i want to run around in the backyard in the rain, i have someone to do it with who is having just as much fun as i am. Just hearing the tinkling of his collar around the house makes me feel content. He comes whenever I call him and is so quick at learning new tricks. He has already made friends with the dog next door so even when Chris and I are not home, he is not lonely either :)

On the other hand, Ichiban is no good at giving advice. I layed on the floor next to him and tried for the millionth time to pick a medicine specialty because i am really running out of time now and he had nothing to offer. Now instead of booking flights to Cincinnati or Salt Lake or taking the plung and changing my whole school schedule from Med-Peds to Surgery, I have spent the whole afternoon making CDs.

2008-08-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

This is our new puppy Ichiban (pronounced eecheebon). He is a five month old Shiba Inu which is the smallest of the Japanese Spitz breeds. He has adapted to our family quite quickly and is a super happy dog. He already loves all the toys and the bed we bought him. He slept all night through his first night home (last night) and he and Chris went runny this morning.

The begining

2008-08-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I know that our life is not that interesting but I also know that we do not talk to our friends and family near as much as we want to or should and this might be a good way to communicate with everyone. This year should be a big one for us. I will be traveling all over the US to find a residency (see poll), Chris is beginning his career in finance, and we have just purchased an amazing new puppy (see pics). I know i am not near a funny or creative as my sisters but I hope everyone enjoys reading about our happy times.