One STEP closer...

It's been a world wind of a month. As of yesterday, step 2 ck is done. As of next Monday, I'll be able to say the same about CS.

Today our extern schedules/call schedules for July arrived. I'm really excited about starting 4th year, spending a month working with my best friend, and my final month in adult medicine - ever.

All that stuff is just fluff. The real crux of the last month was bringing home my precious four legged baby, Elli Kate. She's growing like a weed and winning momma over more everyday - even tho I think we have officially hot the terrible twos!

Pictures below ... The day she came home, and packing tonight for vacation with her grandparents while mommy goes to Houston for the dumb test. Hasn't she grown a ton?!

"Doctors spend a lot of time focused on the future"

"Doctors spend a lot of time focused on the future, planning it, working toward it. But at some point you start to realize your life is happening now. Not after med school, not after residency, right now. This is it. It’s here. Blink and you’ll miss it." - Grey's, Season 5 Now or Never

Its been an insane crazy year, and it's not getting any easier anytime soon - this senior planning stuff is tough! As a senior in college, I didn't have any of these fears/trepidations/worries... I knew I was going to be at Carey another year getting my pre-reqs in. So this is seriously a throw back to high school.... only now, it's not my dream - it's my reality. The exciting part of the last week was senior schedules coming out!!

July - Medicine SubI, UMC
August - NICU
September - Peds Wards/Externship/Residency App Due
October - Peds ER

(...deep breath...)
November - Review of Pharm/Interviews
December - Interviews, Holidays with the Fam (who knows when that'll happen again!)
January - Senior Radiology (a bit unexpected, but I'll take it... easy month, good experience)
February - Peds Surg
March - Peds GI/Match
April/May - Off/Graduation/Relocation

...Wow. Seriously, sometimes I think all I did was blink and it's over. Before the "fun" year gets to start though I've got 8.5 weeks to finish third year, bring a newborn puppy home, and take Step II CK and CS. No big deal.

I've got one nerve left, but I'm still loving life. Thanks, God, for your immeasurable blessings!!

Losses and New Beginnings...

It was a wonderful week when I brought LilaGrace home. Unfortunately after about five days, she started acting funny - like something was just really wrong. She was born with a soft spot in her head that we didn't know if it would close or not, but the vets all said just to keep a close watch on it. Long story short,she ended up with hydrocephalus progressed rapidly and her intracranial pressure was so high she had something of a constant really bad headache.

It was the saddest day ever when I had to put her down. But the most humane thing that could be done.
Immediately I knew to heal I needed another baby. I called the breeder and after crying together for a bit she told me there was a brandnew litter and I was of course to have pick of it.


Today I went and made my pick:

Elli Kate, mommy loves you already! Can't wait to get you home in about 5 weeks!

The Match; Intro to Neuro

The Match was Friday. Im so excited for my m4 buddies and looking forward to visiting many of them on the interview trail! Hard to believe it is time to start thinking that way, but less than one year until our Match now!!

The orientation for Neuro took less than thirty minutes and we were free to go do online modules and such. M and I got through with all of them (yes, all) by 1:30 PM and were able to spend the rest of the day playing online, reading, wasting time. Still one of my most productive days of the year. Haha.

Call tomorrow night. Neuro call will inherently be better than surgery call a)because I get to go home b)because there's no beeper and c)because it isn't surgery.

LilaGrace comes home Sunday. I can't wait to be a puppy mommy! 6 more nights until my little wiggle worm joins me. :)

Surgery is OVER!!!

Against all odds, against all instinct - we survive. Yes, we did. Board was this morning and the hell has officially ended.

Had a lovely long nap, about to enjoy some Mexican, and off to Easely Amused with the girls to paint "Striut". Life is good again. It didn't take long, just a little extra sleep and the knowledge that I'll never have to do that ever again.

LilaGrace comes home next weekend! :)

Becoming a doxie mommy

She's growing like a weed and wiggled right into my heart.
Home in 3 weeks. Meet Miss LilaGrace!

10 days, 13 hours, 43 minutes and 9 seconds until surgery is over!!!

The "Last Holiday"

Christmas break was wonderful. It was the last time I'll get a scheduled holiday break off from school (except for June to study for Step 2) which is a little more than strange, considering I've been in school for... 22~ years. But all 'good' things must come to an end eventually.

Break was eaten up with lots of family time, including 2 nights and 3 days helping my sister with my favorite 6 month old. He's gotten SO big! We had a blast playing and catching up, but little man sure did miss his Daddy! After ten days, I headed back north. Unfortunately, the Christmas decorations had to come down right away this year - I just didn't think I'd want to waste one of my next couple quiet weekends and surgery rotation is quickly approaching.

Shortly after Christmas, I called the puppy breeder. There are several Doxie pups 'incubating' at this time, and I absolutely can't wait to get my hands on my little one in just a few months.

This week of peds was nursery, complete with NICU call. I love all of pediatrics, but my heart is still, and always be, with the tiniest miracles. What a blessing to spend a week with them. Only two more weeks left of pediatrics this year. But one week closer to M4 - and the real deal.

Happy Weekend, everybody!!