Spoiled!

You'd hardly call working 14-17hour days all week 'spoiled'... but when your fiance` researches about 50 different spas in your neighborhood via internet and phone calls from Alaska and books you an hour massage because he knows you've been working an 80 hour week in non-supportive ballet flats and your sciatica is killing you... THAT's spoiled ;)

You can't really tell by the horriblely lop-sided pic I took with my phone here, but the place was AWESOMEEEEE! It was a Yoga Studio/ Spa. And they had the most amazing set-up. I got my robe and flipflops and - as the photo shows they had all kinds of treats for you in their little lounge waiting area. They also gave you free use of the sauna facilities included in your massage which was also, beyond fabulous.

I already knew this already of course- but Ryan, you really are the best fiance` ever! :) mwuah xoxoxo!

Where everybody knows your name... the view at "Pix"

Sometimes you wanna go...

So, with Surgery, comes the glamour of high-speed, critical patients, life or death decisions and exacting procedures that make you sweat just THINKING about what you're suppose to do to this person, let alone what it feels like when the scapel is in hand and you're about to cut skin! And then there's the long hours... and by LONG I mean, LONGGGGGGGGGGGG...

My day starts rounding on my in-patients at 5am. Throw in some dressing changes, a few unstable patients about to crump, and various people switching from one ward to the next and suddenly you're 50minutes into your 'lunch break' - which I have just deemed, "hour that normally people who have lives get to sit down and eat something, which I think is normally done around Noon???"...

Then, when you think you're exhausted and you've MORE than completed HealthParnters 10,000 recommended steps ten-times over... it's THEN time for you to do the FUN part - SURGERICAL CASES! Which IS fun, except that to have that fun it requires another 6+ hrs of standing... when all you want to do is lie down. Since starting in surgery - and I realize this is only day FOUR for me... but there is a funny paradox, in that STANDING is actually WAY more tiring then MOVING. In terms of fighting sleepiness, I'd so much rather see 40 bed patients running around to 8 different sections of the hospital, then STAND... in ONE spot for Four hours... it's grueling. It wears me out...

Which brings me to the point of this post. When the days get long and hard, and your separated from your Fiance, friends and family... you need an escape. Which I have found in my new favorite hang out - which is a) conveniently located on my bike ride home b) an obvious choice for it to win my patronage, because it is FRENCH themed! Yep... just like the bistros of Paris I miss so dearly!
They have Belgian beers you can only find on the old continent, make a MEAN true french style latte, and best of all -and I know Steph would appreciate this most if she could come out and visit me ;) - they have REAL French pastieres and chocolates and most importantly MACARONS! ;)

Plus they are open to Midnight and show free movies on Mondays, plus ample outdoor seating to enjoy the perfect Northwest summer nights. I've been hanging out there a lot after work to long in my patients, skype Ryan, etc... I look forward to it so much!

So here's a view of my post-work de-stressing session at "Pix"... ;) can't wait til tomorrow at 9pm for another round. Bisous!!!! - Mego

Surgery 101

So, today was my first day on my Burn Surgery rotation! And... it. was. awesome!!!!!!!!!
So most rotation schedules entail doing Clinic on 2-3 days, In-patient hosiptal visits on another couple 1/2 days a week and Surgeries the other 2-3 days... Well in my first day, I did ALL THREE!

I should up ready to roll at 7am... my preceptor had already been at the hospital since 5am. The only other resident in the service with me is a Surgical Resident (aka he's really far along in his studies, already has the title of Doctor, and is just doing an extra 5 yrs of SURGERY specific residency... so to say he is a 'resident WITH me' is a VERY relative term). The other 'resident' Dr Bonson has only been on board since last Friday so he and I were at least both lost as we checked in at the front desk and they immediately had us start rounding on Patients. We have 16 beds in the Burn Unit and another 10 beds designated as Burn ICU.

My preceptor is AWESOME. His name is Dr. Eshraghi. And he pocesses that rare quality in a Surgeon of being both WICKED smart AND entirely normal and personalable! He didn't pimp me too hard. Just taught me. And I just in general tried to keep up. I have shin splints for running around in my completely worn-to-the-bone zebra ballet flats (thanks Tom and Caitlin - Christmas 2008... LOL, yeah I need new shoes...)

In the morning, after rounding on our in-patients on the unit, we moved over to the clinic and saw pre/ post-op patients. Coming off of my Family Med rotation in Elmendorf, and the great face-time I got with patients, today- witnessing even someone as brilliant and wonderful as Dr. Eshraghi stumble over and foil-up patient encounters- I felt kinda proud to be a PA... like, in the back of my head, I was thinking : "Wow, I would have explained that proceedure and explained our treatment approach rationale SOOOOOO much better, faster and more appropriate to the patient's view point than you just did..." Even when your humbled and in the presence of greatness like a Burn Surgeon, there's definitely things a PA would do better. That kinda made me feel good ;)

The highlight of the day, was definitely the afternoon where I ASSISTED on my first ever surgery!!!!! It was over 3 hours long! Our patient was a 50 yo Female with complications of an abdominal wound. She had ovarian cancer and as part of her removal of the tumors, she had a colostomy bag. The incision from that and her tumor removal became infected and she developed fistuals and a large, gaping wound over a good 12 x 12 section of her abdomen. We used a new device in surgery today that I had never seen before, called a Versajet. Essentially it's a high powered water pic. And instead of 'cutting' the patient, the high-pressure water jet removes the tissue!!!! AMAZING!!!! I told Ryan about this and he said they used it when he was deployed in Afganistan too. It was a new toy to me though and I was super excited to see it in action.

While, I didn't get to play with the water thingymabob... I DID get to do a SKIN GRAFT! Yep, that's right, I scrapped off a piece of someone's leg, ran it through what looks like an industrial pasta roller and then glued it on to the patient's wound. Can you say AWESOME! Total highlight of my career thus far! And this is only day ONE! ;)

Who knows what tomorrow holds, but I can bet it will be just as crazy, scary, fun as this one... STAY TUNED! :) xoxox Mego