Estoy feliz.

Orientation keeps clicking along.  And as we get to know each other a bit more each day I get increasingly excited.  I seriously get to work with some pretty amazing individuals over the next year.

Today, as part of orientation, we had a condensed Lifewings course.  Lifewings teaches leadership and communication in a fashion authored by such individuals as Top Gun pilots.  It has been used, for example, to facilitate the teamwork used on nuclear submarines.  Do you know how many mistakes nuclear submarines have ever made?  Zero. Talk about setting the bar high for the rest of us.  But we have to try our best nonetheless. We came out of the course having earned our set of wings.

Does that mean I can add Pilot to my CV now? ;)

Earlier this week we got our ATLS certification. Advanced Trauma Life Support.  When they test you they put you in a setting of a remote community hospital, with no resources available to handle trauma.  The goal was to stabilize the patient and then transfer.  It's a standardized course used all over the world.  By the end, I was a bit frustrated.  At WMC, we do have the ability to handle such trauma.  And knowing that, I felt like I was providing awful treatment for my patients.  Even though they were fake patients.  At one point I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes as I had a chest tube put in my patient.  In real life I would not have put the tube in at that point, but I knew it was what ATLS wanted me to do next.  I do wonder just what percentage of real life reflects textbook life?

As July 1 approaches some are celebrating this weekend.  Their last free weekend!  I've got another certification course to go through so it's not free for me.  But even if I did, I doubt I'd be able to enjoy it either way.  I am getting really antsy for July 1.  We are told fatigue and stress will be a daily constant for the rest of our lives.  We are told that within our first 2 weeks we will have been in some way responsible for a negative effect on a patient.  (Although they then come back by stating that numbers show the July Phenomenon is just a myth.)  But I can't help it.  I've been waiting and I just want to finally get started.  Thinking about it, my fingers started tingling today.  My fingers haven't tingled since I reached into a man's chest and held his beating heart.


Much Love.

Estoy reflexionando.

Been seeing a good group of interns everyday.  :)

- The majority of us are from more than one place.  The question, "Where are you from?" Always gives pause before the answer comes.  Albania/Germany/Canada,  China/Bronx,  India/?,  Ohio/Long Island,  New York/Ohio, California/Rhode Island,  Brazil/Mexico,  Long Island

- The majority of us are not coming straight from med school. You can tell those who are just by observation. They don't smile as easily.  You can get them talking and laughing, but then they go right back to being stoic.  It's only going to get more stressful from here. 

- World Cup is a common conversation topic!

- There's three ortho interns.  You can also tell who they are by observation.

- I like everyone.  It's a good group!  Lots of potential for the coming year.

Much Love.

Estoy empezando de nuevo.

When I woke up this morning, and my eyes fluttered open letting the light into my brain, my immediate reaction was to squeeze them shut.  As if I was two again and if I couldn't see the morning, then that must mean it wasn't there.  I didn't want this day to start, because once it started, then it would be only a matter of short hours before the day ended.  Once I did throw my legs over the side of the bed allowing my body to follow them, I felt self-betrayed.  You got up!  You let morning happen!  Yes, yes...because I had total control over that situation in the first place....*note sarcasm.

Last day before residency starts. I had originally wanted to do nothing but finish reading my book today. But...that didn't happen.  I'd made a trip into the hospital on Wednesday, just to check on the status of everything, and found a stack of work waiting for me.  So I'd spent all day Thursday at the hospital trying to get through it, and therefore my own 'To Do List' still had items on it for today.  I guess it was better this way.  It kept me busy and my mind distracted all day.

Wanted to put up a few pictures from this past Monday.  Mom, Dad and I went into the City, specifically to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

 View of Ellis Island from the Statue's pedestal.

 Dad, Mom and I at the Statue of Liberty.

The Registry Room

Try picturing hundreds and hundreds of people.  Scared people.

The walls have voices.  Thousands of voices.

 

 Looking from Ellis Island towards Manhattan.

Ellis Island.

Island of Hope.  Island of Tears.

"Ellis Island is either the gateway to the promised land or a slough of despond."

Much Love.

Estoy viva en Cristo.

Since the day I turned 28 I've been impatiently waiting for today.  And then it's today, and I just about completely forgot all about it. 14 years ago today I made the decision to give my heart to Jesus. Half of my life ago.

Over the years, on many an occasion (enough so that I've lost count), and I'm sure on many occasion to come, I have been (and will be) questioned on that decision. Questions varied, and as such, ranging from faith, to the existence of female circumcision, to my age.  At 14 years, was I old enough to make such a life altering decision? The biggest decision any human being needs to make?

What 14 year old knows how their life is going to end up?  Perhaps, just the One in the whole existence of mankind.  So I, was no different, and well aware of my own impossible imperfection. When it came time to make a public covenant, it is safe to say that despite peace, I was terrified. I knew the Biblical examples of those who had walked and talked with Jesus himself, and stumbled, denied Christ even betrayed Christ.  And how was I (at 15 at the time then) supposed to say I was not going be as they.  How could I say yes in front of a collection of witnesses to something that I had no power of knowing? Fear and doubt dragged on my mind, even as I stood there to make my promise with God and man, it pulled my consciousness. Heavy. 

And then it was gone. It vanished. There was no fear.  Not a single shred of doubt filled any part of my being. And with every ounce of my heart, soul, mind and strength I replied YES. I knew exactly what I was saying.  I still didn't know what was going to happen in my life, but I knew one thing.  That Jesus would always be in it.

I've grown in the passed 14 years.  Learned a lot, but I still often need remembrance of that YES.  It comes to me when I need it, and that millisecond of time is still as strong today as it was when I said it. 

They say 'Home is where the Heart is.'

Well....'they' are right.

Jesus has my heart. And whereever I am, as long as Jesus is with me.  I. Am. Home.

Much Love.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Bermuda.

I spent some time looking through all the pictures taken in Bermuda. Not much effort was needed on the editing side of things.  It's almost as if the sun shines and the island smiles in return. Picture perfect already.

 A place to sit.  A story to share.

18 in. The world's smallest drawbridge.

 Just wide enough for the mast of a sailboat to pass through.

 Queen's view.

 Gibb's lighthouse.

 A place to sit. A story to share.

 What storms those walls have weathered!

An alleyway gated off, is just asking to be explored!

 

 Somers' Garden

 Somers' Garden.

Royal Naval Dockyard. Casemate Barracks. Clocktower.

Family at Horseshoe Bay.

Ready!

Must. Climb. Rocks. For future reference, flip flops drastically limit one's ability to explore among sharp rock such as on Bermuda.

Pink sand. 

 View of Horseshoe Bay from the South Rd.

 

 Looking towards the Eastern end of the island.

Bermudian sunrise.

Commissioner's House.

 Farewell to Bermuda.

Farewell to Bermuda.

And last but not least. Bermudian sunset as the boat starts to head home. There's a couple dolphins jumping if you can catch them! ;)

Much Love.

Estoy tocando el piano.

This short time in Illinois is drawing to a close. I saw the black fields turn green.  The corn add inches to its height, the beans likewise.  I felt the wind blow across the prairie unhindered by neither tree nor house.  There may not be too many hills to run up here on the prairie but that wind can really make you work to earn each step. I saw family and friends, really trying to stretch the minutes when with them no matter how exhausted everyone was. I managed to finally go a day without caffeine that was headache free! I feel like I need to award myself for that one! An award that says something along the lines of "HUZZAH!!!"

More Peter Bear.

I got to share Illinois with some of the Rockville YG over Memorial Day weekend.

Chicago with this amazing Chicagoan.  

 Maggie Schrenk and I. Lincoln Park.

 

 Lincoln Park. Conservatory.

Lincoln Park Conservatory. Orchids. Always the orchids. :)

Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinders. From the real carnations to the last bite, amazing!

And, of course, some more Peter Bear!

Day trip to Brookfield Zoo!

At Brookfield Zoo

At Brookfield Zoo

 The boys were so good.  The whole time. Peter didn't even try to bite Carter once!! :)

Story Time!

Much Love.