What is a D.O.?

Here is a quick little video that describes the difference between an M.D. and a D.O. It is kind of cheesy....but it gets the point across well. Enjoy!!!

OB Update

I got pee'd on by a newborn baby boy today. I delivered the little rascal, cute as can be, and when I was clamping the cord for the dad to cut, the little guy sent a stream right at me! It was a "Rite of Passage" so to say...and we sure had a good laugh at it afterwards. (He pee'd on his mom too...right after he had gotten all cleaned up!!! HAHA!)

I also delivered another baby girl today. She was a cutie too. The new, proud parents were so overwhelmed with happiness...it was just so fun to play an important role in the event!

I have been so pleased with this rotation.....and it definitely puts OB at the top of my "list" at this point. I only have one more week....but am so glad to know that I will be back in November doing another OB rotation.

Next week, I head to Corpus Christi, TX for my psych rotation. I will keep everyone posted!

Hurricane Waves

Well, I heard from my family this morning and afternoon and they are all safe and doing well. The storm started hitting in the middle of the night....with heavy winds and rain. I am just glad that the eye of the hurricane was about 100 miles south of Grand Cayman. I can't imagine what it would have been like, or how I would have felt being back home, if they had been in the way of a direct hit.

When they woke up this morning, there were some trees down around the property. They were not able to get away from the condos...as the curfew had not been lifted yet. They noticed the waves were getting really big....and coming all the way up to the retaining wall that surrounds the condos.

This afternoon, they said the waves were even bigger....crashing up and over the 4 foot retaining wall. For Grand Cayman, and particularly 7 Mile Beach where they are staying, these waves are HUGE!

Here is a video I found on YouTube that shows some of the waves in Grand Cayman today, flooding up and onto the street.



Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers!

And, check out KCCI News Channel 8 for the story on my family!

Hurricane Update

Well, now it looks like the eye of the hurricane is going to pass just south of the Cayman Islands. It has been wobbling back and forth between north and south....so I guess I'm not quite convinced that my family is out of the woods yet.

My whole entire family has been scuba diving in the Cayman Islands for the past couple of weeks. Grandfather, aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, and sisters. Not me. =(

Anyways, when Hurricane Dean took shape and they knew they were in the path of the storm, everyone started trying to find earlier flights off the island. Everyone except my immediate family was able to get off the island safely. My parents and two sisters are now stuck on the island until Friday. They were supposed to come home tomorrow.

The hurricane is going to be around Cayman sometime in the middle of the night tonight. They have gotten some good "hurricane advice" from a family friend, who also happens to be a retired colonel from the Navy Seals, and they are prepared for the worst. They have stocked up on fresh water, have cooked the food they have, and have supplies like candles and flashlights ready. They have all of their bags packed in case of a quick evacuation. My family knows that the weather may get pretty scary tonight...but I am praying for their safety.

I will probably lose contact with my family for the next couple of days. We aren't quite sure yet when the power will be shut down on the island....

Please keep my family in your prayers!!!

And, watch KCCI News Channel 8 tonight at 10:00pm!!! They interviewed my family by phone today!

Hurricane Dean

Maybe I Should Quit Medical School....

And do THIS all day long!!! This is the coolest form of art that I have EVER seen!!!

The Greatest Miracle

Yesterday, I got to deliver 2 beautiful baby girls. By myself. As a third year medical student. It was the most awesome and intense experience anyone could imagine. If there is anything that can show the true miracles God can create, that was it. I felt truly blessed to be a part of that experience with those families....and I will forever be grateful that I was the one to deliver their baby girls. I still can't believe it!!!

Cutting Suture

Today, I got to cut suture during the hysterectomy!!! And, I didn't forget to take off my ring when scrubbing in this time!!!

Amazing the things that can excite a 3rd year medical student just starting her clinical rotations...

Day 1: 42 Patients

Today was the first day of my third year. Clinical rotations. 42 patients seen today...31 after 1:00 this afternoon. Talk about a crazy first start to my OB/Gyn clerkship!!!

I was pretty nervous last night getting ready for the big day. Being the huge dork that I am, I laid out my whole outfit. I even stuffed the pockets of my white coat with the necessities (planner, ACLS cards, extra pens, stethoscope, tape measure) and I pre-read about Cesarean Sections (knowing that was what I was doing at 7am this morning). I charged up my handheld computer, played around with it for a little bit to remind myself of how to log patients, then said a prayer hoping that I wouldn't be "PIMPED"....or if I was, at least maybe know the answer.

I slept well last night. Managed to fall asleep by about 10:30...and woke up quite rested this morning at 5:30am. I even made my ritual stop by Panera for some iced tea.

We had a C-section this morning at 7am. So, I was there at 6:45 and ready to go. I scrubbed in with the doctor and tried to show off the skills that I had learned during my Basic Surgery Skills class. He wasn't going to have to teach me anything this morning.....I knew it.

After I backed into the surgical suite and was waiting for the scrub nurse to gown me, I realized the rookie mistake I had just made. (Okay, okay, okay.....I didn't notice it....the nurse noticed it.....but it sounded cooler if I had actually noticed even though it still made me look like an idiot.) I had forgotten to take off my ring.

I had to go back out to the sink, remove the ring........and SCRUB IN ALL OVER AGAIN!!! I even missed the initial incision in the abdomen, darnit. Strike one. At least they didn't give me a bad time!!!

Overall, the rest of the day went without a hitch. We were so busy, but it made the day go really fast. I didn't really do much besides observe today......I did get to measure the abdominal growth of the OB patients.....it was a ton of fun!!! I even got PIMPED a couple of times....and, can you believe it, I knew the answers!

Tomorrow morning I start out with a hysterectomy. Hopefully I remember the ring this time!!!