On Life Changing Discoveries

I woke up to sleet pounding at my window, thundersnow, and a terribly raw throat.  There was no way today would turn out to be anything but a disaster.  And then I hit snooze.  For a full nine minutes, I fought myself over my attitude.  Do I get up mopey feeling like crap or do I suck it up and make the best of it?  At 5AM, moping seemed to take more energy so I figured I'd get up happy.  Fake it til you make it.  :) 

That was a good choice ... as the rest of the day would show.  Expecting the roads to be bad, I left about 20 minutes early.  A complete lack of slickness allowed me time to grab a vanilla spice latte ... full of caffeine and nice and warm on my throat.  Throughout the day, my voice came and went.  My motivation came and went.  My attitude came and went.  My brain even went a few times.  I'm not sure it is all fully back yet.  Medicine head and all is a real thing!  However, I'd say that given how I initially woke up, today turned out to be much more fulfilling than I initially imagined.

It was a day full of life changing discoveries.  I'm sure some of you will think I am being overly melodramatic or what have you ... but I promise you the things I am about to share with you have the ability to completely rock your world! 

#1 Discovery: Peeling a Banana

I hate eating the tops and bottoms of bananas.  They are always mushy and gross me out. As I was struggling to open a banana, one of the residents gave me a little tip.  Did you know that you can pinch the bottom end of a banana to get it open?  You don't need a knife.  You don't have to mushify it.  It just works.  Apparently, its how monkeys do it.  It works.  Its awesome. 

 

#2 Discovery: Shoe Tying

Now, I don't normally have a problem tying my shoes, but I do have a very serious problem tying my scrub pants in a way that leaves them feeling secure.  In fact, some of you may have heard of the infamous pants on the ground episode in the Wesley parking garage last fall.  Yeah. That. So today one of the attendings showed this video ... and I kid you not, I did not have to retie my pants a single time.  That my friends, is pretty much the best gift a girl who wears scrubs every day can ask for.  I did not spend a single moment this afternoon wondering when my pants were going to fall.  :)

#3 Discovery: Cotton Candy Machine

This one really wasn't life changing, but it was pretty darn fun.  We made cotton candy out of jolly ranchers this afternoon.  And by we, I don't mean me.  I tried and I think I only succeeded in nearly breaking it.  Apparently it takes a little bit of practice.  I think I love cotton candy.  Apparently this machine is available at Bed, Bath and Beyond.  If you need a delivery address, let me know and we can work something out.  Hint hint.

On Feeling Like Patootie and Developing Empathy

Empathy is an incredibly powerful emotion.  An important part of being a doctor is understanding what its like to be a patient.  Understanding what it feels like to have the flu.  Understanding what it feels like to be stuck in a holding room without the ability to leave and get a drink or a snack.  Understanding what its like to not know what is wrong with you.  Understanding what it feels like to have to wait for a phone call from the doctor's office.  Understanding what it feels like to not be able to breathe, etc etc etc.  I wish no one ever had to experience any of these ... but then I'd be jobless.  I feel like when I get the chance to experience them, its increasing my ability to be a more caring, well-rounded physician.

Apparently, its in the cards for me to have an empathy building day.  Today, I feel like crap.  I have a legit fever of 101.5 and I'm doing my best to simply let the fever play its course and not knock it down with drugs.  Fevers are the body's way of fighting infection, so I'm miserably letting my body fight.


While having a virus doesn't really require any healthcare beyond fluids and time, I only know that because I'm months away from being a doctor myself.  Five years ago, I would have called my doctor first thing simply to make sure I wasn't dying of ebola or something.  Now, I actively avoid making that call lest I find out I misdiagnosed myself with a virus that is actually ebola.  (Don't worry, I haven't been exposed to ebola.  I just find it one of the most amazing viruses on the planet and am absolutely fascinated and hope to get up close and personal with it some day.  I'm weird, I know.)

Not everyone has a doctor.  Not everyone has the money to make the simple appointment.  Not everyone has the ability to pay for a prescription in the off chance its a bacterial infection.

Why am I thinking about this today?  And by this, I mean the distribution of healthcare in the US.  This month, I'm working in the ER and I'm constantly reminded of what happens when primary care isn't made readily available to everyone.  I'm not advocating handouts and I'm not advocating any specific plan, I'm simply pointing out a terrible flaw in our system.  When people don't have access to basic primary care outpatient resources, they end up clogging the hospital system with problems that could have been thwarted much earlier.

Taking care of healthy people is much less expensive than taking care of sick people.  As a country, we have to find a way to take care of people before they get sick.  We owe it to ourselves and our children and our parents and everyone's collective future.  Somehow, we have to find a way to help our fellow humans who by chance or choice are in less than ideal circumstances and don't have the opportunities we have to receive the care we do.

Empathy.  I feel like patootie today and I'm thinking about how to keep others from feeling like this tomorrow.  :)

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday.  In case you're not familiar, it is the day marking the beginning of the Lenten season.

Today, I will go to mass and have ashes, the remnants of palm fronds from last year's Palm Sunday, placed on my forehead in the sign of the cross.  These are meant to remind me of my mortality and the need for repentance.  Sometimes, they even provide a chance for me to share my faith with others.  People always ask "what is on your forehead" and most of the time it ends with a mention of Ash Wednesday, however, there always seems to be someone who wants to dig deeper ... and if you ask me questions, I'll do my best to answer them.  Maybe I'll even use Stephen Colbert's "its basically the hand stamp for God's nightclub" line.

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Today, I will fast.  Between now and Easter, I will abstain from meat on Fridays.

Today, and every day until Easter, I will be adding something new to my schedule and taking something out that I love.

What will you be doing for Lent?

The Oscars

This month, I've decided I am going to watch all the best picture Oscar nominees.  I've certainly never done this on purpose before!  Most of the time, I might have seen one or two before the big night.  I suppose this means I'll actually need to watch the Oscars this year.  :)

There's something to be said for creating goals ... even regarding trivial things.  Rather than just ho humming my way through TV shows on a Saturday morning, I've made a concerted effort to watch these movies.  It gives my free time purpose and that is a great feeling.

Speaking of concerted efforts, I have done so much these past few months to live a life that I'm proud of.  For far too long, my life was too run of the mill ... too simple.  I wasn't putting myself out there.  I am so enjoying taking advantage of all my moments of free time to live an exceptional life ... one I'm thrilled to document and one that lets me answer the question "What have you been up to?" with something besides "Oh you know, work."  I'm finishing up a month of infectious disease at Stanford.  It has been an amazing experience in and of itself.  Sometime soon, once the month is actually truly over, I'll let you know all about my many experiences both in and out of the hospital.

But, back to the movies, the point of this post!  Here's my thoughts so far ...

Amour
I haven't seen this and I'm not entirely sure I'll be able to.  It doesn't seem to be playing anywhere in Tulsa.  It is playing in a theater near me right now ... and depending on how tomorrow goes, I might try to squeeze it in after work.

Argo ★★★★☆
This is seriously one of the best movies I've seen.  It is such a cool story ... and the actors look so much like the real people it is almost a bit scary.  Even though I knew the ending throughout, I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen.  It was truly a great story!

Beasts of the Southern Wild ★★★
A pretty good movie.  The acting done by the little girl was truly amazing for someone so young.  I'm not entirely sure it is oscar worthy as best picture though.

Django
I am not a Tarantino fan and I'm not looking forward to this.  Maybe my mind will be changed ... but I'm not expecting it.

Les Miserables ★★★★☆
The first 15 minutes was tough to get through ... simply because I had to adjust to the singing.  After that, it was incredible.  The costumes, the singing, all of it.  I think this is my top choice to win right now.  If you haven't seen it, run to a theater because I think seeing it on the big screen with surround sound would blow away the couch and the TV.

Life of Pi
I had a hard time getting through the book ... but I'm mildly excited about seeing this in 3D next weekish.  I just hope its more riveting than the Tom Crews volleyball friend movie.

Lincoln ★
Not worthy of best picture.  Not worth seeing it on the big screen.  I might have enjoyed it more had I watched it at home with a few intermissions.  It was long.  Really long.

Silver Linings ★★★★
Wow.  This movie did such an amazing job of portraying mental illness in a legitimate way.  Such an eye opener.  It was moving, exciting, and sweet.  I highly recommend it.

Zero Dark Thirty ★★★
Really good seat of your pants thriller type movie.  It wasn't exactly what I was expecting and it was a little long.  Just so so.

A New Look

Welcome to the new year ... and the new look for Becoming Dr Jane!  What do y'all think?  Isn't the design just wonderful!  Thank you very much to my wonderful fantabulous friend, Jessica, for putting this together!

In addition to working for the CFF, having two adorable little girls, and taking care of her very nice husband, Jess does design work.  If you need anything ... head over to Diamond Doll Designs to get your own work done!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  As we all know, 2012 was not my all time favorite year for a couple reasons.  However, it still was a pretty amazing year full of many amazing memories.  My family was able to spend lots of quality time together and we were blessed to see the outpouring of love and kindness and generosity of so many others.  I almost didn't even mention 2012 ... but it was such a life altering year that it deserved a few lines.  :)

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How in the world did that happen?  I remember 1999 and wondering how we were going to describe the coming years.  Would it be twenty oh one or two thousand and one?  Funny how something that seemed like such a big deal turned out to be very minor.  Everyone gets to call it want they want.  Two thousand something isn't as rough to say as one thousand nine hundred ninety nine.  I'm not sure why we didn't realize that FOURTEEN years ago.  If you did realize that, then keep your mouth shut smarty pants.

As always, new years are full of the hope of changes and resolutions for most.  Last year was the first year I ever had quantifiable goals for the new year and it made it so easy.  This year, I'm following suit, for the most part.  I have 9 quantifiable goals and 4 more generalized goals.  That's right ...

13 GOALS FOR 2013!!!!

I'm sure you are all dying to know what each of the 13 are ... but like last year, I'll share most of them with you at the end of the year.  Some people believe that publicly stating your goals makes you more likely to achieve them.  I believe that keeping them to myself makes it easier for me to stumble and then keep going without feeling like ... damn, I messed up and everyone knows it so why keep going.  

However, I will let you in on the general theme.  This year, I'm going to do what I want to do.  I'm going to take care of Jane emotionally, physically, spiritually, and any other ally that may come along.  This is the year I graduate from medical school.  The first half of the year will be immensely easier than the second half.  I'm going to take advantage of the first half to help me get ready for the second half.

And ... as my first example ... my current trip from Tulsa to Stanford.  I began on Christmas Eve and I'll arrive on January 3.  or 4.  I haven't completely decided.  I've driven through pouring rain (seriously Oklahoma ... it hasn't rained in basically years and it pours when I'm driving?), dense fog, snow, and a bit of sleet.  I've been to Albuquerque where I ate some interesting food and saw a beautiful sunset and sunrise.  I stopped at the Meteor Crater ... which is the most expensive $16 I've ever spent to see a big hole in the ground.  I sure hope that the next time something comes barreling into earth at 26,500 mph it hits someplace equally desolate!  I visited the Grand Canyon ... which is the single most majestic and amazing thing I have ever seen in my life.  I thought I'd see it and be done with it forever.  Now, I just want to go back and spend a week navigating the Colorado River.  Or maybe I should start with two days.  :)  I spent an afternoon in Flagstaff and had an amazing meal of enchiladas de camaron at Salsa Fresca (I think).  Today, I'm headed to Vegas for a little bit of eating and sightseeing!  Hopefully, it will be as much fun as the last two days have been!

Time

Time, as defined by a google search of define: time, is the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.

Time is something I always have too much of yet never have enough of at the exact same ... time.  It blows my mind how that works.

Over the course of a day, it frequently seems that time is achingly slow.  However when it comes time to go to sleep, I always have so much left to accomplish.  When it comes time to wake up, it rarely feels as if I have spent enough time asleep.

Where am I going with this?  I'm not sure.  I want to be writing about the Christmas season and my feelings regarding the current state of the world ... but all of those posts seem to take an inordinate amount of time to formulate and put into words.  

This year, I am on track to complete my New Year's Resolutions, which took an inordinately large amount of time.  In 2012, I will have completed every single USAToday crossword puzzle.  In 2012, I will have read 52 novels (I'll actually probably pass it by about 3 or 4 if I finish everything I'm currently reading).  Hopefully, later I'll give a more complete rundown of my favorites, but for now, I'll simply list them below.  Completing these has given me the chutzpah to come up with some very lofty goals for the new year.  I'll reveal those in due time, but rest assured, they involve time.

(books listed in reverse order, Dec - Jan)

Currently Reading:

My Antonia by Willa Cather

The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

The Gunslinger by Stephen King

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal

King of Hearts by Wayne G Miller

Micro by Michael Crichton

Finished:

National Security by Marc Cameron

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Artic Fire by Stephen Frey

Placebo by Steven James

Reached by Ally Condie

A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Death Benefit by Robin Cook

12.21 by Dustin Thomason

The Racketeer by John Grisham

Winter of the World by Ken Follett

Sphere by Michael Crichton

Congo by Michael Crichton

The Third Gate by Lincoln Child

Fifty Shades of Gray by E L James

Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris

Black List by Brad Thor

Crossed by Ally Condie

Fifty Shades Freed by E L James

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Wheat Belly by William Davis

The Innocent by David Baldacci

Kill Decision by Daniel Suarez

Tempted by PC Cast

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Fifty Shades Darker by E L James

The Viral Storm by Nathan Wolfe

Burned by PC Cast

Intern by Sandeep Jauhar

Awakened by PC Cast

The Exile by Andrew Britton

Every Patient Tells a Story by Lisa Sanders

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillippa Gregory

The Emperor of all Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee

The Kommandant's Girl by Pam Jenoff

The Violets of March by Sarah Jio

Hoodwinked by John Perkins

Matched by Ally Condie

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Destined by PC Cast

County by David Ansell