The Toe Nail !

so i got to do something cool this last week! I got to remove an ingrown toenail! Some people think its gross, but it was neat and Dr. Ellie let me do the whole thing by myself :) First i did a local - digital block - using 1% lidocaine without epinephrine and let that get numb. Then i inserted the tool underneath the nail to make a tunnel. Then i cut down the tunnel with a pair of surgical scissors, and finally i grabbed the nail and pulled up and out and pulled the nail off. It went really smooth. The pt was a 13 yr old boy who weighed 188 lbs and cried alot. I mean more than a girl, ha ha ! Then i wrapped it up and sent him home for the weekend. Overall it was a good procedure and I learned a lot by being able to do it with Dr. Ellie supervising me.

OB & Peds happenings!

Hello again! I have finished my first rotation - OBGYN - and really loved it! I was able to see 2 C sections and 1 natural birth (on my last day :) ) I have started my Peds rotation and it is a bit overwhelming to work with the little ones that can not tell you why they are feeling bad. The babies are fun to see when they are well, and they have so much energy and love for life! M
My Avi dog Zena passed away this week :( She had her front leg amputated a couple of years ago and has not been feeling well for the last couple of months. Dan decided that she did not need to be in so much pain anymore so he let her go. I wish i could have visited her one last time before she left us. But i think that she knew that i would love her forever..... oh teeny zeeny! you got so much love, teeny zeeny! you will be missed.
Shadow has been so playful since i got home from school. She carries around her little feather toy and asks you to play with her. Then when she is tired she goes into the bedroom and sits on the bed and waits for me to come to bed. And at night she is so cuddly. Last week there was a huge windstorm and both Willow and Shadow came in and slept with us in the middle of the night because they were scared. The wind was around 80 mph and ripped a small piece oc siding off our house. There were so many pine trees and other trees and car parks and other items that got blown around the neighborhood. There were semis tipped over on the freeway and they were not letting the semis travel for a day or two. We lost power for almost a whole day. I had to shower by flashlight on the first day of my peds rotation. But we had hot water and the fireplace was still powered (gas) so that was not so bad. We ended up goin to Taco time for dinner then came home and went to bed early. It was super cold with the wind and only little cat was running on the mtn. Ben was super tired frfom trying to stay warm all day working on the lifts.
I am getting to see kids at my rotation, and I think i am doing OK. I have to see the child, Dx their symptoms, make a plan and tell the preceptor so it is kind of nerve racking, but i think it is helping me learn. i have to decide what Rx I would give, if any, and in what dose. That is the tricky part.....knowing what dose of what med to use for each situation. but everyday it gets a bit easier the more i see and do it. and my preceptors are good about teaching me and not making me feel like i'm a dummy.
Well thats all for now! :)

I just finished my first week of my first rotation. I have been working with Dr Swift in OBGYN. I have done some pap smears, fetal heart doppler monitoring, fundal height readings. He doesnt work on thursdays so I went to the maternal fetal monitoring and watched some ultrasounds. That was pretty cool. Then Friday was quite a day! THe morning started out with a psych pt who was 4 wks post op for hysterectomy and had re-opened her incision and was bleeding. profusely. So we cleaned her up and the Dr put in a stitch and then I bandaged her up. After that we went to surgery. Dr swift did 2 laparoscopies with laser. I got to put 1 stich in each of 2 pts. I was nervous because it was my first time stitching a live person. But it went well. He only had 2 pts so I stayed after and observed surgery w Dr. Lindsey Deschamps. She is close to my age and goes to our church. She did a cone biopsy and a D&C w endometrial ablation. Then I watched a toe amputation.
All in all it was a good week, and I only got pimped out a few times when I did not have a decent answer. I am definitely going to learn alot this next year of rotations!

woah! it has been forever since i wrote on my blog. Since i have a little time this weekend....here goes. I have been in Henderson NV going to PA school since last july. I am so glad that this time has gone as quickly as it has, although there are days that seem to last forever, and some that go way too fast. The quick days are usually either when i have a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it, or when i am out having fun and exploring in the mountains around here.

I have a couple of pretty good roommates who are in the PT program.
I am excited that there is only 5.5 weeks left to be here. i am definitely glad that i can go home to do my rotations :). I am ready to leave this place behind!
In October one of my friends from school is getting married in Minnesota so Ben and I are headed out there for a few days. Then a week of home life until I start my first rotation. It has been a long road, but i am glad that i am getting closer to getting to go home.