I had my third physician shadowing today! My second one was with a dermatologist, and although I'm supposed to write about it, I didn't because I disliked it.
Anyway, so today I shadowed Dr. Stewart again. He truly is a great doctor. All his patients rave about him, and you can tell he cares. He doesn't prescribe things just to prescribe them. He doesn't give unnecessary tests. He always calls his patients to check up on them and figure out how things are going. The part I love the most? He tries his hardest to save his patients money! He finds alternatives to lower costs for them. I want to be that kind of doctor!
The first patient he saw was an opthamologist. He had a crackle in his left lung, but all his tests came back normal. Thanks to that, I got to use the stethoscope for the first time ever! It was the coolest thing ever! I heard a different between the two lungs, but I didn't hear a crackle or anything. I think I just heard past it because it sounded like a beating. It was still really awesome.
I asked him if it was easier or harder to see another doctor. He said that it can be challenging to see other doctors or family members of said doctors. Sometimes they assume the patients will know because they have a doctor in the family they can ask, but he said that it is important to be objective, no matter who they are. The easy part about seeing other doctors is being able to use lingo that non-doctors wouldn't understand.
He also had another patient that had a heart murmur. I used the stethoscope again and listened to it. It was the coolest thing all day! The heart definitely sounds different when you have a murmur, although I'm pretty sure that's no surprise to anyone. I compared it to my heart and it just blew me away. The difference is great! I mean, it's not great for him, but it just blows me away how a murmur sounds.
I also mentioned I'd like to be a neurosurgeon, but that I was keeping my options open. We went to see a patient and he had a daughter in a wheelchair. She was sassy! She made me laugh; truly a remarkable young lady. When we got back to his office, he told me what she suffers from would be a good thing to research. She had spina bifida, a developmental congenital disorder caused by the incomplete closing of the embryonic neural tube. Basically the vertebrae overlapping the spinal cords don't close all the way. The young lady in the office had to be in a wheelchair because her legs were paralyzed; she kept growing but her spine never recovered. He also mentioned the best way to deal with it is to prevent it; folic acid is very important in pregnancy!
There were a lot of reps that came over to get Dr. Stewart to sign things today. It made me think of another question; how does he keep up with new medicine that comes out? He went a little further and answered how he keeps up to date with everything; medicine, diseases, etc. He uses this site called Up To Date. He said that you pay a pretty penny for it, but that it's totally worth it. He uses it when he wants more information about things his patients ask about. He also said that you need to take classes, a certain amount a year, to learn what's new. He said for family medicine you need about 50.
At the end of the day, I asked him what was the most interesting or scary thing he had seen. He said he had seen a gentleman last month with a widow maker, or Proximal LAD Blockage. It's a blockage in the left anterior descending artery; it can lead to heart attacks and death, which is why it's called the widow maker. He thought it was interesting because he was only in his 40's and, since Dr. Stewart is getting close to that age, he really took notice. He said it makes you think. He also told me about this lady who had a severe mental illness and gave herself a tummy tuck. She ended up at the hospital and eventually committed suicide; she was a very troubled lady, may she rest in peace. Another story he told me was about a guy who shot himself with a nail gun. He accidentally got a nail in his calf and it took a very long time to pull it out. He said it was difficult to figure out where it was because it was small and it went in at an angle.
I LOVED the experience. It was super interesting and amazing. Getting to FINALLY use the stethoscope was awesome, and listening to that heart murmur was definitely the highlight of the experience. It sounds horrible because it's not really a good thing for the gentleman, but I was just excited to hear the difference in heartbeats. I am so ready to be a doctor, even if I don't go into family medicine! I can't believe I wasn't interested in stuff like this growing up; it is great! I am that much more excited to keep going and getting close to my goal! I have even more excitement and I'm even more motivation to keep going!
I WILL be a great surgeon one day! :D
Or any kind of doctor, really. Whatever I find to be my calling. :)
Love,
Andrea, Future M.D. or D.O.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
California
I've had a pretty great few days.
Steven and I decided we're moving to California! :) Not any time soon, unfortunately. I wanted to take a leap and just move already, but the hubby talked some sense into me. After giving it some thought, we decided to move in two years so we'd get plenty of time to save up. It'll also give us a chance for the hubby to get his associate's degree. Since my sister also wanted to move to California, we figured it'd be a good idea for all of us to move at the same time to support each other.
After doing some more talking we realized my sister and I aren't graduating for another 3 years, maybe 2 for me if I take classes during the summer. So we pushed the date back another year so all of us can have some sort of degree before we move. I'm very excited because my heart lies in California. <3 I love the ocean and I've lived far too long without it.
My sister and I are trying to coordinate where we will go for school after we move. I plan on going to med school and she plans on going to graduate school. We're going to be looking at different schools and their programs so we can decide where to go! <3 I've narrowed down my searches to San Francisco, best neurosurgery school in the country, Los Angeles, and San Diego. I'm dying to get started!
I know it's a long time from now but I can't help but feel free! Like I'll finally be somewhere I want to be doing what I love. As excited as I am to be moving, I'm even more excited to go to med school! I can't keep my mind off of it! I want to be done with my undergrad so I can get started on my career! I can't wait!
So that's all for today. Just wanted to write down all my excitement. <3
Love,
Andrea~!
Steven and I decided we're moving to California! :) Not any time soon, unfortunately. I wanted to take a leap and just move already, but the hubby talked some sense into me. After giving it some thought, we decided to move in two years so we'd get plenty of time to save up. It'll also give us a chance for the hubby to get his associate's degree. Since my sister also wanted to move to California, we figured it'd be a good idea for all of us to move at the same time to support each other.
After doing some more talking we realized my sister and I aren't graduating for another 3 years, maybe 2 for me if I take classes during the summer. So we pushed the date back another year so all of us can have some sort of degree before we move. I'm very excited because my heart lies in California. <3 I love the ocean and I've lived far too long without it.
My sister and I are trying to coordinate where we will go for school after we move. I plan on going to med school and she plans on going to graduate school. We're going to be looking at different schools and their programs so we can decide where to go! <3 I've narrowed down my searches to San Francisco, best neurosurgery school in the country, Los Angeles, and San Diego. I'm dying to get started!
I know it's a long time from now but I can't help but feel free! Like I'll finally be somewhere I want to be doing what I love. As excited as I am to be moving, I'm even more excited to go to med school! I can't keep my mind off of it! I want to be done with my undergrad so I can get started on my career! I can't wait!
So that's all for today. Just wanted to write down all my excitement. <3
Love,
Andrea~!
Friday, June 14, 2013
How I Knew
I've been thinking about writing this for a while. Mostly because I don't want to forget how everything happened. So here's a little peek at my life and how I knew Steven was the man I wanted to marry. :)
Steven and I are high school sweethearts. We are a young couple with big dreams and extreme devotion to each other. We work to better ourselves, not only as a couple, but as individuals. He is my best friend and I know I can count on him no matter what. Together we are perfect. <3
Our story began way before I met him; It actually started when my aunt told me her love story. To make it short, she had her heart broken by her first boyfriend. She turned to Virgin Mary, she was Catholic at the time, and prayed and prayed. She begged her to never let her get hurt again; she asked her to give her a sign when she found the right man. The sign would be a single red rose. Years went by and she met my uncle in Rhode Island while my uncle was in an LDS mission. They started dating after he got back and my aunt went back to Peru. She went to visit him after he was back here in Utah and he picked her up from the airport. She noticed he didn't have a rose and she was disappointed. However, and since he's my uncle it's not a surprise, he had left a single red rose for her when she got to the car. Tears, tears, and tears. Most romantic story ever! They ended up getting married and having three wonderful children. <3
When I heard the story it made my day. It was so romantic and beautiful! So I decided to the same thing; I was a young Catholic girl at the time, so I went to Virgin Mary and prayed for the same thing. In my case, the rose was white. Call me a copy-cat, but I don't care. I was like, thirteen.
Steven and I started dating in November of our Senior year. It was a very sweet, innocent kind of love. We were best friends and we loved hanging out together. His birthday rolled around, Valentine's Day, and we went to the school dance. We went with two other friends and we danced the night away. It was a really fun time and we really enjoyed ourselves. There were some tables around with white roses on them, and while we were dancing, Steven grabbed one and gave it to me. He obviously didn't know about my "sign" and I was kind of in shock about it. I wasn't sure if it counted, but since I had no idea what the "terms" of the sign were, I decided to take it as true.
A while went by and I decided to tell him about it. I had actually written about it in my Gaia Online journal, so one night while we were hanging out I told him to read it. I was nervous because I didn't want to scare him off or to seem crazy. I don't exactly remember what he said about it or how he reacted; I only remember him sitting at the computer chair and reading it while I nervously watched TV. I figured it must've gone well because I didn't scare him away.
Prom season came around and we got a group together. We went with most of Steven's friends and their date. They were all at his friend Derrik's house, where Steven was also living at the time, while I got ready. I had to work earlier that day so I basically ended my shift and ran to get my hair done at the salon. I arrived in a dress that changed between purple and green in the light. When I arrived, Steven greeted me with a single white rose instead of a corsage. He hadn't told anyone about it or what it meant, but he later told me when they went to get the corsages that he insisted on only getting me a white rose. It was very sweet and we had a great night dancing with our group.
We got engaged that same year in December and married in April. We are very logical people, which is why the story sounds silly. However, no matter how romantically illogical my sign was, we didn't go into our marriage lightly. We knew it was a big decision and there were a lot of bumps along the road before we got engaged. It took a lot of time and tears but we pulled through and supported each other in the rough times. Our engagement actually came as a surprise; I wasn't expecting it until years down the road.
We were going on a date in December. Steven had a great job for a high school graduate and we decided to go watch a movie. We got our tickets for The Princess and The Frog and went to the mall to wait for it to start. We were heading for Hot Topic when Steven casually said, "Let's go look at rings." I didn't think much of it, I just figured he wanted to see what I liked for future reference.
We were looking around and I stopped to look at the colored stones. They had a lot of rings, but the amethyst ones got my attention. I found a really pretty one in the shape of a heart with little diamonds around it. I was looking at it and Steven asked if I liked it. I said yes. That's when he surprised me by saying, "Let's get it!" with that cute innocent smile of his. I was in shock thinking he was kidding but he went to talk to the guy and set everything up.
I sat in awe while he worked with the rep. All I remember saying over and over was, "Oh my god, oh my god." It was getting close to 8 PM, the time our movie started. We finished at the jewelry store with our order placed and ran to get back on time. We were watching the movie and I just started crying. It was a very emotional time and Steven just held me until I calmed down while we watched the movie. It is one of the most amazing days I've ever had.
We got our ring about a week later, they needed to re-size it, and it happened to be the same day one of my friends was getting married. It was December 17th, 2009. Steven called me and let me know they had the ring in. We went to pick it up together and he drove me home so I could get ready for my friend's reception. He needed to get to work and he was already running a little late. I was very anxious and I told him he could either propose now or go to work and we could wait. I think he knew I was very excited about it because he decided to do it right then and there. It was rushed but the moment itself was priceless. He got down on one knee and said, "A life unshared is a life unworthy. Will you share your life with me?" Every since I've been little I thought you were supposed to say that you had to think about it. It was part of all the novelas I watched back home. I always expected that this would be what I would say, but I didn't. I stayed quiet for a minute, filled with pure bliss, while Steven agonizingly waited. I was looking into his eyes and I could tell he was getting worried that I was going to say no. I quickly said yes and he put the ring on my finger. We kissed, hugged, and he ran to get ready for work.
Our love story isn't perfect. Our marriage isn't perfect. We got married young, he was 19 and I was two week from turning 19, but we didn't let that stop us. We knew what was right for us and we knew we wanted to be together forever. We knew it wouldn't be easy, but we know what it takes to make it. We will never give up and we will always fight for our love and our marriage. We are very happy and although our lives aren't perfect, we couldn't imagine living without each other in this stage of our lives. I am so in love with my husband and I'm so very thankful and blessed to have him in my life. He is everything I've ever wanted, my Prince Charming and my bad boy. He grounds me and he fills me with joy and peace. I can do anything as long as he is by my side.
I love you, Steven. <3
Andrea~!
Steven and I are high school sweethearts. We are a young couple with big dreams and extreme devotion to each other. We work to better ourselves, not only as a couple, but as individuals. He is my best friend and I know I can count on him no matter what. Together we are perfect. <3
Our story began way before I met him; It actually started when my aunt told me her love story. To make it short, she had her heart broken by her first boyfriend. She turned to Virgin Mary, she was Catholic at the time, and prayed and prayed. She begged her to never let her get hurt again; she asked her to give her a sign when she found the right man. The sign would be a single red rose. Years went by and she met my uncle in Rhode Island while my uncle was in an LDS mission. They started dating after he got back and my aunt went back to Peru. She went to visit him after he was back here in Utah and he picked her up from the airport. She noticed he didn't have a rose and she was disappointed. However, and since he's my uncle it's not a surprise, he had left a single red rose for her when she got to the car. Tears, tears, and tears. Most romantic story ever! They ended up getting married and having three wonderful children. <3
When I heard the story it made my day. It was so romantic and beautiful! So I decided to the same thing; I was a young Catholic girl at the time, so I went to Virgin Mary and prayed for the same thing. In my case, the rose was white. Call me a copy-cat, but I don't care. I was like, thirteen.
Steven and I started dating in November of our Senior year. It was a very sweet, innocent kind of love. We were best friends and we loved hanging out together. His birthday rolled around, Valentine's Day, and we went to the school dance. We went with two other friends and we danced the night away. It was a really fun time and we really enjoyed ourselves. There were some tables around with white roses on them, and while we were dancing, Steven grabbed one and gave it to me. He obviously didn't know about my "sign" and I was kind of in shock about it. I wasn't sure if it counted, but since I had no idea what the "terms" of the sign were, I decided to take it as true.
A while went by and I decided to tell him about it. I had actually written about it in my Gaia Online journal, so one night while we were hanging out I told him to read it. I was nervous because I didn't want to scare him off or to seem crazy. I don't exactly remember what he said about it or how he reacted; I only remember him sitting at the computer chair and reading it while I nervously watched TV. I figured it must've gone well because I didn't scare him away.
Prom season came around and we got a group together. We went with most of Steven's friends and their date. They were all at his friend Derrik's house, where Steven was also living at the time, while I got ready. I had to work earlier that day so I basically ended my shift and ran to get my hair done at the salon. I arrived in a dress that changed between purple and green in the light. When I arrived, Steven greeted me with a single white rose instead of a corsage. He hadn't told anyone about it or what it meant, but he later told me when they went to get the corsages that he insisted on only getting me a white rose. It was very sweet and we had a great night dancing with our group.
We got engaged that same year in December and married in April. We are very logical people, which is why the story sounds silly. However, no matter how romantically illogical my sign was, we didn't go into our marriage lightly. We knew it was a big decision and there were a lot of bumps along the road before we got engaged. It took a lot of time and tears but we pulled through and supported each other in the rough times. Our engagement actually came as a surprise; I wasn't expecting it until years down the road.
We were going on a date in December. Steven had a great job for a high school graduate and we decided to go watch a movie. We got our tickets for The Princess and The Frog and went to the mall to wait for it to start. We were heading for Hot Topic when Steven casually said, "Let's go look at rings." I didn't think much of it, I just figured he wanted to see what I liked for future reference.
We were looking around and I stopped to look at the colored stones. They had a lot of rings, but the amethyst ones got my attention. I found a really pretty one in the shape of a heart with little diamonds around it. I was looking at it and Steven asked if I liked it. I said yes. That's when he surprised me by saying, "Let's get it!" with that cute innocent smile of his. I was in shock thinking he was kidding but he went to talk to the guy and set everything up.
I sat in awe while he worked with the rep. All I remember saying over and over was, "Oh my god, oh my god." It was getting close to 8 PM, the time our movie started. We finished at the jewelry store with our order placed and ran to get back on time. We were watching the movie and I just started crying. It was a very emotional time and Steven just held me until I calmed down while we watched the movie. It is one of the most amazing days I've ever had.
We got our ring about a week later, they needed to re-size it, and it happened to be the same day one of my friends was getting married. It was December 17th, 2009. Steven called me and let me know they had the ring in. We went to pick it up together and he drove me home so I could get ready for my friend's reception. He needed to get to work and he was already running a little late. I was very anxious and I told him he could either propose now or go to work and we could wait. I think he knew I was very excited about it because he decided to do it right then and there. It was rushed but the moment itself was priceless. He got down on one knee and said, "A life unshared is a life unworthy. Will you share your life with me?" Every since I've been little I thought you were supposed to say that you had to think about it. It was part of all the novelas I watched back home. I always expected that this would be what I would say, but I didn't. I stayed quiet for a minute, filled with pure bliss, while Steven agonizingly waited. I was looking into his eyes and I could tell he was getting worried that I was going to say no. I quickly said yes and he put the ring on my finger. We kissed, hugged, and he ran to get ready for work.
Our love story isn't perfect. Our marriage isn't perfect. We got married young, he was 19 and I was two week from turning 19, but we didn't let that stop us. We knew what was right for us and we knew we wanted to be together forever. We knew it wouldn't be easy, but we know what it takes to make it. We will never give up and we will always fight for our love and our marriage. We are very happy and although our lives aren't perfect, we couldn't imagine living without each other in this stage of our lives. I am so in love with my husband and I'm so very thankful and blessed to have him in my life. He is everything I've ever wanted, my Prince Charming and my bad boy. He grounds me and he fills me with joy and peace. I can do anything as long as he is by my side.
I love you, Steven. <3
Andrea~!
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