Hi friends!
Sorry I'm not around much. I don't really have a lot to update on, but I'll try to post stuff more often. This blog is officially my personal blog, where I will talk about things that go on with my life. If you're interested on my pre-med journey, please check out my new blog. :)
Here's the link: http://fromsturgeontosurgeon.wordpress.com/
See you all soon! :)
Andrea.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Friday, July 5, 2013
Physician Shadowing III
This seems to be turning into a pre-med blog. :)
Anyway, I'll write an entry about my 4th of July and what being an American means to me.
On Wednesday I shadowed Dr. Stewart again. It was awesome, as always. :) I was very grateful to be there since the AC at our house broke down and the office was nice and cool. <3 Anyway, I was there from 8:45 till 5:00 and it was great. I've officially been at an office for the whole work day! It was very interesting and it helped me think of a lot of questions!
One of the most interesting parts of the day were seeing a strep throat. I saw tonsils and Dr. Stewart let me know how they classify them. I guess it's on a scale from one to three, with three being tonsils touching. I asked him how he knew they should take them out, and he say it's if they've had tonsillitis at least 5 times in the past year. He also said that they try not to take them out unless they absolutely have to; it's also harder to recover from that kind of surgery as an adult because the tonsils are bigger and change shape.
The same lady with the strep throat had something called Crohn's disease. Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus. Dr. Stewart asked her if she had a few minutes to talk about me it; he said I would benefit from knowing what it was like from a patient's point of view rather than from information. She told me she started feeling horrible with her second pregnancy and that it took a whole year before they diagnosed her with it. She had some trouble with medications and stopped taking them for about a year; it worked for a while but she started feeling really sick again. At that point her insurance company had dropped her because of her disease and it took a year to find a new one. As far as lifestyle goes, she said it's hard; since she's had it the whole time she's had kids, they understand that "mommy can't do something because she has to go to the bathroom." She said that it wasn't a great thing to have, but that she knew others had it worse; she just learned how to live with it. It was truly inspiring and it really touched me, especially because she must've been around 30 with four little ones to take care of. I now understand why Dr. Stewart hates dealing with insurance companies; they can truly be horrible.
I think by far the most interesting thing we saw was a gentleman that had cut his finger by lifting a rock. It was very deep and his finger was bleeding a lot. He ended up needing stitches and I was able to watch! He only needed three, but it still took about half an hour to get it done; the surgery room was being used so we had to wait. Anyway, I watched Dr. Stewart do it and it was very interesting. The gentleman's skin was extremely tough, so Dr. Stewart was having trouble putting the needle through it. I've never seen it done before, so I found it extremely interesting. I won't lie, it made me kinda dizzy at first. Not because his finger was bleeding and it looked pretty gross; what made me dizzy was seeing the skin on the needle! I do not like skin! It's okay because I know I can handle it if needed. What it did for me was reestablish that I do not want to be a dermatologist! Not only did I find it boring when I shadowed the dermatologist last year, I also found out I'm not a fan of the way skin looks past the outer layer, and by that I mean the part you see every day. Guess it's just not my thing!
I asked Dr. Stewart how he dealt with difficult patients. He said something I didn't think a doctor could do! He said it is perfectly okay to "fire" patients! You can't just tell them you can't see them anymore; you have to notify them in writing and let them know you can see them for medical emergency for 30 days. You also have to recommend new doctors for them to see. However, after those 30 days, you don't have to see them anymore. He said it's mostly patients that use you for narcotics, but that they do get some they let go because they may become aggressive.
I also asked him what he thought were good qualities to have as a doctor. He said being patient is very important, as well as being a good listener, have good problem solving skills, good communication, being able to gather data, have a love for learning, and be okay with routine. The last one was important because there's routine no matter what specialty you go into. He said if you don't like taking out gallbladders, you probably shouldn't do it for a living. That really got me thinking because I did like the variety of family medicine, even though you do see more things than others, like sore throat vs a rare disease. Because of this he also said he would always chose to practice primary care, but if he was to do something outside of it, he would do cardiology.
I also asked him what's the most rewarding part of the job? He said it was by far the relationship with patients. You get to know them in a level that most people don't; you can ask them anything during their visits. The part he hates the most in by far the paperwork; he said it can drive you insane, but that it's very important. You can't send off a patient to a specialist without writing things down; you have to let them know what you talked about and what, if any, medications you prescribed.
It was truly a great experience. My feet hurt at the end of the day but it was totally worth it! I wish I had more friends going into medicine that I could hang out with so we can geek out about all of this! I'm just excited about going back next week and learning even more! I think I'm going to keep my options open as far as specialties go. I find more and more things interesting. <3
I won't worry about that for a long time though.
My main worry is getting into medical school. :)
Love,
Andrea, Future M.D. or D.O.
Anyway, I'll write an entry about my 4th of July and what being an American means to me.
On Wednesday I shadowed Dr. Stewart again. It was awesome, as always. :) I was very grateful to be there since the AC at our house broke down and the office was nice and cool. <3 Anyway, I was there from 8:45 till 5:00 and it was great. I've officially been at an office for the whole work day! It was very interesting and it helped me think of a lot of questions!
One of the most interesting parts of the day were seeing a strep throat. I saw tonsils and Dr. Stewart let me know how they classify them. I guess it's on a scale from one to three, with three being tonsils touching. I asked him how he knew they should take them out, and he say it's if they've had tonsillitis at least 5 times in the past year. He also said that they try not to take them out unless they absolutely have to; it's also harder to recover from that kind of surgery as an adult because the tonsils are bigger and change shape.
The same lady with the strep throat had something called Crohn's disease. Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus. Dr. Stewart asked her if she had a few minutes to talk about me it; he said I would benefit from knowing what it was like from a patient's point of view rather than from information. She told me she started feeling horrible with her second pregnancy and that it took a whole year before they diagnosed her with it. She had some trouble with medications and stopped taking them for about a year; it worked for a while but she started feeling really sick again. At that point her insurance company had dropped her because of her disease and it took a year to find a new one. As far as lifestyle goes, she said it's hard; since she's had it the whole time she's had kids, they understand that "mommy can't do something because she has to go to the bathroom." She said that it wasn't a great thing to have, but that she knew others had it worse; she just learned how to live with it. It was truly inspiring and it really touched me, especially because she must've been around 30 with four little ones to take care of. I now understand why Dr. Stewart hates dealing with insurance companies; they can truly be horrible.
I think by far the most interesting thing we saw was a gentleman that had cut his finger by lifting a rock. It was very deep and his finger was bleeding a lot. He ended up needing stitches and I was able to watch! He only needed three, but it still took about half an hour to get it done; the surgery room was being used so we had to wait. Anyway, I watched Dr. Stewart do it and it was very interesting. The gentleman's skin was extremely tough, so Dr. Stewart was having trouble putting the needle through it. I've never seen it done before, so I found it extremely interesting. I won't lie, it made me kinda dizzy at first. Not because his finger was bleeding and it looked pretty gross; what made me dizzy was seeing the skin on the needle! I do not like skin! It's okay because I know I can handle it if needed. What it did for me was reestablish that I do not want to be a dermatologist! Not only did I find it boring when I shadowed the dermatologist last year, I also found out I'm not a fan of the way skin looks past the outer layer, and by that I mean the part you see every day. Guess it's just not my thing!
I asked Dr. Stewart how he dealt with difficult patients. He said something I didn't think a doctor could do! He said it is perfectly okay to "fire" patients! You can't just tell them you can't see them anymore; you have to notify them in writing and let them know you can see them for medical emergency for 30 days. You also have to recommend new doctors for them to see. However, after those 30 days, you don't have to see them anymore. He said it's mostly patients that use you for narcotics, but that they do get some they let go because they may become aggressive.
I also asked him what he thought were good qualities to have as a doctor. He said being patient is very important, as well as being a good listener, have good problem solving skills, good communication, being able to gather data, have a love for learning, and be okay with routine. The last one was important because there's routine no matter what specialty you go into. He said if you don't like taking out gallbladders, you probably shouldn't do it for a living. That really got me thinking because I did like the variety of family medicine, even though you do see more things than others, like sore throat vs a rare disease. Because of this he also said he would always chose to practice primary care, but if he was to do something outside of it, he would do cardiology.
I also asked him what's the most rewarding part of the job? He said it was by far the relationship with patients. You get to know them in a level that most people don't; you can ask them anything during their visits. The part he hates the most in by far the paperwork; he said it can drive you insane, but that it's very important. You can't send off a patient to a specialist without writing things down; you have to let them know what you talked about and what, if any, medications you prescribed.
It was truly a great experience. My feet hurt at the end of the day but it was totally worth it! I wish I had more friends going into medicine that I could hang out with so we can geek out about all of this! I'm just excited about going back next week and learning even more! I think I'm going to keep my options open as far as specialties go. I find more and more things interesting. <3
I won't worry about that for a long time though.
My main worry is getting into medical school. :)
Love,
Andrea, Future M.D. or D.O.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Physician Shadowing II
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.
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.
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~!
Monday, May 13, 2013
Late Night Thoughts
It's funny how inspiration hits when insomnia reigns.
As exhausted as I am physically, my mind is too active to rest.
I've been meaning to write for a while, but I wasn't ready to talk... type... about it. My great-grandma passed away in March. It was hard for me, because I loved her very much, but also because I always thought I would go back to visit her before she passed. I hadn't seen her for nine years, and I was hoping she would last at least two more years. She would've been 100 years old on June 1st, 2015. I really wanted to go see her for her special birthday, but now I will only get to see her grave.
It's sad, but I've come to terms with the fact that it was her time to go. We can never escape the grips of death, no matter how hard we try, and no matter how scared we are. The only comfort death gives me is the idea of becoming one with the universe; in a way, we all come back again. Maybe not at the same time, but our molecules will eventually end up as part of another being. That's all that I'm certain of, so I'm sticking to it for comfort.
I wasn't planning on making this entry sad, but I had to get that out of my system. I miss her dearly but I know she will never truly leave us. Not while she lives in our memories and in our hearts.
RIP Bisabuela Olga <3 June 1st, 1914 - March 3rd, 2013 <3
On to happier thoughts.
I've had a great day. I learned that yoga is tough and although it may not feel like it, you will be feeling the burn afterwards! My body is completely exhausted. I didn't think I had worked hard at all after I was done, but a few hours later I was ready for a nap! I love exercising, it's truly amazing how great you feel after you're done. You feel energized and exhausted, probably a little sore, but it makes me feel alive!
Steven and I also looked at cars and found some good options for him. He's been dying to get a second one for a while so we don't have to keep sharing the beetle. I'm happy about it because I can put eyelashes on my car and make it super girly the second he gets his own car! That and I won't have to take the train everywhere if I don't feel like it... or if it's snowing really hard.
We also found the perfect apartment! We've been looking for a while for something that matched our needs and we FINALLY found one! It's not too far away from here so we're still close to our families and friends; that and I don't have to wake up 3 hours before my first class to catch a train. Steven still has to commute to work but it's closer to the freeway so it won't be quite as long. My favorite part about it is that it's pretty spacious so my cats will have plenty of room to run around. I'm just glad we're finally going to be able to move; living with your parents is not pleasant.
It feels like we've been lazy and failed at being adults because we haven't moved out yet, but thinking back on it, I don't think anyone else in our situation would've been able to either so I don't feel quite as bad. Steven hadn't been able to get a good job for a while, and when he did find a good one, it was too far away with a pay that wasn't high enough to justify the money he was spending on gas. It also didn't help that at some point both of us were working and going to school and never found time to see each other; even then, we were barely making enough to be on our own. We've also had to save up and spend a lot of money on my residency stuff. It's been a long process but we can almost put it behind us; I can finally apply for citizenship this year!
It's been a rough ride but I'm so relieved we can finally move out and be on our own. Life is looking up and we can live our lives the way we want to. It's been a long three years, but I'm very proud of how far we've come. We're not perfect, but we're truly perfect together. :) Steven is my best friend and I am extremely blessed and thankful to the Goddess that we crossed paths and fell in love. He is the best thing to ever happen to me; he is truly a blessing and I couldn't imagine my life without him.
Speaking of our bright future together, I'm excited about school.
I'm not taking any classes this summer because it's too expensive, so I can't wait until Fall semester. I'll be taking 17 credits hours, yuck, but that means I'm that much closer to my goal. I am no longer going to doubt myself; I am not letting fear stop me. I am going to go to medical school after I'm done with my pre-med education. It doesn't matter if I didn't do amazing my first year; I am doing amazing now and I have enough drive to keep going. I am a great student and I'm doctor material. I care for others and I will do anything in my power to help those in need, whether they be animals or humans, young or old, sick or healthy. I want to help others and I will do that when I'm ready. It doesn't matter if it's an MD school or a DO school, I will become a great doctor.
I have to talk to myself in a positive voice to help with my doubts. Slowly but surely, it's working. I think it's something that helps us all. We have to be kind to ourselves and talk to ourselves positively so we don't bring down our self-esteem. We have to be confident in our abilities; we may not do everything perfect, but we can do great things if we believe in ourselves and work hard for it. I truly believe with motivation and hard work we can achieve anything; the only thing stopping us is if we decide it's not what we want to achieve.
There's my little pep-talk of the day, I guess. :P
I feel like I can get some sleep now that I've written down everything that's been on my mind. Life is beautiful and I'm very blessed to be able to experience it. I will try to see things in a positive light and help those around me as much as I can. I am thankful for everything in my life right now, I'm thankful for everything in the past because it helped form who I am, and I'm thankful for everything that has yet to come.
Love,
Andrea~!
As exhausted as I am physically, my mind is too active to rest.
I've been meaning to write for a while, but I wasn't ready to talk... type... about it. My great-grandma passed away in March. It was hard for me, because I loved her very much, but also because I always thought I would go back to visit her before she passed. I hadn't seen her for nine years, and I was hoping she would last at least two more years. She would've been 100 years old on June 1st, 2015. I really wanted to go see her for her special birthday, but now I will only get to see her grave.
It's sad, but I've come to terms with the fact that it was her time to go. We can never escape the grips of death, no matter how hard we try, and no matter how scared we are. The only comfort death gives me is the idea of becoming one with the universe; in a way, we all come back again. Maybe not at the same time, but our molecules will eventually end up as part of another being. That's all that I'm certain of, so I'm sticking to it for comfort.
I wasn't planning on making this entry sad, but I had to get that out of my system. I miss her dearly but I know she will never truly leave us. Not while she lives in our memories and in our hearts.
RIP Bisabuela Olga <3 June 1st, 1914 - March 3rd, 2013 <3
On to happier thoughts.
I've had a great day. I learned that yoga is tough and although it may not feel like it, you will be feeling the burn afterwards! My body is completely exhausted. I didn't think I had worked hard at all after I was done, but a few hours later I was ready for a nap! I love exercising, it's truly amazing how great you feel after you're done. You feel energized and exhausted, probably a little sore, but it makes me feel alive!
Steven and I also looked at cars and found some good options for him. He's been dying to get a second one for a while so we don't have to keep sharing the beetle. I'm happy about it because I can put eyelashes on my car and make it super girly the second he gets his own car! That and I won't have to take the train everywhere if I don't feel like it... or if it's snowing really hard.
We also found the perfect apartment! We've been looking for a while for something that matched our needs and we FINALLY found one! It's not too far away from here so we're still close to our families and friends; that and I don't have to wake up 3 hours before my first class to catch a train. Steven still has to commute to work but it's closer to the freeway so it won't be quite as long. My favorite part about it is that it's pretty spacious so my cats will have plenty of room to run around. I'm just glad we're finally going to be able to move; living with your parents is not pleasant.
It feels like we've been lazy and failed at being adults because we haven't moved out yet, but thinking back on it, I don't think anyone else in our situation would've been able to either so I don't feel quite as bad. Steven hadn't been able to get a good job for a while, and when he did find a good one, it was too far away with a pay that wasn't high enough to justify the money he was spending on gas. It also didn't help that at some point both of us were working and going to school and never found time to see each other; even then, we were barely making enough to be on our own. We've also had to save up and spend a lot of money on my residency stuff. It's been a long process but we can almost put it behind us; I can finally apply for citizenship this year!
It's been a rough ride but I'm so relieved we can finally move out and be on our own. Life is looking up and we can live our lives the way we want to. It's been a long three years, but I'm very proud of how far we've come. We're not perfect, but we're truly perfect together. :) Steven is my best friend and I am extremely blessed and thankful to the Goddess that we crossed paths and fell in love. He is the best thing to ever happen to me; he is truly a blessing and I couldn't imagine my life without him.
Speaking of our bright future together, I'm excited about school.
I'm not taking any classes this summer because it's too expensive, so I can't wait until Fall semester. I'll be taking 17 credits hours, yuck, but that means I'm that much closer to my goal. I am no longer going to doubt myself; I am not letting fear stop me. I am going to go to medical school after I'm done with my pre-med education. It doesn't matter if I didn't do amazing my first year; I am doing amazing now and I have enough drive to keep going. I am a great student and I'm doctor material. I care for others and I will do anything in my power to help those in need, whether they be animals or humans, young or old, sick or healthy. I want to help others and I will do that when I'm ready. It doesn't matter if it's an MD school or a DO school, I will become a great doctor.
I have to talk to myself in a positive voice to help with my doubts. Slowly but surely, it's working. I think it's something that helps us all. We have to be kind to ourselves and talk to ourselves positively so we don't bring down our self-esteem. We have to be confident in our abilities; we may not do everything perfect, but we can do great things if we believe in ourselves and work hard for it. I truly believe with motivation and hard work we can achieve anything; the only thing stopping us is if we decide it's not what we want to achieve.
There's my little pep-talk of the day, I guess. :P
I feel like I can get some sleep now that I've written down everything that's been on my mind. Life is beautiful and I'm very blessed to be able to experience it. I will try to see things in a positive light and help those around me as much as I can. I am thankful for everything in my life right now, I'm thankful for everything in the past because it helped form who I am, and I'm thankful for everything that has yet to come.
Love,
Andrea~!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Success
I've been thinking for a while about a good post to start the year. I couldn't think of anything since I've been busy with school, and when I did have some ideas, I was too lazy to log in.
I guess they just weren't worthwhile.
I recently started thinking about success and what it takes to be successful in life. For me, being successful will come with a great job once I finish med school. Success to me is also defined by doing well in school, especially in hard subjects, like Chemistry.
Success is different for everyone and not everyone achieves it. I think the main reason why is because those people give up without trying hard enough. If you realize that the type of success you want is not what will make you happy, it's okay to give up on it. If you don't change your mind about this, then you should work hard to bring in that success.
Life is tough. We can't give up what we want out of it just because it's hard. On the contrary, we have to work even harder. No matter how difficult it may seem, or how impossible, all you can do is keep trying. We also can't allow ourselves to become discouraged just because things seem tough at the moment. That toughness will pass and things will become much easier, but if we don't stick with it we will never be able to succeed.
Time and practice are necessary and we need to be willing to put in the blood, sweat, and tears to get through it and achieve our goals.
X.o.x.o,
Andrea~!
I guess they just weren't worthwhile.
I recently started thinking about success and what it takes to be successful in life. For me, being successful will come with a great job once I finish med school. Success to me is also defined by doing well in school, especially in hard subjects, like Chemistry.
Success is different for everyone and not everyone achieves it. I think the main reason why is because those people give up without trying hard enough. If you realize that the type of success you want is not what will make you happy, it's okay to give up on it. If you don't change your mind about this, then you should work hard to bring in that success.
Life is tough. We can't give up what we want out of it just because it's hard. On the contrary, we have to work even harder. No matter how difficult it may seem, or how impossible, all you can do is keep trying. We also can't allow ourselves to become discouraged just because things seem tough at the moment. That toughness will pass and things will become much easier, but if we don't stick with it we will never be able to succeed.
Time and practice are necessary and we need to be willing to put in the blood, sweat, and tears to get through it and achieve our goals.
X.o.x.o,
Andrea~!
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