the Beginning

Hi Everyone!
I've decided to start blogging as a way to process my experiences out on rotations, share funny newly married (can we still say that at 3 years?) stories, and life in general. :)

3 things to share about today:

1) CLINICAL YEAR HAS ARRIVED. I started my first rotation this past Friday. To summarize, physician assistant school is two years with the first year spent in the classroom and the second year out on rotations, 12 rotations each a month long. My first one is the emergency room. I was incredibly nervous for this first day. When do I get to eat!? Where do I go? Put my stuff? I've been studying my butt off for the past year with almost 40 hrs/week of classes and labs to prepare for the ominous clinical year, but am I really ready? I'm happy to report that every uncertainty went away once I started seeing patients. This is exactly where I'm meant to be in life, and although I didn't know every answer, I have been thoroughly trained on how to find out the answer. I loved talking to patients. I loved being able to answer questions. I loved DOING things!!! Draining abscesses, splinting, physical exams, I loved it all! Although I did not love the timing of the shift (2pm-12am), the hour drive to the ER, and surprisingly the incredibly vulgar, ubiquitous vulgar language among the staff, I am so thankful for this little bit of affirmation that this is just where I'm supposed to be. Ideally in future posts I'll elaborate more on interesting cases I see and experiences with colleagues, but first I need to feel out what is appropriate to share.

2) RUNNING. Seth and I have been training for a half marathon. I am not a runner. I don't even particularly like running. I have never ran in my life. I don't know what got into me this past August, but one day I just decided to find a half marathon schedule on Pinterest and stick to it. And all I have to say is almost 10 weeks later, I went from barely being able to run 2 miles to today, where I ran 11 miles and felt strong and healthy. It hasn't been easy. I haven't even really liked it that much. But the key is just put on those sneakers and get out there every day and accept that some days you'll feel like $1,000,000 bucks and other days you will feel like garbage. But I never knew these little legs could take me so far, but they have! And yours can too, but the key is you gotta just keep showing up and get out there. I PROMISE it gets easier. It's so nice when finally your lungs get conditioned and all you think about is if your legs will get tired, but it does take time. Patience. :) Also, the first rule of running/jogging/walking: thou shalt not compare your mile to anybody else's mile. A mile is a mile. Be proud of yourself no matter what, because the hardest part is just putting on your shoes and getting going.

3) MARRIAGE. I wish we didn't have cable. It's just so easy to turn on the TV. I love Chopped and HGTV, but I'm finding that quality time with Seth spent in front of the TV leaves me feeling incredibly unsatisfied. We had an awesome afternoon on the porch. It was really sunny, and we were reading (with intermittent guitar playing from Seth). Still not interacting as much, but there is just something about TV that makes you feel so unengaged and unfulfilled about the time you spent together. Goal for the week: keep the TV off more. Ultimately I wish we didn't have cable at all (and our lives pre-cable just seemed so much better), but of course it is college football season, and Seth loves his Oregon Ducks.

So this is the beginning of my blog. I don't know what will come of it, if anything, but I imagine as clinical year progresses I will have some interesting experiences to process through, and if anything, Seth does something really hilarious at least every other day that is always worth sharing. I've also been trying to learn to really cook this past year with some great successes and huge failures, so those things may be worth sharing too. Who knows!

Happy Sunday!