OK, so it has been a while......again.

So, I am done with pediatric internal medicine and have moved on to my elective.....Cardiothoracic surgery.

There are a few reasons that I asked for this rotation.

1) I know that I want to go into surgery and I hear that CT surgeons really utilize PA's more than any other surgeon. I wanted to see if CT surg was for me.

2) I heard that there was a possibility that this group might be looking to add another PA.

3) I heard that on this rotation, if I bust my ass, I will get to do a lot.

4) The more surgery experience I get the better.

5) Managing ICU patients scares the shit out of me, so I better get some experience while I am still a student and can fall back on that.

I had several people try to talk me out of this rotation. My preceptor has quite a reputation for being "difficult" and let me know on my first day that he has made several of our students cry. I knew this going in. I was encouraged by a student in the class before me to go on this rotation and was encouraged that with my personality I could handle it/them. I was also told that with hard work they would recognize that I want to learn and take me under their wings so to speak.

In the beginning of this rotation, I was bored. I was told in the first week, "you will get to scrub in next week". That surprised me as I have done sugery on 3 other rotations.....but I think that they are used to having students that this is their first surgery rotation, so I get it. Well, they actually let me scrub in on Wednesday of that first week......and anytime I want ever since.

In the beginning of this rotation I was thinking that I did not like CT surgery. Anything is boring if you only get to watch for 5 hours. SO, once I started to get to do things, I really started to like it! I got to put in my first chest tube solo today. I have been assisting the radial artery harvesting, and was told at the last one that I will be doing it next time.......

Well the other day that came true and I got to do a good portion of it myself!

I have been writing this over a series of a few days and a few developments have taken place. Seems like I am in high demand!! I am getting job offers left and right and people are trying to snag me. The question is......Seattle or Portland? Life or no life? No holidays or holidays? No call or call? The holidays and call would suck, but with them comes not only a ton of great experience to back me but a gigantic paycheck. The only question now is.....When do I start, and where?

It will definitely be nice to have the comfort of knowing that I will have a job waiting for me when I get out, but as of now, negotiations are stressful!!

Flying solo.....

Sometimes it is really nice when they let you take the reigns and fly solo. What a fun day! More to come, but 4am comes early....

After I was done, although the light hides my beautiful work!!

Tidying things up after a radial artery harvest for coronary artery bypass.

It's been a while.....

Hi everyone! So, I know that it has been a while since I have written anything, but family practice is just not that exciting. There are crazies and drug seekers, but I think that here, without EMTALA, we can kick them out and fire them as patients if we want. Simple as that.

The beauty, though of family practice is that I have time to have a life. Frankly, I don't know what to do with myself! It helps that former me (the other Lisa B. from Seattle that was my roomie in PA school) is here now, and that I will have her to hang out with. It is great but strange to be back in Seattle. Two of my best friends have moved away, and everyone else is having kids etc.

One thing that has been great is that I have a chance to get to the gym again. I started going a few weeks ago, but was still eating kind of crappy, and really not pushing myself to the limits that I knew that I could go so I made a decision. CrossFit. Don't know what it is? http://www.crossfit.com/

If, I am going to do this, I figure that I have to not get in my own way with my eating habits, so I am back to my old regimented ways.....but now, I'm going paleo. Basically it is eating anything that a caveman had acces to, like meat, berries, veggies, nuts. Basically all of your carb sources come from fruit and veggies. No sugar (or artificial sweeteners), no grains, no bread (sigh), no alcohol (although red wine and tequila are considered paleo alcohol), no caffeine (I will allow myself one coffe a day). I am going to do a modified paleo in that I am going to allow myself cream in my coffee, and cheese on certain things. Today is day one. I started crossfit almost a week ago, have gone 3 times, gotten my ass handed to me and loved every minute of it!!! Since starting the zone and going mostly paleo, I have lost 2 lbs in a week.

I don't expect to drop a ton of weight, but I do expect my body composition to change greatly. I already feel the difference in my mood and sleep. The only problem is that the first two days I woke up with a raging headache. Not so bad this morning though. I will keep you all updated on my progress on this. I look forward to getting my strength and my hot bod back!

11'ers, you will see a new, fitter me in 5 weeks!

I promise to post more interesting office antics soon. I will also post progress of my transformation! Todays difficulty.....resisting the free pizza and doughnuts. The doughnuts smell so good!