I was working the weekend. I was being nice so the 2 guys with family on the service can get the weekend. This way I can get my 3-4 days New Year's weekend for sure.
I guess I lucked out, since the staff on for the weekend is a quick rounder so it won't be too bad. Also CCF gives us a free meal as well for the holiday. It wasn't so bad. The entire weekend I was done by 1pm so I get the rest of day to myself. It was only 4-5 hrs a day and by the time I was finish, I would still be fairly early in calling home.
I do feel sad, depressive, since I was the only one around for the holiday. Definitely lonely. I do believe it was the first time that I have felt the loneliness to this extent. It made me really miss my family. The very first holiday that I did not go home. BooHoo.
I just spent the weekend with me and myself and my lonely pitiful Christmas tree. I did watch the classic Christmas movies too. My favorite is still the Miracle on 34th St (original and remake).
Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Weekend with my mistress
My Mistress (Kirstin) has come to visit ... Yippee ... super excited. Haven't seen her since graduation. Would say she's my best friend. She drove in on Thurs night and Fri she's getting pampered while I'm at work.
So after work on Friday, went to meet up with Kirstin and Sarah's place. We just hung out, chatted and playing with Sarah's boys. They are adorable and love to play. I'm excited that Evan remembers who I am.
Then we went to Mad Greek for dinner where I got the GroupOn. They serve both Greek and Indian food. I had gyros and Kirstin had curry. They are both good. Totally worth going. I think I'll use my lunch coupon either with someone or just order take out on a weekend.
Cleveland is not a Friday night going out city, so we stayed in and watch movies and just hang out with the 2 of us. I really miss her. In Kirksville, we would chat nearly everyday and we live so close together. She was the reason that I even looked at Cleveland then she pulled the card which the program she wanted was not taking any. Now we just swapped out cities. Too funny, God, You just love to play with us.
For Sat, we had brunch with Sarah and Scot and then just hang out. It was good times, we had girl talks with Sarah and catched up with Scot as well. Poor dude, he's exhausted. Looking at him, I'm glad that I didn't do medicine. Whew. We also played with their little guys too. Love them. They are so much fun.
Afterwards, we went to Melt. It's basically a grilled cheese restaurant but they have some strangest and weird combination of grilled cheese. But it's actually good. It was featured on Diners, Drive-in and Dives show with Guy Fieri with Lucky Cafe. I've always want to try it but there's always a wait especially for a table. So this was a good opportunity for me to go with Kirstin. I had the Tokyo Tuna melt with fresh tuna and wasabi and Kirstin got the Big Popper (essentially jalepeno popper sandwich). We shared Melt Peirogi. Everything was yummy, delish. They have really good saurkraut too. I think it's got vodka in it, making it taste better than any other ones. Their coleslaw is fresh too, not much of mayo, mostly vinegarrette with lemon juice and whatnot. I think this will become a new place for me to order takeout.
That night, we went to Cadillac Ranch and like we are not leaving cuz it was too cold outside. It was quiet until around 11pm when more people started to arrive. It was fun, we just had drinks and danced the night away. We did attracted a couple of the older guys who were a little creepy than we would like. We ended up trying to run away from them. Yuck! After that we ended dacing with a group of Indians. The guy I was dancing with was cute and the girls with them were giving me the stink eyes. Haha. It was fun. The one Kirstin dance with just 21 so still fairly young but wa just as fun. Overall it was a good fun night.
So for Sunday we went to my church, mostly Chinese and Kirstin was one of the only blonde in the sanctuary. Haha. Afterwards we went Mint Cafe for Thai food. Yummy. This was a good place for my fix of Thai food. Definitely another take-out place for me. Afterwards, we just veg and watched movies. It was a good restful Sunday.
This was a great weekend. Can't wait to see her over New Years in NYC. :)
So after work on Friday, went to meet up with Kirstin and Sarah's place. We just hung out, chatted and playing with Sarah's boys. They are adorable and love to play. I'm excited that Evan remembers who I am.
Then we went to Mad Greek for dinner where I got the GroupOn. They serve both Greek and Indian food. I had gyros and Kirstin had curry. They are both good. Totally worth going. I think I'll use my lunch coupon either with someone or just order take out on a weekend.
Cleveland is not a Friday night going out city, so we stayed in and watch movies and just hang out with the 2 of us. I really miss her. In Kirksville, we would chat nearly everyday and we live so close together. She was the reason that I even looked at Cleveland then she pulled the card which the program she wanted was not taking any. Now we just swapped out cities. Too funny, God, You just love to play with us.
For Sat, we had brunch with Sarah and Scot and then just hang out. It was good times, we had girl talks with Sarah and catched up with Scot as well. Poor dude, he's exhausted. Looking at him, I'm glad that I didn't do medicine. Whew. We also played with their little guys too. Love them. They are so much fun.
Afterwards, we went to Melt. It's basically a grilled cheese restaurant but they have some strangest and weird combination of grilled cheese. But it's actually good. It was featured on Diners, Drive-in and Dives show with Guy Fieri with Lucky Cafe. I've always want to try it but there's always a wait especially for a table. So this was a good opportunity for me to go with Kirstin. I had the Tokyo Tuna melt with fresh tuna and wasabi and Kirstin got the Big Popper (essentially jalepeno popper sandwich). We shared Melt Peirogi. Everything was yummy, delish. They have really good saurkraut too. I think it's got vodka in it, making it taste better than any other ones. Their coleslaw is fresh too, not much of mayo, mostly vinegarrette with lemon juice and whatnot. I think this will become a new place for me to order takeout.
That night, we went to Cadillac Ranch and like we are not leaving cuz it was too cold outside. It was quiet until around 11pm when more people started to arrive. It was fun, we just had drinks and danced the night away. We did attracted a couple of the older guys who were a little creepy than we would like. We ended up trying to run away from them. Yuck! After that we ended dacing with a group of Indians. The guy I was dancing with was cute and the girls with them were giving me the stink eyes. Haha. It was fun. The one Kirstin dance with just 21 so still fairly young but wa just as fun. Overall it was a good fun night.
So for Sunday we went to my church, mostly Chinese and Kirstin was one of the only blonde in the sanctuary. Haha. Afterwards we went Mint Cafe for Thai food. Yummy. This was a good place for my fix of Thai food. Definitely another take-out place for me. Afterwards, we just veg and watched movies. It was a good restful Sunday.
This was a great weekend. Can't wait to see her over New Years in NYC. :)
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Infectious Disease
Finished one of our crazy rotation. ID in any hospital is busy, so being busy at CCF is no surprise at all.
The service is great despite being long days. The staff are really nice and tried to teach as much as they could. Also there's at least one lecture everyday then the residents have their required lectures depending on individual department. Sometimes I felt like I was just running between patients and lectures all day.
Then we have to come in one day during the weekend. Those days are usually lighter depending on the number of consults and the fellow. I have been getting out by 4pm and usually with 3 consults or so. We also had to see our own patients from the week as well.
Everyday, we had to see our old patients from previous day then pick 2-3 new consults. Sometimes we would double our list in one day. When we get too busy or had one too many complicated patients, our staff would help out too. At times I would have to see 6-8 pts before lecture and new consults rolling in around 9am.
There are some interesting patients being that it is the Cleveland Clinic. One that I had was a patient with a mass growing the brain but negative cultures. The biggest question was what is it. That was never answered but the extensive work up needed required thinking and see what the next set of work up would be required. He may one in which we would never know the answers to.
Other than the occasional strange cases, most of the consults were post surgical infection. I have learned much of the antibiotics, what they are, when to use it and how to manage them. Also learned about the prior tests that should be done before consults. I think this is definitely a good intern rotation especially for the IM residents.
Overall, this has been a good rotation. Totally recommending it.
The service is great despite being long days. The staff are really nice and tried to teach as much as they could. Also there's at least one lecture everyday then the residents have their required lectures depending on individual department. Sometimes I felt like I was just running between patients and lectures all day.
Then we have to come in one day during the weekend. Those days are usually lighter depending on the number of consults and the fellow. I have been getting out by 4pm and usually with 3 consults or so. We also had to see our own patients from the week as well.
Everyday, we had to see our old patients from previous day then pick 2-3 new consults. Sometimes we would double our list in one day. When we get too busy or had one too many complicated patients, our staff would help out too. At times I would have to see 6-8 pts before lecture and new consults rolling in around 9am.
There are some interesting patients being that it is the Cleveland Clinic. One that I had was a patient with a mass growing the brain but negative cultures. The biggest question was what is it. That was never answered but the extensive work up needed required thinking and see what the next set of work up would be required. He may one in which we would never know the answers to.
Other than the occasional strange cases, most of the consults were post surgical infection. I have learned much of the antibiotics, what they are, when to use it and how to manage them. Also learned about the prior tests that should be done before consults. I think this is definitely a good intern rotation especially for the IM residents.
Overall, this has been a good rotation. Totally recommending it.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Chronicles of Narnia
The 2nd awesome movie I saw in the span of 2 weeks. It's a good fantasy genre and still Christian base. Totally worth seeing. great for family and adults. A great way to talk about the parallels to Christianity. I felt like a kid again watching the movie, the awe, the amazement of the fantasy.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
It's food!: Mexican Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad
It's food!: Mexican Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad: "Ingredients: Salad: 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks 2 tbsp. canola or other vegetable oil 1 tbsp. ground corian..."
I had this at a potluck and it was surprisingly yummy. Didn't think this was going to taste good because of the combination.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Thanksgiving
of course, I'm on ID and the first day, was told that Thanksgiving is a regular work day, not a holiday or weekend. Bummer, didn't think I was going to be able to go to Eskestrands for the holiday but could make it to the church one though.
That week was also my first official week on ID with just me, senior res and staff and the load of patients just keep increasing and days are long with us meeting our educational requirement. Days go from 7:30a to 6p.
For Thanksgiving, thankfully, it was quiet and the fellow let us go around 1pm whenever we finished with out share of consults. I did manage to get to Eskestrands' luncheon and met some of their friends from their church. It was nice since it's a truly homecooked thanksgiving meal and good people and company. It at least made me feel like it a family gathering.
After the lunch, I basically got home and showered then went straight to the church dinner with Nepalese and Burmese refugees. It was multicultural and was very nice to see other people who were not able to go home for the holiday gathering together because we have God and church in common.
By the end of the night, I was stuffed, got some left over from church that lasted me for another 2 meals. I'm very thankful that God has provided me with friends that willing to take me in and a church that provided me a home away from home.
I did miss my "mistress", Kirstin's, family, I have spent previoius Thanksgiving with them, they are very much like my own family except Americans and do the traditional Thanksgiving meal. I haven't been to my own family's Thanksgiving get together in years. This year, there's not one potluck but just a few of of family members having dinner with my grandmother. It's always one holiday where I don't try really hard to get myself back home. Christmas is the one that I tried harder. Oh well, but I had fun, not too bad this year being alone.
That week was also my first official week on ID with just me, senior res and staff and the load of patients just keep increasing and days are long with us meeting our educational requirement. Days go from 7:30a to 6p.
For Thanksgiving, thankfully, it was quiet and the fellow let us go around 1pm whenever we finished with out share of consults. I did manage to get to Eskestrands' luncheon and met some of their friends from their church. It was nice since it's a truly homecooked thanksgiving meal and good people and company. It at least made me feel like it a family gathering.
After the lunch, I basically got home and showered then went straight to the church dinner with Nepalese and Burmese refugees. It was multicultural and was very nice to see other people who were not able to go home for the holiday gathering together because we have God and church in common.
By the end of the night, I was stuffed, got some left over from church that lasted me for another 2 meals. I'm very thankful that God has provided me with friends that willing to take me in and a church that provided me a home away from home.
I did miss my "mistress", Kirstin's, family, I have spent previoius Thanksgiving with them, they are very much like my own family except Americans and do the traditional Thanksgiving meal. I haven't been to my own family's Thanksgiving get together in years. This year, there's not one potluck but just a few of of family members having dinner with my grandmother. It's always one holiday where I don't try really hard to get myself back home. Christmas is the one that I tried harder. Oh well, but I had fun, not too bad this year being alone.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Harry Potter & Deathly Hallows
Movie time ... first movie since the last one I saw with my brother.
Definitely a fan of Harry Potter, never read the books but totally enjoyed the movies. So totally up for this when friends from church made plans for this.
Watched this with Angel and everyone else bailed out on us. Oh well.
The movie was great, intense with humor thrown in every so often. It got both me and Angel on the edge of seats most of the time. I didn't even realized that it's been 2hrs when I checked my watch. Usually I would start checking my watch about 45min-1hr into the movie. So didn't want the movie to end.
Can't wait the next installment in May/June. Totally watching it the weekend it comes out.
Afterwards, we went the Cladagh (Irish pub). They are known for fish and chips around the area. I had that and Angel had their Jack Daniel Burger. Both were yummy. Normally, I don't like restaurant burgers but this one was really good, totally impressed with it. The fish was more fish than dough. Good quality, totally could come again.
Definitely a fan of Harry Potter, never read the books but totally enjoyed the movies. So totally up for this when friends from church made plans for this.
Watched this with Angel and everyone else bailed out on us. Oh well.
The movie was great, intense with humor thrown in every so often. It got both me and Angel on the edge of seats most of the time. I didn't even realized that it's been 2hrs when I checked my watch. Usually I would start checking my watch about 45min-1hr into the movie. So didn't want the movie to end.
Can't wait the next installment in May/June. Totally watching it the weekend it comes out.
Afterwards, we went the Cladagh (Irish pub). They are known for fish and chips around the area. I had that and Angel had their Jack Daniel Burger. Both were yummy. Normally, I don't like restaurant burgers but this one was really good, totally impressed with it. The fish was more fish than dough. Good quality, totally could come again.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
COMLEX step 3
Yucky ... glad that it's the last one for the ridiculous COMLEX. My goal is to just pass and if I scored high, then it'll be a bonus.
Materials:
First Aid Step 3 - chose this because bad experience with Crush step 2, not a fan of sentences/paragraphs study guides. Need something that is readable and easy to understand.
Combank - used it for step 2 and it was fine, so I stuck with it. signed up for it for a month.
Plan: read the FA book twice and do the Qbank for the month with the goal of getting around 70%.
Note: By the last week before the test, I got really sick of it, so the weekend before I just decided to not do any studying. I even went to the B-Ball game the week before. I guess it's pretty true that for Step 3, you just need a No. 2 pencil. :) I'm not that crazy but I think if I had studied 10-12 hr/day for 2 weeks, it would've been fine. Certainly glad that I'm done.
Test: it's long, 400Qs in 8hrs. There are some ridiculous questions, like anatomy related to OMM (literally muscle insertion and what not) and ethics/medicare/medicaid. Lots of OB and peds and case related. There are certainly a few of pull out of the hat types as well. Generally the format and the feel were similar to Step 2. Ended up with a headache by the end.
As a treat, I went to SalonBlu for eyebrow wax and a short massage. The therapist was good, excellent. She went right for the muscles and got the eyebrows right. Totally coming back for it even though it was a bit pricey.
Update: 12/18 - passed Step 3. Lowest of the 3 but passed with a good cushion. 487/81.
Also as of now, my eyebrows are still in good shape even a month after. Plan on going back 1-2 weeks before going to Taiwan.
Materials:
First Aid Step 3 - chose this because bad experience with Crush step 2, not a fan of sentences/paragraphs study guides. Need something that is readable and easy to understand.
Combank - used it for step 2 and it was fine, so I stuck with it. signed up for it for a month.
Plan: read the FA book twice and do the Qbank for the month with the goal of getting around 70%.
Note: By the last week before the test, I got really sick of it, so the weekend before I just decided to not do any studying. I even went to the B-Ball game the week before. I guess it's pretty true that for Step 3, you just need a No. 2 pencil. :) I'm not that crazy but I think if I had studied 10-12 hr/day for 2 weeks, it would've been fine. Certainly glad that I'm done.
Test: it's long, 400Qs in 8hrs. There are some ridiculous questions, like anatomy related to OMM (literally muscle insertion and what not) and ethics/medicare/medicaid. Lots of OB and peds and case related. There are certainly a few of pull out of the hat types as well. Generally the format and the feel were similar to Step 2. Ended up with a headache by the end.
As a treat, I went to SalonBlu for eyebrow wax and a short massage. The therapist was good, excellent. She went right for the muscles and got the eyebrows right. Totally coming back for it even though it was a bit pricey.
Update: 12/18 - passed Step 3. Lowest of the 3 but passed with a good cushion. 487/81.
Also as of now, my eyebrows are still in good shape even a month after. Plan on going back 1-2 weeks before going to Taiwan.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Hospitalist
So glad I'm in anesthesia and not end up in internal medicine. ::happy sigh::
The biggest issues I had was that I felt like a social worker/case manager instead of physician. For every patient, it was dealing with where would they go, how would they get meds, insurance issues, who would take care of them and follow up after discharge. There are little medicine involved. Only complicated patients would I feel like that I'm actually practicing medicine.
Other than that, it has been a fairly good month. Reminding me of some basic medicine since I haven't really seen medicine since Jan of my 4th year. It's a good practice and learning to prep for my Step 3.
The funny thing is that there's a fellow for hospitalist. Why would anyone want do 1 yr fellowship in hospitalist medicine? Shouldn't anyone who had finish IM residency should be able to practice hospitalist medicine? Bizzare.
One thing that really irked me was that a patient was transferred from cardiac ICU after MI was ruled out. When I saw the patient, she was breathing really fast and in pain. There was a CT report of pancreatitis vs cholecystitis. Of course, no abx was started, totally unconcerned that it could turn into necrotizing pancreatitis. When I got patient, decided to watch carefully for the night with low threshold to go to MICU. Of course the next AM, disaster struck. Septic picture, change in mental status, respiratory distress. MICU she went. I followed with what happened. She coded and suffered anoxic brain injury. CT read 75% necrotizing pancreatitis. Passed few days later when family withdraw care. Sad. what a disaster from too focused specialties and units/floors.
The biggest issues I had was that I felt like a social worker/case manager instead of physician. For every patient, it was dealing with where would they go, how would they get meds, insurance issues, who would take care of them and follow up after discharge. There are little medicine involved. Only complicated patients would I feel like that I'm actually practicing medicine.
Other than that, it has been a fairly good month. Reminding me of some basic medicine since I haven't really seen medicine since Jan of my 4th year. It's a good practice and learning to prep for my Step 3.
The funny thing is that there's a fellow for hospitalist. Why would anyone want do 1 yr fellowship in hospitalist medicine? Shouldn't anyone who had finish IM residency should be able to practice hospitalist medicine? Bizzare.
One thing that really irked me was that a patient was transferred from cardiac ICU after MI was ruled out. When I saw the patient, she was breathing really fast and in pain. There was a CT report of pancreatitis vs cholecystitis. Of course, no abx was started, totally unconcerned that it could turn into necrotizing pancreatitis. When I got patient, decided to watch carefully for the night with low threshold to go to MICU. Of course the next AM, disaster struck. Septic picture, change in mental status, respiratory distress. MICU she went. I followed with what happened. She coded and suffered anoxic brain injury. CT read 75% necrotizing pancreatitis. Passed few days later when family withdraw care. Sad. what a disaster from too focused specialties and units/floors.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
NBA Nets vs Cavs
I got tix from CCF to the basketball game for $40/pair in the middle seats. Pretty good seats for the price. I figured why not? It would be my first NBA game and it was pretty cheap game. The only problem was who to ask to come with?
My thought was that I don't really know who would be interested in going with me. So I decided to ask one of the guys I met at church that I knew was interested in B-Ball. VL is from Cali and knew several people from my home church. He's very funny too, great sense of humor. So I asked him to come with as friends, no other intention at all.
He ended up asking me if we want to grab a bite to eat before the game as I would be going staright from work. I didn't even think that this might become a date at all. He did paid for the meal and drove me from dinner to game.
From my close girlfriend, this turned into a date, despite me being completely oblivious about it. This was only supposed to be friendly hangout time. Oh well. We shall see what will happen next.
Otherwise, game was fun but the best part was the end that determined the results. I would definitely be up for another one. The weekend after I found out that there were 2 other girls from church that are up for sports game too. Now I've got buddies to go with for the next games.
This turned out weird, probably me being oblivious. Oh well. We shall see what happens the next time I see him.
My thought was that I don't really know who would be interested in going with me. So I decided to ask one of the guys I met at church that I knew was interested in B-Ball. VL is from Cali and knew several people from my home church. He's very funny too, great sense of humor. So I asked him to come with as friends, no other intention at all.
He ended up asking me if we want to grab a bite to eat before the game as I would be going staright from work. I didn't even think that this might become a date at all. He did paid for the meal and drove me from dinner to game.
From my close girlfriend, this turned into a date, despite me being completely oblivious about it. This was only supposed to be friendly hangout time. Oh well. We shall see what will happen next.
Otherwise, game was fun but the best part was the end that determined the results. I would definitely be up for another one. The weekend after I found out that there were 2 other girls from church that are up for sports game too. Now I've got buddies to go with for the next games.
This turned out weird, probably me being oblivious. Oh well. We shall see what happens the next time I see him.
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