Ob/Gyn rotation

Last month I had my Ob/Gyn rotation at Riverside County Regional Medical Center. Looking back I can say that it was a good learning experience but going through it was really hard. The hours were terrible and I always thought I was a morning person but having to be at the hospital by 5 am to write notes on patients is a different story. It made me appreciate the days when I could be at the hospital at 8 am and I could see the sun outside when I drove to work. Not to mention the 12 hour and 24 shifts. It was my first time sleeping at a hospital while on my 24 hour shift and I’m thankful that I got to sleep for a few hours, but the anxiety of knowing my pager could go off any second and also being in a cold, eerie room by myself definitely did not contribute to a good night of rest. I hope I never have to go through another 24 hour shift again. I need my sleep!!!

The clinic is probably where I learned the most and got the most hands-on experience because they let the students do almost everything (unless the pt is more complicated, then the residents or attendings help out). I got to do more Pap smears and pelvic exams than I ever want to do in life…and I realized going through Project Prepare while I was in school really helped. I felt more confident knowing that I had seen and done a pelvic exam on a fake patient before. I dreaded the days we had Gyn patients at clinic…and I liked Ob days so much better. Mostly because with Ob patients, unless they are high-risk, have uncomplicated pregnancies and are there for routine follow-up. I especially liked seeing the patients’ reassured faces when I used the fetal dopplers to check their baby’s fetal heart tones.

The highlight of my rotation, though, was when I got to deliver a baby on the last day! I had a 12 hour shift that day in the L&D (labor and delivery) and even though I wasn’t looking forward to the long hours, I was really hoping that it would be an eventful last day. It’s always better when it’s busier, that way I’m not constantly looking at the clock and bored out of my mind. So around 10 am, I followed the PA resident into the room of one of the women who was in labor. And I stayed in that room until she gave birth; I think it took about 1.5 to 2 hours but it didn’t feel that long to me because I was just fascinated by the whole process. There were times when she pushed and I saw the baby’s head, but then it would go back in. That happened several times. Well to speed up the story, there was the defining moment when the patient gave one good push and the PA resident told me it was time to get scrubbed in. I think at that point I kind of felt an adrenaline rush. I was under the impression that I would be assisting the PA resident, but instead she had me do everything, from guiding and catching the baby to clamping the cord, getting samples of the cord blood, and delivering the placenta. I am so thankful to her for allowing me to experience that. I was just amazed at the whole process, and the baby felt so tiny and warm in my hands. She was a bloody mess when she first came out, but after she got all dry and cleaned up, oh my wasn’t she the cutest thing! I teared up when I saw the mom holding her baby for the first time. The dad was there too and he looked so proud. It was just a beautiful moment. Birth really is a miracle. I’m so glad I got a chance to end my rotation this way. I couldn’t have asked for a better last day!

First rotation thoughts

Started my first rotation on November 1st – NICU at St. Rose Hospital.

It’s only my first week but to be honest, it was a pretty tough week.

It’s really different from what I expected – so much charting and paperwork involved, and no interaction with patients at all since they are all premies and can’t talk.

Basically my schedule goes like this: Be there by 7:30 am and check up on my patients, fill out charts. Rounds usually start around 9:30 or 10 (depending on the doctor that’s in charge that day) and then we round til about 1pm straight, which is when they let us take a lunch break. Eat a quick lunch, come back and finish rounds til 4.

Was really tempted to dwell on the negative aspects of this rotation (especially having to go in on the weekends every other week and not getting Thanksgiving off) but that won’t help change the situation, so I decided to find one thing to be thankful for each day starting today. Otherwise I won’t be able to endure the next 3.5 weeks.

Today, I actually found more than one thing to be thankful for. 1) St. Rose is really close to our place, so I don’t have to be stuck in traffic in the mornings and can get there in 10 minutes local. 2) Free lunch for students! Gives me something to look forward to during the day because food at this hospital is pretty good and different everyday. 3) Found a really nice toilet on the same floor as the NICU. The seat is warm and it’s a bidet. Didn’t know American people used this too. Anyway I discovered it today after I heard a nurse raving about it the other day. I think they put it there for the postpartum women recovering from their delivery. Note to self: must get one of these in the future when we buy a house! keke 4) It’s really quiet in the NICU. Sometimes the babies cry, but their cries are tolerable and not too loud. I’d rather be in a quiet setting than be in a hectic, loud one! 5) The doctors I work with are super nice and gentle! I think that’s why they are neonatologists, haha. 6) I am with one other student from my class, and 3 medical school students. It helps that I’m not alone and that I can ask questions when I don’t know something.

I guess there are many things to be thankful for, and I’ll keep adding to this list throughout my rotation. Overall, I guess I should just be thankful and try to make the most of this opportunity, even thought it’s nothing like what I expected and totally different from a traditional peds rotation. Also, it’s therapeutic for the soul to be around babies and hold them. I got to hold one baby today and it just warmed my heart. He is so tiny, like all the other babies there, but oh-so-precious!

The smallest baby in the unit was born 330 grams at just 24 weeks gestation. (Normal pregnancy is between 37-42 weeks). That’s insanely small – only 0.73 pounds!!! The doctor said she was the smallest baby with intact survival in the state of Nevada. Pretty amazing. Yet, she has managed to survive and is doing well, though on ventilator support. I hope she will turn out strong and healthy!

Anyway, more to follow later…now it’s time to catch up on some sleep, study, and relax this weekend!

bored

hubby’s first time on-call tonight!

my first time home alone at night since…since……..i can’t remember.

i thought i’d be a little scared…but nope. i’m just realllllllyyyy bored right now, wish hubby was here.

i’ve just been watching k-drama and youtube videos and singing along to songs like IU’s “Someday” and Mandy Moore’s “Only Hope” to fill the quiet. lol

lalalalalala…so this is is what it feels like to be home alone at night…almost forgot how that felt since it’s been so long.

i wonder what hubby’s up to. wonder if he’s stressed, if he’s seeing patients right now, or how it feels to be “on-call” for the first time. kinda sounds cool too, although i hope i don’t ever have to be on-call.

hwa-ee-ting hubby! can’t wait to see u tomorrow =]

Valley of Vision

I was sharing with one of my friends about a difficult time I went through recently and she introduced this prayer/poem/song to me today. It’s such a moving, beautiful prayer and I hope it will also encourage you and uplift you when you are  going through a difficult period in your life.  Here it is:

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.

valleys are a good place to be in

Hope

This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.

The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I have hope in Him.”

- Lamentations 3:21-24 -

This is one of my favorite verses. Every time I read it, it never fails to blow me away.

So thankful for His lovingkindess which never ceases and His mercies which are new every morning. Thankful for the HOPE that I have in Him. Every day is a new day & we get to experience His forgiveness and grace every single day. Woohoo!

we <3 weekends!

just wanted to write that i thoroughly enjoyed this weekend.

we didn’t do anything “special” but on saturday, we just relaxed at home and went swimming at night (got the pool all to ourselves again!). today we went to church & were blessed by the message, came home & took a nap, went shopping, had dinner @ oyster bar, and then walked around whole foods for a little bit & sampled their teas and cookies.

i am very much loving the fact that hubby and i can go grocery shopping together and even shopping for clothes together now! it seems too good to be true.

the first 2 years of medical school roy had to devote more time to his studies which meant i usually went grocery shopping by myself and couldn’t hang out with him as much. we still hung out, but it always felt like the time had to be cut short and we couldn’t fully enjoy our time together. i wondered if it was always going to be like that, but fortunately, third year seems to be so much better. roy still has to study but it’s not as stressful as before, and we can afford the luxury of being spontaneous, especially during the weekends. this makes me happy and hubby is happy too

summer fun

some updates since last time i blogged:

1) hubby finished with his board exams! woohoo!! we’re both very happy and thankful that we made it through this stressful time. roy has definitely been enjoying his rotations much more than studying. he’s doing internal med this month and i’m kinda jealous that he gets free hospital food everyday. but i’m happy that he’s happier with this stage of med school.

happy hubby home after his first day of clerkships

2) we got to go on a weekend trip to St. George, Utah to celebrate post-exams and just to spend time with each other unwinding. we couldn’t go anywhere too far since i had school on monday again, boo… even though it was a short trip, it was sooo worth it and very relaxing. roy insisted booking a room at the red mountain resort even tho it was a little on the pricy side and neither of us ended up regretting it (nice choice hubby!). some highlights of our trip were lying on the hammock, relaxing at the relaxation room (haha…the name is very fitting), taking advantage of the jacuzzi after closing hours, and eating good food. pictures to follow:

on our way to St. George...only a 2.5 hour drive...not bad at all!

chillin' in the hammock with the view of the canyons in front of us

inside the relaxation room/spa...beautiful, isn't it?

goofing around while roy's taking a nap hehe

3) we moved this past weekend to a different apartment complex! the move itself was hard (especially in the vegas summer heat), but really thankful for friends who helped us out…from giving us boxes to letting us borrow their car to actually helping load stuff . it took us about 2 full days to unpack everything and settle in…i had two exams the following week but couldn’t stand the sight of boxes just sitting there – i had to unpack right away! but let me tell you, unpacking and organizing stuff is way more fun than packing. i didn’t realize we had accumulated so much stuff in the last 2 years…downsizing from a 2 bedroom apartment to a 1 bedroom is not easy, we had to throw away/donate a LOT of stuff but through it were reminded to live simply knowing this earth is only our temporary home.

some before & after pics of our new place!

pic of our kitchen on move-in day

living room pic - before

the bottom of my feet got soooo dirty from moving

kitchen - after!

living room pic - after

view from our balcony...see the Strip?

4) my family got a puppy! they drove all the way from san jose to san bernardino to pick up the puppy…whew. it’s a poongsan dog 4 months old, but it’s already pretty big! my parents were shocked to see how big it was (in their mind, they were imagining a puppy) but my little brother still really wanted it, so of course my parents had to give in. anyway, i’m glad my younger brother has a dog to play with now, and i hope it’ll prove to be a good, loyal family dog for many years to come.

this was Balloon @ 2 months old...soooooo cute

Balloon now @ 4 months...she doesn't look like much of a puppy anymore!

that’s all for now…A month of school has already passed and it hasn’t been as bad as i made it out to be in my previous blog. thank God!

anyway, it’s still really hot here…104 degrees earlier today…fall weather can you come soon please??