Field Trips and Future Marathoners

Only at my primary care clinic site do I love Mondays.

Especially when we take field trips. My preceptor is awesome and treats us to lunch every day, so yesterday we decided to hit the road and eat out. After climbing into my coworker's souped-up Subaru, we enjoyed a nice leisurely ride to the restaurant (and by enjoyed, I mean that I may have been holding on to the seat for dear life).

Our Chauffer

Nice Parking Job...

While enjoying our delicious lunch, I joked that we should start taking walks after lunch to avoid the dreaded "post-lunch coma."  After being glared at by 6 eyes of horror and disgust, Dr. Watson said "You know, that's actually not a bad idea."  I was more than excited about the idea but I never thought they'd actually go for it.  So today, Operation Brittany Boot Camp commenced.  To prepare for the arduous event, there was carbo-loading, hydration, and stretching.  0.22 miles later (aka 2 blocks), we arrived at our destination.  It was a momentous occasion and I couldn't be more proud of my future marathoners.

Stretch those Hammys

Medical staff or marathoners?  No one knows!

It breaks my heart into tiny pieces that I have only 8 more work days in the next two months to spend at my favorite clinic in the whole world. Where else do you laugh as much as you work, have pinterest potlucks and themed outfit days, have a limitless supply of snacks at your disposal, get poked fun at from the moment you walk through the doors, and are required to eat lunch together at the dining table. Not to mention that I have the greatest and most supportive teacher in the world, Dr. Watson.

Field Trip to Home Depot 

Heart Heath Wednesday
(and apparently "stand-with-the-Tax-guy-on-the-corner" Wednesday!) 

Rainy Day Wednesday

Dress like Brittany Day

If there were ever one thing to keep me from moving back to Alaska, it would be CMDC. (Well, that and the beautiful beaches, constant sun, abundance of running races, and my awesome Californian friends....ha!). I am so grateful that I was placed at CMDC for the past YEAR and I can't thank Dr. Watson, Leyshla, and Frenchie enough for being so amazing.

I LOVE these three people.  

Personal Stylist and Cookies and Cream

If I could open my closet and find one thing... It would be a personal fashion designer. Fashion is not my forte.  (Unless you consider matching my running outfits.  Then I could probably hold my own.)  I have always admired people who look like they walked out of Vogue magazine no matter what they are doing or where they are.  I can't remember the last time I wasn't wearing a hoodie and yoga pants when I went to the grocery store. On the rare occasion I do feel inspired, it is because of a little site called Pinterest. I usually find a great idea for an outfit and I falsely say to myself, "Oh, you could totally pull that off!" Somehow when I put on a comparable outfit... It just doesn't look the same.

Perfect Examples:

Why I could never pull off these outfits:

1.) I couldn't walk in the high heels if my life depended on it

2.) We all know that nail polish wouldn't last 5 minutes because I'm too impatient to let it dry completely
3.) I own 2 purses and neither would match any of the outfits
4.) There is far too much white clothing in those outfits.  Unless a bleach pen is included in the purchase of the outfits, those shirts stand no chance with me.
5.) The only girl in this planet that can pull off neon yellow shorts is the girl above.
6.) There are far too many accessories that are needed to complete these outfits and I would, without a doubt, lose all of them.

Since I've been feeling rather uninspired in the fashion department lately, I did something really irresponsible yesterday.  Some call it retail therapy, I call it spending money on things I really don't need and really really have no place buying since my fashion sense is that of a 12 year old girl.  Two hours and a lot of money later, I had a bag full of adorable new work shirts.  I immediately felt buyer's remorse and will be returning all of them tomorrow.  A grad student should not be buying new clothes.  Oh well, some day when I actually money I can go on a shopping spree!

________________________________________________________________________________

We had our Pinterest Potluck on Friday and it was a huge success.

Here were the goodies that the other girls brought:

Egg Baked Potatoes

Pizza Cresent Rolls

I was in charge of dessert and after wasting far too many hours on pinterest, I eventually came up with my own recipe.  Introducing... Heavenly Cookies and Cream Bars.  Aka, it's-hard-not-to-eat-the-whole-pan-in-one-sitting-Bars.

Yummy.

Heavenly Cookies and Cream Bars

1 1/2 cups Oreo crumbs (or other cookie of your choosing)

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

1 cup of coarsely chopped Oreos 

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup shredded coconut or other nut (optional)

Wow, my iPhone takes really great pictures. (or not)
Note:  The two missing bars were the victims of my roommate's midnight snack

Instructions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9×13″ baking pan with cooking spray.

- Combine Oreo crumbs with butter and then press mixture into the pan evenly

- Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs.

- Sprinkle Oreo cookie pieces, white chocolate chips and chocolate chips evenly over condensed milk. Press everything down lightly with a fork.

- Top with shredded coconut and try not to drool.

- Bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly brown and bubbly. Allow to cool completely before removing from pan.

Notes:

- Do not use fat-free sweetened condensed milk because a.) Clearly this is a low-sugar, low-fat recipe and you shouldn't waste your time trying to save calories and more importantly, b.) it will not set and you will end up with a pan of goo. 

- I never measure the chocolate chips because I figure: the more, the merrier.  I've also made this bar with variations such as: butterscotch/chocolate, cranberry/white chocolate/macadamia, and I'm sure all of you nut-friendly people would love peanut butter/chocolate. So play around with the proportions and flavors.  You won't be disappointed.

Bon Appetit!

A Sad Runner's Tale.

I don't know if you've caught on, but I'm an injured runner.  Yes, I know.  It happens.  And yes, I know, I'll get better and be back in action in no time.  I've avoided talking too much about it because this blog isn't supposed to be a "woe is me, I'm obsessed with running and can't run" blog.  But, running brings me so much happiness and is such a huge part of my life that I think I'm finally ready to open up and talk about it.  In a nutshell, it has been a frustrating few months.  Just when I think I'm back on track and free of left knee pain, I develop a new pain (right hip flexor, and newest pain... left hamstring).  I immediately stop running when I feel pain and cross train for as long as it takes to feel pain free- which is usually around 5-7 days.  Then I do the 2 day rule: no running until 2 days of being completely pain-free until I start my usual walk/run combo. I usually feel good for 2-3 days and then... without increasing mileage, terrain, or gear... I develop a new pain.  I am literally at my wit's end.

Running in the Boston Marathon has been my dream since I realized I actually had a little bit of running talent.  Demolishing the boston qualifying time by 28 minutes at St. George was a dream come true.  Registering and getting my confirmation letter that I would be running the 2013 Boston Marathon was one of the happiest moments of my running career so far.  The hours of training, sacrifice, pain, exhaustion and true passion all led to achieving my goal: I would be running the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013.  

Take all that joy and multiple it by 2,359 and you will have the amount of devastation that I feel at this moment.  I can't run, let alone train for the Boston Marathon.  I know what you're thinking: "It's just a race, Brittany.  There will be more Boston Marathons."  And yes, I know.  There are.  Every April.  But this Boston Marathon signified a lot more than just a race.  It was a reward for accomplishing such a beautiful thing during two of the most difficult and miserable years of my life (a little thing called PA school).  Call me dramatic, that's fine.  But really, it meant more to me than you can imagine.  

I need my pacifier back.

Why is running so important to me?  Why does it make my world go round? The runner's high - sure, I'm addicted to it. I love it. But it's so much more than that.

I like to think I am a confident person in general, but I'm not afraid to admit to you that I can be very hard on myself and at times Mr. Negative sneaks onto my shoulder.  That is where running comes in.  It gives me a sense of accomplishment that I cannot find in other aspects of my life.  I pour my heart and soul onto the pavement - each mile I go makes me feel like I am conquering every frustration that exists in my world.  My body proves it is capable of anything and I come home with a feeling of pride and success.  I don't just love it, I feel it is part of who I am.  I know you other runners will understand. 

So where do I go from here? I'm not throwing in the towel yet- after all, Jake and I have tickets (as do my parents to come watch) - but I'm just being realistic.  I literally cannot get rid of whatever leg(s) issues I have.  Rest doesn't seem to cure it, cross-training, stretching, Yoga, NSAIDS, PT, Massage, Icing, Heat, you name it- I've tried it.  I'm beyond devastated now that the reality is closing in that I will probably have to skip the Boston Marathon this year.  There are true tragedies in this world that deserve far more attention and prayer than anything you've just read.  But if you have any advice, I will gladly take it!  

In my tearful stupor after thinking about my stupid running injury ... I found this awesome list written by a guy named Dalai Lama.  You may have heard of him.

#4 & #18 rock my world.

Let's hope #20 is: Miracles do happen.  

A Whole New World

What is it about being at home that makes it so hard to focus on studying? When I got home yesterday from studying with my good friend Alia, somehow the following seemed far more urgent than opening up the books again:

1.) Doing my roommate's dishes while listening to Aladdin in the background.  (And by listening, I mean watching intently).

2.) Looking at recipes on pinterest for our "Pinterest Potluck" this Friday. (Anyone have an awesome pinterest find to share?)

Don't worry Centro Medico del Carmen friends, you know I would never use vegetables in a dish for you. 
That would be far too healthy.  This does make me drool though.

3.) Since the recipes made me hungry and drool all over my laptop, of course I had to stare into my fridge longingly and settle for a delicious lean cuisine.

Note: Lean Cuisine meals are not the same as this-

Red Velvet Cheesecake? Heaven on a plate.

4.) My delicious dinner was interrupted by a spot-on performance of "Prince Ali" sung by yours truly at the top of my lungs, followed by an awesome rendition of "A Whole New World." Man, I love that movie! It's a good thing I was home alone.

I could probably write a book on the subject of Procrastination. A perfect example is the words you are reading.  I like to think that writing on my blog is a stress management technique but let's be serious here, my books aren't going to study themselves and I'm just postponing the inevitable.

LOVE those adorable laughing babies.

After procrastinating for long enough, I reluctantly dragged myself upstairs to my study torture chamber as the Disney movie marathon of Cinderella and Lion King continued. My rafiki, Katherine, will agree that Lion King is the best Disney movie of all time and that not watching it was quite an accomplishment.

Katherine, we need to buy this shirt.

I had a few successful hours of studying, but was then distracted by another important task: updating my resume. Eek! Talk about a chore! If anyone wants to write it for me I will pay you with approximately 15 candy bars of your choosing. Any takers?

Resume writing made me think of the question I get from most people these days: "What do you want to do after graduation?" My initial answer is "never work again" but I don't think that's going to pay the bills...

In all reality, I have no idea what area of medicine I what to make a career out of!

- I like family practice a lot, but it is also a very challenging job.  Not trying to be harsh, but every day is like ordering diabetes with a side of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obesity.

Oh medical humor....

- Surgery- love love LOVE it and could definitely make a living doing it.
- Anyone who knows me, knows that I love babies more than the average person, so naturally I love OB/GYN. However, in Alaska it is more of a NP driven field, so I'm not sure what opportunities will be available.
- Ortho? Hmm... I do love being in the OR....
- I also learned that I love hepatology (liver specialty) after my rotation in liver transplants at Stanford. But I'm not so sure I could find a job in Alaska in such a specialized field.
- ER medicine? Love it as long as nobody is flatlining.

See my problem? I like it all! I suppose it just depends what job openings there are for new grads!

The other interesting question I get from almost everyone is, "Are you moving back to Alaska when you graduate?" Apparently it seems completely reasonable for me to work in San Diego and Jake to work in Alaska and have a successful, healthy marriage.

What do you think, Jake? Do you think it'd work? Ha! Don't worry, I'm coming home the second I get my diploma. I miss you far too much. :)

A Cocktail Affair!

After an enjoyable 7 straight hours of studying yesterday, I changed into my finest cocktail attire for my bestest SD friend, Carrie's, 29th birthday party.

Cutie Patootie.

Carrie wins the award for greatest hostess that has ever existed. From incredible 4th of July parties to an amazing Thanksgiving Dinner, she always goes above and beyond!  Her own birthday was no exception :)

Case in point:

Cocktail bar complete with Pomegranate Mimosas, Wine, and Vanilla Rum & Coke.
(Did I mention that Carrie doesn't like alcohol? It was all for her guests!)

Not only is she beautiful but she throws one heck of a party! 1.25 drinks was all I needed to feel extra social (can you say light weight? Haha) after which I took it upon myself to eat all sorts of yummy snacks.

Blurry, but jalepeno poppers, brie, cheesy foccacia, kahlua brownies... yummmm

After a day of frustration, there is no better way to uplift your spirits than seeing great friends. Carrie, you rock and I'm going to miss you so much when I leave!

Love this girl! 

Happy birthday!

I woke up feeling extremely motivated this morning and did something HUGE. You ready....? I worked out on the elliptical without looking at the clock ONCE.  Instead of yawning in boredom, I used my handy-dandy iPhone and scheduled one of the most important appointments of my life. Board Exams.  After paying the $475 dollars, you have to wait for a link to the testing center to schedule the day/time of your exam.  I got my e-mail this morning which means...

I am officially scheduled to take the PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam) in April... EEK! 

This is the exam that puts the famous "C (certified)" behind PA-C and allows you to put your medical knowledge to use. Without it, you just have a very expensive and useless degree! It is so exciting, scary and monumental! Until then, I will likely become a sleep-deprived recluse with a practice exam in hand at all times. Worth it? Yes. So so so worth it. I want that "PA-C" next to my name more than you can imagine! Time to continue on my studying quest!  Hope everyone had a great weekend :)

When life gives you lemons...

What's a broke grad student do?  Yep, that's right!  Keep 'em! 

Ever feel like you're running against a cement wall?
And just when you chisel your way through the wall, you step into a pit of quicksand?
You see a tree branch to grab onto and pull yourself free only to realize the branch is actually a venomous snake?

Okay, maybe that was a bit dramatic.  Or a lot dramatic.  But it's safe to say, we all have times that feel as if the world is sitting on your shoulders and could sure use an extra hand (or two or eight).

The past two weeks since I arrived back from Mexico have been one obstacle course followed by another. Mainly due to some ridiculously stupid frustrating challenges with hospital credentialing for my surgery rotation that were due to miscommunications beyond my control.  No need to go into my long story, but my frustration/worrying level is at approximately a 2493 out of 10.  Yes, it's possible.  Believe me.

It doesn't take a PA student to tell you that stress is probably not the best for your health.  So what is one to do when they're discouraged?  Run!  Oh wait, I can't do that because I'm still injured.  I was doing great but had another set back.  (Sciatic nerve irritation causing hip and knee pain).  Perfect combo for training for my first Boston Marathon in 3 months! haha.

Hmph. So I can't run like I want to... what's a girl to do?

Options that I have tried:
1.) Cry.  (Not successful. Makes for an interesting public spectacle and makes your face look pudgy.)
2.) Study to distract myself.  (Leads to unhelpful thoughts like, "Wow, I really have a lot to learn in the next 3 months before my board exams!")
3.) Work out at the gym.  (Why does the elliptical have to cause me such boredom?)
4.) Call your amazingly supportive husband and repeat #1 (Actually VERY successful but could lead to a discouraged husband so it's only recommended if you can pull it together.)
5.) Drink wine.  (Not successful. Tried once and fell asleep on top of my books. ha)
6.) Retail therapy.  (Wait, you have to have money to do that. Does a sale on cheerios count as retail therapy?  That does make me pretty happy.)
7.) Pray.  (Ding, ding, ding... we have a winner!)

Sometimes you just need someone to take that weight off your shoulders and trust that everything will work out.  I know it will be okay, but it would sure be nice to worry less.  That is where faith comes in.  Knowing that the big man upstairs has a plan for this crazy little thing called life. Obstacles are placed to learn how to chisel through them and ultimately to grab that venomous snake and use it as a rope to climb to safety.

On a positive, less philosophical note, I am officially registered for my board exams! HOLY COW.  That is crazy.  Also crazy is that it costs $475 to torture myself in the 6 hour exam. haha

Haha.  You think?

Graduation planning is in full effect and the realization has settled in that in 68 days I will (hopefully... if silly hospital logistics get solved) be done with school for the REST OF MY LIFE. And 36 days after that I will walk across the stage and become a graduate of Stanford. Two words: Thank God. :)

May 4, you can't come soon enough! 

So what is the lesson learned today?  Have faith. Be positive. And as my very wise husband says:

"Believe in yourself."  

It rains in Mexico? (Post 2 of 2!)

The new year started off with a bang.  And by bang, I mean pouring rain.  Jake and I didn't let that stop us from going on our usual morning run on the streets of Mexico.  (That might be a slight exaggeration because I'm pretty sure I had to drag Jake out of bed... haha.)  Once we were out on the roads, we both concluded that running in the rain is our favorite time to run.  So cleansing and peaceful!  Since our usual routine of laying on the beach and doing absolutely nothing was interrupted by rain, Lacy decided it would be a great day to go to her favorite hot springs!  It was a rough ride back into the hills through mud, rocks, and dirt, but we eventually made it to La Cucaracha and found the beautiful hot springs.

Muddy ride!

La cucaracha, la cucaracha!

Bienvenidos!

Natural hot springs fed into 20 different pools! 

Love this guy!

The rest of the trip was uneventful.  Well... almost.  Except for a horrendous bout of food poisoning that put Jake out-for-the-count for 2 days... :(  Luckily his wife was there to give him a nice shot of Zofran (anti-nausea) and force feed him delicious Pedialite. (I offered to give him an IV, but he somehow found the strength to drink the Pedialite!). After recovering, he was back to his Taco-eating self and we enjoyed a few more days of R&R.

I could literally swim in a bowl of that stuff.  Phenomenal!!

YUM.

One of the coolest parts of our trip, was stumbling upon a baby turtle release on our last day!  

"Little dudes are just eggs, we leave 'em on the beach to hatch,
and then — koo-koo ka-choo! — they find their way back to the Big Ol' Blue." 

So many baby turtles, dude! 

Love

And they're off!

Since I been slacking on blog postings and I am obviously lacking pictures from my trip, here are a few more!

I miss this face already!

Sunset dinner con mi amor.

Until next time, Mexico!  Hasta pronto!