Chicken pox, hernias, and pink eye.....oh my!

Don't worry, none of us has any of the above! But a few weeks ago, I decided it was definitely past due to start physician shadowing. Medical schools typically want you to have "patient contact" within a "clinical setting" before applying to school. If you're already a nurse, MA, CNA, etc, then no problem-it's what you already do. For those of us without formal medical training, we're kinda up a creek. I understand that there's *some* controvercy over whether shadowing "counts" as patient contact. Most schools agree that it does, but some don't. I guess we all know which schools I'll end up ruling OUT!

So, I started calling the physicians that I had already talked to about shadowing (and they said it would be fine with them). My mom's Oncologist (who's little girl went to PNA with Koda the past 2 years).......on vacation for 5 weeks! The Plastic Surgeon that I was really excited to shadow (she is VERY involved with mentoring young women in the medical profession)....ALREADY HAD 2 SHADOWS this summer!!! CRAP! So, I was starting to get nervous. I called the kids Pediatrician-no problem...I started a couple days later. The problem? While shadowing her would certainly "count" towards hours, I KNOW that I'm not going to be doing general Pediatrics. A Pediatric subspecialty, possibly, but not general peds. My first and second days there, we had a lot of well-baby/kid checkups, a few "sick kid" visits (usually plain ol' colds), a couple conjunctivitis cases (pinbk eye), and a case of chicken pox!!! Yes....chicken pox! (For those of you who don't know....there's a vaccine for chicken pox that's been out for about 10 years.....the kid was 8....and unvaccinated). VACCINATE YOUR KIDS, PEOPLE!!!

Then I called my OB/GYN...and she was up for a shadow too :) So I've went in a few times since then, and it's actually been more fun that I thought it was. My first day, she passed the doppler off to me to find the baby's heartbeat. The next patient, she had me go in there before her, make sure the woman's measurements were close to her pregnancy's progression and listen to the heartbeat. I know, I know....nothing TOO exciting, but it IS for ME! In general, shadows are there to be just that-a shadow. A shadow shouldn't be heard, hardly seen, and never in the way. And generally under no circumstances can you actually DO anything! So to be able to DO something....well, that's pretty cool to me! Course, I think it helps that this doc has been my OB/GYN for over 10 years, and I've been with her through 3 pregnancies/kids!

Next up, I started calling around to various Oncology offices here in town looking to shadow (Oncology is one specialty that I'm really interested in!). When I explained that I would be more interested in Pediatric Oncology, but that I understood there wasn't a Peds Oncologist in the state, the office manager stopped me. There IS a Peds Oncologist!!! Technically, there's 2 (same office), but only one that really works full time and takes patients (the other one has health issues himself and doesn't work much). YES!!! Now to just get her to agree to have a shadow. I cold called, and she was insanely nice and was completely open to a shadow. Funny thing is....I haven't actually shadowed her (with patients) yet! She also introduced me to a Pediatric Surgeon, and I think I found my new obsession!

Wednesday was the first time I was able to scrub in on a surgery....and I'm in love! It was a hernia repair (actually, 3 hernias) on a 20 month old little boy. While I didn't get to actually DO anything (hello....surgery!), the surgeon was awesome in that he explained everything he was doing, pointing out specific things of note, etc. I've heard from other pre-med students that their physicians that they've shadowed really didn't do anything. You just got to watch, really having almost no clue what was going on. I went on patient rounds earlier that morning with him, and he took plenty of time to explain what each patient had, what they've already done, what further treatments they'll be doing, etc. And he doesn't make me feel like an idiot when I ask him some possibly stupid questions...which is always nice :)

So far....probably because the doctors were so awesome....I'm loving OB/GYN and Pediatric Surgery. Totally having a blast....and definitely confirming that I'm committed to becoming a doctor myself! :)

Drum roll, please.......

FINALLY! I got around to uploading the pictures of Kylee's 6 month pictures. We did them right around her 6 month mark, and got them back about a month later (our awesome photog went on a much-needed family vacation for a few weeks a couple days after Kylee's pics), and it's taken me weeks to get them uploaded! But, here they are, in no particular order:

Koda was pretty much looking goofy in every picture. But....definitely captured his real personality!

Koda LOVES having a little sister!

Why we call her Smiley Kylee

Momma's little lady!

Daddy and his munchkins

Daddy love!

One of my favorites!

My little tutu lady!

And as always, a picture of George and I :)

So in love!

Brady giving his sis some lovin'

and giving daddy some lovin'

*Eskimo kisses*

My love

Brady had to join in!

Our little handsome boy....about a week before we lopped all his hair off!