New Eyes

For as long as I can remember I have had glasses or contacts. I remember my first visit to the optometrist, which has become a yearly pilgrimage for the last 18 years, I was a pitiful sight. Imagine a frizzy haired, 7 year old with a gaped tooth grin, who has selected the most hideously thick, faded pink, octagonal, from the bottom of grandma's drawer frames, excitedly exclaiming to her mother, " I can see the individual leaves on the trees!"

Friday I hope to begin the process to remedy this nuisance in my life. I will be meeting with Dr. Choi (http://www.gotovisionamerica.com/VisionAmericaofBirmingham.aspx) of Vision America to discuss Implanted Contact Lenses (ICL) versus Lasik. I am so excited and hope to have vision correction surgery within the next month. I can't wait!!!

If anyone has personal experience or opinion I would love to hear what you have experiences and think!

5 weeks in... 15 months to go!

Well, it has been awhile...
Clinical has been an amazing experience so far. Though I am sure little of this means anything. I have gotten to do 2 Pheochromocytomas, a Bier Block, and countless other exciting things. I really feel like I am starting to settle in to my "routine." Surprisingly I am really enjoying giving kids anesthesia. We talk about the funny smell in the scuba mask that they have to wear while we go see Sponge Bob, then I sing the Sponge Bob song as they breath the gas and drift off to dreaming.
I am very excited about an opportunity that I have been blessed with. For a little over a week in March/April I will be participating in a surgical mission trip to Punta Gorda, Belize. Please pray for this trip and the people we will be working with while we are there. I have been so blessed, there is a scholarship fund available for Samford anesthesia students who want to participate in mission trips. This will reimburse us for my entire expense!! What a mighty God we serve!
Tom is doing well, after a brief period of frustration at work, he is happy and teaching the other members of the staff about this new software that is being tested this year and will be in full swing next year. Now he is sitting in the Atlanta airport waiting on a plane to go to the Fraud conference with his dad. They are going to Boston, which I can somewhat handle better than last year. Last year they went to Disney World (while I was in Pharmacology and Gross Anatomy) and never went to a park, never saw Mickey, the only thing they rode was the bus! What a Waste!!!
Bama is doing well. He lays around making sure the tiles stay on the floor. Despite his busy schedule he is always willing to escort me on my walks and bring back any ball or frisbee that I may throw across the yard.
That's all from our little spot in Moody, Alabama.

Tomorrow...

Tomorrow is "the first day of the rest of my life." Tomorrow I will start my first rotation as an anestheia provider. Tomorrow I will wake up at 4 am and begin my career as a Nurse Anesthetist. Tomorrow, as they tell us, I will turn on anesthetic gas and then "a miracle" (a teacher's words, not mine) will happen. It is hard to imagine that all the studying I have done over the last 7 years is finally going to have a purpose, that first patient, 7 years of studying, tears, preparation, anticipation...

Tomorrow will be 2 days away from when Tom comes home for the weekend.

NEW BABY!!

Today was a very exciting (and long) day! My friend Mindy had a beautiful baby girl, Savannah DeAnne (6 weeks early). Everyone is doing very well and I am just so excited to meet Savannah!

One down...

Well today was the first day of finals for the Spring A term. I have finished my Peds class with an A, with hopes to make that a trend with the next 2 finals I have later this week.

Tom is starting to feel the full force of "Busy Season" it is currently 7pm and he has no hopes of coming home from the office any time soon.

I have a huge prayer request, my friend Mindy is due in mid April. Well, her water broke last night but she isn't having contractions, so she is stuck in the hospital until Miss Savannah decides to come out (which hopefully won't be for 4 more weeks)!
Also I would appreciate prayers for my famly, especially my Mom. They are closing on my grandmother's house in the morning. It's just hard and really emotional.

Back to studying...

Here we go...

Well, being a formerly regular blogger I decided to get back in the habit. For anyone out of the loop (and I'm not sure who is in the loop since this is my first post in approximately 2 years):

Tom and I are living just outside of Birmingham, AL in a little town called Moody. Tom is now officially a CPA. He is also a Senior Auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers, he has been out of town for the last several months, but is now home to ride out the rest of busy season! I am so glad to have him home!

Not that I am here that much. I am about to begin (next week) my last term of classes for my masters degree in nurse anesthesia, and will get to start clinic in June! I am so excited! This last year while I have been in school has flown by! It is so hard to believe all that we have learned.

We also have a chocolate lab, Bama. He is almost 2 years old and loves to play with his friends, go swimming at the lake, and fetch anything that can be thrown.

Well, it is getting late and I have a final exam in the morning...