Graduation from PA school

Happy Thursday friends! I am currently quarantined in my bed with the flu. Yep, it sucks majorly. Fever, body aches, sore throat, headache, basically feeling like death. I have officially decided that I have the worst luck ever… I catch everything. Looking on the bright side though… better now than next week.

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For the past 27 months my life has revolved around PA school. I cannot tell you how many hours I have spent in our study or in the library, just counting the minutes until graduation. I have sacrificed so many things, said "no" to so many get togethers, and been a less than pleasant person (sorry honey). Thankfully, that is all OVER because I am DONE! Officially Owen Davis, Physician Assistant. I'm pretty sure my husband is even more excited than I am, bless him. 

Graduation was such a happy time where me and my 29 classmates celebrated all our hard work, blood, sweat, and tears (so many tears). We got our long white coats (!!). It was quite surreal and I was so thankful to have my family there to celebrate with me.

I am very hard on myself and am constantly pushing myself to be more, to be better. It is not often that I am satisfied with my achievements… bad quality that I am constantly working on. But this time, I am truly proud of myself. My dad always told me that I can be or do anything I set my mind to. And though I doubted this so many times of the last 2.5 years, I am so proud of myself for pushing through and achieving my goals!!

 Special thank you to my amazing mom who has spent countless hours praying for me during this difficult journey. Constant words of encouragement. I never would have made it without her support!

Congratulations, ECU PA Class of 2015! We did it!

Linking up with Joey today

Five on Friday: home projects and dreaming of summer

O N E

My second week in family medicine has been pretty good. Pretty uneventful, but educational. I missed Monday thanks to a killer cold that knocked me out for 2 days straight so it was a short week. Is it just me or do "short weeks" feel like the slowest weeks?? Still hating the commute, but taking advantage of the alone time and trying to stay positive!

The highlight of my week was eating lunch with Garrett's Nana [now my Nana too!] on Wednesday. She lives about 15 minutes from where my rotation is so I got spoiled with country style steak, corn, peas, homemade rolls, and her specialty… lemon pie from scratch. Y'all, that lady can cook. I literally was in a food coma seeing patients that afternoon.

Slightly better than the spinach salad I take for lunch every day

T W O

As I wrote about in a previous post, I have been searching for something to go on the wall above our new bar cart. Well, I saw this piece of wall art last weekend at my favorite store at the beach and knew it would be perfect. And I am thrilled with how it looks and completes this space! 

T H R E E

This girl. I can't even. Being an aunt is the greatest blessing in the whole world!

F O U R

This was my view last weekend and I am missing it badly! I am dreaming of summer weekends at the beach. By the way, has anyone else read this book? It was great!

F I V E

I'll be honest, I'm not much into "beauty products" and wasting money on things that don't work. However, a friend recommended this clay mask and I have been really happy with it. Put on a thin layer, watch tv for 20 minutes, then peel it off and your face feels clean and fresh. I got roasted slightly burnt at the beach last weekend and my face had started to peel. I put this mask on, peeled it off, and poof! all the dead skin was gone!

This mask is super flattering….

How was your week?! I am looking forward to a weekend at home to spend time with my husband and furry baby!

Linking up with April and Amanda

Five on Friday: ortho surgery and NCAA tourney!

O N E

Orthopedics has been great this week! I am pretty sad that next week is my last week at this rotation. It has been so nice and relaxing to be with PA's and surgeons that I have known forever. I was first assist in the operating room 2 days this week. On Tuesday we did 6 total knee replacements and I could barely lift my arms on Wednesday. Assisting in total knee replacements is a better arm workout than anything you could possibly do in the gym [and much more fun, obvi]! For total knee surgeries we wear these really cool nerdy helmets (below) that are covered with a sheet that has clear plastic on the front so that you are completely enclosed. This is so you don't get blood and bone pieces all over your face as you saw and drill... yummy, I know.

T W O

Tuesday night for St. Pattys day we went with my sis, brother-in-law, and dad to a local restaurant that had live music and green beer. I totally felt like I was doing something wrong because we never leave the house on "school nights". We are an old married couple.

T H R E E

March= college basketball. I love watching all sports, but especially college football and basketball. I especially love college basketball because my alma mater (UNC) is known for their basketball program (hi Michael Jordan). Every year is another chance to win a national championship! Hubs and I love watching all the March Madness games, especially our heels. I am proud to say my tarheels barely won their first game last night against Harvard and advanced to the final 32 teams! Who do you have winning your bracket?

F O U R

For dinner one night this week, G and I made zucchini noodles [zoodles] topped with crab cakes. It was so delicious! We have gotten such great use out of our spiralizer and love experimenting with healthy "pastas". I will admit that I didn't make the crab cakes… I bought them pre-made at our local Fresh Market, which makes this meal literally so simple. All you need is a few zucchinis, fresh garlic, some cayenne pepper, olive oil, and whatever you want to add to your "pasta".

Spiralize your zucchinis, add garlic, cayenne, and a tiny bit of olive oil to the noodles, and top with chicken, salmon, crab cake, shrimp, whatever! The key is to not add too much olive oil or your zoodles will get soggy and limp. So easy!

F I V E

I will leave you with these pictures of my "velcro dog". She has been extra velcro-y this week, and I'm not complaining. She's a 75 lb lap dog and I love every second of it.

Five on Friday: Charlotte bound!

O N E

I spent yesterday in the operating room for orthopedic trauma surgery. It was so much fun! My favorite case was a broken tibia [shin bone] that was snapped completely in half. The poor boy's foot was sideways at a 90 degree angle. Crazy! And the best part was I was in the OR with my hubs! He is in orthopedic sales so his company supplies a lot of the plates, screws, sutures, etc. that the orthopedic surgeons use.

#OOTD 

T W O

How did y'all feel about the season finale of The Bachelor? I was happy that Whitney won... I feel like they might actually last. This season was not one of my favorites but of course that didn't stop me from watching [guilty pleasure]. I will admit I'm pretty excited about next season! I think Kaitlyn would be a great bachelorette. Britt, not so much. #teamkaitlyn

T H R E E

My entire family was hit with the stomach bug this week. Mom, niece, sister, then husband. Let me tell you, seeing my 6'4 husband curled up in the fetal position writhing in pain is just plain heartbreaking! I have been spraying Lysol like it's my job. Let's just all pray that terrible stomach bug is going to leave our household without paying me a visit #knockonwood

F O U R

In case you missed my post from yesterday, check out the flash mob me and my girls did at my wedding reception! So much fun!

F I V E

Me and 3 of my best friends are headed to Charlotte today to stay with our other bff Kate for the weekend! And guest what… hubs is tagging along #girlsweekendplushusband! He basically is one of the girls anyway ;) We are going for the St. Patty's Day bar crawl which lasts all day Saturday. I am pretty nervous excited for all the festivities! A big group of us are all meeting up to go so it should be an amazing weekend! I've never really done anything to "celebrate" St. Pattys day so that makes it even more fun! All my girls + husband + green beer= perfection!

My break!

What does a PA student do on a 2.5 week break from school??

... have NO alarm set in the mornings [holy amazing]

... gets a much needed mani/pedi

... comes to the beach in the middle of the week, just because I can!

... wake up at 8:45 and realize that's the latest I've slept in probs a year

... spend a ridiculous amount of time cuddling with my furry babe

... read every non-school related book possible

... catch up on all my DVR'ed shows

... grocery shop [usually hubs is stuck with this job while I study]

... get bossed around by my 21-month-old niece and love every second of it

... take 2 naps a day [still catching up on the sleep I never get]

... have a drink drinks whenever the heck I want!

... eat yummy fruits and veggies from every farmer's market I see

... miss my hubs and feel slightly guilty that I'm at the beach while he's home working [sorry, babe!]

... get super excited for our trip to Charleston tomorrow!

 

 

Finding my passion

When I was barely old enough to talk, I would tell anyone and everyone that I wanted to be a "doctor that delivers babies" when I grew up. I always had a weird love for medicine, and babies. As I started to get older I knew I wanted to pursue a career in medicine. My desire to go to med school quickly changed when I met the love of my life and realized I wanted a happy marriage and babies of my own more than I wanted to be a slave resident for a million years. So I researched the PA profession and decided it would be perfect for me.

I shadowed in orthopedics for 4 years in undergrad to get my hours to apply to PA school, and I fell in love. I loved that there was a fix for everything. I was intrigued with all the injuries I saw, mostly because my husband and I both played sports and suffered a lot of those injuries ourselves. I thought 100% that I wanted to be an orthopedic PA.

Just a few weeks ago we started our Women's Health/OB-GYN section, and my love for delivering babies resurfaced. We got to do pelvic exams/pap smears on real women, learn how to deliver babies, etc. And I thought, 'holy cow I might want to do this with the rest of my life'. This is exciting people!! I texted my husband in the middle of a lecture and said, "I love this stuff. I really want to do this when I grow up!" :) 

When people ask me how I am liking school, I start off with the expected "the studying 24/7 SUCKS" but then explain how freaking awesome it is to be learning about what I have loved for my entire life. Not many people grew up so passionate about something, and for that I am lucky! I am so thankful to be interested in what I am learning about. There is nothing in the world more liberating than pursuing your dreams. 

Proof that I have always been obsessed with babies and pregnancy. My mom preggo with my baby sis. And yes, I made her do this in stores, restaurants, etc.