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| Talin and I stretching out some sore hammy's after a run |
This is for my Grandma Sheila. And it is NOT to replace a good, much needed phone call. My wonderful grandma left me a message yesterday while I was completing a Saturday at work, and I have yet to get back to her. That will happen tomorrow, (I promise, Grandma!) But, she mentioned my lack of blogging, as well as not knowing what the heck was going on with my job(s), life, etc.
So here is an update!
I am officially a part-timer at two jobs. I am officially a family practice PA in our local town of Willow Creek, as well as continuing on part time with my general and vascular surgical position in Eureka. This new schedule leaves me with many less hours on the road, and literally next door to Forrest's Kindergarten 2-3 days a week, with some Fridays off completely.
This is amazing!
Family practice in a rural area is very challenging, in a good way! There is quite a bit of urgent care/ER in all of it, just given the fact that we are one of the closest medical facility of any type for 50 miles. I, thankfully, already know about 1/2 my patients through the surgical practice. I feel confident in my ability to suture and treat most urgent care type maladies. I also feel confident, through my ER experience, to be able to triage and "street", (call 911, send to the ER,) the complaints I know I cannot fully work up and treat in the clinic setting.
Yes it is challenging. I am seeing week old newborns and 30 minutes later seeing the local cennitarian.
Yikes!
I've had to really up my game with woman's health, (yes, of course made better by the fact I'm a woman and I've had two babies in the last 5 years). But, there is still a LOT more!
Peds, along the same line of thinking has been challenging, but again, easier, because of my kiddos.
Overall it is really a win win. I feel challenged. I feel lucky to be able to give those patients that need it, a direct route to a surgical specialty, (as those in a rural area DO need it, and when they need it, in general, they really need it!)
I've also already treated my local friends. My Mom Friends, my Neighbors, my kid's friends, my kid's teachers! This is amazing, to be able to help those that need it, be it just a case of sinusitis, or a life threatening infection.
It is also extremely hard.
I of course always try my damdnest to do the right thing, and for the most part, the 'right' thing is the best, and leads to healthy and happy bodies.
But not always.
And I'm working through the realization that that fact is a fact, and will happen.
But, back to the pros. I don't have to leave my house till 8am. I can drop Forrest off at school, chat with his teacher if I need to, and be to work in plenty of time for my 9am patient. My job is then flexible enough to be able to have Forrest at my work every Monday for 2 hours, after school. I'm home by 5-6 every day. (This is contrasted to 7-8 with the other job!) My charting is always done, by the time I leave the office, as my volume in the family practice setting is much lower, (compared to never being done, in the surgical job.)
So why keep the surgical job?
For a lot of reasons, actually. #1-I love what I do. I love the speciality that has fallen in my lap, namely, the vein work. To treat a patient from start to finish, seeing improvement in their compliant, be it a huge leg ulcer, or just super swollen, achy legs, is great, as a mid-level provider, (a PA). It's so great, that I had an opportunity to talk about it at a surgical PA conference in SF this last week!
So amazing.
First off, to network with high level colleagues, all motivated to learn more, seek more, and very interested in what I had to say.
And secondly, to realize, that my crazy rural area has given my the opportunity to be this highly trained in vein work, to be asked to speak at a conference about what I do.
Amazing!
And nerve wracking. Public speaking is absolutely something you tend to lose after school. But I think the talk went fine, and I had a great mini whirlwind trip to San Francisco this past week!
So, Katie is quite well, on the professional front.
On the athletic front? She's currently just, well, running.
I haven't been on my bike in months, actually.
Just told my Dad that very fact.
I think he had an issue with it!
Competed in a local 5 K this past weekend. It was as somewhat refreshing to train for such a short event.
Also was HARD. Hard trying to go fast. That anaerobic threshold business is crazy, when you haven't trained for that in awhile!
I'll be talking to you shortly, Grandma! I love you!
