tri for pancan

Houston Marathon

2011-02-13T19:09:00.000-08:00

on January 30th, i completed my first marathon. it really was a lot of fun for the majority of the race. i think i had the benefit of longer races under my belt. since the half ironmans take closer to 6 hours, 4 hours seemed short even though it was all running! (i know, it is crazy that i even say that!)

i started out too quickly with 8 minute miles for the first 3 miles or so. that is a reasonable pace for a 10K or something...but not 26.2 miles! i ran the half marathon in 1:52. that was the fastest half marathon i have done. i definitely slowed down after that point...total time of 4:05. i wanted to get under 4 hours, but i knew that was a lofty goal for a first marathon for a non-runner. next time!!

my cheering group!

just across the finish line!

life

2011-01-28T08:13:00.001-08:00

this is why my job is so hard....and why it is also so rewarding. it's why i try to hold back tears every day at work.

oddly, this was one of my more frustrating patients...but i saw growth in him during this past year and a half. his belief in healing gave me renewed hope that it can happen on earth. i do wish i could witness it though!

some of the frustrating patients are also the most memorable...they have guaranteed that their story will be forever engrained in my mind.

his wife would be glad for me to pass on this link:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/wacotrib/obituary.aspx?n=bryan-lee-russell&pid=148114140&fhid=8614

2011-01-02T16:38:00.000-08:00

"Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do---He reveals to you who He is....Believe God is always the God you know Him to be when you are nearest to Him. Then think how unneccessary and disrespectful worry is! Let the attitude of your life be a continual willingness to go out in dependence upon God, and your life will have a sacred and inexpressible charm about it that is very satisfying to Jesus."

--Oswald Chambers

2010...now 2011

2011-01-01T07:04:00.000-08:00

it is hard to believe that another year has come a gone. here are some highlights of my past year:

--i did an extraordinary amount of travelling this year...whether for work or fun. when i think through things.....i have been to NYC twice, Indianapolis twice, grand rapids, omaha, vancouver, ecuador, colombia, chili, france, niger, and israel. i'm sure there were a couple more domestic flights! all in all, i've been on 5 continents this year and racked up the frequent flyer miles...thank you free bags on continental and delta!

--Angie and Meridth both got married. so fun to be a part of it all!

--great personal/career development opportunities this year and further development of a friendship with my attending physician.

--a PR in a half ironman....and placing in the remaining 5 triathlons that i competed in.

--spending 3 weeks in Niger learning the role of a medical missionary (and also seeing one of the bleakest places on earth)

--a great time with my amazing sister travelling together and then running during Christmas

--talking my dad into completing a sprint triathlon......maybe not, but i can keep trying!

i have been absent

2010-12-29T18:08:00.001-08:00

i have been a horrible blogger recently. really, who wants to hear about athletic events all the time? my friend shannon called me out on my lack of blogging....so this is for her. hopefully i'll do better now that the holidays are ending!

so, shannon and i met freshman year of college. unfortunately, that was before the digital camera age...and i don't have a scanner. many memories were made on the intramural football field and on the floor!

this is a famous picture from shannon's wedding....angie and i weren't really eating her wedding cake...but it looks like it! shannon married her high school sweetheart nathan. they moved to california and both got graduate degrees with the intention of becoming full time missionaries. they were both MKs (missionary kids) and met at Morrison Academy.

since going to CA, they have added a 3rd person to their family. Josiah is 2 now and i was able to meet him this April when i was in Michigan for merideth's wedding. they were in michigan while raising support to head to Hong Kong. when i want a little kid fix, i take a look at shannon's super cute blog about josiah! www.nsclifton.blogspot.com

the exciting thing is that they are at 100% of their financial support! yippee! i will soon have friends in asia (hint, hint shannon...you might have a visitor). more importantly, they will be equipping Christian pastors to reach their nation for Jesus. i'm so excited to see how God is going to use you all!

pictures!

2010-10-19T18:37:00.000-07:00

here are a couple pictures from the weekend.

lots and lots of bikes were present!
my good friend april...i definitely needed her there for that tough race!
running, running, running....it felt like it would never end!

recovery...i don't know why i sat down. a little ice cream helped me feel better. look at those good looking legs though!

Ironman Austin 70.3

2010-10-19T18:13:00.000-07:00

hi all....i have completed my triathlon season this year. i'll admit that i'm pretty glad to be done.

this past weekend was the austin 70.3 race. just a quick recap. this is a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile swim. all in all, 70.3 miles. crazy! this was my 3rd race at this distance.

the weather was pretty great. there still was a high of 87 on sunday (welcome to Texas' fall!), but it was low humidity.

the swim

i knew that i wasn't super prepared for the swim. with the trip to israel, i hadn't been in the pool as much. my focus just had shifted from the swim to the run. the water felt great without a wetsuit and i kept a pretty steady place. no where close to my best swim, but it wasn't horrible. Time: 39:03

the bike

the first hour felt pretty good. i was keeping a great pace and getting up the hills well. very few women were passing me. about an hour in, i really started to get nauseated. i'm not sure why. at that point, my mind started going like crazy. in short, i was wondering if i was going to be able to finish the race. i've never battled with my head like that before. the last 25 miles were tough. i figure that i ate about 100 calories during the ride....not nearly enough. my goal was to bike in less than 3 hours. shockingly, i did. Time: 2:58.12 18.8 mph

the run

i was most excited about the run. my running has improved substantially this season. i'm consistently training at 8 minute mile pace or lower. now, it is always different after you've completed 57.2 miles.....the lack of calories and the heat started to catch me now. i was struggling. i was keeping a good pace and then would have to walk for a portion just because there wasn't energy...i guess that was my most disappointing leg, because i was expecting the most. Time: 2:10.38 9:58 min/mile

my total time was 5 hours 53 minutes and 1 second. it was an improvement on my first two, but i was pretty disappointed because of what i knew i could do as well as my difficulty getting any calories in during the race.

all in all, i got 20th in my age group out of 84. i got 135th of 533 women and 924 of 2134 overall participants. pretty good on the whole.

now i will rest for a week....and think nothing of competitions!

2010-10-14T18:22:00.000-07:00

so, one of my patients is in the hospital. she is relatively newly diagnosed and has already grown through the first round of chemotherapy.

i went to check in with her and a phlebotomist came into the room. she raised the bed and turned on the light and said "sorry, i'm getting old". my patient responded offhandedly, "i would love to grow old".

so sad....

crazy start to a 28th year

2010-10-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

so, i turned 28 a week and a half ago. it is so hard to believe that i am that many years old!

i was given a couple great gifts, but one really stood out.

on the way to work on Friday, i got a call from the physician i work with asking if i would be interested in going to Israel. of course, i said yes....and when? she said, "as early as tomorrow."

so all day friday was busy scurrying trying to get the details figured out. in short, one of the physicians was supposed to give a lecture in Israel but fell sick. i felt bad for him, but grateful for the opportunity.

i flew out sunday and came back on wednesday so it was a whirlwind trip. the lecture went extremely well. (it was on microRNA and cancer of unknown primary). i was also able to spend a day in Jerusalem touring a little bit.

it was just a crazy, incredible, unexpected gift from God for my birthday!

the city (although i didn't have time to take the variety of pictures i would have liked!)

you must eat a felafel

the quintessential Jerusalem picture.

goofy picture...but you needed to know i was at Dome of the Rock

triathlon #5 report

2010-09-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

so, i had a triathlon this morning. it was an olympic distance which isn't my favorite. i actually haven't competed in one in 2 seasons, so i wasn't sure what to expect from myself.

on the whole, i'm extremely happy with how i did. i don't remember what my time was from the last olympic race, but it must have been in the range of 3 hours. it was much faster this time around!

let me break it down.

SWIM---

it was a 1500 meter swim. i was not happy with how this went. the sun was reflecting off the water at that perfect angle which didn't allow me to see the buoys. i literally had to stop and pull my goggles off to site...not the best. Time: 31:20

T1---

The first transition was super long. we had to run over 1/4 mile to get to our bikes. we all thought that should have been taken off the 6.2 mile run at the end. Time: 3:35

BIKE---

this was the first race with my new tri bike. i love the bike....not only is it gorgeous and red, it also rides really smoothly! ultimately, it is me that runs the machine, but it is nice to have something sleek, smooth, and efficient. 2 sections of the bike were really windy, but i felt great the entire ride and kept a consistent pace. Time: 1:15.21 20.5 mph

T2--

my goal for the transitions were to do them in less then a minute. i knew that wasn't going to happen with the first one having such a long run. i did have success in the 2nd transition! Time: 50 sec.

RUN--

this felt really good. my goal was to keep a steady pace. i consistently passed people (which also feels good). in the end, i could have kept running. granted, i was happy to stop! Time: 52:03 which equals 8:24/mile

Total time: 2 hours 43 min 10 seconds

in my best estimate, i dropped 17 minutes....with a horrible swim. next time! i got 2nd in my age group (out of 40) and got a belt buckle as a reward. i'll post a picture later!

baking

2010-09-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

i have been doing a ton of baking since i moved in july. previously, i didn't have an oven in my apartment so it has been so much fun to have one accessible again!

most of the time, i'm just baking to bake and i end up bringing to spoils to clinic. this weekend, my baking had more of a purpose. i made oatmeal peanut butter cookie sandwhiches because i had a few girls over to introduce them to Settlers of Catan. the rest will be going to clinic.

the other fun thing has been making cupcakes and frosting from scratch for a birthday. the physician that i work closely with has a girl that is turning 9 on monday. i offered to make her birthday treat for school. i told her she could pick anything she wanted and i would make it. she chose marble cupcakes with chocolate frosting. hopefully they like them and they aren't too fancy tasting!

crazy dreams

2010-09-20T16:19:00.001-07:00

so, in the last week or so i've had 2 dreams about marriage. you might actually call them nightmares....

april thinks that they mean something. i personally think it might be due to too much sugar before bed....

new challenges

2010-09-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

i really enjoy new challenges. many of my recent challenges have been physical. the newest physical challenge that i'm signed up for is the Houston Marathon on January 30th, 2010.

i always said that i wouldn't do a marathon. i'm not a natural runner...i certainly don't have a runner's physique. it seems like the next most logical physical challenge at this time. i'm running better than i ever have (with still a lot of room to improve) and the Houston Marathon is close! the only cost will be the registration fee....well, perhaps my dignity too! the Houston course is flat and i should have some people cheering for me. it seems like the perfect time to challenge myself in this way.

i have an olympic tri in 2 weeks and the Austin Half Ironman in October and then I have to buckle down and hit the marathon training!

Colts Football

2010-08-29T17:58:00.001-07:00

Football season is right around the corner. Crazy how fast time flies! Here is the Colts' schedule:

9/12
@ Houston Texans
1:00 PM
CBS

9/19
NEW YORK GIANTS
8:20 PM
NBC

9/26
@ Denver Broncos
4:15 PM
CBS

10/3
@ Jacksonville Jaguars
4:05 PM
CBS

10/10
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
1:00 PM
CBS

10/17
@ Washington Redskins
8:20 PM
NBC

10/24
BYE

11/1
HOUSTON TEXANS
8:30 PM
ESPN/MyINDY

11/7
@ Philadelphia Eagles
4:15 PM
CBS

11/14
CINCINNATI BENGALS
1:00 PM
CBS

11/21
@ New England Patriots
4:15 PM
CBS

11/28
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
8:20 PM
NBC

12/5
DALLAS COWBOYS
4:15 PM
FOX

12/9
@ Tennessee Titans
8:20 PM
NFL Network

12/19
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
1:00 PM
CBS

12/26
@ Oakland Raiders
4:05 PM
CBS

1/2
TENNESSEE TITANS
1:00 PM
CBS

Top 10 Observations in Chile

2010-08-24T18:36:00.000-07:00

10. i love subways

9. the Andes are not a good 1st time ski experience if you aren't willing to lose skin.

8. don't hike up a snowy mountain in sneakers---you will stink up every hotel room from that point on.

7. in chile, i am beautiful to a lot of men....at least they yell that to me!

6. moving vehicles = sleeping Christy and Heather

5. it is important to know which is "the urine tree"....hopefully no explaination is needed.

4. christy and i found the Gary, Indiana of Chile!

3. i am the dog whisperer of Chile.

2. if you didn't like hot dogs in the States, you won't like Doggies. (really, when is a hot dog with ketchup, cheese, tomato, and guacamole good?)

1. Christy speaks Spanish; I speak cardinal directions!

Isaiah 58

2010-08-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

"'Why have we fasted,' they say,
'and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves
and you have not noticed?'

Yet on the day of your fasting, you do
as you please
and exploit all your workers.
Your fasting ends in quarreling and
strife,
and in striking each other with
wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on
high.
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble
himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a
reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?

Is not this the kind of fasting I have
chosen;
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the
hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer
with shelter---
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own
flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go
before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your
rear guard.
Then you will call, and the Lord will
answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say:
Here am I.

If you do away with the yoke of
oppression,
with the pointing figer and
malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of
the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the
oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the
noonday.
The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a
sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail."

Isaiah 58:3-11

the growing pacifist in me.

2010-07-31T06:45:00.000-07:00

i saw Inception with a couple friends last night. it was an extremely interesting plot line and it was definitely an action movie. there was a lot of shooting and blowing up etc. that gets really old to me (even when it is well done like it was in Inception).

with my older age, i think i'm becoming more and more of a pacifist. i remember seeing Gladiator senior year of high school and enjoying it. now, it is difficult for me to get through any movie with a lot of killing (seeming real or otherwise). maybe it is my age and the realization that every person is unique and has value. the thought of me having to shoot someone nearly makes me sick. i am so glad that girls cannot be drafted.

Another Book Recommendation

2010-07-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

i can tell that i'm in a reading mood. now, most people would pick up a quick fiction book for a summer sunday afternoon. i decided to read a biography on a man who was a refugee from the Burundi genocide. i definitely recommend this book. the author is Tracy Kidder, who also wrote Mountains beyond Mountains. he weaves a story incredibly well and you definitely feel part of the emotions that Deo felt (obviously much more muted). it again is another book that should cause you to think about social justice issues. i also mentions that the world paid more attention to the rwandan crisis, but less about the concurrent burundian crisis.

by the way, if you haven't read Mountains Beyond Mountains, you should read that too.

pictures

2010-07-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

the taylor girls at the wedding! (minus shannon...boo!)

i couldn't get in the way of the photographer...but here are angie and kerwyn on their wedding day.

summer book

2010-07-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

The Hole in the Gospel is a must read as far as I am concerned. It is by Richard Stearns and he is the President of World Vision. it is a great book about missions and basic social justice issues. it is written extremely well....combining his personal story about ending up at World Vision and interworking that with how each Christian is called to respond to a hurting world. i highly recommend it. i bought the book, so let me know if you want to borrow it!!!

changes

2010-07-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

these past few weeks have been insane. i haven't had a chance to get pictures off my phone. sorry! my life is in the midst of a lot of transitions.

2 weeks ago i headed to indy and had a bridal shower and paintball bachelorette party for angie. we had a good time together and it was great to see Taylor friends and get to know some more of her Indy friends. Kerwyn, Angie and I went up to Taylor as well to say a quick hello. it was good to get to know him better as well.

i headed back to houston and last friday got keys to my new apartment. i've lived in a small apartment in the backyard of the alfords for just shy of 3 years now. it was only supposed to be 3 months! they have been amazing and they have been through so much in the past 3 years. i moved this past weekend. i really should have planned things better....i should have moved in november...not in july...the heat, humidity...and an apartment on the 3rd floor. love it!

the moving went pretty well. we are definitely still getting settled.

today i head back to indy...to see angie get married. it is absolutely crazy that this is actually happening! it should be a great celebration and it will be so good to see her in close succession like this. i promise someday there will be pictures added to this blog...

Vancouver cont.

2010-06-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

Here are more observations (from the complimentary wifi at the airport!):

-smoking and swearing seems to be much more common
-i saw what looked to be a 13 year old boy smoking a cigar...odd
-it is a casual city. lots of people were walking about in athletic clothes...that is my kind of city!
-an international conference brings a lot of styles. i.e. some people find "booty pants" appropriate for a conference. don't forget the solid coral suit.
-there was another conference in another area and i saw a real Tibetan monk. i wanted to go to that conference!
-it is a very walkable city....as you might know, i LOVE that!
-the mountains and the ocean meet. beautiful!
-everyone seems to be drinking coffee all the time.
-HIGH cost of living
-quite a few homeless

i have 2 stories about the homeless. i really wanted to take a picture of one homeless person. have you heard of the show on TLC called Hoarders? I haven't ever seen it, but if there was a homeless version of that show, this man would qualify. 2 massively loaded down carts followed him everywhere....very interesting.

the second story is about the homeless person that i saw everywhere! the first interaction, i was right outside a Tim Horton's so i offered to buy him something to eat instead of giving him money. (that is my preferred route of helping people). he hesitated (not a good sign) and then agreed. the Tim Horton's people obviously knew him and he obviously has been a big problem. long story short, i decide to cancel my order because i feel like i'm causing more problems (and he is now getting donations from everyone in line). i saw him a couple times that day. yesterday i was eating outside in another part of town and there he is...came up to me again. this morning...who do i see? it was pretty odd!

by the way, Niger was actually brought up in the conference. they were talking about the rate of cancer diagnosis in developing countries sky-rocketing over the next few years. the speaker said, "and i'm not even taking into account Niger and other countries that have no form of health care system and severe poverty".

crazy. sobering.

Vancouver

2010-06-23T19:47:00.000-07:00

i'm in vancouver for a supportive care conference. pictures will be coming...

some thoughts about the city:

1. i thought houston was multicultural, but so far vancouver has it beat!

2. have a great hotel...let me know if you are going there anytime soon and i'll pass along the name.

3. i have an inexplicable craving for sushi. i think i'll satisfy it while i'm here...yum, shrimp tempura.

4. i attacked the grouse grind today. i'll write more on this later, but it was a lot of fun if you love to sweat and LOVE an amped up stairmaster workout. it was a great into to the city though.

5. tim hortons makes me think of saline...

triathlon #3

2010-06-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

triathlon #3

some things i learned:

1. dairy the night before is not a good thing!

2. nails are brutal on the swim...i ended up with blood running down my leg after exiting the swim.

3. you should fuel well the night before....a pizza lean pocket won't do it.

4. i really, really want to run sub-8 minute miles by the end of the season....we'll see!

All in all, i still did well. my bike was over 20 mph and the run was around 8:25 min/miles. It was a longer race so I should be happy with that. I got 2nd in my age group...and I think 12th overall in the women.

Triathlon #2 recap

2010-06-11T11:58:00.000-07:00

okay, this is way overdue, but i thought i should give a quick update on my 2nd triathlon of the season. (#3 is this Sunday!)

things are officially HOT in Houston and that was definitely evident 2 weekends ago. regularly, it is 80+ degrees at 5 AM when i head to the gym. triathlons here start at 7:00 and i wish they would start even earlier!

anyhow, i did the Combat triathlon two saturdays ago. the winner of the entire race gets a battle helmet. fun! this was a sprint race and it has been good to ease myself into the world of triathlon again.

swim!

the swim was a pool swim. i tend to avoid these because there is mass-chaos (not unlike the openwater swim), but people have to submit a swim time. there are always a good number of people that think they are faster than they are...and then i have to pass them! anyhow, the water was horribly warm (maybe 86 degrees), but the swim went well.

Time: 4:37.3 for a 300 meter swim

transition 1

this is something you might not know....the time from the swim to the bike counts toward your overall time....so, you want to be fast if you are competing. they put out some carpet which was appreciated and i was off in 1:04.7. there is room for improvement, but not bad.

bike!

i'm not a great biker...i'm not bad, but i'm not good. when i first started triathlon, i would do pretty well in the swim and then get decimated on the bike. now, my goal is usually to not get passed by any girls on the bike. i succeeded in this race! it was incredibly NOT scenic, but the ride felt pretty good. this leg makes the biggest difference in the race...i need to keep improving!

Time: 44:51.8 for a 15 mile bike (avg 20.1 mph)

transition 2

again, the transition from bike to run is counted in your time. i think this is the first race where i have not used any socks. i think i like it. putting on socks on wet feet isn't the easiest. it is also the first race that i've gotten a blister....there might be a correlation! Time: 1:00.9 this needs to improve!

run!!

honestly, the run felt bad. i didn't enjoy much of it...i felt like i was moving like molasses. i was sweating profusely and i have difficulty drinking while running. i usually just start pouring water over my head to cool myself down. all in all, i was very happy with my run. not as fast as triathlon #1.....my goal is to get sub 8 min miles. i just barely missed this with triathlon #1, but i want it to get this goal consistently!

Time: 24:47.4 for 3.1 miles (8:16 min/mile pace)

overall, i was able to hold on to 3rd place in my age group. 17th among the women.

2010-06-09T14:27:00.001-07:00

i have to get that picture moving down the screen....this is how i'm going to do it....by just filling up space.

i am sorry i have not been a diligent writer. i'll will try to post something this weekend.

the unavoidable wink

2010-05-19T17:22:00.000-07:00

so, i woke up this morning and my eye was swollen...as you can see. that is not me winking. i'm not sure what the cause was...likely either a bite or something got in my eye swimming in the lake the night before. it has improved...the eye isn't back to normal now, but it is much better than this picture!

FINISHED!!

2010-05-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

On Friday May 14th, 2010, i officially paid off my last student loans! I have never been so happy to write a very large check! my 3 year graduation anniversary is coming up on June 6th...i was hoping to have my loans paid off by then, but i didn't really know if it was feasible.

i'm so thankful for the Alfords and that little bungalow that i've had a chance to live in these past 3 years. it has certainly been a cozy home, but it has saved me a lot of money. in celebration of paying off my loans, i went and got a pedicure yesterday. of course, i picked a crazy color but i really like it. i've only gotten one other pedicure in my life so it was a good treat!

happy mother's day!!

2010-05-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

i did a post last year for my dad (http://triforpancan.blogspot.com/2009/06/happy-fathers-day.html ), so this year it is mom's turn.

My mom has been a mom now for 27 years...crazy how fast time goes by! My mom is a strong woman with a great Greek heritage. she was raised by two godly parents and that is evident in her character and how she and dad raised us.

certainly, raising christy and i "alone" for a couple of months along the past 27 years (when Dad was in a new job) must have been difficult....actually i know it was so since i caused a little extra grief!

she is a woman of integrity that loves people. she is direct, but loving. she has a goofy side...but sometimes it does have to be fostered by her daughters! she wants to know everything about you. she loves the Lord and looks at her job as a mission field.

someday soon it will work for you to come on a business trip with me mom!! and the 60th birthday skydive that you promised is coming up sooner than you might want!! (although you promised christy and i a trampoline and we have yet to see that promise fulfilled either!)

happy mother's day! i love you!

Niger update

2010-04-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some Niger updates by the BBC. There is a big concern for a famine this year. I can tell you that the weather was "wacky" when I was there. It was way too hot for that time of year and if it isn't raining now, that is a bad sign.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8637487.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8648215.stm

hot fudge sundae

2010-04-28T07:31:00.001-07:00

for dinner last night i went to McDonalds and got a hot fudge sundae in memory of yiayia. it was delicious, but so much less satisfying than what she is experiencing now.

Triathlon Schedule

2010-04-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

This is my triathlon schedule for the year...my high ambitions are that I place in all of them except for the 70.3. I know even dreaming of placing in that one isn't realistic. Still, placing in all of the others is a huge stretch too. We'll see!

Gateway to the Bay Triathlon---Done!

Combat Triathlon---Sprint---May29th

Sylvan Beach Triathlon---Olympic---June 13th

July is Angie's wedding month....no room for Tri!

Bridgeland Triathlon---Sprint---August 8

TowneLake Triathlon---Olympic---September 26 (just in time to taper!!)

Austin 70.3---Half Ironman---October 17th

only one half this year because of all the festivities and going to Niger. It was completely worth it....i have thoughts for next year though. they might involve some additional running events....we'll see!

thoughts

2010-04-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

i'm very reflective today....i guess that is the byproduct of being very tired, but somehow unable to sleep!

last weekend i was in Grand Rapids, MI to participate in the wedding of my roommate from PA school. besides the travel mis-adventures, it was a really good weekend and i got to see a number of people that i don't get to see enough of. (sorry, no pictures because my camera isn't with me now!)

i was able to see shannon (and her son josiah) from undergrad. she and her husband will, hopefully sometime soon, be headed over to Hong Kong as missionaries. if you are interested in helping get her there, let me know! she is one of those people i just fall into a rhythm with right away even though i've only seen her twice since graduation. we share very similar philosophies on missions and now she has this cute little boy in her care too!

my mom scootched over from the east side of the state to say a little hello. although the time seemed way too short, it was so good to see her. she has spent the whole school year with my dad in Nebraska and she's been very self-sufficient....although she did have someone help with the snow shoveling! i'm so thankful for my parents' devotion to each other through many moves.
this was probably my last trip to michigan for awhile...that is crazy!

colleen, sarah, and kathi were at that wedding too. they were a some of my partners in crime in PA school. it was fun to bring up old memories and talk about our new life events. even though i have no interest in dermatology, 4 day work weeks and free electrolysis sound nice! they are all really thriving at work and home life sounds like it is going well. it was a fun couple years!

of course the woman of the moment was merideth. the wedding was very her (and Pete, actually). it went really well. it was my first (and hopefully last) wedding to sing in and it went okay....i would have liked it to go better, but you can't put me at the end of a ceremony. nerves and emotion combined are not a good thing! she looked gorgeous and i enjoyed seeing Pete and her interact. they are a really good couple. i will admit that i was a little sad as i thought about angie getting married this summer too.....don't you think you two could have planned it a little better?!?!? at least spread them out between 2 years? just kidding! the festivities for angie's wedding will be beginning before we know it!

a compliment?

2010-04-25T14:46:00.001-07:00

so, i was working out on Thursday and a trainer came up to me and said "you sweat more than any other girl i've seen".....i'll take that as a compliment!

Race Report

2010-04-11T16:08:00.000-07:00

So, as I warned you, my first triathlon of the season was on Saturday. i wasn't expecting too much because of the 3+ week break in Niger...it actually went great though and it was so fun. i was also excited that i finally got a cap that wasn't PINK!

april and i left the house around 5 AM and headed over to Kemah. oddly, i haven't ever been on the boardwalk itself were everything took place. the race started at 7:00. the water was SUPER choppy. i was so thankful that i knew i was a strong swimmer....it would have scared me if it was my first triathlon swim. times were definitely slower there, but they were for everyone! the goal was not to drown in the waves!

the bike went okay considering the wind as well. for me, the goal is to stay consistent throughout the ride. we had to go up 2 big hills out of the gate and i powered past some men which is always encouraging! my goal is always to pass more people than pass me. i used to lose that ratio, but on the shorter distance, i passed a lot of people. it was fun! along the way, i always try to tell all the volunteers "thank you".

the run was nice and solid. things felt good...considering your legs really feel like pieces of lead getting off the bike. i had worked on this transition a lot though and i could tell. my miles were sub 8 minute. i was very happy!

all in all, i got 2nd in my age group.....i actually got 6th out of all the woman...i'm not exactly sure how many there were and i don't really want to count. approximately 300-350? i'm pretty pumped for my sprint focus this year!

Mining Accidents

2010-04-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

There have been a number of mining accidents recently. Think China and West Virginia. When the China accident happened, I was still living in a little hole from my trip. I have watched the news though this past week about West Virginia. One thing has really struck me....they don't seem shocked by what happened and I haven't seen a family that has been upset with the company yet.

Maybe that is just the stations I'm watching, but people are talking about their family members....how they liked to hunt and fish....how mining was their life.

it had become so much their life that they didn't see the danger. they knew the potential for danger existed, but they weren't upset or angry at the source of the danger---the mine that was not up to code.

this leads me to think about how many times we are lulled into a false sense of security. sometimes it is by good things that we tend to get caught up in...family, career, reaching a goal. other times it is that gradual decline. we enter into something that we know might be dangerous to us morally, physically, spiritually, or emotionally and gradually we lose the acute sense of danger...so much that when things start falling apart, we don't even think to "blame" the root of the problem.

something to think about...

triathlon

2010-04-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

okay, i haven't posted on a triathlon in a long time....because i haven't done one in a long time!

this saturday is the first of season. it is in Kemah, Texas. the weather should be nice, although actually a little chilly in the morning. i do think that it is funny that we pay money to get up SUPER early on a saturday to then swim, bike, and run a specified distance. it is great fun!

on my trip, i definitely was reminded that triathlon is just a hobby....it isn't necessary for life and can easily become a distraction or even an idol (just like anything can). this year, i'm going to stick to shorter races so that all my time isn't spent in the pool or on a bike. if i do a 70.3, it will be at the end of the season.

i don't have high hopes for this saturday. i'm feeling pretty good, despite the 3+ weeks away. i'm sure i'll be wishing that i had been in the pool and on the bike more recently though!

simple things.

2010-03-31T09:53:00.001-07:00

there is something so neat about a little letter getting across the country with a sticky thing saying 42 cents.

Health Care

2010-03-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

with all this health care talk going on in the US, i thought i'd just point out some differences between health care in the US and Niger.

- health care is self-pay only in Niger. in Galmi, where i was, the most expensive surgery was around $140.

- HIPPA definitely doesn't exist. there are easily 2-3 patients being seen at a time in one room. they freely comment on each other's ailments.

-conversely, the physicians would ask other patient's family members if the patient in question has been going to the bathroom regularly. they did any of their business in front of each other anyhow...

- in the states, no one would come at 8 or 9 o'clock for an appointment that wouldn't happen until 3:00.

- very few patients ask for explainations about their ailments. i didn't have one patient come in with a list of questions that needed to be answered that visit.

- there definitely isn't any malpractice insurance. this is good and bad. do we end up valuing life less without a legal threat of retribution for malpractice? what if we truely don't have any medicine to offer?

- there is no palliative care treatment here...and yet there is a huge need because palliative care is regularly the only thing that can be offered. that was frustrating for me.

- you pay upfront....no back billing or coding issues. there is a flat fee for all visits which also includes 2 medicines. it is approximately $5. it is a lot less hastle for the providers!

- cleanliness standards aren't the same...we'll leave it at that!

Hopes and Dreams

2010-03-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

there were many thoughts that went through my head while in Niger. one of the recurring themes was hopes and dreams. i headed to Niger for many reasons, but one of them was to learn more about my dreams and my future. after a day or two there, i started to think about the Nigerien kids....do they have hopes and dreams?

i volunteer at a free clinic in Houston. when i see kids, i always ask them what they want to be when they grow up. if they don't have an answer, i'll leave the room for a minute or two and then ask the question again. i won't let them leave until they have an answer. i just think that children need to use their imaginations and hope. it doesn't matter if they don't become a policeman or a jedi, but they need to "want to be something".

what happens to children that don't have people in society to look up to? what happens when you are malnourished? can you even hope for the future? is their hope to go to school? to have a lot of children? to become a good cook so that the family can survive? or is it to venture to the capital and break the cycle of poverty?

i wish i had answers for these things. i have noticed that malnourished children don't smile. education is a dream for most children. the cost of public education is 6 cFa (about $13 a year). if i were somewhere longer, i would probably interview a lot of children to get a better idea about how children think. i know that they are creative in their play, but do they dread getting older? do they know anything different? do all little girls desire to have large families?

Nigerien vs. American Churches

2010-03-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

Here are the top 5 reasons that American churches would have smaller congregations if they followed the Nigerien practices:

1. All visitors are introduced during the service....whether you speak Hausa or not.

2. Multiple offerings are taken. I would count....the average was 6-7.

3. They would sing for 2 hours and then the sermon would last another 45 minutes or so.

4. You might have to touch the person next to you....you squeeze in tight...in 110+ degree heat.

5. Preachers at home get distracted with talking and sleeping in the congregation....try preaching while the women are openly breast feeding!

*Just a quick disclaimer....I'm not saying that either is right or wrong.

here is a picture of the pews...i don't have a lot of good pictures from church. i tried to upload a video and it isn't working with me!

Trip Updates

2010-03-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

So sorry if you were looking at this blog for trip updates. I didn't have much access to e-mail and I didn't want to spend a lot of time on the computer either. I'll be updating with some stories intermittantly! All in all, it was a great trip!

Trip!

2010-02-22T16:57:00.000-08:00

The time has come.....the trip to Niger, West Africa!

Just a quick overview here: All of you know that I love to travel and have come from a family where missions is emphasized. As far as I'm concerned, love for traveling + love for God = missions. It might not be that simple, but both of those ingredients are pretty essential.

I've been a practicing PA for 2.5 years now, and I have put in enough time and effort that the hospital is willing to give me 3 weeks off. I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a need, preferably in Africa. Unfortunately, many mission organizations haven't grasped the amazing utility of PAs in underserved countries!

I'm leaving for Niger, West Africa on Thursday the 26th. I'll be working in a hospital and outpatient clinic in a village just north of the Nigeria border. It is a hospital run by SIM. I'll be flying over by myself and then working with long-term missionaries.

There have been a couple bumps in the road. Last week there was a coup in the capital of Niamey and then president is currently in custody. There hasn't been any violence since that time (at least in the news) and I'm keeping a close eye on things. At this point, I'm planning on going unless things flare up. Also, there is a threat for a strike of air traffic controllers in Paris. That could cause some delays too.

I'll appreciate prayer in the following 3 areas:
* Safety - Traveling to and within the country. That the coup will remain nonviolent and I'll be able to get out of the country as well.
* Focus - I won't be treating much cancer there. I've read up on a lot of the illnesses, but it is still a lot of new information. Pray that I would learn quickly and apply what I have learned well.
* Clarity - I've been interested in living overseas for awhile. Pray that I would be refreshed and that I would learn a lot about missionary life. I am hoping to have a clearer vision---whether I'm supposed to continue to give more money in the future, take trips like this yearly, or end up overseas full time at some point in the future.

I'm excited to learn about a new culture....wait until you see my great pictures with me in a long skirt and a head covering!

Facts about the country: 95% Muslim, French is the primary language, Niger ranks last in the Human Development Index, 61% of people make less than or equal to $1 a day.

"let's hear it for new york..."

2010-02-18T17:31:00.000-08:00

maybe i didn't meet alicia keys and jay z....but i did go to new york!

angie had talked about going to new york to get her wedding dress prior to even dating her fiance. we didn't think it was going to work, but it did! kerwyn, mrs. qualey, angie, and i were able to meet up in the big apple. shannon, one of her other bridesmaids, was in town for business too.

we had a good time at Carnegie Hall, in Times Square, and Kleinfelds. she is going to look very classy for her wedding.

for me, it was just great to spend additional time getting to know kerwyn too. he is growing on me and i think they are going to be a great couple!

2010-02-17T14:36:00.001-08:00

the specific area of medicine i work in isn't always the most gratifying....i'm not a surgeon...i'm not even a doctor...and i rarely get to fix anyone. i won't make one of those USA Today Top 100 healthcare provider lists based on my cure rate. some days i wish i had more wins....but most days i know that i'm exactly in the right place, even if it isn't recognized with banners and trumpets!

teachers are told not to have favorite students; i think most teachers do have favorites. the same thing happens for me. i honestly treat everyone medically the same, but you have patients and families that you connect with on a deeper level. the more you invest, the more you get hurt. that is true in all aspects of life.

all this to say that i lost a father of 4 a couple weeks ago. his wife said that i looked like his old girlfriend, which is why she thought he liked me so much! (they have been married 20 years). she and i got along wonderfully, which made it okay! they had a whole community of support behind them and after his passing, they gave me a t-shirt that the local high school football team had made as a fundraiser. now, i do cry or get watery-eyed pretty often in my job....and this was no exception. it is hands down one of the two best gifts that i have gotten from a patient....not the item itself, but the t-shirt was an expression of thankfulness for what his family and the medical team had tried to do. we tried to give him as much time as possible. it resulted in sadness, but also a mutual respect and admiration. the interactions with my patients are priceless and the stress, tears, and nights with a heavy heart are worth it...my role might not allow me to cure as often as i would like, but it opens the door for emotional depth that few other careers offer.

okay, not the best pic ever, but it shows the shirt.

a new idea

2010-02-12T20:23:00.000-08:00

i thought of a way that i can compete in the olympics!

mom was born in greece, so she can file for greece citizenship. then, i'll be eligible for citizenship. during this process, i'll take up cross country skiing or curling...then i compete in the greek winter team. they didn't have a team at all this year, so i just might qualify as a pity vote!

otherwise, i don't think i'll ever qualify....i just want to be able to walk in the parade of nations and meet all the people from all over the world!

remember when....

2010-02-10T18:50:00.000-08:00

...the nancy kerrigan/tonya harding saga was top billing on the news? Cool Runnings was the hottest new movie? Bode Miller was in the news for winning medals instead of weekend partying? Johnson won the gold in speed skating after losing 4 years previously after family tragedy?

the olympics start again on Friday and i'm pretty excited! christy and i used to love figure skating. i just don't hear about it anymore....in fact, i can't name one figure skater that is representing the USA. that is so sad!

i'm anxious to get caught up in the spirit of things and to learn about the athletes. the bios on the athletes are highlights for me and i love getting caught up in the medal ceremony. i think that is the most patriotic i ever feel!

maybe i'll take up luge....more likely, i'll be wanting to visit vancouver sometime soon!

GAME DAY!!

2010-02-07T12:26:00.000-08:00

if you didn't know....it is the superbowl today. the contestants are the indianapolis colts vs. the new orleans saints. if you weren't aware, it is time that you own a television or turn on the radio!

of course, i'm cheering for the colts. i'm going to a party with some people from my sunday school class. it will be good to meet more people, but i definitely want to see the game....the whole game. if you want it by yourself or with football fanatics, than you know there won't be a lot of talking during the plays....no guarantee in this situation!

i'll be slightly disappointed if the colts don't win tonight, but the saints are a deserving team as well. the great thing is...it is only football! GO COLTS!

****side note....i initially wrote superbowel....only someone working in GI would do that!****

february

2010-02-03T09:29:00.000-08:00

it's hard for me to believe that it is february...crazy. i'm not just about 3 weeks from my trip to Niger. i'm thinking more about it....but not about packing. i'm not a procrastinator in many areas of my life, but packing for a trip has become one of the areas! i just think it is because i am so good at it now that it doesn't take long!

before that trip, i'm heading out to new york city to go wedding dress shopping with Angie, her mom, and possibly one or two of her bridesmaids. it should be fun...but i'm packing a lot in a couple weeks. i really better focus on getting things done this weekend (i said that last weekend...and did get a little accomplished!)

if anyone has any drug samples from doc's that they work with or know, i would appreciate anything. they asked me to bring some drugs, but due to the new regulations on pharmacutical companies and the fact the MD Anderson doesn't allow samples it has made it difficult to come across any to bring with me. also, all of my PA friends either work in crazy specific sub-specialties or they shipped any extra drugs they had to haiti. give me a call or e-mail if you have any connections...i'll pay for the shipping!

i've been feeling "off" the past couple of days. i'm still going to work and doing the daily events, but having consistent low grade nausea and the blahs...i'm not the best sick person and it makes me all the more empathetic to my patients. although chemo dosing and side effect management has come a LONG way, it still stinks to have symptoms from the cancer...and side effects from treating the cancer. yuck!

this is not about sports! (or at least not entirely)

2010-01-26T17:56:00.000-08:00

i was in indianapolis this weekend. this trip had been planned for about 5 weeks, but the recent engagement of my best friend definitely made the trip important. i was able to meet angie's fiance, kerwyn. it is a little whirlwind romance and they are getting married in july. it is crazy how fast things can change.

the position of heather's favorite travel partner is open for the highest bidder!

i was able to see some of the girls from Taylor. it was great to reconnect and they are the ones that told me i need to write about something different than triathlons. i'll work on it. i have a couple of ideas brewing! it isn't that i don't want to write about things....there are a lot of stories at work but patient privacy acts prevent me from doing that.

angie and i hit the bingo circuit on saturday night with some of her friends. this was their first time too. it was a smoke pit, but it was a lot of fun. people throw down a ton of money during one evening....that was not us. it was definitely a cultural experience.

on sunday we got to see the colts tromp the jets and head off to the superbowl. we can't wait!!! it was a great weekend all around and it is wonderful to be with old friends and new friends.

2010-01-20T18:54:00.000-08:00

"Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore."

by Sir Fracis Drake

Marathon Peeps

2010-01-17T12:02:00.000-08:00

this morning was the houston half marathon and marathon. in conjuction, they also have a 5K. 30,000 people participated in one of the events. i didn't sign up in time for the half marathon, so i just forgot about it. i'm a member of a small triathlon group and they wanted to sign up for a team competition. they needed someone to run the 5K so i jumped in. i love the short races....got up early....ran....showered...still made it to sunday school and church.

anyhow, there are great people interactions at these events....my breakdown of the different categories of people:

-THE NEWBIES--you can see their glazed looks...the masses of people pass by them and they continue to remain rooted in one spot. they also struggle to put on their timing chip, but pretend that they know what they are doing (i have been there).

-THE OVER CONFIDENT--either they have super skin tight spandex (and they shouldn't) or they keep pushing through to get towards the front of the starting line. i'm guessing that they aren't setting the course records...instead i might be tripping over them at the start.

-THE UNATHLETIC--now, that might be harsh and i didn't know exactly how else to phrase it. i think anyone that is there for any distance is great...but i want them to do it safely! there were a number of people that were trying to stretch...trying is the key word...and then one young girl basically had her leg wrapped around her head. maybe she should try gymnastics!

-THE ELITE--i just look at them in shock and awe...2 ethiopians won the marathon this year, both setting course records. they are amazing...yet, at the same time, i wouldn't want all that pressure on me!

Triathlon

2010-01-16T14:39:00.000-08:00

So, what is my triathlon schedule looking like in 2010? Well, I have to say that I’ve thought about it quite a bit but have only signed up for one race. The big question mark was if the trip to niger was going to happen and I have a plane ticket!

Now, they say that I should be able to run in the hospital compound. The route is maybe ½ mile…that is a lot of laps! So, I don’t think I’ll be ready for a ½ Ironman a month after I get back.

Here are some ideas:

April 10th---Kemah, TX---open water sprint triathlon
April 29th—Galveston, TX---open water Olympic distance tri (I wish I could do the ½!)
May 31st—Austin, TX ---Olympic distance (depends on a conference schedule)
June 27th—Pearland, TX ---sprint distance
August 8th—cypress, tx---sprint tri
August 28th---Clearlake, TX—olympic
Sept 26th---Houston Triathlon—olympic
Oct 17th—Sugarland TX—sprint
Oct 31st—Austin, TX---half ironman

i'm not sure if i'll do all of these, but probably the majority. i was hoping to get another half in, but i'm going to have to look at some other options. if another half is in the picture, than i'm going to have to cut out some of these races. i was hoping to have a new bike for this season, but the trip is taking that allocated money...definitely worth it!

Mouse Update

2010-01-09T12:54:00.000-08:00

well, you know you wanted it....a mouse update!

currently, i know the mouse must be dead....he/she ate about half of the poison. that is a lot of poison! the box said that they should die within 4 days of ingesting it. last night i thought i noticed a little odor....this was confirmed today when i got back from the gym.

i called for back up....Olvin helped me look and we literally turned my house upside down....we can't find the mouse! he claims that he can't smell it either so maybe it is in my head...he seems to think that it somehow found a way out...oh, and he helped me figure out how to appropriately work a mouse trap. that would have been so much easier......

2010

2010-01-06T18:38:00.001-08:00

so 2010 has had a little rocky start. here are 3 things that have been bad:

1. i have a mouse in my house. my door doesn't lock well and i was told that it swung open while i was gone for Christmas and i guess a mouse found a home. i had trouble working the traps so i have been gradually feeding poison. i have to look for the body tomorrow...gross!

2. i have either eczema or ringworm. it isn't clear which. what is clear is that it looks like a hickey on my neck. very classy!

3. i got an inappropriate e-mail at work. that has been a blast too!

Good things:

1. I am going to indianapolis to visit angie in 2 weeks...yippee!

2. Christy unexpectedly got a bump in Houston on her way to Quito. we got to spend about 18 unexpected hours together and it was a lot of fun.

the last two good things easily negate the first 3 things....bring it on 2010!

2010-01-03T16:54:00.000-08:00

i stumbled upon this quote today:

"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love." -Washington Irving-

2009-12-21T08:21:00.000-08:00

if you are anything like me (or my family), we love year-in-review things. usa today did a pretty good recap. i had forgotten about some of the events....i just wish they would include more positive events too!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/2009-12-20-decade-in-review_N.htm

for me, without thinking too long, a few things stick out for me from 2000-2009...

--the fun that comes with college as well as wonderful friends and professors
--grad school...and finishing it!
--beginnings and ends of relationships
--generosity of others
--an amazing first job and the ability to be a part of people's difficult circumstances
--going to greece with my family
--the opportunity for my grandparents to live close by

what stands out for you in the last decade?

2009-12-20T14:05:00.000-08:00

this is in chicago with kathi and sarah (PA school friends). please excuse the huge forehead and glazed look. merideth was about a foot away from my face while taking this picture!

we hit downtown chicago....

if you are going to celebrate christmas anywhere, it should be in chicago!

proof that it did "snow" in houston!

another gym musing.

2009-12-16T13:01:00.000-08:00

okay, a few months ago i wrote about the new gym that i was forced into paying through the nose to attend. see the post: http://triforpancan.blogspot.com/2009/06/naked-meter.html

i have some more antidotes today...let me set the scene:

the clock says 5:30 AM and everyone is getting on their spinning bikes. the skinny blond that leads the class comments that "the other gym i teach at is much more friendly than this crowd". okay...thanks. another spinner, the teacher, and myself start dialoging about it and they both conclude right off the bat that it is because this gym is by the med center and the other has a lot of oil and gas employees.

so, we start spinning and then entire time all i can think about is my sore gluteous maximus from the day before and why my gym is "unfriendly".

i have some theories:

1. it isn't really our gym, just the fact that she teaches in the evening at the other gym. people that exercise in the morning aren't looking to be noticed.....afternoon people...well, look at the prevalence of greasy hair in the morning and make up in the afternoon. it just isn't fair.

2. really....who wants to have long drawn out conversations at 5 or 5:30 in the morning? it would distract us from sweating which is why we set our alarm for that early!! we are focused.

3. the occupation difference really might matter. if the majority of people at my gym work in health care, they probably know they are going to be talking all day....about important things. the oil and gas people are likely thankful to talk to people since they will be stuck in the cubicle.

overall, i guess i better be a little friendlier. it doesn't hurt....people can run from my greasy hair and goodwill shirts if i disgust them too much!

Video link

2009-12-14T06:18:00.001-08:00

Hi all. I'm going to place a link to the website of The Village Church.

I listen to a number of podcasts on a regular basis and one of them is Matt Chandler's messages from The Village Church. He is sometimes controversial, but he speaks honestly and about Truth. They just found a brain tumor and he had surgery last week. This is a message that he recorded before going into surgery. May we all have the strength and faith that he possesses.

http://fm.thevillagechurch.net/blog/pastors/

exciting announcement....

2009-12-09T12:25:00.000-08:00

i'm going on a trip. i know you aren't surprised by that, but the location might be surprising! I'm going to Niger, Africa. It looks like I will be leaving February 25th and returning March 21st. It certainly isn't written in stone until I get a visa and a plane ticket!

For those of you that need a little geography refreshment, please see below:

Niger (actually pronounced with a French accent) is just north of the more commonly known country, Nigeria. French is the national language, although the majority of people speak one of the native dialects. It is one of the hottest countries in the worldd. Note, the location relative to the Sahara desert below:

I'm going through an organization called Medical Teams International that partners with non-profit organizations around the world. They try to help fill temporary needs for medical providers. A lot of organizations haven't found that wonder of PAs yet in international medicine!

The organization that is in Niger is SIM (Serving in Missions). They have a hospital in Galmi, Niger. It is approximately 6 hours by bus from the capital of Niamey.

Of course I have done research....below are some websites showing the sobering statistics related to this country. On the Human Development Index (HDI), they are dead last in the world. Their women have the highest birth rate as well...I have seen a couple stats. One said 7.5 kids/woman and another at 8.5 kids/woman. Overall, a lot of kids! Another interesting stat is that 50% of the population is age 15 or under. Crazy!

http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/

http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_NER.html

flights!

2009-12-07T17:12:00.000-08:00

so, a couple weeks ago i realized that my continental flights toward the end of the year wouldn't count toward delta/northwest frequent flyer elite status. this didn't bother me too much until i realized that i was 15 miles short of elite status this year.....15 miles! After thousands of miles and 2 additional continental flights that now don't count....crazy. i sent an e-mail to delta proclaiming my loyalty, but they shot me down.

so...i decided to book an extra ticket in order to get the miles. i fly enough that the extra mileage next year and the free baggage could pay off. i also found an old $60 voucher and used that to take the pain away. so, i'm going to be on the plan a lot the next couple weeks.

here is my itinerary:

Chicago----this Friday night through Sunday night to visit Merideth. yippee!!

Atlanta----next Saturday, the 19th...i'm flying out at 9:30 and i'll be back in houston around 3:20. obviously, this was the added flight.

Detroit---for Christmas, of course!

at the end of the year, i always calculate how much i spend on student loans, tithing and charitable donations, and flights. those are BY FAR my greatest expenses....actually, student loans blows everything out of the water!

the trip to atlanta at least allows me to read a good book all day!

10 Most Influential Books

2009-11-22T13:48:00.001-08:00

okay, i have loved reading my entire life. it did take a back seat during undergrad and grad school, but i'm back in prime form. yesterday was super dreary in houston so i spent a lot of time in Barnes and Noble (and then I went to the library and got the books I was interested in there!) this made me think about the most loved books that i have read so far. it is difficult to come up with a list and i haven't thought about it too long....this is what I have so far. they are listed in no specific order.

1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

This is my favorite book from early high school. It is a coming of age story that, in my opinion, is not rivaled by any other book. If you are going to read it, remember that it is a little slow initially as there is a lot of character development!

2. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

This might not have made the list last year, but after seeing where she hid out, I'm forever moved. It is a simple, honest description from a young girl in one of the worst times in history. Also, you should read Night by Elie Wiesel.
3. The Challenge of Missions by Oswald J. Smith

Every list should have something by an Oswald! This small book was given to me during college by a World Opportunities Week speaker. I cannot tell you how many times I have read it. The simple truths but huge challenges continue to push me.

4. Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

This is a biography about Dr. Paul Farmer, a physician and public health guru. He goes to some of the poorest areas of the worlds and implements low-cost lifesaving medical practices.

5. The White Man's Burden by William Easterly

Again, you might be seeing a trend here. I cannot find my copy of this book and it bums me out. This was a challenging read because it was written from an economics perspective. It is a study on the unequal distribution of wealth around the world.
6. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

This is a simple, but profound description of Christianity. It took me a number of tries to get through this---probably just because I tried to read it on the young side and before I appreciated the beauty of British writing!
7. A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

I have read this book three times in the past year. It is about the conflict in Sierra Leone and his experience through it. It is one of the most gripping books I have read in a long time. It also points out another civil war that went on without the world taking a second glance.

8. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

I'm surprised that this made my list. It was required reading for my senior year of high school. It is an unforgettable book and, although, very rough around the edges, it opened my eyes to the diversity of literature.

9. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

This is the book I relate to my childhood. I think it is important because it opens children up to fantasy and encourages imagination. We don't keep the ability to imagine long enough!

10. Where Is God When It Hurts? by Philip Yancey

I read this book in college and a couple times since then. I think all people in medicine should read this, as well anyone with a chronic or terminal illness. It explains why we need pain is a gift from God and we need it to survive.

Okay, those are my current 10. If you haven't read them, pick up a good book! What are some of your favorite books? You might give me some ideas!

travel agent?

2009-11-19T17:31:00.000-08:00

i'm thinking i should be a travel agent on the side. what do you think???

a coworker asked my opinion the other day and she agrees as i gave her many options. it would be a great side job!

Pictures

2009-11-15T11:17:00.001-08:00

Okay, here are some much-anticipated pictures from Oklahoma City. The first few are with the half ironman. Remember that it is pouring rain and we are freezing. The second half are from the Oklahoma City Memorial.

the picture above is just to show that we were loaded with mud....nothing like running through mud puddles for 13 miles. i actually threw my shoes out that day.

9 months

2009-11-12T18:17:00.001-08:00

I wrote this last night, but couldn't post it.....

Tonight I had dinner with the Alfords. They opened up their house to 3 Texas A&M freshman that were in town for a leadership event. It was so fun to have a homemade dinner with a big "family" atmosphere. Mary and Gene are just so incredibly generous and warm. Their house is literally always open to anyone coming through. I'm sure that they were aware of the timing. Tomorrow it will be 9 months since Charles passed away. I cannot even believe it. Some days, I unconsciously expect him to be home when I get back from work and to be lounging on the couch with his shirt off. I cannot imagine how Gene and Mary feel all the time. Charles' 17th birthday is coming up soon as well. If you think about it, just keep them in your prayers in the next 3 months. There are a lot of family oriented events that I'm sure will feel pretty empty with one person missing.

Ft. Hood

2009-11-08T12:51:00.000-08:00

I'm sure by now everyone has heard about the killings at Fort Hood. I was reading the paper this morning and a couple things were new to me. One was an article about how people shouldn't attach this event to the killer's faith. I can see both sides of this comment. All religious organizations have their over-zealous followers. That is definitely a given. I get so upset when people kill abortion doctors in defense of the sanctity of life. I will say though, that we hear more about violent acts associated with certain religious sects....think Waco, 9/11, etc. when have we heard about a Buddhist attacking others? Maybe it has happened, but I haven't heard about it.

The second thing...I was reading about the 13 people that died in the attacks. Two of the killed were career Physician Assistants. It hits home a little more when you think about your career could cause that risk. I have thought about joining the military a number of times, but it always comes down to the fact that in my heart, I know I'm not built for a war zone. Now, if I could man a hospital in Germany or Italy or Hawaii, I think I could be convinced. I'm thankful for those that aren't scared out of their pants to defend our country (regardless of what you think of this current situation)

pics

2009-11-02T18:27:00.001-08:00

okay, these are all out of order....above is me lounging in front of the fountain at balboa park!

friends!

la jolla cove....

this isn't a great picture, but i'm too lazy to upload another one....swinging at the beach. yippee!

angie and i at the apple day's festival in julian, cali. it was like a scene out of Gilmore Girls according to angie! this is the view of the marina outside our hotel......a priceline special. angie loved watching the million dollar boats and their help!

the two of us....and our bike debockle...note the old tube around my neck!

okay, that is just a couple things....i have the biggest charlie horse that won't go away in my left second toe....love it!

vacation!

2009-11-01T18:11:00.000-08:00

okay, so i'm going to post a quick and dirty overview of san diego. part of me thinks that i might ruin the greatness of it if it is discussed too much.

angie and i had a great time (if i say so myself)! san diego was the perfect location for this specific vacation. angie called me a drill sargent for the first few days when i would ask her to get going....that is after i've already had a morning workout! we learned that it takes me awhile longer to slow down!

we basically didn't hit any of the san diego MUST SEE locations....sorry to disappoint you! we did go to an apple day's festival in julian, california. we tried our hand at surfing (videos of us to come). we knew that it wasn't going to be easy, but it definitely took awhile to get the hang of things. i am well acquainted with awkward falls, as well as salt and sand up my nose. it was a whole lot of fun though!

i don't have all of the pictures (angie has some on her camera). we did a little road biking. the very first day angie got a flat tire at the top of a GIGANTIC hill. unfortunately i had already gone down it and it took awhile to figure out where she was. a little boy in an Everlast boxing costume eventually was our savior. about 300 meters down the road, angie's chain got caught. now, the gentleman that helped us was just as cute....just a little older....less clothed...more tan and a surfer specimen. it was nice to admire God's creation in San Diego!

let's see....we ate at some of the best and worst restaurants of san diego. we loved Rubio's and Lotus Thai. we did not like The Fiddler's Green.....or the waitress. it had to be the worst service and food that we've ever had. the laughs and the ice cream afterwards made up for it somewhat!

that's a super brief overview....we did a lot more than that...but it was very restful for both of us. now, back to taking care of sick patients! i'm so thankful for a loyal and encouraging friend who puts up with my goofiness!

pictures aren't uploading now so you all will have to wait with bated breath!

and i'm out!

2009-10-22T18:36:00.002-07:00

i'm headed to san diego early saturday morning! yippee! i'm so ready for a break from work....only one more day. i'm meeting angie there and we are going to have a blast. we haven't seen each other since february. that is way too long!

i officially completed my triathlon season last sunday with a very respectable third place finish in my age group. it was a competative top three (just seconds apart). i also finished in the top 8th of the entire field....men and women included. someday i'll be good at triathlons...or my knees will be shot! : )

anyhow, angie and i plan on road biking this week. it is going to be great! i am just excited to get out of here!

stories

2009-10-19T17:58:00.000-07:00

there are so many stories that come up at work. i wish that i knew all my patient's stories, but it just isn't practical. i love the days when things are a little less hectic and i can just sit back and chat.....find out what is important to them...what makes them happy...anxious...their support system....how they met their spouse.

last week i spoke with a patient for about 20 minutes about the real estate business. what do i know about real estate? i guess i should learn a lot though. he thinks everyone should have a second career "in their back pocket". it sounds like his is a lucrative one!

so today i spent time talking to an elderly gentleman that is having difficulty with his treatment. without giving details, he has an advanced cancer and is on his last chemotherapy option. i had noticed a german accent and his name. i inquired about when he came to the states. to shorten things up a little bit, he came over as an orphan in 1946. he was in multiple concentration camps and lost his parents and seven siblings. his wife pulled up his sleeve and showed me the number tattooed on his arm. it was just an incredible interaction---the fact that he would share that with me. it transitioned into a conversation about the unpredictability of life.

this reminded me of a patient i met in michigan as a tech. the woman was from germany and was a little girl during the war. she told me about her parents hiding jews during wwII.

the depth, courage, and determination of people amazes me.

5 years

2009-10-17T06:03:00.000-07:00

my 5 year reunion for Taylor is this weekend. i didn't intentionally not go....not making a decision and being busy made the decision for me. i can't believe it has been 5 years though! i can't believe how fast time went, but i guess grad school and a challenging new career filled it (with some travelling intermingled!)

i'm so thankful for my time at Taylor...things that stick out, just off the top of my head:

- the fruit fly unit in genetics...a testiment to what you sacrifice when you become a bio major

- wonderful relationships (with their normal bumps and peaks)

- intense flag football

- professors that wanted you to think, not just memorize

- some great trips with angie (europe, washington d.c......les miserables!)

- personal growth

- singing with the music department and all that goes along with that

i win....kind of

2009-10-13T17:21:00.000-07:00

so, i had my first visit to the houston muncipal building today. i got a ridiculous parking ticket on saturday. i'll make it a shorter story...i went to the library and their was the international festival going on downtown. i couldn't park in the normal location so i found a meter that was available. there were 2 signs on the same pole talking about commercial and standard parking. i fed the meter a ridiculous fee for 15 minutes and ran to the library to return my books and when i got back there was time left on the meter. i got in the car and then saw the little green papet that was my parking ticket. boo! i opened it and.....

it was 250 dollars!!!! Two hundred and fifty dollars...what in the world!?!? (of course my thought immediately goes to the fact that this equals an airline ticket). I talked to the Houston Police Department (who did not write the ticket) and joked about the horrific economy that Houston must have to charge these rates.

long and short of it is that i mistakenly parked in a commercial spot which equals big fine. i went the municipal building after work and waited....eventually saw a lady and pleaded my ignorance. since this was my first offense, she ended up cutting it to $75. i don't really like paying that money either, but it is better than $250!

nobel peace prize

2009-10-11T15:39:00.000-07:00

there has been a lot of talk about the nobel peace prize this week. whatever you think of the award this year, it has become a good history lesson for me. i went ahead and looked up all the past nobel peace prize winners. it is an impressive list. let me point out a few for you:

- 1919 Thomas Woodrow Wilson, President, formed the League of Nations (which would eventually become the UN)
- 1931 Jane Addams, sociologist (this one was just impressive for a woman to get it at this time)
- Nothing was given during WWII
- 1950 Ralph Bunche, mediated between Palestine and Israel
- 1964 Martin Luther King Jr.
- 1965 UNICEF
- 1973 Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho (he declined the prize after negotiating the peace accord....i'll have to look into why he turned it down)
- 1979 Mother Theresa
- 1984 Desmond Tutu, worked on South African apartheid
- 1986 Elie Wiesel, author, Holocaust activist (this is an unabashed plug for his writings)
- 1990 Mikhail Gorbachev, President of USSR, brought Cold War to end
- 1991 Aung San Suu Kyi, human rights advocate in Burma
- 1993 Nelson Mandela
- 1994 Yasser Arafat, Yitzak Rabin, Shimon Peres, working toward Middle East Peace
- 2006 Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank, promoting economic and social development for the lower class (again, another plug for a book...check this one out!)

so that is just a quick overview. lots of other great people that have gotten the award as well. all i know is that when i get the nobel prize, i don't want a good chunk of people questioning why i got it....lots of neat things to aspire to though...it is making me think about more good non-fiction books i can get from the library!

update

2009-10-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

i don't have a whole lot to say tonight....so tired from an emotionally draining week. some weeks are just tougher than others in the cancer world!

in brief, i went to charlotte last weekend for a conference and didn't take any pictures....stupid of me! it was gorgeous weather and i learned quite a bit. i also got to see a friend from college, Devan. she is newly engaged and it was great to catch up a little bit.

i spent this evening trying not to think about work....i stayed a little late to finish my homework. i haven't even done the reading yet, but it is quite logical to me. i love not studying too much and getting good grades!

angie and i will be on vacation soon....so needed for both of us! i bought a ticket home for christmas today too. that will be exciting...our whole family in one location---how traditional!

i'm looking at some races for next year. i'm going to have to work around merideth's wedding which is exciting. i think i'm going to try for 2-3 more halfs next year with a couple more sprints thrown in. i'm thinking about trying a travelling one....we'll see. i guess if i'm going to do another race i need to go bike shopping!

all in all, so glad it is the weekend. i'm hoping to go for a long bike ride tomorrow (pending the rain status). i need my yearly car inspection. i also plan on hitting the library and likely renting a movie. it will be grand!

journal memories

2009-09-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

so, i'm coming up on the start of my 27th year of life. i decided this warranted a review of my journals. i'm going to let you in on some excerpts.....get ready!!

1996 (9th grade)

-" i really like Daniel a lot. he's 13 and fun to be around."
- the next day--- "i kind of take back what i said yesterday. i like him as a sfriend. i want him to be my friend too. i mean, if he wants to be more than that it's okay too"

Make up your mind Heather!

1997

nothing must have happened that year!

1998

-first official boyfriend....it lasted for about a month!

1999 (11th/12th grade)

- i wrote about meeting with the guidance counselor to see if i could pull of graduating at the end of 11th grade....so i didn't have to start afresh in michigan for senior year.
- went to mozambique over the summer
- participated in swimming in michigan and struggled with starting a new school and my eating habits

2000 (12th grade/freshman year)

- "i'm a new alumni from saline high school. i graduated yesterday afternoon. it was a really boring service, but at least i'm done"
- i mention that "the thong song" was played at prom...classy!
- i talk about my new friend angie

2001 (freshman/sophomore year)

- "unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vein"
- lots of talk about if my major is correct...
- "common sense is not faith and faith is not common sense"
- "just think, God was so smart that he created physics for us to discover" can you tell i loved physics?!?!
- the fall semester was just rough....school was tough, debating med school, emotionally
- overall, my observation is that i began to have a lot deeper and higher thought processes...i don't think there was one comment about a boy!

2002 (soph/junior)

- "as a result of a fear of rejection, i think i have a fear of commitment/making decisions. if i don't make a decision, in essense, i'm chosing rejection for myself and a longer road of uncertainty."
- "Taylor Sounds went to the Ft. Wayne woman's club. they were so gracious. i was blessed immensely"
- i wrote about breaking curfew on the Sounds' trip to the Bahamas. Dr. Rediger wasn't happy!
- i started my job at st.joe's as a nurse's aide. i spoke about my preceptor..."she really demonstrated love of the seemingly unloveable. it is really easy to clean the people with clean bottoms and nonsaggy breasts, but what about the fat, smelly people whose family doesn't visit?" i didn't say it was politically correct!
- "yesterday i found out that something was wrong with my fruit flies....i cried a lot!"
- october 20th, first mention of considering a PA---as a result of crying through I AM SAM
- let's just say december 2002 was the craziest month of relationship issues (both good and bad) in my life

more to come as i keep reading!

birthday reflections:

-19th birthday "i opened mom and dad's package. it's a good thing material posessions aren't supposed to satisfy us!" ---cracks me up!
- 20th b-day--angie had people from the dorm write cards which i got throughout the day. i also talked about disecting my shark!

weekend recap

2009-09-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

well, since it is about time for the next weekend to start, i better talk about last weekend! sorry, this week has been busy. i'm still at work now, but needed a break---all alone at work at 5:30 on a friday is an odd experience. i digress...

last friday morning, i got up at 5:00 and finished loading the car. i backed into the Alford's gate on the way out and then it got stuck. shoot. eventually i make it to the gym and do a quick 40 minute run through of a triathlon...i'm loving the short workouts! i pick up April and we hit the road to Oklahoma.

a couple things happened on the drive:
1. we talked a lot. listened to a lot of music.
2. a 70-80 year old woman turned around right in front of us and started going the wrong way down a one way highway...so scary.
3. we stopped at an old gas station and the bathroom was a cricket graveyard.
4. come to think of it, we stopped at a lot of bathrooms....sorry April!
5. we found a great ice cream place (i'm pretty sure it rivals ivanhoe's) with the cutest waitress

we made it to oklahoma and found the race site and got everything situated. april has a long lost family member in oklahoma city so we stayed with them. we tried to carbo-load at pizza hut...not the best, but also not my choice. when we got back to the house, the dogs had snuck into my bag and eaten my breakfast....a jar of peanut butter and an english muffin!

saturday was supposed to be "a perfect race day". i now believe in the power of jinx. i had dreamed all night about being late...and i almost was late. it was horribly stressful. it then started to downpour....like hurricaine ike and the half marathon last year! i was too wet to get my wetsuit on...ironic, huh? they announced that they weren't sure if we were going to be able to do the bike portion because of flooding. at that moment, you are kind-of relieved and then kind-of upset. goodness, you have exercised so hard for so long!

we end up being able to do it and i hit the water. the swim went pretty well. i got kicked a number of times. i really like fresh water swims vs. salt water. you just don't get as nauseous when there isn't the salt to swallow! someone grabbed my leg and i had to stop and make sure i didn't lose my timing chip. all in all, very pleased with the swim. i cut 5 minutes off my time which is substantial!

transition to the bike went pretty smoothly too....no one talks about the dizziness that results from going from the swim to the bike. i always feel a little like vomiting!

the bike course was tougher because of the rain and a lot more hills than galveston. yes, they weren't horrible, but they were hills. the first half went pretty well. on the whole, i was pushing too much at the beginning so i peetered out a little bit mid-way through. i have a major problem with taking in calories on the bike. you are supposed to do this to get through the run....i only consumed about 250...definitely not enough. all in all, i was pleased with the bike. the course was harder and the conditions were worse and my time was almost exactly the same. that is when i got great hopes for the run.

transition between the bike and run was rough....i literally could not get my shoe off....ridiculous i know! i was thinking i was going to have to have someone cut it off...then i got it!

the run was rough. i definitely didn't have enough calories. the first half was okay...not stellar. it was just frustrating because i had actually been running really well in training and had dropped a lot of time. this was not reflected last saturday. the last 6 miles were so painful. i ended up going about the same pace as in april which was disappointing. overall, i basically dropped the 5 minutes from the swim.

i was initially just so glad to be done, but was disappointed in the outcome. if i had been able to run better, it would have been a great improvement on last time. oh, well!

i just didn't have a lot of focus through the whole thing...i was thinking about patients and then high grade neuroendocrine tumors....how many bugs i was eating...all over the place! i'm sure focus would have helped. also, i didn't mention that this was the national championships of this distance...so there were some amazingly fast people there. it was neat to see, but they certainly left me in the dust!

things to do better next time:
---better nutrition
---more bricks (with longer runs)
---get a triathlon bike (still don't have one)

i think this does mean that there will be a next time....we'll see! by the way, i'm impressed if you made it this far! i'll post some pictures soon.

great article

2009-09-23T09:50:00.001-07:00

check this out....such a great article. i promise that i'll write about the triathlon when i get a chance to breathe...

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/tigers/2009-09-22-ernie-harwell-cover_N.htm

T minus 35 hours

2009-09-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

i'm hitting the road tomorrow morning and heading toward oklahoma city. i will be driving through a portion of texas that i've never seen....hello dallas!

the half is this saturday. i should be off and swimming by about 7:30. the weather is supposed to be 75 degrees with a chance of rain. it should be nice.

think of me all saturday morning and into the afternoon!

Training Recap

2009-09-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

so, my second half ironman of the year is coming up this saturday in oklahoma city. i think i'm more nervous about this one than the first one! my heart rate has been up all week...that that it says much since i consistently have a pretty low resting heart rate. no strokes for me please!

i decided to calculate how far/how much time i have spent training for this one....then multiply it x2 since i pretty much did the training plans back to back. next year i will definitely approach training differently (and do some races closer together). it is odd how your mindset and body changes with this training though. i did a 2 hour workout this morning and it seemed short for a saturday....it is probably because i did a 3.5 hour one last saturday. that is a long time in a bike!

anyhow, here is the breakdown:

---first of all, i have tried to add up all the numbers but i'm sure i messed up so this is definitely an estimate. in parenthesis, i have approximated the total miles/yard breakdown. i estimated a lower speed than average, so it should actually be more total distance (just didn't want to give myself more credit than deserved). i also had days where i exercised more than recommended, but didn't write it down.

SWIM-- 2295 minutes total= 38.25 hours= 114,750 yards (based off 3000 yd/hr)
BIKE-- 3705 minutes total=61.75 hours=1049.75 miles (based on 17 mph)
RUN--2715 minutes total=45.25 hours=407.25 miles (based on 9 minute miles)

in all, at least 1540 miles total to train for 70.3. seems crazy, doesn't it?

a friendly tip...

2009-09-09T18:19:00.001-07:00

...never join bally total fitness.

that is it.

geography!

2009-09-06T16:34:00.001-07:00

i loved geography in 9th grade....some people liked the class because the teacher was really cute, but honestly i just really enjoyed the subject. here are some figures for you....

distance from Ann Arbor (mom) to Quito (christy)= around 3500 miles

distance from Omaha (dad) to Quito (christy)= 3000 miles

distance from Ann Arbor (mom) to Omaha (dad)= 692 miles

distance from Omaha to Houston (heather)= 902 miles

i'm currently thinking of a math problem....how many different combinations could we make?

healing

2009-09-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

i'm burnt out. yes, i have had a couple 3 day weekends here and there. i haven't taken a week off of work since last thanksgiving. that is way too long.

i go through phases here where i wonder if i'm really helping anyone. i work with pancreatic cancer and unknown primary cancers. they both are difficult to fight and we don't have enough knowledge, effective tools (chemotherapy), or people participating in clinical trials to make a significant impact in the overall survival of patients.

i had a healthy patient just this week that had a very small tumor, we treated him with chemotherapy and radiation. he went to surgery and was found to have metastatic disease that wasn't detectable on scans. a surgery coworker and i lamented on our adequateness to heal people as much as we desired.

that sadness, that comes in waves, brings me to this other patient. she has had a really difficult time with treatment for multiple reasons. she called to say that one of her symptoms had significantly improved since adjusting some medications on tuesday. she then continued to say how blessed MD Anderson was to have me and that i not only have a good command of medical knowledge, but also have a presence with people that is unmatched. (i should also add that she and i didn't hit it off right away). it was so sensitive and complementary. it reminded me of why i can come to work everyday to talk about horribly difficult circumstances. i really believe that i am there to meet people just as they are...to help them understand their diagnosis and then to journey with them through treatment, whatever the overall outcome might be.

as medical providers, i believe that we possess a lot of power. power to heal (in some cases). power to provide hope even in a seemingly hopeless situation. regardless of their medical ailments, we can listen to their life stories. we can break bad news with deep compassion and caring. we can celebrate with them with there is a glimmer of good news. i really believe that my job provides emotions on every end of the spectrum...deep joy, earth-shattering grief, raw anger, and limitless anxiety. the best observation is seeing patients find indescribable peace with their cancer.

my job is so emotionally draining, but so amazing!

the perfect storm

2009-09-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

i have declared september, the perfect storm. everything is aligning together. first, i'm covering a coworker's maternity leave. i'm glad to do it, but the combination workload is a lot. i'm putting in a lot of extra hours just to keep my patients happy.

it is also my month "on" for the free clinic, so every tuesday night i'm working extra clinic hours with an underserved population. i also have someone shadowing me those days...i love teaching, but it definitely takes time.

masters of public health classes started on monday too. i don't have the books yet....not that i would have taken the time to open them yet anyhow! i do hope they come tomorrow though!

i have another half ironman coming up 2 weeks from saturday...training has to keep going until then and there isn't too much flexibility.

anyhow, i'm glad i'm a go-getter....i just wish i didn't dream about all this stuff at night too!

witty?

2009-08-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

i participated in a bike ride today about an hour north of houston. it was a good ride. let me expound.

of course i had to get up at 5:15 to get there in time. it is always a little hard for me to set my alarm clock on the weekends. i normally only sleep until about 7, but it is the principle! i got to the site and the first thing i noticed were the ugly yellow t-shirts. (i am now a proud owner of another nightshirt/gym shirt). there were a good mix of hard-core bikers and recreational bikers.

before leaving, they had a moment of silence for those people who had been hurt or killed on a bike. that was encouraging as we set off! i instantly realized that this ride was going to be different than rides in galveston or houston. there were 2 main differences: no humidity and lots of hills. as i shifted down for the first big hill, i immediately thought of the Hilly Hundred. Angie and i tried to do this during grad school. we did the first day's ride (50 miles) and didn't come back for the second. it was rough. see picture below.

there was a big pack initially since there were 4 different race lengths. i chose the 65 mile ride and eventually the road got pretty sparce. it was then that i realized i need a tape recorder with me. i could record my ridiculous thoughts in route and then laugh at them later....needless to say, i'm pretty funny on my bike! of course, now, i can't remember much.

i did wish i had been counting roadkill. i did see 2 armadillo on the side of the road. only in texas! by water bottle cage flew off because of the bumpiness so i had to fix that...i still have the grease in my fingernails to show for it!

all in all, it was a good ride. i have decided that north of texas is very pretty. oh, one of the things i kept batting back and forth was whether i'm a city or a country girl. the jury is still out....

bugs

2009-08-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

man, i wanted to make this cockroach HUGE...it won't let me! i guess you all (the three of you that read this) lucked out.

i killed a cockroach before work this morning....i killed one about 3 weeks ago too. they are fast critters! i always thought that roaches were found in dirty places. now, i can't claim that i'm spotless, but i'm not living in filth! i think this is a southern curse....thank goodness i'm not scared of insects!

private student loans.....check!

2009-08-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

as of last night, i have officially paid off my private students loans. it feels pretty good, but i still have a good chunk of federal student loans. i'm still on a great path.

i'm sure some people from my class would be shocked to know i have that much paid off (on one income), but it all comes down to living below your means. i choose to live in a place that is extremely simple and small so that i can put that extra money away. i haven't gotten a lot of material possessions since my move. i, oddly, take pride in the fact that i could still pack up my house in my car at any moment.

i'm just excited to have it paid off soonish so that i'm completely free! yippee!!

on a side note, my first article was published this month. you can check it out at: http://www.jaapa.com/Carcinoma-of-unknown-primary-Searching-for-the-origin-of-metastases/article/141067/

it is exciting because there are no co-authors. i'm currently working on 2 others....hopefully to go up on the journal level. that journal is for physician assistants and the article is written to the general practitioner without any oncology experience.

philly

2009-08-16T15:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, this post has a lot of pictures like promised. i apologize for how this is going to lay out on the screen!

I went to Philly for about 36 hours on Friday/Saturday. on friday i had a meeting, but i decided to stay through part of saturday to see a little of the town. there is SO much history in this town!

to the left is the first courthouse of the united states...the home of the judicial branch. below that is a picture of independence hall. all three branches resided there.

the horribly awkward self-portrait below, has the "ghost house" of Ben Franklin. basically, it is exactly where it was before and the white posts are the outline. on the floor, it outlines where every part of the house was located.

there was also an underground museum to ben franklin...he was a creative man! i swear he created the first lazy boy!

the sepia picture is an attempt to be artsy....this is the city hall...gorgeous building!

i'm pictured with the statue to the right....this is richard dobbs. he was one of the signers of the constituation. i took a picture of him because he was only 29. can you believe that? the majority of the men that were involved were in their 30's and 40's. there were a few in their 50's and then ben franklin who was 81. young people can do anything!

everyone needs to see some bloomers in philly!

the liberty bell.....a must see.

Observations in Philly (these are completely random and they might not really be true reflections of the city):

1. i noticed a lot of smokers---i commented on this to my driver on the way to the airport and, of course, he is a smoker. it was actually a good conversation!

2. it is extremely diverse...really like no other city i have seen.

3. there are a lot of homeless people around at all areas of the day and night.

4. there are great parks at every turn.

5. it seemed pretty dirty.

6. i loved being able to walk everywhere again.....being in a REAL city (aka Houston doesn't count)

7. history is EVERYWHERE!

8. the Wall of Freedom at the Constituation Center was interesting...and sobering. people can place sticky notes of what you would do with freedom. the sobering part was that a lot of people wrote really selfish things.....power, control the world, make money, get things. i decided to write "give generously". it isn't profound, but i think it would be a step in the right direction!

and i'm off again

2009-08-12T16:26:00.000-07:00

i'm headed out to philadelphia tomorrow. does it feel like i get on a plane a lot? sometimes.

my goal for the weekend: to take some pictures to upload to this site. i know that they are needed!

more about pictures, take a look at this link:

www.worldpressphoto.org

these are some of the best pictures from the last year. click on the winner's gallery and there are a ton to sort through. april and i ran into this presentation in amsterdam. i looked at them when i got home and some just rock your soul....for me, that is the majority of the ones that are international. seriously, take a look.

i got some info on hospice africa from my college organic chemistry lab partner today. i love the concept, so it will be interesting to learn more about the organization.

2009-08-10T18:56:00.000-07:00

this story is inspirational...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8175795.stm

i love the africa portion of the bbc website...U.S. news is so exclusive!

relaxation

2009-08-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

this weekend has been a little retreat from the real world. my life isn't difficult; i know that. i do have a difficult field that can have a very high burnout rate. even though i'm fortunate enough to get away for weekends relatively frequently, they are usually full of dashes from clinic to the airport parking lot. this is followed by a plane flight and then time with people i haven't seen in awhile. sometimes it is relaxing and sometimes it isn't.

i'm house-sitting for my attending physician this weekend and it is the perfect getaway. not only do the have a gorgeous new house, they also have a pool. i'm just grateful for the space...i plan on doing a little baking tonight. yesterday was just ideal spending time reading by the pool. it has been super relaxing. i also like having more thatn 4 channels on TV.

i hope all your weekends have been as good as mine!

the weekend

2009-08-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

some weekends i feel like a don't deserve them. most weekends i do though....this one is so needed.

i spent last weekend in minnesota with my extended family. we had the memorial service at the gravesite for papou and yiayia. there were ups and downs of the trip...it was very evident that all of the cousins are now adults (me included!). on the whole, it was really good to see everyone. we also got to see a good portion of dad's family as well since minneapolis is their mecca, of sorts.

to make a long story shorter, i took a bump on the way back to houston. i had time, but i gave up my direct flight for a route through memphis and a $300 voucher. i thought it was worth it at the time....it probably still was. basically, i got to memphis late and then sat on the tarmac and ended up missing my flight to houston. i waited in a reaaaaly long line to get another flight late the next morning. i was not very interested in taking a day off to spend it in the memphis airport. after talking with multiple agents and trying to find flights through austin, new orleans, and san antonio, one rude lady got me on a flight for 5:45 am on a different airlines. my question is...why didn't they offer that from the beginning?

i ended up getting my hotel covered and actually took in a Rice University student that was stranded too...i know, it was odd. i slept horribly for a short time and was back in the airport on my way home. i hopped over to work and was exhausted by the end of the day.

what did i learn from this experience?
---always look for another option if you are stranded...think outside the box
---always carry an extra pair of underwear...i happened to do this
---make sure you pack a brush. i didn't have one...my hair was gorgeous at work!

how many of you would have trusted a person that offered you to stay in their hotel room? i was surprised she agreed, but it was obvious she hadn't traveled much. i certainly wouldn't have!!

gross

2009-08-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

i just opened up an english muffin. i was going to put peanut butter on it for tomorrow morning....but alas, some bugs walked out of it. gross!

will write more later...i've had very spotty internet coverage.

happy birthday angie!

2009-07-25T05:45:00.001-07:00

again, i'm a couple days late on this post. on july 23rd, angie was born into the world.

now, when i met angie, she was not a doctor. she had been dreaming about being a surgeon since she was 10 years old.

when i met her, we were both green college freshman. i remember meeting her and thinking that she might be a great friend...but she had a roommate that she liked so i didn't think there was a shot.

very early in freshman year, we put together a list of random/goofy things we wanted to do before we graduated---that is when i knew we really would be good friends!

there were lots of memories from college...lots of studying, racketball, intramural football, and chapels.

we were able to go on double dates, travel to different countries, and attend friends' weddings.

we definitely had some rocky moments, but i do believe it has made our friendship much stronger.

angie has persued her dreams passionately and with diligence. she is becoming a remarkable surgeon---her skill sets will benefit thousands of people in the future. in writing that, i must say that i am sure she is impacting lives now as well. we discuss the role that bedside manner has and the responsibility that we have in caring for our patients beyond the physicial aspect.

i'm so thankful for my friend. i wish we didn't live a plane ride away...but i'm thankful for the memories that we continue to make. hopefully next year we'll be at the top of kilimanjaro together!

i love you angie and i'm so thankful for you! happy belated birthday!

(sorry, i don't have many pictures from college on my computer---you are missing some classics!)

below are the "top 10 events" of our college experience...some of them might seem lame to you...goodness knows we did more fun things than listed, but some of these are "friendship defining events"

Top 10 Events of Heather & Angie's Taylor Friendship

- mud wrestling labor day weekend freshman year

- walking to Handy Andy and getting ice cream

- spring break in Europe (Angie's chest getting grabbed in Prague)

- Valentine's date junior year

- talking on the phone after her summer in India

- pictures in the snow Christmas 2000

- Physics class and talking through lectures

- being lost in Washington DC together (Les Miserables!!!)

-intramural football

- spending time with Stauffer's and talks together at their house

- fighting for a month junior year

cancer..shmancer

2009-07-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

so, if you haven't heard...the U.S. news and world report just came out with its list of America's Best Hospitals. I personally look at it as more of an advertisement, but MD Anderson soaks it up---and totes it all around town. I'm guessing other hospitals do too, but I have never worked there so i don't know.

so....[drum roll....]

MD Anderson is the #1 cancer hospital in the nation! [gasp, cheer, wow]

U.S.News & World Report again names The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center the nation’s number one hospital for cancer care.

90,000 patients entrusting us with their care each year
17,000 employees fighting cancer every day
5,990 students seeking to be a part of the cure
1,450 doctors and scientists leading the way
1,300 volunteers lending a hand
41st in Endocrine Disorders
23rd in Digestive Disorders
13th in Pediatric Cancer
12th in Gynecology
9th in Urology
2nd in Ear, Nose and Throat
#1 in cancer care. Again.

that is the campaign that they are running now...it had good graphics, but i can't get them to transfer. they are interesting statistics.

all i can say is, we have our problems like any large organization does...but i'm still glad that i have had the opportunity to work here. also note the digestive disorders is 23rd...that is my department. that one is pretty cool since we only focus on cancer diagnoses!

2 people, 1 incredible day

2009-07-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

July 18

now....if this were perfect, it would be the same year too. we will have to settle for a year apart. yiayia was born in 1917 and would have been 92 on saturday. the other person is nelson mandela. he was 91. they threw him a big bash...i just think it is cool to see who else was born on the same day. these are both examples of two people who made a big impact in our world. yiayia's might not be in the media, but i can testify that the STACK of letters after her death shows that she impacted many lives.

about mandela, he also has done amazing things. i honestly cannot imagine caring so passionately about something that i would be willing to spend 27 years in prison (on charges of sabatoge of all things)!

happy belated birthday mr. mandela....you are one good looking old man! happy belated birthday yiayia...we miss your simple joy!

2009-07-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

The following were listed in the Triathlete magazine...basically, you know you are are triathlete when.... (the ones in bold apply to me)

-Your bedtime is that of a preschooler
-Compression garments have made their way into your business attire
-You have no problem disrobing in public
-You have no problem spitting and blowing your nose without a handkerchief
-You are willing to tattoo a business logo onto your skin, permanently
-You know the weight of each bolt on your bike but can’t find the oil-measuring stick thingy foryour car
-You come back to work after vacation exhausted and needing more time off
-Laundry day is when you run out of workout clothes
-You plan your wedding for the winter to accommodate your race schedule and those of your guests
-You smell permanently of chlorine and your hair is tinged ever-so-slightly green
-You check youre e-mail/Twitter/Facebook account while wearing your cycling kit and a helmet
-Your breakfast, lunch and dinner consist of Clif/Power/Name-your-brand bars, all consumed while moving at a fast speed
-It only takes one beer and your quads go tingly
-Spandex isn’t tight enough
-Your bike on the roof rack doubles the price of your car
-You can use the word “fartlek” in a sentence without giggling
-You wear a wetsuit in the pool
-You sleep with a heart rate monitor on
-You have downloaded Powertap files while at a dinner party
-You’re either swimming, biking or running in your Facebook profile picture (sometimes!)
-You have no idea when your friend’s birthday is, but you can list her run splits from the last three races

i guess i have a ways to go until i'm actually a triathlete! no tattoo for me though!

weekend

2009-07-19T16:37:00.000-07:00

well, my weekend has been quite uneventful, but definitely relaxing. it has been in the low 90's which has been a welcome reprieve from the heat! i've been reading like a maniac....this weekend 2 books....one about infertility and one about the current slave trade. both have been interesting but the slave trade one is fascinating and sobering. i've got a about 70 pages to go so i'm going to buckle down and finish it tonight.

oh, that we all would have a big vision for the world.

randomness

2009-07-18T06:43:00.000-07:00

sorry it has been so long...i'm blaming the delay on the heat zapping my brain of all function! i went to Michigan last weekend and it was in the 50's in the morning. it was great! i'm sure everyone there would like it a little warmer, but it was so refreshing for me!

check out this post on the bbc:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8157128.stm

it is about the 113 year old WWI vetran that just passed away. i love my cute old men! it is just crazy to think that the WWI generation is almost gone. i guess that is how life works, but it seems more real when you think about a major event---and the only way left to learn about it is through a text book....

popquiz...the death of what leader caused the beginning of WWI?!?!? don't cheat and look it up on google. oddly, this is one of the things that has stuck with me since high school american history!

july 4th

2009-07-04T13:17:00.001-07:00

happy independence day!

so far, i have celebrated the day by working on the inpatient service at the hospital and a 2 hour reverse triathlon workout (run, bike, swim). now i'm sitting in my filth typing...boy, i love america.

during my swim i was thinking about what we used to do as a family. dad's b-day is the 3rd, so many times we did the birthday/independence day combo. when we lived in jackson, mi we spent a lot of 4ths with my aunt rachel and uncle tom who lived outside south bend, indiana. it always was a lot of fun. there was that year that rachel tripped and dad's cake fell on the new carpet...that was funny!

i also had two holidays in the swamps of florida during high school. it would have been near the completion of the first 2 weeks of boot camp....(you think i'm kidding) and i was about ready to head to Europe (the 1st time) and Africa (2nd). at that point, you are pretty tired and you smell horrible...humidity, obstacle courses, and bucket bathes doesn't make one beautiful...Teen Missions did do it up big for the 4th though. we had watermelon, burgers, and hot dogs (you must finish everything you took) and of course fireworks across the pond. it was always fun. od course, it helped that you knew you were leaving soon as well!

college 4th of julys were primary about trying to work at st. joseph hospital so i could get double time and a half. 2.5x of not a whole lot is a little more and working holidays let me have more adventures during the school year so i gladly worked.

i honestly don't know what i did in grad school the first year...probably took an anatomy test and went to six flags. we'll say that was the plan since we did that quite a bit! the second year of grad school we went to the shore of lake michigan and watched the fireworks. i was in the middle of my ER rotation and it was intense!

this is now my second 4th in houston....crazy. i have been here nearly 2 years total. last year april, ryanne, and i went to the "fireworks over texas" show. i guess it is the biggest land based fireworks show in the country. it was fun...we walked there and on the way back we walked through the worst part of houston by mistake...oops. there was a lot of heckling and derogatory addresses....it makes a great memory though!

have a great day.