chaff + stealth = ?

Chinatown

Last Sunday was a perfect day to get out of the apartment and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather! We just decided to walk aimlessly around the city. We parked the car on Taylor (by Petco/Barnes and Noble) and just went from there. Toured Little Italy and treated ourselves with gelato. I had Thai Coconut and Pistachio scoops for $3.50. Here's Ashley + me + Irene striking a pose on the streets of SF Chinatown. We bought some shrimp chips and tried the egg custards. Ended up on Union Square and did a little bit of window shopping. We had drinks + dinner + cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory. Called it a day, drove back to Vacaville.

Long days ahead on the job.

Since the DoD/VA merger, the job on the Spine/Neurosurgery Center has been both challenging and rewarding. We are doing a lot better now that the process has been less cumbersome. There are still a lot of patients on queue but we've been operating on most days now. We've also hired a nurse manager and an admin person. The admin tech is still on training but as soon as she gets comfortable in the clinic I'll be back in the OR. The surgeons would like to have me as their full-time neuro scrub, but knowing how the OR works, they'd be lucky to have it that way. In a perfect world I would stay in the clinic to act as the NCOIC and will only come up to the OR to train/scrub neuro cases. That'd be pretty cool.

I am scrubbing a big case for tomorrow. We're doing a one-level anterior cervical discectomy & fusion then we're going  to 'flip' the patient for a posterior approach and do the laminectomy and fusion. It's been a long time since I've done an A&P and I'm quite excited for the opportunity. It's posted for 8 hours. On thursday, we have a much more difficult case since it's a 360 corpectomy. That's going to be 9-12 hrs.

For those young people who are actually thinking of becoming surgeons, I would highly recommend going for a scrub job first, and see if they will enjoy it. You get to work the clinic setting where you see the docs in action doing the history and physical/evaluations. Then you get to view the images (xrays, MRIs, MR, CTs) and be able to interpret and spot the stenosis/degenerative disc disease. When this is done, you're ready to either a) refer them out (if surgical intervention is unneccessary) or b) require further studies or c) assess the surgical plan with the patient.

Once you're in the OR you actually get to experience how they'd 'fix' the problems. This is where I get my immediate satisfaction. Of course, our primary responsibility as a scrub is keeping everything sterile and knowing our instruments, but if you want to go above and beyond you should read up before each case. Make a case report if that'd help, learn about the procedure, the complications, and the anatomy of the levels. Don't be shy to ask questions as well. By doing these you can anticipate the needs of your surgical team and your skills will be of tremendous value.

{ postscript: case went well. i had a brand new 3-level with me who has never done any neuro case and he was fine! what a trooper. even stayed through the whole operation and skipped lunch even when dr. s was getting too snippy at him. lol. poor guy. }

There's this thread on peyups.com that asks the question: Do you think you would be a good parent?

I've always thought I'd be a good parent even when I was younger. Growing up, I was surrounded with respectable elders whom I tried to emulate. I come from large families on both sides (Mom has 10 siblings, Dad had 8 ). Both of my parents have strong personalities. They were providers of their own families when they were single. My mom is the most fearless, most gregarious, and most charming person I've ever known. She is the life of the party, and when you meet this woman for the first time you'd never guess she has gone through so much in life. My dad, as I remember, was laid-back and responsible; he was gentle and loving and kind. My parents held office jobs so I'd only see them on the weekends, which brings me to another set of parents, my Tatay and Nanay who practically raised me since I was a baby. Nanay is mom's eldest sister. They have five children of their own, and they kind of adopted me to be their sixth. My cousins and I are insanely close.

My dad passed away when I was 7. He was prior military, and with the heavy drinking and smoking in his younger years it's just a matter of time to witness the adverse effects on his health. The long hospitalization and expensive medical bills wiped away the little savings that we had. My mom was forced to pack her bags and take her chances in the states. I wouldn't see her for another 10 years, but we kept in touch through phone and letters. I never questioned why she had to leave. All those years, Nanay and Tatay took care of me. They came from humble beginnings, feet always grounded, with exceptional values and untainted characters other parents can only dream of. If not for their upbringing, I wouldn't be where I am now.

Pseudofamily

In the past I haven't really thought so much about savings and investments. My justification was that I didn't really earn that much as an enlisted air force medic and I'm still going to school so I figured I'll just start when a) I finish with a bachelor's and have much higher income b) my car is fully paid off and c) I know what I really want to do with life.

I've been reading up and asking people for advice on investments since last year. I'm seriously contemplating on opening a ROTH IRA based on my not-so-extensive research. It is a good deal overall and vs the traditional IRA my contributions are NOT tax-deductible. Also, I won't incur withdrawal penalties if I need funds just in case I decide to buy a house or to pay for an expensive college education/medical expenses. Those were my only concerns, and they were all exemptions!

I remember when I was deployed in the desert Steve (my circulating OR nurse) and I would discuss my future during our long drives in the small loaner pickup truck to Doha Hospital Clinic. He was the first person to really push me into starting a ROTH account. When I see him in the OR on Neuro days he'd always ask me if I'd started making double payments on my car. He is financially smart, laid-back, and hands down the nicest OR nurse in the department. He was prior enlisted, got out after his initial 4-year contract, got his nursing degree and re-joined USAF as an officer. He told me, "Janice! I should not see you re-enlisting! No matter what happens! Even when you make staff (seargeant)!"

This makes me miss my Mobile Forward Surgical Team (MFST) in the desert. We're a great team even when we didn't meet eye to eye on an everyday basis. But they all treated me as their little sister. Even Amy (my general surgeon) offered me a job if I'm planning to get out. Jerry (CRNA) would talk me out of the physician assistant track and taking the medical school route instead. Maybe when I was younger, I would have. 

Halfdome

Over dinner Irene mentioned her little wish to climb half dome this year and it would be grand if all the girls will come. I've been wanting to do this forever, and I would love to accomplish this while I'm still in California.

From Wikipedia:The Half Dome Cables Route hike is 8.5 miles from the valley floor to the top with 4,800 feet of elevation gain. The length and difficulty of the trail make it less crowded than many other park trails, but on long summer days there can still be quite a crowd on top. The trail climbs past Vernal and Nevada Falls, then continues into Little Yosemite Valley, then north to the base of the northeast ridge of Half Dome itself. The final 900 feet (275 m) of ascent are up the rock, and between two cables used as handholds.

Maybe this should be my motivation to train harder. I am not even near my desired fitness level, but I got a few months to get ready for it. I'm ecstatic :-)

Spices

Irene, Vanessa, and I got together tonight for dinner, and we decided to try Indian this time around. I didn't even know we have an Indian restaurant in the area (a five-minute drive from our place even) so I was ecstatic to go. As some of you know we're always in the search for ethnic/hole-in-the-wall places as we're getting tired of all the Applebee's and In and Out's. Again, I'm happy to report that Torch of India didn't disappoint.

Tucked in the corner of Merchant St, Torch is this lovely place where you want to bring your family for a nice little surprise. The menus offered a variety of chicken, lamb, prawns dishes and everything looked good. While deciding we were served with chips + selection of 4 sauces, which were torn up in a few seconds. Irene ordered vegetable appetizers for the table and chicken achari; Vanessa sticked with chiken tikka masala, and I got brave and had lamb kebobs. We also ordered the staple garlic and plain naan bread to share.

It was a long 30-minute wait but really when you think about it not bad for a Saturday night. The setting and ambiance are just right for a cozy dinner, and we got seated right away after walking in so we're not really complaining. The host apologized for the delay and our glasses were always filled. The vegetable sampler arrived, then the bread, and by the time we're done we're so full! By the way, the naan was cooked to perfection, crisp and seasoned just the way we like it.

When our orders finally came we were so overwhelmed with the hefty servings. For instance, in front of me were these five huge sizzling lamb cuts with onions. Irene and I just eyed each other pretty much contemplating on the same question: where the heck are we going to stuff all of these in? Both chicken dishes were pretty good, and the lamb was tender enough but I didn't care much for it. Next time I might try the prawn tandoori. The server was gracious and very friendly, we got treated to a special dessert, and yup, on the house! It was some sort of sweet rice mixed with milk and sugar with a fruity swirl. We left with our full bellies satisfied.

For its price, ambiance, food, cleanliness, and service - highly recommended.

What was the worst job you ever had?
Submitted by salaryman.

I can honestly say that I never had a job that I didn't enjoy. For one, I wouldn't have applied for it if I think down the road it would cause me misery right ;-) And of course we all have those days where we could just scream hatred! on top of our lungs but overall, I liked them all.

I moved to the states back in April '00 and two weeks later I got hired in a local cards/gift shop in Potomac, MD. I worked with a bunch of uber rich high school kids who drove their parents' BMWs and SUVs. I get invited to their multi-million houses, and I couldn't help but asked myself why do they even bother? But most of them were really nice girls who just wanted to earn their own money while having fun. Not once did I ever feel out of place when I was with them, even during my first week at the cash register when I can't even tell a dime from a nickel. I stayed for more than 2 years, just because I loved the girls and our bosses (John and De) and their lovely golden retriever and their flexibility with my college classes. I got a raise each quarter. And free/discounted merchandise (cards, balloons, gifts!).

My second job was a student assistant at Montgomery College - Rockville where I worked mainly with computers. It's a sweet job - we had our own little station in the corner of the room where we can do our homework and surf the Internet for free. We'd have summer/spring break projects once in a while but other than that nothing major. I was lucky to get that position too; other SAs worked at Finance or Admissions or the Chancellors' offices. But us, the MC Computer Lab Team, we're a close-knit group. This is where I bonded with Thanh King, who would later took me to Pho 75 (the best Vietnamese restaurant ever). Last time I heard from her she was having a baby. I wonder where she is now...

My first panel interview was in Anchorage where I worked in Admissions at Providence Alaska Medical Center. I think it only lasted ten minutes, and the interviewers were so friendly it felt like I was just having a normal conversation with aunts. lol. My job title was a concierge, but I got so bored at times I started hanging out in the Finance section with Cecille and help them with pre-certifications. I took night and online and weekend classes at the University of Alaska, and Providence would reimburse you for tuition as long as you get a C or higher in all of your classes. Not a bad deal really. Good team, great benefits, I didn't mind the job at all but I wanted to see more and I was ready to move on so I thought, how about USAF? 

I was in the delayed enlistment program for a good 6 months before I shipped out to Lackland AFB. My recruiter, who was a prior dental technician encouraged me to go for the surgical tech and wait it out. I did, and that's probably one of the best decisions I made in life. I never thought I would enjoy the medical field and up to this day I still get amazed of how a 2hr back surgery/brain surgery can completely turn a person's life back to normal. The fact that there's always going to be progress and learning each time you step in an OR, that's one thing I can do forever. Through the service I found my passion. So even if I get out at the end of my contract or opt to stay in, at least I know I'm doing what makes me happy. And I can live with that.

So you see, no worst job ever.

What are five things you're good at?
Submitted by HapaLove.

> Procrastinating.

> Picking gifts for people.

> Job interviews.

> Keeping promises.

> Writing legibly.

Honorable mention: I'm a good judge of a person's character.

Ever run for office?  (School, club, organization, politics, etc.)  Did you get elected?

I was always involved with a club/organization since grade school. Grades 1-3 I was elected as class secretary since they say I have a neat and clear handwriting and I didn't mind that job at all. Come 4th grade I was elected as class president but I remember being too laid back on the job. Everybody would quarrel, and instead of taking charge I would sit back and wait for them straighten it out themselves. Some of my classmates didn't like the fact that I 'facilitated' more than 'lead' so I guess you could say I was asked to leave the office. Hehe. 5th and 6th grades - I transferred to a public school where I didn't know anybody except for Jeff (whom I've known since kindergarten) and these years were spent on fitting in, preparing for competitions, competitions, and more preparation for competitions (I was quite the Mathematics afficionado, but never reached the nationals. In my defense, pre-algebra mathematics was fun and easy).

High school: I ran for CIFO (Cavite Institute Freshmen Organization) Secretary and got elected. That was a fun time. I started to be more involved in outreach programs, volunteer work and community development with T.H.E. Club where we'd visit the secluded areas in town and actually talk to them about reform and town improvements. We were heavily involved with the CI Recyclers' Club as well. We were planting trees everywhere and doing landscaping projects on our weekends. I ran for the student council in my junior year but didn't win. Come senior year I was news editor of our school paper and held minor positions in various clubs like Teatro Caviteño, Math, English, etc. I was also a CAT Supply Officer, and all I had to do was to take charge of the rifles before and after training. That was fun too :-)

College, UP Diliman: Freshman year 2nd semester, I joined UPSE's Economics Society because I liked the fact that they were involved with the Balara Elementary grade schoolers and a few medical missions year round. Some weekends I chose not to go home (From Quezon City to Cavite, it was a 3hr commute) so I could tutor students and hang out with the younger kids. I still remember their sad expressions when I told them that they might not see me next semester because I might be moving to another country. Ate Jane, aalis ka na pala? Iiwan mo na kami? Susulat ka ba? 

Washington D.C.: Volunteered for the D.C. International Church to babysit newborns - 10yo. There were Sundays where I singlehandedly took care of 15 kids and yes, it was overwhelming. Other than that I was pretty much just going to school and working part time jobs and taking care of Mom. I had a bit of hiatus when we moved to Anchorage but when I joined the military I was back again, joining and volunteering in pretty much everything I can get my hands on. It's still an ongoing list :-) I don't know but I guess it makes me happy when I do stuff like this.