Following Healthy

Hey guys!                                             Wow, what a whirlwind it has been. I'm still alive, and surviving PA school.. so far. :) It is now our third week and we have jumped right into Neurology. (sink or swim, right?) I am also in Virginia (37 hours later driving from Boise, Idaho) and 2 hours time difference from Mountain and 3 hours from Portland (cough cough people you need to set a timer if you want to catch me before I go to bed). End rant, just joking but I love you all, please keep calling and thank you for your calls and support!! SO, I thought I would write a little bit about what I am learning so it can be another way I can remember it (so sorry about all the med terms you non med people- so follow the FUN FACTS)  and because this stuff is pretty cool and interesting. I just hope to not gross anyone out when I talk about anatomy and cadavers- Sorry not sorry! This weeks happenings: Performed a laminectomy on our cadaver. AKA we chiseled out the spine

In my medical assistant class, I have enjoyed the opportunity to be surrounded by people from all walks of life, different experiences and backgrounds. I have really appreciated the dynamic that it brings to the class as a learning environment, one where we can help each other expand our knowledge of the medical field through sharing our experiences and insight.  Recently, I was conflicted with my knowledge on vaccines and autism. While I am bringing up this subject, it is widely debated and I am not trying to stir the pot or bring this topic to be debated... The most important thing I learned this past week was to accept other people's views no matter how much you disagree with them (and to do your research to decide your personal view). It sounds really stupid writing it out because I feel it is a no-brainer, but I really think that it is easy to forget when you're in the moment. You don't realize you are doing it, and in the end, you feel terrible. I felt really ba

As many of my friends and family know, a lot of changes have happened in my life lately! Not only have I graduated college, I moved back to Oregon to be closer to family and started a new job as a caregiver/med aide in an assisted living facility to gain more experience in a healthcare setting. This time in my life is kind of like ... I'm a boogie boarder so I'll relay it to that... it's like sitting there far away from shore and you can see a great wave in the future and you're positioning yourself just in case so that you can ride that wave all the way back to shore. .. but in those moments you are still waiting for that wave... Being 22 is a weird stage in life.. a lot of people have accomplished great things at 22 or even younger! I was disappointed in the interviewer as I sat in the chair in Alabama as he commented at my age "How old are you?! 12?? " umm... nooo.. and I felt funny saying it but sorry sir, "I think I have accomplished a lot for

The two sides of the coin. Health is a really difficult matter. While you may be encouraging those around you to eat healthy, exercise, do all the things to really help themselves, at the end of the day you can only do so much. It ends up as to how much will they take what you give them and actually DO SOMETHING for themselves. Some people really take your advice and change their life, prevent future diseases and stop their diseases from exacerbating. When will people actually go to the doctor before their problems get severely debilitating? While we know what's good for us, why aren't we taking those measures and following through with the true cause of the problems and not just resorting to a last minute quick-fix? As I was job shadowing with a PA, I saw countless cases of patients with diabetes. There is a difference now, between two different types of diabetes. One is commonly referred to as "juvenile" diabetes, which is basically a genetic predisposition t

I probably should be taking pictures, but sometimes pictures just don't show you how tasty something really is..  In like 5 steps I will be giving you one of the healthiest and yummiest recipes you can make in like 10 minutes... This doesn't take hardly any cooking knowledge, and I didn't think it would turn out this good but WALA! It did.. therefore, here you go all you health-nuts::: 1. Go to the store and grab: A . Broccoli   B. Cauliflower   C. Firm Tofo     D. Stir Fry Sauce 2. Now that you have successfully done that... cut broccoli and cauli up into however big you would like and steam them in a stir fry pan with some water and pepper! Put the lid on it so it doesn't lose water. 3. Add your tofu into other manageable pieces with the stir fry sauce (I recommend House of Tsang Classic Stir Fry Sauce) add enough to turn water brownish. 4. Let that mix around a little and cook for a little longer until cauli and broc are soft to your liking; makin

Why carbs, why!?? I'm trying this new thing out... it's called.... eating less bready carbs!! With running I don't think I could even remember all the times I have heard to carb-o-load.. which for me means stuff my face full of spaghetti the night before a race. Why is this important? Carbs are excellent source of instant energy, it's pretty much the first thing your body burns. After that is fats then proteins. While eating carbs is not bad for you, I realized it is SO addicting. I realized that my body was craving the bad carbs..  So many times I found myself instantaneously getting home and looking in the cupboard for the first yummy bready thing I could find. Why are they so dang addicting??? Not good carbs like the ones in fruits and vegies but the bready kinds like muffins, pancakes,,, yada ya. The list goes on and on. What happens when you don't burn all that extra glucose floating around in your body? It gets stored! I decided to make a little switch: It

Hello All! Firstly, I wanted to say sorry for not writing.. FOREVER.  I have been immensely swamped with tasks to prepare me for .. drumroll.. PA School Applications! I cannot wait to hear back and see where my next adventure in life will be! I thought I would share 5 tips for the start of a healthy school year and what help me stay sane in my crazy life, that I love! 1. Staying optimistic. I truly believe that being optimistic will propel you in life. Each and every day find something to look forward to. If you can't do that, then search for something that interests you! Why can't life be fun? Wake up and take in the fresh air or even look at all the trees getting ready for fall. Don't Complain. Just don't do it. Instead, look for the positive. The easiest way to stay optimistic is to realize you are not alone and the world is full of beautiful and amazing opportunities and people that are there to inspire you, help you, and keep your imagination and spirit runni