Upgrade

My parents are taking Kerwyn and I to Puerto Vallarta for a week in March. We've had an amazing villa picked out with our own pool and hot tub that we've all been really excited about. It was a splurge but not exorbitant. I just found out tonight that the villa we've all been anticipating is closed for major renovations unexpectedly.

As a result we are getting the most massive upgrade in accomodations that I've ever experienced. We are going from a villa that cost a few hundred a night to one that costs $2200 per night at no extra cost to us. It is obscene. We went from having a cook and a housekeeper (which we were amazed to have) to having a chef and 4other employees working for just us. We have a cliffside villa (yes it's the entire property on the cliff in the pictures below) with an infinity pool overlooking the ocean (with a swim-up bar), a gym, 5 bedrooms with full ensuite bathrooms and individual sun terraces....

It should be an amazing week! And no, you can't come. Part of the deal is that we keep with our original party size. We'll be thinking of you while we gaze out into the ocean from our heated infinity pool.

The making of a surgeon

I saw an episode of Grey's Anatomy (yes, I'm a fan and at times it is suprisingly accurate) a few weeks ago that has reminded me of a couple of the most monumental moments in my training. One of the actors was saying something to the effect of "every doctor can tell you the moment when they really became a physician".

Several weeks into my intern year I had that moment (well actually it was about a 2 hour period) that I walked away from knowing that I had become a physician. It was an experience that I'll never forget and think of often. If it wasn't for HIPAA (health information portability and accountability act) I would tell you all about it. It was crazy!


I've done a few small "solo surgeries" where staff are around and available but allow me to operate on my own. A couple of weeks ago due to extenuating circumstances I did my first larger solo surgery. The experience was incredible. (If you watch Grey's Anatomy my recent experiences have been like Cristina Yang's although on a much more realistic scale.) I walked out of the OR with a huge smile knowing that I had just become a surgeon. The experience has helped staff gain even more confidence in me and has opened up doors for greater responsibility and opportunities for me to grow as a surgeon. God is good!

Dress Shopping

After feeling fairly disheartened from my David's Bridal experience a couple of weeks ago I swung to the opposite end of the spectrum and made an appointment at Kleinfeld's in New York. I was introduced to the "Say 'Yes' to the Dress" show by my mom who had been commenting on us maybe shopping there someday for a dress. Well the someday was this past Sunday. I had my eye on the designer Lazaro since I really liked some of his styles. He just happened to be having a trunk show the weekend that Kerwyn had planned a great weekend getaway and so he encouraged me to try and get an appointment and invite the girls to NYC.

It all worked out and this past Sunday I had a fantastic time shopping for a wedding dress. The end result is a dress more beautiful than I would have ever imagined, approved by Randy their fashion designer guy and Lazaro (in the picture above) himself who helped perfect parts of the dress for me (and gave me some great deals!). I said "Yes" to the dress, and even shed a few tears.

I cannot wait for July 17th!