Going under...

Well! It's been a while since I last blogged...glad to finally have a moment to actually breathe and write something! Since I last wrote I've moved from the big Apple to Sacramento, settled into my grandparents home, have started my residency program, drive all around the east bay/sacramento area and am trying to stay cool.  It's boiling here!!! 95 degrees +!!!! But it's beautiful and lovely at night....

The people that I have met are amazing and fun...I'm so relieved about that. I miss my friends from school a great deal so I'm going into withdrawal from them but what can we do...can't stay in school forever...or can i!?!??!  

I'm on my anesthesia rotation right now at Mather hospital and it's just amazing. I saw an inguinal hernia fixed today, got to help intubate and do LMAs and general sedation, and saw cataract surgeries and knee arthroscopy and eyelids being lifted. OMG it's AWESOME!! And I peppered the guy with question after question (I felt so bad after- but if I don't ask how will i know!??!?!) but from this rotation part of me is happy I didn't go into it, and the other part of me regrets dentistry now b/c it's pretty cool! WIth anesthesia you have physiology and pharmacology involved and all the body systems and you're in the thick of it with surgeons and nurses and scrubbing in and ORs...it's really fascinating. I get kind of freaked out with titrations and drugs and things but I guess they use only a subset of drugs...And what is great with the VA is that you're not involved with a lot of fatality cases where it's exploratory surgeries or the patient has really poor prognoses...so it's so awesome there. And everyone is very nice - although I just don't want to be in the way and cause more harm than good. But I did help with the intubation twice and got to see the vocal cords. It was an awesome feeling! I would never have known what it was like or what it was about if I hadn't seen it - so I really like this rotation...we'll see what I have to say about Oakland...AAAAAGH! I hear it's the county hospital and just a VERY different setting...hmmm...

This past weekend I also did a marathon drive with my parents to LA for a family reunion/birthday party for my mom's uncle and reconnected with a lot of family that I haven't seen in ages.  We left Saturday and came back Sunday....I was so tired! My dad and I split driving....while my mom was in the back but it turned out ok. But I got to see my cousins again and saw my uncle and his wife - it was a fun experience. I have decided though that I would LOVE to (absolutely LOVE) to retire in Laguna Beach.....that place is one of the most beautiful places i've EVER seen!!!!!!!!

Well I'm off to bed. Early morning tomorrow :) Night and good luck to everyone! Write me!

Well...it's almost that time...going to be leaving new york in a week . While packing and getting things ready have been teetering on happiness vs.  melancholy and have become reflective...gosh so much happened here. Came here engaged, and am leaving not. Came here with a college degree, now am leaving with more. Came here with two birds, but leaving with one new and one old one. So I guess the theme is...leaving the same but different. But gosh, I'll miss the city. It will truly be my home away from home...It is truly one of the most charming and most wonderful cities in the world and I'm so thankful for it all...I've been exploring so much of the city the last few weeks:

-central park and boathouse cafeteria, MOMA, The Met, Carnegie Hall Emerson Quartet performance, walking around with the raz n' tazz tea jamba juice smoothie around columbus circle, walked down 5th and Madison Avenues, Bryant Park. Saw the New York Harbor in Brooklyn, saw Long Island, Hung out in Rockefeller Center drinking coffee, having burger at the Shake Shack. Walking down in the SoHo area...and buying fun stuff at Canal.

There is truly no place like this....except maybe in Europe. And I'll be back.  Can't keep me away...

Other than that I was talking to my neighbor who had hip replacement surgery - which was necessary but voluntary if that makes sense. He said the thing about life is that it isn't fair. No matter how much we want it to be - some things happen and there is no explanation for it - doesn't matter if it is good or bad. And you just have to keep going and take the best we can from the situation...hopefully maturing in the process. So I know we all go. And we can just appreciate our friends and family...and be there for them as they are for us no matter what. One of my girlfriends is going through a rough patch with relationships and my advice to her is: I know you're hurting right now. But you can truly say that you loved him with all of your being, with all of your heart and held nothing back- and even though it's broken right now, your heart will heal and maybe grow back bigger so you can love someone else again. That is the dream: We all want to find that someone that will love us no matter what...and you will. muah*   Love ya babes....

 What does your name mean? (Gosh...the thoughts that occupy my time...lol...) My friend was thinking of baby names...thought this was cute...especially since I have so many names I was curious and looked them up...

Jennifer --> English/Celtic/Welsh origin; means "white spirit"

Ginger --> Latin; means "ginger plant"

Paige --> English origin; means "young, a child"

Gee --> form of "Voskie" (Armenian origin); means "gold"

Schoon --> closest was "Shon"; meaning God is gracious

Tong --> Vietnamese origin; means "fragrant"

I guess that means I'm a "young spirited fragrant gold ginger plant that God has been gracious to." HAHAHAHAHAHAHA...how true...but wow...that's cool!

Well this is it...the home stretch....I just wanted to Congratulate everyone who is in my class....we've been through so much and now it is truly time to celebrate!!!! 4 long years of sweat and tears and studying and stress....so much has happened in that time...can't believe it - and now we've made it....just 3 more days!!!!!!! YAHHHHHHH!

I ALSO want to say that I have NEVER in my life eaten so much in celebration, etc...and there is STILL so much more to come. My stomach hurts just thinking about it...even though it loves FOOD!!! WHO DOESN'T!!?!?!?! lol...

It's been a full schedule for the past few weeks and although it has been exhausting it's really very exciting:

May 5th-6th weekend -->  Went to Virginia and DC and Arlington and enjoyed some of the sites. Mt. Vernon and indulged in some good ol' fashioned American US History...

 May 9th we had grad alley (a celebration where there was a fair for all the graduates of NYU - even the undergraduates and we had sausage and onion sandwhiches, ice cream, etc)...there were SOOOO many people....couldn't believe it. Got drinks and relaxed at Artica after with friends...stumbled home

May 10th morning 8:30 --> we had NYU graduation ceremony that was for all parts of NYU class of 2007 - medicine, nursing, education, dentistry, PhDs, undergradates, etc. It really was a wonderful ceremony but OMG i was SOOOOO hot in the gown....it felt like 90 degrees in that and the humidity factor was 85% or something...BOILING to death!!!! But it was still wonderful....they had a famous musician play the saxaphone and then they had bagpipes and so much pomp and circumstance. Almost cried when our Valedictorian Rahul Gulati accepted our degrees by President Sexton!!!! WHOO HOOOO!

May 10th afternoon 3:30 PM --> senior cruise (booze) - but it was SOOO hot out again that day...didn't get river-sick ;) Ate more - cake, ice cream, had some wine....got a limo ride to Park (a beautiful 3 story bar)

May 12-13 --> Atlantic City in Jersey with a bunch of friends where I won $100 using only a $5!!!!!!!!!!! YAHHHHHHHHHHH! Went shopping all over the outlets and just enjoyed a different atmosphere. The beach was GORGEOUS - the jersey shore was amazing....Then went to a REAL apple NYC Orchard and got fresh pies/pastries for our secretaries and instrument dispensers at school...Took the most inefficient way to get back to NYC (NJ transit, AMTRAK, PATH, and then cab)

May 14 --> inserted my 5 unit bridge that was a REQUIREMENT....couldn't believe it...worked all day on our clinic director's present with pictures and our clinic gift (collage) until almost 9 PM and then ate dinner at Artica....got drunk...again...

May 15 --> got our faculty gifts in the morning and then spent another few hours on the gift ideas. Then went home and got ready for SENIOR party at a restaurant in South Street Seaport called Bridgewaters with a beautiful view of Brooklkyn Bridge and dinner and dancing and pictures and dessert...it was TRULY a wonderful celebration...more pics to come.....again...drank too much....Grapefruit juice!??!?!UM no....grapefruit juice martini!!! and cosmopolitans......my GOD they were good...lol

May 16 --> picked up flowers for the secretaries and GPD wrapped everything...with Crystal....it was SOOOOOOO hot out - boiled to death again. Then brought everything to school and unveiled our clinic present. then took care of a few more charts and got ready for tomorrow.

May 17 --> more to come...but hopefully will be inserting my last requirement...my Procera esthetic crown. Pray all goes well ok????  Clinic party at Artica (lunch and drinks on our clinic director and NYU) s'bout time!!!!!! LOL!

Still to come:

Parents and brother are coming May 19 (same day as my dad's birthday)

Brunch on May 20th to celebrate my dad's birthday and shopping and relaxation in NYC

Monday may 21 --> last day of school - cleaning my parent's teeth and maybe trying to get my brother's tooth extracted in oral surgery

May 22 --> GRADUATION!!!!!!!! Pics and dinner............

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! WE DID IT!!!!!