From the Plains of Nebraska to OKC…

~ Image taken from google images for obvious reasons

A week ago yesterday, Jen and I went to a patient’s funeral that I took care of for 21 days while he was in the hospital.  It was really nice of Jen to go with me because it was a long service and it had really no significance to her what so ever.  However, it was very important to me considering I spent almost thirty minutes a time with this patient each day making sure that he was feeling alright and that everything was going alright.  I sort of made it my personal goal to get him out of the hospital.  I never met that goal and really had very little part in his care, but I still felt really horrible when I found out that he had passed away.

Mr. Scleroderma was quite the guy.  He came in with a pneumothorax and was treated with a chest tube right there in front of us in the emergency room.  I was hooked on this patient right after that moment.  We took a look at his x-ray and realized that he had some terrible lungs.  Mr. Scleroderma had smoked for a long time, but quit and was having a hard time breathing.  Come to find out after a CT, he had huge Bullous Emphysema and was going to have to use oxygen for the rest of his life.  It was a slow process and everyday that I would see him was another day that he was just waiting for the lungs to fill back up and get rid of the pneumothorax.  My attending thought that he noticed something about his skin and eventually a biopsy was taken and it was confirmed that he had scleroderma.  Scleroderma is a tough disease to deal with sometimes and actually can be fatal.  However, we had a dermatologist come and evaluate Mr. Scleroderma and he stated that he thought in this case it was more mild and would probably be a benign course.  After, two weeks it was decided to do a pleurodesis with talc powder and scar the lung to the chest wall in order to get rid of the pneumothorax.  He made it through the surgery and was showing pretty significant progress when the worst thing that could possibly happen occurred.  The other lung had a bleb from the Bullous Emphysema pop and of course another pneumothorax occurred on the left this time.  At one point and time he had three chest tubes altogether.

The whole time that Mr. Scleroderma was in he had a whole lot of phone calls and visitors and because of this I knew that it was going to be a huge funeral.  His wife was an amazing lady that was with him throughout and was always the most polite lady.  I really had to attend this funeral because believe it or not he really instilled what it means to have a human compassionate side to being a doctor.  There were times where he would squeeze my hand and I would tell him to keep fighting.  His wife always talked to me as though I was a real doctor.  I always made sure to tell them I am just a student, but they always came back with the fact that it was close enough.  I will never forget Mr. Scleroderma because he made such a huge impact on me.  No matter the day and no matter the pain he would always say good morning and would always be pleasant.  It was evident that I was not the only one that was touched by him throughout his walk through life, but it seemed like I was one of the last.  I only hope that someday people are saying the types of things at my funeral that they were saying at his.

He was an amazing man that found his way into my life to teach me a little something about death early on.  It is really valuable to learn while on these clinical rotations that you are not just treating the patient in the bed, but also the wonderful family that is around that patient and therefore should be as compassionate and helpful as possible.  While this may seem like a duh comment, you would  be surprised at the amount of physicians, especially residents, that try to treat death as no big deal.  In fact, my resident told me that Mr. Scleroderma died by saying, “Oh, by the way, Mr. Scleroderma died.  Anyway….”  It is really sad that physicians detach themselves in such a manner and I think it is better to give everyone that human element of respect.  It is not just a job for me, and it really should not be for anyone else.  As soon as it becomes just a paycheck, one should move on out of the health care field.  Mr. Scleroderma was a wonderful patient and taught me more about compassion and care of a patient than anyone to this point.  I hope his family and wife know how much being able to care for him really meant to me.  I have witnessed nine patients die, but this was the most significant of them all.

~ Image taken from http://www.willandbeyond.com/?tag=office-hours

Well, I am back from the time crunch that is my life as of right now.  I got up at 4 a.m. just so I could write this post.  I feel horrible that I have not had time to write on my blog, but everything has just been crazy since I started my medical school clinical training, along with a dog that demands A LOT of attention and exercise, a wife that deserves A LOT of attention, laundry, lawn mowing, garbage and recycling duties, cooking,  trimming, dog doodie pick-up, working 24 hours a week at the Halfway House, and last but not least Davenport MBA homework.  It has been tough to adjust to having all of this at once and still trying to study for clinical medicine once I get home.  I get super tired and eventually my body just gives up and I head to bed.  Something had to give and unfortunately it was my blog.  However, I have realized that it is really important to do this because it really gives me a release and enables me to put all the random thoughts that are in my head out there.

Posts that will be upcoming include my Internal Medicine summary, our Kansas City trip, many more recipes, our 1 year anniversary, death of a patient, and attending a funeral of a patient.  I am sure there will be many more to talk about as well, but those are a few that I have in mind.

I wish life was not such a rat race.  I feel like we go and go and go and yet we are never satisfied or at a point that we can slow down and just enjoy it.  This is the reason for the picture and title of this post.  Everything has felt beyond hectic and there is never enough time in the day.  I said last night to Jen that I wished there was about 36 hours in a day, and her reply was that I would just try to cram even more stuff in and that I would not be satisfied with the amount that I get done.  To be completely honest she is probably right.  I always attempt to get more done than is probably physically possible in a day.  But in my defense, I am just trying to aim high and without doing everything I can to get house duties, husband duties, student duties, friend duties, son duties, and father duties done each and every day I would feel like a failure.  In fact, the amount of things that are going on have caused me to continually take 2-3 minutes to pray that I am able to continue and that I am able to do my absolute best.  I think it is probably the one thing that helps me the most…. Praying for family and friends as well as myself.

~ Hungarian Gulash taken from Jen’s Grandma’s Cookbook

This was a very simple recipe that I wanted to utilize from Jen’s grandmother’s cookbook.   It is always nice to have something that reminds you of home and I think Jen appreciates when I try my best to make the things that her grandma used to even if I know they are not as good as what she is used to.  This recipe was very good and saves and re-heats very well also.  I would give it a 9/10 for taste and a 10/10 for preparation.  For taste as a leftover I would have to give it an 8/10 because it almost tastes the same as the day it was made.

Ingredients:  1 lb. hamburger; 1 onion, chopped; 2 celery stalks; salt and pepper to taste; 1 8 oz. can of tomato soup; ketchup to taste (according to Jen the more the better in this recipe); 1 cup of elbow macaroni ( I used two in order to balance the 1 lb. of hamburger better).

Recipe:  1.  Brown the meat and drain off fat.  2.  Add onion & celery and simmer.  3.  Add seasoning and tomato soup.  4.  Add ketchup to the mixture and simmer.  5.  Cook the pasta in water and drain then add to the already simmering sauce.  6.  Stir well and serve hot, or reheat later.

~ Mexican Rice Casserole from How to Boil Water by The Food Network

This was an excellent recipe hot out of the oven, but not at all reheated.  Additionally, you will not want to read the package of the chorizo because what it contains will probably make most of your guests not interested.  It is made of pork parts including the lymph nodes of the pig and therefore is something you might not want to share especially with picky eaters.  I really wish that I would not have read the package beforehand because thinking about eating lymph nodes is really not appealing.  However, after it was all cooked and added to the rice into a casserole it was excellent.  It is very salty and spicy.  I would give this one an 8/10 for taste as well as an 8/10 for preparation.  It was something different that was quite good despite how it looks.  I say, be adventurous and give this one a go with the family, just do not tell them what is in the pork and they will never know : ).  You could also always go with the safe bet and utilize chicken or beef.
Ingredients:  1 large onion; 4 cloves garlic; 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing in the baking dish; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon dried oregano;  1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese; 1 14.5 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes; 1 4.5 ounce can chopped roasted green chiles; 2 cups cooked white rice; 1.5 cups chopped or shredded cooked meat, such as chicken, chorizo, beef, or pork.

Recipe:  1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease an 8 X 8 inch casserole with a little olive oil.  Chop the onion.  Smash, peel, and chop the garlic.  Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, and black pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.  2.  Meanwhile, dice the cheese and set aside.  Add the tomatoes and chiles to the skillet, increase the heat to high, and simmer until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.  3.  Stir in the rice, cheese and cooked meat, if using.  Transfer to the prepared dish and bake until browned and bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let stand about 10 minutes before serving.

~ Taken from How to Boil Water by Food Network Kitchens

This was another recipe from a long time ago that I thought was appropriate for a day like today where I really wanted to share something good for the summer that is fairly easy to prepare and extremely good.  This recipe was a bit tough to make when it came to the sauce, but it was well worth it because the taste was fantastic.  I had never had sun dried tomatoes before this recipe and they give such a strong concentrated flavor that it is unmistakable.  This recipe was excellent in terms of taste, I would have to give it a 9/10 and for preparation I would have to give it a 7/10.  The pasta was so good in fact that Jen and I really did not have any left over so I have no advice, for once, about how something tastes with regards to re-heating.

Ingredients:  1 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta cooking water and to taste; 3 large garlic cloves; 1/3 cup drained oil packed sun dried tomatoes; 1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers; 1 28 ounce can plum tomatoes; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon sugar; freshly ground black pepper; 2 handfuls fresh basil leaves; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 12 ounces farfalle pasta; 1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese.

Recipe:  1.  Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil over high heat and salt it generously.  2.  Meanwhile smash, peel, and chop the garlic.  Coarsely chop the sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers.  Pour the canned tomatoes and their juices into a large bowl and crush with your hands.  3.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Stir in the garlic, sun dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, and red pepper flakes.  Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar, the 1 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer.  Cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Chop the basil.  Remove the sauce from the heat; stir in the basil and balsamic; cover and set aside for about 10 minutes to let the flavors come together.  4.  Drop the farfalle into the boiling water.  Stir occasionally to make sure they don’t stick together.  When the pasta is al dente, drain in a colander, saving about 1/2 cup cooking water.  Over medium heat stir and turn the pasta in the skillet with tongs to coat with sauce.  If the pasta seems dry, splash in a little pasta water to keep it saucy.  Season with salt and black pepper to taste.  Divide among 4 warm serving bowls.  Spoon a generous dollop of fresh ricotta on each serving, if desired.

~ Mom’s Barbecue from The Nebraska Cookbook

This was another recipe that we did over the winter.  It actually seems to be more of a summer kind of recipe and would be excellent for those picnics or family gatherings that occur.  It was very easy to prepare and is basically a sloppy joe with a different title.  For ease of preparation I would give it a 9/10 and for taste an 8/10.  This is a recipe that saves really well and will re-heat in the microwave with little trouble.  In fact, when I re-heated it I put it over a bag of smashed up potato chips because my wife does not eat the little broken ones.  It was quite good for a quick and easy lunch.

Ingredients:  1.5 lbs. ground beef; 1/2 cup chopped onion; 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper; 1/8 cup chopped celery; salt and pepper to taste; 1/2 tablespoon vinegar; 1 teaspoon dry mustard; 3/4 cup ketchup; 1/2 cup quick oats; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce; hamburger buns.

Recipe:  In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with onion, bell pepper and celery; drain.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well.  Bake at 250 degrees F for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve on hamburger buns.

~ Painless Paella from A Man, A Can, A Microwave

This was another one of those, I really do not want to cook nights.  It actually turned out amazing and is one of my top three recipes from this book to this point.  It was so simple to make and tasted so good that it will be one of the few out of the book that will be marked for a re-make at some point.  For taste I would give this one a 10/10 and for ease of preparation I would give it a 10/10.  It is a small meal though and will probably only feed 2-3 people, but could be utilized as an excellent appetizer for a large gathering.  I highly recommend giving this one a shot some time when you are tired, but still want to make a great meal at home.

Ingredients:  1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined; 5 oz. bag yellow saffron rice; 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with zesty jalapenos, drained; 1/2 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 minced garlic cloves; 1/3 lb. low-fat smoked turkey sausage, sliced; 1 cup chopped onion; 1/2 8 oz. can drained peas.

Recipe:  In a 2-quart microwave safe dish, stir together the oil, shrimp, and garlic until the shrimp are good and greasy.  Nuke for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring once, until the shrimp are just pink.  Remove the shrimp (and all but 1 tablespoon of any accumulated juices) to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.  Stir the sausage and onion into the dish and nuke for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring once.  Stir in the rice and tomatoes and nuke for 1 to 3 minutes.  Stir in 1 and 1/2 cups water and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Nuke for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the rice is tender.  Uncover and stir in the artichokes and peas.  Bury the shrimp in the rice and pour the shrimp juice over top.  Nuke for 1 to 3 more minutes, then serve.

~ Profile of our Ultrasound yesterday

Yesterday was really the first time that I have gotten super excited about our baby.  I know that sounds horrible to most people, but I was too worried about everything financially to be excited.  However, once you get the ultrasound going and you have all the parts of your baby show up on the screen things change a bit.  It is amazing to see and hear the heart beat at the same time.  It is also amazing to see all the fingers, spine, thigh bones, and arms.  It is really quite amazing what that ultrasound can do.  To be honest, even though I am in medical school I really had no idea how powerful and intricate that thing is.  It literally could see through the baby at pretty much any angle and was probably one of the neatest things in medicine that I have witnessed to this point.  I really cannot wait to be starting rotations, especially if I am able to witness and learn this much every day.  It was probably one of the most special days of my life and to top it all off, IT IS A BOY!!!  I wanted a boy more than anything and now it is here.  Creighton has finally arrived for certain and mom and dad could not be any happier.

~ IT’S A BOY!!!

~ Recipe from The Nebraska Cookbook

This was a recipe that we had back in December that I forgot about and thought today right before the peak of the heat of summer was a good time to share this recipe.  This would be a perfect recipe for those moms that have huge sleepovers in the summer.  It was fairly easy to make and actually tastes very good fresh out of the oven.  However, my huge tip for this recipe is to NOT save it for a later time.  Do not plan on using this as leftovers because it really does not warm up in the microwave well and does not keep very well.  I am certain that is probably because of the bread included in the recipe.  I did not try re-warming it in the oven however so that might be an option.  For taste initially I would give it an 8/10 and upon trying the leftovers I would give it a 3/10.  For preparation I would give it a 7/10.

Ingredients:  12 slices of bread; 2 cups cooked cubed ham; 6 slices of cheese; 7 eggs; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard; 4 cups milk; 1/4 cup margarine, melted; 4 cups crushed corn flakes.

Recipe:  Grease a 13 X 9 baking pan.  Place 6 slices of bread on the bottom of the pan and layer the ham over the top.  Arrange cheese slices on top of the ham.  Cover all with the remaining bread.  In a bowl, beat eggs until light.  Add salt and mustard and beat well.  Add milk and beat again.  Pour mixture over bread.  Place cornflakes in a separate bowl, drizzle with margarine and mix lightly.  Spread mixture over top of casserole.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until set.

~ My Favorite Breakfast Casserole, picture taken by the talented Jen

~ Driving on the road between Lincoln, NE and OKC, OK

We decided that because of our money situation we were not going to be able to head to any Husker games this year during the regular season, therefore we attended the Spring Game with my Uncle and cousins as well as my mom and dad.  It was a great time and well worth the seven hour drive and long work shift on Sunday.  Seeing family is always a treat and getting my Uncle’s opinion on things is always a plus.  My parents drove all the way from the western edge of the state just to see that scrimmage.  It was great to see so many dedicated Husker fans there with 77,936 attending.  The stadium was very full and had a game day feel to it.  We had seats on the 30 yard line about 14 rows up and could not have asked for better weather or seats.

~ North Stadium where our seats were for the season last year

~ South Stadium before the beginning of the scrimmage

~ West Stadium before kickoff

As you can tell by the photos, there were a ton of people there for it being an inter squad scrimmage.  We love to take our football seriously and that is one of the best things about being a Nebraska fan.  No matter what time of year, there is someone writing about Nebraska football and making predictions.  It would have been really awesome to have a sellout, but beggars cannot be choosers.  Before the game, my uncle got us tickets to a banquet where they talked about Husker athletics as well as some academics.  Two or three times I turned to Jen and said that we have to be donors as soon as we get a chance because I want to have the option to attend more things like that.  It was a well put together banquet with speakers that included:  Tom Osborne, Suh, and Bo Pelini as well as Greg Sharpe and a few others.  The food was fantastic and it was just the thing to get one in the mood for the game.

~ Suh speaks at the banquet before the game

The game was very entertaining and almost everyone that is on the Husker team eventually got some playing time.  We finally got to see some of the competition that will be occurring at quarterback.  I was sad that Lee could not play because of his rehabilitation, but I think it will be more than a two man race this season.  I think the best option is to go with Lee for the majority of the playing time because of his excellent performance in the Holiday Bowl.  However, I think Martinez will make a great threat in the Wildcat with Rex or Helu.  Cody Green really still has not impressed me with his handling of the quarterback situation.  Granted I am just an arm chair quarterback, but when he throws it looks really pressed like he is trying to force it and is nervous.  If he can get over that he will be a great asset, but until that happens it is likely that he will see only mop up duty.  The other people that really looked good to me were the offensive lines.  Both groups seemed to move the ball well and will continue to improve as long as they stay healthy.  The defenses did not look as good as advertised, but for now I am buying the players’ excuse that they were split up so the communication was interrupted.  I am looking forward to a great season and think that we will have one or two losses at a maximum.  Go Big Red!

My parents took us out shopping after the game and we got a ton of clothes for Jen to wear around.  We also had a great dinner at Ruby Tuesday.  It was a wonderful day in all and went by far too fast.  My parents look great and I hope they continue to do well.  It is tough being an only child to be so far away and only see them so often, but at least I am able to talk to them on the phone whenever we want.  We still need to get iChat working for them so that we can do that.  Also, before I forget, my Uncle Lodge and my Aunt Donna also gave us a stroller and car seat so that we can save some money on that.  It was a super nice thing for them to do and it was greatly appreciated.  What a great, but fast weekend we had.

~ Suh and Maddy on the ride home taken by the talented Jen