Harbor-UCLA Graduation Dinner 2010

The Annual Harbor-UCLA Graduation dinner was held a few weekends ago. It is always so nice to be able to sit and talk with people from work outside of the hospital. I really feel so blessed to work with such wonderful people...after all, I do spend more time with these folks than I do my own hubby!

Todd and I at the dinner

Anisa Buck...she will be my junior resident for 20 weeks this next year!

Some of the girls of Harbor General Surgery!

Dr. Belzberg (attending at Kaiser) and Armen (my co-resident)

I have learned more from my time with Dr. Belzberg than almost any other person!!!

After I would spend a day operating with Dr. Belzberg, I would come home to tell Todd how much I am in love with him...he is the best!

The Harbor-UCLA General Surgery Chief Residents 2010-2011

Horray...my last white coat of residency!

The end is near!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

Dad and Mom's most recent visit to LA

Zipline in Kauai

Weekend trip home for the NCAA Basketball Game

Happy Father's Day Dad! I truly have the most wonderful and fabulous father in the world!!! He is so kind, thoughtful, adventurous, funny, witty, generous and giving. I have always admired how generous Dad is to not only his own family but also those he knows and may not know. I pray that I may be able to help those around me in the ways that he has! He sacrifices so much and works so very hard to provide for our family! Thank you for providing for our most recent vacation to Hawaii...oh that time and those memories are priceless! Thank you for your testimony and true love of the gospel and the way you honor your priesthood and have always blessed our home! You are always able to bring a smile to my face with your quick wit and humor! I appreciate more than you know your sympathy and understanding when I am frustrated with medicine! I love and appreciate you more than words can express! Thank you for being the best father ever!

How Do You Measure A Year

525,600 minutes
8448 hours
325 days
52 weeks
1 year

Yes folks, its true.
One year of residency left.
What is that I see???

I believe they refer to it as a light at the end of the tunnel.

The tunnel of torture, misery, hell they politely refer to as a surgical residency!

Utah Here We Come...

September 15, 2009: Todd submits his fellowship applications

November 2009: Fellowship interview offers arrive

December 2009: Todd begins the long 3 month process of fellowship interviews

April 30, 2010 at 4:15AM-->After being given strict instructions from my husband the evening before not to check the internet and that he would call me later that morning once he received word as to where he had matched, I of course disobey and check the internet in hope that the match results are available this early in the morning. University of Utah...really? It is early, are my eyes playing tricks on me??? Blink, Blink. University of Utah!!! Rush with the laptop into the bedroom, place it on Todd's belly and begin to poke him until he responds.

ME: "Look honey, LOOK!!! You matched at the U of U."

Todd: "What, huh? What time is it? Hey, I though I told you not to look....U of U...really, are you sure???

ME: "Yes...look...WE ARE GOING HOME!!!"

Yes, Todd has matched at the University of Utah for a fellowship position in Total Joint Replacement (hip and knee joint replacement).

Needless to say....WE COULD NOT BE ANY HAPPIER! Todd will begin his training August 1, 2011. We will both complete our residency training in LA in June 2011 and be able to move together. I am currently starting the job hunt for a surgical practice to join somewhere between Ogden and Salt Lake.

We feel so very blessed as had he not matched at the U of U we would be faced with living another year apart...something we have already done once during our marriage and were really dreading the prospect of having to do again.

We are so very grateful for these past six years and the fabulous experiences that we have had while living in San Francisco and LA! However, we are thrilled that we will be moving back home for good!

Happy Mothers Day!!!

Happy Mothers Day to every mother...I admire all of you so much. Your life is more challenging and difficult than most will ever recognize. You work 365 days a year, 24 hours a day without rest or complaint. Your lasting influence on us all is immeasurble!

I would like to take advantage of this special day to honor my precious Mother and Grandmother. How blessed I am to have these two fabulous women in my life!!!
My mother's example of service, unconditional love and kindness know no end. Her support is endless...she has always made me believe that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to and never let me give up even when things were tough! I treasure my phone calls with her and I drive to and from the hospital. Everyone in her presence is made to feel of their importance to her! She is loved and adored by all those who come in contact with her more than she will ever know! Thank you for being the absolutely best wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, and friend and giving us all something to emulate.

My Grandmother is truly one of my most treasured friends! She is always able to make me smile and laugh even when all I may want to do is cry. How I love that regardless of where we may be in Ogden, without fail we will see someone she knows and stop to talk. There is not a bad thing that anyone can say about this remarkable woman. She is the ultimate example of love, kindness, service to others, hard work and sacrifice. She has a love for the temple that permeates to all of her children and grandchildren.

I can only become half of the woman that my mother and grandmother are, than I will have succeeded in something in this life.

And to my dear sisters who are mothers...thank you for sharing your children with me! How I love all of them more than you can imagine! I admire you and the amazing mothers you are! Thank you for setting such a good example for me...I will have a lot to live up to someday!

Laughter Is The Best Medicine...

This past weekend, Todd and I were sharing funny experiences that we have had during our residencies. The more we talked, the more things came to mind that I truly don't want to forget...after all, some days it is only these funny experiences that keep you from breaking down and crying. So, I have decided that my blog will help serve as a journal for me to remember these times...

---ME to the patient in the ER on my very first day of internship: hello Mr. ---, I am Dr. Grunander. What brings you to the hospital today?

Patient: ok, really. I want a doctor.

ME: sir, I am your doctor. What is bother you?

Patient: no, really. I want a real doctor....

---ME: Intern, please go and consent Mr. --- for his hernia repair and mark his leg on the side of the hernia.

Intern to the patient: Mr. ---, I need you to sign the consent form for surgery.

PATIENT: but I am not here for surgery.

Intern: Yes, you are having hernia surgery.

PATIENT: but I don't have a hernia

Intern: Yes, you have a groin hernia and are having surgery today...hey, why are you eating breakfast, you are having surgery today.

PATIENT: but I have pneumonia, I DON'T HAVE A HERNIA

ME to the Intern (after 20 minutes have gone by): What took you so long???

Intern: The patient forgot that they had a hernia and were having surgery, kept insisting they had pneumonia. It took a little convincing, but the patient signed the consent form and I marked the leg. Funny though, I remember it being a big hernia and this one wasn't very big...come to think of it, this guy is African-American....

ME: our patient is Hispanic....who did you convince to have surgery.....that is not the right patient....he actually signed the consent form....GO BACK, TELL THIS PATIENT THEY CAN EAT AND FOR THE LOVE PLEASE FIND OUR PATIENT!

---Nurse (with a strong accent): Doctor Megan, Doctor Megan your patient is not breathing, patient not breathing...

ME: What??? What??? CALL A CODE BLUE, GET THE CRASH CART, I AM COMING!!!

Nurse: Oh Dr. Megan, don't worry, patient already dead.

---ME to the intern: Please consent the family of the patient in bed #2 for a trach and PEG

Intern (with strong accent): what is this trach and PEG that you speak of?

ME: ok, seriously, get consent for trach and PEG

Intern: can you spell that? What procedure is this? What? What? I don't understand.

ME: ok, now time for someone that can speak English...get someone else.

------ME to trauma patient: hello sir, I am Dr. Grunander. I am the trauma surgeon on call. So you have been stabbed in the belly. Were you stabbed anywhere else?

Trauma patient to ME: what, you are my doctor? How old are you?

My trauma patient in the next bed to my current patient: I know, she told me she was my doctor too but frankly I don't believe it....she looks like 14...

ME to both of them: OK, thank you for the flattery but I am 29....and yes, I am your doctor so quit talking about me and let me take care of you!

Sorry if this is not amusing to many of you...but there will be many more to come!

Belated Happy Birthday to My Hubby!!!

Happy 32nd Birthday to my amazing husband! Thank you for being the fabulous man that you are! Thank you for tolerating my craziness...and loving me in spite of it! Thank you for your endless love and support...I would be absolutely lost without you! Thank you for you patience and tolerance of my ridiculous schedule...as demonstrated by your birthday post that is 10 days late! Thank you for being the laundry and cleaning fairy...I can't image how I would ever have clean clothes without you! You are truly the best and my life is better because of you! I treasure every moment, day, year with you...and love you more and more!!!

The Sexy Man during his track days at Weber State.

Nice bum, where you from???

Quite the card shark...

And never fails to bring a smile to my face!

The Inevitable Fashionista...

Who says you can't wear socks and dress shoes with a swimming suit?

Hauling my luggage at the end of vacation...

I think he secretly likes wearing a straw hat!

Another vacation, more luggage...

a little less enthusiastic...

Enjoying a baseball game with Daddy!

Always studying to be the best physician he can be...

"Enjoying" a day at the beach!

On Todd's actual birthday, we were lucky to have Johnny staying with us while on some business in LA. I got home rather late that night just in time for my visiting teacher to get her (in the crazy that is my life, I had forgotten to call her to try to reschedule). We then had to watch the end of the Weber State basketball game as they gave up a huge lead to lose the Big Sky Conference Championship which didn't make any of us WSU alums all to happy. When we finally got over our disappointment, we headed to a new restaurant by our house and enjoyed great pizza (Todd's absolute favorite food) and pazookies.

Happy Birthday Babe...I love you!!!