The Next Generation

Seemingly overnight The Marsh family has welcomed the next generation.  For so many years little Jaylin (second from the left) had to fend for herself, but last year she had a new cousin Elizabeth (on my sisters lap).  In the last year three more Marsh Cousins were added to the mix.  Welcome to the madness Lily, Aubree and Kenzie.  Hope you have as many years of fun together as your parents and I did.

Very 80s Christmas

 My mother has saved an extraordinary amount from our childhood.  Since my niece was born, slowly the items have been coming out of storage.  I was so happy to see Miss Piggy and Kermie when I came in the door this year for Christmas. 

 I checked out my old matchbox cars including the orange Dukes of Hazard car and also all the Star Wars Action Figures.  No I didn't have brothers.  My sister and I just liked cars and a little Sci-Fi.

 Darth Vader and The Storm Troopers

 C3PO and R2D2

 Lea, Hans Solo and Luke Skywalker.  Always confusing to me which is the brother and which is the boyfriend.....

And these guys plus 4 or 5 more.  None of which I know who they are....do you?

Holiday traditions

This weekend was filled with some old holiday favorites:The Kandy Kane Ball on Sat night and Holiday Tea at The Drake on Sunday. 

Honestly, Kandy Kane Ball wasn't the scene I remember it being in the past. There was a photo booth, so Tara and I created our own fun. We must have taken 20 pictures.

Photobooths never get old. 

But these last to are my favorites, because I look so very strange in them both: totally creepy in the first and doing my walrus impersonation in the second.

Mason Jar Obsession

Last night I had some of my most favorite friends over for some holiday cheer. Seemed like a perfect time to try some of my ideas for the Mason jars I bought recently. 

Epson Salt Candles

Homemade Cranberry Margaritas

I have one more DIY idea for my mason jars, but that will have to wait until after Xmas to post!

Luxury Hotel Holiday Lobby Bar Crawl

This year my friends Tara and Beth invited me along on their annual Luxury Hotel Lobby Bar Crawl.  Each year a small group of ladies head to some of the more beautifully decorated hotels for a cocktail and a photo around the tree.  The night started out with a quick visit to the Intercontinental.

Next stop was the Trump Hotel

Then on to the Peninsula.

Our stay at Peninsula was extended longer than expected, as you can see we started to entertain ourselves with the photo shoot.

Final stop was The Drake Hotel. We found a bar in the basement which has been there since 1933. It was spectacular and I will head back there sometime for sure!

Overall it was a fantastic girls night out.  I can't wait until next year!

Interview of the Week

I had the first of the 7 interviews I have scheduled this month yesterday.  

While I probably won't and shouldn't blog about all my interviews, the strengths and weaknesses of each position, I think many of you would be interested in this one.

It was my second interview at Spectrum Medical Group in Grand Rapids.

For those of you who have moved away but heard things about good old GR's medical mile-it's for real.  The growth and opportunity at Spectrum is unbelievable.  Spectrum Health was voted Top 10 Health Systems for the past two years, among more famous such as Mayo and Kettering.

TOP TEN. 

They already have a major reasearch influence at VanAndel Institute and the Michigan State Medical School is beautiful.  There is a Cancer Center, a beautiful Children's Hospital, and a  Heart Center.  Neurosciences are exploding with a very well known neurosurgeon and neurologists coming this year.  There are huge plans for a bariatric/digestive disease center in the future, and then, my true passion....transplant.  Heart transplants are already there.  Others may be on the way. 

I am honored and excited to say, I have my first job offer and it is in my home town. 
Overwhelmed.  Excited.  Conflicted.  Thankful.

Regardless of what I decide is right for my career and my future- there are amazing things happening in the health care community in Grand Rapids.   

Pure Joy

 I spent the weekend at my sisters in Minnesota.  Those of you with children already understand this, but I am truly amazed at how one mini-person can bring such joy in so many small ways.  We are delighted when she says a new phrase, even if it's "jump shake your booty" thanks to her Aunt Veronica's dance instructions during random TenCate dance time.

 We love the way she backs up in reverse to sit on her mom's lap at story time and then repeats the same motion and the same book with her dad next saying "Daddy read". 

 We will stop at nothing to see this little girl smile and laugh. 

Maybe it is because being in her presence makes us smile and laugh so much that after a day our cheeks hurt.

Thanksgiving Traditions

 Many years ago Thanksgiving time meant Wed evening at The Holland Country Club with the TenCates, Thursday spent relaxing at home taking a nap during the lions game and Friday with The Marsh Family.  Over the years traditions have changed.  Wed night became a EGRHS reunion at Flannagans, Thursday packed with both Marsh and TenCate holidays and Friday/Saturday were football watching days.

There is a point in time when new becomes tradition.  Those who know me well, know I am resistant to such changes.  Medical school, residency and fellowship have forced me into making my own Chicago Thanksgiving traditions which I've grown to love.  The first of which is The McDonalds (formerly know as Macy's) Thanksgiving Day parade. 

Many years with Irish coffee/spiced wine in hand along side Amanda or Andi Tenner, now Jason joins me to brave the crowd and get in the holiday spirit.

This year felt nostalgic, as I know it may be the last year I live close enough to walk to the parade.  Funny how new becomes tradition and then it is hard to leave!

This year a new tradition started, one I hope continues for a long time.  Jason and I prepared our very own Thanksgiving.  I will always hope to spend the holiday with my family, but this was pretty amazing and I hope I can start cooking for the whole family!

3 hours later we had a perfect turkey, thanks to Jason.

And yes.  This is me.  Peeling apples, making crust and baking.  FOR REAL!

The night was topped with a stroll in downtown Chicago and watching the new Muppet Movie. 

New Traditions have been made here in Chicago and if I end up moving, I will leave here kicking and screaming.

That being said- someone was shot in the parking garage at my hospital last night, where I park every day.  The hospital was on "Lock down" for hours while the SWAT team searched every single patient room and call room for the shooter.......maybe it wont be so awful to find a new job!

Job Hunting

Most people went through this over 10 years ago.  Now I find myself in uncharted territory.  Sure, I've done lots of interviewing....medical school interviewing, residency interviewing, GI fellowship interviewing and finally transplant fellowship interviewing.  This is different.  During my training, the programs were all more-or-less the same.  They might vary in location and minor differences in strengths/weaknesses, but in the end they were all at major university hospitals in which I would get paid next to nothing to work my ass off and have no control over my own schedule.

This time it's different.  Very different.  The careers I'm looking at vary from general gastroenterology to transplant hepatology.  The settings vary from small private clinics to huge academic centers.  There are lifestyle choices like call schedule, number of partners, commute to work to thnk about.  There are salaries, benefits and malpractice to be considered.

I have 5 interviews scheduled in December (2 of which are second interviews).  The locations are narrowed right now to Grand Rapids, Milwaukee and the Chicago area with a possible Madison or Minneapolis floating around out there.

I have a good idea of what I want and am trying to find the best-although-not-perfect match.

I hope this will all be finishing up by the second or third month of 2012....but it may come down to asking advice from my dear friend:

What's next??

I'm having trouble deciding on my goals for the upcoming year. I have become such a goal oriented person. I thrive on achieving the little steps in the process of completing a big goal. I love all the benefits of regular exercise both mental and physical, but without race to train for I just don't do it.

So what will it be?

Triathlon- This I love. The variety, the challenge, the people whom I train with. The camaraderie of the events. It is pure fun. BUT the last few years after I did the Ironman, I just am not into the time commitment of training for endurance triathlons. I'm all for dedication, but 2-8 hours of working out A DAY is tough to swallow right now. Still, I have plenty of people training for Ironman this year and the bug is in the air. Perhaps I'll end up doing another half this summer.

Running- The time commitment of triathlon and the true mental challenge of running is why I switched over to marathons the past two years. Running has always been my biggest challenge. When I registered for the Ironman I couldn't run 20 minutes without stopping and it has been a constant battle. Mostly it's a mental battle. While there are some moments I enjoy a run on a cool brisk day and I do enjoy being able to go for a jog/ chat with friends, soak in nature, pound the pavement, the majority of the time I just don't want to do it. And so I don't. Let me be the first to tell you, training for a marathon running only 2 days a week with no other workouts is really not good enough to have a great race day. A dear friend of mine, MF DRE, is making her running comeback after years of injury and she has suggested a long relay called Ragnar, requiring each of us to run 33 miles. It could be fun and a great way to spend time with some people I love, but perhaps if I stuck to some shorter running this year, I might actually start to like it again.

Swimming- my first love. There is no place on earth that brings such serenity as a swimming pool. No smell quite like chlorine. No feeling quite like gliding through the cool water after a long day at work. I looked into some swimming races, maybe Alcatraz but after visiting last week I'm not sure I really want to try "The Escapes" frigid shark filled waters (while not man eating sharks, sharks are scary none-the-less. Maybe the Lake Tahoe relay if can find enough people crazy enough to swim across Tahoe's 55 degree water at an altitude of 6000 ft.

I need a few weeks to let this fester, but I have no doubt I'll be signing up for something fantastic this year and having a great time on the road training for whatever I decide on.

Suggestions?!?!

One Heart One Way

The Greek System- most love it or hate it. Maybe some need a decade away from college before you aren't a little sheepish about talking about being in a sorority. The other day I came upon my mother's Sigma Kappa pin in my jewelery box. By the time I pledged, in 1996, most girls bought the standard gold bordered pin pictured above. On the day of my initiation my mother, aunt and several of their sorority sisters joined in the ceremony. My mother pinned her pin (pictured below) lined in rubies and diamonds. This was a very special mother-daughter moment that I am so happy to have shared. In the years to come we share songs, rituals and stories of our sisterhood.

While many people turn their nose at the greek system, I can honestly say 15 years later the women who remain my closest friends from college are those I met in my sorority. Not those from the dorm, no those from my water polo team, not those from my pre-med classes. I'm not saying I would have made great friends elsewhere, but for whatever reason these are the bonds that stuck. That alone makes joining Scrappa one of my best decisions. Plus, who doesn't like a theme party?

(Plus I just got a new camera and wanted to play with it)

Happy Halloween

I celebrated Halloween with a half marathon run/walk in the morning on Saturday with my friend Anu. She ran the Detroit marathon 2 weeks ago and this was my first run since Chicago Marathon. We agreed we would go out and have fun in some costumes and enjoy the sunny fall day. After resting up, Jason and put on our WWF costumes (yes, take that world wildlife federation) and joined some girlfriends in some halloween debauchery. Good times.

Chicago Marathon 2011

(in case you are bored, remember it took me 15 minutes to even cross the start line)

On Sunday I finished my second Chicago marathon. My goal this year was really simple- do better than last year. Last year I was mentally very negative throughout the race and did not enjoy it much. This year was an entirely different experience. I had a great time, as crazy as that sounds. I soaked in the crowd filled streets throughout 29 neighborhoods of Chicago. While my finishing time was only 10 minutes faster than last year and four minutes faster than my Ironman Marathon, I was elated. I ran the best I could and I keep a positive attitude, which for me, was the biggest challenge.

The best moments of the race were seeing a man with a sign at mile 2.6 which read "I thought you said 2.62", the reoccuring sign "worst parade ever", spotting the hamm famm near mile 10, posing for a picture for Anu at mile 16, running with jason from mile 17 to 20, the sign which read "your feet hurt because you are kicking ass" and of course the ice cold 312 beer at the finish line.

ART PRIZE

Last weekend Jay and I spent Sunday afternoon checking out Art Prize in Grand Rapids. We had a room at the Amway courtesy of Spectrum Health, so it was easy to walk around and look at the exhibits. My favorite were the bears seen above in the Ford Fountain. Also the monkeys on the bridge (see Hamm Famm blog). We had dinner with the Spectrum Health Gastroenterology group at sixonesix in the JW Marriott. Monday I had an all day interview with the group. I had the chance to tour the Children's Hospital, Medical School and Heart Center. All of which were amazing. Overall a great trip!

Ann Arbor Visit

This weekend we went to Ann Arbor for the Michigan game. Jay and I stayed at the Campus Inn. We started Saturday with a trip to the bookstore and bruggers bagels just like the old days.

Then we met Amanda and Aaron at my former place of employment, The Brown Jug, for a pregame cocktail. It seemed appropriate since we were playing Minnesota last weekend.

We then strolled down State Street to the stadium, past all the college parties. It was a scene! The game itself was very one-sided, but still fun to be in the sun and newly rennovated Big House.

After the game we headed to Good Time Charleys and then Pizza House to meet Jacquie and Bill for a Chapati.



Sunday we woke up early and went for a run/campus tour. We ran past my sorority, my dorm, through the Arb and finally made it up the big hill by the hospital. It was a weekend for nostalgia, which carried on as we headed to Grand Rapids for Sunday evening and Monday!

I love when Jay dances.....

Just for Old Times Sake....

I put on an eye patch at a wedding this weekend in the Northern Woods.

Maybe someday I'll start posting on this blog more regularly.....

Happy Birthday Elizabeth!!

Last night I flew on this little plane to Springfield around to procure a liver and kidney for one of my patients. The patient is someone whom I have been following over the past few years in clinic. Over the past several months he has appointments once a week and has been eagerly awaiting a liver transplantation. He was actually in my office yesterday when I got the phone call that he was the recipient of this donation. It was surreal to hand the phone to him for our transplant coordinator to tell him the news. There is always the fear that upon arrival the donor liver will not be an acceptable organ. Sometimes there is too much fat in the liver or other medical problems making the donor liver inadequate. Of course the patient and his mother understood this but one of the hardest things is seeing someone get anxious and excited for a organ transplant, being admitted to the hospital and then being told 4 hours later that they can go home.

So this procurement had an extra level of anxiety for me. I couldnt help thinking, "please let this be a good organ" over and over. We flew to Springfield via a private plan from a back entrance at Midway around 7pm. A transportation service brings us to the hospital. There was a cardiothoracic team also present from Pittsburg who were planning on procuring the donor lungs. Unfortunatley, they had to reject the lungs for a few reasons. The procurement was intense for many reasons but I was releaved when we boarded the plane again to come home with a cooler (seen above) filled around 11:30pm. That was until we got close to midway and entered a giant thunderstorm. It's a different experience in our small plane.

We went back to the hospital where my patient had already been taken to the operating room. I stayed to observe the liver transplantation, but left around 5am to go to my clinic before the kidney transplant was complete. The operation wrapped up around 10 am.

Now the difficult part begins. I am anxious to see how he recovers from this major surgery. It is a slow and teniuos process, but a potentially life saving one. As you can tell the last month has been intense and difficult, but I am really enjoying my final fellowship and feel like I am excited every day and learning so much.

So- happy first bday to my little niece. I will be spending the weekend celebrating with her and will blog about that next week!

Lake Michigan

Wed night I went on a sailboat with some of the cardiologists I work with. It was a wonderful night with great views of the city. Just choppy and one girl actually threw up over the side!!

But it was so beautiful. I hope I always live near the lake!

Then this weekend I drove to Door County. We stayed on Sturgeon Bay in Egg Harbor. Equally stunning.

One parting thought....reapply your sunscreen.