Through the looking glass

The other weekend I went to a nail salon to get a pedicure and I just listened to the manicurist talk. She talked and told me her life story. She is originally from Vietnam and grew up in the north. Around the time of the Vietnam war her family split and she went down south. She was then married to a Vietnamese general. She came to America with him, lived in Texas for some years and then divorced him. In Texas she had her own business. She then proceeded to tell me that her friend invited her to start a business in Virginia. It was a sewing business and she was actually a contractor for the Army- she would sew on names/insignia! She then got remarried and went to Louisiana where she was in the textile industry. Her business was thriving until Hurricane Katrina. She was set up a little north of New Orleans and with the news of the storm coming she got out just in the nick of time. However she was stuck in a car in traffic for a couple of days before ultimately arriving in Houston again...

I saw this photo from nat geo's photo of the day. Beautiful doesn't describe it. I think of being free and young and knowing that there are endless possibilities out there... if you dare to achieve them. 

A little less than 2 weeks ago the Malaysia aircraft MH370 that departed from Kuala Lampur to Beijing disappeared. It has been all the talk in the news. It is horrifying. People joke around about it but for someone who travels as much as I do it is simply scary. I know more people die in car accidents... I don't need another lecture. There is something about being up in the air and the feeling of turbulence; the feeling that the stranger sitting next to you or across from you may be the last person you spend time with. I don't know why but it scares me more to fly now than before. I have visited 30 countries total; in my thirtieth year of life. Quite a milestone but for some reason I feel like I am battling with Zeus each time I check in for a flight. In regards to MH370, the anticipation and agony that they may never know what happened I would imagine could leave someone feeling empty forever. I imagine what last thoughts flashed through the passengers minds; my heart goes ou...

I haven't written in a long time but I figured there is no better time to start. I have grown a lot which is what usually what happens when the years pass. I am almost done with my pediatrics residency! 6 more months left... I recently was involved in a code on Christmas day. I guess you never know when you will be in these situations. A mother brought her almost 2yo daughter to the ER. She was limp and cyanotic. Immediately she was placed on the monitor and there was no rhythm... asystole. Immediately CPR was started. The ER attending ran the code. We all participated. The code ran for about an hour. My memory is vivid and I won't forget it. The part that is most clear was hearing her mother whimper and cry. I remember the grandparents grabbing my hand begging to keep going. I don't know why me. I wasn't performing chest compressions or pushing medications. I just happened to be the one who took off her blood pressure cuff and tape her diaper on to make her look mor...