Two Whole Years!

Has it really been 2 years since Hurricane Ike hit? Crazy how time flies. Actually, it doesn't seem like that long ago I was writing on the 1 year anniversary of Ike.

Not too much has changed in the last year. Galveston Island is definitely coming back--there are new buildings and restaurants going up all over the place. The hospital is coming back as well--more faculty, more nursing stations, more patients. So that's good.

As for me, my life has taken a huge turn for the better since that fateful day two years ago. I remember being huddled in my bunkbed, waiting for the worst of the storm to hit, not knowing if I would have a job, a house, a car, a life the next morning. It turns out that I still had a job (albeit a little hectic for the next 8 months), but lost my home (condemned, that is), eventually got a car, and my life was, well, altered.

Despite the chaos that was my life for 8 months after Ike, I don't regret it, and I'm not sorry it happened. I look back at that time in my life with pride and sentimentality. Through those times, I met a lot of amazing people, got to work at a bunch of different hospitals, and I learned to be 1. flexible (mentally, emotionally, and physically (ie: hello inflatable mattress for 3 months)), and 2. resilient. People can make do in whatever situation they are put in. The lives of my co-residents and the lives of people in Galveston are testimony to this.

Learning to Balance

For those of you that don't know, I'm now doing research for two years while I get my Master's degree in Clinical Science. This means that so far I've spent a lot of time in my cubicle, reading articles, editing papers written by my students, and writing my own papers and abstracts. My classes start August 30. It's been alright--it's definitely an adjustment to the slower pace. But, as Dr. Riall says, I'm just going to "enjoy being bored."

So, I have decided to use this time during the next two years to better myself in all areas--mind, body, and spirit--by doing the following:

1. Working out more
2. Experimenting with cooking more
3. Traveling to visit friends and family (if I can afford it)
4. Reading for leisure
5. Studying surgical textbooks
6. Getting back into going to church regularly, now that my schedule is not so hectic

I hope I can do these things. I'm excited to see what God will bring my way during the next two years. :)

Travels--Physical and Emotional

I realized the other day that I have spent way too much money on travelling this year--yes, it's been worth it to see my friends and some cool places--but all my spending has resulted in multiple "mini-financial mental breakdowns" in the last few weeks. Yikes. So far in 2010, I have been to Colorado, Ohio (twice), New Orleans, Ireland, Arizona, and Austin. Phew!

So, while I continue to pay off some credit card debt (not entirely due to my travels--thanks in part to the US government, my Step 3 board exam, and some less-than-awesome hospital bills), I have instead decided to take an emotional and spiritual journey, rather than a geographic one.

Instead of being in an airplane, I will be in awe.
Instead of being a foreigner, I will be forgiven.
Instead of buying gas, I will receive grace.
Instead of speaking another language, I will speak the truth, honestly and lovingly.
Instead of putting on a seatbelt, I will put on the armor of God.
Instead of seeking out a new country, I will seek healing and hope.
Instead of turning a corner, I will turn to God.

Off to Ireland! :)

Hi everyone (or anyone who reads this)!

I know I haven't posted in approximately a millenium, but Casey La Turista is at it again--this time heading to Ireland! So I figured I'd better start up the blog, as appropriate as it is. I don't know how much I'll be able to update while we're there, but I'll try my best during and after.

I'm leaving this Saturday, March 20, and returning Sunday, March 28. I'm heading over with my college buddy Kerry (European traveller extraordinaire), and we're spending about 4 days in Dublin and 3 days in Killarney. We're pumped! I can't believe it's actually here.

More later--off we go! :)

Phew! Time Flies!

Holy moley, ain't that the truth? I cannot believe it's almost 2010--but I'm glad about that. Although I have to admit, 2009 has been infinitely better than 2008. So what does 2010 hold? It's a mystery! Anyway, I jump ahead.

What have I been up to in the last 2 months while I slacked off and did not update? Here's a quick rundown:

1. Two months in the SICU--I love the SICU! The nurses are amazing (see above), the patients are super sick (but most of them improve), and the teaching is fantastic. Seriously considering it for a fellowship at some point in the future.

2. Two months of Burn Surgery (currently)--it's super hot (like 95 degrees in the OR), and super sad. These patients are super sick (and a good portion of them don't improve). :( I'm just trying to get through it.

3. Halloween stuffs--ok, so my roommate and I ordered Halloween costumes, and we didn't even wear them on the actual day...whatever. We did have a pumpkin carving party though, which was a hit!

4. Christmas time is coming up! My roommate and I went to the Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens, which was pretty good. Although we went on opening night and like 25% of the lights were out--we want our money back! All $5.95 of it.

5. Texas Renaissance Festival--my first time experiencing the madness. Of course I joined in the madness by wearing an "authentic" Renaissance outfit, worn by thousands of people before me, but it was totally worth it. :)

That's pretty much it. It seems that we have avoided any further hurricanes this year--hip hip hooray! Let's go for another 99! :)

1 Year Anniversary!

Wow! I can't believe it's been one year since Hurricane Ike hit, and my adventures as a hurricane refugee began.

I still remember trying to sleep during the worst part of the storm (in the early early morning of Saturday, September 13, 2008). I want to emphasize "trying," because really, it's hard to sleep when you don't know if you'll have a home, or a job, or a life the next day. At that point, I didn't even know where to start to pick up the pieces of my life.

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But I am so unbelievably grateful for many things during the last year:

1. I am so grateful that, unlike many of my colleagues, I did not lose everything in the storm.

2. I am so grateful for the flexiblity that we were able to have in moving around the state of Texas to still get our training (even though it was stressful at the time--moving every month, being homeless, learning a new hospital system every month).

3. I am so grateful for the people that took me in during the last year and let me be a nomad, sleeping on their couch, their floor, and in their extra bedrooms (the Feighner family, Lisa, and Spogmai). It saved me so much time and money and stress to be able to have a place to lay my head during this time.

4. I am so grateful for the thoughts and prayers and gifts from everyone around the state of Texas, the country, and even the world. It is so nice to have such support!

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I still can't believe the way this blog has affected people, including myself. Just last week I met yet another woman at work that had read my blog when she evacuated, and she was so excited to meet me. Seriously? I'm just a normal person who was put in a situation and tried to make the best of it.

Although I have thought about the possibility of another storm. If there was another hurricane, would I volunteer to be an E1 and stay at the hospital? I think I would. Although my perspective would be very different the second time around.

Anyway, I finally feel like my life is coming together. I have a car, a home (albeit rented), and a job that I'm finally happy with. Sigh. Life is better. :)

O-H-I-O is where it's at

So, I'm officially on vacation now, and I have to say...I'm a little bored. My vacation started Friday at noon, at which time I hopped on a plane to Minneapolis, and met my dad for a weekend of fun in my favorite city in the entire world. Even though the Twins lost, I did hit up the Mall of America and ate a Dome Dog, so it was worth it.

My plans for the remainder of my vacation include:

1. Sleeping
2. Studying (I start my surgical ICU rotation when I get back, which I'm really excited about)
3. Working on my research project (A retrospective study involving "The Effects of IntraOperative Pressors on PostOperative Surgical Wound Infections in Elective Colorectal Surgeries"--fascinating, I know)
4. Working out (Turbo Jam, here I come)
5. Eating all my favorite foods (thus #4)

As far as I know, we haven't had any hurricane scares this year, but then again, right now I have neither TV, internet, gas, or a dishwasher, so I don't really know much of anything that's going on in the outside world. Apparently I'm Amish. But I do know that I'm obsessed with Miley Cyrus' new song, "Party in the USA," and the Chipotle application for iPhone.

Oh, and that picture above is of our house in Galveston, right before we moved in.

Life in Prison

Have I ever mentioned how much I love prisoners? Well, the prisoner patients, that is. Here's why:

1. They are so grateful! Unfortunately, they have had all their rights taken away in the prison system, so any attention they get, any little speck of kindness, a word of compassion, is invaluble to them. It's such a breath of fresh air compared to the free world.

2. They love hospital food! They get really excited about the food in the hospital, and even request "double portions" sometimes. Compare this to the free world patients, who will have their friends and family bring them Whataburger because they can't stand even the smell of the hospital food. It all depends on your perspective, I guess.

3. Violence is a reality to them, and it must be discussed. I hate hate hate sending my patient who have had big surgical procedures back to their unit. Unfortunately, the chances that they could get attacked or beat up at their unit, or picked on because they are tired and slow-moving during their recovery from surgery, are pretty high. Because of this, I've had some TDC patients beg me not to send them back to their unit, because they won't be able to defend themselves if need be. This is so different from my life (thankfully), but it's a reality for them, and that's scary. I will gladly send them to an infirmary for as long as they need to recover.

4. They are desperate to see their families. If the TDC patients are in the ICU, considered in "critical" condition, or are in the infirmary, their families can come visit them. I've also had patients beg me to keep them in an infirmary for another week or two so they can see their families again. Once again, I will gladly keep them in the infirmary for as long as they need--it doesn't make a difference to me, and it could mean the world to them.

A sidenote: Don't ever, ever, look up what they did to get in prison. It will change the way you look at them forever. Once, I was going to look up my favorite TDC patient, because I was curious to see what he had done. Well, the website was taking so long to load, so I figured it must be a sign from God to not go there--and I haven't typed in that web address since (not that the students and other residents don't look it up and tell me--but that's not by choice!). And in fact, what they did to get in prison has no bearing whatsoever on my taking care of them the best that I can. I am treating the patient, and that's all that matters to me.

Although the ones that I have found out about, I am actually surprised by how gracious and kind and, at times, well educated they are. I think this is a testimony to the prison system and it's ability to reform former-convicts. It really challenges the idea of the death penalty, in my mind.

Ok, enough philosophical mumbo-jumbo. Of to do some Turbo Jam! :)

A Few Pics...

Here are a few good ones from the last couple months:

My 100th post?

Wow, I can't believe I've written so many posts.....

In any case, I know it's been forever since I wrote last, but blame it on the fact that I have been all around the state of Texas, homeless, and now, still, internet-less. I don't have the energy to write too much about what I've been up to. But I will give a quick rundown of my latest activities, and will have to post some pictures at a later date (I'm in Ohio now, so my pics are not on this computer).

1. Disneyworld! Yes, indeed, my dad, sister, and I went to the "Happiest Place on Earth." Seriously, it is. My dad said, "do we really have to have our picture taken with every character?" To which we replied, "of course!!"

2. Minnesota Twins Spring Training. Yes, I'm a huge loser and actually went to Fort Meyers, Florida by myself and saw the Twins play. I know it's dorky, but it was so fun to be there, surrounded by people who were as equally (or moreso) excited about the Twins season as I was/am. Even got my picture taken with TC Bear.

3. Working. A lot. I just finished up two months of work at St. Joseph Medical Center in Houston, a private hospital where we rotate. It's a good place to be, not only because they gave me free housing and food, but also because you get to work with a lot of different docs who are good at teaching, and you get to do a lot of cases. I'm grateful for that experience, because I am slowly gaining some confidence and experience in the OR.

4. Weddings galore! I have (so far) been invited to 10 (yes, I really meant TEN) weddings for the 2009 calendar year. I have made 3 so far, which have been super fun. So, even though I haven't been paying any rent, all my money has been going to flying around the country and cleaning out bridal registries. It was worth it though.

5. Skydiving! Last weekend I went skydiving with my friend Lisa. Indeed, I jumped out of a plane at 15,000 feet, and lived to tell about it. It was weird; when you're free-falling at 120mph, you really don't feel like you're falling--it's mostly just a lot of air in your face. Then you (hopefully) pull the parachute and serenely float around the atmosphere before (hopefully) peacefully landing on the ground below. The only time I was nervous was when I was at the door to the plane, and I thought to myself, "what in the WORLD am I doing???" Then I realized there was only one way out of the situation, and that was down...very far down. Then he pushed me out.

6. Moving! I have rented a newly-rennovated house with one other resident, and I finally got all my possessions out of storage and into my new abode. I'm really really excited just to have an address, a real bed, a kitchen (so I can start my incessant baking), and my life back. Nevermind the cockroach I found in my bed last week.

7. Vacation! Just as I was getting settled back in Galveston, I hopped on a plane to Ohio for the week, which is where I am now. My goals for the week include eating all my favorite foods, seeing all my favorite people, and enjoying the goodness that is the state of Ohio. Ok, I'm not really sure what that last phrase meant, but it is a catch-all for all the fun stuff that exists in Columbus. I'm going to revel in it.

That's all I have right now. I'm off to dinner with a friend, then back in time to watch the newest episode of the Bachelorette. Woo hoo!

Stay tuned for some pics.

~Casey

I can't think of a good title

Hello readers,

I don't have much to say, except for the fact that I continue to be amazed by how many people have read this blog. Just the other day, I was standing outside the elevators at work, and a woman came up to me and said, "I really enjoyed your blog!" For the life of me, I have never seen this woman in my life. And even my students have said to me, "you look really familiar..." Random.

In any case, life is still chaos. I have tried to look for a new apartment in Galveston, but most of them are either being rennovated or very expensive. I'm also going to be back in Houston for April and May, where they house me for free, so I'm not sure if it's worth it to look for a new place just yet. So I'm living on my friend's floor, on an air mattress. Don't worry, it's a very comfortable air mattress, and I think my spine is getting used to having no support whatsoever.

As for work, I'm finishing up a month of transplant surgery. It's actually really interesting, but long hours. On Sunday I'm going to be starting cardiothoracic surgery, which I'm pumped about. I did an away rotation in CT during my fourth year,so I don't feel like a complete retard when it comes to CT-type things. We'll see.

On a more exciting note, my dad, my sister, and I are going to Orlando, Florida for vacation in March! We all happen to have the same spring break, which is probably never going to happen again, so we've planned a trip to Orlando, where we're going to hang out with Mickey and Shamu and all of their friends! It's going to be awesome.

Anyway, that's all I have to say. I actually have the day off, and have actually been pretty productive. Gotta work out and get ready for American Idol tonight! :)

Let It Snow!

Hurray, I am home in Ohio! Actually, I have been for a week, and it has been marvelous! Things I have been doing include sleeping a lot, studying quite a bit, working out, eating out, and leaning how to smock. Yes, I said smocking. It's basically a fancy kind of sewing done by hand. Maybe it'll help me in my career in surgery.

Nothing else new here.

We just found out today that the UTMB General Surgery Residency Program is undergoing it's internal review on January 26, and I will be one of the residents that meets with the reviewers. I don't really know what else to say about that. I'm not really sure what they are going to ask me or what's going to come of it, so I am going to hold my tongue for now.

I'm heading back to Galveston on Sunday, where the hospital is supposed to be open, although I've heard there's only 16 med-surg beds available at UTMB as of right now. No fungus though! :)

Still alive...not really kickin'

Many people have been asking if I still use my blog...and yes, I do. I admit that I have completely neglected it, but cut me some slack, my life is chaos. So just a quick update.

I finished up my two months in Austin, then packed up my life in Shera and headed over to Houston, where I have been for the last four weeks. I'm working at St. Joseph's Hospital, which isn't that busy; plus, we have 13 residents here, so there hasn't been much to do. Actually, I drain a lot of pus. And the other day I amputated someone's leg.

In any case, St. Joe's is a rotation that we had even before the storm, so they have four 1-bedroom apartments that they put us up in. Unfortunately, since there are so many of us up here, we are doubled up, meaning that I am sleeping on an air mattress. Don't worry, it's a really comfortable air mattress, so I don't mind. I am living with one of the third year residents, which has been fun (shout out to Spogmai and Aaron!).

Let's see...oh yes, I am officially homeless now. Since my apartment has been condemned, I had to move all my stuff out of it. I guess I could have kept it there for a while, but I was starting to get worried about it getting moldy (it was), stolen (it wasn't), or torn down (not yet). I was planning on getting my friends to help me move, but then I remembered how much everyone hates moving people, and I decided to just fork out the cash and pay some moving men to do it. And it was totally worth it. I sat on the floor and munched on crackers whilst they did all the work. So now everything I own is either in the apartment in Houston that I'm in, or in storage in Texas City. My wonderful supportive friends have pointed out, "see, Casey, you can either have a car or a home, not both." Awesome.

My schedule has been a little hectic, as I have only had three days off the entire month. I was on call Christmas Eve, and at 2 AM on Christmas Day I was doing CPR on a patient who ended up dying. Fortunately, I was able to do a little something fun on Christmas, and my roommate and I went and hung out with her boyfriend and his mom in Galveston. Then last night we went to a restaraunt in Houston that is inside an aquarium, which was cool. I am on call again today though, ick.

I have been a little concerned about myself lately though. I think I am just so emotionally drained and need a break. Not that work is that difficult, and I know I haven't had the typical intern year, but it has been very stressful moving every month around the state of Texas, getting used to a different hospital every month, and not knowing if I'll have a job in the next few months (more on that below). I have also been homesick the last week, which has been hard. The good news is that I am coming home on New Year's Eve, and I can't wait!!! I'm going to frolic in the snow, eat Graeter's ice cream, and sleep a lot. Oh yeah, and study for the ABSITE exam.

As for work, the hospital in Galveston is supposed to open January 5. Supposedly the cultures have been negative for mold in the operating rooms the last couple weeks, but I have still heard some recommendations not to drink the water. So most of us are going back to UTMB for the month of January. I'm going to be staying with a friend for a while until I'm sure the hospital is going to stay open, because I don't want to get stuck in a lease and have the hospital close again. There is also some concern that the Residency Review Committee is going to come visit us. If they come and see that we are not getting our case numbers (some of the upper levels are not), that we're being moved around the state (we are), that the faculty are leaving and getting fired (they are), and that the program isn't providing us with an education (it's not), then they have the right to suspend the residency (which is what happened to Tulane). That means that we'll all become what's called "orphan residents" and have to find other programs. Apparently UTMB is still interviewing for surgery interns for next year, so I think the RRC is going to have to make a decision before Match Day. We'll see.

Everything in my life is up in the air right now. But I have come to accept that uncertainty is the way it's going to be for a while.

ATX and Xterra, y'all

Wow, it has been a while since I updated. I guess there just hasn't been many developments as far as the hurricane, so I guess I'll just go back to my normal posts. Sorry for the disappointment.

So, after the hurricane I came back to Austin and lived in a private dorm for a month (see below). I was doing my pediatric surgery rotation at Dell Children's Hopsital, which was a good experience. Everyone was nice and friendly and the hospital is brand new.

Well toward the end of the month, we got word that we were being kicked out of the dorm. Ok, I guess not officially kicked out, but basically they said we had to start paying $880 per month (not including meals) or we had to leave. Awesome. The only problem is that we don't know how long we're going to be in Austin, so we weren't able to sign a lease for an apartment, and I refused to pay almost 900 bucks a month to live in a crappy little dorm room.

To make a long story short, myself and one other resident scrounged around for some housing and a nice family in Kyle, Texas (about 25 miles south of Austin) offered to take us in in their extra room. So the day before Halloween we made the move to Kyle, and now we're living together in a spare room with two twin beds. I have also been moved to Brackenridge Hospital, which is the busy county hospital in Austin. So far it has been chaos, but I've already done 10 cases within my first week, which is pretty good for an intern.

I did find out a few days ago that I'm going to be moved to St. Joseph's Hospital in Houston for the month of December. I guess I'm moving progressively closer to Galveston, although I'm not exactly sure when I'll get back there for good. It all kind of depends on how many surgery floors and patients are up and running. Although we found out yesterday that all the operating rooms had to be re-closed because the fungus counts were too high in the ventilation systems. Surprise. And my apartment in Galveston, as of right now, is not being restored, so I will have to eventually get all my stuff out of it and start looking for a new place to live.

The most exciting thing in my life recently has been the purchase of my new car (name TBA.) I'm pretty pumped, especially since I have been sans car for almost 4 months. It's nice to own something. And I feel like atleast this part of my life is coming together at last. Now if only my job and living situation were a little more permanent.

Today I was able have lunch with my good bud Jamie and her fiance Michael, who lives in Colorado but who is actually from Austin. A random but enjoyable meeting. See picture above. I'm not sure if the big hair, SUV, and Texas driver's license makes me an official Texan or not. But I am ashamed to admit that I have caught myself saying "y'all!" Oh boy.

Oh, another exciting thing was my recent armadillo sighting. Unfortunately, there was a dog on the hiking trail behind me so he scared the little critter away from me and my camera, but I was pretty pumped that I got to see my most favoritest animal in the wild. Now if only I could have one as a pet, my life would be complete.

Hurricane Ike Update #30

Friday, October 3, 2008, 9:14pm

They have put most of the students up in the University of Texas dorms, and most of the residents, if they have no other options, are in a private dorm. These are some pictures of my dorm room/crappy hotel room that will be my home for the next 8+ weeks. Atleast I have my own bathroom, and I have an extra bed for visitors! They give me one meal per day at the dorm, and then I get two meals per day at the hospital, plus money for when I'm on call. Not a bad deal.

I also finally got my address and mailbox, so I have forwarded my mail. This also means that anyone who wants to provide some resources for the surgery residents in my program, please feel free to send things to this address, and I can distribute them as needed:

Casey Boyd, UTMB
2021 Guadalupe Street
Dobie Center, room 2503C
Austin, Texas, 78705

I personally don't need anything, but there are many, many other residents in my program that were no so lucky (see previous posts). Anything that can be given will be appreciated--I think giftcards would be best (Target, Home Depot, Walmart, Kroger (all on the island), Bed, Bath, and Beyond, etc).

Please let me know if there are any questions. :) Thanks to everyone who keeps reading these posts!!!!!! Your support means the world to us "refugees!"

Hurricane Ike Update #29

Friday, October 3, 2008, 8:53pm

Ok, so I am finally getting around to posting these pictures from Galveston from last week. I had to go back briefly to get some stuff for working and living in Austin, so of course I tried to capture the feel of the island at this point in time. And of course, once again, I messed up the order of the pictures, so I'm just going to go through each one and explain.

1. There are Papa John's and Verizon wireless trailers everywhere! The Verizon trailers were offering one free phone call per person and free cell phone chargers. I think I saw more Verizon trailers than Red Cross trailers. Interesting.

2. Everyone has just thrown out the nasty trash and belongings from their homes. This is a picture looking out from under the covered parking area of my apartment. There was just a bunch of trash, furniture, and toys lying on the ground.

3. Even though Wendy's had some damage, they were still open for business! I was really excited that I was able to get some 99 cent chicken nuggets and a can of Dr. Pepper (no ice available).

4. Despite having no power or water in a good portion of the island, activity was starting to pick up. I saw a bunch of signs like this one, including one that I didn't get a picture of that said "BOIs are survivors--kiss our ass, Ike!" (Sidenote: taking pictures while driving is tricky and highly dangerous). Oh yeah, and a "BOI" is a person that was "born on the island."

5. I'm anticipating Home Depot getting a lot of business in the next couple months!

6. I think this was the saddest part, and I cannot express how devastating it felt to drive through the streets of Galveston. Everyone has placed the entire contents of their homes in big piles on the street, waiting to be picked up by the trash trucks. The people are then sitting on their porches. In addition, because everything is rotting--furniture, carpet, cattle--the entire island smells.

7. This is one of the Murdock's piers.

8. This is the other one of the Murdock's piers.

9. You will be happy to know that The Spot survived the hurricane, and there were plenty of people enjoying the outside bar and eating area that The Spot has to offer.

10. This was also really sad--someone had placed this muddy stuffed bunny on a ledge outside my apartment. I tried to capture the stark contrast between what used to provide comfort, and now is being tossed out on the streets in light of the hurricane. Hurricane Ike has changed everything about people's lives.

11. I was also very excited that Casey's Seafood Cafe came through relatively unscathed. Not that I love seafood that much, but how sad would that be if my namesake was destroyed! Symbolic? Perhaps.

12. This is the Flagship Hotel, which I'm sure everyone has seen on the news. If you go back and look at my photos and video, you can see the Flagship at the very beginning of the storm.

13. This is actually the church that I attended while in Galveston. It was nice to see it up and running despite the hurricane.

14. There is traffic everywhere on the island, mostly because there are few functioning stoplights, and a lot of debris. They are diverting everyone onto the sidestreets, and the National Guard is directing traffic, which, of course, is very helpful (sarcasm).

I really felt a strange contrast as I was driving around the island. The business part of the island is starting to pick up--some traffic lights, some restaraunts, some grocery stores are working. But then as I headed to the residential areas of the island, that's where the devastation sets in. How do you go about picking up your life after this? And,

How is this going to affect the tourism on the island (6 million tourists per year)?
How is this going to affect the economy of the island?
What about the residency programs--are any medical students going to interview here after the hospital has flooded and the island has been ravaged by a hurricane?
Are any changes going to be made in the evacuation protocol?

A few things to ponder.

Hurricane Ike Update #28

Wednesday, September 24, 2008, 10:31pm EST

So, I have received some requests for updates, but I really don't have much to say right now.

I'm still in Ohio, and I'm continuing to hear terrible, horrible, no good, very bad stories from my fellow residents about their homes.

I also found out that I'm going to be doing an 8 week rotation at Dell Children's Hospital in Austin, starting this Monday. I'm planning on flying back this weekend and driving over to Galveston to get some stuff. They are finally letting people back on the island, but with many warnings--mosquitos, snakes, and rotting cattle carcasses are everywhere. Electricity, sewage systems, and running water are nowhere. I'm planning on taking some more pictures this weekend when I head back to G-town.

In addition, I recently found out that I'm going to be moving into the University of Texas dorms while I'm in Austin (think tv movie: "Dr. Casey Does College." They have promised me a private room, air conditioning, tv with cable, coin laundry, bus pass, recreation center pass, and $8 per diem to eat dorm food (plus two meals a day at the hospital). My dad wants me to meet Colt McCoy, but I'd rather meet Aaron Piersol. :)

Sounds like a guaranteed adventure...

Hurricane Ike Update #27

Friday, September 19, 2008, 11:58am

A few more pictures of the causeway from Galveston Island to the mainland. It's crazy--you're driving down the street, and there's a yacht, in the middle of the road! Actually, dozens of yachts. Everything got pushed/thrown up onto the causeway with the flooding and the swells. Not sure how they're going to get all those off there...

As for me, I'm still in Ohio, with tentative plans to start in Austin next Monday. They are still working on housing for us, and I still have to book a flight back to Texas, and I still have to get my work stuff from Galveston. Phew! They are only letting E1 and E2 personnel onto the island, so it's a good thing I kept my E1 ID badge.

Another personal story from one of my fellow residents...

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I hate to be the bearer of bad news...but the description your friend gave is accurate. I had the opportunity to see my own house today and it is far worse than I could have imagined!!! I definitely lost just about everything I own...especially because the only thing that I took with me was about 5 days worth of clothes. I don't even know where to begin. I hope you all are doing OK.

Hurricane Ike Update #26

Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 2:24pm

They are slowly letting people onto the island, (although I think it is only if you beg and show your UTMB ID) and people are finally getting to see their homes, or what is left of them. But I wanted to share a few personal stories that I have received (names removed) from my fellow surgery residents. I hope reading these makes the destruction a little more personal...

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My Galveston visit:
I drove to the island today. The destruction is heart breaking.

I found my condo completely destroyed. I got almost 4 feet of water inside my house (up to kitchen counter). Furniture floated during the raised waters. Everything was disarranged beyond imagination. The dirty water smell and heavy air hit my face when I walked in. I've never been in so much shock.

I was not ready for so much damage (and I know no one is). While having a look I though I can only save the most important things and those that are not so important but meaningful. At least I was able to recovered most of my surgery text books and some clothing. My place will need complete reconstruction.

At least I am safe, healthy, have a place to stay, and a residency to continue with life.

MY advise for those who live in Galveston: GO NOW and assess your property or valuables. IF something can be safe from the mud, water and moisture, now is the time. The roads are clean to drive. Be safe, we got hit by another car on Broadway (even before I got to my place!). The check point to get into the island will ask for drivers license, you can also show UTMB ID. Remember the curfew - 6am to 6pm.

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I just got a call from a friend that was able to get on the island yesterday and he went by our house in Fish Village. He wasn't able to get inside but he said the water line was above his head. We had just bought this house and completely redid it ourselves. My husband had just refinished all the wood floors and repainted all the rooms and ceilings. He had just completed the total gutting of the bathroom and rebuilding of it. He had just built a wood fence and gate that is completely demolished. With the water line being where it is means that everything we own was under water and destroyed. Our friend said it smelled like filth and death. No amount of insurance can replace what we have lost. We are just trying to stay positive and remember what we do have. All of you are in my prayers.

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Another resident told me yesterday that his home had 30 inches of standing water in it.

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Another resident told me their entire garage was flooded and their home had about a foot of water in it. Many items were damaged, including their hardwood floors, furniture, and kitchen appliances.

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I am still in Ohio (where many people's homes had damage and many are still out of power). More to come.

Hurricane Ike Update #25

Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 11:38pm

HI everyone,

I still have a few more pictures to upload, so I will do that soon.

In addition, I have continued to hear from other residents regarding their homes, condos, and apartments on the island, and the tales they have about the destruction are just heart-wrenching. Many have several feet of standing water in their homes, with complete destruction of their furniture and other belongings. They are trying to salvage their valuables and head out, and then are waiting for their places to get fixed by their landlord, or destroyed.

As far as our residency, we received news today that we are being placed at other hospitals until atleast November. About 12 of the general surgery residents will be at St. Joseph's Hospital in Houston, while the other 8 will be at Seton Hospital in Austin (I'm in the latter group). The program directors and coordinators are working on finding housing for us in those cities. Apparently it's going to be more than 2-4 weeks before UTMB is up and running and fully functioning.

***Many of you have expressed interest in sending things to us down in Galveston, and I have decided that I'm going to start some "resident relief efforts" to help the residents whose places got damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Ike (and by residents, I mean the surgery residents in my program). I have already contacted all the residents, and they are going to send me any specific needs that they may have. I will then put up an address for people to send things to, once we get established (it may be either Houston or Austin, since no one will be in Galveston for a while), and I will also email it out to everyone I know. We're not expecting anyone to send furniture or anything major, but it seems like most people are going to need simple things like kitchen gadgets, maybe even some gift cards, or food. I know we're doctors, but the idea of starting your life over from scratch is a scary prospect...

So I hope everyone keeps reading this blog and can help us out in whatever way possible! More info when I have it. Thanks a million!!!!!! :)