The End of A Chapter

The last few weeks I have spent at the county hospital and have really enjoyed the experience and working with all of the dietitians. Their trauma unit is quite intense and I saw a lot in just a short amount of time. One thing I really like about the site is how well all the health care team works together: the physicians, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists and case workers, they work as a team and not as individuals. It was cool to see the physicians take the dietitian's suggestions and handle tube feeds completely on their own. (A lot of facilities still have the doctors in charge of tube feeding orders)

One of the patients I saw had a BMI of 129. A "normal" BMI is about 19-25. BMI gives a number based on your weight related to height. For example, someone 5'2" and weighs 130 pounds has a BMI of about 24, while a person who is 5'6" and weights 130 pounds has a BMI of about 21. It is just one of the nutrition assessment equations we do as a dietitian to check their nutrition status.

Another big project we had before the end of the semester was our annual preceptor appreciation luncheon. We plan, coordinate, prepare, set up and clean up the entire event for all of our preceptors we had during our rotations. This year it was a hit! My small group was in charge and we did a jungle/zoo theme, which coordinated well with our guest speaker who is the Fort Worth Zoo nutritionist. Our menu included salad, jerk chicken, coconut cilantro rice pilaf, key lime cheesecake and bananas foster cupcakes. We had over 80 people attend!


Mmmmm cupcakes

And now my internship is officially complete! I am now RD eligible and will shortly begin studying for the RD exam. It still hasn't sunk in yet that I am done with school and internship. And that I won't be able to see everyone on a weekly basis. Some of the girls are already moving out of state!

Congratulations CPD Class of 2013!!

As I begin studying for the exam I must remember this!

As I mentioned before, my little brother graduated recently from A&M, and my family and I had a blast watching him cross the stage and then continuing the celebration in Austin for Mother's Day weekend. The girls did a little shopping and got pedicures, while the guys hit up one of the sports bars. I always enjoy spending time in Austin and even though Fort Worth is not far of a drive, we don't frequent there often, so it's nice when we do get to spend time in the town I grew up in. (Feeling a little nostalgic in this post)


Congratulations Davis! A&M Class of 2013!

 Now that my internship is complete, I am in the works of what to transition my blog into. Any suggestions would be much appreciated, but I may be on hiatus for a time as I am in the works of my future as an RD. And most of my free time will be spent reviewing what I have learned in the 6 years of school.

~Brittani

"I consider that our present suffereings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." ~Romans 8:18

A Unique Rotation

My county hospital rotation is SO different from my previous clinical experience, but I am enjoying it! There is something different and unique every time I go. Now that I have been there a few weeks I have figured out a few tricks to get to where I need to and I can trust myself to on my own if needed to visit a patient. (As I said before, this hospital is massive and I get turned around very easily.) I have now found a side entrance to and from the office that does not require an elevator. (The elevators have been known to take a long time because they are in so much demand, so this helps me out a lot!)

During one of the weeks I was with the dietitian assigned to the inmate floor and she had a consult with one of the inmates so I was able to tag along. This area is extremely secured; you could very easily miss the entrance because there is not a lot of signage, its basically an acronym and a door with a darkly tinted window. There are two sheriffs looking out the door and when we knocked they allowed us in. We had to sign in and out and the sheriff had to punch in a code each time to open and close the door, you can't just walk in. The inmates are cuffed to the beds by their ankles. I wasn't really scared, the patients we saw were pretty calm (probably due to the medications they were on) and it was a quick trip, but at least I can say I visited.

Some of the stand out patients I've seen over the past couple of weeks include a patient with a gunshot wound to their abdomen and their intestines coming out, a patient with multiple stab wounds to the leg and a patient with necrosis of the penis. (Now that would have been an interesting wound care to observe, we had to observe one in our previous clinical rotation) With patients like this as dietitians we need to ensure the patient is receiving the proper nutrition (espeically protein) for the healing process from these wounds. (In case you were wondering our role)

I also have had the chance to see a lot of patients with kidney disease and provide education, which is what I eventually would like to do so great experience for the future! There has also been a lot of opportunity to provide diabetes education to patients, which I am grateful for because I have not been able to much in the past.

About a week ago all the Dietetic Interns in the DFW area attended a seminar at Texas Health Presbyterian in Dallas. We were able to meet interns in other programs in the area including Texas Women's University, Texas Health Presbyterian, Baylor University Medical Center, and UT Southwestern. I enjoyed hearing about the various programs and how they are set up. I also really enjoyed being able to meet in person a blogger that I follow The Odd Duck. She is currently an intern at Baylor University Medical Center, but started out in the corporate field and transitioned to dietetics. I was really excited and felt like a met a celebrity.

I just have a couple more weeks at this site before I have officially completed my internship and can begin studying for the one exam that counts... the RD exam! Can't believe the end is so close.

I am also proud to announce that my brother will be completing his degree here a few weeks!

Congrats Davis! A&M Class of 2013!


~Brittani

"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up." Proverbs 12:25

County Hospital Here We Go

This week was the beginning of my six week rotation at the county hospital.

Much different from the hospital I was at during my clinical rotation last semester. For one, this place is MASSIVE!! I am so glad to be following the dietitians through my weeks because with my directionally challenged self I easily get turned around. There are several windy hallways, lots of stairs and three buildings all connected. The dietitians are keen on using stairs instead of elevators (which I am completely ok with) but they change floors and buildings several times throughout the day, so I'm hoping to have one killer lower body by the end of this rotation. The dietitian I worked with used a pedometer during one of her shifts and said she walked about 2 miles in a day! That's approximately 4000 steps a day, the average individual takes only about 1000 steps a day.

Since we are on our feet so much I purchased some shoe inserts to provide more cushion to my feet. (I feel like such an old lady...) The flats I wear do not have a lot of padding and after day 1 my feet weren't too happy with me. Hopefully these will help with all the walking on hard floors, mastering the stairs and walking from building to building.

My first week was basically an introduction. The first two days I followed my dietitian around, listened while she did assessments, watched as she went through the patients' charts to gather information and we attended a couple of clinical meetings with other health care staff. On the third day with her she gave me the freedom to view the patients' charts, talk with the patients and write our clinical notes while she observed me. It surprised me after only being out of clinical for a few months, how much I felt that I had forgotten, but after a couple of days in the hospital, I felt more comfortable and confident. Everybody keeps saying how fast your clinical knowledge goes if you're not using it and I will completely agree with that statement! I'm afraid now of not working in a hospital because I don't want to lose that information.

During one of my assessments I was discussing food preferences with one of the patients and he mentioned that he wanted a ham sandwich. I was laughing on the inside because it made me think of the Duck Dynasty episode I had just recently watched. Thanks to my father in law for getting us started on that show, it is quite funny I must admit.

Next week I'm with the dietitian who is assigned the floor with the inmates. Being the county hospital, if an inmate requires hospitalization, my site is where they go. I'm nervous about visiting that floor, but curious as well, hopefully I have developed thick enough skin to handle anything they may throw my way. Obviously this is completely different from the previous hospital I was working at.

Which brings me to a quick wrap up of my spring break! Both weekends included weddings, the first weekend we were in Houston for Erika and Joseph's wedding. We had such a blast! The wedding was beautiful and everyone was there to celebrate at the reception. They sat us at the perfect table, directly in front of the bar :) (You two know us so well!) Probably dangerous spot, but we had so much fun!

Congratulations newlyweds!

On our way back to Fort Worth we took a couple of pit stops, first by the massive Sam Houston statue (67 feet tall, plus 10 foot base) and then a trip to the Texas Prison Museum. The museum was really neat and I'm glad Andy and I had the flexibility to spend a couple of extra hours on our way home to visit. We saw "Ol Sparky" the electric chair used during executions and I got to hang out in a prison cell.

I'm in prison!

 Our second weekend was spent in Pasadena, California. We went out a couple days early to visit some of our friends who have moved out there since our TCU days. It was great to be able to visit some of the local places they showed us. The weather was gorgeous out there! Nice and cool in the morning and warmed up slightly in the afternoon, but never too hot. It was bright and sunny too.

There are quite a few gastropubs located throughout the city and one of the neatest was Congregation Ale House. It was set with a church theme, the tips jars were offertory boxes, the staff wore the black shirts with the white under the collar (sorry not sure of the technical name) and the water station was labeled "Holy Water". It was really unique and I know Andy really enjoyed being able to taste some of the local beers that we don't get in Texas.

We had planned to meet up with my incredible friend from forever Laura, but unfortunately she was sick during her spring break. I hate being sick during vacation/time off, such terrible timing. However, I am thrilled to say that her and her boyfriend Jon recently got engaged! Congrats you two!



Congratulations!

~Brittani


"Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves." ~ 1 Corinthians 13:7



Wedding Survey Fun

As Andy and I are celebrating 2 years of marriage, in the spirit of weddings I came across this wedding survey and thought it would be fun, even though I have already walked that aisle!

How long did you date before you got engaged?
We dated for 2 years before getting engaged.

Did you get the ring you wanted?
Better than what I wanted! I had originally picked out a solitaire, but Andy surprised me with a 3 stone engagement ring.

Was the proposal a complete surprise?
It was a surprise! I was expecting a few months later than when it actually occurred.

Did you cry when he proposed?
I might have shed a tear or two...

Was the proposal romantic or creative?
Romantic

Where do you want to go for your honeymoon?
We looked at going to St. Lucia or Antigua, but we went to the Bahamas and had an amazing time!

Are you buying his wedding band for him?

Yes, through the jeweler in Midland where he purchased my ring

Is your wedding band simple or elaborate?
I would say simple, but it does have some sparkle.

Have you gone over your original wedding budget?
With my mother as our planner, we did great staying within budget!

What day of the year will your wedding be?
It was March 12, 2011

What kind of weather?
In Texas you never know how the weather is, but it ended up being about 78 degrees and sunny. A little warm for my taste, but it could have been snowing.

Inside or outside?
Inside, Texas weather is weird and extremely unpredictable

Time of day?
Early evening

Any kind of theme?
No

Will you serve dinner? Plated or buffet?
Buffet dinner, and it was delicious. My favorite was the mashed potatoes!

What are your wedding day colors?
Purple and silver/gray and white

How many bridesmaids? How do you know them?
5 bridesmaids: My sister (MOH) 3 high school friends and 1 TCU friend

What kind of cake/what will it look like?
Traditional white cake with white icing and swirly decorations.

What kind of dress will you have/color/material?
I fell in love with my dress before even trying it on. The designer: Caymen by Blue by Enzoani, white chiffon material.
A side note: my veil was the veil my mother wore on her wedding day

What kind of flowers in your bouquet?
White roses

Will you wear your hair up or down?
I wore it up so it would look good all night long, especially while dancing the night away. My sister's friend did my hair and it stayed in place the entire evening!

Is the reception big or small?
There were about 250 people, so I would say pretty big!

How long is your honeymoon?
We had 6 days for our honeymoon

What will you do?
We just relaxed from all the wedding stress/craziness. Laid out by the pool, beach, attempted to get a tan (I do not tan), and drank fun island drinks.

What is the age difference between you and your groom?
I am one year and 20 days older than Andy.

Have you hired a wedding planner?
We did not have a wedding planner, my mother was the best wedding planner we could have had! She was awesome, super organized and I think if she wanted to go into it professionally she would be extremely successful.

"'Haven't you read,' he replied, 'that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.'" ~Matthew 19:4-6

Spring Break is Here!

Spring Break is upon us and I am very  much looking forward to the break from school. Though I will be working for most of it, it will be nice to not have studying or projects to worry about. Some funny pics I came across that might entertain you (they gave me quite a laugh):

This also marks the end of our community rotation and when we return from break we will begin our culiminating rotations in which I will be at the county hospital for more clinical and the rest of the crew will be at various locations throughout the metroplex. One of the girls will be at WIC working with the breastfeeding counselor, a couple will be a children's hospitals, one will be managing a hospital foodservice, another one will be working with a dietitian who specializes in bariatric surgery, and various other places. I'm excited to hear about everyone's site that they have chosen.

As our community rotations wrapped up my group had a health booth at the TCU Campus Gym, filmed a short video on low sodium and presented a nutrition education session to faculty and staff at TCU. These were the two information handouts I created.

Our Tuesday night nutrition/cooking class came to an end this week. I will definitely miss our group of awesome women, but I am also glad to get my Tuesday nights back and not have 12+ hour days. Our last night with them we had them complete an "Iron Chef" challenge with foods that we provided. They were split up into 3 teams of 3 and of course everyone won, but it was fun watching them come up with dishes.

Group 1: Salmon on Crackers, Bean Dip and Fruit Salad

Group 2: Pasta with Vegetables and Ground Turkey

Group 3: Pasta Salad, Black Beans and Veggie Tray (Can you see the carrot/pepper tree?! So creative!)

Two of the partcipants were so sweet and brought dessert to share with the whole class! Yummy!

On the left is a sweet cornbread and the right is a jelly roll cake topped with coconut. You can bet I had some of each!

Our food delivery rotation will continue throughout the semester, but we will only return twice before the end of the semester. The last day with them before spring break wasn't a bad one. We discussed one of the assignments with the dietitian and it was interesting hearing her comments and why she felt the assignment was beneficial to us. We had to create a 7 day meal plan (based on an individual's health issues) one meal plan was from a typical grocery store with a variety of options and another meal plan was to be created in a "food desert" such as a convenience store because that is what some individuals only have access to. Definitely fewer and more expensive options at the convenience store and our client needed to limit his sodium and there aren't many low sodium options at a 7-Eleven.

I hope all of my fellow classmates have safe and fun spring breaks (I know this is their last one before graduation!!!) And I can't wait to hear about them. Andy and I will be attending a wedding both weekends of spring break and working in between. Wedding season has officially begun!

On a side note, I came across this site that sells fun registered dietitian clothing/accessories and am planning to purchase this sweatshirt once I pass my exam to reward myself.

You can find it and additional clothing/accessory items here. 

~Brittani


"Consider it pure joy, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." ~James 1:2

An Off Week

This past week was a rough one getting to the end. I think it was all the meteors flying around Earth.

My last day at WIC consisted of me basically working as a nutritionist, I did nutrition assessments on the clients and also taught nutrition classes to the participants. Thursday morning I was ready with my game face to take the lead, however I was just having a lot of difficulty speaking and spelling. During some of the assessments with clients I kept jumbling my words making it sound as though I was speaking gibberish, this sort of jumbling talk continued with my classes. Not only was I have a hard time articulating, but during class when I was to write key points on the board for the participants, somehow I could not spell. I'm sure the participants were thinking "That TCU education is really paying off..."

An update to my one site I've been skeptical about... Well, after this week, we are back to square one. I thought things were looking up after having the chance to go out with the dietitians to visit with clients, but this week we made client phone calls and I felt I did my best communicating with the individuals, however the dietitian thought otherwise. She left some not so settling comments about our work and journals we submit each week....

And before we left, we had our usual round table discussion in which she discussed professionalism at our internship rotations. (I guess we weren't professional enough that day) To me it kind of came as a threat because she said employers call them all the time for references on students and is felt as though we'd better make our phone calls or they're going to talk bad about you to future employers.

Awesome motivation to really make me excited about this site for the rest of the semester!

Now we are working with TCU Campus Life and working on a health booth and video. Our booth will feature healthy eating tips during travel, because it will take place shortly before spring break and our video will be about low sodium. Which I know TONS of college kids are super worried about their sodium intake... We will just have to be creative on that one!

We also had the opportunity to recipe test for our preceptor appreciation luncheon taking place in May, and the menu is a hit! Everyone that had the opportunity to try our food loved it. So my group and I are looking very much forward to that.

Spring Break is shortly around the corner and I am ready for it!

~Brittani

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." ~1 Peter 5:7

WIC Rotation Ending

My short lived WIC rotation is coming to an end. I really enjoyed working with the girls at my site, especially because they allowed me to work as an employee rather than just observe as a student. I had the opportunity to take height and weight on infants, children and pregnant moms, check iron and facilitate nutrition classes. During my three weeks I also made this snazzy bulletin board for one of the lab rooms. The site I was placed at has a lot of Spanish speaking clients, which is why you see English and Spanish titles. Wish I had kept up with my Spanish from the classes I took so long ago... Would have been really beneficial.

So far my time at the meal delivery site has gone fairly smoothly. I mentioned before I was worried about returning, but so far it's been good. We went out to visit clients in their home and this time I was in charge of the assessment. It is a completely different approach from what I am used to in the hospital setting. We try to have a conversation with the client to gather information rather than an "interview" of question: answer, which is much more difficult than I thought. The dietitian I went out with for my first face to face client visits provided me with great tips and tricks and commended me on my Vitamin K/Coumadin drug/nutrient interaction. :) I really enjoyed taking the lead on the visits. The week prior we made phone calls to check up on clients that the dietitians had visited face to face, which only took the first few to get back into the groove of phone calls.

Week two of our six week cooking class also went well. We had a lot more attend this class. (I think the rain/bad weather week 1 convinced some participants to stay home) The stir fry recipe we made was good and I plan on making the sauce at home. The great thing about the recipes we prepare is that they don't require a great amount of ingredients and can be made with typical pantry staples. (No crazy hard to find ingredients such as: chile de arbol, sambar powder, or soy lecithin granules)

On a personal note, in relation to the comment above, I've been trying to make 1 new recipe each week. Many of the cookbooks we received for our wedding have not been put to as much use as I had originally intended, so I'm really trying to bring them out this year. Some of the cookbooks have some crazy ingredients that I have never heard of or would even know where to begin looking for. I also don't have the time/energy to make a recipe that calls for 20+ ingredients. Some of the winners include: Lemon Chicken (Barefoot Contessa), Honey-Balsamic Sweet Potatoes (Williams Sonoma),  Island (Jerk) Chicken and Pineapple (Sandra Lee) and Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie (Real Simple Magazine). Andy's really enjoying being my taste tester!


~Brittani

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." ~Proverbs 16:3