A Very Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas! Jonathan and I plan on going to a Christmas Eve service tonight then eating dinner at home while watching a movie and then opening presents to each other. I will be working tomorrow until Friday morning and then we will be headed to Dallas for Christmas with the family. I hope everyone has a great Christmas and enjoys time with their families. Please keep all the little ones and their families that are spending Christmas in the hospital in your thoughts and prayers. Merry Christmas everyone!

Until!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving and enjoys the time with family! Today Jonathan and I are spending Thanksgiving with just the two of us. We celebrated last Sunday with my family and enjoyed the time there. I have to work a lot this week so we didn't really have time to drive to Dallas for today. It's kinda nice to be at home with just the two of us. We are going to decorate for Christmas, watch the Cowboy game, eat snack food, and just hang out together. It seems the last few months we haven't got to spend much time with each other so it's nice when a few days come along where both of us don't have to work. I'm loving my job but I'm ready for intern year to be over so I don't have to work as many nights/weekends. I know Jonathan is ready for that too. I feel really bad for him having to stay home by himself and the fact that we haven't really made friends here yet, nor have we found a church home. Ok, now for the things I'm thankful for this year:
1) Jonathan is in Temple with me
2) I have today off
3) My mom is healthy again
4) God has provided so many things for us this year
5) we are trying to start a family
6) Jonathan still has a job

Happy Thanksgiving!
~until~

Life is Full and Busy!

Life has been so busy lately it's not even funny. The month of November I am working the night shift in the ER which means I have to be at work at 6:55pm and get off at 7am. One of the major problems with this is that Jonathan doesn't get home from work until 6 or a little after. This leaves just enough time to eat dinner together and me to leave for work. Bummer. On Thursday Jonathan had 2 wisdom teeth removed and had off work on Friday. My mom and grandma came to visit on Saturday and stayed the night, they left this morning. It was nice to spend time with them. The last time I saw my mom she was still in the hospital about to be discharged. It was so nice to spend time with her like we used to. Shopping, cooking, talking, planning. I shared with her something that Jonathan are excited about but don't want to share with everyone yet. It's so great to be able to tell her secrets again, listen to her talk, and just know she is ok. One of the hardest parts of her being in the hospital and on the ventilator was that she couldn't talk. When she was on the ventilator it was almost like she wasn't even there. I could see her, but she couldn't talk, couldn't smile, couldn't laugh, couldn't acknowledge that we were there or that we had just told her we love her. Today I got to hug her, make her laugh, have real converstaions, and enjoy being with my mom. She is truly an amazing women. Life this week is going to be just as busy as last week.

Until!

My Take on Socialized Medicine

So, this is a common issue in politics/society right now. Since I'm a doctor it will be a huge impact on my life in more than one way. There are pros and cons to socialized medicine but overall, I'm against it. First of all, we already have more than one form of socialized medicine, it's called Medicaid, Medicare, and County Hospitals. Yes, patients with medicaid can usually get multiple health services with very little work, however the reimbursement rate for medicaid visits is incredibly low and if a physician only sees medicaid patients there is almost no way they can make a living and be an effective physician. This is because they have to see so many patients in one day they don't have the time to spend with each patient to figure out what is really wrong. Also, there are multiple other services to help promote health. Children and families can get vaccines at the County Health Department for very cheap without paying a co-pay for the doctor and it's the same vaccine. This isn't ok for babies because they need to be seen every few months to make sure they are growing ok, but it's perfectly fine for older children who are normal. There are other services for families that have special needs children that may not qualify for medicaid but don't make enough money for private health insurance. Most people just don't know about them. Social workers are way underpaid and are of great help when trying to get cheaper care/assistance for kids. Like I said before, there are always county hospitals. Plus if a child gets sick and needs to be hospitalized there is no prerequesite of having insurance. All children get care, doesn't matter their ability to pay. Also, most doctor's offices will make discounts for parents/patients that have to pay with cash and will work out payment plans if necessary. I may only be talking about kids, it's really what I know, but I also know that this pertains to adults as well. One of the pros of socialized medicine is all people get health insurance. Con, if everyone has health insurance it means everyone has to have a primary care physician and we don't have that many doctors in the United States. It also means that more people will be seeking health care and this will lead to a further shortage of hospitals/doctors/nurses. Yes, I think we should take care of people, but it isn't physically possible to care for all people in the United States. The wait list to be seen/have procedures would become astronomical. Also, it would become about the greater good for all and doing everything to save one patient would very likely quickly become the abnormal thing to do. This is already happening overseas in other very large/very westernized countries. They don't ressucitate extremely premature babies because the chance of them being productive members of society and let alone living is so low. They also don't let people live on ventilators for a long time like we do now. Some of these things may actually promote quality of life, but I think that the patient's family and the patient themselves should have the right to choose this, not the government.

Ok, I'm off my soap box for now. If anyone has their own opinion feel free to share. 

Until!

So it's been a while.....

Life has been crazy! The life of an intern is so busy. Add that to being married and it gets even more busy. I feel like I work constantly. I had this weekend off and it has been wonderful. Sleeping late, spending time with Jonathan, doing things I enjoy, has been a nice change. I love my job. The children are so incredibly sweet and it's so nice to watch them get better and go home from the hospital. I have a few patients in particular that I have become really attached to. They are patients that have chronic health problems and spend weeks to months at a time in the hospital. It amazes me how much joy they have for life when they endure multiple procedures, IV starts, blood draws and sick days. Some of these kids have spent more time in the hospital than they have at home. The fact that they are sick breaks my heart, but seeing them smile each day is such a joy. I love that I get to act silly, make faces, and dance around to make kids smile and laugh. We (the pediatric residents) get to dress up for Halloween and we have decided to be Superheros. I'm going to be Supergirl. I have been making my costume all weekend and after Halloween I will post pictures of all of us. Life is going well though. Jonathan is still looking for a job closer to home, the drive is getting old. Well, I must go finish my costume. 

Until!

Mom is home!

My mom went home from the rehab facility today! She still has a great deal of rehab to do but this is such a huge blessing. Thank you for all of the prayers.

Tribute and Praise!

My mom was taken off the ventilator at 9:30 last night and is doing well. They have her alternating between oxygen and a BiPap machine which provides constint pressure support for her lungs. She is talking today, and her mind is definitly doing well. Her funny/sarcastic/caring self is back. I have missed talking to her dearly and was so happy to see her awake last night and be able to hear her talk today. Please continue to pray for her recovery as there are still many obstacles in the way.

Her website is: www.caringbridge.com/visit/debbiecox

Tribute to my Mom: I decided to list a bunch of words that I believe describe my mom. Too bad I'm not a walking thesauras because I would have many more.
Here Goes: Mom, Grandma, Sister, Friend, Kind, Caring, Loyal, Trustworthy, Sarcastic, Empathetic, Selfless, Giving, Good, Big Heart, Worries, Smart, Strong, Proud, Passionate, Loving, Amazing, Beautiful, Talkative, Resourceful, active, and all around wonderful! She is the greatest woman I have ever known and I am so glad that God has been healing her.

Until!

website for my mom

My family has set up a website for my mom. It's www.caringbridge.com/visit/debbiecox
Please continue to pray for her and leave messages on her site for encouragement. I appreciate all that you are doing.

Update

Yesterday my mom was diagnosed with Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). This diagnosis carries with it a 55% chance of survival. There is nothing the doctors can do to prevent it or to cure it. They can only support the patient while their body heals itself. This was the diagnosis we were praying would not occur. Yesterday was very rough due to this and the fact that last night she seemed to be taking a turn for the worse. At one point we were asked to leave because her blood pressure was so low, her oxygen sats were quickly falling and they were taking the crash cart into her room with lots of people just in case. Today she seems to be doing better and hopefully she is steadily improving from here on out. We are all emotionally and physically exhausted and it is making it hard to be patient with the doctors, situation and each other. We are continuing having problems dealing with my dad, who during all of this show's very little true remorse for the things said to my mom in the past. During this time we are also trying to figure out how to pay my parents electric bill so the electricity will remain on, the water bill and a number of other things that are now in the legal channels and my dad says he has nothing to do with. Maybe I shouldn't be talking about this here, but I need somewhere to vent without venting to my sister or my husband, both of which are amazing. It amazes me how the strong people in the family really show up when things are tough and the people that should be being the strong ones turn out to dissapoint you. I am getting so exhausted and my prayer is that I am able to rest at night and know that the doctors and nurses are taking care of my mom and that she will still be there in the morning. Next post will be a brief update and a tribute to my mom, who happens to be one of the greatest women I have ever known.

Until~

Praise and Prayers

Today my mom appears to be doing a little bit better. Not a whole lot, but a little bit, and I will take what we are given. Her x-ray showed a small amount of improvement from yesterday. Today is the first day that it has looked better. She is requiring less medicine to keep her blood pressure up and her O2 sats are better today than they have been all weekend. She is still on the ventilator and today she needed a blood transfusion. The longer on the ventilator the more complications we can come across. I am praying that in the next few days she will be able to come off the ventilator and start to wake up. There are so many things I would like to tell her, such as how she is the greatest mother that anyone could ever ask for. I find myself driving home from the hospital and wanting to call her phone to talk to her but then I realize that she can't answer and it makes me so sad. I appreciate all the prayers and I know that they are the reason she is getting better. Please continue to pray for her and for our strength as we continue to endure long hours of waiting.

PRAYERS ARE NEEDED

I don't even know where to begin. My mom is in the ICU with aspiration pneumonia on one whole side and a third of the other. This morning they had to intubate her and put her on a ventilator to breathe for her. I wish I could do something and I know that all I can do is pray. I have prayed so hard for her to get well. Second to Jonathan she is my favorite person in the whole world and I don't know what I would do with out her. Please pray that God will allow my mom to be able to overcome this and that myself and my sister will be strong enough to deal with all of this and my dad. My dad has a history of depression/anxiety and this morning I had to take him to the ER to be treated for his anxiety because he was loosing it. I don't think I am strong enough to deal with 2 sick parents, it's hard enough to deal with one. They don't know how long she will be intubated for or how long it will take her to get well. They also don't know if she will go into Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome or not. If she does there is a 50/50 chance of survival. Right now we are dealing with a lot better odds. Please pray that the doctors are doing the right things, that as a family we are able to be with her and support her, that her body is able to rally and heal and that we remain strong. I will continue to update if I get a chance. Thank you for your prayers.

A Tough Question

Why do babies/children have to get sick and/or die? How am I supposed to answer this question to families that are having to deal with it? This is one of the hardest parts of my job and I wish I knew the answer. A bunch of my readers are wiser than I and if you have some suggestions/biblical passages that I can use to help answer this question I would greatly appreciate it. Another problem arises when the family doesn't have a faith system and I think that these parents have a harder time (if that's possible) accepting these types of things than those that believe in God.

My job can be so rewarding at times. Right now I am working in the NICU which is where the premature or really sick babies go. I have had some patients that are true miracles and testaments to God's healing powers and I have been involved with some that just couldn't overcome all of the things that affected them. I am learning slowly to deal with loss. My faith in God helps greatly as does the fact that He is the one that made me to do this job. One of the other things is the moments that are rewarding are greater in number than those that are devastating.

Until

Thanks for the Prayers

Thank you for the prayers. My dad took a job at the school district where my mom works in the in-school-detention class room as an aide. He won't be making very much money and will still be looking for another job that pays more and is more along the lines of his field of work. Some money is better than none however so I'm proud of him for taking the job even though it's not what he wants.

Today was my first day in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. We change "jobs" each month so that we can learn about all aspects of pediatrics. Last month I was working in the newborn nursery, this month the NICU. Today was also my 12th day of work with no days off and I am really looking forward to tomorrow!!!! Jonathan is doing well at his new job. The only bad part is the commute (45-60min) one way. I'm so glad he is here and we can cook dinner together and spend time with each other every day.

Until!

Prayer Request

Could y'all please pray for my family. My dad lost his job last week and is now in search for another one. Please pray that he finds one soon and they are able to be good stewards of their money while he is unemployed.

Until!

YAY!

Jonathan has officially moved to Temple! It is so nice to know that tonight he will still be here instead of on his way back to Dallas. Yesterday we drove to Pflugerville to find his new job so he would know exactly how to get there and how long it would take tomorrow morning. It only took about 45 minutes but that was without Austin traffic. I have a feeling tomorrow morning it will take quite a bit longer. I have been on call all weekend which means I'm still getting up at 5am and working. Yesterday I was done by 1, today not till 3. We had some pretty sick babies today that took a while to get settled and talk to their parents about what was going on. Delivering bad news to parents is definitely one of the worst parts of my job. The other bad part is dealing with parents that maybe shouldn't be parents. It is hard to understand why some people that really want kids and will be decent parents have trouble having children and then people that maybe shouldn't be having kids can multiply like rabbits. It breaks my heart sometimes to send kids home with certain families but I do what I can and that's all I can do. I hope everyone had a great weekend. 

Until!

The Weekend and Upcoming Week

This weekend was great. Jonathan came down and we got to spend lots of time together. Friday night we just hung out at home and enjoyed each other's company. Saturday was a day to sleep late, lounge around, go to lunch, go to see The Dark Knight and then build shelves in our closet for DVD's. Jonathan had this great idea that we could build shelves inside the closet to hold our DVD collection, that is too big (oh well) and it would free up space in our office/game room. We built 6 shelves and decided that next weekend we can build 6 more. It actually looks really nice, he's so talented. While we were working on that I made chocolate chip cookies (Holly I thought of you). Today we did more sleeping in, took a nap, and then he left to go back to Dallas. I went grocery shopping and did some laundry.

Tomorrow is the beginning of another 12 days straight of work. The first 8-10 days aren't so bad be the last couple are really draining. I do love my job though so working hard is ok with me. Jonathan is moving down here for good next weekend and I can't wait. It gets old cooking dinner for just me every night. I hope everyone has a fabulous week!

Until!

Something Fun to Do!

Copy and paste the list, then bold the things you have done. Like so:


01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink

02. Swam with wild dolphins (and whale sharks, and whales)

03. Climed a mountain

04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive

05. Been inside the Great Pyramid

06. Held a tarantula

07. Taken a candel lit bath with someone

08. Said “I love you” and meant it

09. Hugged a tree

10. Bungee jumped (would love to but haven't yet)

11. Visited Paris

12. Watched a lightning storm at sea

13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise

14. Seen the Northern Lights

15. Gone to a huge sports game (a few)

16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa

17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables

18. Touched an iceberg

19. Slept under the stars

20. Changed a baby’s diaper (every day right now)

21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon

22. Watched a meteor shower

23. Gotten tipsy on champagne

24. Given more than you can afford to charity

25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment

28. Bet on a winning horse

29. Asked out a stranger

30. Had a snowball fight

31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can

32. Held a lamb

33. Seen a total eclipse of both the sun and moon

34. Ridden a roller coaster (I love them!)

35. Hit a home run

36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking (actually I'm a fairly good dancer)

37. Adopted an accent for an entire day

38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment (most moments)

39. Had two hard drives for your computer

40. Visited all 50 states

41. Taken care of someone who was drunk

42. Had/Have amazing friends

43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country (how about a foreign stranger in this country?)

44. Watched whales (and swam with them)

45. Stolen a sign

46. Backpacked in Europe

47. Taken a road-trip

48. Gone rock climbing

49. Midnight walk on the beach

50. Gone sky diving (would love to)

51. Visited Ireland

52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love

53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them

54. Visited Japan (a goal of mine and Jonathan's)

55. Milked a cow

56. Alphabetized your cds (well, DVD's actually)

57. Pretended to be a superhero

58. Sung karaoke

59. Lounged around in bed all day

60. Played touch football

61. Gone scuba diving (snorkeling, not scuba diving)

62. Kissed in the rain

63. Played in the mud

64. Played in the rain

65. Gone to a drive-in theater

66. Visited the Great Wall of China

67. Started a business

68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken

69. Toured ancient sites

70. Taken a martial arts class

71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight

72. Gotten married

73. Been in a movie (no but I've been on TV before)

74. Crashed a party

75. Gotten divorced

76. Gone without food for 5 days (not intentionally)

77. Made cookies from scratch (it's the only way I make cookies)

78. Won first prize in a costume contest

79. Ridden a gondola in Venice

80. Gotten a tattoo

81. Rafted a river (In Actopan, Mexico, 3 times)

82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”

83. Gotten flowers for no reason

84. Performed on stage

85. Been to Las Vegas

86. Recorded music (high school church choir)

87. Eaten shark

88. Kissed on the first date

89. Gone to Thailand

90. Bought a house

91. Been in a combat zone

92. Buried one/both of your parents

93. Been on a cruise ship

94. Spoken more than one language fluently

95. Performed in a Rocky Horror Picture Show

96. Raised children

97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour

98. Passed out cold (after getting hit in the head with a softball, which is a misnomer)

99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country

100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge

102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking

103. Had plastic surgery

104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived

105. Wrote articles for a large publication

106. Lost over 100 pounds

107. Held someone while they were having a flashback

108. Piloted an airplane (Chris has)

109. Touched a stingray

110. Broken someone’s heart

111. Helped an animal give birth (does a Human count?)

112. Won money on a TV game show

113. Broken a bone (multiple ones)

114. Gone on an African photo safari

115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears

116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol (all of the above)

117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild

118. Ridden a horse

119. Had major surgery

120. Had a snake as a pet

121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

122. Slept 30 hours in a 48 hour time frame

123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states

124. Visited all 7 continents

125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days

126. Eaten kangaroo meat

127. Eaten sushi

128. Had your picture in the newspaper (more than once)

129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about

130. Gone back to school

131. Parasailed

132. Touched a cockroach

133. Eaten fried green tomatoes (recipe here)

134. Read “The Iliad” (and "The Odyssey")

135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read

136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (fish and deer)

137. Skipped all your school reunions

138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

139. Been elected to public office

140. Written your own computer language

141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream

142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care

143. Built your own PC from parts

144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you

145. Had a booth at a street fair

146. Dyed your hair

147. Been a DJ

148. Shaved your head

149. Caused a car accident

150. Saved someone’s life

The Reason I Do What I Do

I was reminded yesterday why I love what I do and why I do my job. I had a baby the other day that was supposed to be healthy but over the few days they were staying in the hospital after being born they continued to get more and more sick. We got to the point where I had to put them in the NICU because they  needed IV antibiotics and mom and dad were going to have to go home. I know the parents lived quite a ways away so I managed to get them one more night in the hospital so they could be close to their baby. I was walking through part of the hospital and the mom happened to be walking near me. She said my name and then said she just wanted to thank me for taking such good care of her baby and for thinking about the parents needs. Her mom was with her and she only spoke spanish. I proceeded to talk to Grandma in spanish and she told me thank you for taking care of her family. It was such an amazing feeling to know that I had to tell these parents that they were going to have to leave their baby but that they understood it was in their babies best interest. It was nice to be appreciated even after having to deliver some bad news. Going into that room to tell those parents that their baby was sick and needed intensive care treatment was one of the hardest things I've had to do; but having them say thank you a few days later and to hear the baby is doing well makes it all worth it. I think God daily for the job he has allowed me to have. 

It's Only Tuesday!

It is only Tuesday and yet I feel like it should be Friday. I guess this comes from the fact that today was my 9th day in a row to work and I have 3 more to go before I have 2 days off. I absolutely love my job and working with the babies and moms is incredibly rewarding. The days get longer when some of the babies who are supposed to be healthy turn out to be sick. This means I have to draw blood, do x-rays and other stuff to figure out why they aren't doing as well as they should be. One of the coolest parts of my jobs is getting to reassure the parents and just getting to educate them about their children, what is going on, and that their baby will be just fine. 

Friday will be one great day! First of all it is my 12th day of a 12 day shift, meaning I have Saturday and Sunday to chill. Second and most important, Jonathan will be here for the weekend. I haven't seen him in almost 2 weeks and I miss him greatly. Absence does really make the heart grow fonder. 

Promised Pictures

Ok, so posting pictures is a little difficult when they are on Jonathan's computer and it isn't here. I found a few on my computer. Jonathan is only in one of them so I will have to work on that. 

Me, Jonathan, Mike and Michelle at our Senior Awards Banquet! Don't we look Spiffy?!

Sarah, Me and Emily in Mexico the day I found out I got into a Residency Program!

Michelle, Abby, Emily, Me, Kimberly, Diedra

Friends from Med School at our Senior Awards Banquet

I love all of the girls!

Jenna, Diedra, Jocelyn, Michelle, Abby, Me and Emily

ON GRADUATION DAY!!!

So there you go, pictures. They may not be the best quality but it will have to do for now. 

Until!

Now Blogging?!?!?!

Life for the Bybee's has been crazy lately, or maybe always. We love our new place in Temple! Our home is amazing and comfy and homey and just the place you want to be at the end of a long day. Jonathan is still working in Dallas for a few weeks, which stinks, but he will be transferring down here soon. I absolutely love, love, love being a doctor. God really did know what he was doing when he told me to be a doctor and he got me through medical school. It is so amazing to be able to work with the kids, talk to their parents, try to calm the fears of the child and parents and just to be there as support for the family. I love being able to help the families and getting to work with great staff/nurses/students. I'm getting to teach students daily and I've found I like teaching in a one-on-one setting. I'm not so sure I would like teaching in front of a large group though. 

I guess I should introduce the Bybee Family. I am Kristy, my amazing husband is Jonathan and we have a Newfoundland/Lab Mix named Cubby. We recently moved to Temple so I could start my Pediatric Residency. We really miss our friends and family in the Dallas area and wish some could have moved with us.  I don't have a picture currently but will get one soon. 

Until!