Medicine & Manicures

Fall Drink Recipe: Apple Spice Delight

If you’re like me, then you’re probably soaking up all of fall while you still can. Can you believe October is almost over?!? One of my favorite things about fall (other than pumpkin) is apple cider. I’ve loved it ever since I can remember and there’s nothing like curling up under a blanker with a hot cup of cider to make your fall night complete. If you remember when I went to Tennessee the other week, Ryan & I went to a moonshine tasting and ended up taking a few mason jars home. This wouldn’t typically be my drink of choice, but the sales tactic worked because it was delicious (the flavored ones at least)!
Last night we watched the football game at Ryan’s sister’s house and we wanted something tasty to sip on. Cue the apple pie moonshine! This is the most simple recipe ever, but if you like something sweet with a hint of caramel, you’ll absolutely love it! We got our Sugarlands Shine from the distillery, but you can buy the mason jars at most local ABC stores. We drank ours cold, but it would be just as delicious warmed up!





All you need is…


2 shots Appalachian apple pie moonshine


3/4 cup apple cider


Brown sugar

See… I told y’all it was super simple! Hope you enjoy 🙂


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Rotation Update: Life in Dermatology

First things first… graduation countdown is officially at 49 days. FORTY NINE DAYS!!! I have also  officially registered for the PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certification Exam) and will be taking it bright and early on January 7th. I still remember when I got my acceptance letter and it’s hard to believe this time in PA school is coming to an end, but then again I’m SO ready. I just finished up my 11th rotation which happened to be one of my favorites so let’s take a peek into the life of dermatology!

I have been interested in this field ever since starting PA school so I knew early on that I wanted it as an elective. I did the legwork and established a new site for Campbell students in Charlotte. I knew I would like it but y’all… I absolutely LOVED it and I could totally see myself being a dermatology PA. Hair, skin, nails… sign me up!
I find skin conditions very fascinating and believe that skin cancer prevention is so important. Whether it’s shaving off a suspicious mole, doing an annual skin exam, cutting out a cyst, or freezing off a wart, there are SO many procedures to perform. I love being hands-on and this is one of the reasons why I knew I would love this field.
I love derm because I love providing education to patients. If something pops up on your skin, you tend to notice because it’s an external thing. People want to know what’s going on and even though many things they might notice are benign (like seborrheic keratoses) it’s important to give them reassurance on the benign things and to educate them about their skin so they know what to look for in the future. 
Another advantage of working at my office was getting the chance to see MOHS surgery. You’ve probably heard of this term but just in case you haven’t, MOHS is done when a patient has basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma (the non-melanoma skin cancers) usually on the face, but can be done anywhere on the body. A dermatologist takes out tiny bits of tissue and immediately looks at them under a microscope to see if all the cancer is there and determine if there are free margins (aka make sure there’s not more left in the skin). This is done to conserve the skin because some skin cancers on the face are larger than you’d think, so the idea is to get rid of the cancer by taking the least amount of tissue. 


Ps. Sorry this might be a little graphic for some, but I just wanted y’all to visualize what I was talking about!

 photo via Dr. Sandra Lee, my favorite dermatologist to follow on Instagram
The reconstruction is the amazing part. Any medical professional knows that stitching up a circle is not exactly ideal. The MOHS surgeon usually removes a circular area but when it’s time to close, they usually make a bigger linear incision or even use a type of flap to make the skin come together more naturally. They use teeny tiny sutures and the results are phenomenal- you can’t even tell where some patients had their MOHS surgery. 

I’m a little sad that this rotation is over because everyone in the office was just so nice and welcoming, and so were the patients. On today’s schedule is our summative OSCE where we have to evaluate a standardized patient (in front of a faculty member this time), order tests, come up with a diagnosis & treatment plan, and discuss that with the patient. Basically, take on the full role of a PA 🙂 Next week will be dedicated to board review so it will be nice to have a little break from working plus it’s always good too see my classmates a little more. Thanks for reading this PA school update and hope y’all have a great weekend!!

Linking with Amanda, April & Karli.





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Blushing

Fall is upon us and you can certainly feel it in the air with the smell of pumpkin candles, the sight of plaid scarves everywhere, and the early signs of foliage (yellow leaves are my favorite!). During this season, we usually gravitate towards darker colors like plums, hunter greens, and blacks of course, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t throw some pastels into the mix. Blush is one of my very favorite colors to wear because 1) it’s pink, 2) it’s soft and feminine, and 3) it’s a neutral.

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Weekend Travels in Tennessee







Oh hey, Monday! As usual, I’m a little sad that the weekend is over but at least I can relive it with this little recap. Y’all know I’m all about October and all things fall so I was pretty excited to travel to the mountains with Ryan this weekend. And as a side note, I’m also happy to report that we successfully took our engagement photos on Thursday… and the weather was absolutely perfect!! We may have gotten rained out the first time, but the second time around there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and I couldn’t have been happier. Can’t wait to share those with y’all but until then, I’ll be (not so patiently) waiting over here! Now, let’s jump into the recap of this weekend’s festivities. Warning: picture-heavy post ahead!











On Friday morning, Ryan & I made our way to Knoxville, Tennessee for the wedding of our friends Whitney and Chase. I met Whitney my senior year of college and we ended up living together for 3 years after that. I remember when she & Chase first started dating (about a month before Ryan & I) and it definitely seemed like he was “the one.” They are such a great couple and we were so happy that we could be a part of their special day. Their wedding took place on a farm and if you follow me on Snapchat (khendley1), you may have seen an adorable little pig running around! The ceremony was sweet and sentimental and the reception was a rustic affair- the venue was actually renovated from old horse stables, it was so unique! We had a great time with the bride and groom and successfully finished our wedding tour of 2015. Next stop… our own!! 




On Saturday morning, we decided to check out downtown Knoxville. This was my first time in the city and Ryan’s very first time in Tennessee so we thought we’d do some exploring. We checked out Market Square which is an open outdoor area full of cute little shops, restaurants, and a farmer’s market. Of course I had to pick up an apple cider donut!





After we walked around downtown Knoxville for a bit, we decided that we should do some more exploring and headed to our next destination… Gatlinburg! This city can be compared to the “Myrtle Beach of the mountains” because it’s super crowded and touristy, but the upside is there’s a ton of things to do. I’ve been several times and used to love going to Dollywood & Pigeon Forge when I was younger so I thought an afternoon stop was in order. 















We started with lunch at Crawdaddy’s then rode the Sky Lift to take in some killer views of the mountains. It was a gorgeous day and I’m glad we could spend most of it outside. After that we popped into Sugarlands Distilling Company because it sounded like people were having fun in there… lots of hootin’ and hollerin’ as the country folk would say 🙂 We decided to take part in the moonshine tasting (when in Tennessee, right?) and while this isn’t my drink of choice, the flavored ones were actually pretty delicious. Their approach worked because we ended up taking 3 mason jars home!







The view from 1,800 feet high



 
We thought about staying a second night, but we felt like we got a lot in on Saturday so we headed home that evening… which made for a productive yet lazy Sunday. It was good to catch up on life since I have have three more days of work before I have to travel back to Raleigh and take my end-of-rotation test. Only two more of these to go… crazy how time flies!! 
Linking with Biana & Meghan.


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Black, White & Red All Over



Who else is excited that we’re halfway through the week?! Today’s post is a play on that old joke about the newspaper… you know the one! I’ve been on the hunt for a pair of joggers for a while so when I came across this pair from Old Navy, I had to get them. I can see why these things have become so popular- they are super soft and feel like pajamas, but still have a “dressed-up” feel to them.





I paired these joggers with a crepe blazer and red tank for a look that that can easily carry you from the office to cocktails after work! Ps. If you didn’t  catch yesterday’s Instagram post, Shopbop is currently having a friends & family sale where tons of awesome items from top brands are 25% off including this leopard  clutch from Clare V! I probably carry it a little too much but what can I say… it’s my favorite neutral!




















H&M white blazer // red tank // black joggers (wearing an XS) // gold necklace via Rocks Box


leopard clutch (25% off!) // Burberry watch // nude strappy sandals

I have been enjoying this beautiful weather but unfortunately feel like I am coming down with something. I have been downing the Emergen-C, Sudafed, and drinking lots of water so hopefully whatever it is will clear up by the weekend. I hope y’all have a fabulous day and thanks so much for stopping by! 



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Weekending: South End Edition


Another weekend bites the dust. It’s hard to believe that we’re halfway through October and I feel like it’s flying by… probably because I’ve been running around like a crazy woman all week, but I’m trying to embrace it. Luckily, I had a very special visitor this weekend- my roomie Sarah! I’m linking with Biana & Meghan for today’s weekend update so let’s get to it!


Saturday was the gloomiest day ever. A bunch of us were supposed to visit an apple orchard and eat apple cider donuts but unfortunately… we got rained out. Did I mention how annoying this rain is?!? So instead, Ryan, Sarah & I got up early and got breakfast at the 7th Street Market. This place was so busy- it took 20 minutes to get my latte but it was so worth it! I don’t know about you, but to me grey skies + rain = cuddling up on the couch with a movie. We rented The Avengers:  Age of Ultron and while it was good, my attention span got the best of me after about an hour. The first one was better. The afternoon was spent in the lovely Apple store upgrading to the shiny iPhone 6S! I’m super excited for more memory and super clear photos. Yay!!









Sunday was a different story. The temps were in the mid-70s and it was absolutely beautiful outside!! There was no way I was doing anything other than spending my entire day outdoors. After coffee & breakfast, Sarah and I rented our B-Cycles for the day and did some exploring. We rode around South End and stopped for bloody mary’s at Pike’s Soda Shop (where Shallow Hal was filmed!). And of course, I had to check out the new Anthropologie that is conveniently located 5 minutes from my house. I can’t complain!





A full day of biking made us a little tired, but it wasn’t anything that Starbucks couldn’t cure! We cleaned up and went back to South End for Front Porch Sundays, a monthly event featuring local food trucks and pop-up shops. We finished the day with some brews at Sycamore Brewery. It is crazy to see how popular breweries in Charlotte have become- 5pm on a Sunday and this place was absolutely packed! 



Today starts my 4th week in dermatology and I promise I’ll share a rotation update soon. This is my favorite rotation and I honestly don’t want to leave!! I hope everyone had a great weekend and hopefully some great weather is also coming your way (we’re supposed to have clear skies all week!). Thanks for stopping by and have a happy Monday!


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