Busy Being Bridget

Dear Friend,

Auld Lang Syne. It’s always been my favorite holiday song. ‘Old long since’ or ‘for the sake of old times’ is how it can be translated. 365 days ago, we were all buzzing at the turn of the decade and now we’re all... well, full throttle out of this year. 🚀

For the next 72 hours, your Instagram feed will be inundated with New Year’s content. Fashion bloggers will be posting stay at home sweats, influencers will have ideas for your NYE plans, medical bloggers will be posting lessons learned and goals for 2021, fitness lovers will have their workouts blasting, friends will be posting highs and lows, the good, the bad, and everything in between. Surge. Quarantine. Social distancing. Equality. Mail in Ballot. Unprecedented. Wild Fires. Just a few of the theme words we’ve taken on this year. Lately, IG has overwhelmed me. So take what you want from the 1:1 squares & leave what doesn’t serve you. Reflect at your own sp*ed, maybe don’t reflect at all. 💫

A few months ago, I asked someone, “Will 2020 be in the textbooks my kids or grandkids read?” The person answered, “For sure.” And as pathetic as this year has been for so many of us, it’s been a pretty transformative one for just as many. Tenacity, perseverance, commitment, gratitude, perspective. After 364 days, we haven’t given up. Business owners. Relationships. Healthcare workers. Activists. Employees. Families. No one was exempt. No one too rich, too successful, too good for rules to not apply. We have all hung in there. You’ve proven stronger than you thought. 💕

Life won’t drastically be different on Friday, January 1. So take the pressure off of yourself + the future. Slow down, take a breathe. We have weathered the storm, and I like to think we’re out of the eye. Whoever is on the couch next to you tonight, tomorrow night, or any night, squeeze them tight. You’re only as good as the company you keep. This year, you’ve learned what you want, what you need, how to react, and how to adapt - whether you recognize it or not. Eventually, we’ll look back on 2020 for old times sake, but in the meantime, always take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne. 🥂

xx, Bridget

Last Monday of 2020. Let’s go. 👏🏼

INSTAGRAM vs REALITY.😷✌🏼

GIFT GUIDES ARE UP!! On website or LIKEtoKNOW.it. Something for everyone.. him, her, skin lovers, bosses, beauty lovers. Tried to cover all the bases. Eeeekks holidays are coming!!! 🍾🎄

gooood morning & happy Saturday!! ☕️ How are we doing out there?! I’m catching up on a lot of computer stuff this weekend: notes, brainstorming some new IG posts, working on a gift guide, maybe thinking about some goals for 2021!? Sky is the limit over hereee. TBH I’m not the biggest new year’s resolution person. I’m more into weekly + monthly goals because it’s just way more attainable, you know!? ✨

Great weekend to just stay put, friends... catch up on The Crown, watch a Netflix holiday movie, read a book, Real Housewives of Salt Lake City anyoneeeee?? You do you, take care of yourself, be smart, and I’ll be here if ya need me.✌🏼

FOURTH YEAR CELEBRATING NATIONAL PA WEEK. 🤍 Here are 4 things I’ve learned in the profession thus far:
1. You will be called doctor or assistant. You will correct the physician’s assistant spelling/saying. It’s awkward. Have a little 2 sentence explanation and memorize it. Use it over, and over, and over again. Remember, you’re helping the next PA that patient encounters.
2. A lot of the learning curve is actually outside the scope of medicine. Anyone can look anything up. The real professionalism comes with how you interact with other MDs, PTs, nurses, MAs, staff members, etc. How you correct someone appropriately, how to give constructive criticism, how to lead a team or teach a new member.... that stuff is hard, real life, and isn’t a class in PA school.
3. Be confident in your decision making. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to own it and you can cross that bridge later, if necessary. Don’t be half ass, wishy washy, and ask a million people what to do... people will pick up on that energy. Make a decision (whether it’s order blood work, refer out, send to the hospital, etc) and execute it with purpose.
4. Help those behind you & keep in contact with those ahead of you. Be a mentor to those wanting to do what you do. Ask questions to older PAs that have gone through what you may go through. Your PA school classmates should be some of your closest confidants. Everyone will eventually get a job, they are not your competitors. Remember, you are your #1 advocate, but it sure helps to have a strong ass team around you.
happy pa week. xoxo, bridget

Zoom interviews. 🖥

Was talking to my pre-med and pre-PA MAs about their upcoming interviews and they were telling me how they are all over zoom. 🥴 TIPS we went over: good lighting (light should be in front, not behind), wear pants (you never know if you’ll have to stand up and move), clean background, pretend you’re going to a real interview, practice with a friend before, let the other person fully finish speaking before answering. 👯

Then we reviewed some current interview questions that they’ve recently received: ⬇️
1. Tell us about yourself. (The most annoying one.) 🤣
2. Teach us something. ✏️
3. Describe someone you work well with. 👩🏼‍⚕️
4. What was the worst day of your life? (I got that one too.) 😭
5. What are three words to describe you? 💃🏼

What’s the hardest/worst interview question you’ve ever got? Comment it below, so you can pay it forward. ✌🏼

Now we can actually say... “tits up!!!!!” And for anyone who doesn’t know this line, they should watch Midge Maisel. ANYWAY.... so your girls need a lift. Mastopexy 101, coming at you. 😉
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First, what makes your breasts go south? Genetics, pregnancy, weight changes, aging, gravity. Second, you should know about ptosis. (No, you don’t pronounce the p.) A ‘normal’ breast has the ni**le sitting above the crease or inframammary fold. And for the record, I use ‘normal’ lightly because I’ve had someone message me saying “there are no normal breasts.” 😑 I didn’t make these names. Grade I is mild sagging with the ni**le lying below the IMF. Grade II and III are moderate and severe sagging where the ni**le and breast tissue get lower and lower. Pseudoptosis is not true ptosis because the ni**le lies at or above the IMF, but majority of the breast tissue is below. And maldistribution is a lack of fullness in the lower portion of the breast with a relatively short distance from the fold to the ni**le. 🧐 Example: a tubular breast.
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Women often think the lift is performed from the top, but in actuality the lift is performed by removing the excess skin at the bottom of the breast and moving the ni**le up. ☝🏼 Most common incision type is the anchor incision. Scars heal very nicely within 1-2 years.
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You can absolutely get a lift with or without including implants. If you need a breast reduction (next week’s topic), a mastopexy will also be performed.
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“Can I avoid a lift by getting a bigger implant?” It depends. Sometimes a larger implant can fill you out and give you that lifted appearance. But your ni**le and breast tissue need to be in the correct position for this to be the appropriate decision.
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“My breasts are a bit sagging and I want to get implants, but I don’t want to have a lift done. Thoughts?” Put a rock in a sock and tell me how that looks. 😉

PSA of the day. 🌟 Today, I want you to remember everyone has a different risk tolerance level. What is that? What makes me nervous, may not make you nervous orrrr vice versa. I’ve been wanting to post about this, but never found a good day. And after the mask incident yesterday (where I was mask shamed by a not so nice woman), I thought today is the day!!! 😷

So here’s the thing... Some people feel ok flying. Some people feel ok going to a small gathering. A bride may feel ok having an intimate reception. 👰🏼 A mom-to-be may make requests they wouldn’t usually do in a different time.🤰🏼Elderly friends may have new rules. NEWS FLASH: IT’S ALL OKAY!!!🚨 Judgement isn’t necessary. Honestly, it’s not even welcome in my book. I’ve had people message me- “I can’t believe you flew,” or “Where is your mask???” One woman recounted being “mask shamed loading her children into the car at the park.” Ok, it’s all too much. 🙅🏼‍♀️

I’m not here telling you my thoughts on a 250 person party. I actually haven’t even written the C word once in this caption. 💁🏼‍♀️ What I am here to do is remind everyone to stay in their own lane when it comes to the judgement zones. If you think something is too risky, no worries- skip out! We all have a different lens on life. What looks one way to you doesn’t look the same way to me. 🕶 No one is having a good day every day. No one. So let’s not shame, comment, give unsolicited advice, or be plainly rude to others just because we may individually be frustrated with 70 different other things. 😏 TODAY’S CHALLENGE: Smile at a stranger (even behind your mask) and ask how they are doing! See what happens! 👊🏼

GOT SOME NEWS FOR YA! 🌟 We’ve been going steady for quite some time, so we made the decision to make it a bit more official. 💫 Happy to say I’m officially a ambassador! FIGSxBRIDGET for your 15% off. 💙💙
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I’ll shoot you straight on this one. I’m not on IG for the brand deals, collabs, or free stuff. I’m here to share the word on what I do, what I like, and what I believe in. I’ve been in Figs since 2017 and half my page is me in navy blue. 🤗 I think it’s safe to say I . This one isn’t just about scrubs or a discount (even though we do love a discount 🥰), this one is about supporting a quality company and the community they’ve created. ✨ oh and hellllooo, Friday.

MILIA - looks like a “whitehead” but popping it never seems to work (not that you should be picking your face!!). 😬 Milia are small, white bumps that appear on the skin. Unlike whiteheads (which contain pus), milia aren’t so much a sign of clogged pores. Newborn babies often have them, but they are also common in people of all ages.
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Milia are most often caused by keratin trapped underneath the skin’s surface. Thick skincare products around the eyes may exacerbate these pesky “milk spots.” Milia caused by trapped keratin are primary milia. 💫 Secondary milia look similar, but develop after something clogs the pore, like an injury, burn, or blistering.
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FORGET ABOUT SQUEEZING THEM. They have no opening onto the skin’s surface, so it cannot be removed with a simple squeeze! If you try, you’ll just be left with marks and possible scars on your skin. 😡 The best route to go is by visiting a professional who can extract them. 🥼 A tiny flick with a sterile needle will open the surface and enable the contents to come out.
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Prevention tips:
1. Remove makeup before bed makeup. 💄
2. Avoid thick and oily eye creams (this is one of the reasons choosing correct eye creams is important). 👁
3. Exfoliate regularly. Using an AHA and BHA acid exfoliator will do wonders. If your skin can tolerate it, gentle exfoliation three times a week is my suggestion. 🧖🏼‍♀️
4. incorporate retinol into your routine! The vitamin A assists in cell turnover, allowing the milia to surface. 😘

One thing I’ll never forget is when I was in school and we initially learned surgical skills ... on mice. 🤢 And obviously, I was NOT super into it (because ummm mice). And the surgery resident teaching us took one look at me and said “Well, you obviously won’t be a surgery person.” In which case, I responded, “Last time I checked I don’t think I’ll be operating on small rodents???” 🤨
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But then I went through rotations and subconsciously had this preconceived notion that I was NOT a surgery person. The space is intimidating. The cases can be long. I was always nervous I’d have to p*e, be hungry, or pass out. 😷 And the resident told me I just didn’t fit the bill.. (because I didn’t want to cut open a mouse). 🐭 Fast forward to when I got a surgery position and I thought... “not sure how this is all going to work out?” 🥴 Well, here I am. Do I salivate at the thought of getting in there and getting my hands dirty? Not really. Do I love an interesting case and closing with a nice subcuticular running suture? Yes. Am I SO PROUD every time I am able to finagle the implant & remove it out of the pocket? YES. (🤣) Am I capable to assist in surgery? Yes.
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My advice: figure this stuff out for yourself. 🌟 The fact I remember that day nearly 5 years later is telling. Maybe that was his point? Maybe he meant it? Whooo knows, whooo cares. Don’t assume you don’t like something or you’re not good at it because you’re intimidated or because ONE person gives their opinion. 🙄 Try it and try hard at it then make the call for yourself.

Confession: I never used to wash my face at night. 😬 Ever. Maaaybe I would splash water on my face. Whenever I showered is when I would wash my face. It wasn’t until probably 3 years ago that I made sure I did not go to bed with any makeup on. 😬 So bad, I know. Get ready for my reason for no nighttime washing. 😂 When you wash your face at the sink... it just leaves everything (especially your arms) SO WET!!! 🤣 The counter is soaked. The floor has puddles. Your long sleeve shirt may as well been put in the washer. And then you’re left wondering, “did any water even get on my face???” 🥴 NO ONE LOOKS LIKE THE GIRL IN THE NEUTROGENA CLEANSER COMMERCIAL. 🧖🏼‍♀️ My distain for washing my face at the sink (and everything in the near vicinity for that matter) led me to wonder, “How many times a day do you have to wash your face? AND WHEN?”
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I’m not going to tell you that you MUST wash your face two times a day. That’s not necessarily true. If you’re going to skip a wash, skip the morning. Always wash your face before bed. 🌙 If your torn between once a day vs twice a day, think about your skin. If you’re someone with dry skin who slathers on a thick night cream, you may feel most comfortable washing with a cleanser when you wake up. ☀️ If you sleep in a light serum, maybe a splash of water in the am does the trick for you. And for those with oily, acne prone skin, you may believe washing multiple times a day is necessary. That’s not always true. 😳 Many acne cleansers use harsher detergents to strip your skin barrier and the oil. This can lead to inflammation and even more breakouts. 🥵 To combat this, use a soothing, but effective cleanser, and always, always moisturizer following the wash.
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So what do I do? In the morning, I splash my face with water. If I wash with cleanser in the am, my skin easily dries out. 🧼 And as for the night... I’ve given up on the ‘sink car wash.’ I’ve adopted the habit of showering at night so I can properly scrub my face. 🤣 Hey, you gotta do what works!! 🤷🏼‍♀️