Gypsy D.V.M.

Balance

I have been complimented by coworkers on how I manage my work-life balance. It's extremely important in my field to understand and enforce work-life balance. Burnout and compassion fatique is a real problem in veterinary medicine. You need to know how to set boundaries, manage your time, and say no.

Here's a few things that I do on a regular basis:

1) Set boundaries. Between certain hours during the week, I do everything work related, but once 6pm hits, I no longer check emails and I'm typically on my way home to work. I may work through lunch, do fit-in appointments, check emails, take televet consults, and answer phone calls, but I have no problem staying busy during work.

2) Manage your time. I wake up early enough so that I'm not rushing to get dressed or eat breakfast in the morning. I even try to get work a few minutes early in order to preview my appointments and see how my day is going to go. I will review each patient's history to make sure I am prepared. I make sure my assistant gets a thorough current history; and while I am talking to the owner, I am writting my SOAP. I have a SOAP template that I fill in in order to expedite my notes, as well as keeping things consistent. Most of the time, I will call or email the owner back later that day or the next day with the results of any tests performed, unless the patient is critical and we need to wait on the results for next steps.

3) Set emotional boundaries. We do receive some trying cases that can take an emotional toll on us. The challenge is to remain compassionate, empathetic, and supportive of our patients and clients without becoming overly involved and taking on their pain. This is what can contribute to compassion fatigue.

4) Say no. Say it. Be selfish - you need to put your own needs first. If you are overworked, but then asked to take on more, stand up for yourself and say no. If you're asked to come in on your day off, but you really need a day of self-care, then say no. I'm not saying to always say no when asked to do something, but if you're risking your mental, emotional, or physical health, then say no. Be assertive but courteous and polite.

5) Let go of perfectionism. Nobody is perfect, so why stress to be? All that is expected of you is your best. You can't do it all, so let go of the thought of trying to. Strive to do your best, not perfection.

6) Self-care. Take care of yourself, don't go to work when your sick, make sure to get plently of rest, eat healthy, and drink plently of water. Unplug, exericise, mediate, do your favorite hobbies, and take vacations. There's only one you, spoil yourself.

Common signs of compassion fatigue are: feelings of burden, isolation, guilt, insomnia, trouble concentrating and a sense of hopelessness. Some more severe symptoms can include depression and substance abuse. Please contact someone if you're having any of these signs, and take care of yourself.

Setting Boundaries

The Difference Between Pleasing And Serving In Veterinary Medicine

Birthday Month

February was full of lots of snow and birthday celebrations! We weathered several inches of snow and ice fall. The dogs loved running around in it, and we built a snowman. It was very short lived when the yard got very muddy, plus my car doesn't appreciate running in the snow.

I went down to VA beach in order to escape to the beach, even though it's still cold. I had a fun birthday photoshoot to celebrate turning 35.

Never let anyone tell you how to live your life according to theirs. You should eliminate any thought that there is an expectation that you do anything by any age. There are no rules to life, there is no such timeline. You don’t get special points for achieving certain things by a deadline. It’s all made up. Wherever you are is exactly where you need to be. Make it brilliant, spectacular, wild, extraordinary. Fill it with excitement and adventure, be passionate and fearless, search for freedom and opportunity. You only get one life, so make it count. Live your life and forget your age.

Healthier New Year?

So the new year has begun and unfortantely we are still dealing with COVID, as I know we were all hoping it would be magically done by the end of last year. I know we were all hoping for a fresh start and to wipe the slate clean, but I have a feeling we will be dealing with the virus for the rest of this year as well. It is absoultely killing me that I can't travel anywhere. Yes, I have done a bunch of short local trips, but it's not the same feeling you get when you travel to experience a new culture/way of life.

My thoughts on the vaccine:

In my county I was eligible as one of the first indivuidals that were able to get vaccinated. I had several coworkers get it their first vaccine with no issues. Others had severe reactions, including COVID symptoms and rashes. I decided NOT to get the COVID vaccine.

-I have been exposed at least three times, that I know of, to COVID-19, and :knock on wood: I haven't had any symptoms, and my tests were negative. I'm always wearing my mask, washing my hands, and taking vitamins, so maybe that has helped in some way.

-The vaccine was rushed to get produced and only has limited trials.

-There are higher risk individuals that need it more than I do.

-With a healthy immune system, your body should naturally fight off any bacteria and virus. Give your body a chance to do what it's suppose to do naturally.

-Just be sure to do your research before introducing anything new to your body, whether it's backed by medical doctors or not. You are the only advocate for yourself.

Work Update:

My clinic was closed down for a deep clean and quartatine period for the staff due to an outbreak. I did get tested, twice, to be safe and I was negative but still was exposed within the clinic. At least it's a forced destress/decompress/time off. So televet it was for the following two weeks. Televet can be a wonderful, but also frsutrating thing.

Here are things that CAN be diagnosed over telemedicine:

-Acute diarrhea (started in last 72 hours, still eating, no vomiting, good energy level)

-Acute dry cough (started within the last 72 hours, still eating, good energy level, patient less than 7 year old, no history heart disease, normal breathing rate)

-Behavioral Concerns

-Chronic vomiting (morning only, bile)

-Feline Acute Upper Respiratory Infection (started in last 72 hours, still eating, no vomiting, good energy level)

-History of Ear/Eye Infections

-Rechecks for refills of pain medications

-Post-surgical rechecks/incision check

-Skin Issues. Rashes, hotspots, licking

-Preventative care (teeth care, weight control, diet questions, supplements questions)

-Quality of life discussions as directed by their primary DVM

Here is what CANNOT be diagnosed/treated over televet:

-Bleeding

-New eye or ear infections

-Vaccines

-New masses to be tested

-New clients or pets exams

-Respiratory/breathing issues

-Weight loss

Other Updates:

In more exciting news, we found out my sister is pregnant in November, and we found out that she's having a girl! I've already started spoiling my newest little niece!

2020

Well, what is there left to say about this year that hasn’t already been said. Fires, deaths, a global pandemic brings a “new normal”, school closings, lost jobs, cancelations, protests, Netflix binging, an election, and bombings. So much drama whether it was in the outside world or on TV. Many have said that this year could have been a never-ending movie.

There were so many cancelations -weddings, vacations, travel plans, and my acupuncture certification. The thing I was probably most upset about was my acupuncture course being postponed until next year.

There were still celebrations too however -new house, house projects, weddings, my Chinese herbal certification, and soon-to-be new family members.

I was terrible about keeping up with this blog because let’s face it, I was incredibly busy and stressed at work, and I wasn’t able to decompress with travel or adventures like I normally do.

2020 in Review

Partially the reason I’m writing again today is that I always like to reflect back on my year. I challenge you to reflect back and consider:

What are you thankful for this year?

How did you fail and what did you learn?

How did you succeed and what did you learn?

What are you most disappointed by that you can change into the next year?

What was the best decision you made? What are you the most proud of?

What challenges did you overcome?

What did you enjoy the most?

Here is a quick look-back on my year:

January - Officially moved into my new house!

February - My birthday month, and family came up to celebrate

March - The pandemic hit and most people were forced to stay home, but it was business as usual for us.

April - Obtained my Certification of veterinary Chinese herbal medicine, and Edgar got sick with COVID

May- Started on some small house projects to keep busy and work started to become INSANELY busy.

June - Went down to the family Lakehouse

July- Went down to the family Lakehouse again

August - Visited Edgar’s family in Nashville, and sent his brother off to VaTech! Go Hokies!

September- Winery hoping in Charlottesville. Fell in love with Glass House!

October- More local winery hoping and started on remodeling the basement

November - The family came up to visit for Thanksgiving - this was the first time in 9 years that we haven’t been out of the country for Thanksgiving. Also found out I’m going to be an aunt in June!

December - Road-tripped to Nashville again to celebrate Edgar’s cousins wedding. Also was able to celebrate the holidays at my house with my family, and able to decompress and destress from work. Broke ground to start work on my patio.

As we go into the new year I encourage your to ask yourself a few questions:

What will you do to step out of your comfort zone?

What do you want to accomplish?

What is your purpose for the next year?

What skills do you want to learn? What skills do you want to strengthen?

How will you take care of yourself?

So, cheers to the new year and here’s to hoping that 2021 allows us all something to look forward to and getting back to “normal”! Happy New Year!

Be Kind: What Veterinary Clients Need To Know

Long before COVID-19 arrived,  veterinary professionals were quiet hard workers, not complaining about their less than ideal work conditions. Challenging conditions were the norm. Now that the pandemic has hit, those challenging conditions have been placed on steroids. Most of us don't talk about our work stresses outside of the work enivornment, because quite honestly, most people won't understand or don't want to hear about the patients we lost. Our clients get our compassion, symphany, knowledge, and communication skills. Our vulnerabilty is never shown. Our clients don't understand burnout, being overworked and undervalued. Our clients don't understand that they are commonly the source. 
What you need to know:
1) Veterinary clinics across the US are seeing a surge in volume of cases. This could be attritubed to new adoptions over this quartaineed period, or clients analyzing their pet's every movement due to being home more.  Because of this volume, client-wait times and phone call hold times are tremousously increased, therefore clients are getting more impatient and taking it out on the veterinary staff. And unfortunately, we have no control over the volume that we are seeing, and trust me the managers are constantly trying to figure out how to better handle this. At my clinic, the phones DO NOT STOP RINGING.......I wish I was exaggerating. It is a constant ring of one client after another, asking about prescriptions, charges, appointments, opinions, estimates, and advice.  The yelling and rudeness to the receptionists won't make us do our job any faster. We beg you to be more patient, we will get to your call when we can. 
2) Appointments are filling up fast because everyone "needs" to be seen.  If your pet is sick, and you are unable to be seen right away, that doesn't mean come in right away. We are constantely seeing emergencies that aren't actually emergent which takes time away from the true emergencies.    Your pet's diarrhea that has been going on for TWO WEEKS is not an emergency now. This is another reason we are getting behind and your wait time is going to be longer. The fact that I haven't called you back right away when your pet comes in for an "emergency" is a GOOD sign....it means your pet is stable and I'm attending to other more critical patients that need my immediate and undivided attention. List of actual veterinary emergencies
3) Your pet's vaccines can wait. Just because you got a reminder in the mail saying the exact date that they due, doesn't mean it has to be done on that exact date. That reminder is from a computer system that is scheduled to send out cards one year from when the last vaccines or tests were performed. It's ok if your pet is even a month overdue on most vaccines. The rabies vaccines is something that your county or state may need you to stay up-to-date on however. So if you know that your pet is going to be due soon, schedule your appointment sooner rather than later, because chances are we still aren't going to be able to fit you in for 1-2 weeks. Puppy and kitten vaccines are also a different story - check with your vet for their recommended schedule and try to schedule all the appointments ahead of time so that you have the slots. Worse case if you schedule the appointments early, is having to reschedule, which can be easily done, but you also may be on hold for a few extra minutes. 
4) Social distancing isn't feasible in our field.  Yes, we are all wearing masks, all day, running in and out of the building, in the heat; we expect that you will wear one as well when we talk to you in person. A techician/assistant needs to be holding the pet that is being examined at a close distance, not 6 feet away.  We have kept clients outside in the car and outside of the office in order to limit the amount of people in the building.  My clinic already has over 60 people working at one time, including maybe 10 doctors working at one time. That means we have at least 10 pets being seen at a time by different doctors. If each of those doctors allows their client to come in with their pet, that's even closer to reaching 100 people in the same building at one time. I understand that you want to be with your pet during the exam, but we simply cannot allow more people into the building safely.
5) Veterinarians and staff constantly ask ourselves why our clients can't treat us like they treat their own doctors. Would you treat your doctor the same way you treat your vet? In most cases if you did, they can turn you away and tell you to go elsewhere. We have that privelage too, but chances are we are still allowing you to behavior the way you do. This was a post I saw the other day:
                                Can we please normalize Veterinary Medicine and treat it like human medicine? 
-Call in ADVANCE to make wellness appointments. We are extremely busy, especially now, so it may take a week or two to fit you in.
-If it's an emergency, by all means, call your primary care veterinarian first, but if we can't fit you in, GO TO AN EMERGENCY HOSPITAL. Don't yell and scream and demand to be seen because you've been "a long time client". You wouldn't call your pediatrician in the middle of the day and demand them to treat your son/daughter's broken leg would you
-If going to an emergency hospital, be prepared to wait. Animal ER works just like Human ER. Most critical cases are seen first. Doesn't mean you won't get care, it just means you may have to wait a couple of hours. 
-Yes, ER may cost more, but they're eqipped with more staff and equipment to accommodate emergency situations.
-It takes time to do things. Lots of time. Running bloodwork, taking xrays, filling meds, etc. IT TAKES TIME. Be patient. Veterinary Nurses in ER will usually have multiple cases at once, and most times there is only ONE Veterinarian.
-We are ALL VERY OVERWHELMED and STRESSED. We love our jobs and our patients but we only have so many hours in the day.
PLEASE BE KIND. Be courteous, be understanding and please, please, please just be better prepared. Veterinary Medicine is not here to cater to you.

5) Burnout and comparisson fatigue is a real problem and something that they actually prepare you for in vet school. Recently, everytime I check my email, my veterinary information networks, or social media, there have been more and more articles about veterinary professionals becoming burn-out and exhausted. What many people don't know is that mental illness and suicide is extremely high in this profession.  We aren't perfect and we've never claimed to be, yet our clients expect us to be.
Facing The Wellness Crisis In Our Profession
Burnout And Compassion Fatigue
Worst Experiences With Clients

This poem has been circulating for years and will come up again in these times of stress, so if you fall under any of these statments, then please take a step back and realize the butterfly effect it can have on someone:
Every Time
Every time you say vets are money grubbing or ‘too expensive’ or just in it for the money,
Every time you decline all diagnostics, yet demand to know “what’s wrong with my pet”,
Every time at a social function or other completely inappropriate place you find out that someone is a vet you ask them for free advice about your animal,
Every time you feel justified posting a s&^**y practice or vet review when everything was done according to the standard of care but your pet died anyway,
Every time YOUR lack of preventative care resulted in your pet’s early death, yet you blame the veterinarian,
Every time she gets in early and stays late and works an 80-hour week because your pet that had been ill for days suddenly becomes an emergency at 5pm on a Friday, and you demand to be seen, claiming these heartless vets won’t treat your baby,
Every time someone complains about the cost of veterinary care, comparing human medicine and insurance subsidies to pet ownership,
Every time someone doesn’t pay their bill and thinks they are entitled not to because pet ownership is their “right”,
Every time someone walks in to a clinic and threatens to “sue your ass if you make one mistake with my baby”,
Every time a graduate vet looks at the hundreds of thousands of dollars in crippling debt and listens to clients driving Mercedes and BMWs complain about the cost of a spay using good anesthetic care and adequate pain management,
Every time – You are part of the problem.
Think before you act or speak.

Certification of Veterinary Chinese Herbal Medicine

There are some new letters after my name.: CVCHM!

I took advantage of this quarantine period to work on my certification. It's an online program though IVAS and typically it takes about 9 months (self-paced) but I was able to do it in about 4 months. This now basically means that I can diagnosis your pet based on a Chinese diagnosis and prescribe herbal medications. Chinese diagnosis' are based on the pet as a whole, not the specific western diagnosis. There are certain herbs that work for certain disease processes, such as endocrine issues and heart issues, but the specific herb will be picked based on the overall picture of your pet. The part that may be frustrating for owners is the that the herb picked is based on the current presentation of your pet. Once your pet has been on a specific herb for a period of time, and you come back in for a recheck, we may switch the herb at that time if your pet is showing different signs.

Holistic medicine typically always comes down to diet. Most of our pets get dry kibble because it's easy and convienent. However, dry kibble is the human equivalent of eating dry cereal everyday for the rest of your life. You can imagine the health issues that can form from this (obesity, liver disease, diabetes, heart disease, etc). Guess what, the same happens with our pets. You need to research on your pet's food to understand all the ingredients in their diet. Holistic vets push for homemade and raw food diets. You will have a hard time finding a western practicing vet that agrees with homemade and raw food diets. Don't get me wrong, you still need to research the ingredients and make sure that your pet is getting a balanced diet, so don't just start feeding them everything that you are eating. Be sure to talk to your vet about your choice.

I plan on doing an acupuncture course for certification this fall, as long as this virus doesn't cancel that!

World Veterinary Day

Amidst the uncertainty of when everything is going to go back to "normal," it's nice to be honored for all the work that we do. There has been so many memes and reports about what it means to be essential among the veterinary community. We work incredibly hard, but we know how to have fun and make light of hard situations. We love your pets as much as you do, and sometimes it even feels like we love them more.

We have a physically, mentally, and emotionally draining career. We don't get to take a break when we go home. We are constantly thinking about our cases from work -- will that cat actually improve on that medication I prescribed, or should I have pushed for those further tests? We have friends and family asking us questions about their pets. People that you haven't heard from since high school randomly messaging you your thoughts about your pet. I have never randomly messaging my human doctor friends about my symptoms to get their thoughts, why are vets any different? I've never seen your pet, why do you think I will know that's going on with them?

However, we love our job, that's why we do it. We are blessed with having one of the rare careers that can truly agree to the quote "if you find a job you love, you'll never work a day in your life." Its incredibly rewarding to see a very sick dog get better with the treatment plan you came up with, educating new pet owners on how to best care for their new family member, and seeing healthy happy pets come in for their annual. Even though all the ups and downs, I wouldn't have it any other way, and I wouldn't have any other career.

Here's a little comic relief.....yet the type of interactions we deal with on a regular basis....and especially now during COVID-19 when owners are home and watching their pets a little too much....

Stay Productive

COVID-19 is sparking panic and chaos, and the internet doesn't need any more overload of information about it (because personally I'm sick of hearing about it), so this post will be something light in the mist of it. Besides, if you've been stressing about the virus, it's probably time to limit your exposure to social media, including the news. If you are glued to the TV for the lastest news, you're bound to get anxious. I have always limited my use of social media and the news media. So stop breathe, and occupy your mind with something else.
I'm considered essential personnel and still having to work, but I do have more limited hours during this time. So we are still risking ourselves to help you. Be sure to thank all the essential employees, such as the health care profession, package delivery services, grocery stores, and trash services, who still need to work to keep you safe and this country running at this time.

How to stay productive, and combat the "I'm bored" thought:

Health/Fitness:

-Go hiking

-Do yoga

-Stretch

-Exercises at home

-Donate blood

-Create meal plan

-Try new recipe

-Turn up the music and dance

Beauty:

-Have a spa day

-Take a bath

-Do your nails

-Makeup tutorials

-Hair tutorials

-Organize make up products

-Throw out old beauty products

Organize/clean:

-Go through old photos

-Redecorate the house

-Go through old clothes and belongings

-Clean your car

-Organize cabinets

-Organize emails

-Unsubscribe to services you aren't using

-Back up your computer

-Delete old contacts from your phone

-Clean your keyboard and computer screen

-Do laundry

-Iron clothes

-Polish jewelry

-Sew on all those missing buttons or holes in clothes

-Wash your drapes, or anything else that hasn't been washed in a while

-Plant/work on your garden, including weeding

Creativity:

-Board games

-Draw/color/paint

-Make paper airplanes

-DIY from Pinterest

-Do a puzzle

-Teach yourself a new instrument

-Practice photography

Self:

-Learn a new skill

-Write in a journal

-Create a bucket list

-Start a blog!

-Watch Ted talks

-Try a free trial of something

-Play a trivia game

-Take an online class

-Create your ideal travel destination....and then one day take it!

-Learn a new language

Finances/Work:

-Budget

-Review retirement options

-Sell things you don't need

-Apply for a second job

-Update your resume

Pets:

-Walk the dog

-Give them a bath

-Trim their nails

-Brush their teeth

-Homemade dog treats

-Start an Instagram page for them

-Treat them a new trick

-Foster a new dog

Other:

-Camp in your backyard

-Watch a new movie/series

-Skype an old friend

-Read a book

-Have a picnic in your backyard

-Write thank you cards or a handwritten note

-Make a new song playlist

-Play a trivia game

There is plenty to do and most which requires no money, it's just a matter of being creative and having a routine. Be sure to get up at the same time every morning and set a schedule. The majority of people go stir-crazy because they don't have a plan.

Adoptiversary

Aurora's one year was on Jan 23rd, and Anya's 4 year is on Feb 14th!

Anya
For those of you that don't know, Anya was brought into the LSU vet clinic when I was a student in clinics. Someone found her wandering around the streets and brought her in. She looked like a puppy; her hair was trimmed and she was already well behaved, I guessed a mix between a Sheltie and Dachshund. She won the hearts of everyone around her, but for some reason other dogs wouldn't get along with her. I met her and of course, instantly fell in love, but I was about to be moving soon and didn't know where I was going to end up. Of course, my friends were no help, sending me pictures of her when I was away, and encouraging me to take her. Was I ready for a dog? Probably not. I took her home for one night to see how she would do outside of a clinic setting. She sniffed around, but then ran right for my couch and plopped on her back. She was home.

(On her way home after adoption)

Aurora
I first met Aurora when she came into my vet clinic after sustaining burns along her back. She was surrendered to the local shelter by a family that was moving into a place that didn't allow dogs (never an excuse). My clinic kept her there for a few months nursing her wounds until she was able to go into a foster family and be adopted. She also won the hearts of everyone that the clinic, as she was consonantly wanting to be pet and give kisses. I didn't need a second dog, I didn't want a Chihuahua ( I think she's a Chihuahua Papillon mix), however she stayed on my mind. There were little signs throughout my day that would remind me of her. I started thinking of name (never a good idea because then you know you're taking her). The next step however, was meeting Anya, that would be the determining factor. They got along amazingly, Anya let her eat from her food bowl, and she was so gentle with her. I had to have her, but I left it up to fate to see if it was meant to be. My boyfriend found out the day that she was being adopted and rushed over to be the first person in line. She was home. Aurora's personality has opened up so much and she's constantly making me laugh. Even though she still frustrates me occasionally and I said I would never own a chihuahua, I wouldn't change her coming into Anya and my family. Anya has been excited to have someone to play with, even though Aurora tries to compete for my attention.

(First picture at home)

I encourage everyone to adopt a dog from a shelter or rescue. There are so many sweet dogs out there that just wanted to be loved and need a home. They have both made my heart full and our little family complete. I don't know what I would do without either one of them. Adoption is about forever. It forever it changes your life, it forever it changes your family, it forever changes your world, it forever changes your heart.

CBD and Hemp Based Products

I will start off by saying that it's illegal for your vet to recommend and prescribe CBD and hemp based products at this time. The FDA has not approved any product for pet use yet because there have not been any long term studies yet. Using any of these products is at your own discretion, but I can try to help guide you from what I have learned.

-What exactly is it?
CBD (cannabidiol) is the liquid that gets extracted from the cannabis plant. Hemp oil is extracted from the seed of the plant, whereas CBD oil is extracted from the other parts of the plant. Both products contain <0.3% of THC. THC is the ingredient that gives you that "high" when given in large amounts.

-Uses
It is thought that CBD and hemp based products are going to be helpful in managing behavioral issues, chronic pain, some cancer cases, as well as seizure/epilepsy disorders.

-Quality control
There are hundreds of different types of products out there, some containing CBD oil and some that don't, even though they are labeled to. Unfortunately none of these products are regulated. They contain unknown concentrations and ingredients, so you have to be very careful in your selection process. I recommend you find a locally sourced product that uses a CO2 extraction process. This means that it is more natural and less chance of trace chemicals left behind.

-Document
If you are going to use a product on your pet, be sure you are documenting all effects that your pet experiences. Also be sure to know the amount that you are giving your pet, so if adjustments need to be made, you have an accurate dose.

-Research Studies
There are current veterinary studies being performed in Florida, California, and Colorado. Hopefully these studies will give us more information about the amount that our pets can tolerate without harm. The current studies that have been performed, have shown abnormal elevations in some bloodwork values, specifically a liver value (Alkaline Phosphate) and the thyroid levels. Be sure to have your vet perform annual bloodwork in order to monitor any changes as a possible results of these supplements.

Hopefully in the next couple of months we will have more answers for pet owners. If you want more info, this website can help answer a lot of questions: https://www.veterinarycannabis.org/

New House!

Where did the past year go? I realized haven't written much since August (other than my Peru trip), because I had a lot going on and unfortunately no time to write about it. I do have some exciting news on what has been going on though......

I bought a house!

I guess that officially makes me an adult! It's in Manassas, VA and is just gorgeous if I do say so myself!

Why a house:

It all started knowing that my lease at my apartment would be up in February. I needed to decide if I was going to continue to lease there, or elsewhere, or if I'm going to be in the area longer. Unfortunately in this area, the rent is outrageous and townhouses cost just about as much as a house, but are less maintenance and less space. So my thought was if I'm going to spend the same amount, if not less, then I might as well get the best value for my money, so a house it is! I think I ended up looking at about 30 houses in person, and several hundred online. The house search apps such as Zillow and Redfin were helpful in filtering out what I was looking for in my price range. I was told that I would pretty much know right away when I found the right house, and crazy enough I did. When I walked into the house, it was everything I was looking for with minimal work that needed to be done to it! So begin the insane process of buying a house!

The Process:

Now I am by no means an expert, or even intermediate in knowing everything that goes into buying a house. I was basically learning as I went. You probably should do some research beforehand to better understand what exactly you will be getting yourself into along the way. However, here is a real quick guide to what I went through.

Determine how much house you can afford

-The typical recommendation is to look for a house that costs no more than 25 to 30% of your annual take home income, especially if you plan to make a 20% down payment. There are calculators on the internet that you can use, or of course, ask your bank. If you're like me, you want to pay the least amount as possible for the most house without having to live paycheck to paycheck. I made sure that I wasn't going to pay for a house that was at the top of the range of what I could afford, I opted to use the low end of the range, and got lucky enough to find a house in that price range. Just because you CAN afford it, doesn't be you should.

Get Pre-qualified

-I was confused about the differences in prequalified and preapproved. Prequalified is when you provide basic financial information to your bank and they give you a statement saying how much house you can afford. This is similar to the above statement, but it puts the amount you can afford in writing so that you can give it to the seller when you put an offer on the house you want. Preapproved is when you provide other financial documents, such as W-2 forms, paycheck stubs, and bank statements, so your lender can verify your credit and financial status.

Real Estate Agent

-Real estate agents are incredibly helpful in the house buying process. They are able to negotiate with the seller's agent and fully understand the house buying process in order to help walk you through it. What's nice is that, it doesn't cost you anything to get a real estate agent, they are typically paid from the commission paid by the seller of the house. I worked with Nadia Dellawar from Samson Properties who was recommended to me by my bank. She was very patient and explained all the details I knew nothing about.

Shop for your home

-I mostly used the Redfin app to help with my house search. I was able to apply filters such as price range, how many bedrooms and bathrooms, minimum and maximum square footage, parking options, distance to work, and any other "must-haves". Deciding what your "deal-breakers" vs "wants" are in a home, will help narrow down your search. Be sure to look at the neighborhoods as well as just the house, and take your time! Time of the year is important as well. Winter months don't tend to have as many buyers since no one wants to move when there is snow on the ground, or in the middle of a school year. Because my apartment lease was up in February, this was the best/only time to search. There tended to be lower priced homes especially if the seller's were desperate.

Make an offer

-When I found the house I liked, I put an offer in right away. It had only been on the market for a few days, but I knew because of the amazing condition it was in, it was going to go fast, so I didn't want to wait. The seller tried to negotiate price with me, but that's where my real estate agent was helpful, she insisted that the seller wouldn't go wrong if they accepted my offer. That night my agent worked up a contract to negotiate closing date and costs. A day or two later, they accepted! I was thrilled but also nervous because this process was about to go very fast.

Home inspection

-One of the first steps after accepting an offer, is ordering a home inspection because the sale of the house is contingent on the condition of the house. The inspector checks structural damage as well as anything that may need fixing. This gives you the chance to renegotiate your offer or withdraw it without penalty if there is significant damage. I got extremely lucky, that the sellers of my house kept the house in such great shape, that my inspector barely found anything wrong with it.

Get a loan

-There is a wide variety of lenders out there and every home buyer has their own priorities when choosing a mortgage. My priority was getting the cheapest interest rate. You can search different lenders and their rates on the internet. So choose a company that works best with what you are looking for.

Home Appraisal

-Lenders will arrange for an appraiser to give you an estimate of the house you are purchasing in order to determine the value of the home. Basically, it's letting you and your lender know if you are paying a fair price for your home. Here is another chance to renegotiate your offer if the value is much less than what the seller is selling the house for. My lender opted not to do the appraisal because they trusted the value was fair.

Home Insurance
-Your lender is going to want you to purchase home insurance in case something happens to the house, you and your lender are covered. This is also something you will need to shop around for as there are many companies out there. Also look if the insurance company will bundle your home and auto in order to save some money.

Closing

-A few weeks later, the closing meeting was set up in order to go through all the home owner paperwork. I couldn't even tell you how many pages I signed, but I felt like I was signing my life away. I actually ended up crying at my closing when my real estate agent handed me the keys.....I think I was just relived the process was finally done!

Work in Progress:

I wanted to paint and deep clean the carpets before officially moving in, so recently I finished doing those. I’m also slowly moving more boxes over there whenever I get a chance and the fur tire will be moved in this week. So next year will start off in a new house!

This Past Year Reflection

I will keep this post short and sweet. Looking back on this past year has been full of ups and luckily only limited downs. I was blessed to have been able to travel so often as well as help expand my family with a new dog! I never thought I would have two dogs in a small apartment. However at the end of the year I bought a house (more on that later). It’s been an incredibly busy year to the point where I have get I have missed full months. I have occasionally over looked to take care of myself as I was busy with the stresses of everyday life. Next year, I will focus more on this new beginning of moving into a house, learning how to budget for it, and figuring out a new exercise routine, all while furthering my education by getting herbal and acupuncture certified. I can’t wait to see what’s in store!

Here’s my month by month recap of 2019:

January - Traveled to Seattle to visit my favorite wine’s vineyard
February - Celebrated Anya’s 3rd adoptiversary by introducing Aurora into the pack
March - Traveled to OK for my friends wedding
April - Fear Free certification
May - Traveled to Jamaica
June - Became a member of another delicious and beautiful winery
July - Traveled Paris for Ryan and Lauren’s engagement
August - Attended an acupuncture CE at the AVMA here in D.C.
September - Traveled to Nashville for the AHVMA conference
October - Celebrated the boyfriends birthday with a getaway to Norfolk
November - Traveled to Peru for my family’s annual trip
December - I bought a house!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and especially happy new year!!

Peru 2019

Our Thanksgiving trip this year was to Peru. None of us had been to South America yet, so we were eager to cross another continent off of travel list, and it did not disappoint! First stop was Lima with a hotel overlooking the city and the beach. We explored the city life and tasted some of the traditional dishes and drinks. We then flew to Cusco, where most of us suffered from altitude sickness and had to take it easy during our detailed city tour. The next day we were off again, but this time by the famous Hiram Bringham train to Machu Picchu! Absolutely breathtaking and better than what you would see in any pictures! There were no words for this impressive landmark. We explored it twice, while doing some hiking around the area. We stayed at the Belmond Sanctuary hotel directly next to Machu Picchu, so we were able to go explore the site first thing in the morning before anyone else was there. Later that evening, we had to head back to Cusco in order to catch a flight the next morning back to Lima. That morning in Lima, we killed some time before the airport, taking in more local cuisine....... guinea pig to be exact. After indulging, we attended a peruvian cooking class. We cooked causa, ceviche, lomo saltado, and picarones. It was then sadly time to head off to the airport and back home.