And I Got Here...How?

After pursuing medical school, I quickly decided that chiropractic school was a better fit both in manner of philosophy and lifestyle. (I want to actually be able to spend time with my family...)

I graduated in the top 10% of my class from one of the top chiro schools in country. Along with my diplomas, I clung to the adminstration's promises of success and financial security. Unfortunately a saturated market in DFW because of the school and the struggling economy had other plans for my $250,000.00 degree. Too much debt to get a loan to start my own practice, wait-listed as a provider by all the insurance companies, and unable to find an associate doctor's position that carried a salary large enough to even make my student loan payments...I find myself back at square one.

Meanwhile my wife has been quietly going to work as a pediatric critical care nurse and in 6 years has doubled both of our expectations of what she'd possibly earn.

So here I am. Back in school. Learning to be an RN. Learning to support my family. And I hope, learning to be a better man for the process.

The Clan Drofen

Mrs. Drofen is a pediatric critical care nurse at a prominent children's hospital. She works nights and weekend plan so that we don't have to put our kids in daycare. She's been a nurse for 6 years. She is the mother of the 2 y/o and Baby Drofen. We have been married since 2005 but have known each other since 1999.

This is the 9 y/o. She is currently in the 4th grade and loves all things art. The 9 y/o is from my first marriage. We have primary custody but she does split her time between our house and her mom's house. She's a great big sister.

This is the 2 y/o. Maybe she's technically the middle child, but her personality is first born all the way. She's off the charts in height, and cognitively she's just as ridiculous. How many 2 y/o's do you know that can identify all the letters of the alphabet by sight, can count to 20, and knows 6 or 7 songs by heart? Born at the end of September, fate would have it that she just missed the cutoff date for school. We may try and get her in a year early, just to keep her from being bored.

Baby Drofen joined the clan in December 2008. He is a welcome testosterone addition to an estrogen filled household. He likes to eat, sleep, and poop, like any man worth his salt.