what i do and did

Eating Squeaky Clean

2011-05-14T11:50:00.003-04:00

For the past two months I have been plagued by morning finger joint stiffness and soreness. It appeared out of the blue but I attributed it to starting aerialist classes which requires immense upper body strength. I thought I could also be due to my Crossfit schedule and the barbell work and pullups required for that. I thought I had been eating well, would partake in some beer or a glass of wine on more nights that not. I knew I hadn't been drinking enough water so I started carrying around a bottle with me at work. Still, I would wake up each morning feeling like someone had twisted each one of my finger joints causing soreness and some mild swelling. It would resolve within 15-20 minutes but I would have residual soreness all day. It was never enough to get me to stop doing all my activities and I just brushed it off as possibly joint strain and I would have to get used to it. At worst I thought I might be developing arthritis and even worse rheumatoid arthritis. This is what happens when a medical practitioner has a malady- self diagnosis. No bueno, folks.

Well, for the past 5 days I have been eating and drinking clean, squeaky clean. NO processed foods, NO processed sugars or even agave syrup, NO beer/wine. This seems to have had some effect. For the past 3 mornings I have not had finger joint soreness when I wake up despite keeping up my previous physical activity routine. I am sad to say that I know my body was reacting to the slip ups I was making in my diet. For the next few weeks I'm going to keep up the squeaky clean eating and see what other maladies may resolve or added benefits I stumble across.

Big Things

2010-09-08T09:55:00.003-04:00

Lots has been going on the last few months. In my own life, the most important thing has been meeting and falling in love with my Future Husband, Chris. We're in the midst of planning a Summer 2011 wedding in Portland, OR which, although I didn't think I'd get this way, has begun to dominate most of my thoughts. This is largely in part to the fact that we don't want to have a traditional wedding. We are not very traditional people and it would misrepresent our personalities to carry out a traditional wedding. This may frustrate some people but we truly want to have a celebration that shows our love and commitment to each other.

All that being said, we'll be starting a blog together. Much of our family lives either on the East Coast or the Chicagoland areas. I feel that this will be one of the best ways for our far-away kin to keep tabs on us, give us their feedback, get info, and hopefully gather a general understanding of the depth of our love for each other.

Keep your eyes peeled for the first installment of our writings!

Mt. Hood Summit attempt #1

2010-06-06T11:36:00.001-04:00

Laura and I completed snow school on Saturday with newly-obtained skills in ice axe use, rope climbing, belaying, self-arresting, group-arresting, and how much snow could find it's way in between our layers before we get uncomfortable.

While Saturday was a success the first summitt attempt has been delayed. A large, unforgiving, and inconsiderate storm front moved in overnight.

Our head guide, Doug Ironside, had a pow wow with us Saturday evening before we went to bed. He assured us of the option to wait for a better day to attempt the summit again. The group that went up the previous day was unable to summit due to avalanche conditions even though the weather was gorgeous. He expressed ongoing concern about the avalache risks and also informed us that we had less than a 50% chance of summiting today.

So, alas, Laura and I will attempt to conquer the mountain once again. Since the first weekend in June was a washout we will shoot for the last weekend now.

Mt. Hood, you're gorgeous and intimidating but I long to climb you still.

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T-minus 37

2010-04-28T11:27:00.001-04:00

37 days until the Mt. Hood climb. Time to reclaim my endurance!

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Following Footsteps

2010-04-21T00:42:00.005-04:00

Tonight I went to an Intro to Mountaineering class with my friend Laura. A seed has been planted in my brain that we will be climbing Mt. Hood in June. Ever since moving to Portland I've wanted to partake in adventures of varying kinds. Making it to the summit of Mt. Hood wasn't the first on my list of adventures but now that I know it is possible I am able to actually picture myself doing it.

While I know we are certainly not the first people to want to do this climb, I still feel empowered and motivated. My Uncle Bill and his friend Paul climbed Hood many years ago. Sometimes I wonder how many of my Uncle's footsteps I have walked in.

Between now and June Laura and I will be hitting the CrossFit gym, rock gym, and challenging hikes as hard as possible. I feel the same about this as I did about the marathon. Once the idea of becoming a marathoner was in my head I did not let go and was not satisfied until I crossed that finish line. Soon I will be able to look at Mt. Hood from my front porch and think, "Yeah. I got your number."

Feist "I Feel It All"

2010-04-11T15:13:00.001-04:00

I feel it all I feel it all
I feel it all I feel it all
The wings are wide the wings are wide
Wild card inside wild card inside

Oh I'll be the one who'll break my heart
I'll be the one to hold the gun

I know more than I knew before
I know more than I knew before
I didn't rest I didn't stop
Did we fight or did we talk

Ooo I'll be the one who'll break my heart
I'll be the one to hold the gun

I love you more
I love you more
I don't know what I knew before
But now I know I wanna win the war

No one likes to take a test
Sometimes you know more is less
Put your weight against the door
Kick drum on the basement floor
Stranded in a fog of words
Loved him like a winter bird
On my head the water pours
Gulf stream through the open door
Fly away
Fly away to what you want to make

I feel it all, I feel it all
I feel it all I feel it all
The wings are wide, the wings are wide
Wild card inside, wild card inside

Oh I'll be the one to break my heart
I'll be the one who'll break my heart
I'll be the one who'll break my heart
I'll end it though you started it

The truth lies
The truth lied
And lies divide
Lies divide

Floods of nostalgia

2009-11-29T11:57:00.000-05:00

The Hudson River valley provides the backdrop for so many of my memories. Being back here over Thanksgiving has been lovely. Sometimes I wonder if I will end up returning to my New York roots one day. I loved New Paltz and Woodstock (go figure) but I love being able to live in a bigger city that has a small-town feel. New York, thank you for shaping me. I'll miss you in a couple days.

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AMERICAN AIRLINES SUCKS

2009-11-24T12:30:00.001-05:00

Stuck in Seattle because the crew realized AFTER everyone was boarded that the door won't shut. Not only did thy have us sitting on the plane for almost 2 hours but they asked us to DEPLANE and buy our own lunches. Hey jerks- you owe me a lunch. NEVER AGAIN AMERICAN AIRLINES.

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Squeak 1/9/2007-10/29/2009

2009-10-29T21:33:00.004-04:00

Squeak, the little wonderful, loud, mouthy, rambunctious kitten who was born by Tiny has decided to meet the Ceiling Cat in the Sky. Being that I've known her since the very moment she was born, today has been a painful day. Originally I thought she may have eaten some twine but as it turns out she may have developed a blood clot that broke off and lodged in her brain. The vet who took care of her was amazing and she cried with me at 8:30 this morning when I knew it was time to say "So long" to earthly Squeak. I've never had to say goodbye like this. Squeak and Tiny saw me through PA school. I actually didn't mind the long hours of studying because I knew I would be going home to their purrs and personalities. Squeak will always have a piece of my heart and I wish I could thank her for how special she was.

So here's to you, Squeak. I will love you and miss you forever.

New workout addiction

2009-10-23T20:40:00.001-04:00

My quads are shaking and fatigued, my arms haven't worked so hard since packing the shipping container, and my abs- well they feel achy and I notice how hard they have worked when I laugh. All of this was accomplished in one hour.

Where did I manage to get a full body workout that has left me sore, happy, and ready for the next challenge? One word (that's actually two words): CrossFit.

I can't wait for the next class!

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Efficiency- not to be underestimated

2009-10-13T20:48:00.001-04:00

So I have discovered that the public transportation in Portland, OR is so efficient that I inevitably arrive 45 minutes early. I'm counting my lucky stars that there are many coffee shops for me to kill time in. I love this city.

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Dolphins, beautiful dolphins

2009-07-30T19:16:00.002-04:00

On my way home from the hospital today I heard an interview with two men who filmed a documentary about the slaughter of dolphins in Japan. Ric O'Barry was the responsible for the capture and training of the 5 dolphins in the show "Flipper" but since calling his career quits has focused all his energy on saving these beautiful creatures from the bloodbath that awaits them in this particular cove.

I choose my battles very carefully and this one has come into the cross hairs of my sight. The documentary will be released in most major cities next weekend. NYC and LA get it tomorrow. I will be a hot mess after watching it.

Take My Stuff!

2009-07-16T09:26:00.002-04:00

So here's a bunch of photos of some of the bigger pieces of furniture I need to get rid of. Follow the link to my Flickr!

TAKE MY THINGS!

Going Away/Tag Sale Party?

2009-06-27T08:56:00.004-04:00

So I have some thoughts about how to lighten my load while at the same time getting a chance to celebrate new beginnings and adventures with friends. I was thinking about having a going away party with a Tag Sale. Things like CDs, books, clothes, kitchen goods, storage shelves, miscellaneous bicycle parts, and whatever else I find that I don't want to haul cross-country will be up for grabs. Prices will be insanely reasonable- 10 CDs for $1, $0.25 books, clothes/shoes $1 and so on and so forth. At the same time there will be a fun party with noms and Rock Band and beers.
I'd love any input so feel free to comment!
xo

So little time

2009-06-21T19:00:00.003-04:00

The official countdown for the end of school is 54 days. Things have been very busy over the last 6 months, much of it focused on what I will be doing once I finish my program. I still plan on moving to Portland, OR with Mike and the cats and possibly one other wonderful friend. Soon after moving to Portland I aim to get my yoga instructor certification by way of Sivananda. The instructor training program begins and ends in October and is located in northern California. This is something I have wanted to do since before I began school. Becoming a yoga teacher maybe be exactly what I need to recover from everything I have struggled through for the past 3 years.

Right now I'm at the end of my surgery rotation. At this point I am relatively positive that I will not end up working in the surgical field. The days are long, grueling, and lack exposure to the outside world that I crave. My second week on rotation I was at the hospital for over 70 hours. Thankfully I only have this week and part of next week left for this rotation. Immediately following this rotation is summary testing. I have been studying like a crazy person but still feel completely unprepared for the 300 question exam and standardized patient testing. Once I complete the exams I do my last rotation at AEMCs Emergency Department which should be a nice break from the torture of the previous rotation. We are rapidly approaching the end, Folks!

So one thing I plan on enjoying after school is done is this: Beatles Rock Band Game
The cinematic alone is enough to convince me to buy the game! Regular Rock Band 2 is rad and all, however Beatles Rock Band will be amazing!!!

Time for me to get things ready for the week. My day begins at 4:30 am tomorrow so whatever I can get ready tonight is much appreciate by future me in the morning.

Hindsight

2009-01-26T18:57:00.002-05:00

If I had known any of this prior to moving to Philadelphia, I may have had some difficult decisions to make:
Portland looks like a place I would love very much.

Fast update

2009-01-19T16:50:00.003-05:00

I just finished my 5th rotation. This means that I am half-way through rotations! The last 2 rotations were Cardiology and Emergency Medicine. Of those two, I enjoyed the ER the most. I've known all along that I don't want to specialize immediately after school. In fact, I might take some time off from medicine altogether once I graduate. The reasons for this are many but mostly because I haven't taken a vacation in over 5 years and I am becoming extremely burnt out.

Lately my thoughts about where I want to practice medicine have been swarming my skull. I could absolutely see myself working in Emergency Medicine however I don't think I could work in Philadelphia for a long time before losing my compassion. The patients here are so under-served and have almost no preventative care which makes treating their medical emergencies very complicated.

I was becoming amazed at the Attendings who have worked at the hospital I was rotating through and finally asked one of them how he has stayed sane over his many years of treating patients in this city. He said that each day he goes to work with a certain number of coins in his pocket. It is his goal to leave with at least one coin still in his pocket at the end of the day. I have been giving absolutely every last bit of my empathy to my patients which is why I feel so drained. I cannot come up with a reasonable way to change the way I treat patients without it adversely affecting their care. Therefore, I have come to the decision that I will not be staying in Philadelphia after I graduate.

The reason for my wanting to leave are many. Unfortunately, PAs have the worst compensation in Pennsylvania when compared to all other states. While I feel some guilt for wanting to leave instead of fighting with PSPA to get better compensations but as I was saying before, I'm losing steam. I can only fight so many battles for so many years before I just throw my hands in the air.

Another reason is that there is not enough escape from city life here. While I enjoy living in a city and have no desire to move to the 'burbs there are not many outdoor activities to take advantage of here. I miss snowboarding and hiking and single track mountain biking.

I also miss a feeling of security. It's no secret that Philadelphia is a rough city. At first I was terrified of this city. It took a few months for me to feel comfortable with where I was living and learning what areas to stay away from. After working in one impoverished area and living in yet another I am feeling like I never have a break from desolation. Again, guilt creeps into my baseline emotions regularly because I would rather leave this city than fight for several more years in an attempt to better it. I'm far too tired to even consider living here for a couple more years.

So my thinking has led me to the realization that I will very likely leave here once I finish school. The number one destination on my list is Portland, OR. I've started some research and plan to visit there in a couple months. While I know that every area has its ups and downs, I need somewhere that has more ups than downs for me. At least for a while. Maybe once I recharge my batteries I would consider a more challenging city but at the moment I am ready for a change.

Speaking of change, tomorrow begins Barak Obama's presidency! I cannot wait!

Today feels new

2008-11-05T06:40:00.002-05:00

Somehow I have energy after getting only 3.5 hours of sleep. I wonder if it has anything to do with a monumental team of Americans being elected President and Vice President yesterday. My mind has been buzzing since last night. I feel like my bleeding ulcer can finally begin to heal. Life will hopefully approach somewhat of a normal pattern again.

Thanks to all my family and friends who participated in my excitement leading up to yesterday. At times I know I was spewing nothing but Obama/Biden love and subjected most of you to my story of his appearance in Germantown. Yesterday changed everything the country had ever experienced. It is amazing to be alive in these evolving times. Of course "Change" will not come instantly or easily. But I feel that we have chosen people who can lead us to a safer future.

My heart finally feels light and my head is held high in a posture which represents how it feels to be American.

Funnies

2008-10-20T22:48:00.001-04:00

So cute!

Woes of moving

2008-10-15T13:28:00.002-04:00

It's official. My friend Niamh and I are moving to a house in South Philly next month! Each day my excitement and anticipation grows. That being said, leaving where I am now is going to be very sad. I'm already beginning the grieving process. Part of the reason I was able to stick through adjusting to Philadelphia was because of this apartment, this house, and this neighborhood. One day, I think I will move back and buy a house up here. But for now I need to be around more people with more access to the "city proper" and everything it has to offer. When I am ready to settle down again I will likely strive to return to this neighborhood or an adjacent one.

So hopefully the move will go well and without many hiccups! Wish me luck.

Not Breaking My Stride

2008-10-12T16:15:00.007-04:00

I've had so much going on the last few weeks that I can barely keep my thoughts straight. My Gynecology rotation is going well, my birthday week was amazing, house-hunting may have come to an end, and politics have been hitting me in the face hard each day.

As far as the Gyn rotation is concerned I am now able to perform pelvic exams with relative ease. I've finally mastered the speculum- insert with the blades slightly vertical, turn halfway in, downward pressure, open, and WOW!- there's the cervix! Bimanual exams are actually more tricky that the speculum exam but I'm still learning. I've been first-assist on every surgery that my Doc has performed which is amazing and terrifying at the same time. I have only one full week left before I move on to my cardiology rotation. Time is constantly escaping me!

So this past week was my 28th birthday. On the actual day I went to dinner with a few of my favorite lady friends to Belgian Cafe in Fairmount. The next night was Girl Talk at Starlight Ballroom where myself and several friends danced up a sweat-storm. Cobra Starship was playing that very same night but I only managed to stop by before their show to say hellos and then head to Girl Talk. While at Girl Talk a dude proposed to his girlfriend which was possibly the sweetest and cutest and gushiest way to propose I've ever witnessed. Oh and since I'm on the general topic of shows, I saw Ratatat last week. Musically they were amazing. The crowd, on the other hand, left much to be desired. I won't go into much detail but some people should not be let out on a school night.

Last weekend I was dog/house-sitting in Fishtown and a couple friends came to visit from Brooklyn. I did my best to sell moving to Philly to them. I love this city and any chance I get to spew my finite knowledge of Philly to open ears I jump on the chance. Bruce Springsteen played a free concert for the Obama/Biden campaign in order to get more people to register to vote in Philly. Apparently there were around 50,000 people there, including myself and my friends for a while!

Yesterday will be a day I'll never forget. Senator Barack Obama was in Philly to give speeches at 4 locations in Philly. He began his day in Northeast Philly, moved to North Philly, then on to my neighborhood, and finally to West Philadelphia. I met some incredible people and the support that was shown for Obama was overwhelming. I had goosebumps for most of the day. Senator Obama was about 30 feet from me through his speech which is closer than I ever imagined such a highly-positioned political genius would ever be. I hope that election day doesn't disappoint me and millions of other Americans.

In other life-related news, I will be moving soon. Niamh and I have been fiercely on the house-hunt and I'm pretty sure it is very nearly at an end. Moving means a lot of disorganization for a few weeks but in the long run will be a very smart decision.

Next weekend I'll be going upstate New York to do a Rodney Yee intensive yoga workshop at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck. I'm so excited about this! It will be very challenging and I hope I can make it through several days of doing yoga all day!

Time for some laundry to get done and dinner to get made. Hopefully I'll be on a more frequent posting schedule again! It's been far too long since the last one!

Head still spinning

2008-09-13T09:32:00.004-04:00

I'm officially done with rotation 2 and begin 3 on Monday! I spent the last 2 weeks of this rotation in the ICU. From day one my head was whirling. The pace of critical care medicine is amazing. It's as if there are several fires (and by fires I mean patients) ablaze at once but a couple are burning faster, hotter, and more threateningly than the others. You almost have to triage these patients in an attempt to either put the fire out or at the very least get it to a smolder. I absolutely loved it. The attending is an absolute marvel. I was wide-eyed every day by her drive to not only stabilize the patients but at her willingness to teach and share the knowledge she has. I appreciated every last second that I was able to be there, so much that I think I would love to work in critical care if someone were crazy enough to hire me.

I found that doing this rotation required me to do two separate types of studying. I needed to do my basic pathophys and treatment of non-acute processes for Internal Med but for the ICU I had to study acute problems with ventilator settings, drips, medications, chest tubes, fluid balance, BIS monitors, and hemodialysis stuff. It was draining but in the most wonderful way.

Each day I was amazed at the fund of knowledge the staff had. There were two respiratory therapists who were brilliant and patient with my lack of understanding of vent settings. The RNs in critical care are so much smarter than me and I told them so every day. Without them, the ICU would collapse.

I decided to request to do my elective in critical care and hopefully I'll be able to go to the same hospital. I left wishing I had more time to grasp everything that was thrown at me and two weeks was certainly not nearly enough time to do that.

I begin gynecology Monday. Yay women's health!

Maladies galore

2008-08-19T12:54:00.004-04:00

So I attempted my second overnight last night. On my drive over I felt a nasty headache creeping up but figured it was because I needed some coffee and to simply get my head in the game of examining patients. Unfortunately this was not the case. I handle my first admission smoothly but by the time I was finished I was cringing with every sound and every change in light. Immediately after finishing that admission I was handed a second. This one I did not handle so well. I couldn't think clearly, I forgot to ask many key questions that I'm positive I never would have let slip by my radar, and I began getting nauseous. The PA I was following that night was about to give me a third admission but I told him I needed to try to get rid of my headache before I could coherently speak to a patient. I begrudgingly took 2 Aleve knowing full-well that they wouldn't touch the headache I had. Since my accident the quality of my headaches has changed. No longer can they simply be considered "tension-type" headaches. I've been getting full-blown migraines. Over the last 2 months I've had 6 migraines. I can't pinpoint what is triggering them but I haven't been keeping a headache journal which makes it more difficult to identify a possible cause.

So I laid down in the on-call room for an hour while hoping the Aleve would help. No such luck. I was sent home at 1am which was defeating. I have medication now that will hopefully help abort the migraines as I feel them sneaking into my skull.

When I returned to my humble home I was greeted with the usual purrs and snuggles from the fluffy-butts but something was amiss. As I was scratching Tiny's back I noticed a flea. I immediately grabbed the flea comb and found 7 more fleas. At this point my head was ready to split wide open but I needed to take care of this problem before I could curl into bed. I had some extra Advantage from last year's infestation which was a great relief. Then I began gathering up all the bedding and cushions and other washable objects that the kittehs have been sleeping on. All of that stuff was washed this morning. I ordered diatomaceous earth last night as well but that won't arrive for a while. I'm very happy to report that the Advantage is already working and there's much less flea dirt when I comb the fluffers.

I haven't seen any bites on myself which is a blessing. Last year the fleas got bored with the cats quickly and moved to me. I had over a dozen bites around my bellybutton which became inflamed and irritated by anything that grazed the surface of my skin.

Even though I left work early I still didn't get to bed until 4am. I still feel zombie-ish and my nausea hasn't fully remitted. Now that I am properly armed to deal with migraines I hope to never need to punk out from a shift again.

Sleep disruption

2008-08-18T00:12:00.005-04:00

Last Tuesday into Wednesday I did my first overnight shift from 7p-7a. It was a very long and thoroughly exhausting night. I began wondering if the entire population of Northeast Philadelphia was being admitted to our hospital. Not a single bed was open in the ER. I did 8 (EIGHT) admissions by myself. I did not pee for 13 hours. My body is in no way used to being awake and forced to think clinically during night hours. There is no logical way for me to adjust my sleep schedule for one overnight shift per week. I have to work an overnight tomorrow so I'm hoping that if I keep myself up a little past my bed time and get up a little earlier than my rise time and go for a bike ride I'll come home and be able to nap though the afternoon. I have my doubts about this working and may resort to drinking a gallon of coffee.

When I got home from my first overnight the ONLY thing in my crosshairs was my bed. It was glorious slipping under the covers and feeling my lower back muscles and leg muscles begin to relax. My relaxation did not last long. Less than an hour after I got into bed I heard something outside my window. My bedroom is at the front of my apartment which also happens to be the front of my building. The stoop and steel front door of the building share one of my walls. I have become immune to the sound of the door slamming and people chatting in the hallway. For the most part, my adjacent neighbors are very courteous. For whatever reason, last Wednesday morning one of my neighbors just could not contain their need to let the entire street know they are alive. This particular neighbor woke me up after having been awake for 26 hours by playing a recorder (YES- a RECORDER) on the front stoop. This began around 9am and did not stop until early afternoon. Why, after 3 hours of attempting to play Fur Elise on a recorder, did I not ask my neighbor to kindly take their attempts at music somewhere else? Because I feared that I would lose my temper and snap the damn recorder in half. So instead I stayed in bed and made several hours of unsuccessful attempts at drowning out the noise. It was an awful morning.

My preceptor must have heard about the butt-kicking shift I had for the overnight because she sent me to observe procedures in the cardiac cath lab on Thursday. It was awesome. I watched about 6 procedures and was in awe of the seemingly choreographed movements of the surgical nurses and the physicians. With each procedure it looked as if each movement, even the scratch of a nose, had been rehearsed for years. I spoke with one of the RNs and asked him how long it took for him to feel comfortable with the responsibilities of being first assist in these procedures. He stated that it took about a year during which he spent a lot of time off shifts studying and researching the procedures so he would know what to expect with each shift. This is what I love about the medical profession. While you may be done with school you are certainly NEVER done learning. You must constantly be up on your game and be willing to push yourself to do and be better than you were the day before.

I was able to let loose a bit on Friday and went to see Phantom Planet open for Paramore. It was a great, teeny-bopper way to end my crazy week!

I think it is safely past my usual bedtime and I am going to attempt to store up some sleep reserves for tomorrow. I do not like overnights!

New rotation and more

2008-08-10T19:45:00.007-04:00

I started my Internal Medicine rotation this past week. So far things have been going well. The days are long (12-14 hour shifts) and my responsibilities are expansive. I'm usually in the Emergency Room performing history and physical exams on patients who are going to be admitted to the hospital. This requires a lot of interpretation of medical records, knowing how to accurately examine my patients, and how to ask the right questions to obtain a correct medical history. It's a completely different type of patient care compared to what I did in Psychiatry.

On top of trying to learn the ins and outs of this new rotation some hectic things had been going on in my personal life. On Tuesday morning my Mom slipped in the shower and fractured two ribs and the radial head of her right arm. She tried to get a hold of me Tuesday evening but I was rushing around so much that I couldn't answer the phone. The good news is that she doesn't need surgery to repair her arm and that was a huge weight off my shoulders!

Another personal issue I've had to deal with this week is not allowing myself to feel guilty for not being attracted to someone in the same way they are to me. I know that it's better to be honest and upfront with someone but it's difficult when it may hurt that person. Delivering bad news is never enjoyable. Oddly enough I've had to do this a few times over the last year and several months of being single. A few of these occasions turned out for the better but the others did not have good results. I don't enjoy making people feel awkward but it's inevitable in this situation.

I found out this week that a photo of my new bike and I was in City Paper! My friend Seuss is a dog behaviorist and photographer and he took a bunch of pictures of me with the electric whip the day after I got it. He was asked to submit some photos for an article about Philadelphia Flickr folks and the photo of me was selected among some others of our friends! Here's a link to the article: Flickr-delphia

Other stuff I've been up to lately is biking a lot, went to see The Dark Knight on IMAX, saw We Are Scientists, went to Warped Tour, saw the Apples In Stereo, getting back into a running routine, and tailgated at a Phillies game. This week I hope to participate in a discussion group, more time on bikes, seeing Phantom Planet, hanging out poolside at my friend Tara's, and simply enjoying my downtime. I'm off to do some of that stuff now!

My place in medicine?

2008-07-30T16:07:00.003-04:00

I just took a Medical Specialty Aptitude Test which is designed to help students/medical professionals get an idea what field they might be best suited for. Here are my results and I'm not sure what to think:

Rank Specialty Score
1 obstetrics/gynecology 48
2 preventive med 47
3 thoracic surgery 47
4 aerospace med 47
5 rheumatology 47
6 infectious disease 47
7 emergency med 47
8 nephrology 46
9 allergy & immunology 46
10 ophthalmology 46
11 hematology 45
12 general surgery 45
13 occupational med 45
14 nuclear med 45
15 orthopaedic surgery 45
16 pathology 44
17 otolaryngology 44
18 plastic surgery 44
19 physical med & rehabilitation 43
20 urology 43
21 dermatology 43
22 radiation oncology 42
23 med oncology 42
24 gastroenterology 42
25 endocrinology 42
26 cardiology 42
27 general internal med 42
28 family practice 42
29 neurosurgery 42
30 pediatrics 42
31 radiology 42
32 psychiatry 41
33 neurology 41
34 pulmonology 41
35 colon & rectal surgery 41
36 anesthesiology 41

In other medical news I finished my first rotation today! The last month has been incredible and I've been so fortunate to meet such fantastic people. From the residents to the attendings to the nurses and techs and fellow students I have had the best possible first rotation anyone could wish for!

As of Monday I will be following the Internal Med service at Frankford-Torresdale.
Let's hope rotation #2 is just as good!

Someone please save me

2008-07-17T18:52:00.004-04:00

So I was taken hostage yesterday. I participated in a disaster drill organized by several emergency response units across the area. Chester County SWAT took over Ravenhill Hall on Phila U's campus and "killed" or took over 80 of us students hostage. It was a long day and I'm still sore. One thing is for sure- I'm so glad I never became a cop. It was intense to be a hostage and in no way shape or form was it fun. I learned a lot but I pray that I never get forced into a real hostage situation. For almost 5 hours we were hostages at the mercy of huge SWAT dudes. Philly SWAT was called in to rescue us but they failed to do so. So I guess that means that we all died. We were told about the disaster drill about a month ago but given next to no information other than "Wear a bathing suit as you might need to be decontaminated" and "Wear crappy clothes as you might get moulage blood and junk on you." That was IT. I did not expect to have to deal with psychological torture techniques as performed by SWAT men. What is really odd is that I had just watched The Road To Guantanomo a few nights before.

One thing is for sure: I should have taken today off from rotation. I was good-for-next-to-nothing today. My brain was shot. I was much more stressed out by the situation that I thought I'd be. I didn't sleep too well last night. My attending was pimping me and the medical students on the team at the end of the day and by this point I was done. I didn't answer anything correctly. Initially my assigned role for the drill was to actually begin at 9pm. I was supposed to attempt to escape from the SWAT dudes. That would have been a joke. I can run fast and I'm wiry when I need to get out of tight situations but I cannot compete against assault rifles and trained expert snipers. In reality the operation ended around 7pm when a Philly SWAT dude passed out in his HAZMAT gear and bonked his head. All I can say is thank goodness it ended when it did. I was already in the throes of a massive headache probably due to dehydration and worry about getting home at a decent hour.

I am safe and sound at home now and so thankful to be so. Now I have to study a bit to vindicate my drained brain tomorrow!

Picking Names

2008-07-12T08:14:00.004-04:00

I got my new baby yesterday. 3 months in the waiting, couple weeks in the planning, and thanks to Peter's bike-building chops only days in the assembling. Here she is:

I put about 6 miles on her last night but I'm itching to do many more today. I need help naming this bike. I want to put lettering on the tubes in order to claim her as my own but I'm coming up short with ideas. My brain is busy thinking about clinical psychiatry so trying to reign it in and steer it toward creativity is a tough gig at the moment!
Here are some things to think of while coming up with names:
1- I would go to Trophy after grueling exams to make more decisions about parts for this bike. Picking bike parts made me very happy!
2- This is the final present for myself post brain injury.
3- This bike is fast. Very very fast.
4- The colors were chosen to match my RE Load bag which was made bright in the hopes that I'm more visible by cars and therefore will hopefully never get hit again.
5- I didn't realize this until yesterday but apparently it looks like a watermelon.
6- This is my first tried and true fixed gear build since the Schwinn was a conversion.

I'm going to try to get some school work done and then reward my studiousness with a bike ride and brunch and watching the Rocky Race madness. Oh I also deserve a pat on the back because I've already gotten an "atta-boy" from my resident. We were talking about a patient the other day and he said, "You know with the amount of information you know and the level of functioning you have you're already at the level of an Intern." Wow. So as a 2nd year PA student I can function at the level of a newly graduated Physician. What an amazing compliment! I'm going to ride high on that for the next few days!

Learning curve

2008-07-10T19:05:00.004-04:00

I feel I have caught up to the learning curve that I will be battling uphill against at the beginning of each rotation. Last week I was getting home from rotation, doing a little studying, and falling asleep around 9pm. I'm getting into the swing of the schedule but I am still very tired at the end of the day. The amount of information I have learned in the last 2 weeks is staggering. I'm absolutely enjoying this rotation and feel spoiled by how great the attending and the resident I work with are. Even though I know I am a guest in their service I am treated as a part of the team. It's incredible!

So I went to see WALL-E this past weekend. I may end up going to see it again. My jaw was agape through nearly the whole film. It was brilliant. My advice to all- GO SEE IT!

This coming weekend promises to be pretty fun. There's a bike race which I may/may not participate in. Right now I'm leaning toward not racing but instead cheering for others. I have a lot of school assignments to take care of so it would probably be best for me to not use up all my energy reserves by racing. Soon enough I will be able to partake in all the races my heart desires!

Well I am trying to get on top of some of my assignments so I don't feel so overwhelmed once the weekend rolls around!

Gearing up in every way

2008-06-29T09:37:00.006-04:00

Tomorrow begins the next volume of my life as a PA student. I start my first rotation in Psychiatry at Einstein Medical Center. This particular rotation is only 4 weeks. I'm nervous/excited and feeling as if I'm prepared one minute and completely incompetent the next minute. We've been assured over and over that we ARE ready. It
all remains to be seen. I can rest assured that I am turning into the best diagnosing machine I will be and need to be. So scary!

A couple days ago I went up to NY to hang out with family. I managed to get an awesome 50+ mile hill ride up to Hudson, NY. I used the Quest for this and managed to stay in the large chain wheel the whole way there and back. I was trying to prep myself for the next day which was Beer of the Bike to Flying Fish brewery in Cherry Hill, NJ and back BUT I wanted to do it fixed gear. This might not seem like a long ride to some on a fixed gear but with the way my knee has been acting up lately I can't say I was 100% calm. But I prevailed! I only took a couple photos that day so here they are:

I've been trying to pack in the miles via bicycle so as to prepare myself for biking to rotations. Many of my rotations are at Einstein which is about 3.5 miles from here. That's not too bad. I just hope that I am able to use their locker facilities without any hassling. As of right now that remains one of my biggest concerns. I am a guest at their establishment and I fear that I might be stepping over boundaries by using a locker room. We'll see. Tomorrow I will drive and feel it out but I hope to bike each day beginning Tuesday.

The following rotation is at Frankford-Torresdale which is nearly 17 miles from here and through some pretty rough neighborhoods. I may end up driving to that one every day.

Well I'm off to get my weekly dose of balance with yoga class now. Namaste.

Striving to be monumental

2008-06-19T19:08:00.004-04:00

So the last few days I spent down in Virginia with my Mom's side of the family and many of my Nana and Poppop's friends. One thing was absolutely clear about my Poppop and the way he lived his life: he never did anything that was less than monumental. Listening to memory after memory from everyone about him was amazing. He grew up in Astoria and played basketball and baseball for the Aztecs. Immediately after graduating high school he and a few friends signed up for the air force to enter the Korean War. He was sent to Japan and when he had down-time from his duties he would go down the street to an orphanage and play with the kids. There are some photos of the kids he bonded with and they are amazing. From there he came back home and he and my Nana started their family. My Mom is the first-born (like me!), then my Uncle Jay, and then my Aunt Patty.

Now here is something that I should mention about my Poppop because it was a huge part of his life every day. He was a recovering alcoholic and had been so for 33 years. With his sobriety he chose to help others by becoming an addiction counselor and got his Master's from Leslie University. Every experience he had he made sure he was empowered to do whatever he could to help others.

And so my Poppop was buried today with military honors. My cousin Chris is in the Navy and was wearing his dress uniform. He presented the folded flag to my Nana which was brilliantly touching. There was no hope of holding back tears after that bittersweet moment.

I thought a lot about my generation and how lack-luster much of our actions are. I feel somewhat self-conscious because I look at how I live my life and recognize how self-centered I am. I can only hope to touch a small percentage of the lives my Poppop touched. Hope I can make you proud one day, Poppop.

Sad Father's Day

2008-06-15T13:18:00.003-04:00

My Poppop passed away this morning. Late last week he had been feeling terribly weak and went to the cardiologist and they found he was in SVT. So he underwent cardiac ablation which zapped the faulty cardiac muscle but left him very weak. He went into respiratory failure this morning just a few minutes after my Mom and Nana got there to wish him Happy Father's Day. I got all this news literally minutes after I finished yoga class.
So I'll be going to Virginia possibly tomorrow after I take my Pediatrics exam. As odd as this sounds I'd rather get the exam out of the way and be able to focus on helping my Mom and Nana with stuff around the house than be grouchy and have to sequester myself to study while everyone is there. I've already studied so much of the covered information that it would be silly for me to put off the exam for a few more days.
I had been considering going to VA on Friday when my Mom told me about the surgery and the complications he had through the procedure but decided to stay home. Part of me wishes I had gone down there but I couldn't be sure that this was going to happen.
So today I will finish studying. I will deal with tomorrow as it comes to me.

Before it disappears

2008-06-09T06:16:00.005-04:00

I experienced one of the most intense cycling weekends in my life. To top it off there's a clip of me on Fox 29. 0.02 seconds of me and two of my classmates, Steph and Christian, cheering for the riders. I don't know how Fox handles their video feeds but this might disappear soon so I'm posting it now!
The closest I will get to being a professional cyclist

I'm inspired to get my legs into cycling shape. Wow.

Today marks

2008-06-02T20:14:00.003-04:00

the 2 year anniversary of my bicycle accident. While running a marathon may have destroyed my knee it also saved my life by turning me into Super Strong Sonya and allowing my body to get hit by a car and survive. Take it from me kids- challenging yourself mentally and physically every day pays off when something very bad happens. I doubt I would have made it through the accident had I not been so finely trained or without the loving support of friends and family who rallied around me. Wow. 2 years later.

Another week has zoomed by

2008-06-01T07:59:00.004-04:00

Back to classes tomorrow. Can't say I'm very anxious to get back to the grind. The weather has become lovely and I've become itchy to be out of doors. The surgery exam is first thing tomorrow morning and then we dive straight into the Women's Health block. I must admit that I am looking forward to this block. Included in our training this week is something called "META." I'm not sure what it stands for but it is an opportunity for us to practice doing pelvic exams on live, human models. This way we don't torture our patients once we're doing our first exams while on rotation. It sounds more awkward and uncomfortable than it will actually be. There are only 6 men in our class of 43 so that should also make things less weird.

Our Beer of the Bike ride was postponed yesterday. There was a huge storm front rolling through the area right at the time we were set to be crossing the Ben Franklin bridge. I was very bummed but it turned out to be a great afternoon because we stayed local (Standard Tap) and caught up on each others lives. So it looks as if Flying Fish is going to happen the last Saturday in June now. The one for July looks like it will be to a brewery in Lafayette Hill. There's also talk of doing a multi-brewery ride within Philly proper. I'm very excited for these rides!

I really need to put in some decent mileage before I'll be ready for the Victory ride. If train well enough I may even be able to go fixed gear. My right knee might not cooperate though. It's been giving me lots of problems lately. Instead of running I've been doing a lot of strength-training exercises in the hopes that if my quads and hams are super strong my knee will withstand rotational motions and the medial meniscus won't tear any further. I should really get fitted for a brace since my schedule does not allow for any time to go under the knife and get myself permanently fixed. It took me a while to accept the reality that I will need surgery. The clincher was the pain I get when I drive for longer than 20 minutes because my knee is flexed 30 degrees and my foot is dorsiflexed in order to depress the gas pedal which causes a lot of discomfort. This just encourages me to bike more but this also seriously increases the likelihood of tearing the meniscus over and over. Getting old and worn stinks!

This past week I rode my bike in New York City. I had never biked there before so it was an adventure. I must say that taxis, MTA buses, RMPs, and other motorized vehicles were very respectful of my space. It was delightful seeing Brooklyn and Manhattan from the saddle of a bike! While I was up there I was very interested in getting to the Guggenheim for the Cai Guo-Qiang "I Want To Believe" exhibit. A few weeks ago I heard an interview with the artist about his work and how he handles teaching his students. The exhibit begins with 9 cars suspended from the rotunda of the Guggenheim in a sequence that replicates a car bombing. This was not the only mind-boggling creation of the artist. His themes runs deep with Chinese cultural tendencies and attempting to interpret some of them was a great mind game! It was intense and possibly the most magnificent exhibit the Guggenheim will ever have in my lifetime. Local NYC celebrities were also taking in the last few days of the exhibit- Todd Oldham looked like he appreciated the artist's creativity!

Today is major study crunch time. I've already made it through all the material twice so hopefully a third going-through will really get the info to stick. Wish me luck!

Getting my head above water- socially!

2008-05-25T10:25:00.003-04:00

The end of the spring semester forced me to kick my own butt and sequester myself in my apartment and coffee shops. It all paid off though. My overall GPA was 3.5 which included an A in Emergency Medicine. The rest of my classes I did very well in also. I scored an A on my Pharm final which was a stark contrast from the first exam. All things considered it was worth beating myself up in order hit home runs academically.

We only had 5 days off between spring semester and summer session. I managed to cram a lot of social activity into that short amount of time. Immediately after my Pharm final I darted to NYC to see Lauren and catch up with a few friends. The following day was back to Philly and I bought a little road bike for Lauren. I spent the rest of that weekend zipping around on my bikes. One amazing event that I went to was the Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby (KKSD). This will become part of my Philly tradition along with the Mummer's Parade. Niamh and I may actually build a sculpture for next year's derby!

This past week of school we learned the ins and outs of surgery. Joining us for these lectures was Salis University's PA program. It was neat to talk to people from another class and see how their training stacks up against ours. Salis students don't begin their rotations until September so they are not as far along in their training as we are but they all held their own!

The AAPA conference is in San Antonio this week. I opted not to go. There is so much I need to catch up on (blogging being one thing on my To Do list) and leaving for 6 days just didn't make logical sense. I also don't feel like I would be able to network to the best of my abilities seeing as we haven't started rotations yet. Next year the conference is in San Diego. I'll definitely be attending that one!

As for my activities this week, well, a trip to Brooklyn to bring Lauren her bike, a dental cleaning (ugh), Beer of the Bike, and studying surgery for my exam on June 2nd. I'll be celebrating my 2 year TBI anniversary a little early since I will be swamped from studying on the actual day.

In other bicycle related talk Niamh and I plan on biking to and from the shore a few times this summer. She just bought a Jamis road bike and is itching to put miles on it. I'll just be happy to give my brain a break from thinking clinically every minute of every day!

Well it is Sunday which means yoga day. I'll be doing a practice at home because my regular instructor is away for the weekend and I'm not fond of the instructor who is filling in for her. I'm not sure how this particular instructor pulls it off but she makes me angry while doing yoga. Not really the healing experience I crave!

Namaste all!

Countdown

2008-04-29T19:13:00.002-04:00

So this is the home stretch. 2 months from today I will be treating patients while at my first rotation. This leaves me asking one question: where did the last 10 months go?! I still have finals to plow through before finishing the Spring semester but I'm fairly confident that I'll do well. We had Clin Med exam #5 yesterday and I got an A. I wasn't even stressed about that exam either which is a huge change from my attitude 10 months ago. Somehow, some way, the information has begun to stick. I often wonder if our instructors sneak into our rooms at night and play recordings of their lectures while we sleep because it just boggles my mind that we've learned SO MUCH information. We're all proving that hard work is worth it. Setting goals for yourself is the first step but when you get to the last leg of race and you know you've won, well, there's no describing that feeling. I'm full of that feeling right now and letting it wash over me is invigorating.

I've been able to maintain much more of my social life this semester than I ever anticipated. I went on a nice, long bike ride up to a brewery in Phoenixville with a few friends on Saturday. It was a tough ride. I haven't had much time to go to the gym and do cycling classes but I managed to keep up with the other riders. This is exciting because I hope to be able to bike to many of my clinical offices and hospitals. Between now and June 30th I will be getting my bikes and my body prepared for this task. Depending on the location I should be able to score a locker on site and have access to a shower which would be endlessly helpful. I don't know what's worse: blowing tons of money on gas or being nicknamed "the sweaty student" at my rotations!

The people in my neighborhood are getting used to seeing me on a bike all the time. Today I was asked, "Can I have a ride?" four times and was cheered on with, "You GO gurl!" as well. I had warm fuzzies from those interactions!

Well tonight I am finally tackling my enormous mountain of laundry. It's a great night to relax with the meows and be home!

AllerGEEZ

2008-04-21T20:08:00.002-04:00

So it appears that I am the proud sufferer of Spring allergies. After going about 10 years without so much as sneezing through the Spring season, I have spent the last 2 weeks in sinus misery. I finally got myself some allergy meds this past weekend and have gotten a smidge of relief from them. But goshdarnit my style is being cramped by a stuffy drippy itchy nose and itchy eyes. My Spring buzz is turning from joyous to cantankerous.

This past weekend was nice. I went to Virginia to visit my Mom and my Nana and Poppop. Things are slowly but steadily returning to normal since the whirlwind of medical problems my Poppop had gone through a few weeks ago. I had hopes of doing some cherry blossom peeping on Sunday but the weather was in no mood to cooperate. Instead I schlepped back to Philly a bit earlier than expected and relaxed for the rest of the day.

The semester is thankfully coming to an end within the next few weeks. I should have my last final on May 13th. At that point I'll have a few days off before we're thrown into Summer sessions. It is very likely that I will need a yoga retreat to once again balance myself after the beating I've gone through for the last 4 months. My daily practice has definitely taken a hit due to the hectic schedule of school. One day I'll be able to dedicate more of my life to yoga but it is unreasonable to expect too much from myself at the moment. At least I bike back and forth to school each day! For now that will have to be enough of an endorphin kick to push me through the long days.

Off to do a bit more school work before I crash for bed. Ahhh the cycle of life.

2008-04-13T08:14:00.015-04:00

The last week has been a topsy-turvy ride of emotion. I had two exams: first was Clin Med on Monday. I had studied all week for this exam but chose to slam the books shut on Friday night because I needed social time. I had some personal errands to run, most important of which was getting my bangs trimmed. I picked Niamh up at work and we went to Cantina together. Somehow the weather broke and we weren't getting poured on as had been predicted! After a lovely dinner and margaritas I went to see Weston with a few friends and I danced like I was a little kid again. It was glorious.

So Saturday I sequestered myself in order to be prepared for Clin Med. On Sunday I resurfaced and went to yoga and then brunch with Jacqi. Once again I hit the books. I had tickets to see Owen for months so there was no way I wanted to let a Clin Med exam ruin my plans! The show was great but I must admit I was very tired for the exam at 8am Monday.

Immediately after taking the Clin Med exam I had to begin studying for Pharm. This particular exam covered these disease states and medications:
1- Macrolide class of antibiotics
2- Diabetes Mellitus Types 1 and 2
3- Strokes
4- Antiepileptics
5- Rheumatoid arthritis
6- Osteoarthritis
7- Thyroid disorders
8- Gout
9- Parkinson's disease
10- Headaches (tension, migraine, cluster)

By Wednesday I was loosing it. I had my first official breakdown of the semester while on the phone with Jacqi. I was very nervous about the Pharm exam because I've been struggling with all my might to bounce back from the grade I got on the first exam. I did poorly because I had the flu through our first round of exams which made studying nearly impossible. Being the stubborn jerk I am I never asked for help or for a chance to take the exam once I was a little more recovered. Instead I put my head down and tried to plow through it. This technique didn't work so well. Believe me, it is absolutely impossible to study while breaking fevers and shaking from chills. I learned my lesson- ask for HELP when I need it!

So I was nuts by Wednesday night. I decided that if I failed out of PA school I could still do a couple things. One would be beginning the Shivananda yoga teacher training program that I wanted to do last summer. The other route I would pursue would be learning to build bicycles and working in a bike shop. Believe me, my state of mind at this point was to do anything that would make me happy which was pretty much anything in the opposite direction of the medical profession. But alas, I prevailed!!! I got one point ABOVE the class average on the exam! I didn't find out my grade until Friday so in order to keep myself from going insane I did the following:
- Bought tickets for me, Jacqi and Niamh to see Death Cab For Cutie at the Mann Center in June.
- Brought the Schwinn to Trophy to fix a few things and up my gear ratio.
- Spent a few hours at Trophy picking out parts for my new, custom built fixed gear bike.

Building up this bike is going to be my new distraction from school. Here's what I've picked out thus far:
1- 48cm Bareknuckle track frame in kawasaki green

2- Velocity MSW bubblegum pink rims

3- DT swiss black competition spokes of which I'll choose the threading pattern once the parts start coming in.

4- I'm considering these hubs but will need to cut back on spending any money whatsoever for the next few months:

5- Sugino Messenger cranks

6- KMC chain

7- Syntace Stratos 5 degree 41cm bars

8- To cover those lovely handlebars:

There's other miscellaneous gear that has been chosen as well but it would be silly to post since it's all just run-of-the-mill hardware. The color theme of this bike is to match my messenger bag. I want something bright, light, and fast. So far these parts are fitting the bill very well. I hope to have this done before clinical year starts. It's gonna be my own pat on the back for finishing this godforsaken year of school.

I have a lot more to write about of the activities of this weekend but I'm off to dart around the city on my Schwinn. Catch ya later.

Kickin' Butt and Takin' Names

2008-04-03T18:29:00.004-04:00

That's what I'm doing in Emergency Medicine. I got a 90 on exam 3. Wow.

I haven't updated some information I've been toying with about a decision of where I want to practice medicine when I graduate. A few weeks ago I was given information about an Emergency Medicine PA residency program at Einstein Hospital in Philly. This is the very first PA residency program in Pennsylvania. I went to the information session last week just to see what it was all about and what it might entail. It's a 2 year program with a decent stipend and the goal is to train the residents to become Emergency Medicine gurus. Needless to say, I'm interested. There are several reasons why this is so intriguing for me: 1) I want to stay in Philly when I graduate, 2) it's becoming obvious that my brain is wired for emergency medicine, 3) seeing as I have been a patient at Einstein for a year and a half and have nothing but phenomenal things to say about their medical practitioners I would love to contribute whatever I can to their excellent care.

I can't wait to begin rotations to see if I can put my book knowledge to practical use!

Let's Play Make Believe

2008-03-28T15:30:00.003-04:00

This whole weekend, including today, we have an assignment for Clin Med/Lab Med/Pharm. The assignment is to make believe we have been diagnosed with diabetes. The back story is that we went to our Primary Care doc's office and had a blood glucose test done which revealed an elevated blood glucose level along with other self-reported symptoms and lo and behold we have diabetes. So the doc shoves a glucometer into our hands and gives us a brief rundown of when to test but that's the extent of our instructions. So now I have to test my blood sugar 3 times a day for 3 days, record the numbers, and report exactly what I've eaten for each meal and snack. The purpose of this assignment is to get the perspective of a newly diagnosed diabetic patient and all the challenges it presents. So far my blood sugar has been great but it stinks to have to carry the glucometer, test strips, and record sheet. Not to mention that I get woozy at the thought of seeing my own blood. I would be a horrible patient which gives me fuel to remain as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

It is a bad weekend for me to be doing this project because I have two 30th birthday parties for two different friends to attend. Tonight is Anna's celebration which begins at Johnny Brenda's and then makes it's way to the Barbary. Tomorrow is my friend Dave's party up in Derty Jerzee which is a champagne party. It's a good thing I'm not terribly fond of champagne otherwise I fear my blood sugar would be stratospherically elevated.

I will keep posting the progress of this assignment as the weekend goes on.

Yeah, more kitten stuff.

2008-03-24T19:27:00.001-04:00

Now it's understandable why I was dragging my heels to leave Brooklyn. Between RockBand, napping with kittens, and playtime with kittens I felt I had stumbled into heaven.

Decisions

2008-03-21T10:22:00.001-04:00

1842383, originally uploaded by Sones.

It's either going to be a new bike or RockBand. Someone help me choose.

Blond Moment of March

2008-03-17T10:54:00.005-04:00

Being that I am blond I allot myself ONE "Blond Moment" per month. Usually they are pretty benign but I had a big one on Saturday. While hanging out in Rittenhouse Square with Anna and Chetana I was attempting to dodge being pooped/peed on by squirrels up in the trees. The little critters kept dropping twigs and whatever else either on or around us and I was grossing myself out. So I jumped off the wall we were sitting on to get out of the target zone and when I landed my Treo went flying out of my sweatshirt pocket. My only saving grace is that I have a case for the Treo which prevented the phone from shattering on the cobblestone ground. As I was piecing the case back together which simply came off rather than breaking I saw that my SD card was peeking out a little. So I push it back into place and don't give it another thought- until this morning. I was going to put new music on the card BUT the card was gone. It must have fallen out somewhere along the streets of Philly where Niamh and I were bopping around.

So now I actually have a reason to buy a 4GB one AND another 2GB one. Dang blond moments. At least SD cards are 1/4th the price they used to be!

UPDATE: Niamh found my SD card in her living room! Wahoo!

Rescued Rangers are famous?!

2008-03-17T10:28:00.001-04:00

see more crazy cat pics

These kittens look just like Meow Cow aka Timothy and Baby Girl! WOW!

NYC Bikes City Fixed

2008-03-16T20:54:00.002-04:00

It just so happens that my sister lives a few blocks from where these bikes are made. I might be coming home with a present for myself this week! Nothing gets me twitter-pated like getting a new bike!

EDIT: I've been told by a little birdie that these bikes are not the best I could go for. So the search continues...

Spring Break

2008-03-16T09:47:00.007-04:00

I feel like I've already crammed a weeks worth of activity into 3 days! I love it! Thursday evening I went to my friend Shannon's. Shannon and Anna started the blog Shmitten Kitten a few weeks ago which has become a major hit in Philly. They invited me to collaborate with them on future assignments so I'm now working on writing some posts to publish next week. It's great to get my brain to work in a different way than I'm used to.

Friday was a blast because just us girls headed to Atlantis, the Lost Bar in what I think is Kensington. I had never been there before so it was awesome to be in a new setting.

Yesterday was a major day in productivity. I hauled my bike into the city and bought fenders for the Schwinn, from NoLibs I darted to Rittenhouse Square to people watch with Anna and Chetana, met up with Niamh and Kevin and got a tour of the incredible penthouse office where Niamh works, parted ways with Kevin and shopped a bit with Niamh (we bought the same dress- great minds think alike, fools seldom differ, correct?), dodged many drunks celebrating early St. Patty's day throughout bars in Center City, made it back to NoLibs and chowed down at North 3rd, hung out at Niamh's for a bit after dinner, biked to the Khyber, left the Khyber quickly due to douche-baggery, biked to the Barbary but found similar douche-baggery, biked to 700 club and found it to be the best location of the night. Tom met us and the day was complete!

It's days like yesterday that make me miss my old life. Once upon a time I did that kind of stuff every day! I guess I have to grow up at some point but it's still rad that I get to enjoy spring break at 27 years old!

I think I've been convinced by Niamh to build my own fixed gear bike. I'll obviously need a lot of help and consultation from friends at Trophy but it would be awesome to have a bike that is customized down to every last bolt just for me. Before that happens I should think of creative storage ideas for my bikes. Having 3 bikes in constant rotation stored in my apartment when not in use may be a challenge. I feel an Ikea trip coming soon...

Mid midterm craziness

2008-03-12T15:46:00.002-04:00

I have one midterm down and 4 more to go. I did very well on Clin Med. I also did very very well on my E Med exams last week! Pharm exam #3 is tomorrow and I can't say I'm confident about it. The last two lectures included in the exam were on pain management. I was actually able to pay attention through every single minute of Larry's lectures which is saying a lot because my attention span is usually in the negatives by the time 3pm rolls around. In undergrad I had taken a course called Health Psychology and loved the entire course. Dr. Freeman was my professor and I can honestly say that she unwittingly had a hand in steering my course in the medical field. So much of what I learned in that course is applicable to not only what I am learning NOW but will be helpful in the future when I actually treat patients.

Today was a special treat: Rob, our E Med instructor, gave us the day off from lecture AND lab! Wahoo! So of course the first thing I did today was hop on my bike and meet Anna for brunch! What a lovely day!

I must drag myself back to the books. Spring break cannot come quick enough. I made definite plans to help take care of these little scruffer-puffers:

They put life in perspective.

Daylight Saving Trickery

2008-03-10T10:19:00.002-04:00

I do not like when we are forced to lose an hour. Trust me, I could use each and every one of the 3,600 seconds that disappear. When my alarm went off this morning I was deep in a dream that I can only describe as being a mash up of The Wire and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. I was enjoying the dream very much. I think my brain was also responding to me listening to Girl Talk all day yesterday.

Stupid time change business! It's ruining my brain's chance to let loose!

Boat pose

2008-03-09T22:16:00.001-04:00

I bruised my ribs doing boat pose in yoga class today. I'm hurty. It was worth it though. I love that class!

get your fangs ready

2008-03-06T08:04:00.002-05:00

The Cobras are in town today! They are playing a sold out show at TLA. Sitting through classes is going to be an insurmountable challenge. I got news from a friend that their video for "City Is At War" hit #4 on TRL yesterday. YEAH! Go go Cobra Starship! So stoked to see them tonight!

and MOAR kittehs

2008-03-04T11:57:00.003-05:00

So here's the flufferdoos awake and ready to take on the world! This past weekend my sister wanted to celebrate her birthday a little early so I went to Brooklyn to help her do that. Of course, no one believed me when I said I was going to see my SISTER. It was well known that I wanted to nuzzle the tummies of the babiest kittens. And that I did! I have thousands of tiny scratches made by the tiniest paws to prove it! From the first second I laid eyes on the fluffs I fell in love. Before I left on Saturday I was helping Lauren feed them and I started crying. When they suckle the bottles their ears move back and forth with each suck and their eyes start out so wide but after a moment they get drowsy and sleepy-faced. I bonded with them in a way that I never anticipated. Their innocence is intoxicating. These wee babies managed to break my tough emotional exterior and sent my emotions spilling out. Over spring break I'll be going to see them again and get my endorphin fix that I'm already jonesin' for.

Fall in love with them. I certainly have!

2008-02-24T16:51:00.002-05:00

This is a video of three kittens my sister and her roommates rescued from a dumpster. At less than one week old they were double-bagged and left for dead in the cold New York City winter. One of the tiny miracles could scream already and alas they were saved! Sadly, last weekend, one of the babies passed away. Baby boy Ferret purred and cuddled like it was his job on Earth. The others are doing well and have been checked out by the vet.

I have not met the little ones yet but next weekend I get to give them tummy kisses and head-butts galore!

One thing I have realized through hearing this story is that I could never be a vet. Our fur friends are far too innocent and vulnerable to the hostility and stupidity of humans.

This is a glorious tale and a tragic one all at the same time. Shed a tear for Ferret and know he was loved. Allow your heavy hearts to lift up with the knowledge that the other three babies are being given absolutely every advantage we silly humans can offer them.

Dance party for one, please!

2008-02-23T09:44:00.001-05:00

Dancin Machine, originally uploaded by Sones.

I can't stop listening to Kate Nash for the moment. I've been having my own private dance party during my study breaks to her record. She's playing in a couple months. I can't WAIT!

round 2

2008-02-20T18:40:00.002-05:00

The second round of exams for this semester is quickly approaching. Clin Med, Pharm, and E Med are within the next week and a half. I will be burying myself in books for the duration of the weekend. The ONLY occasion I'll be resurfacing for is my friend Kevin's 30th birthday party on Saturday. It'll be perfect timing because I'm sure I'll be so frustrated that I'll need to punch something precisely 31 times. All kidding aside this semester is going great. All the foundation that was laid last semester is settling and allowing us to build our knowledge and understanding taller and stronger.

This past Monday we were given the gift of an afternoon off from learning and interpreting 12 lead EKGs. It just so happened that the weather was incredible. I had a delicious taste of what my life had been like before school began. I biked to Sabrina's to meet my friend Brian for brunch and then headed to Trophy Bike Garage to pick up some stuff for my fixie. Spending the whole afternoon on my bike in 65 degree weather was cathartic. Yet another day of being carbon neutral! Yay me!

For E Med we are required to do ER observation shifts. I did my first one a couple weekends ago. I really miss the intensity of Emergency Medicine. I've been trying to figure out where I would like to work. At the very broadest perspective I know I want to use as many of my skills as possible which means no specializations. Working in an ER has been bumped back up to my top three. It might be that I'm just an adrenaline junkie to my very core! Thankfully I have more time to ponder my place in the world.

Back to the books for a while and then bedtime. My body is finally getting used to 18 hour days again!

Adding up the years

2008-02-06T18:15:00.000-05:00

I realized that this year will be my 10 year high school reunion. Whoa. My. GOSH!

What I hope is that the reunion night/weekend doesn't fall during a particularly hectic week of school. It would be amazing to catch up with so many people I literally have not seen in 10 years. Thanks to MySpace I have gotten some small updates in my classmates lives. One such update was learning that my friend Ian died in an accident last spring. Usually the little snippets of information are happy such as marriages and babies and dope jobs. I am thankful for that.

Time for more studying. What else is new?!

Mind blowing

2008-02-06T12:42:00.000-05:00

The Wire season 3 is screwing with my head in the best way. I wish it was continuing past the current season (5) but I think it's smart for them to stop it while they still have a captive audience. I just hope they don't end it the way the Sopranos series finale ended. Loose strings are frustrating.

For anyone interested in learning about aspects of our society which are usually hidden from plain view, please watch the Wire. I need more people to discuss it with!

Sicky

2008-01-26T09:27:00.001-05:00

Last weekend I took the Chinatown bus to and from New York. The bus up there was awful. It was about 90 degrees on the bus and I had just eaten a huge brunch with my friend Brian. I have never been motion sick ever in my life until Saturday. Between the heat, cramped seating, and a full tummy I was worried that my brunch might revisit me while on the bus. Not to mention that due to the heat the bus was essentially an incubator for disease. Guess who is sick now? Yeah. Me. We're not talking little snuffling, snotting, sneezing cold. Nope. We're talking my body has been breaking a fever a couple times a day, congested cough, stuffed ears, and jam packed sinuses. Awesome.

Enough whining. I learned how to intubate this week in E Med lab. Next week we learn how to do ABGs (arterial blood gas) and venipuncture. So much fun! E Med lab is play time!

My first exams of the semester are a little over a week from now. Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapeutics aka "Pharm" is up first. This is pretty intimidating. The whole concept of the class itself is intimidating because we are reminded several times a class that it's not "If" we kill a patient with something we prescribe but "When." I don't know about you but how humbling and terrifying is that concept? For now I will focus on what antibiotics I should prescribe for what infections. It would be too easy for me to let myself get freaked out and back out of this profession but I will not allow that to happen. Onward I go!

Speaking of going places I will be going nowhere but my couch today. I'm wondering if coughing all over my kittens will get them sick. Gosh I hope not!

Back to the grind

2008-01-16T21:36:00.000-05:00

When I say "back to the grind" I mean it in a couple different ways. The most important being my need for coffee every morning has increased due to having to readjust to waking up at 6am. I used to be such a morning person. I think those days have passed. When I worked as an EMT I could nap but when I heard those tones drop I was ready to roll. Maybe my body is actually behaving more normally now that I don't have to deal with insane work schedules.

This semester will be especially tough though. We are literally in classes from 8am until 5pm each day except Friday. Fridays we end at 11am. This makes for an extremely long week and not much extra time. I am going to have to crack down on my scheduling hardcore this weekend.

I had to do a software update on my Treo 700p today. Somehow I managed to do it all by myself without calling a lifeline! I am proud :)

I've become addicted to the HBO show "The Wire." If you haven't seen it yet get to it! I just started season 2 tonight but was getting too brain drained to pay attention to the plots. That's the thing: this show makes you THINK and CALCULATE and PREDICT every move that the characters make. It's like no other cop show I've ever seen.

I had an appointment with my Brain Injury PA yesterday and all is going well. Sometimes I think my hearing is getting better in my left ear but I can't tell for sure. I haven't have an audiograph in well over 6 months so maybe I should have it retested. Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze that appointment in somewhere or another this semester.

One of our assignments over break was to plan out our clinical rotation schedule and sites. I am very pleased with what I have organized for myself and I hope it falls into place. I will be doing all my rotations in the Philadelphia area. I don't want to deal with the chaos of bouncing to different cities, states, or countries. I completely admire people who can handle doing that. My brain would be too worried about getting my personal affairs in order and not paying attention to the patients I'll be treating.

Well I'm off to bed. My body is already falling back into the school rhythm. Yay!

Global Warmth

2008-01-10T12:59:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday I spent the whole day on my bike. I biked 8 miles to Fairmount, then walked all over the city with a friend, met up with my friend Niamh to have my picture taken with my bike on the Walnut St bridge, then on to the Art Museum for more photos, and finally biked all the way home. This is January. Isn't it supposed to be uncomfortably cold? I am very proud of myself that my carbon emissions for that day were in the negatives. I used one paper napkin at brunch but that was the only waste I created. It felt amazing!

I know I can't save the world but I love challenging myself to change my lifestyle to become more "green." During this break I've had several days of biking and walking through the city without the need of my car.

Yesterday I helped out with interviews and campus tours for potential PA students. I do not envy the applicants position especially when they report their other interview experiences. The experiences range from group interviews to doing a group problem to being drilled individually about why they feel they deserve a spot in the program they applied to. I only applied to Phila U. I was nervous during my interview but according to the interviewees it's much more laid back than most programs. It was nice to share experiences with them all and to tout my love for Philadelphia.

Last night Jacqi and I made cupcakes. When I say cupcakes I mean that we made 5 boxes worth of cupcakes. These are for her bowling birthday party tomorrow. Afterward we went to the 700 Club and ended up playing Othello with a few friends. Yes, we are uber nerds. We have embraced this. Tonight is Quizzo at the Abbaye. There's nothing like flexing your brain power while in a bar setting :)

I have a bit of work to finish for next semester so off I go to hit the books again. Sigh.

Social cramming

2008-01-08T09:54:00.001-05:00

I have one week left before I begin Spring semester. The last few weeks have been incredible. I feel as if I haven't sat still for ages. I'm becoming more and more convinced that I could stay in Philly when school is done.

One thing that I've had more time to do since the end of the semester is date. Last semester was far too stressful for me to really be in the dating scene and I have a feeling that this semester is likely to be the same. So far I've made a few great friends which is what I should be focusing on. Having distractions from studying is imperative but meeting people who understand the delicate balance my life is in has been difficult. Sometimes it feels lonely on the path I've chosen. What psychologically well-adjusted 27 year old doesn't want the company and empathy of others? I've found solace through my wonderful foundation of friends, supportive and caring family, music, and exercise- specifically yoga, biking, and running. Companionship would be great but I'm becoming more convinced that dating during didactic year cannot be a major focus. I'm certainly in no rush to do the whole "meet, get married, buy a house, have kids" thing. To be completely honest I don't know if I even WANT to have kids EVER.

For the moment I will focus on pushing myself to infinite limits, never holding myself back because I'm insecure, not allowing tragic circumstances to derail my chosen path, knowing how strong I am, building deeper friendships and being loyal to those I love, and realizing that I can and WILL accomplish every goal I set for myself. Most importantly I have begun to carefully surround myself with people who have similar outlooks.

I'm officially thrilled with my life because I know I have pushed myself to every limit.

Update 2.17.08:
Some people in this world are just completely angry and looking for a fight. I try to assume that most of humanity is well-adjusted but today proved me wrong. It's sad to know that some will just NEVER get it.

Quizzo

2008-01-07T13:49:00.000-05:00

Aqua Teen Hunger Force does Quizzo. It's brilliant and I laugh til I cry every time I watch this episode:
Super Trivia

I made it through the storm

2007-12-19T11:10:00.001-05:00

Semester one is over. I took my last final this morning. I can't begin to express how much gratitude I have for the help I have gotten from friends and family. I plan on spending the remainder of the day pampering myself. I'm officially 1/4 done with PA school! Yay!

i needed a chuckle

2007-12-13T08:57:00.000-05:00

moar funny pictures

Finals Week(s)

2007-12-13T07:44:00.001-05:00

I am neck-deep in finals at the moment. I have my Medical Ethics oral final today. Tomorrow is ABS, Monday is PD, Tuesday Patho, Wednesday is PD practical. I'm tired. I cannot stress how excited I am to not have to be on campus for a month.

Busy bee

2007-12-02T09:21:00.000-05:00

The past week was not particularly stressful as far as exams go which enabled me to begin revving up my social life again! That and the fact that I got a 99% on the musculoskeletal practical left me feeling justified to celebrate. As little interest I have in specializing in ortho it appears that I'm good at it. Whodathunkit?!

So this past week brought the Cold War Kids on Thursday and Michael Ian Black with Michael Showalter on Friday. Yesterday I went to NYC to meet up with the fam to see Wintuck Cirque du Soleil. It was a very fun-filled and friend-filled week! Sadly this next week won't be so enjoyable. Tuesday I have an ABS exam, Wednesday is my Genetics final along with the last H&P for this semester, and Friday is my Anatomy final! Needless to say I won't be doing much socially until next weekend.

Time for me to get to yoga and get my namaste on!

Reasons I'm beginning to love Philly

2007-11-25T16:12:00.000-05:00

Reason 1:
Fall lasts longer here. The weather allows the trees to change color later in the season which gives the illusion of a longer fall.

Reason 2:
My friends. Seriously, life would be unlivable without you guys!

Reason 3:
Cozy coffee shops which make me enjoy studying.

Reason 4:
My landlord is really nice. Really!

Reason 5:
I'm halfway between my Mom in Virginia and halfway between my Dad in New York and only 2 hours from my sister in Brooklyn. Sweet.

Reason 6:
The fact that I've been here over a year and I'm still learning/discovering/enjoying new (to me) restaurants and bars every week.

Reason 7:
Bikes.

These are just off the top of my head and I'm sure I'll have more. Stay tuned...

EDIT:
Reason 8:
My hairstylist is incredible and if I move away from Philly I would come back just to get cuts by him.

Back to the grind. Sorta.

2007-11-24T12:03:00.000-05:00

I'm back in Philly, a whole day earlier than I anticipated. I figured that I should be home if I were to get any sort of studying done. So far today I've finished a writing assignment for Genetics and set up a medical directive and assigned a health care proxy for myself. If you haven't had the pleasure of setting up a medical directive or chosen a health care proxy yet, you should probably do it. Honestly, it took me about 16 hours to do it. It's difficult to think of your own mortality especially when what you are thinking of things that COULD happen you hope will NEVER happen. This assignment was for Medical & Professional Ethics. It has left me drained. I've already faced my own fragility and revisiting that was not fun. All the same, I don't want my family members to be forced to make decisions for me and if I die they are left wondering if that is actually what I wanted. Humbling thought, yes?

So to brighten my mood I've been acquiring new music for the last 2 hours. This has been a very productive project but has certainly stolen a lot of studying time :)

I found a half marathon in April up in Allentown, PA. I think I'm going to make a second attempt at training. This may or may not be a good idea because I've been warned that next semester is horrifically more intense than this semester. BUT this time I'll have the advantage of being able to start my running schedule BEFORE classes begin. I love running in cold weather. The summer is far too hot and the last time I ran in the heat I think I had atrial flutter. Yikes! So only cold season running for me. Running in the cold toughens you up too. How many people can say that they did a 10 mile run in a snowstorm? Not enough, I tell ya!

I looked up my textbook list for next semester. Holy moly. We need 15 texts. I'll probably begin ordering them within the next couple days.

Is it lazy if I stay inside all day today? Maybe I'll venture to a coffee shop but I'm perfectly content to stay home. I think the most I will accomplish is watching old episodes of The Office. Yeah. That sounds excellent!

I can has gigglz

2007-11-16T20:52:00.000-05:00

Sometimes these are the only things that get me out of bed in the morning.

moar funny pictures

moar funny pictures

moar funny pictures

moar funny pictures

moar funny pictures

moar funny pictures

moar funny pictures

moar funny pictures

Into the swing of academia

2007-11-12T19:42:00.000-05:00

It seems as if I've finally gotten a great rhythm down for school. Last week I got 2 A's. WOOT! I must say that I am very proud of myself!

I will give Kevin the credit I promised him because I did the majority of my studying for those exams while we were sipping coffee. I'm fairly confident about the PD exam I had today. There were only 6 questions out of 70 that I had no clue about. All of the other questions I either knew right off the bat or had to think into them until my brain found the path to the right answer.

Next week I have a Patho exam and 3 writing assignments due. Ugh. I've already begun to do the work for one of the assignments. I need to start studying for Patho too. The exam is on the endocrine system. I enjoy hormones so hopefully the exam won't knock me off my confidence interval!

4 weeks left to the semester! I can't believe how quickly time is zipping by! I need to do some damage control on cleaning my apartment. Studying has taken precedent over putting laundry away. Off I go!

I has many smartz

2007-11-06T18:52:00.000-05:00

I just got my grade for the Pathophys exam from yesterday. A- kids! YEAH! The exam covered the gastrointestinal system and the nervous system. I feel great and I will be celebrating tomorrow evening.

I still have one exam left this week. It's my PD Heart/Lungs/Abdomen practical. It should be fairly easy although many of my fellow classmates have told me that they were unable to finish the complete exam within the allotted 25 minutes. That's unnerving but I think I can pull it off. The only bad thing is that I didn't begin to study intensively for this practical until yesterday. Whoops. I have an A in PD right now so even if I mess up completely I should still be alright. Not the most well-adjusted perspective to have but at this point I am so ready to have a couple days off for Thanksgiving that doing the bare minimum is the maximum effort I will be able to put out.

This past weekend was great. Thursday brought Cobra Starship and The Academy Is to the Electric Factory. It was so awesome to see Alex. The tour is going really well. Vicky-T brought her tiny Pomeranian, Gizmo, on tour. He's an absolute precious little smush. His addition makes the tour bus feel like home.

Friday I went up to Brooklyn to see Lauren and crew. I needed some social therapy which is precisely what I got!

I need to do some serious thinking about moving back to NYC once I graduate. Not that I'm planning on bailing from Philly immediately after I finish school but if I can get a job someplace that makes me happier than being here in Philly, well then I will jump all over it. If I play my cards right I will have a limitless selection of possibilities after graduation. I am so thrilled with my life path right now and I know that I have so much to look forward to once I'm in practice!

Last Friday was a horror movie come to life in the cadaver lab. I don't get grossed out or woozy from much but it was so gory in there that I ended up leaving after 45 minutes. Only one thing kept me from going over the edge: we are only 4 weeks from finishing our dissections. Uh Maze Ing!

Thursday I will be helping the faculty do applicant interviews! Heehee! I remember all too clearly how nerve wracking it was to be in the "hot seat." I hope I can answer the applicants questions well and settle some of their anxieties! I also have a dinner to go to that evening for "A Doctor's Perspective" lecture put together by the PSPA and Jacqi. The last one I went to was pretty awesome and I met some great doctors. It was an impressive night! I'll be going with 3 classmates which should be fun!

Well I should get back to studying. My brain is enjoying my study habits and I need to keep the pace for a few weeks before I get a well-deserved break! Speaking of break I'm considering a fast trip to Vegas for New Year's and possibly snowboarding in B.C. or Colorado. Anyone want in on these plans? :)

Yet another week has begun

2007-10-29T19:43:00.000-04:00

Where did the last week go?! Oh yes. I remember now. I was busy out whooping butt on my exams! Yep. I did well again! Yay! Now my ego is all swollen greatly out of proportion for reality but it feels good. Real good.

This week is INSANE with Halloween happenings! Tomorrow I'm gonna try to make it to the Pretzel Ride. Hmmm maybe not :) Wednesday I'm hoping to make it to see The Go! Team because Matt & Kim are opening and they rule! Thursday brings...are you ready??? COBRAS! NYC is in Philly for the night! They are playing with The Academy Is. I'm so psyched to go to that show! Friday, plans are to be determined. Saturday I have to attend two parties in one evening. I've pulled off larger feats of greatness so this should go smoothly! (Notice the ego getting out of hand?!)

The BEST event in Philly that I have lined up in November is going with Kevin to see Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter doing stand up. For those unfamiliar with these two gentlemen their previous works include The State, Wet Hot American Summer, Stella, and other acts of brilliance that slip my mind at the moment. Yes! So excited! I'm pretty sure that it's a prerequisite to have a strong bladder in order to buy tickets. I have no idea how they let Kevin buy tickets?!

My Mom came to visit this weekend. We went to the Renoir Landscapes exhibit. It was absolutely gorgeous. I've been getting mental pictures of Renoir's paintings in my head since I saw the exhibit. I cannot wait to go on a Mediterranean cruise. I will see some of the beautiful parts of Algeria that Renoir captured. 23 months and I'll be there!

Well time for me to get crackin' on my H&P. It's due Wednesday and I'm so not sweating it. Bye!

Playing catch-up

2007-10-22T15:26:00.000-04:00

Has it really been a week and a half since I last posted? I'm slacking!

Life has been excellent. I rigged a rack and basket onto the back of my Schwinn so now I can carry an obscene number of textbooks to campus without throwing my back out from overstuffing my messenger bag! Yay me! The weather has been incredible for biking, being outside, walking around, and just enjoying life!

I've been going to coffee shops to study often. I have so far gone to four different ones in the city. I found a great one yesterday which is exciting! It also helps to have excellent company while studying. I've been very thankful for the witty bantering and side-splitting laughter one of my friend's has provided. Yeah, go ahead and kick up the surliness a notch cuz you know who you are ;)

School has been pretty good. The last round of exams were rough. I did great on the first one and mediocre on the second one. This week brings two exams as well. Not only is it our Immunology final but it's also the second to last Anatomy exam! WOW!!! Whodathunkit?! Only 8 weeks left to the semester! Woohoo!

So plans for Halloween are a bit crazy. I'm having trouble deciding what plans I should commit to and who I just won't be able to see. I'll be helping hand out candy at Jacqi's which is something I haven't done since I lived on Highland Ave in Cornwall, NY! FUN! Other than that there are about 6 different parties which I am attempting to get to. Phew! I'll manage to cram the fun in. I always do!

Well time for some focus on schoolwork!

They must know me

2007-10-18T08:24:00.000-04:00

more funny pictures

Whirlwind Week

2007-10-11T15:21:00.000-04:00

The last week has been packed full of life! Last Thursday I left straight from campus to go to Brooklyn. I arrived in Brooklyn in record time. It took an hour and a half. When has it EVER taken an hour and a half to get to NYC from Philly?! Maybe never! It was as if the drivers in PA, NJ, and NY knew I was on my way and I had fun times to get to!

Thursday evening brought me the company of lovely friends, incredible music, and lots of laughter! This Is Ivy League brought the house down and I danced my butt off!

Friday I headed upstate to catch up with friends from MLSS. The weather was gorgeous and I soaked in the changing trees.

Saturday brought retail therapy and some excellent news from my lawyer. I was on my way back to Brooklyn early because Lauren, Alex, and I had tickets for The Arcade Fire at Randall's Island!

The last time I was at Randall's I went for Warped Tour with my friend Brendan. I was his senior prom date in 1998. Yikes! I got a horrible sunburn that day at Warped Tour and I had dirt in my sinuses for a week. It was not the greatest concert experience I've had for obvious reasons.

So on Saturday we get to the bus for Randall's and we're waiting around killing time. Who do I see walking down the street? Yep! Brendan! I haven't seen him since LAST year around my birthday! I <3 NYC for this reason. I never know who I'm gonna bump into!

The concert was incredible! LCD Soundsystem was on point and it was their homecoming show so they were psyched! The Arcade Fire is amazing live. It's so rare to see musicians put every molecule in their body to use while performing music. You could see their energy and feel it pass over the crowd.

Sunday brought me back to Philly and back to reality.

Since Monday was my birthday I made a deal with myself: put a dent in the History & Physical that was due Wednesday and I can go out to see Minus the Bear. I did put a dent in the H&P but Minus the Bear sold out before we got there. So off to Tattooed Mom for some eats, good music, and drinks.

Tuesday I babysat my classmate, Adam's, kids with another classmate, Sara. It was Adam's anniversary and he and his wife deserved a night out! They have a set of 3 year old fraternal twins and a 2 year old boy. My ovaries shriveled at the first glimpse of three tiny beds in their room. Terrifying!!! Adam claims that there is no beter birth control than 10 minutes in his house! I must say I completely agree :)

Last night I went to a pharm dinner at Waterworks restaurant on Kelly Drive. It was AMAZING. I haven't had food that scrumptious in a long time! I love getting all fancied up and going to restaurants I've never been to!

Tonight I'm going to Of Montreal at the Troc. I have been bouncing around like an impatient little kid on Christmas morning ALL DAY! Here's to topping off an amazing week!!!

On a High

2007-10-04T12:09:00.000-04:00

I got a 94.5% on my PD Practical! YEAH! This is some of the greatest news I could get before the weekend begins! Now I get to celebrate my birthday to the fullest! Three cheers for me!

Put the books DOWN!

2007-10-02T18:49:00.000-04:00

That's what I'm doing tonight as a reward for doing pretty gosh-darned well on my PD Practical. A bunch of my classmates are meeting up at a bar right by me to do karaoke so of course I'm heading there! What are the chances that I will work up the guts to actually sing? Slim to none but life has been so great lately that maybe I will :)

I definitely need to unwind. This week has been insane with school and making plans for the weekend. I wish I had a transporter or I could clone myself quickly because there are so many things I want to do this weekend!

I'm heading out for well-deserved fun! Horaay!

Reconnecting

2007-10-01T12:19:00.000-04:00

I've been feeling very warm and fuzzy. I recently was put back in contact with college friends who I haven't spoken to in years. One of them I had seen under very odd circumstances a few years ago. Here's the situation:

I was doing an overtime shift at MLSS and ended up doing a motorcross standby in Plattekill, NY. It was a busy day and of course on the last race of the day a guy gets hurt. He busted some ribs which was a ticket straight to the ER. So off to St. Francis hospital, on overtime. We get to the hospital and as I'm restocking gear I hear a voice I recognize but can't quite place. Me being nosey, I look around for the source of the voice. Lo and behold, my friend Glenn from undergrad!

Let me explain about Glenn. He was pretty much like an older brother to me. He taught me to ride a motorcycle, I ended up buying his motorcycle, he worked for my Dad helping to fix up the house, and was a great friend. Then I graduated a semester earlier than him and my friend Maria and I never heard from them since then.

So of course I freak out that Glenn is in the ER. I come to find out that he was on leave from the Air Force and was in New Paltz for a friend's wedding. He took his motorcycle out for a ride and promptly crashed it. Ouch. He was supposed to have been on a plane, reporting back to duty but was instead in the ER with a broken foot.

What were the chances that we'd bump into each other, on a shift I don't usually work, in a hospital I was rarely bringing patients to, and in a state Glenn didn't currently live in?! Life is incredibly random.

So since that day I have made it a point to try to stay in better contact with the people I love and care about. I realized that if Glenn had died, I may not have ever known. This epiphany sent me on a bit of an emotional bender and I cried that night.

So please, everyone, let the people who have touched your lives know how they can get in contact with you. It's a sure bet that someone out there misses you and would love to hear from you!

Life Is Fantastic

2007-09-30T09:07:00.000-04:00

This coming week is PACKED with exams, studying, and most importantly early birthday celebrations! Tomorrow I have Pathophys exam 2. I'm not really that nervous about it. I've had a firm grasp of the material so my studying has not been frantic. I also have an ABS exam on Thursday.

I feel like I'm on a confidence interval right now. This is a good thing because I have my first PD practical on Tuesday. We will be expected to perform and verbally recite a thorough examination of vital signs, head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, throat, and neck. I had to do practicals for my EMT class but that was all easy stuff like applying C-collars, backboarding patients, using a KEDS immobilization device, how to apply a traction splint, using a BVM, and other such skills. This practical will be much more detailed. We will have to verbalize what we are looking for. For example, when we are examining the retinal wall we must state that we are looking for:
artery/vein ratio
artery/vein narrowing
banking
nicking
tapering
copper wiring
silver wiring
color/size
shape of cup and disc
papilledema
hemorrhages
cotton-wool patches
exudates

YIKES! That's a lot of stuff to memorize and repeat to the instructor! I've been practicing by using index cards I made up for each part of the exam and pacing while reciting everything out loud. I feel weird doing this but I'm becoming more comfortable with each recitation.

I just have to keep in mind that once I make it through this week I get to party hard through the weekend! My plans are lining up so well and I can't wait to see my lovely, supportive friends and family! You guys make my life complete and without you I couldn't be doing as well as I am! Thank you endlessly to everyone who has been listening to me and helping me for the last few weeks. You make my life fantastic!

Professional Professors

2007-09-28T16:32:00.000-04:00

This is an invitation for my anatomy professor's, Evan, Halloween party:

There is a Halloween party in your future…

This is a dress-up event. That’s NOT a suit-and-tie dress up thing unless you’re a girl dressed in drag or me, dressing up as an adult.

Rule 1 – I will be supplying NO booze.

Rule 2 – We’ll have an awesome time with NO curfew.

Rule 3 – This is NOT a drink-till-you-puke fest (see below). Be
reasonable so we can all have a good time and no one’s
car smells bad in the morning.

Rule 4 – Line up your designated driver.

The date… Saturday, November 3.

Some details… I’ll have an outside fire & s’mores supplies. I’ll have plenty
of crappy nasty teeth-rotting candy (duh, it’s Halloween).
I’ll have sodas. You should bring real food or a pumpkin to
carve.

Semi-mandatory fun: pumpkin-carving contest, best-costume
awards, pin-the-tail-on-the-cadaver (I just made that
one up) and whateverelse games we can think of.

I welcome YOUR decorations and help setting up!

Location… My house, porch, yard (neighbors house & yard if they’re gone
for the weekend – insert evil laugh here)

Time… TBA

Directions etc… will be provided at a later date.

Evan, Amoi, Weaver, Socrates & Kibbles

His class was our introduction to the PA program. Evan was always encouraging us to go out and explore the city, get to know each other while out, and made our transition relatively pain-free and possibly even enjoyable! Phila U should seriously consider doing everything they can to keep him on the faculty. No, this isn't a ploy to get a better grade because I'm already doing well in the class! I'm so excited for Halloween!

This Is Why I Love Fall

2007-09-28T06:52:00.000-04:00

Pumpkin Festival

Date: Saturday October 20 2007
Time: 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: Unionville Vineyards (NJ)
Admission: $10 per person (includes complimentary wine glass & 5 tasting coupons) Children Free.

Come celebrate Unionville’s annual harvest at this fun-filled family event! This is the most popular festival that we host during this great time of year. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and join us for a wonderful family day outing. Whether you’re seeking some enlightening wine education, great listening sounds, hands-on fun or just looking to kick back and relax with some award winning wines, the choice is yours.

* Grape Stomping “A la Lucy”
* Complimentary Wine Tastings
* Hayrides through the vineyards
* Pumpkin Picking & painting
* JellyRoll Band (rock/roll/jam)
* Winery Tours
* Sergeantsville Farmer’s Market:
o Fall vegetables and Fruit Crop (*if available)
o Farm Fresh Eggs / Salad Greens / Herbs
o Market Vendors:
+ Alpacas Pottery w/ wheel for demonstration
+ Spinners w/ wheel for demonstration
+ Photography
+ Quilter
+ Embroiderer
+ Pony Rides
* Children’s Activities Tent
* Olive Oil Tastings and sales with “Taste of Crete”
* Premium Chocolate tastings and sales with J. Emanuel, Chocolatier
* Local Artisan Cheese tastings and sales
* Jewelry and pottery vendors

My friend Sara, also the class president, found this event and a bunch of us are planning on going. It should be a blast! I want to stomp grapes and and drink wine and go for a hayride! So much fun I might explode! Ah, wine.

Tracing My Path

2007-09-26T22:38:00.000-04:00

I'm really enjoying the pulmonary block for Pathophys. I never realized how much the pulmonary system intrigues me. I can definitively pinpoint when my interest began. Five years ago I lived in Staten Island and worked as an Assistant Manager of a store in the mall. I was adjusting to living in an area that I had hardly ever visited yet alone ever considered moving to. This made it difficult to meet new people and establish friendships. The first person to appreciate how out of place I felt was a girl named Fanya. Fanya worked at the same store as me and while at work we quickly became friends by dancing to 80s music, particularly NKOTB. Yeah, we ruled. Fanya introduced me to adorable cafes in Bay Ridge Brooklyn and invited me to parties. There was one party where Fanya introduced me to her friend Tanya. We were dubbed the "Ya, Ya, Ya's" from that point forward. I was finally having a blast in NYC with Fanya's prompting!

On October 17, 2002 I got a call from my manager, Jacki, and the first thing she said to me was, "You need to sit down." For a second I thought I was getting fired but the news was much worse. Fanya was dead. At that point no details were known. Her family was too distraught to do anything other than notify the store of her funeral arrangements. Since Fanya was Jewish her funeral was the next day. Still not knowing any details I did the only thing I could think to do- go into Manhattan, find a dive bar with some friends, and cry. I cried for so long my body didn't know how to produce tears anymore.

The day of her funeral was horrible. It was freezing cold, pouring rain, and life felt worthless. It was as if the planet was mourning the loss of Fanya with us.

At her funeral I learned some more details about her death. Fanya's Mom had gone into her bedroom in the morning to wake her up for school. She went to Pace in Manhattan where she was a film student. Apparently Fanya was unresponsive and blue when her Mom went into her room. EMS was called. I'm still not sure if she was declared on scene or if she was brought to the hospital. One thing was certain: Fanya died from a pulmonary embolism that lodged in her lungs.

At this time I had no medical training so my resources for information were very limited. Since that time I have put more puzzle pieces together. Fanya had been on oral contraceptives, and a strong dose due to horrible menstrual issues. Increased estrogen causes deep vein thrombi (DVT) to form. One of these must have formed in part of Fanya's body and broke off, then being carried toward her lungs through her venous system. There was no warning.

Fanya was 20 years old. She was beautiful and smart and loved. The same week she died we had planned on getting sushi to belatedly celebrate my birthday. I called her my "Russian sister" because she reminded me very much of my sister. And in an instant she was gone.

I paid shivah on the last day. Fanya's Mom was still in a state of shock but was so kind to our grief. She brought us up to Fanya's room where she produced photos of Fanya and I at a party from just a couple weeks earlier. I was so grateful to have these photos.

This was a life-altering event for me. My grief pushed me to find out more about the human body. I was blown away by the reality that a person's body could just betray them and ultimately kill them.

The following fall I was already in an EMT certification course. My thirst of medical information was getting stronger. My thinking was that if I could help parents like Fanya's and prevent the sorrow and pain they went through, then I could feel like I contributed in some way. Looking back, I see a direct correlation to my current path and Fanya having touched my life.

Thank you, Fanya, for lighting my path through life.

Setting timelines

2007-09-24T22:10:00.000-04:00

At the beginning of the semester all of our professors recommended one thing:

Set timelines for ourselves.

The reason they suggest this is because our program began in the end of July. We had an extra 4 weeks of school slammed onto the semester. So looking ahead to Thanksgiving break was just unrealistic when setting a relaxation goal. This is why I have decided to turn my birthday weekend into a 3 day weekend. Here's the timeline:

Thursday October 4
Immediately after class drive to Brooklyn to see This Is Ivy League play. Dance, sing, hug, love my friends, and be thrilled with life.

Friday October 5
Go upstate and meet up with old MLSS buddies whom I miss dearly. Visit family and possibly apple picking.

Saturday October 6
Back to NYC because my sister is incredible and bought me a ticket for the Arcade Fire. More dancing, more friends, more NYC love!

Sunday October 7
Head back to Philly feeling loved and ready to begin another long week of school.

Next week I have 3 exams-AGAIN. Monday is Pathophys Exam #2, Tuesday is the first practical for PD which is HEENT (head, eyes, ears, nose, throat), and Thursday is the first Applied Behavioral Sciences exam. I'm not too worried about the practical. I like hands-on learning. That and ENT is a field I'm interested in. My otolaryngologist in New York was trying to lure me into doing a clinical with him. To be back in Poughkeepsie would be cool but I wouldn't see as much D-R-A-M-A there as I will in Philly. I still have time to think about this. Back to thinking about exams. This week I only have one exam in Microbio. It should be straightforward and simple. Afterall, I did get an A in Micro in undergrad!

The last few weeks have been more stressful than anything I've done before. I'm very lucky to have such incredible, supportive, inspirational friends. They've listened to me cry, get angry, get depressed, get overwhelmed, but only to help pull me up again. I feel as if I'm back on the path I was meant to be on. In a very short time I will be doing something for the greater good of humanity. How many people wake up in the morning and think, "I could help change someone's life today."? I can't think of anything I'd rather do than save lives.

Wrap up

2007-09-22T10:20:00.000-04:00

The anatomy exam was brutal. I felt as if I hadn't studied at all but when I calculated how many hours I did study they totaled around 25-30 hours. That should have been plenty but I'm still not confident about it. I made it through the week of hell in one piece and with a stable perspective at least!

Last night a bunch of my classmates met up at a bar in the Art Museum area. It was great to see everyone outside of school, not in a lecture hall, not watching the gears turn in each others heads, and just chatting. I ended up meeting up with a friend later in the night and we went to the newly renovated Silk City. I had never been to the old Silk City so I have nothing to compare it to but it was impressive! I had a great time! The DJ knew what was up because the first song he played after we walked in was a T-Rex song. Yeah. It was killer. I will be making Silk City a repeat destination.

I'm very much looking forward to REALLY being able to let loose once school is done. Yes, I'll have to be "responsible" seeing as I'll be a PA but I will need some time to catch up on life around me when I graduate. For the first time in my employed life I will take full advantage of ALL my vacation time and will be very happy to fund my activities with a salary that will be four times what I made as an EMT without working 60 hours a week. Not that I want to be a PA for the money but it will certainly make life easier!

Today I am doing damage control on my life. I hadn't done any cleaning whatsoever for the last 2 weeks thanks to the ridiculous amount of time I spent studying. That and some retail therapy is needed. The gym is in my crosshairs as well. So today is being renamed to become Sonyaday not Saturday. Oh yeah, it's also Caturday. The kittens are very happy to have me home for several consecutive hours.

I will do a minor amount of schoolwork today but I will draw the line much sooner than I typically do. No frantic studying will be getting done! Yay!

Christening By Fire

2007-09-20T16:36:00.000-04:00

This week has been dubbed "Christening By Fire" by my classmates. Our first exams in our new subjects and they slam us with three, two of which are very difficult subjects. I did a lot better than I thought I did. Yes, there is still one exam left tomorrow for Advanced Anatomy. Information on the exam will include the thorax which is the heart, major blood vessels, lungs, nerves, and other structures. It's gonna be rough but I got some fantastic news today. I got an A- on my Physical Diagnosis exam and an A on my Pathophys exam. I rule. Any doubts about my abilities have been quelled for the moment. I am smarter than I thought I was. This is a good feeling.

One Down, So Many More To Go

2007-09-17T21:02:00.000-04:00

Pathophys Exam 1 is DONE. Next up is Physical Diagnosis a.k.a. "PD" which should be cake. I think I over thought PD. It really is designed as a build-up to the first complete physical exam. It helps that our courses overlap the material. For example, in today's PD lecture we learned about vision and the eye and how to examine the eye. Tomorrow in Patho we will be learning about vision but all the physiology and pathology associated with vision. I'm very thankful that the material is covered this way. Repetition is the name of the game!

A couple nights ago I went to my friend Kevin's place to study. He has a deck that is excellent for studying. Kevin is a PsychD student at PCOM and has just about the same amount of course work to do as me. It's great to have friends to bounce off of who understand academia.

Up until this point in my life the most challenging obstacle I've been faced with was healing from the accident. Now my wits and ability to cope are being tested by PA school. Stacking a TBI and PA school together has been incredibly stressful but my stubbornness will not let me give up. We're 8 weeks into school. 2 years from now I'll have just taken the PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certification Examination) and I'll be celebrating. Jacqi, Lauren, and I have already begun planning a celebration vacation. To where? A cruise of the Mediterranean. Spain, France, Italy, Corsica, Algeria, and Tunisia. If that isn't motivation to push through this program then I'm not sure what would be!

Time to stop daydreaming about my future and instead make it my reality!

Sundays are for yoga

2007-09-16T12:46:00.000-04:00

I went to yoga this morning. It was incredible. I guess I connect with the instructor well or my body understands the poses she gives us because I'm able to get deeper into the practice in her class than I've ever been before. I was able to fully express Fish today. I've NEVER been able to do that! I'm very proud of myself! I also fully did Crane. I'm so glad I went this morning. I needed some Namaste in my life.

So I have 3 exams this week. I'm a bit anxious. Pathophysiology is tomorrow, Physical Diagnosis is Wednesday, and Anatomy is Friday. As for the weekend, well, who knows! I'll definitely be in the mood for some lettin' loose and sleep!

The weather is quickly turning Fall-like. I love it. The crispness, the beautiful blue skies, the cool nights, sweaters, jeans, and my approaching birthday. What isn't there to love about Fall?

Time for some studying now that my brain is straightened out from my lovely morning!

Motivation

2007-09-02T15:51:00.000-04:00

This is not a good weekend to be unmotivated to study. I can't get my brain to focus in on anything that I need to study. It doesn't make it any better that there's nothing to do in Philly this weekend. At the last second I decided to stay here instead of going to the city. Now I'm pretty much regretting that. I had hopes of cracking open my books and getting into a great study session. Instead I'm distracted, restless, and completely incapable of doing any productive studying.

I'm frustrated. I wish I could fast forward to next weekend.

So appropriate

2007-09-02T08:02:00.000-04:00

Happy September!

2007-09-01T21:44:00.000-04:00

The year is picking up pace! Suddenly, it's September. The mornings are cooler, days are shorter, and my life is busier with my full time schedule in full effect. Being a student for the first time in 5 years has been shocking. I was excited to look at school supplies, excited for my first FULL week of classes, and ready to get into a regimen.

The past week had a few hiccups. We ended up having two additional lectures tacked onto our schedule to make up for the fact that our professors are giving us Labor Day off. The rest of Philadelphia University apparently has classes. This might be the ONLY gift the PA students get all semester. Too bad I'm not taking better advantage of it! Many of my classmates went home. I figured I would stick around Philly, get a lot of studying done, and do some damage control on my life. With no one in the city life is pretty boring. So I'm going to Brooklyn tomorrow. I've been really stressed for the last week and I need a change of scenery and company. NYC fulfills all those requirements!

Another hiccup was that the hospital I was supposed to do my patient H&Ps (History and Physicals) at has rescinded their invitation to PA students. So now I'll either be going to Einstein or Methodist. I know where Einsten is because I'm a patient there. Einstein would be the closest for me. Methodist is in South Philly, about 2 blocks from where my accident happened. We find out our NEW hospital assignment on Monday because our orientation is on Tuesday. I'm crossing my fingers and toes for Einstein.

So far I have enjoyed all of my professors lecturing styles except for two. One professor made me want to pull my hair out due to the content of the lecture. The other made me feel like it was a waste of time to even be sitting in class. It was to be expected that I wouldn't enjoy everything about school. Gotta take the good with the bad! Hopefully things will get better once we're through the basic content.

I'm still feeling the pangs of sadness from missing my old life. They are getting fewer and further apart but they still resurface. I'm guessing this is a big reason why I need a NYC fix so bad and MUCH sooner than I anticipated.

Here's to hoping that September brings less homesickness!

Swamped

2007-08-24T20:13:00.000-04:00

The first four weeks of school are done. This is mind boggling. As much as I enjoy my Gross Anatomy professor I am happy to begin the next leg of this journey. Human anatomy is fascinating but when you're not required to learn the advanced physiology along with the anatomy it sort of loses its enjoyment.

I did well on the second exam. Yet again the written part of the exam threw me for a loop. As of next week we'll only be in lecture once a week and in the cadaver lab once as well. This is refreshing! No more stinky hands every day!

Balancing my personal life and school has been much more difficult than I anticipated. I had delusions of being able to handle everything in stride, without missing a beat. Ha! Not so much. Sometimes I feel very selfish for going through this program. I'm very proud that I have been able to get this far but it has certainly been at the expense of many pleasures. But I'll never quit. I didn't get hit by a car to NOT finish and become a PA!

Next week begins ALL my classes. 6 classes, roughly 7 hours of lecturing a day. I have found that for every hour of lecture I've had to do about 2 or more hours of studying. I've been going home right after class on most days and attempting to study at home. I have a feeling this will shift a bit. The kittens are very lovey dovey when I am home but NEED to play and their play time is always when I am studying. I may end up holing up in the library for a while every day so I can have just a bit of peaceful study time!

Tonight is Friday. I had hoped to go out dancing but instead I am doing more homework and I will very likely just crash out in a little while. That's the other thing I forgot to calculate in: exhaustion. I've been mentally and physically tired every day. I've been biking to school about 4 days a week and hitting the gym 4 days a week. I hope to schedule in half marathon training soon, too. Yes, this seems like a lot but I know if I don't get an endorphin fix every day I get very irritable.

Last week I began asking my classmates how they've been faring in their personal lives in regards to scheduling. I was very homesick the week of our first exam. Now, I've lived in Philly for a year but it doesn't feel completely like "home." i am most at home when I'm hanging out with Lauren in NYC. So two weekends ago I took the Chinatown bus to NY so I could shake my homesickiness. It worked very well but made me miss my old life of come-and-go to no particular schedule. I was going out or hanging out every night, going to as many concerts as I could, and seeing as many friends as I possibly could every week. As soon as school began this all came to a screeching halt. I haven't stopped going out or seeing my friends but I'm much more restricted as far as time and energy is concerned. This is why I was asking my classmates about how they've been coping with this massive change. Before I knew it several of them were coming up to me and saying, "I miss my old life too!" At least I know I'm not alone in this!

This week was really crazy with no thanks to my desire to be living my old lifestyle. I had initially planned on going to see Modest Mouse on Sunday night. I scrapped that plan last Friday when I realized that I'd be going to 4 concerts in one week. I did still go to see Wolf Parade on Monday but I was very anxious the whole night. I had my second anatomy exam on Tuesday but I stuck to my guns and went to the show. This Thursday I went to see The Format. That show was definitely worth it! I danced my butt off until I was soaked in sweat! Tomorrow I'm going to see The Rentals. I also get to meet them because I was automatically entered into some contest when I bought presale tickets! Crazy!

So four shows of which I ended up being able to attend 3. I had some other personal things going on this week which was adding to the potential of having a full-blown anxiety attack. For right now though, I am O.K. Life has a funny way of working itself out.

For the remainder of this weekend I plan on scheduling my classes into my Treo, going for a run, yoga, studying, the Rentals show, and potentially going to the beach. I want to feel as unstressed as possible come 8am Monday! We'll see how well that goes!

Babies!

2007-08-17T08:55:00.000-04:00

My cousin, Samantha, is pregnant! Wow! She and her husband, Joe, had their first child just a little over two years ago. I had the absolute pleasure to meet their first daughter, Paige, last Thanksgiving. She's absolutely incredible! I am in complete awe of Sam's life. I'm way too much of a scaredy cat to even think about having babies! Congratulations to Sam, Joe, and Paige!

First exam results

2007-08-14T18:18:00.000-04:00

I got an 82. Not amazing but still sort of impressive. I've been readjusting my studying techniques in attempt to actually understand more of the material. Considering that the next exam is this coming Tuesday I'm sweating a bit. Time to hit the road for a run and then hit the books until I pass out.

updates and such

2007-08-05T21:27:00.000-04:00

I made it through the first week of anatomy. It ended up being an extended week because I went to campus yesterday (Saturday) to do some more work in the cadaver lab. Since last Monday I have spent 20 hours or so in the lab on top of 15 hours of lecture. It was a long week. Actually, on Friday, my professor said, "Hey has anyone else felt progressively more tired every day this week?" Glad it wasn't just me! I must admit that it was lovely to not have to smell the lab today.

A few weeks ago, just before the Montreal misadventure, Mike and I went to see Fujiya & Miyagi. Lucky for us their opening band was great. They are called Project Jenny, Project Jan. I HATE their name but LOVE their music! Their set up was a dude playing tracks on a laptop, a guy with a mic, and a projector with videos that were synchronized with the music. Hilarious stuff! Here's some photos from both F & M and PJ,PJ:

Now that I've given my brain a break from thinking about school for a few minutes here's a peek at my upcoming week:
Monday-school from 9am-???
Tuesday-school from 9am-??? and yoga at 8pm
Wednesday-school from 9am-4pm and dinner at a fondue restaurant at 6pm
Thursday-school from 9am-4pm and start freaking out about my first anatomy exam and yoga at 8pm
Friday-FIRST HUMAN GROSS ANATOMY EXAM 1pm-??? and Muse with Cold War Kids at the Festival Pier at 8pm.

I've already started freaking a little bit about my exam. I'm very familiar with the vertebral column, sort of weak of the spinal cord, okay with the muscles of the back, great with the muscles of the pectorohumeral joint and the scapulohumeral joint, sort of weak on the innervations of all the muscles. I think my best plan of action is to just keep quizzing myself and keep typing my notes. I bought a digital voice recorder which has been very helpful. I haven't listened to Friday's lectures yet but I will tomorrow morning. Oh yeah, have I mentioned that I've been getting up at 5:30 or 6am every day?! Instead of hoping that I will fall asleep again I just get up and start the day.

I went for a run yesterday. I did 3 miles. The only stitches I had were in the ligaments around my hips. My knees felt fine through the whole run. I need to start training again because I have it set in my head that I want to run the half-marathon that is with the Philadelphia marathon. The run isn't until November but it's never too early to start training! I miss my runner's physique. I was never in such great shape as when I was training for the marathon! I also managed to get an A in Microbio while doing all the crazy training. This gives me hope that I can still stay in shape while I plow through PA school.

I'm off to do some reading assignments. Sleep will soon follow! I have a lot to look forward too this week!

to i, or not to i

2007-08-03T07:20:00.000-04:00

I've done some more research on the iPhone. As of right now, there is no way for third party applications to be installed on the iPhone. This means that NONE of the medical reference programs I will need can be used with the iPhone. All i can think is how dumb Apple is sometimes. The medical field could potentially be a multi million dollar profit for them! How many medical professionals enjoy carrying a cell AND their PDA and prescription pads and other assorted tools in their lab coats? I personally want my technology devices to be rolled into one compact package. Less junk for me to have to worry about misplacing. Anyone that knows me now understands how protective I am of my Treo 650 so let's hope I'll feel the same way about the 700p.

My choice has been made. Treo 700p over the iPhone.

silly

2007-08-02T07:01:00.000-04:00

I needed a hearty laugh this morning and these did the job perfectly.

Study break

2007-07-31T21:46:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance by Atul Gawande. This was an assignment for our Applied Behavioral Sciences course. The course doesn't begin until the end of August but we already had homework :) I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Every topic that was discussed in the book is something I've thought about in depth or began thinking about already. The ONLY complaint I have is that PAs aren't mentioned in the book once. The book was published this year so I find it difficult that the author, who is a doctor, has not worked with or crossed paths with a PA. Oh well.

I looked up more info on upcoming Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Courses. It looks as if I'll be able to do their September, 2009 course. I'm anxious to get this course under my belt but I'm glad I had time to enjoy my life before school began.

Oh yeah! I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on Sunday. That was officially the last pleasure reading book I'll be reading for the next two years. What an amazing book to finish my free time with. I cried so hard my nose was dripping. Never has a book affected me so deeply. J. K. Rowling is a very talented author and I hope she continues to write, even if she doesn't write about Harry Potter any longer. Thanks Mom for sending me the book!

Time to wind down only to put my nose to the grindstone again in the morning!

All in the name of Medicine

2007-07-30T22:34:00.000-04:00

Today was our first day doing dissection. It was not as terrifying as I thought it would be. My lab group is great. We get along well and everyone wants to lend a hand with anything and everything! One of my lab partners accidentally squirted some fat tissue juice onto my cheek and glasses. That was gross but another one of my lab partners was right there to clean off my face and glasses and put goggles on me :) I was less grossed out than you would think. I was counting my lucky stars that none of it had gotten in my mouth! There's always a silver lining when doing cadaver dissection!

I've had a few thoughts about my clinical rotations. One is that I'd really like to do my Psychiatric rotation at a VA hospital or some other military hospital. With the huge amount of soldiers returning from Iraq with PTSD, TBIs, and anxiety disorders I feel that it would be an excellent opportunity to learn from. For the last few months NPR has been reporting on the lack of medical professionals willing to help soldiers deal with PTSD. I'm astounded at this. The men and women who are lucky enough to make it back stateside alive are bound to need emotional support from every angle. Unfortunately, many of them are not getting it.

Another hope of mine would be to do a clinical abroad in London. The ONLY things holding me back from this are Miss Tiny pants and Miss Squeaky butt. If this does work out I hope to be able to arrange a pet-friendly living situation.

I don't begin rotations for another year but I have learned that it's never too early to be ahead of the game. I still have a few more ideas making my gears turn but the two I mentioned are the most thought out ones I have at the moment.

Off to bed for me. Tomorrow brings another day of cadavers. Life is good.

Week 1 is done!

2007-07-27T19:39:00.000-04:00

The first week of this incredible experience is over. We ended our week in the cadaver lab, preparing our cadavers for Monday's lab. I was more nervous outside the lab than I was once I crossed the threshold. Little visions of myself getting sick or spilling something or doing something stupid kept running through my brain. Thankfully, none of the above happened.

This weekend will be full of activity. Jacqi and I are going scrubs shopping, hopefully a trip to the beach, and definitely a long training bike ride with Mike. In between all of that I'll be tackling the 60 page reading assignment for Monday's lecture. I've already started chipping away at it. I'm excited that my life has a specific purpose and goal again. I had been floating around for the last year, since the moment of the accident. To wake up each day with a definitive "To Do" list feels great. At least for the time being it does :) There will come a time, very soon, when I whine that I miss my old life of internetting the day away and filling my days with whatever came to mind. Those days have gone and I now have a purpose- Physician Assistant or bust! There will be no busting. I know what I want and I am now on my path to realizing my goals.

I am a Sponge

2007-07-26T07:12:00.000-04:00

My classmates and myself have completed the first three days of orientation. Thankfully we have a day off Thursday. The last few days have been filled to the brim with information. I began feeling like a sponge- we'd listen to the professors and guests speaking to us but on our breaks we'd be chatting with each other. We've been taking in a huge amount of information only to wring ourselves out by giving out our own information. It's been exhausting.

My classmates are from all over the country. It's been fascinating learning little slices of their past. I feel like I've made 45 new friends and we've been on this mad rush to get to know one another.

Today begins Human Gross Anatomy a.k.a. Advanced Anatomy. We have been given group numbers which correspond with the cadaver we will be dissecting. I'm excited/nervous about this. I've seen about 20 or more dead people through working as an EMT. Seeing and studying with a cadaver will be MUCH different than the freshly dead. I'm hoping the chemicals don't overwhelm me and make me sick. I have an extremely keen sense of smell and at times like this it becomes a problem.

I'll have much more to report on later. Wish me luck!