Personal day

So, sadly I overslept so much today that I actually had already missed the first hour and a half of lecture by the time I rolled out of bed. I blame benadryl. I had an allergy attack last night and had to take some, but I guess I need to start actually measuring the dose of the kiddie benadryl, because this whole gulp and hope it's right approach didn't work out so well. Alas, it's nice to take a personal day! The dogs are sound asleep, I'm working on some school stuff and catching up on some blog reading. Also, I have the TV on. Not great for productivity, but I saw the most entertaining thing. There was a commercial for 7news where all they did was show a video of people riding up the ski slopes on the lift and in the bottom corner they had a countdown; 30 second break from political ads. I thought that was pretty clever. Not to mention appreciated. Seriously, my ballot is already in the mail. I'm over it.

Throughout the last week J and I have been catching up on our netflix movies, which we had been very behind on lately. The reason for that is the fact that we had Atonement. I was underwhelmed. I knew it would be a sad movie, but there are lots of sad movies that are so good you can't help but like them. This one was not in that category. We powered through it, but I don't think either of us were blown away. The great one, though, was Run, Fatboy, Run. I love Simon Pegg. He's fantastic, and really funny. This was not a letdown at all. In fact, we don't buy a lot of movies, but this one might just have that much potential. And if you're looking for even more Simon Pegg goodness, check out Hot Fuzz. Also fantastic. Of course, I'm in love with all things British, so I may be biased.

I'm completely in denial that it's already almost November. I love the fall, and I despise, loathe, abhor, the winter. The good news, we're flying back to the great white north to see the fam for Thanksgiving, the bad news, it's still winter. Gross. Oh well. The Thanksgiving trip will be great. I'm excited to see everyone and get out of town for a little while. It's always good to shake things up. I love it here, but I've been itching to go out of town for a while now. Luckily, I also have a trip planned in December to visit a good friend from college, so I have some fun sprinkled in among the drudgery of med school, and yeah, right now that's pretty much what it is.

Well, I better get some work done, but hopefully I'll be updating more often these days. I really need to take some more pictures of the little guy before he's no longer little!

Thinking Positive

So, yesterday I had a bit of a funk going on about med school and how it has taken over my life. In a way, it has. I can't relax without thinking about studying, I can't look at people without thinking about what they might have wrong with them, and I can't help but think, with almost everything I do...how will this help me get a better residency. All ridiculous for the most part. So, I took the little monster dog for a 4 mile run to think things through. I think I will never need antidepressants so long as my knees hold out for running. And I also think that not working out is tantamount to going off my meds.

The run worked, I calmed down and actually got some studying done. Furthermore, I got an email from my old mentor at CSU today. Last week, as I neared the very end of my fraying rope, I contemplated the idea of taking a year off after boards to do research. I am actually not all that into research. I did, afterall, quit a PhD program because it isn't what I can imagine myself doing in the long run. So, although I'm not overly excited about research, I thought by taking a year off to work for my mentor up at the Fort would do me good, recharge the batts and of course...look good for residency. In his email today he said he'd love to have me in the lab, but that it's just not a really productive lab these days. He does a lot of teaching, and that takes most of his time. I kind of expected as much, but I had hoped. But, rather than leave me hanging, he offered me work on a project editing the impending publication of an e-book of his physiology lessons. It's something I could work on from home, and I'm pretty sure I could wrap up this whole mentored scholarly activity quite nicely in this project. Which means I could get it done before 4th year, which means that 20 weeks of vacation time is looking like a real possibility. All good things...very good things. And best of all, it's an MSA to do with teaching. Since I really am holding out hope that a large amount of my career can be wrapped up with teaching, this is a step in the right direction. Did I mention I'd get paid...

Overall, I think I need to remember a couple of things...noncompliance is bad, and just like I don't want my patients off their meds, I don't want me off running. Also, thinking positively really can help. It's better than feeling so stressed that I can't even concentrate, which is where I was last week. And last, but not least, always keep in touch with those people who have meant a lot to you. Keeping in touch with my mentor not only always makes my day, but often times, good things will follow.

I'm back

Well, we're in a new block, and I'm sad to report I completely neglected to take any pictures last weekend. But, Beer Fest was the greatest! We had such a great time, and it was exactly what I needed after that brutal neuro final on Friday (good thing for that cushion...). We tried some good beers, and some really bad beers, but my favorite discovery of the day was that there is a microbrewery less than 2 miles from my house. Awesome. Even better, they did not have the bad beer. So, I'm definitely looking forward to paying a visit. Check out the website at www.drydockbrewing.com. Turns out next weekend is their 3rd anniversary party. Sounds like a good time to me!

So this week has mostly been about getting into the swing of a new block. Harder than it should be I think. I just want to have a good time this year while I can, since we had a class meeting about 3rd year that convinced me life as I know it is about to end. It's hard to make yourself work so hard in the face of all that. But, I'm going to have to get it done somehow. That and studying for the boards. Yuk.

It was a great day today though. Lecture was so-so at best, but I finally got some stuff off in the mail (which I've been meaning to do for way too long!) so I feel like I at least accomplished a little bit. And then I got to talk to my friend DO for a long time, for the first time in a long time. So, I have to say that, you know other than waiting for the Comcast guy for what is now 4(!) hours, it's been a good day. Now if only our house phone was working...

One more day

Well, I am sad to see it go, but neuro will be over tomorrow. It's a lot of work, this class, but it's been by far the best run block of med school and I've learned more in this block than any of the others. This is a big deal to me because I've already taken 2 years of this stuff, but I still learned more than I have in any other block. So, it's not been easy, but it's really been worth it.

Tomorrow morning is our final exam, and I pretty much have to fail it to miss the mark I'm shooting for. I won't let that happen, but it takes a lot of pressure off for today to allow for some daydreams about....

Beer Fest!

That's right, the Great American Beer Festival is tomorrow (well it starts tonight, but it's tomorrow for me!). I am so excited. Tomorrow after the exam, as I had planned, I will be making pretzel necklaces and watching Beer Fest the movie! I also have plans to go for a (long) run...we'll say that tomorrow I'm doing a bit of carbo loading.... And I plan on stopping for a (hopefully) celebratory lunch at the brand new Sunshine Market that's opening up by us. I'm really excited for that place. So, it should be a busy day. After the necklaces are made and I"m all set to go, I'm meeting J and his sister at their parents' house and we're leaving from there. I think we're all going to stay downtown with J's sister's boyfriend. It'll be nice to not have to pay for the light rail or have to worry about who will pick us up. We're going to meet some of my college friends and med school friends at the fest, and I'm so excited to see everyone out in celebratory mode! It should be awesome.

Well, just to make sure I don't fail this exam, I suppose I should get to it. The school has kindly given us this one day off for preparing for the final, so big of them. So I better take advantage of it. Can't guarantee another post for a little while, big weekend plans you know!

Hurray!

For...

Exams that go well...

4 year old birthday parties....

Macaroni and cheese....

That color that white wine turns in the dusky sun in the fall....

Puppies that are afraid of the shower and hair dryer....

Hair cuts....

Running into a random acquaintance from high school 9 years and 1,000 miles away....

Running into old friends again....

Meeting new people and watching people come together to change their lives....

Running tights....

All the things you can learn about yourself from your patients....

Today!

Awesome

Well, I'm in a big rush to get to studying today, but I had to stop in and write about my awesome day in the OR. Today has been a really good day.

It started out well, oddly enough, thanks to psych. Weird, I know. While I have no interest in psychiatry, outside of a purely intellectual desire to learn about psychotic disorders, I find it really interesting to hear from my facilitator and his stories about actually being in psychiatric practice. I also find the questions he asks the patients very insightful and they always get to the root of the problem before any of us students know there's a problem to begin with. Today was no exception. We interviewed a schizophrenic patient and it was a pretty interesting experience.

Then I hauled my cookies over to the hospital where my preceptor practices for the tubal ligation he asked me in on. He met me there and showed me to the changing room where I got in some scrubs, then we were off to the OR. Some of you might remember the last time I went into the OR with him; you know, the time when the scrub tech didn't let me touch any intruments whatsoever because I left my ring on under my gloves (my wedding ring, not the engagement band). Well, this experience was just as great as that one was bad. After Dr. B made the incision, I was able to "poke the hole" in the abdominal wall to get to the guts. Then he let me work the camera (one of the tools in a laparoscopy) for the whole procedure. After he was done clamping the tubes, he let me work both tools, the camera and the blunt probe, to look around INSIDE THE ABDOMEN! I feel like such a rock star. He was just like, "so, why don't you go find me an ovary..." and handed over the tools. It was like playing a video game, and I have to say, I loved it. Sometimes, I wonder if I'm really able to let the whole surgery thing go so easily. We'll see.

Anyway, it was a really cool day. The evening will undoubtedly not be as cool, I have a lot of studying to catch up on. Yesterday when I got home I was feeling very unmotivated and altogether blah, so I watched some tv, went for a seven mile run, and watched some more... Not really productive, but I felt better after it was all said and done. Now I have to make up for it a bit.

The rest of the week is mostly going to be a blur. A friend of mine is getting married on Saturday, so tomorrow I'm going out to dinner for her bachelorette party. I can't go out with them all since I really do need to do at least quasi-well on the exam on Monday. Then Friday, J and I are going downtown to Oktoberfest (yes, in September) and Saturday is my friend's wedding. Which reminds me, at some point I have to go get her a gift...

Some pictures for you all...

So here's the little guy, the first pix are from probably a month ago, the later ones are up through last Friday. He's gotten so much bigger, and from the looks of those paws, we're in for another bigger than usual dog.





His little paws looked like they had a french manicure when we first got him. The vet even called him a "little girly boy" and thought I had painted them...Those who know me will think that's funny...



He's been going running with Rocky, J and I lately and he's starting to really keep up...obviously in better shape than I am from the looks of this...



The two boys are starting to get along a lot better than they used to, so that's a bonus..



And three days before the big surgery...



I've also been on a cooking kick these days. On Saturday night I decided J and I needed some romance, so I made a 5 course dinner for us. It turned out to only be 4 since we were way too stuffed to eat the last course, so we had that on Sunday night.

The first course was an ensalada caprese with a little plate of some cheese. I'm a sucker for the "try a new cheese for under $3" bin at Whole Foods.



For our second course I made a butternut squash soup from a squash I picked up at the farmer's market in the morning, but I didn't take any pictures. Our third course was homemade raviolis. I used wanton wrappers and made a filling from mozzarrella, crimini mushrooms, and leeks from the farmer's market. We had a mushroom sage alfredo sauce over them. A bit on the rich side for me, as evidenced by the two day stomach ache that followed...



We made it through a crab cake with home made poblano pepper sauce, but after that we were sleepy and full. It took us more than 2 hours to get through all that food, but it was delicious. The next day I made some lamb chops with garlic rosemary potatoes and greens.



Overall we ate pretty well this weekend. Now it's me desperately trying to get back on the horse and keep up with the running regime. Oh yeah, and studying like a maniac. That too...