Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Day 2112: Pictures and pharm

Hi all! While I was home for Thanksgiving (and the weekend before), I got to see a bunch of my favorite people (as seen below).

Best friend!

Bride-to-be!

Gray tops and Christmas fun!

Jess-es!

Exercise dates at the dish!

I returned to Milwaukee for my last History & Physical Clinical Exam session (just going through a history taking, physical exam and assessment & plan) and an 88 on my pharmacology exam! I am ready to annihilate my pharm final (with lots and lots and lots of studying).

Oh, I left school last night and this is what my car told me.

19-degrees. NOT FUN.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Day 2105: Greetings from Southern California!

Hello! After my exams last week, I have taken a bit of a breather to see some friends (my best friend in Indiana to be exact) and take studying a little more slowly in preparation of Thanksgiving (can you believe it's here already?).

Anyhoo, I am currently in my sister's bedroom in her soon-to-be-old-house doing things like this:


I watch these lectures in lieu of my actual pathology lectures because these are wonderful and I have found myself pulling a McKayla Maroney (unimpressed) with how my course has been taught.

Anyhoo, I'll post fun pictures (which I'm sure will continue my mother's (and probably father's) delusions that all I do is have fun and not study) in the near future!

Monday, November 12, 2012

Day 2097: Life moves on with some good news.

Today, I felt very ready for my pharmacology exam. Granted, there were still about 7-points-worth of things (out of 50.5) I wasn't 100% on, but the amount of information you have to learn for this class (in three weeks, no less, for his horrific block) is just too much to ask for. So. I felt good overall! Let's see if the exam score reflects that.

Also! The pathology department secretary-helper-lady emailed us today to tell us that two of the answers were mismarked on the exam so I, at least, got two points back! Excellent! My current score is a closer match to what I wanted! :)

I also bought this sweater (for $15!) as a little treat for myself. Yay!


In about an hour (at 5pm), I will be shadowing a doctor I work with (for my research, oh my gosh! I haven't told you about my research! Future blog post in the making) in the pediatric emergency department. It's actually perfect this way. I don't have any TV to watch until later tonight and even though I would rather be sewing/hemming/tailoring, I'm still glad to be learning a little something (and working with a really fun(ny) guy).

No word from the Popsicles since he left for Taiwan Friday night. My Mom and sister leave on Wednesday and then I will be the only one of our foursome here in the States. The lone cheese.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Day 2093: Good-bye Apo.

There is no good way to say this. My father's mother (my paternal grandmother) died today. My sister called to tell me. My parents are so concerned with my school(ing) that they didn't tell me (not right away anyway) until later/I called them.

My dad is en route to tomorrow/Taiwan Friday night and my sister and mother will be following him next Wednesday. I will be here. In the US. Learning, studying, doctor-things. (I have my path exam on Friday and my pharm exam on Monday).

To be honest, I'm fine. She lived in Taiwan my entire life so I only met her a handful of times. On top of that, we never spoke the same language (she speaks a village dialect and I definitely do not). This doesn't mean I am not sad, on my behalf or my father's behalf, but it's a blunted form of sadness. Also, my grandmother was getting pretty on in age and she had more than a few health setbacks in the past decade, so, it was (and obviously is) her time. She died in her sleep, which is the most that anyone can ask for.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Day 2091: Election Day 2012

Hello hello!

Today is the big day. The day when all the polarizing political campaigns come to a head at the polls.

Courtesy of The Huffington Post

Now, make sure to do your part and vote! :)

PS, Danny's dad received a nasty postcard in the mail the other day. It was from the opposing political party and it called him an a-hole and a jerk. This is where politics has brought us. Anonymous bullying.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Day 2089: Flippin' out, good and bad.

On Friday, I flipped out at my mom after she and my dad were super on my case. And I mean cursing, yelling, crying...the whole bit. Luckily, my mom is the best, and she just let me get it all out and apologized for being too hard on me. Then, I called on Saturday to apologize for yelling at her (while still maintaining my case about no need for added stress) and she joked that she would probably still be on my case. Thanks Mom.

Saturday I had free clinic again. Nothing was stolen! A good day! Actually, it was pretty good. The patients were pretty standard, but it was cool to be able to perform some of the physical exam (and teach it to an M1!) and converse with the M3 about drugs (while she subtly pimped me on them). (FYI, "pimp" in medicine means when someone smarter than you asks you medical stuff. For example, my M3 pimped me on statins. What is the main side effect? Rhabdomyolysis (muscle degradation) What is the other cholesterol drugs that statins should not be used with? Gemfebrozil.) It's rewarding to know that I actually do know something.

And then this morning, while studying and getting an extra hour of sleep (thank you Daylight Savings!), my friend sent me this link. Does any one else find it crazy that I know most of these drugs? I sure as heck do. On top of that knowledge, I can figure out the rest just based on their name. Holy cow Batman! Jessica actually knows something? Well. The world is surely about to end ;)