Day 2139: Merry Christmas Eve

Hello one and all!

After torrential (for California anyway) rain yesterday, the sun decided to come out to say hello! It was gloriously warm and beautiful out today. Perfect for a hike at the dish with a lovely pal! It's always great to have exercise dates with girlfriends. It's a wonderful way to catch up and be active and healthy and other touchy-feely crap.

Just wanted to wish you all a happy, safe, love-filled Christmas Eve. I am so very thankful for all of you in my life and, even though none of you comment (this is not a passive aggressive statement), I know that you read this and are kind enough to want to stay updated on my life. So thank you, truly.

Have a merry one!

A picture I took at San Jose's Christmas in the Park

Day 2135: Home, at last.

Okay. So. This blog title is about 6 days too late, but a lot has happened since I have been home.

I took my pharmacology final, which, as expected, was a lot of bloody information. However, it is over and I am positive that I passed the class so hooray! The most difficult class of my M2 year, done-zo!

I flew home on Friday (the 14th) and there was a party on Saturday for all these little MBA-wannabes that my parents know so I was quite the left-out-duck in regards to conversation. The rest of the week has been a blur of seeing friends and hanging out. I am currently attempting this while listening to this.

I know this was a boring update post but someone's gotta do it. Pictures coming soon!

Day 2125: The strangest day.

Okay. Before I finally get in to my clinical exam and reasoning (CER) studying, I must tell you about my day.

9am: Exam. Ooph. I did okay, which is to be expected. I kind of let pathology go to the wind this block mainly because I am scared sh!tless for my cumulative pharm final on Thursday (so soon).

11am: I go to Sephora to pick something up for my sister and the item they said they had in stock was not actually in stock. Lame. It's fine. I did this to my nails while I was there. (This = painted them different shades of blue. Then I came home and painted the bases gold. Eureka.)

12:30pm: My friend CM decided to make fudge on a whim. It was delicious and she was kind enough to send me some so that a) we could be little fudgester-pudgesters together and b) she was sending me a sweet little exam-week gift. Well. This is what I received in the mail.

Instead of fudge, I got a paperback 2012 Annotated Brothers Grimm. I sent CM a text (being confused about the package and sending her a picture of the book) asking her if I was missing something, and you better believe that girl was pissed. Where is the fudge? See those green stickers? Someone opened my box, took my plastic containers filled with fudge, put this book in, and sealed it with stickers. What? What?? WHAT??? She is Type A (like me!) so she called USPS Customer Service and let them know what happened. The USPS Customer Service woman said she had never heard something like that happening. WHAT???? Where. Is. My. FUDGE?!

12:40pm: I open an unknown package to discover this!

Danny bought me these coral pillow covers that I have been lusting because I desperately need some more colorful pillows to make my boring mauve-gray couch more exciting. I LOVE THEM. (I have been making strange grunting sounds of joy whenever I see them haha)

4:30pm: Where has the day gone? I think I studied. It's hard to say.

5:00pm: I dropped my phone (what's new?) and the speakers freaked out. All the sound coming out of it was garbled, like it was underwater. Then, after a few shake-shake-shakes, it was fixed! I kissed my phone so hard to thank it for believing in me and staying alive!

Until Now: I finally got focused and unafraid to tackle the large, large amounts of pharmacology I have to learn/relearn/refamiliarize myself with by Thursday.

Now: it's time to actually learn my stupid CER bull-malarkey.

Day 2124: I'm so bored.

I am sure I have posted this title before. However, it doesn't stop it from being true. I have been studying all weekend and with rainy, dreary weather to accompany me, it's amazing I haven't tried to sleep my life away.

Anyway, I am so bored with every aspect of my life that I am blogging to pass the boredom (and in hopes of getting my last bit of motivation together to review my last few topics).

Train of thought blogging. Go! I spoke to my pal LC (whom I met at my friend's bachelorette/wedding) and I adore her. We spoke for an hour and my life was just about complete. I perused eBay all day and didn't win some jeans I bid on. But then I won some other jeans. Here are (Instagram) pictures I have taken today to try to evade studying...

This is how I study...with recycled paper and lots of writing.

Study food. Savory oatmeal = almonds, beans, onions,
cheese and a bit of garlic powder. Amazing.

I am so everywhere right now. I'm sure you can't tell. I hide it veryyyyyyy well. Okay, I have obviously lost my mind. I'm going to go search for it in the recycling bin.

Day 2121: Chugging along

Oh hey! Fancy meeting you here!

I am taking another break to blog because the way my life looks right now (see below) would make anyone go crazy.

Anyway, my eye has stopped twitching. I realized a few days later that it was twitching most likely as a result of a slight corneal scratch. I have to tell you, when my eye was twitching, I was convinced it was stress. So, all of Sunday and Monday, I was a sh!tshow (study-wise). The twitching eye felt like a constant reminder of how stressed I was and, as a result, my studying quality was greatly diminished (and my stress level probably increased exponentially because I was so stressed about not being able to study well).

It's okay. In spite of it all, there is, somehow, time in the day to learn drugs. And some pathology. But a very small amount. Right now, it's pharm pharm pharm. Path will start tomorrow (afternoon) at the earliest, and then continue throughout the weekend until my exam Monday morning.

Boring update over. Back to studying. Gym at 10pm with a friend. Rinse. Repeat.

Day 2116: The countdown begins

I feel like this post title will be recycled. I will have lots of countdowns in the next six months, this being the first one -- the countdown to finals/winter break. In the next 13 days, I will have completed my first semester of my second year. I have a pathology exam, CER (Clinical Exam and Reasoning) exam and the dreaded cumulative pharmacology final. At this point, I am taking a much needed study break to blog. Exciting. I know. I am amidst learning the last 100-or-so drugs for Block 4 and then I have about 10 days to review the previous 400 drugs. No big deal. (INTERNAL FREAK OUT IMMINENT.)

PS, my eye has been twitching non-stop for two hours since this post. I need to de-stress/calm down.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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 ;)

Day 2085: Happy Halloween!

From my ghoulish abode to yours!

Day 2084: Swamped.

Hello everyone!

I was not as focused as I would have liked before my friend's arrival, but now I am officially in "gunning it" mode. I am blogging as a little study break, seeing as how I have been studying since 9am (and at school since 6:15am).

I am so stressed about school (and so tired) that I had to cancel a shadowing opportunity with a doctor I know because school is my number one priority. My number two priority is the show "Homeland." That show is seriously the best one-hour on television.

Anyhoo, as promised, here are pictures from the weekend!

Snow found Waldo!

Snow White & Little Red Riding Hood

Having a little hat fun at the Milwaukee Art Museum

Shrek 2.0

I don't know what to say to this.

Dia de los muertos mustaches at the Milwaukee Art Museum

Day 2078: Broke-phone.

I forgot to post this so here it is, pre-post-dated.

Hours after speaking with Jess, this happened.

Apple told me they would fix it for $200. The insurance on my phone also told me they would fix it for $200. Life is full of expensive surprises. FYI, I am not fixing it. I have to finishing paying off the wedding I just attended.

Day 2077: The weeks ahead + catching-up

As expected, medical school waits for no one. I am elbow-deep in school stuff. Four pathology lectures, three pharmacology lectures and a bunch of required classes/sessions to attend tomorrow and Thursday.

For whatever reason, the teaching staff has decided to make Block 3 two-and-a-half weeks long for pathology and three weeks long for pharmacology. So, what does that mean? There is no time to lollygag!

It's a good thing I have friends coming in to town, that's always a great studying impetus! My pal Alex is visiting from home to hang out with me (and possibly some med students) for Halloween. She is, unfortunately, coming right when the weather drops to the mid-40s (as a high!), but it should still be a fun time. We're going as fairy-tale themed people so look out for those pictures next week!

A good friend of mine informed me that her boyfriend and she would be renting a car while they are in Chicago next week so they plan to come up to Milwaukee! Yay for friends! Yay for more intense studying...? ...!

Also, Jess and I caught up today via our free iMessage (apparently she got an iPhone while we were being poor keepers-in-touch). It was lovely to get the updates on her life. Miss you!

Day 2076: The wedding + Philly

The bride and her mother

I am in love with these women.

The bride and groom's first dance.

Bachelorette party 2.0

Workin' it.

Singing like there's no tomorrow.

The bride and her bridesmaids.

The afterparty.

Danny and I, the day after the wedding.

Someone is unhappy.

A place filled with food in Philadelphia

Liberty Bell, Philadelphia

Unknown Soldiers' Tomb, Philadelphia

Day 2072: This is what I did today.

Painted my nails for my friend's wedding on Saturday.

Wrote every drug (from memory) required for tomorrow's exam.
Some of these pages are double-sided. Welcome to hell med school.

Day 2069: Broken hearts

Hello. I just took my cardiac pathology exam. Ooph. It was okay...at the very best.

This craptastic professor is so detail-oriented! Details would be one thing, but I can tell you, after this exam, I know nothing about cardiac pathology. This woman teaches so poorly, I honestly didn't learn a single thing. I memorized a bunch of crap (lot of good that did me) and it's about to fly out of my brain so that I can study for my ethics exam tomorrow and the big kahuna of an exam (also known as block 2 of pharmacology) on Friday.

I'll be happy passing, because honestly, I have bigger fish to fry...like my 175+ drugs in pharmacology.

Wish me luck!

Edit [12:26pm]: Interim test scores are up. A pass. Okay. I'll take it.

Day 2067: Hilarious study break.

From here.

Day 2066: Exam preparations

Hi all! I want to forewarn you that exams are next week so expect minimal(er) blogging. Then, Danny and I are attending a wedding that weekend so expect fun pictures in about 10 days!

Pharmacology is a gigantic b!tch. I am focusing on pathology because that is my first exam but I need to be reviewing pharm everyday (which I haven't in the past two days) and I am SO stressed. I am not a big drinker, but the open bar at my friend's wedding looks like a grand ol' prize, whether I kick the exam's ass (which I will) or it kicks mine (unlikely).

Back to obstructive congenital heart diseases...

Day 2061: People suck.

Yesterday, while volunteering for Saturday Free Clinic, helping patients receive the health care they need and seek, my wallet was stolen...by a patient...from the break room.

In three hours, these a-holes racked up $540 worth of crap across all of my debit and credit cards.

I was surprisingly calm about the entire things. The clinic managers felt terrible about my wallet being stolen. All my banks were very helpful in canceling those cards and sending out new ones. Danny was livid. And, of course, as the universe has it, my close friends from school and home happened to check in that day and they were both very supportive of my entire attitude towards the robbery. And what was my attitude? It doesn't make a lot of sense coming from me (read: a shopaholic) but it's just money. I had about four dollars in that wallet. Debit and credit cards are easy to cancel and replace. The only remotely important thing in that wallet was my insurance information and my ID. Luckily, I have already (or know how) to deal with both. To add to the optimism, they only took my wallet. They left my pretty scarf and my pharmacology notes! My notes! Those babies are gold. And, thank goodness I took my phone out of my purse. You know those a-holes would have taken an iPhone. Stat.

This experience has informed me to never bring anything into the clinic and people are kind of sh!tty. I already knew one out of the two.

Day 2059: The promised pictures

This is my life, everyday. Papers and notes, everywhere.

This is also my life at the moment.
Surrounded by generic drug names.

My delicious meal this past weekend -- roasted beet salad and
risotto with farm fresh vegetables.

When the best friend came to visit,
she and I went to see Pitch Perfect here.

This is the shirt Danny designed for a med school function!
Isn't he the greatest?

Day 2056: Oh hi!

Hello. I am postponing my post-gym shower (which I already did by making my lunch for tomorrow, making an entire bunch of kale chips that I proceeded to toast-too-much and therefore had to eat them all, and talk to Danny) by blogging. It's been 12 days. I really need to be a better blogger.

I have a lot to blog about! I was having a crappy first week post-exams, focus-wise. I was uber-focused last week because my best friend in the entire world came to visit me! We had a ton of fun eating, hanging out, gossiping, doing our nails and being awesome best friends. I LOVE HER!

Let's see, this week is more focus and more work. I feel like I had actual emotions to discuss but they have left me. I am in a wedding in three weeks (luckily after exams). I am volunteering at the Saturday Free Clinic this weekend. I am studying a lot for exams. I am exercising.

Oh my gosh. Homeland is back on the air. I may have cheated my way through Season 1 (coughreadallthesynopsesbecauseDannywouldn'tletmewatchalloftheminarowalsoknownaskeepingusupallnightcough) but Danny and I are officially hooked on Season 2. I live for Claire Danes and Damian Lewis. I kid you not. At the end of the premiere episode on Sunday (don't worry Mom, I am studying. Let me have one hour of TV a week) I shouted, "I am only alive one hour a week and that hour is 9pm central!"

Later this week, pictures of my life!

Day 2044: Better late than never

Here, better late than never, are some pictures from my life.

New highlights!

My wonderful classmate helped me pick up my new couch.
Uhh...I may have forgotten to tell him I live on the second floor :\

There she is, my gray/mauve beauty of a sectional couch!

Also, I am finally starting to get my studying act together. Granted, I have already missed 30 something drugs in pharmacology, but it's fine. That's what weekends are for, right? Like I said, I'm glad my studying bug kicked in better late than never.