Girl in the Bubble

It's been a rather rough week...

At least Thanksgiving was fabulous! (And delicious!) It seems I'm never sure whether or not it's worth it to go all the way back to Indiana for a short period of time, but I always end up glad I did. Even the drive wasn't that bad - aside from holiday traffic on the turnpike holding me up an extra hour. I hate that that highway is the only convenient way to get across the state. And it's even more irritating that it's a toll road, so I'm paying to wait in a long line of cars with no feasible alternate route.

By the way, it turns out that a larger carrier does not make Kitty feel any better about car trips.

Anyhow, a short six hours after returning to my apartment, I woke up in the wee morning hours with a alimentary canal-cleansing stomach flu. Still don't know how and where I got it. Most of Monday was spent in and out of sleep. Tuesday was the same, but without the purging. I would have recovered nicely, but for the migraine that set in Tuesday night and carried well into Wednesday, keeping me from sleeping. It was a pretty awful night. It took me awhile to realize that my neighbor's TV wasn't actually getting louder; it was just gradually causing me more pain. Thursday I finally went to class, but still felt pretty nauseous and gross. I just today got to the point where I'm almost actually eating normally....

Like I said -- rough week. Every time we start a new segment, I tell myself that I'm going to hit the ground running and stay on top of all the material. I never do. But at least this time I have a good reason.

Registered for the USMLE Step 1. (Can you believe it -- I've been at it this long and this is only step one?) Mark your calendars for May 4th, people! And don't expect me at any event between now and then, because -- if all goes according to plan -- I will be deep within my study cave.

Alisha & I plastic-insulated our windows this week... which is good, because they're pretty drafty. (Still a little. Need caulk.) It's really rather fun, like living in a bubble of saran wrap. Kitty's not a fan, though... Hope he doesn't find he can destroy it with his claws; there's a finite number of times I'm willing to re-insulate a window...

Post-Pulmonary

Good news - I have passed cardiac and pulmonary pathology.Went a little crazy with the final - apologies to Mom for not talking to her all week. I wish the weekend were longer... Had some intensive retail therapy with Alisha yesterday -- plus a nature walk in Wissahickon Park. Aaaand I have new sweaters for the season!

Not happy that winter's coming up... The idea of several layers of clothes, ice on my windshield, and sunset at 4:00 just doesn't excite me. And, of course, I'll have to deal with three months of it . . .

Not sure yet if I'll be home for Thanksgiving... Thinking I will -- but I'm not sure what to do about the cat. I'd rather fly than drive, but I'm not sure if it'd be worse to leave him alone for four days or to put him through a plane ride... Well, I still have a couple weeks to figure it out.

Next block is renal/endocrine. I like that there's less physics involved. Plus, these were the systems I did especially well in last year, so that bodes well... Need to get working on Step 1 preparation soon... The exam isn't until May, but it's going to require months and months of studying..... Maybe if I ignore it it'll go away. :)

Physics: My Old Nemesis...

Almost as evil as stairs.

Survived Microbiology. On to Pathophysiology. First stop: the heart. Not that cardiology doesn't interest me, but it just involves so much physics!! Pressure, flow, cross-sectional area... It's too much for a Monday morning. I was SO not ready to come back to class today... I somehow lost ten minutes this morning -- or maybe I just thought I got up earlier than I actually did.

Ugly story regarding those tests last week....

Good news first: I definitely passed the final. No grade yet on the shelf exam. My physical conditions again had horrible timing... The night before the final, I somehow exacerbated the chronic cramp in my left shoulder, and it became an unbearable spasm radiating up into my neck. Didn't sleep at all that night (this is becoming a horrible pattern for Wednesday nights), was glad that I didn't wake up Alisha with my pained yelps. (It was pretty ugly at some points.) When she woke up & found me, she convinced me to go to the ER before the exam. We'd been told before that if we just said we were med students, they'd practically fall over themselves to help us. As it turned out, I had to be a bit pushy -- which I hate, especially since the nurse seemed to think I was quite an annoyance -- in order to even get out of there in time for the exam. The only thing that got me through the exam is acetaminophen with codeine, leftover from a tooth infection. (Amazing that it didn't put me to sleep!) Once the test was over, I filled the prescription for a muscle relaxant - the one thing I got out of the ER visit - and SLEPT like the dead!! Didn't even manage to study for the next exam. Woke up early the next day, and found my pain to be incredibly tolerable -- SUCH relief to have an almost-normal range of motion again!

Still have pain in my back, it's just slightly worse than it normally is. Will see my doctor about it this week, whenever I manage to find the time. And it turns out I'm allergic to the muscle relaxant they prescribed me. That would figure.

The weekend: I decided I deserved some relaxation, so I went to redeem this voucher I'd bought for month-long access to "spa services." Arrived at the place to find that it was pretty much just a tanning salon with a few extra "spa" machines... Not. Pleased. Felt that walking out would be too rude, and since I'd already paid for it I got a "facial" (misted in the face), a steaming, and a spray tan. Was so upset that I'd spent $50 on orange skin (that stinks, and will probably give me adenocarcinoma in 20 years) that I wrote an email expressing my dissatisfaction. A refund would make this better, but I'm not expecting it.

Need to get with it again! It's going to be a full sort of week...

Bugs 'n Drugs

Final in Microbiology on Thursday - mostly on viruses & anti-viral meds. Shelf exam on Friday, including all of Microbiology plus Immunology, worth 20% of my block grade. (Honestly, that's the exam that scares me more.) About a week before any exam, my brain starts getting a little soft and mushy, not unlike oatmeal. It's all part of the process. So, my apologies to anyone I've been unintentionally ignoring.

Had a sleep-deprived EEG this Thursday, in an effort to figure out what exactly is going on inside my head. Is it strange that throughout the EEG (in addition to the night before and the long day following), my biggest fear was that no useful information would come of it? The sleep deprivation wasn't really hard, but it certainly wasn't enjoyable - and I'll be pretty irritated if I did it for nothing.

Is it weird that I really wanna go? It's 6 days before another final exam... But when else will I be living this close to D.C.? And if I took Amtrak, I could probably study on the way... It'll depend entirely on how block 8 (cardiac & pulmonary pathology) goes for me.

Back to bugs & drugs...

Addendum: The Ankle

So I twisted my ankle on Monday, directly after the midterm exam. I was actually descending the stairs in the lecture hall on my way to turn in my exam when I tripped. My mistake was paying such close attention to the final check of my bubble sheet that I wasn't watching my feet. Anyhow, I tend to have bad ankles. Every now and then I'll hurt my left one and it'll be super-painful for a few minutes, then I'm fine. The professor saw me fall and came over to offer to help me up. I turned him down and insisted I was okay; he returned to his table, looking at me in a confused sort of way, as though he was thinking, "If you're okay, why are you still sitting there?"

Ack - it was so embarrassing I nearly cried. The worst part was being repeatedly asked if I was okay (although, of course, everyone just meant to show concern), even by people I swear I've never spoken to. The next-to-worst part was having to sit there for five minutes before I could walk. The next-to-next-to-worst part is that my ankle is STILL sore, specifically when I move it in certain ways. There's no acute pain, really... just slight aching sometimes, and a pang now and then when I get into my car. (I think it's the inversion that does it.)

I shouldn't have been TOO embarrassed... Quite a few students were already done with their exams, and about half of those who hadn't turned theirs in yet were too focused to notice my fall. And by now, it's yesterday's news.

BEAUTIFUL weather!! Going to take the cat out for the first time since we got back to Philly... I shouldn't, because he'll be bugging me eternally and making mad dashes whenever the door opens. But he could use the stimulation.

Microbiology

I would sum up the seventh block of med school thusly: So much to know about what you can't see. I swear I must have at least a dozen of these infections; when you hear about them every day, it's hard not to be a little paranoid...

Survived bacteria and parasites, moved on to viruses. I was really lucky that I took Parasitology in undergrad; otherwise I would've had a much rougher time with the midterm. (I told a peer that I'd already had all the parasites we talked about... His eyes got large and he asked me if I'd had a rectal prolapse. At this point, I had to define my use of the word "had.") I caught a minor cold and felt pretty run down in the days before the exam, so I wasn't exactly at my studying peak. Still did fairly well though!

It seems that when I get stressed out, it's rarely because of school. I'll be frantically trying to figure out my health insurance or get my phone fixed, or waiting for my student loan funds to come in (only a month late, so far...), but school usually seems like more of an inconvenience on the side. Except, of course, within a week of an exam. Then school becomes my entire life, and nothing else really exists.

Not too much has actually changed in my world... Tried to get Kitty to eat home-cooked cat food (boiled chicken breast, sardines, hard-boiled egg, parsley, & a multivitamin); he wasn't a fan. As a result, the food sat in his bowl for extended periods and the entire apartment ended up reeking of sulfur and fish. Decided to put an end to that. Also, the weight he lost (which I assumed was from running around outside all summer) was apparently due to a tapeworm, which was eradicated last week. (To be fair, it was due to running around outside...) On the brighter side, he's been doing well with our daily brushing routine (on the evenings I remember to do it!)... He submits to a brushing, I encourage him to inspect his new feline toothbrush, and I reward him with treats for good behavior. The problem is, he always goes straight for the treats and is loathe to be dissuaded. (Luckily, he can't break into the tin I keep them in!) And he bites when I try to brush his belly.

Got to video chat with Mahlon & Layla last week... I was thrilled that Layla remembered my name (seeing as last spring she was afraid of me, and over the summer she consistently called me Auntie Lila), and Mahlon "slimed" me through the computer. Ah, I miss those kids...

Time goes simultaneously quickly and slowly; it's a really strange phenomenon. Perhaps because so much tends to happen in one day, it seems like much more time is elapsing than actually is.

Staying in school until 5 today (my biggest beef with this is the end-of-day traffic!); I have a session at 3 to practice my skills in the pulmonary and abdominal exams. Purchased a couple knee-length skirts especially for "Doctor Dress-Up"... Very professional, look good with button-down shirts. Forgot to trim my nails, though they're not very long at all... Hopefully I won't injure anyone when palpating their bowels. Filed them down a bit -- so now they're at an acceptable length, but I'm covered in white dust.

More opportunities to practice clinical skills this weekend. After my OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Exam) at the end of last year showed me to be slightly deficient, I set up a day to shadow my mentor and practice on actual patients. Of course, my mentor is a pediatrician who works in inpatient. It's hard to interview toddlers, and I don't want to bother anyone who's seriously ill with my clumsy physical skills.... So I'll probably end up working with asthmatic teenagers. The goal is to practice, practice, practice!!!

"Hey, kid -- lie down and lemme feel your liver!"

Return to the Nest

Not ready for classes to start up. Then again -- I don't have much of a choice . . . Monday will be an 8-5er.

Spent a large part of the summer forgetting everything I learned over the past year. (Well-- not everything.) It just seemed to go so quickly . . . which is sad, considering it was my last extended vacation for quite awhile. I wish I'd done a little more that was medical-related -- I can't say I'm not jealous of my peers who delivered babies in Ghana -- but I'm also really glad I spent some good quality time with friends and family. Totally worth it.

The drive back to Philly wasn't as bad as the drive to Indiana... Kitty behaved himself really well -- mostly. Aside from nearly jumping out the window at a stoplight -- I had to yank him back by a hind leg -- he mainly just napped in his carrier. (First time I've seen him enter his carrier voluntarily... Can't say I wasn't shocked.)

It's time to get back to work. First stop: infectious disease.

Scrubs & Snow Boots

Such is my weekend. Actually, the only time I left the apartment was to shadow doctors in the emergency department last night. Definitely glad I brought the boots; scrubs are rather thin and not at all water-resistant. Didn't see too many interesting things in the ER... It was definitely good to get exposure though. An assault (which required stitches), respiratory distress, burns, a couple falls due to the ice... Nothing incredibly traumatic. I suppose everyone was trying to stay home. The streets were awful, even twelve hours after it'd stopped snowing!! Officially, Philadelphia got 28.5 inches throughout Friday & Saturday. Phrase of the night: GO BLAZER!

It's been a bit of a rollercoaster week.... But I made it through, of course; I always do. Been unable to fully shake this migraine, though; it's been going on for a few days now... Sometimes I can get the headache aspect under control, but I still feel nauseated and sickly.

Monday itself was very up-and-down. The furnace wasn't working in the lecture hall - and we had six hours of class there. (This was almost a blessing, as I realized upon getting to school that I'd forgotten to wear deodorant!) Then a water main broke, which means we had to travel to an adjacent building just to use the bathroom. Because of electives, it was a long Monday; didn't get home until nearly 6. Was immediately cheered to receive a large package from Jenni, stuffed full of all kinds of goodies. Called to thank her, and found myself in a really good mood. Just as I was sitting down to eat, Mom called to say it was time for Toby to go...

So, obviously, it turned into a rough sort of night. When I left Indiana a month ago, I forced myself to acknowledge the fact that I might not see Toby or Meg again; still, I wasn't expecting to say good-bye that day. Bubba set me up on video chat so I could at least see him. I suppose I was there about as much as I could be...

Still sad about it. I haven't had to lose a pet in quite a while. I do remember that the best thing to do is to keep going. Which, during med school, is usually the only option anyhow.

Spent last week on renal. This week, we've moving into GI. I think there's an entire lecture on defecation . . . Already need to start worrying about the final.

Will try to reset my sleep schedule tonight; tomorrow may be another long Monday... Early to bed.

PS: Go horse.

January

Attempted to post a video blog. Failed beautifully, then put off updating for another week. Maybe another day...

Winter break was nice... Not nearly long enough, though. They only gave us two weeks for Christmas -- which barely covered the span between Christmas and New Year's. No MLK Day off, no President's Day off, no spring break until the end of March. *sigh* On the plus side, Niles will be visiting in mid-February, and Jenni will be visiting in the beginning of March. (YAY!!)

Back to the old grind - it was a little rough to readjust at first. Also, we had a midterm two weeks after we got back from winter break, which was a bit of a challenge since I'd forgotten most of the material from before the break. But I passed it (with some wiggle room), and I've been doing a bit better this past week.

Physiology would be wonderful if it weren't for the Physics...

Mourning the loss of my cuticle clipper... No idea where it went.

Lunch today is a pre-packaged Asian noodle dish. (Reeeaaallly missing Anderson brunch right about now.) My diet could be worse -- but any dish where your vegetables come freeze-dried in a square-inch-sized mylar packet . . . no one yell at me! A girl has got to eat! And I have been cooking a bit more lately. Stir fry, chili, taco salad...

On the subject of food - I need to go grocery shopping. (It seems like I always need to go grocery shopping, unless I've just been.) For some reason in Pennsylvania, there is a legal limit on the price of milk -- not the upper limit, but the lower one. I honestly think it's state law that no one can sell 1% milk for less than $3.38 -- more for 2%, less for skim. The dairy farmers must be hurting . . .

I'm off to study!! Those mines aren't going to sweep themselves!