Be careful what you ask for...

Well, we needed some rain.... but not this much! We really don't have the time to build an ark.... ;)

Thank God we chose a home that is near a drainage swail, and in a 500 year flood plane.

Look at our LAKE! (This normally has no water.) We have all kinds of birds flocking to this temporary lake....ducks, sea gulls, cranes.... Hopefully the mosquitoes won't be next! They are Jurasic sized on this part of Houston!!!

Yeah! I'm done!

It always feels good to get these daunting end-of-block tests over with!!!! PHEW!

It's been a pretty good day. A few of my classmates and I walked to a local cafe for lunch after our exams. It's always fun for us to get together after our exams and vent, complain, share stories, and make each other laugh! We hype each other up for the next rotations. We headed back to campus for orientations for the next block of rotations (Surgery & ER for me), and then a few of us headed over to a friends apartment for some mamosas & snacks....more stories, venting, and laughing. Good times! Hearing other peoples stories always makes me feel better about my negative experiences....there are always other students that have much WORSE experiences than I have had. As a matter of fact, I have been very blessed to have had mostly positive experiences through this clinical year. I really shouldn't complain.

So, now I am home & in my comfy clothes. I just want to lounge with the hubby tonight. Maybe eat some pizza & watch a movie. RELAXATION! No usage of the brain!

Sunday I leave for Victoria, which is like 2.5 hrs from home. I'll be there for 3.5 weeks for my general surgery rotation. Luckily, a fellow student of mine who is ther for the entire year, is allowing me to stay with her. I won't be working weekends, so I can come home. yeah! :) I'll be missing the hubby this month, but I am looking forward to the experience. It should be a good one.

Glad it's over

My Psych rotation was interesting, and I do feel like I learned a lot. However, overall I am disappointed with the exerience. I only spent a total of 10 days with the physician with him being on vacation and my 2 days of being ill. So, I feel like I got jipped on the full experience. Yet, there is a part of me that was glad I got to have another week of internal medicine with the other physician for that week. I didn't click very well with this physician. I was disappointed with several things. First of all, all he does is pharmacological management. There was almost no counseling. I personally feel there needs to be BOTH! Meds do a lot, but there needs to be counseling, too. Sure, some of the patients also see therapists...but many can't afford both. But unfortunately, I am learning that some people focus more on the bottom line....what makes the most money in the shortest amount of time. Man, that really irritates me. Life is not all about money!!!!! GRRR! There are certain physicians that seem to only care about the GREEN.

I really wanted to experience the counseling side of psych, too. I do feel like I learned a lot more about the most common psych illnesses and the meds that treat them. I also learned that psych is NOT my thing. I definitely don't want to do that full time. NO WAY!!!!

I'm so glad this rotation is almost over. I am so ready to move on to surgery!!! I hope it will be a better experience.

I could probably vent about a lot more things, but I won't....I would just sound like I am complaining....

Time to focus more on my upcoming exam....

Don't Miss Me Too Much....

I won't be blogging much this week. It is my last week of Psych and I have my "end-of-block" exam on Friday, so I need to be studying my booty off this week. Also, I move to Victoria on Sunday for my surgery rotation month, so I will be getting ready for that, too. (There may not be a lot of posting next month, either...)

I'll try to post more later on how my psych month went, and etc.

Lot's to do!!!!

Wish me luck on my Primary Care exam on FRIDAY!!!!!

My Celebrity Look-alikes

My cool celebrity look-alike collage from MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

It really is true. The hubby has been out of town all week on business and returned late last night. It was a little tough at the beginning of the week since I was still sick (and he felt bad having to leave), but I think these little absences from one another truly do make us appreciate each other more. I do think some time away from one another is good from time to time. I was thinking about that more since a fellow blogger posted a question about that topic. As much as we love being with each other so much and we are each other's best friend, it is healthy to have some time alone now and then. My Dad has been traveling ever since I was a little girl. My parents missed each other a lot when he was away on business, and learned to really appreciate the time they spent together. Perhaps it made their love for one another that much stronger??? I don't know. Anywho, it's hard when the hubby is away, but we are so excited when we see each other again. :o)

He's so sweet.... he even brought home a little souvenior, which he does from time to time when he is away on his longer trips. :) What a thoughtful hubby!

It's good to have him home now.

Ghetto-Fabulous

Fergie-Ferg is so ghetto-fabulous, isn't she! Sometimes I think she is so cool & pretty and other times she annoys me and I swear she looks like a drag-queen. Yet, I get her songs and Black-Eyed-Peas songs stuck in my head. (Yes, I can appreciate hip-hop from time-to-time...or whatever category she/they fit in...cuz you know, real hip-hop is dead...so they say...)

But how did she become so ghettolicious? Where did she learn this???? Can you believe that the woman above was this little girl that used to star on Kids Incorporated.

Then there is my girl, Gwen....

Oh, Gwen...why did you leave No Doubt???? And what is with those harajuku girls? They weird me out! I miss that rockin SKA "I'm Just A Girl" you were....those were the good days. You motivated me to have your rock hard bod!!! (Most of that motivation is gone...but not your fault) Remember these days.... Well, I still love ya...

Now I see why

I have been hearing several people talking about how much they love America's Next Top Model. I had never watched the show, had a desire to watch, and I still am not sure what station it regularly comes on. But today as I have been resting trying to do absolutely nothing but get healthy, I have been watching a marathon of it on VH1. I can't stop watching it! It's quite entertaining. I really like how they encourage the real person in each of them to come out. Sure, I do think they are all entirely too skinny and should eat a few burgers...oh, and stop smoking....but it is entertaining. Man, and some of them are tough! If those judges were talking to me like that, I would probably flip out & bawl like a baby. Janice Dickinson is very pretty, but man, she can be BRUTALLY honest. OUCH! One of her comments: "You look like a child prostitute." Nice.

So when is the regular show on? I might start watching.....

(not sure if I could get the hubby to get on board, though...and he will probably give me weird looks for wanting to watch it.....)

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Enjoy one for me!

Ugh!

I am soooo tired of getting sick. EVERY FREAKIN' month I get sick since I started rotations. I have been feeling woozy & sick to my stomach all day (but still drove in at 4:30am), AND then I went to have my annual well woman exam and my blood pressure and heart rate is up, I am running a fever of 101.3, AND I had a bad/scary experience with the procedure today...so now I am anxious for my results. (I know enough medicine to freak myself out.) They also took some blood to look for another reason for my blood pressure and HR being high....I am hoping it is just this stomach bug & pain causing that. Unfortunately, I am at home and can't get a hold of anyone to vent to. The hubby is on a plane home from a business trip, can't get a hold of the mom, and I think most of my buds are working.

Anyway, I just needed to vent some way. I just want to be healthy again!!! I am so frikkin' tired of not being well and not feeling well. ugh! :(

I seriously hope that when my clinicals end in 3.5 months and things slow down at school, I can catch up on my health!!!

UGH! :(

Childhood Memories...

First I want to say before you read this, NO YOU ARE NOT OLD. :)

Anywho, I saw this on a retro website, and it brought back good memories.

Jem!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ibXGO4L8ow

She was Truly OUTRAGEOUS and I so loved her. I even had a Jem/Jerrica doll that would dance and her earrings flashed. :) http://www.jemdolls.com/jemjerrica.html

Everyone is bipolar &/or has ADD, but there's nothing wrong with that!

I agree, there is absolutely nothing wrong with people who have bipolar disorder and/or some form of ADD/ADHD. They aren't crazy or bad people, sometimes they just need meds and/or couseling to function easier in everyday life. (Just as someone with high blood pressure needs meds to help stabilize their BP.) But I really don't believe that most people have these disorders. The reason I am discussing this matter is b/c a certain doctor that I have had contact with (not the psych doctor), is always stating how so-and-so patient is bipolar &/or probably ADD.....and "there is nothing wrong with that." (How very Jerry Seinfeld.) So is everyone is bipolar &/or have ADD? I asked him/her if they thought I was bipolar. "No, you aren't, you are too calm." Ok, well then later there was a conversation about ADD. As we were discussing it with a patient, I half jokingly said, "I wonder sometimes if I have a mild ADD." I have always had really good grades in school with mostly A's & have done well in all my jobs, but sometimes I do procrastinate, I am not the most organized person in the world (yet not a mess), and I do have to walk away from studying from time to time....or check email, read articles, blog, talk to the hubby/others, etc. But seriously, does this really mean I am ADD? Well, as I said this to the doc, he/she decides that maybe I should consider an ADD med to see if I will study better and do EVEN better in school. Yes, there are people who don't get diagnosed with ADD until they are adults. BUT me? ADD? I need meds? I am not convinced.... hmmm......

Dear Mr. Thatcher...

AN OPEN LETTER TO MR. JAMES THATCHER, BRAND MANAGER, PROCTER & GAMBLE

Dear Mr. Thatcher,

I have been a loyal user of your Always maxi pads for over 20 years, and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the Leak Guard Core or Dri-Weave absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and down the beach in tight, white shorts. But my favorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic. I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants.

Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? Ever suffered from"the curse"? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my "time of the month" isstarting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body. Just a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes to call "an inbred hillbilly with knife skills." Isn't the human body amazing? As brand manager in the feminine-hygiene division, you've no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customers' monthly visits from Aunt Flo. Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior. You surely realize it's a tough time for most women. In fact, only last week, my friend, Jennifer fought the violent urge to shove her husband's testicles into a George Foreman Grill just because he told her he thought Grey's Anatomy was written by drunken chimps. Crazy!

The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacsin capri pants. Which brings me to the reason for my letter. Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reachinside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi pad, andthere, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: "Have a Happy Period." Does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness, actual smiling, laughing happiness is possible during a menstrual period? Did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James? FYI, unless you're some kind of sick girl, there will never be anything "happy" about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house just so you don't march down to the local Walgreens armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory. For the love of God, pull your head out, man. If you just have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't it make more sense to say something that's actually pertinent, like "Put Down the Hammer" or "Vehicular Manslaughter Is Wrong"? Or are you just picking on us?

Sir, please inform your accounting department that, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flexi-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending craziness. And that's a promise I will keep. Always.

March 14th...

I was told by my smart mathematician friend that it is Pi Day.

Do you know what else March 14th is? I have heard men mention it before and heard the DJ on a morning radio show I listen to talk about it. It is Steak & @* day. Catch my drift? Google it if ya don't know....

Does anyone actually celebrate this (a retorical question, please don't tell me if YOU do)??? Do you know others that observe this made up holiday???? Do men expect women to make this a holiday for them?????

I guess some guy made it up b/c his Valentine's day was poopie and he felt a month later he should get a special day....but man, how specific can you get with what you want!!!

Silly boys!

Half days are appreciated...

I can catch up on some studying, errands, and maybe even a nap! YEAH!

:o)

Beautiful tribute to our troops

It gave me chills & brought a few tears to my eyes. It's beautiful.

http://www.flashdemo.net/gallery/wake/index.htm

Life's a Beach

Well, we booked our tickets over the weekend for our Memorial Day weekend trip to Pensacola, FL with ETK & Baby. I am already counting down the days to that relaxing weekend. The hubby & I are already excited about it!!! There is nothing like a nice, relaxing long weekend on a beautiful beach. We will be in much need of that by that time. Plus it will be a nice way to celebrate my birthday (belated), since we probably won't have much time to do so until then. I'll be on my ER rotation that month, so I'll be busy-busy up until our trip.

Anywho, we are excited & can't wait!!! I need a tan!!!! I need to read for fun!!!! I need some fresh air!!!! I need relaxation!!! We need to spend some time with good friends!!! ;)

Is it May yet? Are we there yet? No? How 'bout now? Now? Now?

:)

These make me happy!!!!

I love these.... They make me happy! :)

It's only 6:30pm? huh?

How is it that is only 6:30pm and I already am ready for bed? Oh yeah, it's because I woke up at 3:30am for my 5am report to the hospital. UGH! soooo....sssllllleeeeeeeppppp-eeeeeeeee. Well, the good thing about 13+ hr days is cramming in as much learning in one day as possible. However, I feel too sleepy to study when I get home after days like this.

This internal med doc that I am with this week is an older, funny guy. I clicked with him right away. He's really cool about letting the students do as much as we want (within legal boundaries). I kinda wish I could spend the rest of the month there to have more internal medicine experience, but I am sure my return to psych world next week will be good for my learning.

Can you believe I only have 3.5 months of clinicals left? WOW...that's scary!

Simon HAD to be outside with us...

NO, we DO NOT cage our cat. BUT yesterday he just HAD to be outside with us (he was YOWLING at the garage/kitchen door). Well we can't just have him wandering around in the streets since he is an indoor cat, soooooo....he got caged in Merlah's previous kennel......just for a little while.... heehee

I thought comparing the 2 lil' cars was, cute, too.

Our new toy

Let's Motor!

That's MINI's theme.....and we will be a motorin'!

Bye-Bye Civic....HELLO new & prettty MINI S convertible!!!

Here are some preliminary cell phone pics of our new prize.... I'll take better ones tomorrow....

Will he come home with one of these????

The hubby has been struggling and obsessing and "analyzing" (I threw that one in for you, tt) whether or not to get a new vehicle. He is currently driving his good ol' trusty Honda Civic EX, which has been a great commuter car. BUT, BUT is it time to move on? Is it time to get that FUN car he has been dying for? Only HE can decide. I have been telling him over and over that I will support whatever decision he makes (within reason...we really don't need a Porsche 911 Turbo at this point in time). Will it be another Civic or Accord coupe? Acura RSX or TSX? Will it be a Honda s2000? A Mazda MX-5? Or will it be the cute, unique, a little more practical convertible MINI Cooper S? Right now as I type this, he is in The Woodlands checking out a cute little convertible Cooper S.....but will he come home with it???? Only he can decide.

Will it be this.....

It sure would be cute with our '59 "Italian Sports car" when the restoration gets finished.....

Zzzzzzzzzzzz

The psychiatrist that I am currently working for is on his way to Mexico today for Spring Break vacation with his family, and so I have the day off. I slept in until 9am!!!! WOW! It's been a long time since I slept this late. It was soooo nice!!!!

Today and this weekend, unfortunately, I will have to be studying A LOT! My current doc gave me some video tapes to watch that are about current psych meds. So, I have to watch those, take notes, and "teach him something." I also have to prepare a little lecture on bipolar mood disorder so that he and I can give a lecture to some of the nurses at the psych hospital he rounds at. Oh, and I really have to start getting serious about my upcoming end-of-block exam.


Next week I will be working with a local internal medicine doctor so that I will still be getting some patient contact while my doc is out of town. I hear my hours will start at 5am doing hospital rounds in Clear Lake and end around 6ish at his clinic in Alvin (15 min from my house). So, I'll be getting up at 3:30am next week....ACK! As you may or may not know, I am NOT a morning person, although getting better. The getting better part is due to my handsome hubby, AKA Pups, AKA Mooseman, AKA Scoot (he hates this name) being a morning person....he JUMPS out of bed at like 6-7 on weekends!!!

I don't think anyone really likes getting up at 3:30am.....

I want to see this....

300 opens today!

WHOA! It looks awesome!!!

We are spiritual beings.....

I really like this story.

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. "Your son is here," she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened. Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement. The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile. He refused.

Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients. Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night. Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse.

While she did what she had to do, he waited. Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her. "Who was that man?" he asked. The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered. "No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life." "Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?" "I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed."

The next time someone needs you ... just be there. Stay.

WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE. WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

Some insight on Bipolar Mood Disorder

Here is the BASIC criteria that is used for Bipolar d/o:

These criteria are based on the specifications of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR).

Manic episodes are characterized by the following symptoms:
At least 1 week of profound mood disturbance is present, characterized by elation, irritability, or expansiveness.
Three or more of the following symptoms are present:
Grandiosity
Diminished need for sleep
Excessive talking or pressured speech
Racing thoughts or flight of ideas
Clear evidence of distractibility
Increased level of goal-focused activity at home, at work, or sexually
Excessive pleasurable activities, often with painful consequences
The mood disturbance is sufficient to cause impairment at work or danger to the patient or others.
The mood is not the result of substance abuse or a medical condition.

Hypomanic episodes are characterized by the following:
The patient has an elevated, expansive, or irritable mood of at least 4 days' duration.
Three or more of the following symptoms are present:
Grandiosity or inflated self-esteem
Diminished need for sleep
Pressured speech
Racing thoughts or flight of ideas
Clear evidence of distractibility
Psychomotor agitation at home, at work, or sexually
Engaging in activities with a high potential for painful consequences
The mood disturbance is observable to others.
The mood is not the result of substance abuse or a medical condition.

Major depressive episodes are characterized by the following:
For the same 2 weeks, the person experiences 5 or more of the following symptoms, with at least 1 of them being either a depressed mood or characterized by a loss of pleasure or interest:
Depressed mood
Markedly diminished pleasure or interest in nearly all activities
Significant weight loss or gain or significant loss or increase in appetite
Hypersomnia or insomnia
Psychomotor retardation or agitation
Loss of energy or fatigue
Decreased concentration ability or marked indecisiveness
Preoccupation with death or suicide; patient has either a plan or has attempted suicide
The symptoms cause significant impairment and distress.
The mood is not the result of substance abuse or a medical condition.

Mixed episodes are characterized by the following:
Persons must meet both the criteria for mania and major depression; the depressive event is required to be present for 1 week only.
The mood disturbance results in marked disruption in social or vocation function.
The mood is not the result of substance abuse or a medical condition.

Psychadelic Day

So, today was my first day of my psych rotation, and it went well. I saw a few hospitalized patients and a bunch in clinic. I'll definitely be learning a lot about major depression, bipolar mood disorders, ADHD, schizophrenia, etc. It should be an interesting month.....but long hours again. I expect 12-14 hour days. Today was about 12.5 (including my long drive to Kingwood).

I'll keep you up to date on how it goes....

Oh No They Dit'nt!!!!

Great, one more thing to become addicted to with Coach....

http://www.coach.com/fragrance/fragrance.aspx?categoryid=897

Gore not so Green, is he?

Interesting articles on Not-so-green-Gore...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/cq/craigcrawfordstrailmixforgoreitsnoteasybeinggreen

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2006-08-09-gore-green_x.htm

This blog is hilarious!

check it out! It's about movie stars and their fashion feaux pas.....

http://gofugyourself.typepad.com/

Lil' Sissies

Can you guess which one is me??? ;p

I'm so glad....

that I chose a Honda.....(and glad I didn't get stuck with that Volkswagon I first came home with.......!)

http://autos.aol.com/article/general/v2/_a/auto-reliability-survey/20070301102009990002

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2007-03-01-consumer-report-list_x.htm

Blah-Blah-Blah

Yes, it has been a few days since I have posted. My apologies to my VERY FEW avid readers. I know just how sad you are when I don't check in. ;p

Anywho, I had been quite busy this past month on my cardiology rotation. It was a difficult one, but I really enjoyed it & LEARNED so much. I could bore you with all the medical mumbo-jumbo of EKGs, heart catheterizations, hypertenstion (high blood pressure), congestive heart failure, coronary artery diease, MIs, arrythmias....blah-blah-blah....but I won't. I doubt I will go into cardiology, but man, I learned SO much and feel a lot more comfortable with it. I am much better at interpreting EKG strips and diagnosis/treatments for the various cardiac diseases. AND I have to tell you all this: STOP &/or DON'T smoke, watch your diets (decrease ALL sodium intake...chips, sodas, pickles, ketchup, soy sauce, table salt, preserved foods...), get some exercise, and PLEASE get regular check-ups. I saw some very, very sad situations (as I do every month). Ok, that's enough educationg/lecturing for now.

I have also been busy writing my paper on inflammatory bowel disease, which I turned in today. YEAH! It always feels so good finishing those & getting them turned in! I finished my rotation yesterday, and today had to watch other students' case study presentations. I have the rest of today through Sunday OFF! YEAH! Time to catch up on some sleep, cleaning, I SHOULD study, and I am really going to try to see my Woodlands friends this weekend. It's been too long since I have seen them! I miss those chickies!!!

Psychiatry (in & outpatient) is next! I am sure I will have all kinds of interesting stories during this month. :p

Ok, time to go eat & veg for a while.......