Here's my finals schedule for those of you who asked or are wondering...
Monday: Neuroanatomy written and lab written
Tuesday: Therapeutic Exercise written and lab practical
Thursday: Cardiopulm written and lab practical
Friday: Pathophysiology (which only 6 people passed last year before they added a major curve)
There you have it...wish me luck!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Halloween tips...
I read this article on Yahoo today about the 10 most disappointing treats to give out on Halloween. Some of them I agree with, but others I do not. In fact, I quite enjoy laffy taffy and smarties. Anyway, here are the 10 things they say you should avoid giving out on Halloween in order to ensure you have happy trick-or-treaters:
1. Toothbrushes
2. Raisins
3. Candy corn
4. Smarties and Necco Wafers
5. Dum Dum Lollipops
6. Apples
7. Tootsie Rolls
8. Wrapped Hard Candies
9. Laffy Taffy
10. Anything fun-sized
Anyway, I don't really have much else to say so that's why I'm writing about poor Halloween hand-outs. School is crazily hectic. Finals are next week, but we have 1 more test to get through on Friday before we even get to think about finals. And it's a MAJOR doozy! So if you don't hear from me for a while, that's why. Can't believe it's almost November! Eek!
1. Toothbrushes
2. Raisins
3. Candy corn
4. Smarties and Necco Wafers
5. Dum Dum Lollipops
6. Apples
7. Tootsie Rolls
8. Wrapped Hard Candies
9. Laffy Taffy
10. Anything fun-sized
Anyway, I don't really have much else to say so that's why I'm writing about poor Halloween hand-outs. School is crazily hectic. Finals are next week, but we have 1 more test to get through on Friday before we even get to think about finals. And it's a MAJOR doozy! So if you don't hear from me for a while, that's why. Can't believe it's almost November! Eek!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
my weekend escape...
I made a little weekend getaway up to my parents' house this weekend. Jeff came down from SLO and we had a little rendezvous for 2 days. It was nice to get away from here for a little while. I didn't get much studying done, but that's ok. I think my brain needed a break. I also got the chance to visit Jocelyn and Miss Abby.
She's such a sweet little angel, and I got to hold her while she took her 3 hour nap. How relaxing! I think I could have sat there for hours and hours more just watching her sleep, but for the sake of Jeff's sanity, I eventually gave her back. She makes a wide variety of facial expressions, even at less than 2 weeks old. Without planning it, Jocelyn put her in one of the onesies that I had given her for her shower. I can't wait to be a part of Abby's life as she grows up and share the love of Disneyland with her that her mother and I have shared together for many years. Oh how I love babies! :)
Well, I'm back at school now, and it's back to work. My last load of laundry is drying and I've been to the grocery store. Not much left to allow me to procrastinate. :) Hope everyone had a good weekend!
She's such a sweet little angel, and I got to hold her while she took her 3 hour nap. How relaxing! I think I could have sat there for hours and hours more just watching her sleep, but for the sake of Jeff's sanity, I eventually gave her back. She makes a wide variety of facial expressions, even at less than 2 weeks old. Without planning it, Jocelyn put her in one of the onesies that I had given her for her shower. I can't wait to be a part of Abby's life as she grows up and share the love of Disneyland with her that her mother and I have shared together for many years. Oh how I love babies! :)
Well, I'm back at school now, and it's back to work. My last load of laundry is drying and I've been to the grocery store. Not much left to allow me to procrastinate. :) Hope everyone had a good weekend!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
mystery solved!
These past 2 weeks we've been learning about musculoskeletal pathologies that we'll be dealing with in ortho settings. I was kind of excited to learn all this stuff because ortho is probably what I'll end up in. But, I was also hoping to finally figure out what the heck is wrong with my hip.
And the answer is...I have torn the labrum in my hip and have early signs of osteoarthritis. While I'm not exactly all too thrilled about the OA starting, I'm at least satisfied to know what the heck is wrong with me. Answers, no matter what they are, are always good things to have. The funny thing was that when I told our professor (good 'ol Dr. Wong) what I had figured out, the first thing he said was..."You were a dancer...am I right?" Man that guy is smart!
So for a little show and tell of the knowledge I've recently gained...
The labrum is some cartilage that lines the joint, providing stability and cushioning while increasing the contact surface area. Labrum tears are common with activities involving repetitive pivoting movements or repetitive hip flexion...can you say Irish dancing??? They also are usually not picked up on MRI's, no matter how grueling and painful they are when you get the dye injected, depending on the location of where they occur. Especially where mine probably is (in the front of my hip), there are too many structures to go through, and you need the hip moving in order to expose it...not an option when performing an MRI. Instead, diagnostic ultrasound is needed, a machine many clinicians do not know how to use well enough to find the tear. It is also common with these patients to have seen multiple health care providers without any success...this is starting to sound all too familiar! Finally, there is clicking/clunking in the hip and pain comes on with any activity. If the tear is bad enough, they will perform surgery and remove/repair the damaged tissue, and option that I am not all that interested in at the moment. Anyway, if you want to know more you can google it. I don't want to bore you all.
Now for the OA. OA in the hip is often related to a previous injury or trauma (see above). It also is tied in with the weather, which if you have been around me, you know that I can tell you when the weather is changing b/c my hip hurts like crazy and is swollen. There are lots of other signs, which most of which I don't have...yet. Hence the early stages of OA thing.
So while this was kind of a yay-boo situation, I'm glad to know what's wrong with me. This has been the mysterious problem since my senior year of HS, and it's been driving me nuts that no one could figure out what's wrong with me. Without an official diagnostic ultrasound, I can't say 100% sure that I have a torn labrum, but with the amount of symptoms that are a perfect match, I'm saying that's what it is. And of course, I don't know how to fix this yet...that comes later. :) So stay tuned for how I'm going to fix myself!
And the answer is...I have torn the labrum in my hip and have early signs of osteoarthritis. While I'm not exactly all too thrilled about the OA starting, I'm at least satisfied to know what the heck is wrong with me. Answers, no matter what they are, are always good things to have. The funny thing was that when I told our professor (good 'ol Dr. Wong) what I had figured out, the first thing he said was..."You were a dancer...am I right?" Man that guy is smart!
So for a little show and tell of the knowledge I've recently gained...
The labrum is some cartilage that lines the joint, providing stability and cushioning while increasing the contact surface area. Labrum tears are common with activities involving repetitive pivoting movements or repetitive hip flexion...can you say Irish dancing??? They also are usually not picked up on MRI's, no matter how grueling and painful they are when you get the dye injected, depending on the location of where they occur. Especially where mine probably is (in the front of my hip), there are too many structures to go through, and you need the hip moving in order to expose it...not an option when performing an MRI. Instead, diagnostic ultrasound is needed, a machine many clinicians do not know how to use well enough to find the tear. It is also common with these patients to have seen multiple health care providers without any success...this is starting to sound all too familiar! Finally, there is clicking/clunking in the hip and pain comes on with any activity. If the tear is bad enough, they will perform surgery and remove/repair the damaged tissue, and option that I am not all that interested in at the moment. Anyway, if you want to know more you can google it. I don't want to bore you all.Now for the OA. OA in the hip is often related to a previous injury or trauma (see above). It also is tied in with the weather, which if you have been around me, you know that I can tell you when the weather is changing b/c my hip hurts like crazy and is swollen. There are lots of other signs, which most of which I don't have...yet. Hence the early stages of OA thing.
So while this was kind of a yay-boo situation, I'm glad to know what's wrong with me. This has been the mysterious problem since my senior year of HS, and it's been driving me nuts that no one could figure out what's wrong with me. Without an official diagnostic ultrasound, I can't say 100% sure that I have a torn labrum, but with the amount of symptoms that are a perfect match, I'm saying that's what it is. And of course, I don't know how to fix this yet...that comes later. :) So stay tuned for how I'm going to fix myself!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Congrats Jocelyn & Shaun!
I just got word that my good friend Jocelyn had her baby on Wednesday. I'm so happy and excited for her and I can't wait to meet Miss Abigail Denise. Auntie Kenzi will have to make a visit sometime soon! Congratulations Jocelyn...I'm so happy that she's here safe and sound. You're a mommy now! :)
Thursday, October 2, 2008
changes
It's October now and I feel like October, moreso than September, is the official beginning of fall. The season has changed, the weather is changing (or should be anyway...somehow it's still 100ยบ), football has returned, and Christmas decorations are already on sale. So, with all the changes going on around me, I've decided to make some changes with my life and myself.
First off, I decided to change the layout of my blog. A waste of time some of you may think, but when I picked the layout originally I felt like I was settling for one that I thought was OK from the selections provided instead of one I actually liked. So after a long week of tests (I took my practical today), I needed a little no-brain-effort-required downtime and started searching through the endless sea of templates you can download on various websites. I think this one suits me more. It looks like a binder or notebook, which I have way too many overflowing ones scattered around my room, it's more my personality and colors (although I do like turquoise/teal), and when I saw this one it kind of reminded me of me. Anyway, I hope you like the new look. I might try changing it more often because it's very refreshing...like cleaning out your closet...another thing I should get around to, but probably won't for quite some time.
Second, I've decided to try to not allow negativity consume my life. Difficult, yes, especially with the constant stress that I am under and never-ending lack of sleep. But I think it is a change that I need to make in order to keep my motivation up. The other day I was overworked, under-slept, and frustrated. To be honest, I was on the verge of a complete breakdown. However, Dr. Wong (our therex professor) reminded us that this is a learning process, that many classes have gone before us and taken this same test, and last year's class had a 100% first-time pass rate on the board exams. The problem I had with that test was that I could get many questions down to 2 choices, both legitimate answers, but could not pick the better answer of the two. They are trying to get us to think about what is the best choice in a large pool of excellent choices. Dr. Wong informed us, sadly, that the rest of our careers are going to be exactly like that...having to pick which treatment option will be better for that patient and having to figure out which one is the best choice. We are learning, and they are shaping us into wonderful clinicians who constantly amaze other therapists out in the field. It's a painful road that we have to go down, and unfortunately, there is no detour. However, it is the end result that we need to focus on, instead of the little mistakes we make along the way.
Along those lines, I am going to try to believe more in myself and my capabilities. No, I'm not the top student in the class, but I'm in this program, I'm earning my doctorate at 23 years old, and I've earned the right to be here. It's ok to not be perfect (a lesson many people in my class need to learn), it's what I take from my mistakes that will make a better and bigger person. Everyone has different strengths. So I can't regurgitate every piece of information. What I can do, is build an amazing relationship with each and every one of my patients, and provide them with the best care that I am able to give them. And it's about time that I start having a little faith in my knowledge and skills!
Finally, I've decided to try to make more time for me. How I'm going to do this, I'm not really sure. Whether it involves going for a walk, no matter how hot it is outside and how tired I am, or simply watching an episode of Ellen with a Diet Coke in hand. This program is taking over my life, and while it is important to constantly be keeping up with my work, I need to remember to take care of myself. I can't afford to be so burnt out that I can't function. So I'm moving myself up in the priority list, at least one notch anyway.
These are little changes that I am going to start implementing immediately. Really only three things, although they are going to be big challenges for me. Besides, too much change would be more than I could handle. Oh wait, I'm believing in my strengths. So I just want to really focus on these things. Besides, too much change would eat into my "me time". :)
Anyway, I hope you like the new look of my blog. I hope that you still find this interesting. If nothing else, it gives me a place to vent. Maybe this will inspire some of you to make some changes in your life as well. Our lives and our bodies are well-oiled machines, but even the finest craftsmanship requires a good tune-up every now and then. And with that, it is time to start preparing for next weeks' multiple tests...possibly with a Diet Coke within reach.
First off, I decided to change the layout of my blog. A waste of time some of you may think, but when I picked the layout originally I felt like I was settling for one that I thought was OK from the selections provided instead of one I actually liked. So after a long week of tests (I took my practical today), I needed a little no-brain-effort-required downtime and started searching through the endless sea of templates you can download on various websites. I think this one suits me more. It looks like a binder or notebook, which I have way too many overflowing ones scattered around my room, it's more my personality and colors (although I do like turquoise/teal), and when I saw this one it kind of reminded me of me. Anyway, I hope you like the new look. I might try changing it more often because it's very refreshing...like cleaning out your closet...another thing I should get around to, but probably won't for quite some time.
Second, I've decided to try to not allow negativity consume my life. Difficult, yes, especially with the constant stress that I am under and never-ending lack of sleep. But I think it is a change that I need to make in order to keep my motivation up. The other day I was overworked, under-slept, and frustrated. To be honest, I was on the verge of a complete breakdown. However, Dr. Wong (our therex professor) reminded us that this is a learning process, that many classes have gone before us and taken this same test, and last year's class had a 100% first-time pass rate on the board exams. The problem I had with that test was that I could get many questions down to 2 choices, both legitimate answers, but could not pick the better answer of the two. They are trying to get us to think about what is the best choice in a large pool of excellent choices. Dr. Wong informed us, sadly, that the rest of our careers are going to be exactly like that...having to pick which treatment option will be better for that patient and having to figure out which one is the best choice. We are learning, and they are shaping us into wonderful clinicians who constantly amaze other therapists out in the field. It's a painful road that we have to go down, and unfortunately, there is no detour. However, it is the end result that we need to focus on, instead of the little mistakes we make along the way.
Along those lines, I am going to try to believe more in myself and my capabilities. No, I'm not the top student in the class, but I'm in this program, I'm earning my doctorate at 23 years old, and I've earned the right to be here. It's ok to not be perfect (a lesson many people in my class need to learn), it's what I take from my mistakes that will make a better and bigger person. Everyone has different strengths. So I can't regurgitate every piece of information. What I can do, is build an amazing relationship with each and every one of my patients, and provide them with the best care that I am able to give them. And it's about time that I start having a little faith in my knowledge and skills!
Finally, I've decided to try to make more time for me. How I'm going to do this, I'm not really sure. Whether it involves going for a walk, no matter how hot it is outside and how tired I am, or simply watching an episode of Ellen with a Diet Coke in hand. This program is taking over my life, and while it is important to constantly be keeping up with my work, I need to remember to take care of myself. I can't afford to be so burnt out that I can't function. So I'm moving myself up in the priority list, at least one notch anyway.
These are little changes that I am going to start implementing immediately. Really only three things, although they are going to be big challenges for me. Besides, too much change would be more than I could handle. Oh wait, I'm believing in my strengths. So I just want to really focus on these things. Besides, too much change would eat into my "me time". :)
Anyway, I hope you like the new look of my blog. I hope that you still find this interesting. If nothing else, it gives me a place to vent. Maybe this will inspire some of you to make some changes in your life as well. Our lives and our bodies are well-oiled machines, but even the finest craftsmanship requires a good tune-up every now and then. And with that, it is time to start preparing for next weeks' multiple tests...possibly with a Diet Coke within reach.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)