Update on Sarah's life...

Last week was busy with midterms, but I survived, again.  I passed.  Phew!  It's crazy to think that I have been in school for five months already.  Before I know it I'll be knee deep in rotations.  I did hardly any studying over the weekend, and it was SO nice.  I hung out with friends (old and new), painted a Halloween ceramic piece from As You Wish on at date, got my trash whipped in tennis, enjoyed shadowing a PA at a college football game, and was introduced to the world of video games, e.g., Street Fighter.  Quite the weekend!

My friends Jenny and Mike are engaged.  The big day is set for Jan 3, 2008.  Congrats.  I'm stoked for them!  I remember the first time Mike spoke and I leaned over to Jenny and said sometime like: "He seems like a great guy.  I think you should date him."  Jenny looked at me like I was crazy.  But after all the rollercoaster months they finally got on the same page of things and realized that I was right all along.  Yesterday J brought me the best Bath & Body flower smell: Cinnamon Spice - the whole house smells like crisp autumn time.  I love it!  When we lived together she would always buy smelly things, one for her and one for me!  Such a thoughtful friend.  AZ would not have been the same without her.

After my refreshing weekend, classes started up again.  Now it's time to focus on class presentations which are due in the next couple weeks.  Then we have OSCE's week 11 and finals just before Thanksgiving.  I better stay on top of things...I do not want to fall behind like before.  It is too hard to catch up and it sticks better if I read it over a few times, rather than once or twice. 

 Life is "fanfreakingtabulous" as my roommate, Natasha, would say!Â

Lab Day

Today was our injection and venipuncture lab.  We got to practice giving (and getting) shots and drawing blood.  This is all the practice we get until rotations.  Hopefully it was enough.  We practiced intradermal (just under the skin), subcutaneous (in the underlying dermis layer, but before the muscle), intramuscular (in the muscle), and then venipuncture in the antecubital area and anywhere you could palpate a vein.  Some are more painful than others.  Now I know what my patients are going through, and hopefully I'll be able to help them know what to expect.  I'm sure I need more practice - you want to help me out?  I'll be nice.  Promise!

Where does the time go...?

I am already half way through mid-terms.  Only four more to go.  I can't believe how fast it is going.  I hope I retain some of the information I am learning and that I can start pieces things together.  Less than 6 weeks until Mary Ann's due date.  I am stoked for the new baby.  Hopefully it will be an incentive for Rachel to move to AZ.  I know she'd love it here. :)

 What's new? My favorite band right now is Angels and Airwaves.  Love them.  Listening to them right now.  It is nice change of pace from all my reading.  The pages are endless.  I am starting to diagnose all of my own problems and learning which drugs will benefit myself.  I guess there is some good in my education.  I have a school crush - definitely excited to go to school these days.  If anything, it nice to think about someone new.  I played ultimate frisbee for the first time a couple weeks ago...that's fun!  Why have I not played before?  I am still trying to decide what to do for the holidays.  I figure as it gets closer I will make a more informative decision (hoping I can find a ride with someone). 

It has been dental interviews the past few weeks, and I am sure grateful that I have made it through that stress.  The suits, the two on one interview, the director interview, the exam, the group activity.  Wow!  That seems like so long ago.  It is all about passing these days.  I am glad everyone here is so encouraging.  They want us to become the best healthcare providers out there.

Always, just taking one day at a time.  Enjoying what life has to offer.Â

Don't get lazy...

Or else this is what happens!

School Challenges

It is HARD getting back into the swing of school things.  My attention span is shot after an hour of lecture (they are usually 3-4 hours), I am constantly tired, find any and every excuse to prolong the "staring at the computer screen" aka studying, and dislike the blasted heat.  I am already stressed, yet haven't found a funtional time valuing outlet.  Yesterday I made 3 dozen banana nut muffins and sushi rolls.  Today I took a nap and had a doctors appt.  At least it is just the first week & it is Labor Day on Monday.  I better be on a schedule by next week or else it is going to be a rough semester.

 I am hoping my lack of interest is from learning a lot of introductory material and that next weeks lectures will be of more value to me.  It is always hard for me to jump right into classes, especially 3 hours long classes, because by the end we have touched on many different topics.  We move right along to more indepth things without any time to process what was being taught.

Anyway, I think that is one of the challenges of graduate school - finding time to manage the overload of material gathering in my small brain.  School things will be falling out one side.

Educating patients on how to use prescribed meds!

School has begun!  My class load has doubled this semester, but I am only at 24 credit hours.  Each class is once a week, except Pharm which is twice.  There is good and bad in this because each class is like four hours long (my attention span does not last long) and it will be easy to put things off.  I cannot get in a bad habit of that.  But nice that each day will be different!

In Pharm, we are learning about medications, educating the patient on their disease/problem, evaluating benefits and risks, and encouraging the patient to take a needed medication.  Here is a clip from my class today.  I guess it would be wise for us as providers to educate the patient on how to use the medication properly.




 

My latest crush!

 

                             Andy Roddick

         Not only is he good looking, but he’s a fabulous tennis player.  I’d take him any day!