Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Full of Shit
I'm so full of shit sometimes. I just thought I would publicly acknowledge that I am fully aware of that. But it's fun to be me!!
What a Really Good Day is Like...
Dear F&F,
I had a really good day today. In honor of my day, I have composed a poem:
I really love the Human Race;
I check sensation to its face;
I can assess the way it walks;
And listen to the way it talks;
And when I'm introduced to one,
I like to think, "Feel Better, Hon!"
Take that.
Anyway, today was flea-bite-less (so far). I went to my clinical skills exam this morning and my partner and I only got minor, trivial feedback -- which is always a good sign. I think we are definitely improving. We're faster and we miss fewer things (like we were saying earlier, "Lungs? She has lungs? Oh, crap.") And then we decided, on the spur of the moment, to go to a Grand Rounds about H1N1, colloquially known as The Swine Flu...
Speaking of which, here's a really politically incorrect joke that my mom's friend came up with. I've modified it slightly:
Naysayer (in November): A black man as President? Sure, when pigs fly.
Retort (in April): Well, he's been in office 100 days. Lo and behold...swine flu.
So anyway, here's what I learned at Grand Rounds. The H1N1 is similar to other swine flus in severity, except that this one is transmissible from person-to-person. The major mode of transmission is droplet, so that means being within 6 ft of where someone with the flu was standing when they coughed or sneezed. Handwashing has not been shown to help, except that it decreases your risk of catching other stuff that will tax your immune system. The H1N1 has not been particularly virulent thus far, but we're afraid that it will follow the pattern of the 1918-19 Pandemic: mild in spring, horribly virulent in winter -- attacking healthy people, too. If this did come to pass, than those people exposed now will have some protection come winter, but the rest of us will have no immunity unless we are vaccinated. The vaccine is being produced. Priority for the vaccine will be to those considered necessary to keep society running, whatever that means.
So far, the epicenter is supposed to be Mexico, where there have been 590 cases and 25 deaths. We aren't sure why the deaths in Mexico also occurred in healthy young people -- it may partially be lack of care in time, or other factors. In the US, there have been 226 confirmed cases and only 1 death (a toddler). In the Bay Area, there has been one case each in San Francisco and Berkeley. The only way to confirm a case of H1N1 is by RT-PCR -- the rapid influenza test does not pick it up.
Right now, they are recommending self-isolation for 7 days and immediate medical attention if you're sick with respiratory symptoms + a fever, or GI symptoms + respiratory symptoms. Don't take Tamiflu unless you're exposed to a sick person, or are a baby, older adult, or pregnant. So far, the H1N1 has not been as lethal as regular flu, which takes 20-40,000 lives per year when you take pneumonia, one of the major complications, into account.
And don't panic. Chances are good that you will be okay.
So that was fun, and we got to have lunch with the doctors. There was an interesting man there (a surgeon, I believe) who thinks it's all a conspiracy to prepare us for bioterrorism. Whatever! Anyway, we wouldn't know that until after the fact even if it were true. Needless to say, I'm hoping we don't have a pandemic on our hands.
Then I went and wrote a paper just in time to turn it in, which always provides a small adrenaline rush. Hmmm. I might be a procrastination junkie; that's not healthy. I got an email saying I got accepted to a position I wanted. And I got to hang with my med school friends a bunch (one of whom gave me a FREE BOOK!) before coming home to my darling cat. That cat is pretty damn adorable -- I think she lowers my blood pressure about ten points when I see her. It's seven thirty and the sun is still out! I love spring!!
Sigh. Anyway. Now I have lots of papers to read and two clinical skills write-ups to write. Maybe I'll have chocolate for dinner. It's a beautiful day!
I had a really good day today. In honor of my day, I have composed a poem:
I really love the Human Race;
I check sensation to its face;
I can assess the way it walks;
And listen to the way it talks;
And when I'm introduced to one,
I like to think, "Feel Better, Hon!"
Take that.
Anyway, today was flea-bite-less (so far). I went to my clinical skills exam this morning and my partner and I only got minor, trivial feedback -- which is always a good sign. I think we are definitely improving. We're faster and we miss fewer things (like we were saying earlier, "Lungs? She has lungs? Oh, crap.") And then we decided, on the spur of the moment, to go to a Grand Rounds about H1N1, colloquially known as The Swine Flu...
Speaking of which, here's a really politically incorrect joke that my mom's friend came up with. I've modified it slightly:
Naysayer (in November): A black man as President? Sure, when pigs fly.
Retort (in April): Well, he's been in office 100 days. Lo and behold...swine flu.
So anyway, here's what I learned at Grand Rounds. The H1N1 is similar to other swine flus in severity, except that this one is transmissible from person-to-person. The major mode of transmission is droplet, so that means being within 6 ft of where someone with the flu was standing when they coughed or sneezed. Handwashing has not been shown to help, except that it decreases your risk of catching other stuff that will tax your immune system. The H1N1 has not been particularly virulent thus far, but we're afraid that it will follow the pattern of the 1918-19 Pandemic: mild in spring, horribly virulent in winter -- attacking healthy people, too. If this did come to pass, than those people exposed now will have some protection come winter, but the rest of us will have no immunity unless we are vaccinated. The vaccine is being produced. Priority for the vaccine will be to those considered necessary to keep society running, whatever that means.
So far, the epicenter is supposed to be Mexico, where there have been 590 cases and 25 deaths. We aren't sure why the deaths in Mexico also occurred in healthy young people -- it may partially be lack of care in time, or other factors. In the US, there have been 226 confirmed cases and only 1 death (a toddler). In the Bay Area, there has been one case each in San Francisco and Berkeley. The only way to confirm a case of H1N1 is by RT-PCR -- the rapid influenza test does not pick it up.
Right now, they are recommending self-isolation for 7 days and immediate medical attention if you're sick with respiratory symptoms + a fever, or GI symptoms + respiratory symptoms. Don't take Tamiflu unless you're exposed to a sick person, or are a baby, older adult, or pregnant. So far, the H1N1 has not been as lethal as regular flu, which takes 20-40,000 lives per year when you take pneumonia, one of the major complications, into account.
And don't panic. Chances are good that you will be okay.
So that was fun, and we got to have lunch with the doctors. There was an interesting man there (a surgeon, I believe) who thinks it's all a conspiracy to prepare us for bioterrorism. Whatever! Anyway, we wouldn't know that until after the fact even if it were true. Needless to say, I'm hoping we don't have a pandemic on our hands.
Then I went and wrote a paper just in time to turn it in, which always provides a small adrenaline rush. Hmmm. I might be a procrastination junkie; that's not healthy. I got an email saying I got accepted to a position I wanted. And I got to hang with my med school friends a bunch (one of whom gave me a FREE BOOK!) before coming home to my darling cat. That cat is pretty damn adorable -- I think she lowers my blood pressure about ten points when I see her. It's seven thirty and the sun is still out! I love spring!!
Sigh. Anyway. Now I have lots of papers to read and two clinical skills write-ups to write. Maybe I'll have chocolate for dinner. It's a beautiful day!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Sometimes you just have to give up.
Dear Family and Friends,
Things usually come out better when they're in the form of a letter, so that's what I'm doing. Whew. You are not even going to believe what a nutty week this was. There was nothing really wrong, per se, but there were several things that were annoying. They resulted in me being pretty badly sleep deprived all week, and falling a little behind on my work schedule, which is ridiculous since I purposely kept it light this semester.
So to start with, we're coming into final exams. That means that from May 11-13, we will be doing non-stop exams, and then I still have a few 'final judgement' meetings with faculty the following week. After exams end, I have to really kick into high gear on my thesis, which needs to be largely done by the end of summer so I'll have time to study for the boards. I need to back up my data!! It's the most amateur mistake ever, so if I don't do it and then I lose my data, I will want to shoot myself. Or my thesis. Probably more likely my thesis. I also have two outstanding clincial skills write-ups that I really, really wish would just write themselves. I have not totally convinced myself that this doesn't happen to a few lucky medical students each year, and that maybe I'll get lucky. Fat chance.
Second, I am doing a massive spring cleaning, prompted by flea bites. I have an INDOOR CAT! How did I get bitten by fleas?? I don't get it. Did I bring them home from the park? Do my neighbors have them? I have no clue. But because I'm paranoid, and because I kept getting bitten, I decided to clean my entire apartment. This is how I did it:
1. I called Fleabusters, who sprinkle a salt-based powder into baseboards and corners which kill both adult fleas and larvae (just not the cocoon phase).
2. I put my poor little kitty on Program (generic name = Lufenuron), which essentially turns her into a giant birth control pill for fleas. If they bite her, they can't reproduce properly. It's a once-a-month pill that smells like yeasty chicken, and when I crushed it into her food, she actually ate it. This is the cat that can smell medicine a mile away and will studiously avoid any medicine-tainted food! Wow. Anyway.
3. Then I bought diatomaceous earth (DE) and sprinkled it under the new mattress protector I bought, and into any areas that the Fleabusters guy didn't cover.
4. I bought a new vacuum cleaner that has bags, and an electric steam mop. Before the Fleabusters guy came over, I vacuumed the whole place, threw away the bag, and then steam-mopped the floors.
5. I am now (with my long-suffering mom's help) laundering ALL the soft goods in my apartment -- pillows, rugs, animals, cushions, the works. And any clothes that were hanging out on or around the floor.
On Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, I got four hours of sleep because I was itchy and getting bitten. I think the one highlight of last week was an Ethiopian meal with my friend C (thanks babe). Since I took all of these steps, I haven't (yet, cross fingers) gotten another bite, and can sleep! At last! Which is why I'm going to bed soon.
On top of that, I have my period. Joy. Luckily, I also have Midol. Too bad I'm almost out of toilet paper (don't you just love housekeeping?!). And my DD (Dear Dad) flew into town all the way from Japan, so I kind of had to spend some time with him, work notwithstanding. Actually, I went over for dinner yesterday -- which was super fun! And then both the parents came and spent the whole of Sunday morning with me. We discovered this amazing tea garden restaurant.
On Saturday morning, I was practicing physical exam skills for a test I have on Tuesday with my pal E, and of course she saw my flea bites. Sigh...She was totally understanding, but I still wish the flea bites hadn't existed. But due to all these goings-on, I did the absolutely essential, crucial work for tomorrow and then called it quits. Because I need to catch up on my rest.
Therefore, good night!! And thank you for your love (ethiopian food), solidarity flea stories, and support during this slightly embarrassing and itchy time.
With hugs,
AAC
Things usually come out better when they're in the form of a letter, so that's what I'm doing. Whew. You are not even going to believe what a nutty week this was. There was nothing really wrong, per se, but there were several things that were annoying. They resulted in me being pretty badly sleep deprived all week, and falling a little behind on my work schedule, which is ridiculous since I purposely kept it light this semester.
So to start with, we're coming into final exams. That means that from May 11-13, we will be doing non-stop exams, and then I still have a few 'final judgement' meetings with faculty the following week. After exams end, I have to really kick into high gear on my thesis, which needs to be largely done by the end of summer so I'll have time to study for the boards. I need to back up my data!! It's the most amateur mistake ever, so if I don't do it and then I lose my data, I will want to shoot myself. Or my thesis. Probably more likely my thesis. I also have two outstanding clincial skills write-ups that I really, really wish would just write themselves. I have not totally convinced myself that this doesn't happen to a few lucky medical students each year, and that maybe I'll get lucky. Fat chance.
Second, I am doing a massive spring cleaning, prompted by flea bites. I have an INDOOR CAT! How did I get bitten by fleas?? I don't get it. Did I bring them home from the park? Do my neighbors have them? I have no clue. But because I'm paranoid, and because I kept getting bitten, I decided to clean my entire apartment. This is how I did it:
1. I called Fleabusters, who sprinkle a salt-based powder into baseboards and corners which kill both adult fleas and larvae (just not the cocoon phase).
2. I put my poor little kitty on Program (generic name = Lufenuron), which essentially turns her into a giant birth control pill for fleas. If they bite her, they can't reproduce properly. It's a once-a-month pill that smells like yeasty chicken, and when I crushed it into her food, she actually ate it. This is the cat that can smell medicine a mile away and will studiously avoid any medicine-tainted food! Wow. Anyway.
3. Then I bought diatomaceous earth (DE) and sprinkled it under the new mattress protector I bought, and into any areas that the Fleabusters guy didn't cover.
4. I bought a new vacuum cleaner that has bags, and an electric steam mop. Before the Fleabusters guy came over, I vacuumed the whole place, threw away the bag, and then steam-mopped the floors.
5. I am now (with my long-suffering mom's help) laundering ALL the soft goods in my apartment -- pillows, rugs, animals, cushions, the works. And any clothes that were hanging out on or around the floor.
On Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, I got four hours of sleep because I was itchy and getting bitten. I think the one highlight of last week was an Ethiopian meal with my friend C (thanks babe). Since I took all of these steps, I haven't (yet, cross fingers) gotten another bite, and can sleep! At last! Which is why I'm going to bed soon.
On top of that, I have my period. Joy. Luckily, I also have Midol. Too bad I'm almost out of toilet paper (don't you just love housekeeping?!). And my DD (Dear Dad) flew into town all the way from Japan, so I kind of had to spend some time with him, work notwithstanding. Actually, I went over for dinner yesterday -- which was super fun! And then both the parents came and spent the whole of Sunday morning with me. We discovered this amazing tea garden restaurant.
On Saturday morning, I was practicing physical exam skills for a test I have on Tuesday with my pal E, and of course she saw my flea bites. Sigh...She was totally understanding, but I still wish the flea bites hadn't existed. But due to all these goings-on, I did the absolutely essential, crucial work for tomorrow and then called it quits. Because I need to catch up on my rest.
Therefore, good night!! And thank you for your love (ethiopian food), solidarity flea stories, and support during this slightly embarrassing and itchy time.
With hugs,
AAC
Thursday, April 23, 2009
A month later...Bug City!
Several times in the past month, I have wanted to post about my excitement at seeing new things -- for instance, the youngest people I have ever met (1-day-old boy, 2-day-old girl), a lady with a huge but symptom-free uterine fibroid that she is treating with non-western medicine.
But now, I'm being invaded by bugs and had a crappy day. Fleas, spiders, mayflies and who knows what else. This morning there was conflict in class, this afternoon I got hit by a door (no, really), we had embarrassingly poor attendance at a radiology lecture where the radiologist took time after work to teach and provided dinner, and a spider bit me as I was getting out of the shower. Ick.
However, I did find Gen mai cha at my local Whole Foods after months and months of searching.
The only medically-productive thing I've done is print a paper about end-stage diabetes pathogenesis. Sigh. I hope I can sleep without fear tonight.
Good night!
But now, I'm being invaded by bugs and had a crappy day. Fleas, spiders, mayflies and who knows what else. This morning there was conflict in class, this afternoon I got hit by a door (no, really), we had embarrassingly poor attendance at a radiology lecture where the radiologist took time after work to teach and provided dinner, and a spider bit me as I was getting out of the shower. Ick.
However, I did find Gen mai cha at my local Whole Foods after months and months of searching.
The only medically-productive thing I've done is print a paper about end-stage diabetes pathogenesis. Sigh. I hope I can sleep without fear tonight.
Good night!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
When I grow up to be a (wo)man...
That old Beach Boys song is stuck in my head, but luckily, I love it. I've had a chance lately to pause and try to figure out where I'm going professionally -- okay, so I still want to be in medicine. That's a good sign. I have a loooong time until I have to decide what kind of medicine -- until the end of my MS3 year -- but I figured it couldn't hurt to have a peek at the different specialties out there and what they entail, right? Wow. Um. There are 125 specialties and subspecialties. I also found an article that did a huge national survey and found that: internal med geriatricians, pediatricians, and 'other' were among the most satisfied with their careers, rehab docs were neutral, and OB/GYNs, opthalmologists, and ENTs were among the least satisfied.
That said, here are my flavors of the week:
Pediatrics
Medical Genetics (maybe peds+ this)
Geriatrics
Meds-Peds (internal med + peds)
Endocrinology
Rheumatology
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Family
OB/GYN
This is a pretty diverse crowd. But many of them have certain things in common: transitional life stages (peds/family/geriatrics/OB), bone/immune stuff (rheumatology, geriatrics, rehab), or they have to do with genetics and metabolism (genetics, endocrinology).
Of course, the lifestyles, hours, working environment, and compensation for each of these varies quite a bit, too. But one thing I like is that I think every option here can be done in five years of residency post-MD (OMG I'm going to be AT LEAST 30 when I'm finally out there practicing on my own).
Which brings me to another often-mentioned topic: family and medicine. As in, how to have a family while practicing medicine. We get told all the time now that our biological clock for childbearing is about 35, and while I certainly do not harbor any maternal yearnings at the moment, that's no guarantee that they won't suddenly materialize in five years' time.
Hmm... right now I'm just sort of not thinking about it and hoping it will all work out somehow. Is there some sort of miraculous work/life balancing method that I should be aware of? I guess, now that I force myself to think about it, there are two things that are crucial:
1) Pick a specialty that is as family-friendly as possible while also being as fulfilling as possible (I have a feeling those two are related).
2) Make sure my future family knows what they're in for :)
Right now, I'm leaning towards peds-genetics. I seriously heart genetics. But who knows? That may be different next week.
That said, here are my flavors of the week:
Pediatrics
Medical Genetics (maybe peds+ this)
Geriatrics
Meds-Peds (internal med + peds)
Endocrinology
Rheumatology
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Family
OB/GYN
This is a pretty diverse crowd. But many of them have certain things in common: transitional life stages (peds/family/geriatrics/OB), bone/immune stuff (rheumatology, geriatrics, rehab), or they have to do with genetics and metabolism (genetics, endocrinology).
Of course, the lifestyles, hours, working environment, and compensation for each of these varies quite a bit, too. But one thing I like is that I think every option here can be done in five years of residency post-MD (OMG I'm going to be AT LEAST 30 when I'm finally out there practicing on my own).
Which brings me to another often-mentioned topic: family and medicine. As in, how to have a family while practicing medicine. We get told all the time now that our biological clock for childbearing is about 35, and while I certainly do not harbor any maternal yearnings at the moment, that's no guarantee that they won't suddenly materialize in five years' time.
Hmm... right now I'm just sort of not thinking about it and hoping it will all work out somehow. Is there some sort of miraculous work/life balancing method that I should be aware of? I guess, now that I force myself to think about it, there are two things that are crucial:
1) Pick a specialty that is as family-friendly as possible while also being as fulfilling as possible (I have a feeling those two are related).
2) Make sure my future family knows what they're in for :)
Right now, I'm leaning towards peds-genetics. I seriously heart genetics. But who knows? That may be different next week.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Boy, when it rains
So a week or so went by quietly during exams, and then BLAM! Everything happened at once. On Friday, I got some test results back from the doctor and they were all normal, so that was good news. I did end up seeing Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and they were fabulous. I had a frustrating ride Thursday morning on a horse whose sweet spot I just couldn't find -- maybe I'll get another chance with him next week. Then on Saturday, I went Indian clothes & food shopping with my friends, and we attempted to make a South Indian sambar. I picked up an adorable deep orange kurti -- even though I almost never wear orange. One of my friends got a black embroidered shirt that looked really cute on her. It was funny -- we hadn't really found anything we liked, and then one of the places we tried had this basement full of clothes we could relate to at relatively reasonable prices. I was glad.
The sambar took way longer than I thought it would, but it actually came out pretty well -- it wasn't soupy enough, but the spices tasted pretty accurate (I have had a LOT of sambar)! So that was super exciting. My friends were so nice and did all the dishes so my kitchen looks like nothing ever happened!
On Sunday, I ran in a 5k -- my first time ever -- and actually ran the entire thing without stopping! That finisher's ribbon made me so proud. And it was a beautiful run in the park, with trees and fresh air and a little bit of rain. That evening, we had a medical school tradition where the junior students cook dinner for the older students. I wore my new shirt and we all had a blast.
Monday was back to school, so I was studying and working. And then today, I had a meeting downtown and I was rushing to get there on time, when I got completely sidetracked. There was a man riding a bicycle with his small daughter on the handlebars (no helmet). They were riding on a busy road. I glanced over and thought how dangerous it looked -- and then, when I turned again, they had fallen and the girl was crying. A car stopped when he saw them. I crossed the street and when I got closer, it was clear that the girl had fractured the foot. There was a bloody gash in it right down to the bone, also. I told them that there was a pediatric clinic nearby, thinking that maybe the car man wouldn't drive them to the hospital and we should wait for an ambulance in a safe place. We got to the clinic, where they said, "Is she a patient here?" And I was like, "Um, I highly doubt it." Meanwhile, the father, who didn't speak English, was a mess, crying and upsetting the little girl, who was obviously yelling in pain and then getting more upset when she saw Dad crying. I asked her if I could hold her (she was like 5 or 6) and then we sat down and read Snow White together (apparently magic princesses stop people from remembering that their feet hurt like hell) while everyone figured out what to do and the man called her mom. So the clinic people wrapped the foot in gauze and then the car man offered to take them to the ER. There was no room for me in there, so I let them go off and offered up a prayer.
And then I went to my meeting, came home late, and am off to do my homework.
Sigh.
The sambar took way longer than I thought it would, but it actually came out pretty well -- it wasn't soupy enough, but the spices tasted pretty accurate (I have had a LOT of sambar)! So that was super exciting. My friends were so nice and did all the dishes so my kitchen looks like nothing ever happened!
On Sunday, I ran in a 5k -- my first time ever -- and actually ran the entire thing without stopping! That finisher's ribbon made me so proud. And it was a beautiful run in the park, with trees and fresh air and a little bit of rain. That evening, we had a medical school tradition where the junior students cook dinner for the older students. I wore my new shirt and we all had a blast.
Monday was back to school, so I was studying and working. And then today, I had a meeting downtown and I was rushing to get there on time, when I got completely sidetracked. There was a man riding a bicycle with his small daughter on the handlebars (no helmet). They were riding on a busy road. I glanced over and thought how dangerous it looked -- and then, when I turned again, they had fallen and the girl was crying. A car stopped when he saw them. I crossed the street and when I got closer, it was clear that the girl had fractured the foot. There was a bloody gash in it right down to the bone, also. I told them that there was a pediatric clinic nearby, thinking that maybe the car man wouldn't drive them to the hospital and we should wait for an ambulance in a safe place. We got to the clinic, where they said, "Is she a patient here?" And I was like, "Um, I highly doubt it." Meanwhile, the father, who didn't speak English, was a mess, crying and upsetting the little girl, who was obviously yelling in pain and then getting more upset when she saw Dad crying. I asked her if I could hold her (she was like 5 or 6) and then we sat down and read Snow White together (apparently magic princesses stop people from remembering that their feet hurt like hell) while everyone figured out what to do and the man called her mom. So the clinic people wrapped the foot in gauze and then the car man offered to take them to the ER. There was no room for me in there, so I let them go off and offered up a prayer.
And then I went to my meeting, came home late, and am off to do my homework.
Sigh.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Dreaming about my pillow
Dreaming about my pillow during an exam is never a good sign. But now that it's over, I can finally crawl under the nice, warm covers and get the good night's sleep I missed out on last night. Honestly, the daylight savings-ending weekend is not the best one after which to schedule an exam. Monday morning came an hour sooner than it was supposed to.
I have a case presentation tomorrow, a meeting with my professor in the afternoon, a thesis project due tomorrow night, and then the final exam on Wednesday. And then various projects and deadlines until the end of the week.
There is fun interspersed, though: I will soon get to go see Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a group I've wanted to see for years. I'm excited! I wonder if I can get a CD autographed or something.
I saw Sweet Honey in the Rock last year, so I am on an a capella roll. Also, I am going Indian clothes shopping and Indian food making with the girlz this weekend. That should be fun, too. And I almost forgot -- on Sunday, I am doing a 5K!! Who says med students never have fun?
I am a little nervous about the 5k. I am so out of shape that for me, completing a 5k, pathetic though it may sound to all the real athletes out there, is a big deal. So I will try. And I will wear green, because it's a St. Patrick's Day Run! I am not taking any friends because I don't want them to see me puffing and panting. Not yet, anyway. If my boyfriend were here I would take him, but he's got a big paper due soon and a bunch of other stuff, so he can't visit for a while.
I am also debating entering a horse show. There's a fun one at my barn every summer, and I don't know if they have easy adult classes to enter, but if they do, I might give it a shot. Who knows? Maybe I'll learn something! Besides which, I am also doing horse camp! One week of horses, horses, horses. Ooh, which reminds me. I need a summer job to support this horse habit.
But first I am going to sleep.
I have a case presentation tomorrow, a meeting with my professor in the afternoon, a thesis project due tomorrow night, and then the final exam on Wednesday. And then various projects and deadlines until the end of the week.
There is fun interspersed, though: I will soon get to go see Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a group I've wanted to see for years. I'm excited! I wonder if I can get a CD autographed or something.
I saw Sweet Honey in the Rock last year, so I am on an a capella roll. Also, I am going Indian clothes shopping and Indian food making with the girlz this weekend. That should be fun, too. And I almost forgot -- on Sunday, I am doing a 5K!! Who says med students never have fun?I am a little nervous about the 5k. I am so out of shape that for me, completing a 5k, pathetic though it may sound to all the real athletes out there, is a big deal. So I will try. And I will wear green, because it's a St. Patrick's Day Run! I am not taking any friends because I don't want them to see me puffing and panting. Not yet, anyway. If my boyfriend were here I would take him, but he's got a big paper due soon and a bunch of other stuff, so he can't visit for a while.
I am also debating entering a horse show. There's a fun one at my barn every summer, and I don't know if they have easy adult classes to enter, but if they do, I might give it a shot. Who knows? Maybe I'll learn something! Besides which, I am also doing horse camp! One week of horses, horses, horses. Ooh, which reminds me. I need a summer job to support this horse habit.
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