Fourteen Days and Five Tests

Here is another boring post about school. But, since its the only thing going on, its all there is for me to write about. We have fourteen school days until SPRING BREAK! And, unfortunately, five big tests in that time period. So, if you wonder what I am doing until March 14th, I will answer your question with a question. What are you doing over the break?

Other random news:

I saw my first patient in the Green Clinic last Tuesday. Her name was Lala and, she wasn't sick. So who knows what significance that may hold for the future.

Louie, Ashlie's cat who is my cat's brother, stayed with me for nine days while she went to Nicaragua. Louie was one smart little cookie... he taught Sahar all kinds of bad things. Where he learned them, I don't know. The street? Some kind of club for bad cats? Surely not the litter. Sahar didn't know any of it until he showed up. But, Ashlie came back yesterday and then he went home. And hopefully he is never coming back.

My aunt from New York came and stayed with my mom last week. I wish I'd had more time to spend with her, but still it was nice to see Aunt Julie for the time we were able to hang out. She is hilarious and told me all kinds of stories and family secrets. Now I am in the Conger Family Circle of Trust. But don't ask me about the secrets because only the people who keep the secrets stay in the circle. And I will never tell anyway, because family secrets are secrets for very good reasons.

Lunar Eclipse

A total lunar eclipse is projected to be visible with the naked eye in Oklahoma from around 9 to 9:50 tonight.

I Have Finally Done It.

The time stamp has been changed from Kabul to Central Time, a mere 15 months after returning to this time zone. Procrastinators, we are one.

Its Down to 7!

Yay! Okay, we technically have eight months until rotations left; but really its only about seven since we have three and a half weeks of vacation between now and then.

Si, Se Puede!

My biggest weakness, the one that undeniably distracts me the most from studying, was somewhat startlingly confirmed last night. I started thinking it last fall and then it was made obvious for sure last night at the Health Science Center library..

Most people that go to OU go to the stadium in Norman to see our team win, and that's where they jump up and down and scream. But apparently the library is where I go to jump up and down and scream for my team. When I accidentally screamed in the library last night reading about my favorite candidate's weekend victories I knew that there was something more powerful than a mere liking for politics going on.

Barack Obama. No one thought he had much of a chance but there is something to this man. He regularly draws crowds of 10,000 to 20,000 in every state from Nebraska to Virginia to California. He swept the primaries and caucuses this weekend... here's to hoping he sweeps the remainder of the February contests and March 4th!! If you would like insider news on what's going on in his campaign, I love Sam Graham-Felsen's blog.

Redemption: Actual People vs. Powerpoints

Well, after a pretty bad two weeks ago, this week was much better. I am feeling a thousand times better- finally got over that infection so now I have a lot of energy again. And it turns out that I didn't fail the pharmacy test; and I like school again. :)

One of the best things that has happened since school began last June happened last Thursday when I got to see my first patient. As part of our Patient Management Skills class, every six weeks we go out to either OU Children's oncology, Jim Thorpe rehab or the Veteran's Hospital to practice the complete history and physical on a patient. No one else at school was as excited as I was but I couldn't wait and it turned out that it really was a wonderful experience. I can't believe the huge difference there is between class and a clinical experience like that. It was just so fun. Most of the other students have also had a chance to pratice diagnosing and prescribing in the Green Clinic with the PA's in the Family Medicine Center but I won't get to do that for two weeks. Everyone that has been in Green Clinic has said that it is the best part of PA school. They are seeing all kinds of interesting things... so I can't wait to go either.

This too shall pass... it passed. Although we still have absolutely no word on Cyd, so keep her lifted up. Love you all!

Randomly Compiled Thoughts

1.) Still no word on Cyd... after a short freak out on Thursday night, I realized Cyd is probably fine and just locked in a room somewhere; and promptly failed my pharmacy test the next morning.

2.) This really was a weird two weeks. Two Thursdays ago, I found out I had MRSA, which means I've felt like crap ever since. Then on Friday the medicine I was taking started making me paranoid, then in real life my friend was kidnapped Saturday morning. Tuesday I went to a small group and really loved it, because they prayed for the war in Kenya and Cyd for two hours. Then after I started sending Cyd emails, so she would have them when she got home, my gmail account was locked; and then Friday it was unlocked and I failed the pharm test. How do you explain a week like that to the completely normal-looking blonde sorority girl sitting next to you in class after she just described the last episode of Nip/Tuck? Oh, how was my week? Yeah, I'll just start a conversation about the Taliban. That would be completely normal right now.

3.) Yesterday I came to a really freeing conclusion. I HATE SCHOOL. I don't have to wonder why I sometimes break out in fits of anger. I hate school and its that unadulterated despising making its way to the surface.

4.) I still really love medicine. How this works out with hating school I don't know. Most of it has to do with the last three sentences of #2 and realizing that I am there for such different reasons than many of my classmates that I can't even begin to explain it to them.

5.) I am tired of only being able to explain 2 minutes worth of emotion to 50 different people when there's an ocean inside. Holding it back ten times a day, seven days a week... I don't know how much longer this can go on. Breaking down multiple times a day doesn't seem like a very good option either. Oh, that the Lord would give me strength to do his will.

Update

Well, there's no new news on Cyd or Hadi so far. But here is a link where you can get almost daily updates from their organization.

For a Friend

Yesterday morning in Kandahar, one of my former team mates from Afghanistan was abducted as she was driven to work, along with her Afghan driver, Mohammad Hadi.

Please remember Cyd Mizell and Mr. Hadi, who has five children, in your prayers. The Taliban has not yet taken credit or made any demands. Hopefully, they will release her as they have every other woman they've ever abducted. Cyd is the first American to be kidnapped in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion. Also remember their families and their almost-family, the Kandahar ARLDF team.

Address

Here is my new address. Don't track me down and stalk me. (Unless, you are single, tall, dark, and handsome with innocent motives.)

225 NE 1st Street
Apt 205
OKC, OK 73104

Phone number remains the same.

A New Semester Begins

Wow... the break went by way too fast. But I don't think a Christmas break was ever more enjoyed by a human being before!!! It was really a blessing to be able to move so close to school for the next two semesters. This will definitely save a lot of time, gas, and frustration. I am so happy to be settled in.

We start out 2008 with Radiology, Pharmacotherapeutics and Pathophysiology. I'm only batting 1/3 right now since I don't even know what the last two classes are so its good that we have a whole semester to find out. We also have OBGYN, neurology and nephrology (kidney). I am already afraid. BUT- have also been greatly encouraged to know that, no matter what else happens in the next 50 years... we only have ten months of CLASS left. If I can make it through the next ten months still enrolled, then I will survive to hopefully have a little more free time during rotations.

I thought a lot over the break how there are so many things that I miss getting to do during school. See family and friends, read for fun, volunteer, spend time with little people, enjoy nature on walks with friends, etc... There is a really necessary relational element built into human nature that is impossible to be content without. But this morning at church I really just understood that I only have to forego many of those things until next October, when we go out on rotations. That is really not a long time at all, when you consider the span of an entire life. So I am trying to stem the tide of depression that comes when I think about another 10 months of solitary confinement with books, lectures, forced self-discipline and staring at a computer screen. It is not going to last forever. And, we get a spring break and a two week vacation in June. Nothing to complain about when a lot of people worked in the Gulag archipelago for decades.

Such a cheery note to end on. Here's to enjoying the New Year!

Home to a Whirlwind Move

I am coming home in just a few hours. This trip has been awesome!!! Soo much fun... just what the doctor ordered. REST. I am leaving early tomorrow morning.

When I get back to Oklahoma (which I am ecstatic to hear has warm weather!), I'll be dropped off, drive to my new apartments, sign the lease, and finish moving and packing. The movers will come Thursday afternoon and hopefully the move will be completely finished by Thursday night. I am moving to Deep Deuce in Bricktown, which is just 5 minutes away from school! Yayaaayyy!!

On a more somber note, I have a lot of studying to do because we have proficiency exams for physical diagnosis the first week of school. Be praying that the move will go smoothly and the semester will start out well. I will post pictures of the Utah trip on Facebook, for some reason my computer is no longer allowing me to post pictures to blogger. Not sure what the problem is, I think it has to do with the Mac. Anyway, I'm off through another short whirlwind of change. Hopefully things will settle down a LOT come Friday!

Barack Obama WON!!

I am elated tonight that Barack Obama won the Democratic caucus in Iowa with 38% of the vote- and Hillary Clinton came out in THIRD PLACE with only 29%. He won Iowa, he can win the nomination. OBAMA '08!

I'm in Utah!

Wow- there is a reason the Olympics were held here instead of Colorado. This place is BEAUTIFUL! I went with my friends to Snowbird on New Years Eve to watch a ski parade called Torchlight. All these skiers hold red lights and ski down the mountain. After attempting to ski yesterday, I cannot imagine skiing down the mountain at night holding torches. They did a great job! Afterwards they had fireworks and we got some great pictures I will try to put up on Facebook later.

Then for New Year's Day we went to another ski resort called Brighton. Keri had never skied before either, so a friend of hers who grew up skiing went with us to teach us. She did a great job! The day before it had only been 7 degrees up on the mountain but for us it was 22 and sunny- pretty much a perfect day to learn! I was a little nervous since before coming, I asked everyone in Oklahoma who had been skiing what their first day was like. And some people had really bad experiences. I think because Keri's friend was such a great teacher and we basically got private lessons, for us it was great and so fun! I was really pleased that running the last couple years paid off and I didn't ever get tired on the mountain or feel sore today.

We are going to go back to Brighton tomorrow all day. Yay!!

Since I Am a Slave of a Certain Institution of Higher Education 11 months Out of the Year...

I am making two trips over the break. I leave Tuesday, Dec. 18th for Iowa and will be there until Sunday, Dec. 23rd. I am also going to Utah to visit Keri and Cody Dougless from Monday, Dec. 31st to Wednesday, January 9th.

Oh, The Lovely Goodness!

There is just something GOOD about working hard and being DONE. As Nacho would say, "Really good." !!

I had a long list of all the things I needed to do over the break. And the crazy thing is that I got about 60% of them done just today!! It is AMAZING what a day off will do for your stress level!!!

I also realized that means it really doesn't take that long to do all those little things that bug you and make you feel more stressed out than you really are. So, hopefully they won't contribute so much stress in the future.

The only things left I really need to do over the break are, in no particular order:

1.) Spay my cat
2.) Visit family in Iowa
3.) Write a bestseller
4.) Visit Keri and snowboard in Utah
5.) Watch the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy 3 or 4 times
6.) Memorize the complete physical exam

Yay!! Number three is in case there's a lot of spare time. Number 5 is not.

Riddle

What do the movie, "Mutiny on the Bounty" and Tara's blog, drawingontheceiling.blogspot.com, have in common?

The winner of this riddle will get a can of hominy, as soon as Summer pays up what she owes.

Updates from the Grave

I am dead to the world for the next 12 days- until school gets out on the 14th of December. But, here are some updates from the OU health science center graveyard. I mean library.

1.) I have a new kitten!!! Her name is Sehar and she is a super cute little orange tiger.

2.) I am moving to Oklahoma City!! Woo HOO! This is one I am incredibly excited about because it will mean I will save an hour of driving back and forth to Edmond every day. Since we don't go on rotations until ten months after school starts in January, this move will save me over 200 hours of driving! I will be moving into Deep Deuce on January 10th, right after I get back from Utah and before school starts.

3.) I have a new boyfriend!! Hahahaha. Just kidding.

4.) My 25th birthday is the DAY AFTER school gets out! This is going to be the best Christmas break EVER.

5.) I have to study a lot until our last final is over so please be praying for a good end to the semester! See you SOON!

Alternative Source of Reading

Things have been hectic here and, despite wildly optimistic imaginings, I don't think the last month of school is going to let up any. So instead of actually posting new information, I'm putting my old blog address up here for those who might not have known about it. It has pictures from my first trip to Afghanistan, as well as the stories of how the Afghan ESL class started in Fort Worth, life in Texas, and- of course- some really crazy dreams.

placidstreamlet.blogspot.com

Cast it into the fire!

Do you remember the scene, at the end of the third Lord of the Rings, right after Gollum has bitten the ring off Frodo's finger, fallen into the Crack of Doom, and finally destroyed the Ring? After Frodo and Sam make haste to escape from the mountain before it explodes into the fiery river of ash and lava? Do you remember what Frodo says to Sam when they reach the tiny rock that harbors them until the eagles come?

"ITS GONE. ITS DONE!"

Sitting on that rock; panting, exhausted, near collapsing, and- so darn relieved- Frodo is finally FINISHED with his impossible monstrosity of a task.

And right now, I feel just like him in that moment. Ahhh... the relief is inexpressible. But, for me it was just passing a cardiology test; I was not so fortunate as to have rid the Earth of Evil Forever today. Although apart from the Dark Lord, the Ring, and the end of the world, it was pretty much the same. Though, no one tried to bite off my fingers to take my pencil. Maybe the PA program could add that in... fifty tests, and only twenty-five pencils. Who will pass this clinical medicine test, and who will go home with just nine fingers?? Find out in Spring 2008!

I am deliriously tired and going to bed.