A Circle for Valentine's Day

This story begins with me.

To get a better idea of what medicine is like in practice, I started shadowing several in the Salt Lake Valley.

This led me to the man seen below, Dr. Louis Borgenicht

  

"Dr. Lou", as he is known by his patients, is a pediatrician in private practice on 900 E 200 S. I shadowed him a handful of times and got a good dose of what I look for in a physician - using physical medicine. Dr. Lou is old-school in the best way. He doesn't jump to tests that are unnecessary, he uses experience and H&P to treat his patients, all of which love him. As I was talking with him, he recommended a book to me:

 

This book.

This book is amazing. It rang so true with everything I saw in El Salvador, about the coupling of poverty and poor health, and it inspired me to do more good as I returned to El Salvador in 2011. It follows Dr. Paul Farmer in his quest for equality and access in global medicine. It influenced me in both my essays and interviews for medical school in the fall/winter of 2011. Which led me:

 

Here, to Temple University School of Medicine. Where I study, learn, and am tested every day with something new and fascinating. Yesterday while I was waiting to enter my OSCE exam, I read an announcement on one of the many electronic bulletin boards in our beautiful building. An announcement that Dr. Paul Farmer would be the speaker for the annual AOA conference. 

 

 

     This is Dr. Farmer. He revolutionized treatment protocols of HIV/AIDS, MDRTB, and other illnesses of global public health. I have counted him as one of my heroes since I started reading about him, which was after a suggestion from Dr. Lou, who I had shadowed to get a better idea of medicine was like. It is always interesting to see how things will come full circle in our lives. I am so excited to hear Dr. Farmer speak that I almost can't take it. 

Just one more reason why I love my path, I love my school, and I love medicine. 

Happy Valentine's Day.

Anatomy Rocks!

I have found the BEST website ever!

You may think I am exaggerating but I most certainly am not! The website is called www.IHeartGuts.com and it has short descriptions of guts and glands, along with cute illustrations! Take a look-sie:

Aren't they so cute?! 

They are (from top to bottom) is an eyeball, the bladder, the uterus, sweat glands, and testes.

PLUS, they use the term "interwebs" on their site. Win.

So check it out! I ordered two shirts :)

PT Time

I had a double dose of PT today. Physical Therapy and Personal Trainer. 

The first of these PTs was helpful. I love the electric stimulation massager machine. I want one. And I had a fill-in PT who was a granola-awesome-person. In birks with socks. Yes.

Then to the second PT. A little background- I am a member at Anytime Fitness and there is a super attractive gorilla juice-head personal trainer who works there. I have had a crush on him since I signed up. So, as I am a coward and I wanted to talk to him/try to get to know him, I decided I should cash in on my free personal training sessions and do so with him. What was I thinking?!  Oh my jeebus I wanted to die a little after the session. And I couldn't even tell if he was flirting with me or just being nice because I am a client. I am so oblivious when it comes to guys. When I go to the gym with my friend, she is always telling me that guys are checking me out and I am apparently too focused on my curls to notice. Regardless, I wish I had someone observing my next sesh with the PT because I can't tell for myself ha. 

Ok enough of this. It is warm and calm outside. 

That's bad!

It means the snow is coming!

RUN & HIDE!

A Little Etymology...and Zombies

           So this Pediatrician I shadow gave me this book (above) and it has been a quick and interesting read. I can totally identify with the feelings of having your first dissection, the use of the term "cadaver juice", all of it. As I was reading in it today they discussed the spleen. The spleen is an organ that is purplish-maroon and about the size of the half of a grapefruit (or a huge orange in today's GMO enhanced world of produce). Anyway, in the middle ages, they thought the spleen was the source of black humour or melancholy. The spleen sits deep under your ribs. A condition, -ia, of something that is below, hypo, the cartilaginous portion of your ribcage, chrondr-, is better known as hypochondria. And, as it turns out, this condition of having poor feelings about your health was thought to stem from melancholy or the black humour. Hence they called the condition Hypochondria. Isn't that nifty? I love when you know the Latin roots of words in science, especially in anatomy. Most things are named for where they are or what they look like....only in Latin.

Take the EYE for example. 

The eye has these extraocular muscles that allow it to swivel so easily. They are named for their shape (rectus - straight, oblique - neither perpendicular nor parallel : inclined : having the axis not perpendicular to the base : having no right angle). There are four muscles that are some form of Rectus and two that are some form of Oblique. Why do we care? See the red dotted ring a short ways back from the cornea on the sclera? That is called the limbus region. And that red dotted line is the exact cut I have to make when I am recovering donor corneas from deceased people for my new job. 
Which brings us to our last topic...ZOMBIES. 

I just started watching The  Walking Dead on Netflix. I have always said that eyes and fingernails are the two things that freak me out about dead people. But now I have to deal with dead eyes. a lot of dead eyes. And I am afraid that if I combine a zombie show with the freakiness of dead eyes that I may have zombie nightmares. 

I hope not. 

The Louses are Coming

In the past week, I have had two dreams where I have head lice. Considering I have never had head lice, I am concerned. So I googled it. Here's what came up:

LiceA dream of lice contains much waking worry and distress. It often implies offensive ailments. Lice on stock, foretells famine and loss. To have lice on your body, denotes that you will conduct yourself unpleasantly with your acquaintances. To dream of catching lice, foretells sickness, and that you will cultivate morbidity.

                                 Apparently, I am going to be a brat. My apologies in advance.

On the bright side, I just graduated and work at a tier 1 research university where professors that study lice and, consequently have lice, invent gadgets to get rid of lice.

Behold...I give you, the LOUSEBUSTER! 

SCIENCE!!!!!!



L

Mutiny

As finals approach (one week from today) and graduation inches closer (one week from Friday), I have come to a few realizations:

1. I'm so excited to watch the royal wedding!

2. I'm so excited about my new workout plan...having a football player as your trainer is awesome.

3. I'm a lot more brave now than I was when I entered the university of utah - winning.

and 4. my body has decide to mutiny.

Let me explain-

As my friends know, I've been suffering from migraines for several years. They've recently gotten bad enough that I am a patient of a neurologist. In addition, my knees have been giving me pain for ~4 years but I finally went to a sports medicine doc to see what was up. Their best guess is that I, a fit 21-year-old female, have rheumatoid arthritis in my knees. sweet. As icing on the cake, my tonsils are inflamed...again. A post two weeks ago revealed my tonsillitis which was AWFUL and today, my tonsils have started swelling again. wonderful. Trust me, I'm not one to complain- but I think that I need to trade in my body for a newer model. 

I think I got screwed with a lemon. 

So EFF YOU TONSILS, I'M TOO BUSY FOR YOUR NONSENSE.

Swollen

This is what my tonsils look like.

                          Tonsillitis: An inflammation or infection of the palatine tonsils.

Pretty sure being sick is the worst thing in the world. Especially when you have a bunch of things to do. Cue stress freak out in....3....2....1. ARGGGGGGGG!

Aspirations for this week.

I have a short list of goals for this week that I'd like to share. 

Ahem.

1. Go to the instacare and see if I developed whooping cough, in addition to my bronchitis and pneumonia.

2. Finish grading tests. 

3. Get through my presentation on Wednesday afternoon.

4. Catch Pete Yorn's guitar pick. AGAIN.

Haven't heard of him? He's only my fav solo male musician/artist. 

Watch Pete rock out (acoustic-style).

6. Oh, ya, and email Liz.

L

Scrub-a-dub

I got home from clinic today and was too comfy in my new scrub pants to change in to jeans. Big Mistake. I got so many strange looks. It could have been the fact that they were key-lime green in color...but they were still cute! Meh. I'm over it. I have an examination tomorrow in Biological chemistry. But you know what it really is? A test to see how many intermediate structures, enzymes, reagents, and byproducts one students can remember. It's sadly unfair. But, in all honesty, life isn't fair so why should BioChem be? I have spent ~15 hrs studying for this exam. FML. I'm ready for it though. On to happier news---> I successfully drew a patient's blood today at the clinic. woot. Annoying news---> the TDS won their NCAA tournament game. Cue all the comments from their fans about how they win because they do what's "right" on and off the court. Save it. And even BETTER news...I get to sleep now! Yesssss.....

L.

PS Liz- I'm winning in our friendly blogging competition. Can u handle that?!

Relief

It has been a stressful week. Feeling sick never comes at an opportune time. I have a project to complete before next Wednesday and I planned a fund-raising event for later that day also. MCAT physics is kickin my butt. Big teme (rasta style). PS I hate the people who live above me. They are just irritating people. Grandpa had his aortic semi-lunar valve replaced today. He's doing well now and I'd like to keep it that way. I'm also getting desperate. Ma' girls will know what I'm talking about ha. I met a firefighter last Saturday. Oh so cute. I'm seeing him again tomorrow. I could use some fun. I've felt like crying all the time since Wednesday...which is no bueno. I got to see everyone last night at stacie-face's 21st birthday party! Woo woo! Now the countdown begins to My birthday and Liz's! (Well technically Liz's first.) We went to the pie and all my clothes smelled like it when I got home last night. ew. It was also snowing super bad. Liz and I ran and we both ran right in to puddles cuz we rock like that. I'm craving pizza again. Haha today in the waiting room, my grandma discovered she liked my fruit snacks I brought with me and ate two packs! I came prepared with snacks today because Wednesday we went from like 11:00 to 18:00 without food! we waited and waited for doctors and surgeons and knew that if we left, they would come. Now I have to take a physics quiz before my MCAT class tomorrow. P,L, & E.

L.