laura248's Xanga

For Katie's day from Hell

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 00:08:46 GMT

So Abbie and I have a saying. Actually we have several, including "are we dead yet?" which we all say. But one of my favorites, we got from a movie -- "Just call me: dial hell, and I'll answer." Yeah, so that's Galveston/Med School for us. This morning Abbie said to me, "so Laura, I called hell and you answered." Thought I'd share that with you, Katie! We used to joke about jumping off of the causeway and stuff like that all the time, until Lauren went to talk to people in Student Wellness, and she came back and said they told her we couldn't discuss that in front of her anymore, so now we just whisper it behind her back. And yes, we are dead.

Friday, February 10, 2006

Fri, 10 Feb 2006 01:07:39 GMT

So I was writing and writing and writing on Katie's xanga in reply to her last comment, and then realized I should just put a new entry on mine! Since I was just talking about random stuff anyway... so I cut and pasted: Tonight I am alone, since Abbie is in Houston visiting Rick (despite the fact that he was here on Monday and Tuesday, and she's going there tomorrow). No further comment. Actually, I am enjoying my evening alone... although I haven't gotten around to the studying. I watched an old episode of "House" that I hadn't seen yet while I ate dinner and the cat slept on my lap, then I washed my pots and pans, since every single one I own was dirty, and put in a load of laundry and started the dishwasher. I was just printing off the last of my scribes so I can do a few hours of studying!! New ER on tonight... will probably record it and watch it later w/no comercials. My way of justifying my TV viewing habits, which have become quite extensive, I'm sorry to say. Luckily I have two VCRs, for when there are two shows I like on at the same time (like on Tuesdays with Gilmore and American Idol... and Wednesdays with One Tree Hill and American Idol... ). Hey, I don't have much of a life, what can I say! I ordered E and E dresses and shoes for their Christmas Dolls from American Girl Catalogue, and I'm excited to find out if they like them!! I had them sent to the house to be there for V-day. Hey, gotta celebrate for someone!! Lucy just wouldn't appreciate it. Even though she is the best cat in the world! She made me laugh out loud this morning... so usually while I take showers, she likes to sit on the edge of the tub between the liner and the shower curtain (the liner is clear) and watch the water drops, etc. Occassionally she tries to lean over and lick up the water from the bottom of the tub, but usually she's cautious about it, and waits till I turn the water off before she jumps all the way in to lick the faucet and stuff. But this morning, apparently she leaned a little too far over, and fell right into the shower with me! She was totally soaked!! I was still in the middle of everything, though, so I couldn't get out to help dry her off. She scrambled out before I could help her (shock of her life, I guess!) and I expected to find her on my bed or some other such place, making everything wet! But she was sitting right there on the bath mat, waiting for me. The minute I turned off the water and opened the curtain, she glared at me indignantly and started scolding me with her little annoyed meow. She usually tells me that she doesn't appreciate having to be away from me during my showers (every morning, the same old meow story!) but this morning it was quite emphatic. I have the best cat in the world! Except for the fact that she thinks she can type, and frequently messes up my beautiful and flawless spelling. So just remember that, Katie, next time that you decide to point out my mistakes. They're not my mistakes, they're my slightly illiterate cat, who has trouble typing. So there. Well, guess I'd better go do some actual studying instead of just talking about it, since it's about 8PM, and I have two tests next week!! Tomorrow is our last day of PBL for this class, and our last lecture!!! Whoopee!!

Thought I'd share my memory verse for the week (I was in charge of choosing a verse for our accountability group): Psalm 37:3-7 (Abbie pointed out to me that that's not just a verse... ahem...)...

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 22:54:30 GMT

Guess it's time for a new entry, huh?! I feel like this week has been going on forever, and it's only Tuesday!!! School is a little boring right now, as we have these things called "CDMx" where five students get up at a time and present journal articles they have researched, and we have to sit through about 10 hours of it! I did mine on the first day, so I'm off the hook. Glad to have that done!! I hate speaking in front of people, especially 100 of my classmates! Anyway, I need to get going studying for boards... it's going to be here before I know it! I have two tests next week, then a three day weekend and I am so excited. I haven't been to Grapevine since the week after Christmas, and it feels like forever! I am going to try my best to go see Deanna and Eric and their kids... I haven't seen Maddie Grace since November! She's probably huge! Abbie and I are having leftovers for dinner tonight and then going to school for tutoring. And it's a Gilmore Girls night, so we'll watch that when we get back -- SO EXCITED!!!! Oh, to be a Gilmore Girl. Let's see... what else... we have been having lectures on pregnancy and childbirth, and I'm getting excited about Ob/Gyn... and less excited about Peds. I still love kids, but I had Pedi Inpatient last week (which means I rounded on sick kids in the hospital) and it was so sad to see the poor sick little people in pain. I don't know if I can do that... but it seems weird for me to be changing my mind after wanting to do Pediatrics for like 11 years! I think I'll know a lot more once I spend a few months doing each of them. Lucy is here trying to lay on the laptop. She likes the heat coming out. I think she needs a friend, and have been searching for kitties on the internet, but I think I'm going to have to wait till after boards to get one, since I should have a little time to help them get to know each other, and to bond with a new kitty.

Alex, I hope this week is going better than last week, and I hope you are feeling well!! BTW, what's the name of that machine that you got hooked up to and it told you all about yourself?! You were telling me about it at Christmastime and I can't remember the name. I wanted to look it up.

Tim, I haven't talked with you in forever! Call or email me sometime and tell me what's goin on!

Katie, I love you!! I hope today is better than yesterday. I'm sorry things have been rough. Don't give up, things will get better!

That's all for now.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 00:29:07 GMT

So I think I am going to have to quit medical school... I showed my taped interview in my small group today, and got raked over the coals. I managed not to cry during the meeting, so that was good. I know I didn't do the best of jobs, but our facilitator was brutal! Oh well.

And then tonight I went to tutoring with our new tutor (our first tutor quit - guess I scared her off with my ignorance), but met my friend Nikki coming out of the student center, and she said they had just finished. I was confused since I was sure I had checked the time, but I left. So I got home and checked my email, and I was right. Apparently she has two groups, and I was in the second. Geez.

Now I really really don't feel like studying.

So all around, it's been a good day (please note the sarcasm)

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Thu, 19 Jan 2006 16:53:16 GMT

Yes, Katie, I do know that I'm supposed to post on my own Xanga, but you're also supposed to post comments on other people's too!!! Sorry you wont' be able to make it this weekend, but it's very good to get organized. I did that last weekend rather than coming home, and it helps me not be so stressed. Of course, I still have more stuff to do, but I did get a lot done. Not so much studying, however... but... there's more to life than that, right?! Yeah, like cleaning. And paying bills. Fun!

So, life is really fun right about now. Studying Endocrinology and Reproduction is fascinating, but rather complex and my brain is on overload. OVERLOAD!!!!! (Are we dead yet?!) But tomorrow afternoon it will be over and I get a weekend off!!! San Antonio, here I come.

Alex, if you read this anytime soon, I am praying for you. I hope things are getting better, and that you update soon!

Lunchtime.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Thu, 12 Jan 2006 02:47:27 GMT

This is a long week already, and it's only half over!!! I'm taking the night tonight, since Mark is here and we are hanging out. We went to dinner at Fisherman's Wharf with my friends Abbie and Mandy, and now we're watching a movie. Mmm, gotta love Johnny Depp. Tomorrow I have CPR, class, and then a special clinical activity, which means I'll be at school from 8:00 am till 7:30 pm!! Yuck. I did get to watch a coronary artery bypass last week, which was pretty cool!! Our first test is a week from Friday, though, so I'm going to have to start studying hard-core soon!!

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Sat, 03 Dec 2005 22:31:54 GMT

So... I had an interesting clinical experience this past week! I spent the morning in an inpatient Psychiatry unit... fun fun! So we have to be escorted into the unit (past a man in a hospital gown and socks lying on the floor moaning), and then into the meeting room where the attending, intern, and three medical students are already rounding. When they finish, we went with them on rounds. That means the whole group of us (I was with 4 other second years) walk from room to room and check in with each patient. The first guy (whom one of the third years whispered to us was found swimming in the Texas City dyke for no apparent reason, and who usually wore a sheet wrapped around his head) was sitting on his bed with toilet paper shoved up his nose. He was a little out of it, but for the most part was "doing better" so the attending announced as we left the room. Hmmm. The next guy was sitting in the lounge area, coloring with markers. He was very concerned about his medication mixing with his type of "bad blood" and how many times a day he would have to take the pills. The doctor complied with his request to switch to lithium from his current drugs. The next guy we saw was in his room. The door was closed, and as we approached, we could hear him yelling obsenities at the top of his lungs. The attending knocked on the door, and the patient yelled to come in. Once we were in there, he stopped yelling, although the doctor did say "who were you talking to?" His reply was "I was just talkin'" He was schizophrenic (as were the last two patients), and didn't want to talk. So the doctor said he'd come back the next morning. The last patient was the most interesting. Felt like a movie. He was a recent admit, and his chief complaint was "I see dead people." The poor guy was scared because he kept seeing dead people walking around the room, talking to him and telling him to slit his wrists. He knew they were dead, he told us, because one of them was missing an arm, one was bleeding from several gashes in his neck, and another was missing a head. So. That was my experience in Psychiatry. And although it was fascinating, I think I will stick with Peds.

This weekend and next are big study weekends, as I have three tests. But I can't wait till Christmas break, which begins in two weeks!!!!! TTFN

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Wed, 16 Nov 2005 04:32:52 GMT

I would update more often, Alex, except there really isn't much to say!! I am tired!! It stormed big-time tonight, and the electricity went off! I was afraid we wouldn't get to watch Gilmore Girls, but it came back on. I have a lot of work to do on a paper that's due on Monday, but I am going to Dallas on Friday so I need to get it mostly done by Thursday! Crazy. Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler here... wow, 60's! The weather is so weird. I can't wait for Thanksgiving, it is one of my favorite times!! Almost as great as Christmas! My whole family will be home this weekend, for the first time in who knows how long, and I am excited. I am looking forward to seeing my sister. Well, all of my sisters, but especially Katie! And, Mark's girlfriend Bethany will be getting into town on Saturday for the week. I finished re-reading all of the Narnia books (although I think I didn't finish the whole series when I was little, because the last book or two were new to me) and have begun to re-read "Pride and Prejudice" in preparation for the new movie! Abbie saw an advanced screening and liked it a lot. I love Jane Austen. We were talking about her writing tonight, and I remember how much I loved writing my thesis, and Dr. Kenney telling me I had a good enough thesis to turn it into a book. Some days I wish I had stuck with that crazy plan I came up with Spring of my Senior year... Grad school and writing.... maybe someday. I could just be a student forever. And find me a rich husband so I don't have to worry about my school debt!! Haha. Now I sound like Katie. Yesterday in PBL we were talking about antifreeze (our "patient" had ingested ethylene glycol, which is what is in antifreeze) and how people drink it or something because it tastes sweet, and one guy mentioned that it had a cool color, and I asked what that was, and everyone thought it was funny that I had never seen antifreeze. Am I too much a girl?! Amusing to me. I don't care if I am a girl about the car stuff, who needs to know that?!?! I got new plates in the mail for my car today and told Abbie I was going to take them home so my dad could put them on for me, and she laughed at me too. Said it was real hard to use a screwdriver. But why should I do that when boys are so capeable?! Yeah, I sound like a dumb girl. Oh well. As one of the older women doctors told us at a "women in medicine" conference, you just pay people to do all of that extra stuff for you, like housecleaning and grocery shopping. Hopefully I'll graduate so that will be true for me!

Just kidding.

Guess I did write a lot tonight - although it's late, and thus I ramble. Sorry.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Tue, 08 Nov 2005 00:43:34 GMT

I don't really understand this weather. It's like 80 degrees and humid here!! Not that I am looking forward to the cold weather, but I would like it to be a little like Fall! Since it is almost Thanksgiving!!

I don't really have much to write... I want to go to sleep and it's not even 8:00 pm!

Monday, October 31, 2005

Mon, 31 Oct 2005 20:31:05 GMT

Here is the best advice I have to offer:

Do not ever, ever, ever, under any circumstances, go to medical school.