OK, Finals are almost over with! Thank God, because Delaney has been sick since Saturday evening (it is now Wednesday and I have two more finals tomorrow-hard ones: Radiology I and Fundamentals of Pathology). She ran a fever of 102-103 degrees F on Sunday and Monday. Fever broke on Tuesday, & she was definitely on the recovery trail today.
I thankfully got through the PNS (Neuroanatomy II) final on Monday morning feeling pretty good about it, and the Instrumentation final yesterday feeling pretty good about it also. My best final experience so far was last Friday, my first final, in Endocrinology, which I felt great about. Right before the Endo final, I had just tried a yoga "boost camp" at Indigo Wellness: http://www.indigowellness.info/home/ and LOVED it! It is a 1.5 hour class, with 45 min. of cardio walking by the river (the Mississippi) in Moline and then 45 min. of yoga. I was really impressed by how challenging it was (it was my first instructor-led yoga class). My muscles were literally shaking with the effort of holding the poses. I have to say that my concentration was excellent after the class and that I felt a calm taking that test that I haven't felt since I started Palmer. That is definitely a recommendation for the yoga class!
I am not a person who loves to workout; I just know I feel better and it helps improve health, so I have tried to workout at least 3 times per week for at least 20 min. each time since I turned 25 (after reading about how our metabolism begins to slow each year after that age). I usually do the Activtrax (incorporating cardio, weights, and ab work) at Ultimate Fitness: http://www.qcultimatefitness.com/ which is a great way to have a well-rounded workout designed especially for you based on your goals, but felt like I needed to change it up a little. Now I am looking forward to break because I want to get back to the gym more and take Lani for walks and trike rides more.
Lani is a good girl: she has already learned to share. Sometimes things we'd like for her to NOT share: she gave Jon a version of what she has, so he is running a fever and has been chilled, dizzy, and exhausted today and most of yesterday.
The whole sharing when she shouldn't bit...I was thrilled that she finally sat on the potty chair and actually USED it last Friday night before her bath. Unfortunately, I was in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner and she brought me the product of her "efforts." I was so happy that she actually pooped in the potty and was handing it to me: "Eew! Ukky!" she said, scrunching up her nose and puffing out her lips, that I had to share the great news with Jon, who was outside working, so I took it from her (I know, all this is totally gross, but I've kind of gotten over being grossed out easily since becoming a mom 14 years ago), and showed him out the back door. His face was hilarious; he deadpanned, "That is great...gross." I took it back to the bathroom, as Lani had run back in there as soon as I took the poo that had so offensively soiled her potty chair, and showed her that poo goes into the big potty and then we flush it and send it away. Then I cleaned us both up (I love soap and water!). Jon said that her OCD made her do it, because she couldn't stand that something was in her potty and getting it dirty. I suspect he is right. She really likes things to be a certain way...(a little like her Mommie).
So, I've had a little girl who just wanted to be held and coddled for the past 4 days, wouldn't sleep more than an hour or two at night without awakening and crying out: "Mommie, Mommie, Mommie!" and now a husband who can't stand up without getting so dizzy that he is in danger of passing out and hurting himself! I've been trying to get a little studying in here and there. It has been quite a challenge. But I should just expect that, as it seems that Finals tends to be the time that if something is going to hit the fan, then it will be at this time. Next term, my plan is to begin preparing for Finals earlier, so that I'm not feeling so short on time for the end reviewing.
Getting ready for the final I had this morning in Philosophy III, I was looking up some of the people who developed the various chiropractic techniques on the web. Found a nice list on http://www.chiro.org/ and went to the Activator Methods website: http://www.activator.com/. Very interested in this one for me. Want to take the Basic On-line course this summer or fall so that I can then go to a seminar and take the Intermediate level. Really like that it is a low-force technique and can be used for so many applications, including releasing tight tendons/ligaments. It is a great tool for pediatrics to geriatrics. Which leads me to a little story about Clinic:
Since Lani has been sick, I took her to the Clinic yesterday to be adjusted. Our Clinic doctor was not in, so we were seen by another doctor. I mentioned to her that Lani has only been adjusted with Activator (which is not entirely true; she has also had other very low force techniques done, but NEVER with techniques that are higher force). She proceeded to adjust Lani with a higher force technique, starting with her cervicals. Lani immediately began to cry because it scared her and I believe it hurt, as she cried out, "Owie, owie, owie, Mommie!" The doctor then adjusted Lani's thoracics and her pelvis while holding her in the air. Lani was nearly hysterical by the time she was through. I was furious. Please note: this is NOT a typical Clinic experience at Palmer.
Delaney was adjusted for the first time in her life one hour after her birth. She had only C1 out, which makes perfect sense based on how quickly she was born (only a 2.5 hour labor, and she was born on the bathroom floor of the hospital room, as we had only arrived at the hospital 6 minutes before). She has been adjusted by trusted friends and family members since, all excellent, gentle doctors. She LOVES to be adjusted and will climb right up on the adjusting table and put her face into the headrest. Well, I was furious at the doctor who handled her like a ragdoll yesterday, not only for how rough she was with Lani, especially when Lani wasn't feeling good, but for disrespecting me & Lani's regular provider by completely ignoring Lani's protocol of care, but also for instilling fear into Lani of receiving a chiropractic adjustment. The student extern accompanied me to the scheduling desk and asked if we'd like to come in Thursday. We checked the schedule with the receptionist and she said that only the doctor we had just seen would be available. I said I absolutely did not want Lani seen under her ever again. The student assured me that she would see Lani & would use the Activator to adjust her next visit. We found another doctor, who I think is really knowledgeable and is respectful to patients, his fellow doctors, and to the students he teaches, and we scheduled under him instead for today. At today's visit, he reviewed the student's findings, checked Lani, agreed with her findings and let the student proceed with adjusting. Much better experience today, although Lani was a little hesitant to let anyone touch her. Today's adjustment is typical of what the Clinic experience is like.
I also came across an interesting link while I was looking up some information on scrotal cancer for Fundamentals of Pathology that I'd like to look more into when I'm on break: http://www.wellsphere.com/autism-autism-spectrum-article/voluminous-research-proves-vaccines-are-deadly/736798 Many of the articles cited are older (1960's, 70's), but might be good reading. We are still torn on the entire vaccine issue and talking with our MD is not helpful, as they are taught that vaccines are safe, and that all children should be kept to a particular schedule. We have begun vaccinating Delaney (Dartagnan, my 14-year-old son, was completely vaccinated on schedule, which was not as many shots back in the mid-1990's), but slower than the recommended schedule. I know this is aggravating for our MD, as he feels it is his job to try to get her vaccinated "on schedule," however, we feel that the introduction of so many offensive elements to her immature immune system so early on, and so many different types of assault at once, is just asking for trouble. So we are going about it much slower...She's had all of the vaccines for up to 18 months. She is going to be receiving the shots that would bring her up to date with the 2-year-old calendar within the next 6 months. She will receive a shot in June, then we will wait at least 6-8 weeks before the next one, then another 6-8 weeks to the next one. She will then be "up to date."
I'm not totally convinced of the efficacy of vaccines: there was an outbreak of mumps about 1.5 years ago in this area and both Jon and his brother, Josh, got mumps. Both had been vaccinated against it as children. Josh's case was rather severe; he was very swollen in the face and neck & his signs and symptoms lasted about 2 weeks. Jon's was milder, but there was some facial and neck swelling and painful swallowing, and lasted about 1 wk. So how effective was the mumps vaccine for these two? Not very.
Over break, one of my friends has offered to lend me her Sacro-Occipital Technique books. (Find out more about SOT at: http://www.sorsi.com/ & http://www.sotousa.com/wp/) Very interested in reading more about that too. She also has the Activator info, so I'll probably borrow that too. We'll be in the car a lot, traveling, so it will be good to have something to read. We'll be traveling to Peoria, IL; Chattanooga, TN; Atlanta, GA; Minneapolis, MN; & Washington Island, WI. Can't wait! Will be great to get away for a bit & to see Dartagnan as he and his cousin Thomas will be joining us for our trip to Washington Island.
OK, now I need to get back to reviewing Rad slides & reading about interesting congenital mutations (I like the weird, unusual stuff-I think it is easier to remember than the things that aren't so strange), so that I'm ready at 8:45 to take the Fund Path final and at 10:15 for the Rad final tomorrow morning. After that, a month-long break! Yea!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
Finals Countdown...
Only two more days of class left. There was an undercurrent of restlessness today in classes. People were getting up and moving in and out during the classes, taking calls, getting lunch/snack, etc. I think everyone is a little nervous, antsy, with anticipation of finals starting on Friday.
I nabbed an awesome parking spot today (really close to my first class!) and that almost never happens. I'm usually down Main Street hill and have to walk up about a block (it's not that bad, just uphill in the morning: a mini workout to get the blood pumping to my brain!). Many people were missing; probably already studying for Friday's finals. Many of the upper-tri classes have finals before finals officially begin or they have practicals this week and last. Some have only one or two to complete during the actual time of finals, which is nice. I went to classes because many profs give extra credit quizes when attendance is low, so it is a good incentive to show up. Most people can use the extra point or two!
We covered congenital dysplasias and "other weird stuff" in Radiology (Rad) I today. Very interesting. Achondroplasia (tiny/shortened limbs are a finding), cleidocranial dysplasia (missing/tiny clavicles are a finding), Marfan's syndrome (abnormally tall, with spider-like fingers: Abraham Lincoln had it), osteogenesis imperfecta (skeletal fragility with multiple fractures, blue sclera, telephone receiver sign: long bones severely curved), osteopetrosis ("bone within a bone" appearance on x-ray, bones are all dense: can look completely white/opaque on x-ray, brittle).
After classes were over at 1:45, I went to work for a bit. Worked an hour and started getting really hungry, so came home to have a savory Amy's Tamale Verde with Black Beans (note to self: MUST learn how to make similar so can freeze for quick meals). Had waited too long to eat and was warm, so felt woozy. Hands were shaking as I prepared it. Was a very long 4.5 min. for it to microwave (that sounds so silly, but it really felt that way!).
Went back to work for a while longer and left the office at 5:15 to pick up my daughter from her "school" (daycare, but we call it "school" so that she won't be afraid to start real school when the time comes; she'll already be used to that term) at Positive Parenting at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (PPAT), which is right next door to Palmer (so convenient!). Delaney loves her school. I have to say that my husband's brother, Josh, and Katie, his wife, did a thorough examination of the top daycares in the area and they picked it as one of their top three. Since Katie was a schoolteacher before coming to Palmer, I trust their opinion. We checked out three and liked PPAT the best. Very open, very friendly, very pro-chiropractic. They mix many different teaching/learning styles/theories for a great mix that will help any child to learn, no matter what type of learner the child is (this idea of children having different styles of learning I read about in: A Mind at a Time by Mel Levine). They have many opportunities for children to engage in different activities. There are rooms designated for specific activities, such as the Gross Motor Skill room, the Creative Play room, etc. It is a safe place for kids to be kids and get messy, dirty, wet, and have fun. (In case you are wondering, Josh and Katie had both their children in Skip-A-Long Preschool in Bettendorf, also an excellent facility and their first choice.)
Doing laundry and looking over notes...I must say that I find Oxiclean stain spray the best for getting out baby/toddler stains. I've been very impressed. Especially because Lani seems to be extra talented at getting her clothes covered in either food or paint at school each day. No problem. Oxiclean gets it out. Saves me money on buying clothes. Most of which I buy at garage sales and resale shops anyway, but when children grow so fast, you even hate to lose a dress or shirt to a stain. I try to not buy more than she can reasonably wear at present (however, I think I have already gotten all her fall/winter clothes from the 5 or so garage sales I've gone to that had great kid's clothes: Gymboree, Gap, Flapadoodles, Carters, Old Navy, OshKosh, Adidas, The Children's Place). I take great care of her things so that I can sell them when we are done with them.
I think garage sales are wonderful because you never know what you might find. I've been very fortunate: just about two weeks ago, I found 4 silver-plated chargers (go under the dinner plate in a nice table setting) at a garage sale for $8.00. The tags, still on the back, said each one was $10.00 new. I had stored my chargers up on a high shelf in our pantry and they fell out one night and woke us with the crash. We thought we had an intruder! Well, the fall broke about 4 of them (I had a mix of gold and silver chargers). So I was able to replace them for a price I could swallow. Yea!
I love to entertain. It has been hard not to do as much entertaining since being in school. Number one, it can be expensive, especially if you get any alcohol to share with guests; number two, it can literally eat up a lot of time, mainly because I insist on cleaning the whole house (or as much of it as possible) before a party, and due to food prep time. I really enjoy trying out new recipes when we have guests, so it takes longer to prepare because I've never done it before. I never estimate enough time (ask my husband-he's had to help pull me up to speed with his great prepping of veggies and such, more than once!). I just enjoy being with a group of great friends, especially if I can get an eclectic mix of people. Watching everyone interact and having interesting conversations is the best. Finding out something you didn't know about someone, like the fact that they are SCUBA-certified, or that they have horses, or that they dream of someday working for the Gates Foundation...these are all very intriguing. People are fascinating!
Well, time for me to put in some more quality study time before I hit the hay. I can't forget to write the paper this week for Philosophy III class on pleomorphism and monomorphism, which is the final in that class. I'd like to get it done as soon as possible, but my work schedule is not likely to permit that...maybe I'll have time Friday after I take the Endo final.
I nabbed an awesome parking spot today (really close to my first class!) and that almost never happens. I'm usually down Main Street hill and have to walk up about a block (it's not that bad, just uphill in the morning: a mini workout to get the blood pumping to my brain!). Many people were missing; probably already studying for Friday's finals. Many of the upper-tri classes have finals before finals officially begin or they have practicals this week and last. Some have only one or two to complete during the actual time of finals, which is nice. I went to classes because many profs give extra credit quizes when attendance is low, so it is a good incentive to show up. Most people can use the extra point or two!
We covered congenital dysplasias and "other weird stuff" in Radiology (Rad) I today. Very interesting. Achondroplasia (tiny/shortened limbs are a finding), cleidocranial dysplasia (missing/tiny clavicles are a finding), Marfan's syndrome (abnormally tall, with spider-like fingers: Abraham Lincoln had it), osteogenesis imperfecta (skeletal fragility with multiple fractures, blue sclera, telephone receiver sign: long bones severely curved), osteopetrosis ("bone within a bone" appearance on x-ray, bones are all dense: can look completely white/opaque on x-ray, brittle).
After classes were over at 1:45, I went to work for a bit. Worked an hour and started getting really hungry, so came home to have a savory Amy's Tamale Verde with Black Beans (note to self: MUST learn how to make similar so can freeze for quick meals). Had waited too long to eat and was warm, so felt woozy. Hands were shaking as I prepared it. Was a very long 4.5 min. for it to microwave (that sounds so silly, but it really felt that way!).
Went back to work for a while longer and left the office at 5:15 to pick up my daughter from her "school" (daycare, but we call it "school" so that she won't be afraid to start real school when the time comes; she'll already be used to that term) at Positive Parenting at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (PPAT), which is right next door to Palmer (so convenient!). Delaney loves her school. I have to say that my husband's brother, Josh, and Katie, his wife, did a thorough examination of the top daycares in the area and they picked it as one of their top three. Since Katie was a schoolteacher before coming to Palmer, I trust their opinion. We checked out three and liked PPAT the best. Very open, very friendly, very pro-chiropractic. They mix many different teaching/learning styles/theories for a great mix that will help any child to learn, no matter what type of learner the child is (this idea of children having different styles of learning I read about in: A Mind at a Time by Mel Levine). They have many opportunities for children to engage in different activities. There are rooms designated for specific activities, such as the Gross Motor Skill room, the Creative Play room, etc. It is a safe place for kids to be kids and get messy, dirty, wet, and have fun. (In case you are wondering, Josh and Katie had both their children in Skip-A-Long Preschool in Bettendorf, also an excellent facility and their first choice.)
Doing laundry and looking over notes...I must say that I find Oxiclean stain spray the best for getting out baby/toddler stains. I've been very impressed. Especially because Lani seems to be extra talented at getting her clothes covered in either food or paint at school each day. No problem. Oxiclean gets it out. Saves me money on buying clothes. Most of which I buy at garage sales and resale shops anyway, but when children grow so fast, you even hate to lose a dress or shirt to a stain. I try to not buy more than she can reasonably wear at present (however, I think I have already gotten all her fall/winter clothes from the 5 or so garage sales I've gone to that had great kid's clothes: Gymboree, Gap, Flapadoodles, Carters, Old Navy, OshKosh, Adidas, The Children's Place). I take great care of her things so that I can sell them when we are done with them.
I think garage sales are wonderful because you never know what you might find. I've been very fortunate: just about two weeks ago, I found 4 silver-plated chargers (go under the dinner plate in a nice table setting) at a garage sale for $8.00. The tags, still on the back, said each one was $10.00 new. I had stored my chargers up on a high shelf in our pantry and they fell out one night and woke us with the crash. We thought we had an intruder! Well, the fall broke about 4 of them (I had a mix of gold and silver chargers). So I was able to replace them for a price I could swallow. Yea!
I love to entertain. It has been hard not to do as much entertaining since being in school. Number one, it can be expensive, especially if you get any alcohol to share with guests; number two, it can literally eat up a lot of time, mainly because I insist on cleaning the whole house (or as much of it as possible) before a party, and due to food prep time. I really enjoy trying out new recipes when we have guests, so it takes longer to prepare because I've never done it before. I never estimate enough time (ask my husband-he's had to help pull me up to speed with his great prepping of veggies and such, more than once!). I just enjoy being with a group of great friends, especially if I can get an eclectic mix of people. Watching everyone interact and having interesting conversations is the best. Finding out something you didn't know about someone, like the fact that they are SCUBA-certified, or that they have horses, or that they dream of someday working for the Gates Foundation...these are all very intriguing. People are fascinating!
Well, time for me to put in some more quality study time before I hit the hay. I can't forget to write the paper this week for Philosophy III class on pleomorphism and monomorphism, which is the final in that class. I'd like to get it done as soon as possible, but my work schedule is not likely to permit that...maybe I'll have time Friday after I take the Endo final.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Lazy Saturday OR I Love the Weekend!
Today we slept in! Yea! We never do that. So it was a treat, to be sure. Delaney slept until 8:30. Nice.
My mom called shortly after we woke up and invited us over to brunch. Was delish! We are vegetarians (except for my 14-year-old son, Dartagnan-He LOVES meat). She made omelets stuffed with a lovely array of veggies, with skillet potatoes, toast, pancakes...WAAAY too much, so we weren't able to finish our food.
My mom is a great cook. My parents live only about 5 minutes away from us, which is really great when they invite us over to eat because then we don't have to cook. Nice, because sometimes I'm fresh out of ideas of what to make. Still getting used to being vegetarian (have only been since about January, after reading Eating Animals and watching King Corn and Food, Inc.). The classes on Biochemistry at Palmer made me wonder about our food choices. Also having a little girl after having had breast cancer really made me explore nutrition as a way to maintain optimal health and more carefully examine our food selections. After exploring vegetarianism for about a year, we finally made the transition and I think we are feeling healthier from the change. I feel good that we are not supporting the meat industry because of its negative ecological effects, the way that the food they produce is far from "natural" or "healthy," and the way the animals raised for food production are treated during their short lives can be rather cruel.
After a very filling breakfast we headed home and my husband disappeared into the basement to work on my son's bedroom. Lani was very tired, so I got her settled into bed and she played quietly for a while. I polished some furniture and I started sorting through our cookbooks in preparation for the upcoming garage sale. Got about halfway done with that and decided it was time to devote some time to studying PNS and Endo. Spent some time (about 2 hours) reviewing both. Tried to get the finer points of the hormones of pregnancy and digestion into my head and to chart the course and communications with other nerves that the Facial Nerve (Cranial Nerve VII) has. Drew it out. Labeled the openings that the nerve passes through, the nuclei that it come from, the branches it splits into, what they innervate & what communications they have with other cranial nerves. That usually helps me have a better mental picture and helps me remember the pathway better when the test comes around.
Took a little nap once Lani finally feel asleep. Got up and made Morningstar Prime Grillers for dinner with Food For Life Ezekiel buns (Wow! I'd never had them before and they were very hearty. I could eat only one-half of my burger.). My mom had made potato salad with dill and no raw onions (hate raw onions!) and brought it over a few days ago, so we had that with our burgers. Topped them with guacamole, cheddar, mayo, tomatoes from the CSA we have a share with, and roasted bell pepper. Yum!
The CSA, or Community-Sponsored Agriculture, we have a share with is Country Corners: www.country-corner.com It is great because we are part of it through Palmer (another great thing to take advantage of at Palmer!) We just picked up our first 3/4 bushel share this past Tuesday and are using the veggies/fruits we received. In this week's box: asparagus, leaf lettuce, green onions, strawberries, chives, turnips, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, new potatoes, and popcorn-on-the-cob with instructions on how to prepare it in the microwave. Also included was information about chives and recipe suggestions. Sweet! We have already used the lettuce, turnips (made a great dish, can find it at: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegetarian-Chickpea-Curry-with-Turnips/Detail.aspx), strawberries (added a tablespoon of sugar to them sliced and served over homemade waffles), popcorn (was very tasty!), and green onions. Really looking forward to the next box!
Got the dishes done (no, we don't have a dishwasher appliance. We are the dishwashers!) and worked on some laundry. Headed back to study now for a bit before bed. Would really like to read some more of the book Get Me Out, that I have from the public library right now. It is a very entertaining account of the history of childbirth and the many changes it has gone through. But really need to study...
My mom called shortly after we woke up and invited us over to brunch. Was delish! We are vegetarians (except for my 14-year-old son, Dartagnan-He LOVES meat). She made omelets stuffed with a lovely array of veggies, with skillet potatoes, toast, pancakes...WAAAY too much, so we weren't able to finish our food.
My mom is a great cook. My parents live only about 5 minutes away from us, which is really great when they invite us over to eat because then we don't have to cook. Nice, because sometimes I'm fresh out of ideas of what to make. Still getting used to being vegetarian (have only been since about January, after reading Eating Animals and watching King Corn and Food, Inc.). The classes on Biochemistry at Palmer made me wonder about our food choices. Also having a little girl after having had breast cancer really made me explore nutrition as a way to maintain optimal health and more carefully examine our food selections. After exploring vegetarianism for about a year, we finally made the transition and I think we are feeling healthier from the change. I feel good that we are not supporting the meat industry because of its negative ecological effects, the way that the food they produce is far from "natural" or "healthy," and the way the animals raised for food production are treated during their short lives can be rather cruel.
After a very filling breakfast we headed home and my husband disappeared into the basement to work on my son's bedroom. Lani was very tired, so I got her settled into bed and she played quietly for a while. I polished some furniture and I started sorting through our cookbooks in preparation for the upcoming garage sale. Got about halfway done with that and decided it was time to devote some time to studying PNS and Endo. Spent some time (about 2 hours) reviewing both. Tried to get the finer points of the hormones of pregnancy and digestion into my head and to chart the course and communications with other nerves that the Facial Nerve (Cranial Nerve VII) has. Drew it out. Labeled the openings that the nerve passes through, the nuclei that it come from, the branches it splits into, what they innervate & what communications they have with other cranial nerves. That usually helps me have a better mental picture and helps me remember the pathway better when the test comes around.
Took a little nap once Lani finally feel asleep. Got up and made Morningstar Prime Grillers for dinner with Food For Life Ezekiel buns (Wow! I'd never had them before and they were very hearty. I could eat only one-half of my burger.). My mom had made potato salad with dill and no raw onions (hate raw onions!) and brought it over a few days ago, so we had that with our burgers. Topped them with guacamole, cheddar, mayo, tomatoes from the CSA we have a share with, and roasted bell pepper. Yum!
The CSA, or Community-Sponsored Agriculture, we have a share with is Country Corners: www.country-corner.com It is great because we are part of it through Palmer (another great thing to take advantage of at Palmer!) We just picked up our first 3/4 bushel share this past Tuesday and are using the veggies/fruits we received. In this week's box: asparagus, leaf lettuce, green onions, strawberries, chives, turnips, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, new potatoes, and popcorn-on-the-cob with instructions on how to prepare it in the microwave. Also included was information about chives and recipe suggestions. Sweet! We have already used the lettuce, turnips (made a great dish, can find it at: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegetarian-Chickpea-Curry-with-Turnips/Detail.aspx), strawberries (added a tablespoon of sugar to them sliced and served over homemade waffles), popcorn (was very tasty!), and green onions. Really looking forward to the next box!
Got the dishes done (no, we don't have a dishwasher appliance. We are the dishwashers!) and worked on some laundry. Headed back to study now for a bit before bed. Would really like to read some more of the book Get Me Out, that I have from the public library right now. It is a very entertaining account of the history of childbirth and the many changes it has gone through. But really need to study...
Friday, June 4, 2010
1 Week Until Finals!
I'm officially beginning to feel the pressure of upcoming finals. They start in 1 week! OK. Have to have a plan: since the family garage sale that was scheduled for the next two days (Fri & Sat) was canceled (hallelujah!) due to ominous weather reports (thunderstorms!), that won't be taking up all my valuable study time. Thank goodness! So, will have next two days to devote some serious time to my reviews/studies.
Finals at Palmer always start one day after an official "Study Day," which happens to be, for this trimester (we have 3 terms per year: March, July, October; so: TRImesters, not SEmesters), or "tri" as we shorten it, on Thursday (always a Thursday), June 10th. So finals start on Friday, June 11th.
I'm hoping to have enough organization and discipline to get some quality study time in before the first one next Friday, which is Endocrinology, which I'm re-taking because I wasn't able to devote the time to it last term that I needed to (was re-taking 3 courses last term & needed to focus on passing those for certain). Since I'm not sure what my most recent grade was on the last exam, I am planning to just review and drill the unique traits of the hormones & the syndromes/disorders into my brain to prepare. It is fascinating material and I love that it is so intertwined. It really makes me appreciate how complicated & wonderful the human body is!
OK, to address the fact that I re-took 3 courses last term because I know some will be wondering "WHY?" I am going to be brutally honest in this blog and really lay out the reality that Palmer has been for me. Here are some of the "labels" you might give me: "mother," "student," "friend," "daughter," "wife." I have many roles to juggle and I confess that I don't always do it as well as some. Let's start from the beginning so that you might better understand the "WHY?"
I began Palmer in July 2007. My husband & I wed 2 days before we BOTH began Palmer. One week after starting Palmer, I found out I was pregnant. So, you see, the start was rather OVER-eventful....which would have been fine, except that I almost immediately dipped into depression and simultaneously had a wave of Oxytocin coursing through my veins. If you don't yet know, you will learn in Endocrinology that one of the results of Oxytocin is to cause decreased memory. Not terribly helpful to an incoming student to Palmer!
So, not feeling so great and having a decreased capacity for memorization (which is what most of the first year of Palmer is about) made the first two terms of school excrutiating for me. I really struggled. I ended up repeating courses because my brain could not take it all in. Now, please understand that this is just MY personal experience. There are women all over Palmer, including my amazing sister-in-law, who seemingly breeze through pregnancy & childbirth without needing to repeat a course or having issues with their memory. Some even bring their newborns to school with them for the remainder of the term they give birth in, so that they can breastfeed them on demand! I find these women very admirable and think they must be in excellent shape to handle such tasks. Hats off to the ladies w/babies!
I took the March 2008 term off to stay home with my daughter (she was born just after the term began-excellent timing!). I also worked back at an old part-time job I'd held for 10 years, to help supplement our financial needs, as one person's student loans is not what we were accustomed to living on. It was great to spend time with her and I am so happy to have had that time away from Palmer.
I resumed school in July 2008 and it was just too soon. Was really longing to be at home, to be with my baby, and just wasn't focused on school. I had my first anxiety attack that term. I remember it clearly: I was taking the 2nd exam in Biochemistry, the windows in the classroom were open, it was a hot day, and the lawn service was cutting the grass. It was loud. So loud that I absolutely could not concentrate. The words on the paper blurred. My palms were sweaty. I NEVER have sweaty palms! My eyes weren't focusing, my ears were ringing, my head ached, beads of perspiration were forming on my forehead, and I just wanted to jump up and run out of there. I stayed in my seat and completed the test the best I could, but I was a wreck. I knew I had to do something to get through the term.
I went to see my Obstetrician for the post partum checkup and told her what was happening to me. Not only the anxiety, but also the depression was worsening. Since I had weaned my daughter, Delaney, from the breast, I felt that maybe it was time to explore treatment that I previously wouldn't have considered. She gave me a prescription and instructions. It helped the anxiety almost immediately. It took about 3 weeks to start making an inroad into my depression. Once it did, I felt like I could function better and that I didn't need to feel bad or sleep so much (was sleeping quite a bit-just felt exhausted, like I couldn't handle it all).
I finished out that July tri and decided that I needed time off from Palmer again. So I took the October 2008 tri off. Needed more time to get myself back to normal. Worked at temp jobs, primarily, during that time, in order to help with bills. Wasn't sure if I was cut out for Palmer after all. Really did some soul-searching. Was not the best time of my life, but it was a very informative time for me. It helped quite a bit that the Oxytocin was quieting down. I started to feel more like myself and less like things were overwhelming.
In March, I wasn't sure that I was ready to go back...I thought maybe I should continue to work for a while longer until I felt certain one way or the other. I temped at a bank (what a disaster! I'm definitely no banker! Apparently I am no teller either!) & hated every minute. My undergrad degree is in International Business and after leaving a perfect position to start Palmer, I knew it would be difficult, if not impossible, to get a job in my field, in the Quad-Cities (Bettendorf & Davenport, Iowa & Moline & Rock Island, Illinois + the surrounding communities for about a 30-mile radius), during a recession.
Since I want to help people in my career/job, I landed a position with a local agency that works with a very specific population: the aged, who are low-income, who need assistance to utilize the programs that the state offers to help them out and ease their financial burdens. It was the impetus I needed to return to Palmer: four separate individuals, at different times, told me that I should be a doctor. Now, I know that does not sound like much, but it helped me to realize that I was on the right path at Palmer, and that working for that agency was just not the place where I could do the most good and have the biggest positive impact with my life. It stewed in my mind for the 6 weeks I was there. I felt horrible, like a traitor, when I gave notice that I would be leaving the position to return to Palmer, but I knew that it was the right thing for me to do. Part of me wanted to stay and keep helping assist those people in getting all the benefits for which they qualified, but I know it was time to return to Palmer to continue to pursue my education.
So, I started back to Palmer in July 2009. I'm so glad I did. I finally felt the capacity to learn and to retrieve information from my brain was back. I was no longer suffering from depression or anxiety. I felt ready to study and learn. It was definitely the right decision. Even though it has still not been an easy road (getting the gears switched from "work" to "study" hasn't been so smooth, but is better now), and I have had to repeat courses and discipline myself more, I am happy I returned.
Enough info in this post! Need to sleep so I'm ready for the 3 classes I have tomorrow morning: PNS (Peripheral Nervous System/Neuroanatomy II), Instrumentation, & Philosophy III.
Finals at Palmer always start one day after an official "Study Day," which happens to be, for this trimester (we have 3 terms per year: March, July, October; so: TRImesters, not SEmesters), or "tri" as we shorten it, on Thursday (always a Thursday), June 10th. So finals start on Friday, June 11th.
I'm hoping to have enough organization and discipline to get some quality study time in before the first one next Friday, which is Endocrinology, which I'm re-taking because I wasn't able to devote the time to it last term that I needed to (was re-taking 3 courses last term & needed to focus on passing those for certain). Since I'm not sure what my most recent grade was on the last exam, I am planning to just review and drill the unique traits of the hormones & the syndromes/disorders into my brain to prepare. It is fascinating material and I love that it is so intertwined. It really makes me appreciate how complicated & wonderful the human body is!
OK, to address the fact that I re-took 3 courses last term because I know some will be wondering "WHY?" I am going to be brutally honest in this blog and really lay out the reality that Palmer has been for me. Here are some of the "labels" you might give me: "mother," "student," "friend," "daughter," "wife." I have many roles to juggle and I confess that I don't always do it as well as some. Let's start from the beginning so that you might better understand the "WHY?"
I began Palmer in July 2007. My husband & I wed 2 days before we BOTH began Palmer. One week after starting Palmer, I found out I was pregnant. So, you see, the start was rather OVER-eventful....which would have been fine, except that I almost immediately dipped into depression and simultaneously had a wave of Oxytocin coursing through my veins. If you don't yet know, you will learn in Endocrinology that one of the results of Oxytocin is to cause decreased memory. Not terribly helpful to an incoming student to Palmer!
So, not feeling so great and having a decreased capacity for memorization (which is what most of the first year of Palmer is about) made the first two terms of school excrutiating for me. I really struggled. I ended up repeating courses because my brain could not take it all in. Now, please understand that this is just MY personal experience. There are women all over Palmer, including my amazing sister-in-law, who seemingly breeze through pregnancy & childbirth without needing to repeat a course or having issues with their memory. Some even bring their newborns to school with them for the remainder of the term they give birth in, so that they can breastfeed them on demand! I find these women very admirable and think they must be in excellent shape to handle such tasks. Hats off to the ladies w/babies!
I took the March 2008 term off to stay home with my daughter (she was born just after the term began-excellent timing!). I also worked back at an old part-time job I'd held for 10 years, to help supplement our financial needs, as one person's student loans is not what we were accustomed to living on. It was great to spend time with her and I am so happy to have had that time away from Palmer.
I resumed school in July 2008 and it was just too soon. Was really longing to be at home, to be with my baby, and just wasn't focused on school. I had my first anxiety attack that term. I remember it clearly: I was taking the 2nd exam in Biochemistry, the windows in the classroom were open, it was a hot day, and the lawn service was cutting the grass. It was loud. So loud that I absolutely could not concentrate. The words on the paper blurred. My palms were sweaty. I NEVER have sweaty palms! My eyes weren't focusing, my ears were ringing, my head ached, beads of perspiration were forming on my forehead, and I just wanted to jump up and run out of there. I stayed in my seat and completed the test the best I could, but I was a wreck. I knew I had to do something to get through the term.
I went to see my Obstetrician for the post partum checkup and told her what was happening to me. Not only the anxiety, but also the depression was worsening. Since I had weaned my daughter, Delaney, from the breast, I felt that maybe it was time to explore treatment that I previously wouldn't have considered. She gave me a prescription and instructions. It helped the anxiety almost immediately. It took about 3 weeks to start making an inroad into my depression. Once it did, I felt like I could function better and that I didn't need to feel bad or sleep so much (was sleeping quite a bit-just felt exhausted, like I couldn't handle it all).
I finished out that July tri and decided that I needed time off from Palmer again. So I took the October 2008 tri off. Needed more time to get myself back to normal. Worked at temp jobs, primarily, during that time, in order to help with bills. Wasn't sure if I was cut out for Palmer after all. Really did some soul-searching. Was not the best time of my life, but it was a very informative time for me. It helped quite a bit that the Oxytocin was quieting down. I started to feel more like myself and less like things were overwhelming.
In March, I wasn't sure that I was ready to go back...I thought maybe I should continue to work for a while longer until I felt certain one way or the other. I temped at a bank (what a disaster! I'm definitely no banker! Apparently I am no teller either!) & hated every minute. My undergrad degree is in International Business and after leaving a perfect position to start Palmer, I knew it would be difficult, if not impossible, to get a job in my field, in the Quad-Cities (Bettendorf & Davenport, Iowa & Moline & Rock Island, Illinois + the surrounding communities for about a 30-mile radius), during a recession.
Since I want to help people in my career/job, I landed a position with a local agency that works with a very specific population: the aged, who are low-income, who need assistance to utilize the programs that the state offers to help them out and ease their financial burdens. It was the impetus I needed to return to Palmer: four separate individuals, at different times, told me that I should be a doctor. Now, I know that does not sound like much, but it helped me to realize that I was on the right path at Palmer, and that working for that agency was just not the place where I could do the most good and have the biggest positive impact with my life. It stewed in my mind for the 6 weeks I was there. I felt horrible, like a traitor, when I gave notice that I would be leaving the position to return to Palmer, but I knew that it was the right thing for me to do. Part of me wanted to stay and keep helping assist those people in getting all the benefits for which they qualified, but I know it was time to return to Palmer to continue to pursue my education.
So, I started back to Palmer in July 2009. I'm so glad I did. I finally felt the capacity to learn and to retrieve information from my brain was back. I was no longer suffering from depression or anxiety. I felt ready to study and learn. It was definitely the right decision. Even though it has still not been an easy road (getting the gears switched from "work" to "study" hasn't been so smooth, but is better now), and I have had to repeat courses and discipline myself more, I am happy I returned.
Enough info in this post! Need to sleep so I'm ready for the 3 classes I have tomorrow morning: PNS (Peripheral Nervous System/Neuroanatomy II), Instrumentation, & Philosophy III.
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