Ah...the weekend arrives again....

It always seems a little funny to me that by the time Friday comes around, I am completely dragging myself around to get through that day at school...

So to celebrate Friday night's happy arrival, we watched one of the movies that I checked out from the library two weeks ago.  The ten DVDs have just been sitting beside the TV because we've been swamped since being back from break.  Last night Jon picked out "Broken Flowers."  He likes Bill Murray and actually met him once at Bill's restaurant, Caddyshack, in St. Augustine.  The movie was really good.  We both liked how it was a bit grainy.  It doesn't really resolve at the end.  That was good, too, so you can interpret it how you like.  Bill Murray is so comedic.  He just looks at the camera and he's funny.  His part in "The Lost City" is excellent too.

Speaking of that, we did take the time to watch "City Island" last weekend and it was really good, too.  Andy Garcia is the lead and he is also in "The Lost City" so maybe there is a theme here...

So today I'm planning to go to yoga, make waffles, get through listening to at least six PNS lectures and taking additional notes or filling in my notes where I left space for more info, and I'm going to do two more loads of laundry.  The next exam in PNS is Tuesday.  I hope I do well and can recall what I've studied.  I'm very thankful that we have a 3 day weekend.

Yesterday, I went to PNS (at 7:30 am) and afterward came home and tidied the house, got laundry going.  Listened to some PNS lecture.  Was so tired that I just had to lie down.  Slept for an hour and got back up to go back to Cervicals at noon.  After that I was a practice patient for Dana, one of my classmates, for BP, and then we went up to the room to wait for the Phys Di practical.  A few of our other classmates were there early, too, so we asked each other questions to clarify how to best perform tests, or the parameters we were looking for in a test, so we could be better prepared.  This practical was for cardiac and pulmonary - thorax exam, so there were many things we had to get done in 12 minutes or less.  They included:  introduction of yourself as a student intern; radial pulses stating rate, rhythm, amplitude, and contour; respiration, stating rate, rhythm, and depth; carotid pulses, separately; blood pressure unilateraly, stating palpatory systolic, auscultatory systolic, mid-diastolic, end diastolic, and pulse pressure; state three observations of the patient's thorax/cardiac/pulmonary (things that would indicate health or a possible problem); tactile fremitus (checking vibrations over patient's lateral and posterior lung fields as they say "99"); percussion of lungs posteriorly and laterally; measuring diaphragmatic excursion; checking thoracic expansion; auscultating lung sounds posteriorly and anteriorly; palpating the patient's heart for thrills (not for "thrills" as in fun, but for papable murmurs); checking the dorsal pedis pulses; performing capillary refill tests on fingers and toes; checking the lower extremities up to the popliteal fossas for varicosities, emboli, and edema; auscultating the heart sounds with both diaphragm (higher pitched sounds) and bell (lower pitched sounds); observation of the jugular venous "pulse;" and checking venous sufficiency by having patient place arms down by side when standing, allowing the hand veins to engorge, and slowly lifting the arm with elbow straight, to see at what level the veins flatten (it should be at the same level as the heart).  That is a lot to get done in 12 minutes time, no physical list to remind you of what to be sure to do.  I was selected as a patient yesterday, so did not have to perform the practical (which is wonderful, because it is the one practical I felt least confident about).  So I gowned up and played patient for the four students who examined me.  They all did very well, in spite of their nervousness. 

Last night I made quesadillas and refried beans for dinner.  Sauteed some green bell pepper, onion and scallions in a little safflower oil and added spices like cumin, chili powder, and garlic.  Threw a few spoons of hot homemade (from the tomatoes I grew two years ago and canned) salsa in to finish that off.  Then I tried my hand at a version of refried beans, healthier style.  Jon mashed a can of pinto beans for me, and I added spices to them: cilantro, garlic and cumin.  Chopped up one fresh tomato and stirred it in with the beans in a pan with a half cup water.  Stirred until smooth and creamy and cooked it down a bit.  We used whole wheat tortillas with cheddar to hold it all together to put the quesadillas together: lay down the first tortilla on the hot pan, sprinkle with cheese, spoon some of the pepper and onion mixture on and spread it out evenly, sprinkle with a little more cheese and top with another tortilla.  Flip when starting to get melty.  When done, cut with a pizza cutter into triangles.  We served them with a side of our "refrieds," sour cream, salsa, and sliced black olives.  They were delish!

The yoga class I want to go to today starts at 9 and it is 7:45, so I'm going to jump in the shower and get the waffles mixed up.