I am happy to report that I took my first final today in Phys Di. It was at 9:00 am and it was a tough final. I started reviewing for it last night, because I've been done with the actual reading for this test for sometime. However, because I like Mosby's so much, I have been reading on and it is so interesting. I like the chapters on putting all that you've learned together. I think I like that because I can be really detail-focused, but I am truly more of big-picture kind of person. I don't like studying minutae without knowing the how it fits with the rest of the whole. I think that is part of why Gross and Spinal Anatomy classes were so difficult for me, because I have a tough time with rote memorization. I need the information to be relevant.
So I've been studying PNS and Phys Di the past few days. I went over the differential diagnoses last night and reviewed hair, skin, and nails this morning before going in for the final. I didn't feel as confident as I could have. However, I did well enough: I got 62 out of 74 possible and earned my A by 6 points. I'm very pleased with that, as Phys Di is a 10 credit course and I can use the good quality points, which will help my GPA.
Tonight, I'm going to spend even more time studying PNS. Really need to do well on that final on Monday. I'm really jonesing to go see "Unknown" but not sure that tonight will work out. Might have to be tomorrow night. Gotta get back to studying now...
Showing posts with label PNS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PNS. Show all posts
Friday, February 18, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Cervicals Spinal Evaluation update
I felt pretty good about the Cervicals Spinal Evaluation on Friday. Dr. Hagen was overseeing my findings and adjustment. The adjustment didn't take, my patient said. However, because the instrumentation changed, it was considered an actual adjustment. That is one of the things that Jon and I discuss: whether or not instrumentation findings are valid or not. I'm not sure what I think at this point. I'd have to use them more to feel I have developed an informed opinion on that.
I did quite a bit of studying over the weekend, combining review for Boards with reading more of Mosby's text for Phys Di. I read the chapter for Male Genitalia and am working through the Female Genitalia (which is twice as long due to pregnancy information) and I started reading the chapter on Anus and Rectum. I know all of the info concerning the Anatomy and Physiology will be on Boards, and I know I'll need to know the diagnostic info for upcoming classes, so it is good reading. I also reviewed some PNS. The final for Phys Di is this coming Friday and the final for PNS is next Monday. I want to be ready to do well on both.
We found out Dartagnan is failing 3 classes recently. I'm not joking when I say we have tried just about every approach to try to motivate him to do his homework and take school a little more seriously. We've tried standing over him, taking him back to school when he's "forgotten" his homework, had him stay after school (mandatory) to work with his teachers on his work, grounding him from fun things, rewarding him with money/activities if he gets good grades...pretty much nothing has worked. He has been so resistant. So, over the weekend, Jon and I began exploring boarding schools, specifically, military boarding schools. We've found some that sound like a good fit for Dartagnan, especially one called Camden in South Carolina. Their website states it perfectly: they believe boys need physical activity (they have physical training every morning before classes), benefit from smaller classes (17:1 ratio), don't need the distraction of the opposite sex (they are a boys-only school) and they are dedicated to helping students that may struggle with ADD/ADHD or lack of motivation. We are also looking at a school in Georgia, and three in Virginia.
Since we began looking at the schools, we thought about visiting, because that is really necessary to determine if the place is a good fit for him. The only time that will work for us to do this is our next break from Palmer. Thinking about taking a whirlwind tour of schools over break is a little disheartening, because I was planning all the things I wanted to get done over the break at home. However, Dartagnan's education is very important, so we are going to do what we can to make this happen. We are still planning it and talked to him about the idea last night. He was very excited and wanted to see all the schools' websites. So Jon spent time showing D all the options. I was glad that D was excited about the prospect and he said he would rather go to boarding school than to Bettendorf High School, where he currently is. I think he sees it as an adventure and it will be. I would have given just about anything to get away from Bettendorf High School when I was there myself. Not because it is a "BAD" school; it is a very good school academically. I just had a really hard time there because my family was blue-collar, middle-class and many of the kids there were white-collar, middle-class. I also was not a person to be quiet and just go with the crowd. Dartagnan is not either, so I think coming back from Minnesota, where he did well in school, has been tough for him. Up there, he had a chance to make a new reputation for himself. Here, everyone already thought of him as a slacker and a class clown (his teachers said they suspect he is very intelligent, but that he doesn't want anyone to know it and that he can lead the whole class on a tangent). So he simply fell back into a familiar pattern when he came home.
I have to take all my Boards review materials with me on the trip, because Boards are about halfway through March and I really don't want to be stressed about them and feel I've not studied sufficiently.
I did quite a bit of studying over the weekend, combining review for Boards with reading more of Mosby's text for Phys Di. I read the chapter for Male Genitalia and am working through the Female Genitalia (which is twice as long due to pregnancy information) and I started reading the chapter on Anus and Rectum. I know all of the info concerning the Anatomy and Physiology will be on Boards, and I know I'll need to know the diagnostic info for upcoming classes, so it is good reading. I also reviewed some PNS. The final for Phys Di is this coming Friday and the final for PNS is next Monday. I want to be ready to do well on both.
We found out Dartagnan is failing 3 classes recently. I'm not joking when I say we have tried just about every approach to try to motivate him to do his homework and take school a little more seriously. We've tried standing over him, taking him back to school when he's "forgotten" his homework, had him stay after school (mandatory) to work with his teachers on his work, grounding him from fun things, rewarding him with money/activities if he gets good grades...pretty much nothing has worked. He has been so resistant. So, over the weekend, Jon and I began exploring boarding schools, specifically, military boarding schools. We've found some that sound like a good fit for Dartagnan, especially one called Camden in South Carolina. Their website states it perfectly: they believe boys need physical activity (they have physical training every morning before classes), benefit from smaller classes (17:1 ratio), don't need the distraction of the opposite sex (they are a boys-only school) and they are dedicated to helping students that may struggle with ADD/ADHD or lack of motivation. We are also looking at a school in Georgia, and three in Virginia.
Since we began looking at the schools, we thought about visiting, because that is really necessary to determine if the place is a good fit for him. The only time that will work for us to do this is our next break from Palmer. Thinking about taking a whirlwind tour of schools over break is a little disheartening, because I was planning all the things I wanted to get done over the break at home. However, Dartagnan's education is very important, so we are going to do what we can to make this happen. We are still planning it and talked to him about the idea last night. He was very excited and wanted to see all the schools' websites. So Jon spent time showing D all the options. I was glad that D was excited about the prospect and he said he would rather go to boarding school than to Bettendorf High School, where he currently is. I think he sees it as an adventure and it will be. I would have given just about anything to get away from Bettendorf High School when I was there myself. Not because it is a "BAD" school; it is a very good school academically. I just had a really hard time there because my family was blue-collar, middle-class and many of the kids there were white-collar, middle-class. I also was not a person to be quiet and just go with the crowd. Dartagnan is not either, so I think coming back from Minnesota, where he did well in school, has been tough for him. Up there, he had a chance to make a new reputation for himself. Here, everyone already thought of him as a slacker and a class clown (his teachers said they suspect he is very intelligent, but that he doesn't want anyone to know it and that he can lead the whole class on a tangent). So he simply fell back into a familiar pattern when he came home.
I have to take all my Boards review materials with me on the trip, because Boards are about halfway through March and I really don't want to be stressed about them and feel I've not studied sufficiently.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Moving on
Had two tests yesterday: PNS first thing and Phys Di in the afternoon. Got up early, 4:30 am, to get some more study time in on PNS. The test didn't feel as difficult as it could have, so I hope that means that I did well. We'll see when grades are posted tomorrow.
Went home after the PNS test and reviewed some Phys Di and Cervicals. I still have more reading to complete before the next test in Cervicals and I've been trying to chip away at it little bit by bit. Listened to heart sounds and lung sounds on the links Dr. Littrell put on her website: http://www.littrellradiology.com/ On the test, there was one each. Hope I did well on that test, too, because I'm aiming for an A in that class. I could really use an A because the class is worth 10 credits and it would help me reach my goal of raising my GPA to 2.50 or higher this term or this year.
I'm trying to decide if I want to take a 7:30 Pelvic class next term or not. If I don't, then I could go to the gym again in the morning to workout. I kind of miss doing that and getting the workout out of the way early in the day. I'm still thinking about my schedule to see what will be a manageable workload for me. I'm currently signed up for 31 credits, which is a "normal" schedule for many Palmer students, but I don't think that is realistic for me. I'd like to drop it down to between 25-27.
Jon's new TravelPro suitcase arrived yesterday. It is a carryon that is also a suit holder. Many pilots use this type and it is really slick. He's flying to Orlando this weekend for a seminar with our practice manager. Our friends Clint and his wife, Alyssa, will also be attending and they are all going to share a room to cut down on costs. I'm not going because Boards review begins next weekend and I don't want to be gone this weekend, too.
Jon and I looked at blinds for Lani's and Dartagnan's windows on Monday. We priced them and the two that we are considering are about the same cost. I am leaning toward the cordless double cellular shades, and Jon is leaning toward the wide-slat wooden blinds in white, which I think look a little fussy with all the strings. We don't have to decide right away, but the sooner we get them up in Lani's room, the better for our weekends so she'll sleep a little longer in a darker room.
Since it is snowing again today, it is making me dream of my garden and flowers and springtime. I'm looking forward to purchasing some shrubs to put on the berms this spring. Going to get at least one (but I'd really like two) Sambucus nigra (elderberry) black lace, which look a lot like a Japanese maple, but are more hardy. I would also like to get a Dicentra spectabilis Gold Heart, which is a lovely bleeding heart with chartreuse-colored foilage, so when it is done blooming, it would look great next to the elderberry because of the color contrast between its leaves and the elderberry's almost-black, dark purple leaves. I'm also considering some cottage roses or else more knockout roses in front of the house to give some bright color (the hot pink ones are really pretty against our new blue paint on the house). Maybe some of the vanilla strawberry hydrangeas...I love the possibilities! I'm planning to order from http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/ or to buy from local sources if they carry these particular varieties. I prefer varieties of plants and flowers that not everyone has (there are tons of hostas in the Quad-Cities) because I like the unusual. I am so looking forward to gardening again this spring!
OK, going to read a little Cervicals before I head to Tox.
Went home after the PNS test and reviewed some Phys Di and Cervicals. I still have more reading to complete before the next test in Cervicals and I've been trying to chip away at it little bit by bit. Listened to heart sounds and lung sounds on the links Dr. Littrell put on her website: http://www.littrellradiology.com/ On the test, there was one each. Hope I did well on that test, too, because I'm aiming for an A in that class. I could really use an A because the class is worth 10 credits and it would help me reach my goal of raising my GPA to 2.50 or higher this term or this year.
I'm trying to decide if I want to take a 7:30 Pelvic class next term or not. If I don't, then I could go to the gym again in the morning to workout. I kind of miss doing that and getting the workout out of the way early in the day. I'm still thinking about my schedule to see what will be a manageable workload for me. I'm currently signed up for 31 credits, which is a "normal" schedule for many Palmer students, but I don't think that is realistic for me. I'd like to drop it down to between 25-27.
Jon's new TravelPro suitcase arrived yesterday. It is a carryon that is also a suit holder. Many pilots use this type and it is really slick. He's flying to Orlando this weekend for a seminar with our practice manager. Our friends Clint and his wife, Alyssa, will also be attending and they are all going to share a room to cut down on costs. I'm not going because Boards review begins next weekend and I don't want to be gone this weekend, too.
Jon and I looked at blinds for Lani's and Dartagnan's windows on Monday. We priced them and the two that we are considering are about the same cost. I am leaning toward the cordless double cellular shades, and Jon is leaning toward the wide-slat wooden blinds in white, which I think look a little fussy with all the strings. We don't have to decide right away, but the sooner we get them up in Lani's room, the better for our weekends so she'll sleep a little longer in a darker room.
Since it is snowing again today, it is making me dream of my garden and flowers and springtime. I'm looking forward to purchasing some shrubs to put on the berms this spring. Going to get at least one (but I'd really like two) Sambucus nigra (elderberry) black lace, which look a lot like a Japanese maple, but are more hardy. I would also like to get a Dicentra spectabilis Gold Heart, which is a lovely bleeding heart with chartreuse-colored foilage, so when it is done blooming, it would look great next to the elderberry because of the color contrast between its leaves and the elderberry's almost-black, dark purple leaves. I'm also considering some cottage roses or else more knockout roses in front of the house to give some bright color (the hot pink ones are really pretty against our new blue paint on the house). Maybe some of the vanilla strawberry hydrangeas...I love the possibilities! I'm planning to order from http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/ or to buy from local sources if they carry these particular varieties. I prefer varieties of plants and flowers that not everyone has (there are tons of hostas in the Quad-Cities) because I like the unusual. I am so looking forward to gardening again this spring!
OK, going to read a little Cervicals before I head to Tox.
Monday, January 17, 2011
MLK Day...Snow Day
Delaney is in the living room yelling at the TV. It has been a while since she watched "A Bug's Life." The "mild peril" is getting her worked up and she's telling off the grasshoppers who've come to take all the food the ants have worked so hard to gather and store for the winter. She was calling the grasshoppers "dragons" because we recently rented "How to Train Your Dragon" and she loved it. She was asking for it again this morning, so I guess we're going to have to purchase it.
She normally wouldn't be here so late in the morning, but we have Martin Luther King Jr. Day off from school (so does Dartagnan) and we just haven't gotten her to Positive Parenting yet.
I love days off from school! The possibilities of what to do with my time are virtually endless! Jon and I may go look at house stuff today. I really want to look at tile, but it will be a while before he gets started working on the bathroom in earnest, so there is no rush.
I went over this morning to let out my friends' Paul and Sharon dog, Peanut. Had to shovel my way to the car (about an inch of accumulation at that time) and went ahead and shoveled the front sidewalks too. Took the shovel with me and shoveled my way up to their door and let Peanut out to do her thing and put her food in her bowl and gave her fresh water. She was quick outside. When I let her back in, I wiped her back off and wiped her feet with some paper towels and gave her a treat. She's a sweet dog. I actually woke her up when I came in. She'd been sleeping on her doggie bed and she didn't raise her head until I actually walked into the kitchen.
Yesterday was Paul and Sharon's 1st anniversary, so they stayed at the Blackhawk Hotel overnight. I hope they had a great time!
My friend Zakk Moore, who lives in California, got married yesterday to Maria Chang. I wish we could have gone to the wedding, however, travel in January while we are in school, especially air travel, is risky. We have so many classes in which attendance is required and with a little one that we have to stay home with if she is sick, and with Jon's 4 herniated lumbar discs, we have to be careful to not create other situations where we need to use up our allowed cuts.
I'm talking with Jon about going to visit some friends in Canada this summer, but it will be expensive and I'm not sure it will work out with their schedule, so there is a lot to consider. I would like to take the children, however, we'd have to get notarized permission from Dartagnan's father to take him out of the country, and that in itself, would be quite a task. Not only that, we'd need a new passport for Delaney and I'd have to renew Dartagnan's passport. Those things are enough to make me reconsider them going. So if Jon and I go, we won't be taking the kids with us.
Our friends live in Kelowna, British Columbia, and it is positively a beautiful place, especially in summer. I'd just love to spend some time with them because I miss them so much. They moved back to Canada about four years ago, maybe five? With them, I feel like, even if we've not had a letter or e-mail or phone call for months, that when we talk again, it is like we never left off. We are just great fits for each other's personalities; like kindred spirits. I remember reading all the "Anne of Green Gables" series when I was a kid and I wanted to have friendships like that so badly, and I feel lucky that I do have friends that I consider kindred spirits like that. I'm very lucky that I have so many friends that I feel that way about. I'm blessed.
I have to spend some quality time studying today so I am prepared for my 2 tests tomorrow in PNS and Phys Di. I'm also planning to go to yoga at noon, since I got back too late to get to the 9:00 class.
Jon is planning to get the trim around Lani's windows sanded, stained, painted, etc. today. Part of the trim will be white and that portion is pre-primed. Part will be a dark stain like we have in our dining room, that is a dark walnut. It already looks great (he put up the rest yesterday and had done some earlier in the week). After it is up, then we can get some blinds to put within the window, to help darken the room so she sleeps better. It has also warmed up the room, because it has sealed all the tiny cracks up that remained from putting in the new windows. When we buy her blinds, we'll also get some for Dartagnan's room. I would like to get the cordless blinds that are fabric, but we'll see what is available for what price before we decide for certain.
I need to also do some laundry today, but that doesn't take too long. I may also try to get some cleaning done; maybe dust and vacuum. I feel like I didn't get enough sleep, so I may take a nap this afternoon.
After seeing "Juno" a year or two ago, I found I really like Ellen Page. She's hilarious. So when I took Dartagnan and his friend Philip to rent a game from Family Video last night and found out I could get a free movie with the game rental, I just had to rent "Whip It" because she's the lead in it. Drew Barrymore directs it. "Whip It" is about roller derby in Austin, Texas, and about how a high school girl falls in love with it. It was great! I told Jon the next time the roller derby is scheduled and that we are both in town, we are going. He is looking forward to it, too.
I got through listening to a few lectures yesterday, but still have a lot of ground to cover today. Time to grab a shower and get cracking.
She normally wouldn't be here so late in the morning, but we have Martin Luther King Jr. Day off from school (so does Dartagnan) and we just haven't gotten her to Positive Parenting yet.
I love days off from school! The possibilities of what to do with my time are virtually endless! Jon and I may go look at house stuff today. I really want to look at tile, but it will be a while before he gets started working on the bathroom in earnest, so there is no rush.
I went over this morning to let out my friends' Paul and Sharon dog, Peanut. Had to shovel my way to the car (about an inch of accumulation at that time) and went ahead and shoveled the front sidewalks too. Took the shovel with me and shoveled my way up to their door and let Peanut out to do her thing and put her food in her bowl and gave her fresh water. She was quick outside. When I let her back in, I wiped her back off and wiped her feet with some paper towels and gave her a treat. She's a sweet dog. I actually woke her up when I came in. She'd been sleeping on her doggie bed and she didn't raise her head until I actually walked into the kitchen.
Yesterday was Paul and Sharon's 1st anniversary, so they stayed at the Blackhawk Hotel overnight. I hope they had a great time!
My friend Zakk Moore, who lives in California, got married yesterday to Maria Chang. I wish we could have gone to the wedding, however, travel in January while we are in school, especially air travel, is risky. We have so many classes in which attendance is required and with a little one that we have to stay home with if she is sick, and with Jon's 4 herniated lumbar discs, we have to be careful to not create other situations where we need to use up our allowed cuts.
I'm talking with Jon about going to visit some friends in Canada this summer, but it will be expensive and I'm not sure it will work out with their schedule, so there is a lot to consider. I would like to take the children, however, we'd have to get notarized permission from Dartagnan's father to take him out of the country, and that in itself, would be quite a task. Not only that, we'd need a new passport for Delaney and I'd have to renew Dartagnan's passport. Those things are enough to make me reconsider them going. So if Jon and I go, we won't be taking the kids with us.
Our friends live in Kelowna, British Columbia, and it is positively a beautiful place, especially in summer. I'd just love to spend some time with them because I miss them so much. They moved back to Canada about four years ago, maybe five? With them, I feel like, even if we've not had a letter or e-mail or phone call for months, that when we talk again, it is like we never left off. We are just great fits for each other's personalities; like kindred spirits. I remember reading all the "Anne of Green Gables" series when I was a kid and I wanted to have friendships like that so badly, and I feel lucky that I do have friends that I consider kindred spirits like that. I'm very lucky that I have so many friends that I feel that way about. I'm blessed.
I have to spend some quality time studying today so I am prepared for my 2 tests tomorrow in PNS and Phys Di. I'm also planning to go to yoga at noon, since I got back too late to get to the 9:00 class.
Jon is planning to get the trim around Lani's windows sanded, stained, painted, etc. today. Part of the trim will be white and that portion is pre-primed. Part will be a dark stain like we have in our dining room, that is a dark walnut. It already looks great (he put up the rest yesterday and had done some earlier in the week). After it is up, then we can get some blinds to put within the window, to help darken the room so she sleeps better. It has also warmed up the room, because it has sealed all the tiny cracks up that remained from putting in the new windows. When we buy her blinds, we'll also get some for Dartagnan's room. I would like to get the cordless blinds that are fabric, but we'll see what is available for what price before we decide for certain.
I need to also do some laundry today, but that doesn't take too long. I may also try to get some cleaning done; maybe dust and vacuum. I feel like I didn't get enough sleep, so I may take a nap this afternoon.
After seeing "Juno" a year or two ago, I found I really like Ellen Page. She's hilarious. So when I took Dartagnan and his friend Philip to rent a game from Family Video last night and found out I could get a free movie with the game rental, I just had to rent "Whip It" because she's the lead in it. Drew Barrymore directs it. "Whip It" is about roller derby in Austin, Texas, and about how a high school girl falls in love with it. It was great! I told Jon the next time the roller derby is scheduled and that we are both in town, we are going. He is looking forward to it, too.
I got through listening to a few lectures yesterday, but still have a lot of ground to cover today. Time to grab a shower and get cracking.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, January 10, 2011
New Year's Resolutions 2011
I picked up a Whole Living magazine while on Break because I saw one at my dentist's office and it had a detox. I like detoxes, however, it is really hard to be faithful in the diet portion of one while being a busy student at Palmer. Also, I find many recommend some juicing (not the steroidal drug type, but the Juiceman Juicer type), and I don't have a juicer (yet). :)
I liked the idea they suggest for the New Year: to reflect back on the past year for a while and then to write down your new goals for the coming months. Here are mine:
I did well the first week of the detox, mainly because we weren't back to school yet. School has made it hard to keep up with my goals/detox/tasks. School is a major task! That Tox project was due last Monday and I worked the previous Saturday and Sunday, most of both days, getting the case studies added to the report AND creating the slide show to go with our presentation. Got majority of it turned in by deadline. I was under the impression that was the deadline for the rough, but the professor informed me that it was to be the final, so he gave us until noon the next day to finish it. I missed class that next morning to work on it and had a doctor's appointment that took up almost two hours of my morning. I tried to e-mail it from my laptop on campus, but couldn't get onto the internet. Went to Info Svcs and they reset my password. Tried again to log on and was informed that the internet was down! Drove home and sent it, 40 minutes late. Wow.
Today was the actual presentation and I felt pretty good about it. Hoping we get all the possible points for it because we did work hard on it and we provided exactly the information the prof outlined as what he wanted in it. I was nervous when presenting. Had to come home and re-apply my deodorant afterward because I was perspiring so much!
I feel like I've been putting all my time into studying for upcoming tests in Phys Di (quiz & practical this week), Cervicals (practical next week), & PNS (Exam 2 next Tuesday). I exercised everyday last week except Friday and Saturday, & didn't exercise yesterday or today, so I am really ready for some exercise. Maybe tomorrow I can fit some in between the morning and afternoon classes.
Lani vomited at daycare today. They called me and I went and picked her up after I stopped back by Palmer to drop off my Boards application (yeah, I've been spending lots of time working on that, too, because I have to request special accommodations, so there is extra paperwork to complete for the request). She went for a walk with Grandma yesterday and it was quite cold out. They went to Middle Park and Lani didn't want to leave after playing for an hour. My mom finally got her to leave, but she said it was work (Lani can be rather stubborn and will throw herself about to stop from being taken somewhere she doesn't want to go). This morning, Lani didn't get up on her own, which is very unusual in itself, and when we went in to wake her, she pulled the blankets back over her and said, "I wanna sleep. Go 'way!" We let her snuggle in her bed for a few more minutes, then she had to get ready. She was reluctant. Now we know why.
I had some really wonderful news a few days ago: one of my friends is pregnant and I'm so excited for her and her husband! She asked that no one post it to Facebook, so I'll not mention her name until she gives the go ahead on that. Very exciting news, indeed!
Last week, on Monday, before we had to head back to Palmer, we rented a truck from Home Depot and took the aluminum siding, the awning that had hung over our front door, and the railings in to the recycling center in Moline (Illinois) for cash. I was so happy to get it out of the backyard because it has been there since October and we've had people knocking on the door nearly everyday, offering to remove it for us. Because of this economy and the unemployment rate, I think many people are turning to "scrapping" to help get by financially.
Cervicals tutorial was really helpful tonight. In class, we run through it so fast that I feel like I've not properly grasped it, so I like the slower repetition of tutorial. It is good to practice and get feedback so you can correct your stance, contact point, etc.
I'm wiped. Currently on a course of antibiotics for an infection confirmed last week at doctor's office. This particular antibiotic has some rather unpleasant side effects; the one that I'm finding most bothersome is the metallic taste in my mouth. I feel like I can't get my teeth clean and that nothing tastes good. This is a bummer for someone like me who loves food.
Part of the detox is to get to bed earlier...for better sleep hygiene. So I'm headed to bed.
I liked the idea they suggest for the New Year: to reflect back on the past year for a while and then to write down your new goals for the coming months. Here are mine:
- Do the things I least want to do first (In other words: do the thing I would usually put off until the last possible minute. This addresses my problem with procrastination.).
- Raise GPA to 2.50 or higher (Very do-able).
- Exercise a minimum of 3 times per week for at least 20 minutes per day.
- Learn to knit (My friend Nicole is going to help me learn; she is a natural teacher).
- Improve dental care (Floss every night! This is hard because I really am tired at day's end and just want to brush and hurry to bed.).
I did well the first week of the detox, mainly because we weren't back to school yet. School has made it hard to keep up with my goals/detox/tasks. School is a major task! That Tox project was due last Monday and I worked the previous Saturday and Sunday, most of both days, getting the case studies added to the report AND creating the slide show to go with our presentation. Got majority of it turned in by deadline. I was under the impression that was the deadline for the rough, but the professor informed me that it was to be the final, so he gave us until noon the next day to finish it. I missed class that next morning to work on it and had a doctor's appointment that took up almost two hours of my morning. I tried to e-mail it from my laptop on campus, but couldn't get onto the internet. Went to Info Svcs and they reset my password. Tried again to log on and was informed that the internet was down! Drove home and sent it, 40 minutes late. Wow.
Today was the actual presentation and I felt pretty good about it. Hoping we get all the possible points for it because we did work hard on it and we provided exactly the information the prof outlined as what he wanted in it. I was nervous when presenting. Had to come home and re-apply my deodorant afterward because I was perspiring so much!
I feel like I've been putting all my time into studying for upcoming tests in Phys Di (quiz & practical this week), Cervicals (practical next week), & PNS (Exam 2 next Tuesday). I exercised everyday last week except Friday and Saturday, & didn't exercise yesterday or today, so I am really ready for some exercise. Maybe tomorrow I can fit some in between the morning and afternoon classes.
Lani vomited at daycare today. They called me and I went and picked her up after I stopped back by Palmer to drop off my Boards application (yeah, I've been spending lots of time working on that, too, because I have to request special accommodations, so there is extra paperwork to complete for the request). She went for a walk with Grandma yesterday and it was quite cold out. They went to Middle Park and Lani didn't want to leave after playing for an hour. My mom finally got her to leave, but she said it was work (Lani can be rather stubborn and will throw herself about to stop from being taken somewhere she doesn't want to go). This morning, Lani didn't get up on her own, which is very unusual in itself, and when we went in to wake her, she pulled the blankets back over her and said, "I wanna sleep. Go 'way!" We let her snuggle in her bed for a few more minutes, then she had to get ready. She was reluctant. Now we know why.
I had some really wonderful news a few days ago: one of my friends is pregnant and I'm so excited for her and her husband! She asked that no one post it to Facebook, so I'll not mention her name until she gives the go ahead on that. Very exciting news, indeed!
Last week, on Monday, before we had to head back to Palmer, we rented a truck from Home Depot and took the aluminum siding, the awning that had hung over our front door, and the railings in to the recycling center in Moline (Illinois) for cash. I was so happy to get it out of the backyard because it has been there since October and we've had people knocking on the door nearly everyday, offering to remove it for us. Because of this economy and the unemployment rate, I think many people are turning to "scrapping" to help get by financially.
Cervicals tutorial was really helpful tonight. In class, we run through it so fast that I feel like I've not properly grasped it, so I like the slower repetition of tutorial. It is good to practice and get feedback so you can correct your stance, contact point, etc.
I'm wiped. Currently on a course of antibiotics for an infection confirmed last week at doctor's office. This particular antibiotic has some rather unpleasant side effects; the one that I'm finding most bothersome is the metallic taste in my mouth. I feel like I can't get my teeth clean and that nothing tastes good. This is a bummer for someone like me who loves food.
Part of the detox is to get to bed earlier...for better sleep hygiene. So I'm headed to bed.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Home Again, Home Again, Jiggitty Jig...
It was so good to just be home today! I slept in because Lani didn't wake until 8:00 -- a miracle from God! What a beautiful, wonderful, lovely thing...I love just lying in bed and feeling the warmth of the fleece sheets (just had to bust them out before we left town last week because I was just too cold with the regular cotton sheets), the weight of the down comforter and the blankets that I pile on top of that: one from my mother-in-law (it is really heavy, plush, warm), one from long ago that I bought to be a throw for my couch (heavy chenille), and one from my dear friend Sara that is one of my favorite colors, a gorgeous, muted teal (a lightweight chenille with a basketweave pattern). Sara gave me the blanket when I was going through my cancer ordeal (now 7 years ago, I think). It was the perfect gift because I was always cold at work and I could wrap it around my legs or sit in my office chair and wrap my whole body in it if I needed to warm up. I just love to snuggle down into bed when it is cold outside and I can just stretch and wake up slowly. It is a treat.
I also got to go to yoga today, so I am an especially happy camper. Got my haircut this afternoon and while my mom was working on it, I tried to convince her to join me tomorrow and give yoga a try. I hope she does, because I think she will enjoy it. She cut Jon's hair, too, and then later, Dartagnan's. I think D got about 3 inches cut off and it is now out of his eyes. I kept telling him he was going to give himself whiplash because he was always jerking his neck to flip his hair out of his eyes.
Didn't study today...that is bad. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow. Test coming up early next week in PNS, I believe. Also, must put together the rest of our group presentation in Toxicology (3 more pages, single-spaced) and then from that have to create the PowerPoint presentation...should only take about 30 min. or so. Ha ha! Right! I wish!
Jon finished reading his Dan Brown book, "The Lost Symbol," that he borrowed from Win. He really wants me to read it. I told him I probably won't be able to until the PNS test has passed because I need to focus energy to that. He understands.
While we were out of town, I did a bit of shopping, but I was unable to find a dress coat to replace my very worn Banana Republic black peacoat I bought in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on my very first recruiting trip at my previous job. It is about 9 years old. I stayed behind to shop in Peoria while Jon brought D and Lani back home yesterday. I was just preparing to leave Peoria (without having found a coat I'd fallen in love with) and had stopped by Panera to get a sandwich so I could eat and drive home, when I was sitting at a light, waiting to go to the interstate. I was munching on my sandwich and waiting for the light to change and suddenly, I saw a red Dodge Durango spinning around in front of me and another red Durango looking like it was pushing the other one and they were both headed right toward me. There was nothing I could do and nowhere to go, so I just thought, "Oh, no, I'm going to get hit." I tensed up a little, and thankfully, the two vehicles began to lose momentum as they approached my car and then one hit my Honda Civic on the right front quarter panel and smashed it up. It stopped and two men jumped out and ran away. Very strange behavior. The other Durango came to rest right in front of my car, as though I was in line behind him at the light. Three people were taken away on back boards and I hope they are all OK. I was fine except BP was a little elevated, as was pulse. Jon's dad, Jeff, and Mariola, his wife, both came to see me from their ballroom dance lesson. Jeff checked out the damage and said it would be OK to drive after he bent out a piece that was rubbing on the tire. I'm glad I could get home, because I was really tired of being gone at that point. I finally arrived home by 9:00 and couldn't wait to fall in bed, but Jon and I had to unpack the car, which held our food and other bags that we split between his van and the car for the trip.
While we were in Peoria, Jenni, Jon's stepsister, gave Lani an ice-skating lesson. Jenni teaches at the local rink and is quite an accomplished figure skater. Lani loved it! I expected she might be on the ice for 15 min. or so, but she was out there the full 45 min. available and didn't want to quit when it was time. She's so fearless! We took pics and I am quite certain she is one of the most beautiful, fun kids in the world!
I still need to call my friends and catch up with them, but just felt like I needed a "decompress" day to myself first. I'll be on the phone tomorrow to return phone calls and e-mails.
I also got to go to yoga today, so I am an especially happy camper. Got my haircut this afternoon and while my mom was working on it, I tried to convince her to join me tomorrow and give yoga a try. I hope she does, because I think she will enjoy it. She cut Jon's hair, too, and then later, Dartagnan's. I think D got about 3 inches cut off and it is now out of his eyes. I kept telling him he was going to give himself whiplash because he was always jerking his neck to flip his hair out of his eyes.
Didn't study today...that is bad. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow. Test coming up early next week in PNS, I believe. Also, must put together the rest of our group presentation in Toxicology (3 more pages, single-spaced) and then from that have to create the PowerPoint presentation...should only take about 30 min. or so. Ha ha! Right! I wish!
Jon finished reading his Dan Brown book, "The Lost Symbol," that he borrowed from Win. He really wants me to read it. I told him I probably won't be able to until the PNS test has passed because I need to focus energy to that. He understands.
While we were out of town, I did a bit of shopping, but I was unable to find a dress coat to replace my very worn Banana Republic black peacoat I bought in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on my very first recruiting trip at my previous job. It is about 9 years old. I stayed behind to shop in Peoria while Jon brought D and Lani back home yesterday. I was just preparing to leave Peoria (without having found a coat I'd fallen in love with) and had stopped by Panera to get a sandwich so I could eat and drive home, when I was sitting at a light, waiting to go to the interstate. I was munching on my sandwich and waiting for the light to change and suddenly, I saw a red Dodge Durango spinning around in front of me and another red Durango looking like it was pushing the other one and they were both headed right toward me. There was nothing I could do and nowhere to go, so I just thought, "Oh, no, I'm going to get hit." I tensed up a little, and thankfully, the two vehicles began to lose momentum as they approached my car and then one hit my Honda Civic on the right front quarter panel and smashed it up. It stopped and two men jumped out and ran away. Very strange behavior. The other Durango came to rest right in front of my car, as though I was in line behind him at the light. Three people were taken away on back boards and I hope they are all OK. I was fine except BP was a little elevated, as was pulse. Jon's dad, Jeff, and Mariola, his wife, both came to see me from their ballroom dance lesson. Jeff checked out the damage and said it would be OK to drive after he bent out a piece that was rubbing on the tire. I'm glad I could get home, because I was really tired of being gone at that point. I finally arrived home by 9:00 and couldn't wait to fall in bed, but Jon and I had to unpack the car, which held our food and other bags that we split between his van and the car for the trip.
While we were in Peoria, Jenni, Jon's stepsister, gave Lani an ice-skating lesson. Jenni teaches at the local rink and is quite an accomplished figure skater. Lani loved it! I expected she might be on the ice for 15 min. or so, but she was out there the full 45 min. available and didn't want to quit when it was time. She's so fearless! We took pics and I am quite certain she is one of the most beautiful, fun kids in the world!
I still need to call my friends and catch up with them, but just felt like I needed a "decompress" day to myself first. I'll be on the phone tomorrow to return phone calls and e-mails.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Break!
I was reluctant to get out of bed this morning. Yesterday my ribs were aching so much that I had to breathe shallowly. I slept OK, but really just wanted to snuggle back down under the down comforter for some more zzz's instead of going to PNS. I'm very glad that I did not snuggle back into my bed because we ended up getting a 2 point quiz in PNS today! That is really unusual. Dr. Schmiedel's past pattern is to give the quiz in the week before the upcoming exam. We just had our exam the first Friday of December and won't have the next until the second Tuesday after break. So we were very surprised and over half the class wasn't there. Two of my friends missed the quiz, sadly, because they are re-taking the class, too, and could have used the points.
I stopped by the Clinic after class to get adjusted. It took several attempts and methods, but my thoracics, which had subluxated anteriorly, finally cooperated. I am feeling better now, but am still craving a little more sleep...
I went to Wallace's Garden Center afterward and picked up a few of their Christmas items that were marked down to 20-40% off. I love going in there and just browsing for when I have time (which is not often). They have such creative people on their staff who put together beautiful displays. After blogging, I'm going out to the garage to pick up the things I'll be using to put together the gifts we'll be giving this year and I'll get that set up on the dining room table before I leave to head back to Palmer to judge the Admissions contest.
The prizes for the contest are great! One is a day off work, others are an overnight stay at the Radisson, half days off work. I wouldn't mind winning any of those and I'm sure that everyone who decorated her/his (more ladies than gentlemen in the department) cubicle will be delighted to win. It will be fun to be part of it!
Once the judging is over, I'm headed out with my friends Trine, Sheila, and Jen to celebrate Christmas, Jen's Birthday, the Break and some time off school. We are very much looking forward to hanging out together and having some girl-chat over Mexican food - yum!
When I get home, I'll get to work on the Christmas present project & I might go ahead and wrap the things I picked up at a garage sale for Lani this Fall. I remember that one of the items was a Melissa and Doug wooden "paper" doll set. The dolls & their clothes are magnetic and they have multiple outfits. I know she will have fun with that. And I also found some more train cars and figures to go with her Thomas the Tank Engine train set she has. She loves getting it out and setting it up and driving the train on the track. I can't remember what else was in the bag; I hid it about 3 months ago.
I have to get the laundry done today, too, because we'll be headed to Peoria sometime tomorrow morning for our Christmas with Jon's dad and stepmom. Will be nice to see everyone and visit. Looking forward to going. Jon hasn't decided if we'll stay the night or not. It doesn't matter to me either way, but it would be nice to get to go to our church on Sunday morning. If we don't, we can always go to the wonderful church that Jeff and Mariola attend. We really like it, too.
Headed out to the garage...brrrr!
I stopped by the Clinic after class to get adjusted. It took several attempts and methods, but my thoracics, which had subluxated anteriorly, finally cooperated. I am feeling better now, but am still craving a little more sleep...
I went to Wallace's Garden Center afterward and picked up a few of their Christmas items that were marked down to 20-40% off. I love going in there and just browsing for when I have time (which is not often). They have such creative people on their staff who put together beautiful displays. After blogging, I'm going out to the garage to pick up the things I'll be using to put together the gifts we'll be giving this year and I'll get that set up on the dining room table before I leave to head back to Palmer to judge the Admissions contest.
The prizes for the contest are great! One is a day off work, others are an overnight stay at the Radisson, half days off work. I wouldn't mind winning any of those and I'm sure that everyone who decorated her/his (more ladies than gentlemen in the department) cubicle will be delighted to win. It will be fun to be part of it!
Once the judging is over, I'm headed out with my friends Trine, Sheila, and Jen to celebrate Christmas, Jen's Birthday, the Break and some time off school. We are very much looking forward to hanging out together and having some girl-chat over Mexican food - yum!
When I get home, I'll get to work on the Christmas present project & I might go ahead and wrap the things I picked up at a garage sale for Lani this Fall. I remember that one of the items was a Melissa and Doug wooden "paper" doll set. The dolls & their clothes are magnetic and they have multiple outfits. I know she will have fun with that. And I also found some more train cars and figures to go with her Thomas the Tank Engine train set she has. She loves getting it out and setting it up and driving the train on the track. I can't remember what else was in the bag; I hid it about 3 months ago.
I have to get the laundry done today, too, because we'll be headed to Peoria sometime tomorrow morning for our Christmas with Jon's dad and stepmom. Will be nice to see everyone and visit. Looking forward to going. Jon hasn't decided if we'll stay the night or not. It doesn't matter to me either way, but it would be nice to get to go to our church on Sunday morning. If we don't, we can always go to the wonderful church that Jeff and Mariola attend. We really like it, too.
Headed out to the garage...brrrr!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
1st Weekend
I was very happy to receive a phone call yesterday from Dartagnan's grandpa in MN. He said he'd be coming through Rochelle, IL, if we wanted to meet him there and pick up some of D's things that he had left at his Aunt Steph's house. He went up and stayed with her and went to school in Minneapolis in the Spring for the 4th quarter of 8th grade.
Dartagnan and I got on the road to meet Dick around 5:30 pm and reached Rochelle by 7:30. It was our first time seeing Dick since he lost his wife to cancer this summer. It was good to see him. I think he really misses Dorthe and so do we. I think about her often and how sometimes certain people really are the glue that hold a family together and she was that for their family. She loved children. I mean, she loved spending time with kids and was really great with them, too. She preferred them to adult company. She'd been a foster mother to several children through Lutheran Social Services and many of the children were special needs children. She was just excellent with them.
It also seems to me that Dick has taken over her role of keeping communication going between everyone too. He calls and asks about Dartagnan now; something he didn't do much when Dorthe used to do it. He's really seemed to become more social and talkative, too. We had a pleasant time chatting at the diner there at the truck stop where we met.
We've been back in class now for 4 days, since Tuesday. I found out the first day back that I would not be able to take the classes I had planned to take because I failed PNS for a second time. So I am now on Academic Warning, which means Palmer limits how many credits I can take this term. This is fine, because I was a little nervous about the schedule I'd planned to take, thinking it may just be too much for me to handle, especially adding PNS back in on top of it. So I am enrolled in PNS, Toxicology, Cervicals, and Physical Diagnosis. My favorite so far is Phys Di. I have Dr. Littrell and she is making the material so interesting. Her teaching style is very engaging. The class is so interesting because we'll learn how to take vital signs, interview the patient, etc. Feels like really getting into the stuff of practice!
I've been wrestling with which thermometer to purchase. Jon had already purchased all of our diagnostic equipment last term, so I didn't need most of it, but we have only a thermometer that is not terribly accurate, so I was doing so checking this week to see which I wanted to get to replace it. Found one for $20 at WalMart that goes in the ear (a tympanic thermometer) and does not need covers (you just clean it with an alcohol wipe after each patient). Hopefully it is a good model. The Welch Allyn one I really wanted is $300 at the Palmer Bookstore and I'm not sure we are ready to spend that just yet on our office equipment.
Toxicology will be interesting. I like the subject and Dr. Ansari is so nice. I enjoy Dr. Schmiedel, our PNS professor, however, I really didn't want to take his class a third time. This time, I'm going to attend the PNS tutorial as well. Perhaps that will help me out this time around.
Cervicals is moving at a very brisk pace. I'm planning to attend the tutorial for it and to also practice palpation on my family so I can start "teaching" my fingers what to feel. I practiced on Dartagnan the other night and he loved it. Delaney loves it too, when we just palpate her. Both sit very still as both are used to seeing a chiropractor. Lani's first adjustment was when she was 1 hour old!
Today we worked hard on the house and yard. I painted siding in the garage and got about 28 boards painted. Jon worked on putting the siding up and Dartagnan caulked it. When D and I were done with our work, we worked on raking and bagging leaves and weeds because this is the last week of free yard waste pick-up in Bettendorf (normally, you must put a sticker on each bag and the stickers cost about $1.50 each). So tomorrow I want to get the rest of the yard tidied up as much as possible. We are planning to get up early and head to church and then work on the house and yard the rest of the day. Fun!
Time to go and read some Phys Di!
Dartagnan and I got on the road to meet Dick around 5:30 pm and reached Rochelle by 7:30. It was our first time seeing Dick since he lost his wife to cancer this summer. It was good to see him. I think he really misses Dorthe and so do we. I think about her often and how sometimes certain people really are the glue that hold a family together and she was that for their family. She loved children. I mean, she loved spending time with kids and was really great with them, too. She preferred them to adult company. She'd been a foster mother to several children through Lutheran Social Services and many of the children were special needs children. She was just excellent with them.
It also seems to me that Dick has taken over her role of keeping communication going between everyone too. He calls and asks about Dartagnan now; something he didn't do much when Dorthe used to do it. He's really seemed to become more social and talkative, too. We had a pleasant time chatting at the diner there at the truck stop where we met.
We've been back in class now for 4 days, since Tuesday. I found out the first day back that I would not be able to take the classes I had planned to take because I failed PNS for a second time. So I am now on Academic Warning, which means Palmer limits how many credits I can take this term. This is fine, because I was a little nervous about the schedule I'd planned to take, thinking it may just be too much for me to handle, especially adding PNS back in on top of it. So I am enrolled in PNS, Toxicology, Cervicals, and Physical Diagnosis. My favorite so far is Phys Di. I have Dr. Littrell and she is making the material so interesting. Her teaching style is very engaging. The class is so interesting because we'll learn how to take vital signs, interview the patient, etc. Feels like really getting into the stuff of practice!
I've been wrestling with which thermometer to purchase. Jon had already purchased all of our diagnostic equipment last term, so I didn't need most of it, but we have only a thermometer that is not terribly accurate, so I was doing so checking this week to see which I wanted to get to replace it. Found one for $20 at WalMart that goes in the ear (a tympanic thermometer) and does not need covers (you just clean it with an alcohol wipe after each patient). Hopefully it is a good model. The Welch Allyn one I really wanted is $300 at the Palmer Bookstore and I'm not sure we are ready to spend that just yet on our office equipment.
Toxicology will be interesting. I like the subject and Dr. Ansari is so nice. I enjoy Dr. Schmiedel, our PNS professor, however, I really didn't want to take his class a third time. This time, I'm going to attend the PNS tutorial as well. Perhaps that will help me out this time around.
Cervicals is moving at a very brisk pace. I'm planning to attend the tutorial for it and to also practice palpation on my family so I can start "teaching" my fingers what to feel. I practiced on Dartagnan the other night and he loved it. Delaney loves it too, when we just palpate her. Both sit very still as both are used to seeing a chiropractor. Lani's first adjustment was when she was 1 hour old!
Today we worked hard on the house and yard. I painted siding in the garage and got about 28 boards painted. Jon worked on putting the siding up and Dartagnan caulked it. When D and I were done with our work, we worked on raking and bagging leaves and weeds because this is the last week of free yard waste pick-up in Bettendorf (normally, you must put a sticker on each bag and the stickers cost about $1.50 each). So tomorrow I want to get the rest of the yard tidied up as much as possible. We are planning to get up early and head to church and then work on the house and yard the rest of the day. Fun!
Time to go and read some Phys Di!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Finals. Nearly Finished.
Thank goodness that I have only two finals left, first thing, back-to-back, tomorrow morning. Really looking forward to being DONE.
So far, from the grades that are posted, I've passed Toggle (I was so worried about that one! And the test was a booger!), Nutrition (My best grade. Yea!), Public Health (Did better than I thought I would), and Renal Physiology (Did better on that one than I thought I could, too.). So I'm currently at one A, two B's, and one C.
Grades for PNS will be posted tomorrow...really hoping I did well enough to pass. Praying for a curve that includes me in the passing portion of the class. The test was hard, especially the regular multiple choice section. I really struggled with about 6 of the questions. The only way I could pass the class was if I missed 3 points or less (each question is worth only 1/2 point), provided he does NOT decide to curve the class (although half the class went into the final failing, so I'm hoping for a curve). With a curve, I have a greater possibility of passing. When I got to my car, I looked up the diagram for the ear that was on the test and found I'd labeled 3 things in reverse. I could remember a smaller cutaway and thought I was applying it correctly to the larger diagram, but I was not. So that was really distressing to discover. That's a possible 9 missed questions right there. So I'm very nervous to go see the posted grade tomorrow. I might not look. I might have Jon check it next time he's on campus so I don't have an anxiety attack. Wow, it is getting me a little uptight right now just considering it.
Took the Renal exam this morning and stayed up late studying (to 11ish, which is now late for me) AND got up early to review some more. Left the house early this morning (THAT never happens!) so I could get to the testing center and study some more before the test. Was nice to arrive early and review a bit more. So glad I spent all the time on it that I did. I'm sure that helped get me the better grade than I was expecting.
Came home and was just so tired. Have been studying so much and not keeping my regular sleep schedule. Studied Rad II for about two hours, until about 11:00 am, and then decided I needed to rest. Planned to only sleep for about 1 1/2 hours, but could not get up when the time was up. Reset my cellphone alarm and went back to sleep until 3! Obviously, I needed some sleep! Got about two hours of study time in until I had to go pick up Lani from daycare. She fell asleep in the car. No nap for her today at school. I had planned to drop her to my parents so I could have some more quiet study time, but since she was asleep, brought her home. She slept in my arms as I talked with my old neighbor & long-time friend, Paul, who was stopping by his now-rental house to check on something. We caught up and he checked out the work Jon was doing: pulling the siding off the house. We took delivery last week of our new windows and front entry door, and Jon is prepping the house for us to begin window installation and new siding in the next week during our "break" from Palmer. "Break" is not really what it is for us this time!
I got Lani settled in with a movie, "The Velveteen Rabbit" and prepared some organic mac-n-cheese (doctored with some sweet potato puree-yum!) and peas for her dinner. She was very whiny and told me her tummy hurt. She wanted me to "rub it." When my kids have had tummy aches that I suspect may be due to constipation, I massage their abdomens in a clockwise motion to help move things along. Lani's iron was low at last week's WIC visit (was only 9.8 and bottom of range is 11 & her previous visit 6 months ago was the same), so I started her on a liquid children's iron supplement this morning. Iron supplements are notorious for causing constipation, so I may have to start giving her the supplement in juice (which she hardly ever gets!) or just making sure she drinks more water. She already has plenty of actual fruit and veggies in her diet, so the fiber is not the issue.
She ate and made a huge mess. Was crying and upset when I went in to clean her up. Got her a bath right away and Jon got her ready for bed. He tucked her in and after I dealt with a "wardrobe issue"--she didn't like the footed pj's she was wearing and had unzipped them and asked me to rub her tummy again, so I put on some really soft fleece pj's without feet, that I found at a garage sale last Saturday, and that made her more comfy. Covered her back up and she was asleep very quickly. I hope she is feeling better in the morning.
I love garage sales! My mom and I went last Saturday. I needed a break from studying and have been finding that Lani's t-shirts are a little short (she has a long torso like her daddy). Didn't find any t-shirts. Found other great stuff, however. A beautiful pair of earrings that are signed by the artist on the back and have real semi-precious stones, an Abercrombie & Fitch shirt that I saw at the store last year and liked, but wouldn't pay that much for (was a steal at $2 at the garage sale!), a Gymboree winter coat for Lani, two sets of pj's for her, some long-sleeved t-shirts and stretch pants for Lani, some Thomas the Tank Engine pieces for her collection, a Melissa & Doug wooden "paperdoll" set where you dress the dolls in clothes (there is a magnetic component that makes the clothes stay on), many little books for Lani, and my favorite: a Melissa & Doug wooden Noah's ark with animals for Lani. I have wanted a wooden Noah's ark for Lani since before she was born and couldn't find one that was reasonable and kid-friendly. Got this one for $10, which was high for a garage sale, but I'm thinking it probably cost at least $50 new, so was still an excellent deal. Very happy with it and Lani loves playing with the animals. Two days before, I had stopped at a garage sale and bought a Hurley sweater hoodie for me (only $3!). It is oatmeal-colored and looks great with my Uggs. Warm and comfy, too.
Dartagnan went to the freshman football game at the high school tonight. Gabe, his cousin, was playing. It was an exciting game and Gabe made a touchdown, so that was really wonderful because it was the last game they play this season. I bet his mom, Tonya, my cousin, was proud of him.
Once Lani laid down, Jon and I had some leftover curry and chili for dinner. He quizzed me on Sys Path, which is my first final tomorrow morning. That was good. Helped. I still need to study/review for that class more. I feel better about it than I do Rad II and because I did so badly on the 2nd exam in Rad II, it is imperative that I do well on the final so I can pass. Classes that are considered to be essential to chiropractic are graded on a higher scale than foundational courses. Rad II has the higher grading scale, so you have to do better in it to get a good grade.
So, now that I've taken a little break from studying, I think I'll get back on it, because I'm pretty sure I'm not going to last until 11 tonight and I' pretty sure I'll be waking up early (between 4:30 and 5:00) to get some more reviewing in before the tests.
So far, from the grades that are posted, I've passed Toggle (I was so worried about that one! And the test was a booger!), Nutrition (My best grade. Yea!), Public Health (Did better than I thought I would), and Renal Physiology (Did better on that one than I thought I could, too.). So I'm currently at one A, two B's, and one C.
Grades for PNS will be posted tomorrow...really hoping I did well enough to pass. Praying for a curve that includes me in the passing portion of the class. The test was hard, especially the regular multiple choice section. I really struggled with about 6 of the questions. The only way I could pass the class was if I missed 3 points or less (each question is worth only 1/2 point), provided he does NOT decide to curve the class (although half the class went into the final failing, so I'm hoping for a curve). With a curve, I have a greater possibility of passing. When I got to my car, I looked up the diagram for the ear that was on the test and found I'd labeled 3 things in reverse. I could remember a smaller cutaway and thought I was applying it correctly to the larger diagram, but I was not. So that was really distressing to discover. That's a possible 9 missed questions right there. So I'm very nervous to go see the posted grade tomorrow. I might not look. I might have Jon check it next time he's on campus so I don't have an anxiety attack. Wow, it is getting me a little uptight right now just considering it.
Took the Renal exam this morning and stayed up late studying (to 11ish, which is now late for me) AND got up early to review some more. Left the house early this morning (THAT never happens!) so I could get to the testing center and study some more before the test. Was nice to arrive early and review a bit more. So glad I spent all the time on it that I did. I'm sure that helped get me the better grade than I was expecting.
Came home and was just so tired. Have been studying so much and not keeping my regular sleep schedule. Studied Rad II for about two hours, until about 11:00 am, and then decided I needed to rest. Planned to only sleep for about 1 1/2 hours, but could not get up when the time was up. Reset my cellphone alarm and went back to sleep until 3! Obviously, I needed some sleep! Got about two hours of study time in until I had to go pick up Lani from daycare. She fell asleep in the car. No nap for her today at school. I had planned to drop her to my parents so I could have some more quiet study time, but since she was asleep, brought her home. She slept in my arms as I talked with my old neighbor & long-time friend, Paul, who was stopping by his now-rental house to check on something. We caught up and he checked out the work Jon was doing: pulling the siding off the house. We took delivery last week of our new windows and front entry door, and Jon is prepping the house for us to begin window installation and new siding in the next week during our "break" from Palmer. "Break" is not really what it is for us this time!
I got Lani settled in with a movie, "The Velveteen Rabbit" and prepared some organic mac-n-cheese (doctored with some sweet potato puree-yum!) and peas for her dinner. She was very whiny and told me her tummy hurt. She wanted me to "rub it." When my kids have had tummy aches that I suspect may be due to constipation, I massage their abdomens in a clockwise motion to help move things along. Lani's iron was low at last week's WIC visit (was only 9.8 and bottom of range is 11 & her previous visit 6 months ago was the same), so I started her on a liquid children's iron supplement this morning. Iron supplements are notorious for causing constipation, so I may have to start giving her the supplement in juice (which she hardly ever gets!) or just making sure she drinks more water. She already has plenty of actual fruit and veggies in her diet, so the fiber is not the issue.
She ate and made a huge mess. Was crying and upset when I went in to clean her up. Got her a bath right away and Jon got her ready for bed. He tucked her in and after I dealt with a "wardrobe issue"--she didn't like the footed pj's she was wearing and had unzipped them and asked me to rub her tummy again, so I put on some really soft fleece pj's without feet, that I found at a garage sale last Saturday, and that made her more comfy. Covered her back up and she was asleep very quickly. I hope she is feeling better in the morning.
I love garage sales! My mom and I went last Saturday. I needed a break from studying and have been finding that Lani's t-shirts are a little short (she has a long torso like her daddy). Didn't find any t-shirts. Found other great stuff, however. A beautiful pair of earrings that are signed by the artist on the back and have real semi-precious stones, an Abercrombie & Fitch shirt that I saw at the store last year and liked, but wouldn't pay that much for (was a steal at $2 at the garage sale!), a Gymboree winter coat for Lani, two sets of pj's for her, some long-sleeved t-shirts and stretch pants for Lani, some Thomas the Tank Engine pieces for her collection, a Melissa & Doug wooden "paperdoll" set where you dress the dolls in clothes (there is a magnetic component that makes the clothes stay on), many little books for Lani, and my favorite: a Melissa & Doug wooden Noah's ark with animals for Lani. I have wanted a wooden Noah's ark for Lani since before she was born and couldn't find one that was reasonable and kid-friendly. Got this one for $10, which was high for a garage sale, but I'm thinking it probably cost at least $50 new, so was still an excellent deal. Very happy with it and Lani loves playing with the animals. Two days before, I had stopped at a garage sale and bought a Hurley sweater hoodie for me (only $3!). It is oatmeal-colored and looks great with my Uggs. Warm and comfy, too.
Dartagnan went to the freshman football game at the high school tonight. Gabe, his cousin, was playing. It was an exciting game and Gabe made a touchdown, so that was really wonderful because it was the last game they play this season. I bet his mom, Tonya, my cousin, was proud of him.
Once Lani laid down, Jon and I had some leftover curry and chili for dinner. He quizzed me on Sys Path, which is my first final tomorrow morning. That was good. Helped. I still need to study/review for that class more. I feel better about it than I do Rad II and because I did so badly on the 2nd exam in Rad II, it is imperative that I do well on the final so I can pass. Classes that are considered to be essential to chiropractic are graded on a higher scale than foundational courses. Rad II has the higher grading scale, so you have to do better in it to get a good grade.
So, now that I've taken a little break from studying, I think I'll get back on it, because I'm pretty sure I'm not going to last until 11 tonight and I' pretty sure I'll be waking up early (between 4:30 and 5:00) to get some more reviewing in before the tests.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Toggle
Just completed my CET practical in Toggle (Case Evaluation Thrust) about an hour ago. Was very nervous and really messed up two important aspects: I selected the wrong listing to adjust (I picked the C1 listing instead of the C2 listing) and I also should have decided, based on the information given, to NOT adjust instead of TO adjust. However, I did perform the thrust satisfactorily and got the points for that. The bad part of this is that it makes the final even more important in Toggle.
I've been trying to put most all of my time into studying for PNS. Trying to get the info into my brain in a way that I can recall it instantly. Hoping to quiz with friends this weekend and next to prepare for the final (not next Monday, but the following one). Have two finals next Friday that I'll need to review for as well this weekend.
Sadly, Jon's grandfather passed away Sunday evening. He will be missed; he was such a sweet man--you could really tell how much he loved Jon's grandmother. He had a great sense of humor too. We go to visitation tomorrow night and the funeral on Thursday. We'll miss most of our morning classes, and possibly our afternoon classes. Thankfully, we don't have tests that day, so it is not so much of a concern. I will be going to PNS that morning, because there is the possibility that Dr. Schmiedel will give the last quiz that day and I do not want to miss out on the possible 2 points, which could really make a difference for me. After I get home from that class, we'll hit the road to Galesburg, Illinois.
This past weekend, Jon and Dartagnan worked outside most all of Saturday and Sunday, digging out the base for our patio install. Sunday afternoon, they finally got the 9-inch deep, 14-feet by 14-feet area dug out completely and added the first crushed gravel layer, which comes about halfway up. Next weekend, Jon will rent a compactor and compact the first layer, then he will lay the second gravel layer, compact it, then the 1-inch sand layer, then the Purington Pavers http://www.historicalbricks.com/?gclid=CLvKjNaovKQCFQpV5wodL2cWxw get set into a really beautiful herringbone pattern on top. There will be no morter, just a bit of sand between the bricks. We are excited to have a patio with a little local historical significance. It will be really great to have the space for entertaining and for just enjoying the Spring and Autumn weather, too.
I harvested the rest of the tomatos from my plants. I had 3 areas with multiple plants that were all volunteers from last year (which is great, since I didn't have to buy plants again!). There was a really sweet yellow grape, a smaller, equally sweet red grape, and a pink Thai egg tomato plant. Delaney loves to just pop them in her mouth. They make a good snack for her when I am out of brilliant ideas.
I also pulled up all the tomato plants after harvest because the weather is changing and it has been cold enough to kill the really tender plants outside at night. I brought in our Christmas tree, our little (about 4-foot tall) Norfolk pine (which is really a tropical plant and can't handle our winters here) this weekend and put it in our sunroom. It really grew over summer. We decided that we didn't want to purchase Christmas trees anymore because it is not environmentally friendly, so we re-use our little tree each year as our Christmas tree. Dartagnan doesn't like that, because he grew up with a tree.
Also tried three new recipes this weekend from www.allrecipes.com: an awesome buttercup squash casserole (with apples, pecans, brown sugar and butter, oh my!), alla checca (tomatos marinated in fresh basil, garlic, salt & olive oil over hot angel hair pasta-we threw some tomato-basil reduced fat feta cheese on the finished product as well-YUM!), and oatmeal chocolate chip bars (added pecans and dried currants to the "adult" half and left the "kid" half without). The bars are especially delish warmed up for a few seconds in the microwave, then topped with a scoop of Breyer's chocolate chip ice cream. I'm making myself hungry!
Delaney is loving her Saturday morning swim lessons. She is a little fish, just like Dartagnan. He loved his swim lessons when he was little too.
Gotta go get a bit of lunch before I head back for Sys Path (last class of the day!).
I've been trying to put most all of my time into studying for PNS. Trying to get the info into my brain in a way that I can recall it instantly. Hoping to quiz with friends this weekend and next to prepare for the final (not next Monday, but the following one). Have two finals next Friday that I'll need to review for as well this weekend.
Sadly, Jon's grandfather passed away Sunday evening. He will be missed; he was such a sweet man--you could really tell how much he loved Jon's grandmother. He had a great sense of humor too. We go to visitation tomorrow night and the funeral on Thursday. We'll miss most of our morning classes, and possibly our afternoon classes. Thankfully, we don't have tests that day, so it is not so much of a concern. I will be going to PNS that morning, because there is the possibility that Dr. Schmiedel will give the last quiz that day and I do not want to miss out on the possible 2 points, which could really make a difference for me. After I get home from that class, we'll hit the road to Galesburg, Illinois.
This past weekend, Jon and Dartagnan worked outside most all of Saturday and Sunday, digging out the base for our patio install. Sunday afternoon, they finally got the 9-inch deep, 14-feet by 14-feet area dug out completely and added the first crushed gravel layer, which comes about halfway up. Next weekend, Jon will rent a compactor and compact the first layer, then he will lay the second gravel layer, compact it, then the 1-inch sand layer, then the Purington Pavers http://www.historicalbricks.com/?gclid=CLvKjNaovKQCFQpV5wodL2cWxw get set into a really beautiful herringbone pattern on top. There will be no morter, just a bit of sand between the bricks. We are excited to have a patio with a little local historical significance. It will be really great to have the space for entertaining and for just enjoying the Spring and Autumn weather, too.
I harvested the rest of the tomatos from my plants. I had 3 areas with multiple plants that were all volunteers from last year (which is great, since I didn't have to buy plants again!). There was a really sweet yellow grape, a smaller, equally sweet red grape, and a pink Thai egg tomato plant. Delaney loves to just pop them in her mouth. They make a good snack for her when I am out of brilliant ideas.
I also pulled up all the tomato plants after harvest because the weather is changing and it has been cold enough to kill the really tender plants outside at night. I brought in our Christmas tree, our little (about 4-foot tall) Norfolk pine (which is really a tropical plant and can't handle our winters here) this weekend and put it in our sunroom. It really grew over summer. We decided that we didn't want to purchase Christmas trees anymore because it is not environmentally friendly, so we re-use our little tree each year as our Christmas tree. Dartagnan doesn't like that, because he grew up with a tree.
Also tried three new recipes this weekend from www.allrecipes.com: an awesome buttercup squash casserole (with apples, pecans, brown sugar and butter, oh my!), alla checca (tomatos marinated in fresh basil, garlic, salt & olive oil over hot angel hair pasta-we threw some tomato-basil reduced fat feta cheese on the finished product as well-YUM!), and oatmeal chocolate chip bars (added pecans and dried currants to the "adult" half and left the "kid" half without). The bars are especially delish warmed up for a few seconds in the microwave, then topped with a scoop of Breyer's chocolate chip ice cream. I'm making myself hungry!
Delaney is loving her Saturday morning swim lessons. She is a little fish, just like Dartagnan. He loved his swim lessons when he was little too.
Gotta go get a bit of lunch before I head back for Sys Path (last class of the day!).
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tri is nearing the end...
I'm not doing well in PNS and after tutoring only got me 6 points higher on the second test (which I cannot blame on the tutor, because I didn't study enough on my own), I decided to see what I can get done on my own again. It is hard to set aside the time to study when so many other things/people are calling out for my attention. But I must. I must pass it this time.
Over the weekend, I worked on getting us organized in our filing again. So much was out of order and I had a stack of papers to sort (seem to build up over a month). Spent some time sorting out old files, shredding, putting together new files. Feels good to know where things are and have a system that makes some sense. While I was working on that and other things (did some cooking, cleaning, 3 loads of laundry, took Lani to her swim lesson), Jon was hard at work on Dartagnan's bedroom, priming and painting the trim. He alternated that with working outside on our berm. He's remodeling the earth to form really cool yin-yang type patterns (ariel view) so that there will be gravel pathways between for easy access to weed and plant and prune, etc. It is "shaping" up really nicely.
Sunday Jon and I dropped the kids to my mom & dad's and went on a 10-hour road trip. Jon's mom asked us to meet her in Milwaukee to pick up Jon's sister, Jani, and take her back home from her visit to Washington Island. Was so good to see family and have a leisurely lunch together. Jani was so animated on the way home and catching up with Jon. I was studying, mostly. :) Got quite a lot of studying done in the van that day, actually.
Before we left Sunday morning, Jon had finished the final touch-ups on Dartagnan's new room's paint. So when we arrived home Sunday night, Jon put together D's bed frame and we got his mattress moved from our sunroom floor downstairs. He finally got to sleep in his new room!
Had a test in Systems Pathology yesterday & am still feeling a little exhausted from it. It was a tough test. There was an entire section that I didn't review because I thought it was on the last test. Not sure how I did, but felt confident on the material I had reviewed.
I've had too much cheese/dairy products the past few days and feel a bit yuck. I think I'll make a double batch of waffles tonight to freeze and have for dinner.
Jon had to leave for Peoria late last night. A relative had a stroke and is in the hospital. Jon wanted to be there to support his family, of course. He will be back home this afternoon; I miss him, which is a little silly, since we are together almost all the time! But really, he is so laid back and great to be around, that when he's not here, it is weird. I was single for so long and never thought I'd feel that way about anyone, not even Dartagnan. Although I really do miss Dartagnan when he's not here too, even though he doesn't talk much now that he is a teen.
Time to head back to class. Systems Path. We'll see what funny stories Dr. Taylor has for us today. :)
Over the weekend, I worked on getting us organized in our filing again. So much was out of order and I had a stack of papers to sort (seem to build up over a month). Spent some time sorting out old files, shredding, putting together new files. Feels good to know where things are and have a system that makes some sense. While I was working on that and other things (did some cooking, cleaning, 3 loads of laundry, took Lani to her swim lesson), Jon was hard at work on Dartagnan's bedroom, priming and painting the trim. He alternated that with working outside on our berm. He's remodeling the earth to form really cool yin-yang type patterns (ariel view) so that there will be gravel pathways between for easy access to weed and plant and prune, etc. It is "shaping" up really nicely.
Sunday Jon and I dropped the kids to my mom & dad's and went on a 10-hour road trip. Jon's mom asked us to meet her in Milwaukee to pick up Jon's sister, Jani, and take her back home from her visit to Washington Island. Was so good to see family and have a leisurely lunch together. Jani was so animated on the way home and catching up with Jon. I was studying, mostly. :) Got quite a lot of studying done in the van that day, actually.
Before we left Sunday morning, Jon had finished the final touch-ups on Dartagnan's new room's paint. So when we arrived home Sunday night, Jon put together D's bed frame and we got his mattress moved from our sunroom floor downstairs. He finally got to sleep in his new room!
Had a test in Systems Pathology yesterday & am still feeling a little exhausted from it. It was a tough test. There was an entire section that I didn't review because I thought it was on the last test. Not sure how I did, but felt confident on the material I had reviewed.
I've had too much cheese/dairy products the past few days and feel a bit yuck. I think I'll make a double batch of waffles tonight to freeze and have for dinner.
Jon had to leave for Peoria late last night. A relative had a stroke and is in the hospital. Jon wanted to be there to support his family, of course. He will be back home this afternoon; I miss him, which is a little silly, since we are together almost all the time! But really, he is so laid back and great to be around, that when he's not here, it is weird. I was single for so long and never thought I'd feel that way about anyone, not even Dartagnan. Although I really do miss Dartagnan when he's not here too, even though he doesn't talk much now that he is a teen.
Time to head back to class. Systems Path. We'll see what funny stories Dr. Taylor has for us today. :)
Friday, September 24, 2010
Birthday
Well, today, Friday,September 24th, is my birthday. Has been a very pleasant day. Got up, got ready to go & when I came back to the bedroom, Jon had a card waiting for me. Was very sweet.
Went to PNS (is a 7:30 class). We're going over Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetics now, comparing and contrasting them.
After that, went to see Dr. Tatum & looked over my make-up Exam 2. Didn't do as well as I had hoped to do & mistakenly thought I had scored 32, when in actuality, was only 22 on regular portion of exam. The slide portion (there are slides that have to be interpreted, 12 on each test), was OK: score of 10. Mind you, this test was taken while I was still not feeling well: nose running, coughing, headache, etc.
Realized this morning that I actually feel good again! It has been one month of being sick. Glad I'm over it.
After reveiwing my test and seeing where my errors were, headed over to yoga at Indigo Wellness and was a very good session. A slower pace than what I'm used to, but still challenging. Felt so good and so relaxing.
Came home & got ready for lunch with my best friend since middle school, Patricia. We had lunch together at the Symposium Cafe. They have a delicious marinated mushroom wrap that is so hearty & filling. I was bad too: had the fries instead of salad. They were tasty, but my GI tract protested shortly after leaving the cafe. Just can't handle greasy/fried food well anymore. Really bothers me.
Was so good to see Patricia. Don't get to spend as much time as I want to with my friends anymore. It can be tough. We caught up and had some good "girl talk."
Came back home and finished editing/reformatting Dr. Taylor's next note set from his website: http://www.pathclass.org/ I don't like how they are posted on-line, so I make the font smaller (which can save up to 10 pages of print), & I also read through it to make it as succinct as possible and to use abbrev. & symbols when I can. Want to not only conserve paper, but to have just the info that is really relevant w/out having to sort thru the extra verbage.
Got that printed out before leaving for Systems Pathology. Ended up not needing it for class, because he didn't lecture that far.
I'm falling asleep writing this. So tired today...
We are headed to Crane & Pelican Cafe in LeClaire tonight for dinner & to a play at the Whittenmeyer Complex. Should be fun hanging out with our friends Paul & Sharon.
Went to PNS (is a 7:30 class). We're going over Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetics now, comparing and contrasting them.
After that, went to see Dr. Tatum & looked over my make-up Exam 2. Didn't do as well as I had hoped to do & mistakenly thought I had scored 32, when in actuality, was only 22 on regular portion of exam. The slide portion (there are slides that have to be interpreted, 12 on each test), was OK: score of 10. Mind you, this test was taken while I was still not feeling well: nose running, coughing, headache, etc.
Realized this morning that I actually feel good again! It has been one month of being sick. Glad I'm over it.
After reveiwing my test and seeing where my errors were, headed over to yoga at Indigo Wellness and was a very good session. A slower pace than what I'm used to, but still challenging. Felt so good and so relaxing.
Came home & got ready for lunch with my best friend since middle school, Patricia. We had lunch together at the Symposium Cafe. They have a delicious marinated mushroom wrap that is so hearty & filling. I was bad too: had the fries instead of salad. They were tasty, but my GI tract protested shortly after leaving the cafe. Just can't handle greasy/fried food well anymore. Really bothers me.
Was so good to see Patricia. Don't get to spend as much time as I want to with my friends anymore. It can be tough. We caught up and had some good "girl talk."
Came back home and finished editing/reformatting Dr. Taylor's next note set from his website: http://www.pathclass.org/ I don't like how they are posted on-line, so I make the font smaller (which can save up to 10 pages of print), & I also read through it to make it as succinct as possible and to use abbrev. & symbols when I can. Want to not only conserve paper, but to have just the info that is really relevant w/out having to sort thru the extra verbage.
Got that printed out before leaving for Systems Pathology. Ended up not needing it for class, because he didn't lecture that far.
I'm falling asleep writing this. So tired today...
We are headed to Crane & Pelican Cafe in LeClaire tonight for dinner & to a play at the Whittenmeyer Complex. Should be fun hanging out with our friends Paul & Sharon.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Sick...again
Dartagnan and I are home sick today. I had a rough night last night and so did he. I was waking up every few hours, taking cough syrup every 4 because I couldn't sleep due to how hard I was coughing. My chest aches. Dartagnan went to bed early last night, but woke up with fever off and on thru the night. Me too. Not running one this morning, but still feel awful and will be going back to sleep as soon as I finish this post.
Tuesday Dartagnan broke his finger trying a ninja move on his friend, who put his knee up to block it. So the proximal end of his middle phalange of the 4th digit is fractured (the center segment of his ring finger) on his right hand. I told him no more ninja moves.
This morning I had to take Dartagnan to get the splint fitted for his finger. He'll go back in a month to get another set of x-rays to see how the fracture is healing. While at the MD's office, I made an appointment for myself. Have had chest tightness, productive cough, & fever off and on since last Thursday or Friday. Just have not been feeling well.
Went to see the NP and she gave me an inhaler and a z-pack. If it is the start of walking pneumonia like it feels like, then the z-pack should take care of it. I had been waiting to see if it would just resolve on its own, but I've not been improving, so broke down and went.
The stress of this week hasn't helped much either. Tuesday was the Axis Practical in Toggle and the 2nd exam in Systems Pathology. Today I was supposed to take the Rad II 2nd exam, but will take a make-up on Tuesday, next week, instead. Tomorrow afternoon is the Toggle Mid-Term, which sounds like it will be a bear. I received private tutoring for PNS on Monday night for 2 hours and was feverish for the first hour and chilled for the 2nd hour. I learned a lot, but my head was a little fuzzy (has been, being sick), so was more than ready to leave when my time was up. I need tutoring because I'm don't want to fail the course a 2nd time. Also, a Renal group project (short problem) was due Wednesday, so our group met on Tuesday to work on it. Just seems like there has been so much this week.
Delaney has been really bad about desparately trying to keep herself awake as long as possible at night, too, and woke up today with sniffles...I hope she's not getting sick again, too. Last Friday, the preschool called us and we had to pick her up at noon because she was running a fever. She was fine by Sunday, but Saturday was sick all day.
I'm just ready for the weekend to arrive: we will be going to Peoria, IL, to visit Jon's family and it will be pleasant and relaxing. Sounds good to me! Now, I'm lying down and going to rest for a while...
Tuesday Dartagnan broke his finger trying a ninja move on his friend, who put his knee up to block it. So the proximal end of his middle phalange of the 4th digit is fractured (the center segment of his ring finger) on his right hand. I told him no more ninja moves.
This morning I had to take Dartagnan to get the splint fitted for his finger. He'll go back in a month to get another set of x-rays to see how the fracture is healing. While at the MD's office, I made an appointment for myself. Have had chest tightness, productive cough, & fever off and on since last Thursday or Friday. Just have not been feeling well.
Went to see the NP and she gave me an inhaler and a z-pack. If it is the start of walking pneumonia like it feels like, then the z-pack should take care of it. I had been waiting to see if it would just resolve on its own, but I've not been improving, so broke down and went.
The stress of this week hasn't helped much either. Tuesday was the Axis Practical in Toggle and the 2nd exam in Systems Pathology. Today I was supposed to take the Rad II 2nd exam, but will take a make-up on Tuesday, next week, instead. Tomorrow afternoon is the Toggle Mid-Term, which sounds like it will be a bear. I received private tutoring for PNS on Monday night for 2 hours and was feverish for the first hour and chilled for the 2nd hour. I learned a lot, but my head was a little fuzzy (has been, being sick), so was more than ready to leave when my time was up. I need tutoring because I'm don't want to fail the course a 2nd time. Also, a Renal group project (short problem) was due Wednesday, so our group met on Tuesday to work on it. Just seems like there has been so much this week.
Delaney has been really bad about desparately trying to keep herself awake as long as possible at night, too, and woke up today with sniffles...I hope she's not getting sick again, too. Last Friday, the preschool called us and we had to pick her up at noon because she was running a fever. She was fine by Sunday, but Saturday was sick all day.
I'm just ready for the weekend to arrive: we will be going to Peoria, IL, to visit Jon's family and it will be pleasant and relaxing. Sounds good to me! Now, I'm lying down and going to rest for a while...
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
And 4th Tri Continues...
I have been wanting to take Lani swimming all summer. Specifically, I wanted to take her to the really fun municipal pool in Bettendorf, Splash Landing (http://www.bettendorf.org/department/?fDD=29-0). So, when I got out of Systems Pathology yesterday, I planned to pick her up and take her there. One thing after another happened (Jon asked me to bring his shoes & socks back to Palmer for his adjustment - wearing flip flops for an adjustment is not helpful to your doctor, Dartagnan was texting me about what he was up to & might need a ride, I forgot the swim dipes & had to go back to our house for them, etc.) and by the time I arrived at Splash Landing, it was already 3:45 (pool is only open until 5:00), and guess what? It was already closed for the season! It usually is open until Labor Day, so I was surprised. Apparently, though, all their lifeguards headed back to college/university already, and all the schools around here started last week, so, they closed early this year. I was really disappointed because it was such a beautiful day and I just wanted to play with her in the zero-entry level pool and water features, maybe take her down the mini waterslide there.
Classes are going well...with the exception of PNS. Only scored 8 (out of 30) on my first exam and that is really bad. So, I am considering contacting the local DC that tutors for the course...Dr. Tonya Rogers. I've heard she really helps people understand and do much better on the tests and Boards.
Rest of my classes are good. I did well on my first Renal and Rad II exams (currently getting B's in both). Did OK on my X-Ray Analysis Test in Toggle, but ROCKED the Atlas Practical - perfect score! Very thrilled with that because I've not had a perfect score until that one at Palmer. It gives me hope. I don't feel as dumb because of it (and trust me, my idea of my intelligence level has taken a beating at Palmer). Took the first test in Nutrition today and should have spent more time reviewing the equations and how to find BMI, TER, BM, and also the signs of nutrient deficiencies. Still think I did pretty well on that and went into it with an A from previous quizzes and our Nutrition Lab assignment. Tomorrow I have my first Public Health test and think it will go well. Nervous about the Axis Practical in Toggle next week. Will practice set-ups on Jon and Dartagnan this weekend so I feel more confident. Fortunately the Axis adjusting is similar to the Atlas adjusting, so it is not like we have to learn a whole new set of information for it, which really helps.
Last weekend I hardly left the house. Just spent a lot of time studying. Did a lot of reading: Extremities Trauma for Rad II; Renal (NaCl & H2O Resorption); Fats, Sports Nutrition, and started Water-Soluble Vitamins chapters in text for Nutrition; Public Health (had to read a chapter about Environment's Impact on Community Health and do report); Toggle (Instrumentation). I wanted to go to church on Sunday, but we woke up late and also had to be at a birthday party for twins we know who turned 40 last week out in Walcott by 12:30, so ended up just getting ready to go to that & did a little house cleaning before we left (changed sheets, vacuumed). Only stayed at party for 2 hours and had to get going because it was WAY past Lani's naptime then and she was getting manic. Was sad to go because at least half the people were my relatives and friends and always like to catch up with them and see what is going on in their lives and get to see their kids growing so fast.
Jon & Dartagnan were out of town the previous weekend to Atlanta for a PI (Personal Injury) Seminar. On the way down, they stopped in Chattanooga for a little tourist activity: Ruby Falls (http://www.rubyfalls.com/). Because they had parked on an incline, Jon set the parking brake on my little Honda Civic. When they left Ruby Falls, he forgot about it, which is normal because we never use it. As they were traveling down Lookout Mountain, the brakes overheated and failed. Jon used to sell Nissans and took many driving courses as a salesperson. Thank goodness! I'm sure those courses helped him to safely plow the car into someone's berm instead of the telephone pole or their mailbox that flanked the berm. Fortunately, Jon and Dartagnan suffered no immediate ill effects and the car was not damaged. Unfortunately, he began having neck pain the next day, while completing the drive to the seminar. The irony of his getting whiplash on the way to a PI seminar was not lost on him.
Have recently watched, with Lani some really good movies: "Bolt," "Monsters Vs. Aliens." Lani loves both. The hamster in "Bolt" is hilarious. I like the blob monster in "Monsters Vs. Aliens." He falls in love with a jello mold! It is so silly. The reptile-like monster reminds me of one of our friends, Mo, especially when he is first introduced and does the little karate bit. Also Jon and I watched "Alien" and "Aliens" with Dartagnan this past weekend because they are classics. I forgot how much I enjoyed the movie "Aliens" and it has been long enough that I couldn't remember all of it, so it was suspenseful. While Jon and D were out of town, I watched "The Young Victoria" and it was excellent.
Jon just got home with Lani. Great news! She went potty in the big girl potty today at school - TWICE! Yippee! She's not done that at school before. She's not peed in the potty at home yet. Very exciting! A new chapter in potty training is launched!
Time to head over to dinner with my parents and my sister-in-law and two nephews who just arrived from California yesterday.
Classes are going well...with the exception of PNS. Only scored 8 (out of 30) on my first exam and that is really bad. So, I am considering contacting the local DC that tutors for the course...Dr. Tonya Rogers. I've heard she really helps people understand and do much better on the tests and Boards.
Rest of my classes are good. I did well on my first Renal and Rad II exams (currently getting B's in both). Did OK on my X-Ray Analysis Test in Toggle, but ROCKED the Atlas Practical - perfect score! Very thrilled with that because I've not had a perfect score until that one at Palmer. It gives me hope. I don't feel as dumb because of it (and trust me, my idea of my intelligence level has taken a beating at Palmer). Took the first test in Nutrition today and should have spent more time reviewing the equations and how to find BMI, TER, BM, and also the signs of nutrient deficiencies. Still think I did pretty well on that and went into it with an A from previous quizzes and our Nutrition Lab assignment. Tomorrow I have my first Public Health test and think it will go well. Nervous about the Axis Practical in Toggle next week. Will practice set-ups on Jon and Dartagnan this weekend so I feel more confident. Fortunately the Axis adjusting is similar to the Atlas adjusting, so it is not like we have to learn a whole new set of information for it, which really helps.
Last weekend I hardly left the house. Just spent a lot of time studying. Did a lot of reading: Extremities Trauma for Rad II; Renal (NaCl & H2O Resorption); Fats, Sports Nutrition, and started Water-Soluble Vitamins chapters in text for Nutrition; Public Health (had to read a chapter about Environment's Impact on Community Health and do report); Toggle (Instrumentation). I wanted to go to church on Sunday, but we woke up late and also had to be at a birthday party for twins we know who turned 40 last week out in Walcott by 12:30, so ended up just getting ready to go to that & did a little house cleaning before we left (changed sheets, vacuumed). Only stayed at party for 2 hours and had to get going because it was WAY past Lani's naptime then and she was getting manic. Was sad to go because at least half the people were my relatives and friends and always like to catch up with them and see what is going on in their lives and get to see their kids growing so fast.
Jon & Dartagnan were out of town the previous weekend to Atlanta for a PI (Personal Injury) Seminar. On the way down, they stopped in Chattanooga for a little tourist activity: Ruby Falls (http://www.rubyfalls.com/). Because they had parked on an incline, Jon set the parking brake on my little Honda Civic. When they left Ruby Falls, he forgot about it, which is normal because we never use it. As they were traveling down Lookout Mountain, the brakes overheated and failed. Jon used to sell Nissans and took many driving courses as a salesperson. Thank goodness! I'm sure those courses helped him to safely plow the car into someone's berm instead of the telephone pole or their mailbox that flanked the berm. Fortunately, Jon and Dartagnan suffered no immediate ill effects and the car was not damaged. Unfortunately, he began having neck pain the next day, while completing the drive to the seminar. The irony of his getting whiplash on the way to a PI seminar was not lost on him.
Have recently watched, with Lani some really good movies: "Bolt," "Monsters Vs. Aliens." Lani loves both. The hamster in "Bolt" is hilarious. I like the blob monster in "Monsters Vs. Aliens." He falls in love with a jello mold! It is so silly. The reptile-like monster reminds me of one of our friends, Mo, especially when he is first introduced and does the little karate bit. Also Jon and I watched "Alien" and "Aliens" with Dartagnan this past weekend because they are classics. I forgot how much I enjoyed the movie "Aliens" and it has been long enough that I couldn't remember all of it, so it was suspenseful. While Jon and D were out of town, I watched "The Young Victoria" and it was excellent.
Jon just got home with Lani. Great news! She went potty in the big girl potty today at school - TWICE! Yippee! She's not done that at school before. She's not peed in the potty at home yet. Very exciting! A new chapter in potty training is launched!
Time to head over to dinner with my parents and my sister-in-law and two nephews who just arrived from California yesterday.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Financial Aid Problem, Solution, & 4th Tri
OK, so in my last post, I mentioned that I wasn't sure if I would be blogging or not this term, so I had to wait to work to see what happened with my financial aid. Here's what happened to make that a question:
Last term, I passed all my classes (two with A's - yea!!!), except PNS (Neuroanatomy II). It is a notoriously hard class and I did not do well in it. Because it is such an important class and a huge amount of material is covered in it, I know it is just as well that I retake it so I can really get the material down (after all, what good is a chiropractor who doesn't understand/know intimately the nerve pathways!?).
But, because I'm already on a reduced schedule and take fewer credits than are "usual" (28-32), that doesn't leave room for any non-passes. I missed the required amount of credits passed by not passing PNS by 3 credits. PNS is worth 5. This meant that I could not have my federal financial aid for the term unless I had an approval by a review committee that asks the student to submit an appeal, explaining, in detail, why they did not meet the minimum requirements for passing the previous term. They don't meet until the second week of classes, so my financial aid was "up in the air" until they met and decided which way it would go for me.
Usually, the mitigating circumstances must involve the death of a loved one, a medical condition/illness of the student, or other unusual hardship. My appeal was 3 pages long and I pretty much had to explain all that went on in the past 3 years that pertained to my academic performance at Palmer (they ask for the past year) in order to really explain my situation and for it to be clear why I was now appealing for my financial aid to be restored.
Thankfully, the committee approved my appeal and my financial aid is restored for this term. However, appealing is a one-time thing. If I don't meet the requirements for financial aid for any term after this, I will have to obtain a private loan for that term, which means also finding someone to co-sign...that's the hard part. In other words, I really need to do all Ican to pass my classes with good grades.
So, this term, my goal is an A in Radiology II, Systems Pathology, Nutrition and Public Health. I think it is possible for me to get A's in those classes. I would like to get a B in Toggle and I hope to pass Renal and PNS. Seven classes is a lot for me. It is hard to juggle my time well, but I hope I'm getting better at it.
I am also trying to learn to make some new vegetarian dishes because I get bored with the same food, so I've picked up the ingredients to make a veg version of Moroccan Tagine (I'm planning to substitute dry-pan fried tofu for the lamb and add it near the end of the cook time rather than the beginning) http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Moroccan-Tagine-2/Detail.aspx and Moroccan Couscous http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sweet-and-Nutty-Moroccan-Couscous/Detail.aspx. The best Moroccan food I've had was in Paris on New Year's Eve 1998 with a group of students from St. Ambrose University. I was there for a History course. Anyway, the food was fantastic and I've always wanted to be able to reproduce it, so I'm hoping that it tastes great. Planning to try these two recipes this afternoon for our dinner tonight.
Also planning, after we go to church at 11 http://stpaulqc.org/ to work on my assignment for Public Health and to spend some time studying for PNS because the test is on Wednesday. Would also like to start reading for next section of Rad II - first test in there was last Thursday and and I think I did OK. Didn't do as well as I wanted on the Sys Path test last Tuesday, but have a chance to improve that considerably before end of term.
Last night, attended a birthday party for my friend Sheila at our friend Trine's house. It was a fun time of laughing and great conversation. I was considering not going in favor of more study time, but I'm glad I went. Was good to see so many friends from campus and get to chat with them outside of the "Palmer Bubble." It just seems that we really don't have much time to chat when we are at school, so was good to socialize outside that. We all need decompress time with friends. I think it really helps me to handle my stress better.
Well, need to rouse a sleepy teenager for church, so more later...
Last term, I passed all my classes (two with A's - yea!!!), except PNS (Neuroanatomy II). It is a notoriously hard class and I did not do well in it. Because it is such an important class and a huge amount of material is covered in it, I know it is just as well that I retake it so I can really get the material down (after all, what good is a chiropractor who doesn't understand/know intimately the nerve pathways!?).
But, because I'm already on a reduced schedule and take fewer credits than are "usual" (28-32), that doesn't leave room for any non-passes. I missed the required amount of credits passed by not passing PNS by 3 credits. PNS is worth 5. This meant that I could not have my federal financial aid for the term unless I had an approval by a review committee that asks the student to submit an appeal, explaining, in detail, why they did not meet the minimum requirements for passing the previous term. They don't meet until the second week of classes, so my financial aid was "up in the air" until they met and decided which way it would go for me.
Usually, the mitigating circumstances must involve the death of a loved one, a medical condition/illness of the student, or other unusual hardship. My appeal was 3 pages long and I pretty much had to explain all that went on in the past 3 years that pertained to my academic performance at Palmer (they ask for the past year) in order to really explain my situation and for it to be clear why I was now appealing for my financial aid to be restored.
Thankfully, the committee approved my appeal and my financial aid is restored for this term. However, appealing is a one-time thing. If I don't meet the requirements for financial aid for any term after this, I will have to obtain a private loan for that term, which means also finding someone to co-sign...that's the hard part. In other words, I really need to do all Ican to pass my classes with good grades.
So, this term, my goal is an A in Radiology II, Systems Pathology, Nutrition and Public Health. I think it is possible for me to get A's in those classes. I would like to get a B in Toggle and I hope to pass Renal and PNS. Seven classes is a lot for me. It is hard to juggle my time well, but I hope I'm getting better at it.
I am also trying to learn to make some new vegetarian dishes because I get bored with the same food, so I've picked up the ingredients to make a veg version of Moroccan Tagine (I'm planning to substitute dry-pan fried tofu for the lamb and add it near the end of the cook time rather than the beginning) http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Moroccan-Tagine-2/Detail.aspx and Moroccan Couscous http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sweet-and-Nutty-Moroccan-Couscous/Detail.aspx. The best Moroccan food I've had was in Paris on New Year's Eve 1998 with a group of students from St. Ambrose University. I was there for a History course. Anyway, the food was fantastic and I've always wanted to be able to reproduce it, so I'm hoping that it tastes great. Planning to try these two recipes this afternoon for our dinner tonight.
Also planning, after we go to church at 11 http://stpaulqc.org/ to work on my assignment for Public Health and to spend some time studying for PNS because the test is on Wednesday. Would also like to start reading for next section of Rad II - first test in there was last Thursday and and I think I did OK. Didn't do as well as I wanted on the Sys Path test last Tuesday, but have a chance to improve that considerably before end of term.
Last night, attended a birthday party for my friend Sheila at our friend Trine's house. It was a fun time of laughing and great conversation. I was considering not going in favor of more study time, but I'm glad I went. Was good to see so many friends from campus and get to chat with them outside of the "Palmer Bubble." It just seems that we really don't have much time to chat when we are at school, so was good to socialize outside that. We all need decompress time with friends. I think it really helps me to handle my stress better.
Well, need to rouse a sleepy teenager for church, so more later...
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...
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