150 - 30 =

20 POUNDS!!!! I have finally reached my goal....almost 4 weeks early! On January 26th I decided that by June 30th I wanted to lose 20 pounds, and I did it. The healthy way of course....eating well, exercising....plenty of water and rest. So, time to celebrate with a nice big ice cream!! No, not really....but I am having some sushi tonight, and that is very similar to ice cream (at least in my mind).

So what is next?? Well, I have decided to try and lose 2 more pounds before I leave the island. And, I have set a new overall weight goal of 125. By August that is where I want to be. Once I'm there, maintaining should be easy. Goodbye to the fluffiness!!!

In other news....I almost cried this week when my Pittsburgh Penguins were down 2-0 in the series with the Detroit Red Wings. But Wednesday put a huge smile on my face as they won game 3. I believe the next game is Saturday....hopefully they can win and even the series up.

I'm finishing up Renal Pathology today so I can work on Male Reproductive Path later. This weekend is study, study, study.... and Monday we start Endocrine Pathology (never ends....I know).

And, I leave you with this little funny moment courtesy of Yoshie, a girl in my Path group (as relayed to me by Layne). Please note that Yoshie is from Japan and english is not her first language....so many times she is looking up words online for their meaning and definition. The sentence in the case was "He has burning micturition." So here is the exchange:
Yoshie: What is micturition.
Layne: Micturition means like he needs to pee.
Yoshie: I looked it up online and it says desire to pee.....so, he has a burning desire to pee??
Layne: Laughing hysterically

Sometimes being lost in translation can be fun!!! Everyone have a great day! :)

Turtle Movie

So I tried forever the other night to get this video up on blogger. I finally converted it to another program and shortened it just a bit, so hopefully it works. Enjoy everyone!!!!

By the way...today is a holiday in Grenada (don't ask me what for). Its a gorgeous day, but unfortunately I will be sitting in the Vet building trying to catch up with Pathology :( I hope everyone has a great day.

AWESOME!!!

Wow....what a fun, fun, fun last couple of days. Lets start with Saturday. When I left you last I believe I was talking about how I was planning on going to the beach on Saturday to soak up some much needed sun. Well, it was cloudy and nasty all day. So, Layne, Alison and myself decided to go for sushi at Carib Sushi in Grand Anse. I ordered a carafe of Saki, edamame, the spicy tuna roll and the Alex roll. Now, please remember I am in Grenada, so this is no where near the variety and great eclectic tastes of the sushi back home. But, it was good. And very, very enjoyable. It was so nice to just hang out and enjoy a good meal. Of course, now I want sushi ALL THE TIME!!! I'll just have to wait for the really good stuff in July.

Monday morning I took my clinical skills written midterm. It was okay....I got an 86, so I still have an A in the class which is fine by me. Now on to part II where we learn examination of the lungs, abdomen, and central nervous system.

I just checked my micro score a few minutes ago and.......I got an A in the class. Which is great except I feel I cheated a little by just memorizing and not really learning the material, but that is okay...it will come back to bite me in the fluffy butt come Step 1 time :)

So, the absolute highlight of the past few days...last night a bunch of us traveled to Levera Beach to see leatherback turtles lay eggs!!! It was so amazing!! I can hardly describe in words but I will try. So, we set off around 7pm and after a quick stop at the store to pick up some beer (courtesy of the drunk boys in the back) we were on our way. The ride was almost an hour through the upper hills of Grenada. Once there, we had some dinner (I ordered the bbq chicken) and when turtles were spotted on the beach we headed over. It was so awesome. The turtles were HUGE!!! More than 5 feet long. I tried to take photos but because you can't use flash photography, only 1 came out okay. But I did get some great video of one turtle covering her eggs.

We were there for about an hour. We watched the female dig her hole, lay her eggs, and then cammoflage the whole area....can't have those predators finding the eggs. The guides and researchers that work/volunteer at this turtle laying preserve were all incredibly nice and helpful in answering questions and allowing us to get up close to the turtles. I was able to touch the turtle too!!! It was very rubbery, but its flipper was soft. I also purchased a royal blue t-shirt with the ocean spirits logo on it. Every little bit helps the turtles!! For more info about the turtles click here. So, overall I would say this was an awesome adventure in Grenada and I'm so happy I did it.

So, today its back to work. Female genital tract Pathology.....Yippy!!! Everyone have a great day!!

The Aftermath

The week is over!!! And I survived. It is so hard to explain how much time, effort, and energy goes into studying. Starting last Thursday with 4 straight days of Pathology and finishing up yesterday morning with a Micro cram session...my brain was screaming. But, its over and I am giving my brain a much needed break.

So, here are my results so far. Pathology went okay although I felt horrible coming out of the test. The questions were horrendously long and I almost didn't have time to finish. I felt so rushed and with many questions I simply picked my answer based on recognition alone, without really thinking the question through because I didn't have the time to think. Not to mention that the night following the Path test I had the worst dreams ever. In one of them I was sitting in front of the Path profs who were screaming at me that I was dumb and they were questioning how I ever got into SGU. Well, I still managed a low B on the test....very low B...but a B nonetheless. I still have an opportunity of attaining my goal of getting an A in this class if i work really hard in the next 6 weeks and rock the final exam. :)

The clinical skills lab exam was a joke.....JOKE!!!! Seriously, I don't know how they can say that their exams are standardized in any way shape or form with not only different patient scenarios but different tutors monitoring the exam. I did absolutely no studying for this exam, I walked in about and hour after my Path extravaganza and literally pulled the exam out of my fluffy ass....and managed a 97. My clinical tutor was really fair and unbelievably nice with her follow up questions. My exam was the following: Your patient has been diagnosed with Buerger's disease. Evaluate arterial sufficiency and report your findings. It was one of the easiest physical exams and I was done in 12 minutes. For my minor examinations I had to evaluate lymph nodes of the head and neck and check the patients sinuses for congestion. In contrast, several people I know had the unfortunate luck to pick the paper that said do a complete eye exam, which is long and tedious, and follow-up questions can be very, very hard depending on what tutor you get. I know some who did not fair as well on their exam. Luck was definitely on my side that afternoon. We have the written exam for clinical skills on monday morning and hopefully I do well.

Bye bye micro.....I officially took my last micro exam yesterday after cramming for 2 1/2 days!! Everything from the virulence factors of Streptococci to which organisms can be used for biological warfare/terrorism. Unfortunately, I barely studied for this class during the last 5 weeks because of lack of time/concentrating on Path. I wish I had the time because it is important and somewhat interesting. Who knew there were so many different E. coli strains hanging out in the large intestine. Or that rat fleas are so important in spreading dangerous organisms. But, cramming is also very helpful and rewarding when you just need to pass a test. I thought the questions were very fair so hopefully I did well. I won't know my final score until wednesday night so I'll update you all then.

Well, I was supposed to go to the beach today and do nothing but lay out and enjoy myself....but its cloudy right now and it looks like its about to pour. So, I may have to change my plans slightly (maybe some sushi and a movie instead). Either way I will just be relaxing today on an island in the carribean. Of course tomorrow is another day and I have to start my slides for Female genital tract/breast/ovary. That is right, Monday starts a whole new day and topic of Pathology. And on tuesday we start Nutrition. The work just never ends, but that is the best part of becoming a doctor!!! Have a great day!!! :)

AHHHHHH!!!

Today has finally come!!! The dreaded second Pathology test. So many students before have screamed how hard this test is compared to the first. I have been studying my fluffy butt off for 4 straight days for this test and I can only hope I have retained something. Nevermind the fact that yesterday my brain was screaming "NO MORE!!!" and wouldn't allow me the courtesy of one last slide review. Nevermind the other fact that not only do I have path from 9-12 today, but I was one of the unlucky few to also have my clinical skills lab midterm scheduled from 1:30-2:00 and because of this I had to TRY to fit in some studying yesterday (my brain was not happy about that either). Nevermind the final fact that because of the Grenada holiday yesterday, Dr. Grooms decided to throw a party which lasted pretty late into the night forcing me to extend my bedtime by a few hours. Besides all of that, I feel I am prepared. I am confident I can go into that test and do well. Stayed tuned for my follow-up where I prove that last sentence correct OR.....well, I am in a positive mode right now, so lets not think about that!! Wish me luck!!!!

Interference by Congenital Disorders of the Newborn

Today is Friday and I just spent the last 45 minutes laying on my bed with my laptop on my incredibly shrinking tummy (weight loss is still going well) watching the new episode of Grey's. Isn't that weird....considering the episode was LAST NIGHT!!! That's right......in my haste to fly through a subject that I have little interest in (see title above), I totally forgot that Grey's started at 9pm. And......I MISSED IT!!!! I can't feel too bad because Layne, my Grey's buddy, also forgot....although she didn't forget to remind me that we both forgot this morning at 7:30am while I was eating breakfast. I was so disappointed and desperate to find the episode that instead of having my usual morning breakfast over ESPN highlights, I preceded to search websites as far away as Japan looking for the episode. I did find it (thank you sidereel.com) and downloaded it....and as mentioned, just finished watching it. It was worth the scramble!!!

So today I spent most of the wonderful Grenadian day heavily involved in pooh.....i mean, in Gastrointestinal Pathology. I covered lots of info....I only hope that I can remember it all. I did break for about an hour to listen to a Micro lecture that I skipped yesterday and I heard an amazing thing. Baby rabbits can become "aerosolized". What??? I had to rewind to listen again because I apparently missed something. So, here is the story:

The prof was taking about the bacteria Francisiella tularensis, which by the way is on the CDC's Category A list for Biological Warfare/ Terrorism Agents. He mentions a colleague in New Jersey who was mowing his lawn one day in the early spring and apparently ran over a rabbit nest full of baby rabbits. Now, some of them made it but a few were "aerosolyzed" (his words not mine). Why is this important??? Because the above virus is found in wild animals like squirrels, deer, beavers, and rabbits. It is usually transmitted by ticks and when that happens you get an ulcer form of the disease with little chance of death. But, this bacteria can also infect humans by inhalation and when that happens, you get a pneumonia form that equates with almost certain death. So, because the mower made aerosolyzed bunnies, this prof had the unfortunate pleasure of breathing in the bunny/bacteria particles. In less than a week, his cough, difficulty breathing, fever, and chills progressed to a sitting on deaths doorstep disease. The doctors had no idea what this man was suffering from. What Doctor would ever think of taking a history and physical for an incredibly sick patient and ask "So, have you mowed over any cute baby bunnies lately???" Of course, once all of the "usual suspects" for pneumonia were ruled out, and more cultures were done the doctors eventually found the bacteria, were able to treat the man and he lived. The morale of the story.....well, from my point of view, even the most obscure, rarely seen/suspected disease in humans can pop up at any time in a patient....from your point of view, don't mow over bunnies!!

Everyone have a great night!!!! :)

Too much to type....

Okay, I have alot on my mind to say before I head off to bed. Hopefully, I can get it all out. Will start with studying.......BLAH!!! Too much studying. By earlier today I couldn't look at another packet, let alone finish GI (which I still need to finish). But, I'm retaining information, and that is all I need to do well on the test which is in 8 DAYS!!!!!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to have a nice break. Daniel had a friend come in to visit from Missouri. She recently graduated from school and is moving to Rhode Island for residency. So, we all (meaning Layne, Alison, Kaushik, Daniel, his friend, Gia, Amy, and Noah) went out to dinner at BB's crabshack in St. George's. I got the BB crab which is a crab and cheese sauce mix inside a crab shell. It was awesome (of course I had it before so I knew what to expect). I also ordered something new.....pumpkin fritters....basically seasoned and deep fried pumpkin........ fantastically AWESOME!! Although, since I have been eating healthy my ass (i mean rectum :) was not particularly happy with me this morning!!

I don't know if I have mentioned but I have been eating extremely well and working out since January. I made a commitment to this...plus I set a personal goal for weight loss on January 26th. I'm not going to say anything yet about how much I have lost. I'm going to wait until I reach my goal weight....so stay tuned for that update!!

So, every sunday morning Layne and I head off to campus to do laundry and workout. We get there about 7am, and are there until 8:30am. Its nice because so few people are using the washers and dryers at that time, so we are able to quickly get our stuff done plus get in a nice workout. I run on campus on these days, so because of this I normally don't eat breakfast until after my workout. Today was particularly hot. There are several steep hills I run up and I almost didn't make one. I started to get very lightheaded (my brain hates lack of food + heat + hills). But, I forced myself to keep going and felt better a few minutes later. I'm just waiting for the day when my brain says "NO MORE" and I face plant on the pavement after passing out....and then my fat fluffy behind rolls back down the hill (look out below!!!!).

Today was the IEA (honor society) mock practical and I signed up to work. Basically we set up cadaver stations for the 1st termers to practice on. It is similar to their practical final except for we ask them to fill in the blank to the questions while on the real test they get multiple choice. Today went well....I was there for about an hour. Anything I can do to help my fellow student doctor :):)

Almost forgot to mention....yesterday was Derby Day!!!!! I had to watch it on ESPN when I came home from dinner. Congrats to Big Brown.....wow that horse is fast. Will he become the 1st triple crown winner in 30 years???? Preakness is coming up in 2 weeks, so we will soon get closer to that answer. In sad news though, farewell wishes go out to 8 Belles. You ran a hell of a race against the boys....and 2nd place is great.....too bad it ended poorly.

Well, I have to start my concept map for tomorrow. What is a concept map you say??? Well....here is one:



Every week for extra credit in Pathology we can pick a topic from the previous week and do a concept map. Last week I did the above on restrictive lung diseases. Tonight, I'm doing the Stomach. Here I come H. Pylori!! Everyone have a great night!!!

May 1st

Today, I had the pleasure of having no classes because its a national holiday in Grenada!! Don't ask me for what, I really have no idea. So, instead of sitting in lecture or lab, I spent all day going over Pulmonary Pathology. Tomorrow, I have decided to skip lecture and spend the morning with my friend Cardio Path. Why am I skipping lecture....because the Prof is just not informative. His lecture slides lack that one thing that we count on from our profs....the knowledge on HOW the disease process is occuring. I am well aware that the gastro-intestinal track is fairly large and complex, and there is a lot of material to cover in a short week. Instead of having 1 or 2 slides per disease with no useful information, how about concentrating on the important diseases and give us details (I want details!!) and then tell us to read on our own for the rest. Well, the objectives pretty much say not everything can be covered....that is fine.....but again, cover the important things well with "need to know to be a successful Dr" information. Maybe its because the prof is visiting from Yale and he is confusing us with his students back in Conn. Maybe he believes we are genetically bred individuals who have mastered the ability to telepathically siphon the years of knowledge and important material gained out of his brain and download it into our own......POOF....I now know Crohn's disease....what's next?

So, tonight was episode #2 of Grey's Anatomy. Once again, it was awesome. I really like the writing on that show.....what I don't like is how they protray the "surgery residents". Come on, like the surgery resident would be telling an HIV patient she is pregnant.....NO!!! That would be an ER resident, or an internal medicine resident, or an Ob/Gyn resident. But, I understand that they need to make some drama somewhere, i just wish it was in the OR.

My week has been fairly uneventful. Study, study, study....that is what I do. Especially since we have a tests starting May 13th. I plan on reviewing for both Pathology and Microbiology (especially since I haven't even looked at this subject for weeks) over the entire weekend. And maybe sneaking in a movie on Saturday night :) Well see how the reviewing goes. Everyone have a good night!!!