Merry Christmas

The Neighborhood "Christmas Extravagansa"

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas full of family and friends. I must say that I found myself loving this Christmas... this, I think, was helped by the fact that I missed Christmas last year (well, missed it at home, as I was still in Thailand). And anyone who knows me knows that I'm BIG on holidays (just ask my students from last year... we decorated the room for each holiday). However, it was more than just that.

It started out right merely in that it is the longest Christmas break I've ever had, at least as a student... I think that last year's was longer, but that was different. So, that means more time with family, which is tres important pour moi. It was also helped by the fact that I had LOTS of time to relax, which has been increasingly important over this past year.

But Christmas cannot be summed up by this alone. I have felt so loved this Christmas, not only by my family, but also by my friends. I found myself taking stock of my life and realizing how blessed and lucky I have been. And I am utterly grateful for this!

I know that I made a list of things I'm thankful for at Thanksgiving, but I think that it is also appropriate now to list the things I'm thankful for from Christmas season:

• I'm so thankful for the opportunity I had to catch up with some of my most important friends in Chicago - the ones that know where I'm coming from and who know how I "work"
• I'm thankful for my long, restful break
• I'm thankful for my dog - who continues to love me more than I could ever need (I love her jumping into my bed and licking me in the morning... cause she's just so cute)
• I'm thankful for my brother - who, without ever telling me he loves me, shows it by just wanting to spend time with me
• I'm thankful for the wonderful role model I have in my mother, and for all that my mother has done
• I'm thankful for my father, who continues to love me, even when I pull his chain in all directions
• I'm thankful for Christmas at home with the family (all 25 of them)
• I'm thankful for my amazing best friend... there are no ways to explain how or why, she's just SO amazing
• I'm thankful for the post-celebration bubble bath (complete with candles, DMB, and a good book)

There's so much more, but I won't belabor the point. I hope that you all found yourselves grateful for the blessings in your life this holiday season. And may you find yourself celebrating through the New Year.

Things in the news

Staying on top of the news via Google reader has made my life so much more complete. Now many times I merely glance at headlines so I can look like I know what's going on in the world. However, if something looks interesting, I click it and actually read it. Below are three articles I found interesting:

1. Blair converts to Catholicism
I find it very interesting that Blair is just now coming out about religion. Seeing as he was the PM for 10 years he had a very long time to at least mention his beliefs. And I don't honestly think that people would have taken him for a "nutter" for mentioning them. What I find more interesting is that he was practicing in the Anglican church until now. Let's look at history a bit: Anglican church breaks off of the Catholic church so that King what's his face can divorce some queen because s/he is barren. Besides the fact that in the Anglican church the king can divorce, there really isn't that much of a difference. They are both high on the liturgical scale and both believe in sacraments, rather than acts of remembrance (I'm not so sure whether the Anglicans believe in the conversion of the elements to the real flesh and blood of Christ, if you know, please pass on the wealth of information). Seeing as they are so similar it makes me wonder: 1.) What's the reasoning behind the conversion? 2.) What Tony Blair not Catholic only so he could hold office?!? Interesting nonetheless.

2. Senate stays in session over holiday to thwart Bush
Once again I marvel at the amazing American democracy. Firstly, I find it funny that opening and them immediately closing the floor counts as a session (less than one minute?!). However, I do thank all those going in over their holiday to keep the system of checks-and-balances in check. I think it's wrong for any President to wait until no one can protest to elect someone into an influential position (it's just to slinky). And honestly, if the congress is willing to open the floor through their own holiday, it makes you think that the President would re-look at their concerns... yes, I know Democratic congress, uber-Republican President, but still.... remember that they too were elected by the people, which means that they represent the people. If the people want Democratic, have some courtesy to listen. (Sorry for that sounding a little judgemental.... but I would say it to anyone doing anything like that)

3. Nun's brains may help unlock secrets of Alzheimer's
Firstly, I must say that I liked how it showed up in Google reader better "Souls go to heaven, Brains go to science". Brilliant tag line in my opinion. Now back to the article: I think what these Sisters are doing is wonderful! To make such a sacrifice (or do such a "service" as one nun put it) is amazing and I commend each one for helping to make a difference. Alzheimer's is a sad and horrifying disease as I'm sure many of you know. For that reason I'm, adding a few links and a video pertaining to Alzheimer's... after which you will find comments relating to, but not really pertaining to this article.




Alzheimer's Association

Symptoms of Alzheimer's

Prevention


Now, I must be honest and say that the reason I first clicked this article was due to a conversation I overheard at a coffee shop in Chicago (I'm not generally an eavesdropper, but they were talking really loud and about some medical things). I've been meaning to comment on this conversation, but have forgotten until now.. really it was only one line that really caught my attention, but that one line made me want to run over and speak common sense into this lady. Here's the comment, "I've donated my body to science" (said in an energetic and excited manner).

Yes, this many sound like a good thing... really?!?! If there's one thing that I kept telling myself over the last few months its that I'm never donating my body to science (or, how does my school put it... "bequeathing" my body to science/ any medical school in the nation). The reason... I saw where some of those bodies went and how they ended up... in fact, I helped in the matter. It's called GROSS ANATOMY LAB. And after a week those bodies don't look like bodies any more. After 4 months it's just gross (skull cut open, muscles flayed to exposed deeper muscles, legs cut off to get a better picture of relationships, intestines and fat everywhere). Now, that being said, I'm very thankful for my opportunity to dissect... but there were many times I could not watch what my lab mates were doing and had to walk away until the dissection was over and I could sufficiently distance myself from the fact that these were in fact still humans.

If you want to make a difference... donate your organs! Seriously, I'm totally about that! It saves lives... and lots of them! So, unless you know exactly where your body is going (and what parts)... don't rush to announce proudly that you've donated your body to science. Save lives, donate organs!

Other random things.... I saw two movies yesterday:
The first movie I saw was with my mom and it was P.S. I Love You. Good movie, but I have some warnings. First, guys: If you're girlfriend wants to see this movie, tell her to go with another girl. You will not like this movie (almost guaranteed)... it is one of the biggest chick flicks ever created (read on to see why). Secondly, women: If you're going to see this movie, go with a box of Kleenex. My mom started crying after the first 10 minutes and cried the whole time (yes, mom, I teared up too, but no tears feel until the very end). As my mom put it: It was an exhausting movie to watch -- lots of emotions and lots of energy trying not to cry in the theatre. Otherwise, there were funny parts and I would recommend it to the women out there.




Now, I wasn't planning on seeing two movies yesterday. But when my brother got home (holiday break had just commenced) and came to me with the movie listings, I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd already gone to a movie that day (I waited for my mom to say something, which she didn't). So, John and I went to see this movie. It was good. I really enjoyed it!! But it wasn't exactly what I expected... I'll leave it at that. Go see the movie. It's good.



(Please note that I never go to the movies... the only time I go to the movies is when I'm home. Firstly, because the only theatre near me has only 4 screens and costs a lot; secondly, because I have no time. Therefore, when I'm home I tend to OD on going to the movies.... and I get really bummed about all the movies I had wanted to see that are now on DVD, leading me to want to get a Netflix subscription - but again, time becomes an issue. I'll stop babbling now.)



P.S. I'm super excited for tomorrow when my best friend gets back in town (I haven't seen her since July! So, it's going to be fun!)

Giving Some Holiday Cheer

Last year my mom sent me a "Pass the Cheer" e-card from Starbucks (if it wasn't her, it was someone). Well, this year I decided to send one to my friend as a pre-exam well-wish (it also came with a promise of Starbucks in her future... we now exchange Starbucks giving - one time she'll surprise me, the next time I'll surprise her... much to the chagrin of Bill, who looks sad every time we have Starbucks and he does not) . Now, I'm pretty sure she never passed it on... so it didn't go far. But it did make her smile, and that's what they're about anyway.

Today, however, I found out that Starbucks wants to do more than have its customers pass the cheer, it wants to pass on cheer itself. When I opened my email box what did I find? A gift certificate for $5!! Thank you Starbucks. That's one more study aid for me! :) I would say one more peppermint mocha, but I don't think I'll be getting the gift card until after all the peppermint is gone (boo).

So, for all you Starbucks fans out there... next year (or even this year, it might not be too late). Send cheer onto a friend and get some sent to yourself.

Mmmmmmh. Peppermint mocha!!!

An Asteroid, a New Movie, and Other Craziness

Craziness first... I feel bad for standing my mom up this morning. Let me expand: You see I have this dilemna... here in my home town I have no access to a gym (aka a real one with ellipticals, treadmills, and free weights). However, my mom belongs to Curves, yes... that's right the "gym for curvy (aka old) women". And, they are allowing them to bring their children. who are home for the holidays... So, yesterday I caved. I woke up and went with my mom to Curves. Only to be taught machines that I already knew how to use, and mistaught how to work my biceps (i want to tone my Biceps, not my brachioradialis.. thank you very much). There is so much more that I could say, but I'll leave it there (Mommy, I love you and am glad that you like curves... but I need cardio and free weights).

Another craziness. My brother has until recently refused to supply my mother with a Christmas list. Well, he finally did and on that list was "Levi's". Now, my mom being the good mom that she is asked my brother what size pants he wore. To which he responded, "Why do you need to know that?!" My mom replied, "You have Levi's on your Christmas list. If I'm going to get them, I need to know what size you need." Here is where is gets crazy. My brother (being the smart one that he is) doesn't go look at a pair he has in his room. No, no, no. He unbuttons, unzips, and depants himself in the middle of the kitchen (this being after dinner, the entire family is in the room). When we start looking at each other due to the hilarity of the situation, he responds (still standing in his boxers), "What?! We're all family." Classic John, classic.

Saw this article about the asteroid hitting Mars... and all I could think of what this.

"WTF Mate?!?! Weren't you supposed to hit Earth?! Why are you hitting me?" (If you don't understand please watch).

And finally, finally a rebuttal to Michael Moore's grotesquely biased SiCKO:

Anaesthetist Hymn...

Completely random... but funny nonetheless. And no, I've never been interested in this speciality.

(via many on the medical blogosphere... including over!my!med!body!)

"Cyberchondriacs"

While checking the wonderful world of Google Reader I found this little gem about "cyberchondriacs." I thought it would be fun to add my own take on article... aka, add snide comments (the article is in full).

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- First-year medical students are some of the biggest hypochondriacs around. Bombarded with information about every disease under the sun, they start to imagine they have them all. In their minds, every mole is skin cancer. A nosebleed is surely a sign of a tumor. Headache? Must be skyrocketing blood pressure.

Hmm, can kinda see where they are going... but here's the problem... first year is all normal anatomy/physiology/etc. It's not really until you hit second year that you start seeing the crazy stuff. That being said, yes, we have been exposed to some things... but don't think I'm rushing to diagnose myself with idiopathic thrombocytopenia, meningocoele, walker-walburg or xeroderma pigmentosa anytime soon. (The only thing I'm close to diagnosing myself with is hypothyroidism, for which there are many reasons) The diseases we see are things that 1.) you would NEVER want to diagnose yourself with (at least thus far), 2.) you would have been diagnosed with when you were a very young child, 3.) you could not have and maintain live.

"People get terribly anxious," says Dr. Arthur Barsky, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "One woman who came to see me was convinced she had melanoma. She brought in 20 pages of color photos of various skin lesions, trying to figure out which one looked most like hers."

Hey, at least she was watching her freckles... that's just good health maintaince. And maybe she was a little prone to hyperchondrianism. But hey, she might have a reason. Maybe she has a history of tanning and skin cancer in the family. You can't stop here and make her seem crazy. More story needed on that... it could be a very legitimate fear.

And now, because of the Internet, we can all be
first-year medical students. We can all develop what's called "medical student syndrome." We get basic information, and not necessarily a lot of context, and
we're off and running toward a conclusion that may be completely wrong.

No, no you cannot. Just because you have internet does not even begin to get you close to being a first-year medical student for many reasons:

1.) You did not make it through pre-med course work or take the 8-hour long MCAT

2.) You did not pay over $1000 to try and get into a school that make you feel nothing more than average

3.) You do not study 6 hours a day on top of 6 hours of class

4.) You actually have time to search for your random diseases on the internet, while med students only search for the things which they have to learn about

5.) Are "basic information" would take you at least twice as much time to read, let alone understand (unless you have some scientific background)

6.) You are not having 700 pages of notes crammed into your brain in 3 1/2 weeks.

So, no, you do not get to even begin to compare yourself to a 1st year medical student.

Of course, health information on the Internet can
be truly useful. But how do you know when you're using it constructively, and when you've gone off on a medical wild goose chase? "I think it's fairly easy to cross that line," says Robin DiMatteo, a professor of psychology at the
University of California, Riverside.

So how do you know when you've become a "cyberchondriac"?You may be a cyberchondriac if ...
... you feel worse
after Web surfing instead of better. "If research on the Internet helps to make you feel empowered, and engaged in a dialogue with your doctor, it's helpful," DiMatteo says. "But if it makes your heart rate go up, that's potentially
problematic."Or to put it another way: "If you feel more scared and confused after being on the computer for half an hour, that's not good," says Dr. Vicki Rackner, a surgeon and patient advocate.

Umm, duh!?!?! Let's use common sense here... why would you continue doing something that makes feel like you're about to keel over any second. That's just insane. If you do, you need more help than just a PCP... you need a psychiatrists. And why are they talking to a surgeon? I don't know many people who contact a surgeon with their first concerns... usually it's their family practioner.

... your doctor's reassurances don't help. "I don't have a
problem with people fishing around on the Internet to see what diseases they might have," Barsky says. "For most people, a doctor's reassurances that they're fine is adequate. I worry about the people for whom that isn't enough, and whose concerns persist and go right back on the Internet."

Yes, I agree with the doctor. You see there is thing called health literacy. Most people don't have it... so it is actually good to look online and get information. It makes you INFORMED. Just like when you go to do anything in real life, a little prior knowledge is helpful. It makes sure you know what's going on... it means you can ask the right questions.

... you move quickly from suspicion to conviction. If you quickly become convinced your shaking hands are Parkinson's disease, or your sore throat is an immune deficiency, you need to back away, our panel of experts says. Investigate your symptoms if you like, but leave the diagnosing to the doctors.

Amen... there's a reason we are going to school for 4+ years and getting paid almost nothing for the next 7+... it's called an MD. It means that we might actually have a little idea of what's going on when you go see a doctor. Remember, the internet does not mean you know more... we probably have a more complete knowledge base on the issue at hand, and if we don't we have lots of professional journals that explain it in more depth.

How to avoid becoming a cyberchondriac. Barsky suggests
putting limits on your surfing right from the start."Plan in advance what you want to find out, what the question is you're trying to answer, and how much time you're willing to spend on it," he says. "If you find yourself exceeding
those limits, you should ratchet it down."Rackner has advice based on her own experience as a medical student. "I was studying for an exam on the pancreas, and I became convinced I had a rare type of pancreatic tumor. I thought, 'I don't need to study because I'm going to die,' " Rackner remembers.

I think a lot of us would rather think we were dying than failing the exam the next day... but maybe that's just me. OR maybe we feel like the exam will kill us, so why not have a little pancreatic cancer to help it along. JUST KIDDING.

What snapped her out of it? A good night's sleep and an honest discussion with herself. "When you're off on a medical wild goose chase, you disconnect yourself from your intuition. Ask yourself, do you really have this disease? The answer will almost always be 'no.'

I have nothing else to add except overall... an okay article.

Thoughts

I wish that I could articulate what is going on in my head. But I can't.... it's starting to immobilize me.

Vitas goes too high

I don't know what is more amazing here: the chinese/russian subtitles, the orchestra in executioner garb, the people worshiping in the background, or the notes this guy can hit (this should not be physically possible):



There's the real music video for the song:



And for some reason, I'm really liking it. It makes me wish I had actually learned some Russian when I was there... oh well, I'll leave it to my friends who do speak Russian to translate for me (Frenchy? Jessi? Any help?)

This might...

make me afraid of Christmas...

either that, or the really creepy card that my mom got for Christmas (wish I could elaborate, but let's just say that it was the most depressing Christmas card ever... if you want to know, email me).

Making a difference through books

This book was the basis for the Saks Fifth Avenue store windows in NYC. But there's more to the story than that... For each purchase of this book $2 goes to St. Jude's Children's Hospital, a place where all children with cancer can be treated no matter a family's ability to pay.

If you see this book while you are out shopping, pick it up for yourself or a child you know and make a difference in the lives of children who need hope.

Go here to hear the story read to you (just like bedtime stories from your childhood) and call this number to order the book: 1.887.551.SAKS

One of Sak's Holiday Window

"I'll Be Home for Christmas"

I cannot begin to describe how great it is to be home for Christmas. This feeling comes from many things: 1) last year I was in Thailand for Christmas, and although my mom came to visit, it just wasn't the same as being home, 2) the last set of exams rocked me hard, being away from school is a way of forgetting, 3) I LOVE my house at Christmas.... my mom has a huge Christmas tree with all these funky ornaments, along with about 15 other "themed trees" around the house (my room is the white, snowman and angel themes... my new favorite addition is the black and pink themed tree).

The Main Christmas Tree

The Tree in My Room






























The Pink and Black Themed tree/ decorations


Funny story... you know how I was super excited about post-exam parties?!? Well, let me tell you the little tale of post-exam stress. When I got home I was trying to figure out how much money I actually had in the bank (1st semester loans are running REALLY low making Christmas a little difficult, but that's besides the point..). In trying to figure out how much money I had I realized that I could not find my checkbook (I've learned that I'm really bad about losing things lately... I must work on this... p.s. my keys ended their vacation and are now safely back in my possesion). This stressed me out more than probably necessary... but I had these visions of sketchy people of the D finding it and depleting my already low funds to 0, or even worse, into the red. AHH. Well, needless to say this stress (along with a phone call from a friend) convinced me not to go to the skating (boo, wish I had) and just go to the party that night.

Well, in order to relieve the stress I decided to sit down and watch some TV... I fell asleep and woke up the next morning at 11 am. Oops... (Which reminds me of the CNN article on all-nighters that I've been meaning to post... I don't pull all nighters, I pull 5 hours of sleep for multiple nights in a row, probably having nearly the same effect). Then my mom called saying, "GET OUT OF THE D BEFORE YOU CAN'T COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!" Just kidding, she was calling to notify me of a blizzard that supposedly dumped at least a foot of snow on SE MI... I got out and got home instead.

Sad story... on the way home I stopped by the mall to pick up one of my Christmas presents that my mom had on hold.... which they apparently decided not to keep on hold. While at the mall I ran by the Apple store to have them check out my computer (it's doing this funky thing where if it goes into sleep mode the keyboard and mouse become non-functional). Anyways, looks like I'm going to have to back up my entire computer and give to them for a few days to fix whatever "corrupted HD" thing that is going on... Boo, I thought Macs didn't do this. Picture me crying on having to spend money I don't have on a computer that's not supposed to do this kind of crap.

That being said, happy new on the Chiang Mai front. I forgot to post this earlier, but my roommate's brother is trying to sponsor all the kids in one of the orphanages in CM... the happy news is that all 125 kids are sponsored!!! If you want to read about what they are doing, here's the link to the original story and the post about meeting the goal. All I have to say is HALLELUJAH!

And now for other random things making me happy:

Christmas carols on crack (not really... it's the same song that my undergrad choir sang, I think, or at least is very similar)


Daft hand (My friend posted this, I've seen it before... but it still makes me laugh)


Room for Marys and Josephs at the Inn...

Post-Secret (if you don't read it, you should... or buy the book... I have my own secret I want to send in, just haven't had the time yet)

My New Talent

The above picture is the peel from a clementine. Now you may be asking yourself "Why does she have a picture of a clementine peel?" It is my new talent.... not just getting the peel off in one piece (lots of people can do that).... getting the peel off ONE HANDED!!!

Now you might be wondering, who comes up with these things? How did she find out this completely random talent?

Well, it comes down to the fact that one the way to Chicago I was calling my best friend in medical school about some questions concerning phys... While talking to her I decided that I wanted to eat my clementine... I started peeling one handed (my other hand was in use holding the phone) and before I knew it I had a peel in one piece.

Since that time I have tested my abilities: I can do it left handed (as the picture above shows; this is handy for when I need to write and peel a clementine at the same time) and peel two clementines at once... still managing to have 1 peel (the peels are mirror images cause I can't control my abilities yet).

Be amazing... or very concerning for my mental state.

Google Notebook and Christmas

So my mom keeps asking what I want for Christmas... I told her I need Clin. Med. clothes (aka professional clothes for when in the hospital and clinics). However, I was putting off actually having to make an email.

Then it dawned on me.... use Google Notebook.... you don't even have to leave the sites you're looking at... just hit "Clip" and it shows up in your list when you load it. My mom can now print off, rearrange, etc my list for her holiday shopping needs.

This could have just changed my whole anti-Christmas list paradigm.

If you have a Christmas list... post it and share it (esp. my family - cause I have NO idea what to get you all... remember, I'm broke and living off of loans).

Did they realize it was a real word??

Omentum (from Latin, meaning "apron") can refer to two different components of the peritoneum:

• Greater omentum: The greater omentum (also the great omentum, gastrocolic omentum, or epiploön) is a large fold of peritoneum that hangs down from the stomach, and extends from the stomach to the posterior abdominal wall after associating with the transverse colon.

• Lesser omentum: The lesser omentum (small omentum; gastrohepatic omentum) is the double layer of peritoneum that extends from the liver to the lesser curvature of the stomach and the start of the duodenum. (Wikipedia)
  

I wonder if Oprah knows she's being compared to a fatty connective tissue?? In the meantime, I'll just continue to laugh... a lot.

(via Kevin M.D.)

The Completely ADD Update

Randomly heard on radio... Detroit is listed above London, England as a destination point for NYers due to it's great casinos, food, etc. Again... high ratings for one of the most dangerous cities... anyone else getting mixed reviews??!!

The Weekend

So, this weekend I went to Chicago. In fact, I took the train to Chicago, which is the first time I've ever taken a train... However, I'm not impressed with the punctuality of the train (or lack thereof). We didn't get in to Chi-town until almost 11:30 pm.... or 12:30 pm MI time.

However, all this was made up for by the fact that I got to see some of my favorite people of all time, starting with Ben... who graciously gave me his bed and slept at his parent's house. We stayed up until about 2 (3 am MI) talking with two of his friends and then called it a night.

The next day I went to the coffee shop to study (what else would I possibly do?!) while waiting for Ben to get back from an appointment and ended up talking to friends most of the time (we were trying to plan out how to see each other). All this lead to a very social day; we started off mid-afternoon by meeting up with Amanda and Peter (who was shortly followed by Angela -- Amanda and Angela are some of my really good friends from HS)... this included coffee, but mostly just hanging around talking.

Angela, Me, and Amanda back at Ben's place, catching up on old times.

After they left Ben and I met up with Kristen (my freshman roommate) and Mitch (her husband/ my friend). It was late so we decided to go get food, the problem was that there was NO parking (surprise!). So, Ben pulled some strings and found us parking at one of the safest places in the area:

Me and Kristen on the way to dinner at our "special" parking spot.

Dinner was SO enjoyable. It was great catching up with Kris and Mitch, and our waiter was so funny (besides the fact that the food was amazing). We then decided to go out for drinks... the problem with that arose when we walked into one of the bars and found ourselves as the only patrons at that time. We walked out and went to the hookah bar instead... definitely the better choice.

Ben and Mitch at the hookah bar.

That brings us up to Sunday: I went with Ben to church and then got back on the train (the weekend went WAY too fast, and now I want to live in Chicago). The train ride was uneventful until I realized that I couldn't find my keys. Yes, that is right... no keys in my purse. Rather, my keys decided that they needed a bit more vacation and decided to stay with Ben. Oops.

Luckily, I have amazing friends - one who came to pick me up at the train station (during slick driving conditions) and a roommate who came home, rather than studying at school, to let me into the apartment (and drove me back to get my car this morning - Praise the Lord I gave her my spare at the beginning of the school year).

All I can say is, this weekend was amazing. And school is now driving me crazy again (I'm really scared about my upcoming tests... I'm aiming to pass right now and that's about it...)

Random Pictures from School (lab stuff):

ECGs and the effects of inspiration/expiration, sudden standing, cold pressor tests on blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse (pictures taken on my camera - my favorite pic will not send, it's making me very sad). Yay, for being nerds.

Facebook Voters

	Facebook Supporters*	ABC News Poll**
Democrats:
Barack Obama	57.59%	26%
Hillary Clinton	18.79%	49%
John Edwards	8.59%	12%
Dennis Kucinich	6.06%	2%
Joe Biden	2.91%	3%
Bill Richardson	2.73%	2%
Mike Gravel	2.54%	NA
Chris Dodd	0.79%	1%
Republicans:
Ron Paul	38.19%	3%
Mitt Romney	19.39%	11%
Fred Thompson	16.60%	16%
John McCain	12.84%	19%
Rudy Giuliani	10.64%	33%
Thomas Tancredo	1.15%	1%
Duncan Hunter	1.08%	2%
Raymond Mckinney	0.10%	NA

What you see above is the stats from the US Politics widget from Facebook. I've highlighted something I find very interesting.... 57% of Facebook users (using the application) are in support of Obama, whereas the ABC Polling finds that 49% of Americans are in support of Clinton for the '08 election. It makes me wonder what percent of the Obama voters from the ABC poll were also on Facebook.

Now, imagine what a difference the Facebook community could make if they actually got off their computers and voted in the upcoming election.

Wenckebach Sexyback

This is so much better than learning from my notes.

(Thanks to Erin for sending that out!)

Amazing commercial

Brilliant commercial... even though I never eat McDonald's, this commercial made my studying so much better.

WALKABILITY RANKINGS

1. Washington
2. Boston, Massachusetts
3. San Francisco, California
4. Denver, Colorado
5. Portland, Oregon
6. Seattle, Washington
7. Chicago, Illinois
8. Miami, Florida
9. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
10. New York
11. San Diego, California
12. Los Angeles, California
13. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
14. Atlanta, Georgia
15. Baltimore, Maryland
16. St. Louis, Missouri
17. Minneapolis, Minnesota
18. Detroit, Michigan
19. Columbus, Ohio
20. Las Vegas, Nevada
21. Houston, Texas
22. San Antonio, Texas
23. Kansas City, Missouri
24. Orlando, Florida
25. Dallas, Texas
26. Phoenix, Arizona
27. Sacramento, California
28. Cincinnati, Ohio
29. Cleveland, Ohio
30. Tampa, Florida

Source: Brookings Institution (via CNN)

Good Lord... are they serious?!? 18th?!?! I was thinking it was going to be listed as one of the worse cities to walk in. Besides the fact that it's the most dangerous city in the nation, and it's frickin' cold, there is no where to walk. Unless of course they are including the suburbs, but they don't count as the D.

Leinberger counted only places where significant subsidies are no longer required to spur development. He predicted that many more -- such as downtown Detroit, Michigan, and Crossroads in Kansas City, Missouri -- would reach that point within the next decade.

Well... I guess I could give the D a few points, you know with the whole Riverfront project and the walk from the Riverfront to the huge Farmer's market (which they are still jackhammering for, at least now they are not starting until 7:30 or 8am)

But still, I don't believe them.

HAPPY DECEMBER!

All I gots to say... it's about time for December to get here!

Well, seeing as I haven't really given an real update in awhile I thought I would do that now (as my procrastination skills have manage to hijack my entire day).

For those of you wondering how med school is going, I have to admit that things are going well. Biochem and physio are well under way, with our first test for them in about 2 weeks (yikes!). And to be honest, that's pretty much were my time has been going... we covered more than 240 pages of physio notes in about 5 days (and there's 500+ pages of types notes for physio alone this unit). Needless to say, I'm kind of understanding stuff... I just have to work on all the details.

However, life's not all work: There's a Christmas party tonight at my friends. I'm bringing chocolate fundue w/strawberries, pineapple, banana, brownie, and pound cake. And next weekend I'm taking the train (first time ever!!) to another major city to visit friends (I cannot wait for next weekend!!!).

All in all, I can say that I'm loving life right now, even with school.

That being said, I should probably try to accomplish something in my studies today.

God Bless!

Funny Video

via Highly Trained Monkey

Fall Pictures/ Painting

I think I might have said this already but... I love the fall. Below are two very random photos (one taking while driving, don't freak mom... notice: no cars).

The reason for the first one: it's hard to see but there is a huge tree that is all yellow, and this is what I get to see every day on the way to school (downtown D).

Please note the beautiful red trees (below) that I got to see from my bedroom (they're still red, but a little darker and losing leaves right now):

So my roommate and I have been discussing the fact that we want to paint our apartment since before the first exam (aka August), but never seemed to both be home after test weekends (or have the time). However, with the end of anatomy came the time to paint. Here is our apartment in the process of being painted:


(Yes, we did paint the entertainment center bright pink, but as you'll see in the final product pictures, it works.)


The final products: First pictures is the entry way (with greenery and nativity for Christmas).


The Living Room: The picture on the floor will be hung once the tree is gone, as the tree is currently stealing it's intended wall space.


See, I told you the pink entertainment center worked:

Oh the happy things in life.

There is so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, so I'm sharing my list:

1. My amazing family.
   
2. Family holidays/vacation in general (after missing a years worth, I'm so happy to be home for this year's family holidays).
3. My grandmother, who is doing well after breaking her hip about 2 months ago.
4. Anatomy and histology are over!
5. I did really well in histology! PTL!
6. Pandora now has classical music (found this tonight, which makes me overjoyed)!
7. M1 Women's Fellowship started tonight at my place... it was amazing. I can't wait for next Tuesday!
8. I'm going home tomorrow before afternoon classes (therefore, indirectly thankful for the wonders of streaming lectures).
9. Great times: Sunday's Post-Gross Potluck, Monday's Mini-Thanksgiving Potluck.
10. Great friends!
11. A great roommate in a great apartment, that I'm thankful for everytime I come home.
12. Our green walls (silly, I know... but we just painted them... they make me smile everytime I walk in the door).
13. Music.... whether it be classical, worship, pop, or rap, it always makes me happy.
14. Being in medical school.... crazy, yes, but it's truly the answer to prayers.
15. Finding an amazing church, with an amazing young professionals group.
    
16. All the little things!

Medical Trivia #2

• "The number one reason Americans visit the doctor is to treat an upper respiratory tract infection." Hmm, interesting. Not much else to talk about with that one.

• "Thirty million men in the United States suffer from erectile dysfunction." Guess that could explain A LOT of things about men.... we'll leave it at that.

• "Modern researchers believe that some mystics, including Fyodor Dostoevsky, Saint Paul, Saint Teresa of Avila, and Marcel Proust, likely had temporal-lobe epilepsy, giving them visions and transcendental religious experiences, and feeding an obsession with matters of the spirit." I'll give them Dostoevsky and Proust, but I can't give them Paul... that would just be stupidity. I would recommend them reading some more history on Paul and Christianity in general.

• "As late as the 1930s, many doctors treated alcoholism with a regimen of morphine injections." Because giving substance abusers a different substance to abuse is SUCH a good decision. Seriously?!?! What was the logic behind that one?!?!

** Again, all the quotes are from Doctors Killed George Washington by Barrett and Mingo. The comments following are obviously not from the book.

I live in....

... the most dangerous city in the nation. Guess there's a reason for the great clinic education that I'm supposed to be getting.

The man who grew roots

Imagine a man who got a wart. Now imagine that man years later, the warts overtaking his body... growing not only all over the skin but actually growing out from the skin. That is was happened to Dede. He has a rare immune system, and that mixed with HPV lead to some serious, and unusual complications.


Unable to work, he had to have relatives take care of his two children. But he wants help. An American doctor is going to try and provide that through daily doses of Vitamin A, which apparently stops the growth of the warts. Then, once the growths stop growing and start shrinking, the other, more stubborn, growths can be removed by freezing them or by surgically removing them.

If you want to read the article:
Tree-Man on the Telegraph

Two Whole Study Days = Lots of Study Breaks

That is the last thing we saw in anatomy... yes, really. Gotta love the sense of humor our profs have. So, as Dr. G said (before showing the clip), "Celebrate in moderation" (starting Friday of course).

Blog readability

Oh.. this is fun. Guess I'm at the right level...

Can you tell that I'm procrastinating studying for my test?!? Thinking it's time to give up and go to bed. Hmm, much better than studying. :)

Medical Trivia #1

When I graduated from HS my mother gave me a book: Doctors Killed George Washington. It is a little book full of "Totally Riveting Utterly Entertaining trivia", at least according to the authors. Now, this book has pretty much sat on my self since I got it (I flipped through it every once and awhile, but haven't really read it.... I mean, it's a book of anecdotes, who has time for that?!?!).

Anyways, I digress... Anatomy classes ended today!!!! And I celebrated by 1) studying for my test on Friday, and 2) pulling fore mentioned book off the self and skimming it. That is when I decided to post some fun snippets. I'm going to try and post some every so often (hence it having its own tag and the "#1" in the title), so here goes:

"Licorice can raise your blood pressure."
Good thing I don't like licorice. :)

"Pick your saint and the Catholic Church has a patron saint for it. Here are some you may wish to know about: Saint Acacius (head-aches), Saint Cathal (hernias), Saint Giles (lameness, insanity, sterility, and epilepsy), Saint Drogo ("gravel in the urine"), Saint George (syphilis), Saint Catherine of Alexandria (diseased tongues), Saint Lucy (eye diseases, dysentery, and "hemorrhages in general", Saint Hilary of Poitiers ("backward children"), Saint Servatus ("leg diseases"), and Saint Benedict (fever, inflammation, kidney disease, and "temptations of the devil")."
Some of these makes me wonder what they did to get their specialty. And anyone see any conceident between St. George being the patron saint of syphilis and maybe George O'Malley from season 1 of Gray's??

"Calling Dr. Starbucks! In eigthteenth-century England and France, doctors prescribed coffee for a variety of diseases, from sorethroats to smallpox."
Oh coffee, how much I love thee... from taking anyway my headache to causing one when I try to detox. However, I don't think I'll try you as a cure for smallpox.... hmm, interesting.

Making a difference

Learn some words and start making poverty history:

http://www.freerice.com/index.php

I am pathetic

So.... I have decided that I'm pathetic, or a loser, or something in that line of thought. This decision came after the following 15 minutes:

-head hurting, eyes blurry... I give up on studying
-decide that I need some "social interaction" (roommate out with other friends on special dinner cruise thingy with other med school friends)
-determine to be a "good friend" and call undergrad friends
-call #1: about to watch fight with uncle and dad
-calls #2-5: no answer

Just goes to show, that other people have lives. I used to, but somehow have reverted back to being a hermit with no life.

Hmm... must work on this in the future.



p.s. Christmas music is making the studying so much. I usually don't like listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving, but I needed something happy to get me through the next week
p.p.s. Anatomy is done is 5 days!!!!

"Oh Happy Day"

It is official:

I have completed my first class in medical school! That's right... done, with one whole class!!! I have made it through histology/embryology. Our three hour final was yesterday and now I'm free (sort of). To say that I'm happy would be an understatement: I'm ecstatic. Histology, for those of you wondering, is studying the cellular structure of the body (think anatomy through a microscope). Basically, it's spending lots of time determining which pink looking cell is one of the many types of cells, then, once deciding that determining what this tiny cell actually does.

For example, the above picture (via lumen) is of the kidney (the outer portion of the kidney). But let me tell you a little more, so you can have a sense of the ridiculousness of what we need to know:

• The big circle structure is the renal corpuscle (or Bowman's capsule + glomerulus, aka membrane and capillary). Within this structure there at three types of cells with different function (and different structures when looking at electron microscopy pictures). I won't go into more detail for you.... but just know there's numerous pages on these three cells.
• The circles with fuzzy circles are proximal tubules, these are the first tubules to come off of the renal corpuscle (at the urinary pole to be exact). These are involved in reabsorption of lots of good stuff (including glucose by active transport.... which means if you have too much glucose, aka diabetes, your body only has these area and only so many transporters to recollect it, hence too much means glucose in your urine).
• Also seen are distal tubules, also involved in reabsorption, but of sodium. Meaning, helping concentrate your urine. You may even see a few cells that look close together at near the renal corpuscle.. this is the macula densa, which is involved in raising blood pressure as well as controlling water reabsorption through a mechanism I won't get into know (but again, is a few pages of notes).

This is just from the area around one corpuscle on one part of the kidney, which is only one part of your body.... now imagine doing that for the whole body. Can you see why I'm a little excited to be done with that class?

However, to histology/ embryology's defense.... I did enjoy the class. In fact, I knew quite a bit from my undergrad histology class and was thus really looking forward to this class. If I was grading it, I would pass it with a B+/ A-. There were parts that could have been better, lecturers that should never teach again, and boring labs... but all in all, I had a good experience.

That's not to say that I'm excited for something new. I'm getting really excited for physiology... not so much for biochemistry (both starting in a week). However, before I get there I have another "week" of gross anatomy!!!! Which I'm even more excited about being done with (NO MORE GROSS LAB, which I was sick of by unit two...) The bad thing is that I was working so hard for histo this week, that I have completely neglected anatomy and thus no nothing on the unit being tested this coming Friday. AHHH. Time to hit overdrive.

But before then, I'm taking a little mental break. Last night was dinner and a movie with friends at our place and this morning is working at a clinic... taking vital signs and basic history's. Reminding myself of the goal. :)

Until next time, have a great week!

I love it when classes....

... make me understand exactly what they're talking about in the news.

A new CNN article about common abnormalities of newborns... including: UMBILICAL HERNIATION (yay embryology!), aka big belly button.

The other "weirdness" mentioned:
- zits
- enlarged breasts
- cradle cap
- third nipple

And in other embyrology news... this time tomorrow I will be done with both histology and embryology!!

Favorite Email of the Week

So, the embryology/histology final is on Friday... Not good considering there is 330 pages of histology notes + 100 pages (at least of images) and another 170 pages of embryology notes. Hopefully I'll be able to recall enough of it to do okay. Oral quizzing has been okay, but could be better.

These email messages made the studying all the better though (skim the first one, read the response):

-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Tue 11/6/2007 3:10 PM
To: Class of 2011
Subject: Neural crest cells

Here's my list of NCC. Did I forget anything? Add anything in error? Good luck - R


1. Cranial nerve ganglia V, VII, IX, X
2. CT around eye
3. Head mesenchyme/facial morphology
4. Dermal bones of skull
5. Dermis of neck
6. Conotruncal septum of heart
7. DRG
8. Sympathetic chain ganglia
9. Chromaffin cells/adrenal medulla
10. Parasympathetic aortic ganglia
11. Parasympathetic ganglia GI
12. Pia Matter
13. Arachnoid
14. Melanocytes
15. Schwann cells
16. Parafollicular cells/ultimal brachial bodies
17. Viserocranium
18. Lens cover
19. Branchial arch cartilages
20. Odontoblasts
21. Cementoblasts
22. Membranous IV septum
23. Aortico-pulmonary septum
24. Tunica media of acending aorta and pulmonary trunk
25. CT of aortic and pulmonary valves
26. Endocardial cushions
27. Support cells of PNS/Enteric

From:
Sent: Tue 11/6/2007 10:34 PM
To: Class of 2011
Subject: RE: Neural crest cells

Here is a better way to remember what is derived from Neural Crest cells...

1. everything

Thank you to whoever sent that response. Amazing. Now back to studying.

Parasitic Twinning to the Extreme

In case you haven't heard about the 8-legged girl: CNN coverage.

Application: We're reviewing parasitic twinning in embryology.

Amazing Game Show.... I want to play.

Too Funny for Words....

So, remember that article I posted last week about the zombie invasion preparedness is Lansing... well, apparently the whole world picked up on the story:

Last week, a news item out of Lansing appeared in the British tabloid, The Sun.
It read: "Potty police lieutenant Bruce Ferguson has stockpiled chain saws so his men can lop off the heads of zombies if they invade Lansing, Michigan, US."
"Potty," to the Brits, means something along the lines of "nutty."

A similar piece ran in the New York Post.
The story was aired as actual news on radio stations in New Jersey and North Carolina and in other states as well.
In fact, a quick Google search or two will turn up versions of that story written in German, French, Danish, Greek, Romanian, Hungarian, Czech, Latvian and Icelandic.

"Whether you're in Britain, the Czech Republic or in New Jersey, the threat of the undead is always lying just below the surface - especially in Jersey. I'm glad we were able to alert local residents and others to Lansing's pro-active stance."

Seriously people, you thought that the zombie article was a serious piece of hard-hitting news? Newsflash, you all need help.

Where in the World Will Katie Land Next??

COSTA RICA!!!

That's right, I've been given the opportunity to do medical relief in Costa Rica over spring break!

Yay for combining my love for missions and my love for medicine. We will be spending the week doing clinics (details to come) for under-served poplulations!

To say that I'm excited would be an understatement! I'm ready to get back to the tropics (if it's not Thailand, anywhere is better than here in the cold).

What's even better is that my team is amazing! It is seriously a group of friends! There are a few people I don't know, but, I can get to know them later.

All that's left is to start raising the money: I need to raise $1,000 for the trip. If you want to donate, just let me know.

A Slippery Slope Waiting to Happen

WARNING: Religious thoughts... if you take offense easily, back away quickly.

Apparently there is a new trend of Christ believing churches turning to the Church of Scientology in their teaching. Many of you remember CoS being in the news due to Tom Cruise's outrageous beliefs (i.e. postpartum depression isn't real, hiding his child, secluding Katie Holmes, being kicked out of Germany during a filming of some movie that no one will go see, etc).

Now this makes me wonder why churches would turn to such a cult (definition: a group in which the leader has an abnormal amount of control, many times leading to harm in its followers).

I would like to offer up the point that this "religion" (*cough* cult *cough*) was made up by a SCIENCE-FICTION WRITER (aka Hubbard). There's your first hint that this is not legitimate. Hello.... fiction writer!?!? And to be honest, it reads like science fiction (see below the dotted line for another blogger's take on the CoS)

Who would actually take him seriously?!? Beside of course crazy celebrities looking for some "religion" which allows all their craziness. So, again, I come back to the point.... why would ANY church EVER turn to this cult for answers???

Some quotes from the CNN article (linked above):

"Now Kennedy [a Florida pastor] uses "The Way to Happiness" [by Hubbard] as a how-to supplement to his sermons. He believes it is easier to understand and clearer to follow than ancient Scriptures taken from the Bible."

Umm, "how-to-supplement"? Now come on mister, the Bible is still relevant. If your congregation is having issues understanding how to apply it there are more serious issues going on.... How about taking a step back and try explaining it yourself and giving them CHRISTIAN application... NOT applications from a cult, which is inherently against God.

When asked whether Scientology's values contradict the religion of Jesus Christ, Kennedy replies, "Sometimes yes. Sometimes no." But he says his congregation can relate to "The Way to Happiness."

"Sometimes yes. Sometimes no." Hmm, see if your congregation is already having issues understanding the Bible leaving it to them to make this distinction is probably not in their best interest, or yours... I'm pretty sure that the Devil also uses things like this to lead people away... Oh wait, check out the CoS goal:

Critic Rick Ross, a court-certified Scientology expert, sees something more sinister at work. He warned that mainstream acceptance makes it easier for the Scientologists to achieve their ultimate goal -- new recruits.

"Their hope is that through these programs, people will become more interested in L. Ron Hubbard, what else Mr. Hubbard had to offer, and this will lead them eventually to Scientology," Ross said.

Yeah, news flash.... the CoS is and never will be compatible with the word of God. Firstly because the Word of God is truth, not fiction. And secondly, the CoS is using every angle possible to pull people to them... and away from the true God (aka Satan again!)

If you are going to a Christian Church who starts using the teaching of the Chruch of Scientology get out of there quickly!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

These materials, which the Church of Scientology has long struggled to keep secret, were published online by a former member in 1995 and have been widely circulated in the mainstream media, ranging from The New York Times to last year's South Park episode. They assert that 75 million years ago, an evil galactic warlord named Xenu controlled seventy-six planets in this corner of the galaxy, each of which was severely overpopulated. To solve this problem, Xenu rounded up 13.5 trillion beings and then flew them to Earth, where they were dumped into volcanoes around the globe and vaporized with bombs. This scattered their radioactive souls, or thetans, until they were caught in electronic traps set up around the atmosphere and "implanted" with a number of false ideas -- including the concepts of God, Christ and organized religion. Scientologists later learn that many of these entities attached themselves to human beings, where they remain to this day, creating not just the root of all of our emotional and physical problems but the root of all problems of the modern world.

"Hubbard thought it was important to have a story about how things got going, similar to the way both Jews and Christians did in the early chapters of Genesis," says UCLA's Bartchy. "All religion lives from the sense either that something in life is terribly wrong or is profoundly missing. For the most part, Christianity has claimed that people have rebelled against God with the result that they are 'sinners' in need of restoration and that the world is a very unjust place in need of healing. What Hubbard seems to be saying is that human beings are really something else -- thetans trapped in bodies in the material world -- and that Scientology can both wake them up and save them from this bad situation"...

Rinder has fielded questions on Scientology's beliefs for years. When I ask him whether there is any validity to the Xenu story, he gets red-faced, almost going into a tirade. "It is not a story, it is an auditing level," he says, neither confirming nor denying that this theology exists. He says that OT material -- and specifically the material on OT III -- comprises "a small percent" of what Scientology is all about. But it is carefully guarded. Scientologists on the OT levels often carry their materials in locked briefcases and are told to store them in special secure locations in their homes. They are also strictly forbidden from discussing any facet of the materials, even with their families. "I'm not explaining it to you, and I could not explain it to you," says Rinder heatedly. "You don't have a hope of understanding it."
Can you handle this:In his 1983 autobiography, Over My Shoulder: Reflections on a Science Fiction Era, the sci-fi writer Lloyd Eshbach describes meeting Hubbard in the late 1940s. "I'd like to start a religion," Eshbach recalls Hubbard saying. "That's where the money is."

(taken from Krupsjustsayin)