Estimated amount of glucose used by an adult human brain each day, expressed in M&Ms: 250 - Harper's

Well well, this has been quite a week.

Neuro is ... interesting, but tough. There's so much to learn in so little time. And of course we got super spoiled in Jan/Feb with no 8 AM classes, no labs, and free weekends. All of the sudden, all of that's out the window. Basically, it's almost like we've returned to first semester hell - it's just that now it's only one class to really worry about instead of 3/4.

Monday we had our PIG officer meeting for next year... and now that it's official, I can finally share that yours truly is going to be president :) I'm very excited about that responsibility and very much so looking forward to it. In other PIG news, we've been busy baking and selling at the bake sale last week and preparing for the Roast next Thursday from 5:30-8. If you haven't bought a ticket, there's still plenty of time (you can even get one at the door - but if you're sure you're coming, please buy early!). There's gonna be awesome food (all you can eat pizza and ice cream at Sal & Mookie's) and even better door prizes.... and the proceeds go to the kids at Batson, so come on out!

Of course, PIG news has to be the best thing going on in my life right now (and the AMAZING girls that will be working beside me... including my VP, none other than M!!), but there was one more "good" thing this week. Tuesday we started Psych. For the first time since medical school started, we're in a class that I actually have experience in. Lots and lots of experience. I decided after day 1 that I wouldn't be attending any more of those lectures that weren't mandatory, because it's all review (thanks WCU - Graduate Dept of Psych) and I can use the time to study for neuro.

Phys boards came back, best one yet! :)

It's been mainly study-study-study, but M and I did take some time out last night after the Neuro review with Dr. H to have a little fun. Pizza at Mellow Mushroom (they've got a new one - the Hot Potato Pie - and it's droolworthy), followed by "New Moon" and the Sims. Yup, old school fun right there. It was a well needed and well deserved break after a week that felt like it wouldn't end.

I'm still overwhelmed and worried but I know that God's in control and He'll never fail me. I've got the best friends in the world walking this journey beside me... and although they say misery loves company, I must disagree. Because even the stuff that just isn't fun at all isn't miserable when we're together :).

Hang in there, M1's. 7 weeks til summer!!

Goodbye, spring break... Hello, neuro..

Today is the final day of a week of bliss and sleep. No, seriously, I stayed in bed until lunch just because I knew that things would be very different this time tomorrow. So let's take the week day by day:

Friday: finished up the board, relished in the fact that phys was (almost) over, spent the afternoon eating leftovers and watching Nanny McPhee with two of my favorite girls, said our goodbyes (a week feels like eternity when you basically spend ALL of your time with the same people), and packed a bit.

Saturday: Headed South. Got home, saw my parents, went to visit my friend A - we went shopping, eating, catching up. Found some peanut butter fudge with my name on it at a local gift shop... drool. I've never had it before, but I'll definitely have it again.

Sunday: Lazy day at home. Didn't do much of anything. Made plans for Monday, slept a lot, watched some tv.

Monday: Started off the day at good ole WCU. So much fun to see my old coworkers, catch up with everyone. It's funny how while some things change, others seem to stand still during the test of time. I'm grateful that some of my best friendships fit into that category. Had lunch with L, then went to visit K & B in Financial Aid and see if they had any more information on ObamaLoans than I did... yeah, not so much. But I got lots of gossip and caught up on everyone's lives, and that was fun. Then I waited impatiently for my sister to get off work and headed to her house as soon as I could. I miss her & M so much. We had a great dinner that M cooked for us - bacon-wrapped cheese & jalepeno stuffed grilled chicken. It was heaven. He is an amazing husband (and a pretty darn good brother in law). B came over to eat with us, and once again, catching up was great... more of those "friendships withstanding the test of time".

Tuesday: Headed South (yes, further south). Tax day. ALWAYS fun. Wasn't too bad actually, and I'm getting a nice refund. Got to see my puppies for the first time in a very long time, they were sooo excited. I was too :). Went to see my cousin on hospice, then went to dinner with the grandparents. OS is known as the town in MS with the most restaurants per-area. 106 to be exact. People in my hometown know how to eat. Starting with my grandparents, who might as well be food critics. I said seafood (I mean, who can go to the coast and NOT have seafood?) and they found the perfect place. I ended up with Creole Mahi Mahi.. drooool...

Wednesday: Went to visit my great grandmother at the assisted living home for a few hours. We had a really nice visit, it was great to catch up. Then I went to get my hair cut. I've been thinking/talking about doing Locks for Love for a really long time, but I figured it would be next year before my hair was ready. Recently, I realized it'd been getting really long really quick, so I had been thinking more seriously about it. Turns out, there's a local lady in our hometown who takes donations and makes wigs specifically for Mississippi kids. I told S to chop off that ponytail :) Not only is my cut a great change, and I really like it, but it was so rewarding doing something for the kids.

Thursday: Down day. Basically a repeat of Sunday.

Friday: Back to H'burg, Dad got new tires put on the car and I went to see Bounty Hunter with M & S. It was sooo funny (and you can never have too much sister bonding time). I finally did FAFSA and the rest of the financial aid stuff that's already "late", but M1 year kind of took precedence.

Saturday: Back to Jxn :(, cleaned house, groceries...

Sunday: Here we are. The end of a fairly unproductive, almost study-free week. Tonight we're going to get the girls together and give a last hoorah to Spring Break before neuro starts tomorrow. I can't help but be a little nervous about that... it's a lot of material, and only 8 weeks. However, God's always right there, and so are my girls! We're going to kick neuro butt. We also start psych... and being only a few classes short of a master's, that one doesn't bother me a bit ;)

Tomorrow we're having our PIG officer's meeting for next year, and PIG's bake sale/PIG roast events are kicked off in full force. I've got lots of baking to do this week. It's gonna be a busy one, but I'm ready.

M1 year - last round. Me vs. neuro/psych. I'm going to win. Just sayin.

Vacation is what we take when we can no longer take what we've been taking...

We have reached the end of physiology. It culminated in a week of test hell - Monday was respiratory, Wednesday was the cumulative class final (40 pages - I'm pretty sure several forests were killed in the making of that test) and this morning the NBME exam. The saturation point has been reached, and I'm pretty sure that if we'd had one more I may not have even shown up. Oh yes, it was that bad.

Funny thing about med school - from day to day, it seems like we're dragging, like we're never getting anywhere. And then you turn around and M1 year is almost gone. I stand in awe at the work God has created in me and around me this year, thanking Him for the amazing people He's put in my life along the way to make things just a little bit easier... and thanking Him for his grace. Grace enough for one day at the time. To somehow be able to look back and say "we did it". No matter what the grades are at the end of the week, the month, the year - we survived. And in the midst of it all, maybe even grew.

Spring break plans? Almost non existent. Lots of visiting with friends and family, catching up, getting the taxes done before I don't get financial aid next year, and getting a haircut. I plan on sleeping a lot and eating a lot more, living in the moment, and soaking up every hour I'm given.
.....however, I'm kind of ill that we're "given" one hour less than we should be due to Daylight Savings Time. Of COURSE we'd have spring break the one week that you lose an hour *roll eyes*.

I'll spend the next week preparing myself mentally for the last 8 weeks. I hope everyone thoroughly enjoys their breaks!

Let it be, Let it be, Let it be..

The title - Just an old song that came to mind earlier today as I was headed home from M's and our epic study extravaganza..

It's been another interesting (or not so) week in the life of a few M1s. We've been knee deep in respiratory physiology and PFT's.. the lady that taught us the PFT stuff was cool for about the first hour, but after 4 add'l mandatory hours, it wasn't so cool anymore. The respiratory test is on Monday, followed by the phys comp on wed and the phys national board on friday. The blessing in all of this is that there's no class this week - so it's just study time in between tests. Which is good, since about 60% of our averages are determined this week.

I found out that I'll be working in Pediatrics this summer doing research and clinical stuff, and I'm very excited about the opportunities this brings, both for this summer itself and for my future career in Peds. I'm not sure exactly which department I'll be in, we'll find out in 6 weeks or so... but I have my top choice for sure... and I'm sure more than one of you could guess it ;)

We had two tests last week, the Histo board on monday which went much better than the histo last practical & written - however, those scores came back friday and, much to my surprise, my average is not totally down the drain. If the board went well I'm looking at a happy grade in there :). Genetics was our other "treat" last week. Although Genetics counts for like 1% of our year average, its still nice to have something else completely done. Another class over. Another step closer to M2. M3. M4. MD.

At this point, we're all getting a little antsy for spring break and what it brings with it. I'm planning a trip home - both to my "northern" home and to the coast, and I hope to spend as much time as possible with friends and family. M's going on a cruise (just SLIGHTLY jealous about that one). N's going to be relaxing about like I am, as is RA. K & B are going skiing. Yup, it's going to be one good week. I've so learned to appreciate my breaks now, something I never did quite as much as I should have. I'm learning to absolutely love vacation more than ever.

May God give us the strength, focus, and encouragement we all need to make it through the next week unscathed. Take my unspoken prayers and do Your will, my Lord.