M1.5

I made it! I finished it. Stick a fork in me--I am d-o-n-e.

I am officially on Christmas break and let me tell you--this is going to be the most cherished break I've had in life, so far. I have already spent a day doing absolutely nothing and loved every second of it. My week includes activities such as reading for pleasure, going to our local coffee shop and drinking my favorite white chocolate mocha, seeing friends who were kind enough to remain my friends after my semester long hiatus of friendship... you get the picture.

You know, it's weird to say that I'm IN med school now. I feel like I've talked about wanting to go.. or "I'm starting in the fall"... that the fact that I'm done with a semester (supposedly the worst of them all) is surreal. I guess I really will have the letters that aren't just letters at the end of my name: M.D. How crazy is that?

I'm excited to see familiar faces over the next 2 weeks--from faces of people that I haven't seen since BEFORE I went to Germany to some that I haven't seen in a few weeks. A lot has happened throughout this year, more so than I think any other time in my life. So many chapters in my life closed and opened, and its hard to believe it happened in such a short amount of time. God keeps me going through all the changes--good, bad, and ugly. I can't wait to see what He wants me to do as time goes on.

Another thought is I have bought a grand total of 2 Christmas presents so far. It's actually quite embarrassing. I blame it on school :) I hope to brave the crowds tomorrow or Wednesday to find what I need. For now, I need to figure out what I need. Yikes. In conclusion, merry Christmas. I hope your heart, feet, and other all body parts are warm as this winter chill is settling in--even in Mississippi!

here are a couple of shots from my first night of freedom: a tacky Christmas party at my house!

Ginormous Thank You

For those of you who still read my blog, and for those people out there who were praying for me, THANK YOU.

I am officially finished with gross and developmental anatomy. That is, assuming I passed the boards in both classes. Either way, the prayers were what got me the grade I have in gross and developmental. I scored my highest in both classes on this last test, even with all the other tests in the way. There was so much I didn't know, but somehow I was tested on the material I DID know, and we all know that the only way that happened is by the grace of our Lord.

So, thank you for your prayers. I feel rejuvenated enough to hopefully kick some biochemistry tail, and by that I mean just pass the class. We have our final on Wednesday and our board in there on Friday. In other words, I'll be a M1.5 come Friday afternoon = 4 days and 18 hours away.

I hope that you could continue to pray for me as these last two tests approach. I may be rejuvenated, but these tests are covering more material than I've ever had in one semester. I will continue to push through because God has showed me, again, that this is the path He wants me to pursue. That gives me strength to move forward!

OOOOOH and MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! Not much longer until the wonderful day of celebration is here. Hope everyone is enjoying the season, and most importantly, the reason behind it all.

Last call

So I've made it through 3 tests this week, only 3 more tests, 2 board exams, and 1 cumulative exam left. Less than 2 weeks left in school--December 18th can't get here soon enough!

I would like to ask for any prayers right now. I am VERY nervous about this upcoming gross anatomy test, so nervous that I'm writing a blog solely to ask for your prayers. I need God's army to pull me through!!

2 last things:
ROLL TIDE!

and after the egg bowl, here is my only response... sung to the tune of here comes Santa Claus:

Here comes Ole Miss! Here comes Ole Miss! Right down Dexter Lane! Marshay and Hodge and all their teammates, are going to a bowl game. Hotty Toddy, Gosh Almighty we still have 8 wins. Buy your ticket and pack your bags cause Ole Miss plays again!

:)
Always proud to be an Ole Miss fan.

Edited

Things have been a little more laid back these past 2 weeks. We've only had one test since the dreaded test debacle, and it could have been worse. Most of my class took it easy this past weekend, and we're now putting our noses back in the books to get ready for the tornado of December. We'll have a test in Phys and Histo the first week of the month, then Monday Dec. 7 we'll have our final gross anatomy test, followed 2 days later by the board exam--and then we'll be done with gross anatomy foreverrrrrrrrrrr!!! (assuming we all pass :/) then one week later we'll have a cumulative biochem exam, followed by the biochem board exam that friday, Dec. 18. SO, in other words, I ask that you keep my classmates and I in your prayers--that we'll finish strong and finish well. All I care about is passing, honestly :)


Moving on, I'd like to mention the fact that I've now been back from Germany longer than I was over there. I can't explain how weird that is to say out loud. It's unbelievable that the same amount of time I was in Germany has already been spent in America again. I wish words wouldn't fail me, but sometimes there's no explaining feelings. As I mentioned in a previous post, I haven't allowed myself to fully dwell on my time there. With school starting so soon after I got back, I didn't think emotionally I could handle it. So I avoided thinking about Jan-June. And here it is, November 17, and I'm still avoiding it.

Don't get me wrong--I haven't forgotten. No way in this lifetime could that happen. And I don't neglect thinking about Germany at all--on the contrary, I am reminded of it in little ways every day. I just refer to the whole experience--the things I learned, the memories I made, the lessons that were taught, the smiles and laughter, and of course, the tears. There's just.. gosh, why can't I put this into words? I just can't handle all the memories rushing back to me at once. I pray that God will show the right time, and I will eventually stop adding layers of bricks to the wall around the memories. Maybe I'll let them come bursting through. For now, I focus on my studies and relish in the fact that I changed in Germany, came back an "edited" version of me, and will hopefully allow myself to change more--for the good, of course. The world is big, and I'm ready to see more of it.


I'm including some fun shots of my teammates and I on our many adventures throughout Germany. We had some fun times with the camera. The last few pictures are some shots of the beautiful country that I do miss, and I hope that I'll have the opportunity, once more, to photograph it.

Wow! Where have I been? Well, it turns out that after those 11 days of, um, horrible life, I realized that I had yet another round of tests just like it. Starting last Friday and until this coming Friday, I have 5 tests. I'm through with 4 of them (cue the choir singing praises), and I am still alive. My grades? barely hanging on. Either way, I'm still here and alive. I'm LOVING the fact that it's already November... although it's kind of bittersweet. I need more time to have grades I'm satisfied with, but at the same time, I just want to be through with this semester. I think I'll settle for being done soon--so soon that I can say I'm finished NEXT MONTH! December 18, 2009, exactly 44 days and 22 hours away, my life will have a pause, a break, a hiatus, a moment. to. breathe.

We have 2 weeks off for Christmas, and I don't think I've had a Christmas break which I yearned for more. I don't know how I'll get all I want to do, done, while at the same time doing absolutely nothing. I think I'll manage either way. I hate not having the opportunity to be there for my friends and be a part of their lives. I will do my best to make up for it after this semester. For now, text messages, emails, blog stalking, and the occasional phone call will have to suffice.

Happy fall.. and I hope everyone's Halloween was more entertaining than mine! Here's a shot from the hour I really enjoyed my costume. Nikki and I on the trolley to the UMC Halloween party:

11 long days...

Just wanted to check in and mention that I think I'm officially experiencing the toughest 11 days of my life. From October 9 to October 19, I have 5 tests--pretty much one in every subject I'm taking, along with being a bridesmaid in a wedding this coming weekend (the 17th). But, I've made it through 3 of the tests, 1 of which was hands down the hardest of the 5. I'm pushing through, and once this is all over, I'll officially be over halfway through school :))))))

A random occurrence did put an interesting twist on my study time this week--a corneal abrasion. AKA scratch on my eye. How, you might ask? Beats me. I went to bed with an irritated eye Sunday night, and I awoke Monday morning with a red eye, watering and hurting. I decided that I would tough it out with my contacts because we had our gross anatomy test that afternoon (and who wants to be wearing glasses when you play with someone intestines?). Lo and behold, I went to the doc tuesday morning because things weren't any better and what do they tell me? I scratched my eye and have to wear an EYE PATCH for 24 hours.

If you've never worn an eye patch, let me tell you--it's weird. And don't be mistaken--its not the black pirate eye patch you're thinking about. It's a white patch that is taped onto my face. I am not allowed to drive (rightly so), nor do I have any depth perception. In fact, when I woke up this morning with it, I totally missed my toothbrush when I was trying to apply toothpaste. I skipped class, headed to the doc, and found out I have to wear a patch for ANOTHER 24 hours. For real. This time, I plan on drawing a skull and cross bones to dress it up for class tomorrow. Anyways, I'm off to read about biochemistry with one eye. Over and out!

"Hey Day, you better sleep with one eye open, just like when you're awake!!!"
Beth Brownlee

Hat made by Jodi--paper hat extraordinaire.

Heart and Soul

Well hello October!



A few things have happened in these last few weeks in September. We actually had a nice change in weather--weather that would actually constitute fall weather. We've had the kind of temperatures that make you actually want to stay outside, whether to study or to play frisbee. Although, I'm sure we'd all choose the latter of the two.

I've been busy with school, as always. We've had tests in every subject, thus far, and in some cases, two or three. I'm seeing what I'm up against--and I'm not gonna lie, it's kind of intimidating. Not enough to keep me from going up against it, but enough to keep me aware that there's no way you can survive medical school without proper preparation. That's always fun to learn the hard way. There have been some pretty cool things happen--like the fact that I got to use a bone saw, and I've now held the heart and lungs in my hands. Let me tell you--your heart is a lot bigger than you think.

I feel pretty terrible about my lack of communication with my friends and family. I take all the blame, but I know that as much as I hate neglecting time on the phone and in person, I know that it will be better after Christmas. So apologies to any of you reading this blog.

As far as my walk with Christ goes, cool things are happening. I've already had a great moment that answered my question as to whether or not I need to pursue medicine. The answer is yes, by the way. That makes all this 10x more bearable. I didn't realize how much of a difference that could make. This semester, like the past spring semester, makes me rely on God fully. I can tell when I don't. He provides, always, and I can't believe how lucky I am to have his undying love.

I still think about Dresden often, and I pray for the people of that city.

Have a great day... and enjoy all the beautiful weather you can!