Histology Quotables

Today's lectures were rife with classroom quotables, I'll put them out tomorrow. But for tonight, I'll leave you with my favorite, from my histology prof:

"Every time you take a drink, God kills a hepatocyte".

Taken from http://www.apn-histopathology.unimelb.edu.au/gallery.html

And on that note, a cocktail I created tonight, which I named, "The Majestic River Shannon". It is a glass of cava (brut) with a splash of elderflower cordial, and a peeled quarter of orange. Deeeelicious.

And yes, I may have had one or two before making this post. Forgive grammar, punctuation, and spelling...

Classroom Quotables

Today the Associate Dean was addressing our class and said*, "the great thing that distinguishes man from beast is man's ability to take medication".

Nice one Dean-o.

*This was said in a very tongue-in-cheek manner, for the record, it was when the subject of polypharmacy came up.

Check. Reality.

If you want the whole story, go to Head Nurse's blog. Read about how a thank you letter to Roger Ebert turned into a tweet from him, which resulted in some very deserving people getting a little help from a lot of strangers.

It is a story of a young man, dying of cancer. He and his wife are trying to patch a living together for his final months on the planet. Because his insurance coverage is now non-existant, they are having to worry about how to pay rent, and how they will cover the cost of his palliative medications (oh, on top of coming to grips with being newlyweds that are now discussing his funeral and how he hopes to spend his remaining days). Inhumane. It is shocking to me, to read this, from citizens of one of the richest countries in the world. The advice they were given: move to Canada.

Well, they can't move to Canada.

But maybe Canada can still help out a little.

I am not an 'internet donation' person but this is legit, and these folks could certainly use a little help.

Father Ted - Road Block

Where did the weekend go and how is it that I got so laughably little done?

I've decided I have a nightmare problem. Well, I have known for a long time that nightmares seem to be my natural go-to in dreamland, but lately it's been getting ridiculous.

For example, last night I went to an Irish friend's house for a Father Ted marathon, and this was the final episode, "Speed 3". If you watch the clip you'll get an idea of the sheer ridiculousness of the show.

And yet, somehow my gray matter twisted the evenings entertainment into a nightmare that involved me having to drive a bomb-laden car to my epi prof's house to be disarmed. I awoke, very much afraid and then very much irritated at the realization that I can't even watch Father Ted without having to worry about my subconscious interpretation once I am asleep.

It is a drag. I mean, I'd really like to see Black Swan but I might actually have a heart attack in my sleep.

Slacker

Today I went to the Annual Research Day forum that the school puts on, which showcases relevant medically related studies that are being conducted by faculty and students.

I have already decided that I will likely be doing a lit review for my research project next year, so I was mostly going just out of interest to see what the kids are up to these days.

Turns out, I am a crazy slacker. I mean, I am a playing-videogames-in-my-mom's-basement-and surviving-on-delivery-pizza-and-cheetos level slacker in comparison to some of the other medical students in my program.

Yeah, like the 4th year who is on the National kickboxing team and also doing this extensive colon cancer gene marker study, looking at metastasis likelihood and risk/benefit of surgical intervention .

Oh and the 3rd year who is helping set the guidelines for radiation therapy in rectal cancer, thanks to his study. He's the class rep as well.

I could go on.

It could have been inspiring if it hadn't been such a 'kick up the hole' as they say here. What the hell people? I am barely holding on to regular exercise and a wee mandolin hobby here. You're out CURING friggin' CANCER! How??? They better have a pharmaceutical addiction or something.

Actual Fact

Ok, sorry, call me Beavis (again) but...

Yesterday, our GI lecturer's name was Manus.

All it takes is one apostrophe. One apostrophe people!

Now THAT is some good craic.

It's Not You, G.I.T, it's Me...

I swear, I am still on 1/2 speed since my return to school (I won't say Christmas 'holidays' because it really wasn't much of a holiday at all, and I don't feel like sullying the term).

I just can't seem to get my thoughts together and concentrate, AT ALL.

Things are slowly starting to ramp up, study group is starting to meet again this week, USMLE prep course starts again next week, anatomy group is back at it, my own USMLE prep is *cough* ongoing, I am supposed to be playing music for this fundraiser thingy but have to dust off my vocal chords before the event, etc. etc. But I don't feel like my brain has checked in, just yet.

Our case last week was a patient with Graves' disease, this week it is inflammatory bowel disease.

Thyroid. Yawn.

Bowels. Double yawn.

I guess I can cross endocrinologist and gastroenterologist off my list of 'possible careers'. Sweet. Now I am down to only 47 options.

Maybe it isn't the gastrointestinal tract I hate so much. Maybe I am just getting a little burnt out by this whole PBL process (hence the new countdown screen on right margin). Apparently this is a common finding among medical students around this point in their studies.

I know, this too shall pass!

On the upside--I am going to see both Ray LaMontagne and Iron and Wine in Dublin! Very stoked! And also excited that my good friend Cathy Lee will soon be here visiting (in time for the Iron and Wine concert). So some things to look forward to.

Wordpress vs Blogger

I am thinking of moving to Wordpress...has anyone else done the swap or have some thoughts on this?

I just like the layout on Wordpress better.

Do I really need to do that though, or am I just trying to find a way to kill a HUGE amount of time rather than study inflammatory bowel disease?

In other news, today I realized that my new haircut no longer allows me to look like a normal woman at the gym.

Note ridiculous hair nubbins poking out the side of my head.

Nope. Now I look like a woman who is trying to look like a 5 year old girl.

This completely destroys the months of attempts at gaining street cred in the gym here where 99.9% of the time I am the only woman lifting weights, surrounded by testosterone-crazed-bowling-ball-headed-whole-chicken-eating-febreeze-spraying rugby players.

Gone, in the snip (or two) of a scissor.

Heads Up

Based on descriptive cellular pathology terms...if you ever look through a microscope and see this:

Your patient has papillary thyroid cancer.

Go figure.

That representation of Annie has always creeped me out. Now I know why.

Saturday Morning Thought Invasion

Tobie has been in London for the week, and I have been missing his sweet face. Yesterday he and his parents returned (yes, they are still visiting). It is lovely to have him back. I never sleep well when he is away.

I woke up early this morning, just a little of the gray light starting to illuminate our bedroom. I looked over at Tobie, his face silhouetted against the window and thought,

"no signs of exopthalmous".

How romantic. 

Being in medical school seriously fecks up the way you look at the world.

Like yesterday also, I was sitting in my histology class and I noticed my prof had a long, surgical looking scar running along the lateral aspect of her leg. Her voice turned into a drone as I pondered, "did she need surgical repair of her fibula? I wonder how she broke it? Maybe she needed a fasciotomy for compartment syndrome? Wrong side for the usual vein harvest, maybe she had bad varicose veins?"

Then I realized, it was a run in her pantyhose.

I really need to get a new hobby.