One more day until I am officially a second year!

I am absolutely the worst blogger in the world. I had such good intentions of writing regularly, and you can see how often I succeeded in my goal. Tomorrow is Dr. Blessing's 6 hour final and then I am officially considered a second year student. It's amazing how quickly time flies by. I know I'll be writing this time next year feeling the same way, and still not knowing much of anything. The summer session has pretty much been a waste of time. I hate to say that because I would like to think that I'm receiving the best possibly education, but our class on research is pretty much the exact same thing I did while I was working at Baylor for 3 years so I"m pretty bored. One more day. I should be sleeping right now because my test starts at 9. I will try my hardest to write next week during my break to catch up on lost time.

Spring Break is nearly here!

I'm always amazed at how long it is between the time's I blog. I wish I were better at keeping up with it, but I really don't think to often enough. Things in school are pretty slow at the moment. Our spring break is coming up next week so I have a case of the "I"m not really here's" in class. My brain is already soaking up the sun laying out by mom's pool.
I had a dream this morning that my first class had been canceled, so I kept hitting my snooze button until I realized that it wasn't really real. I was an hour late to class...luckily no one seemed to notice:)
school is going pretty well with the exception of physiology which I should be studying for right now, but don't have the will to. Our teacher for the class is really really tough. Most everyone is failing the class, so I'm pretty satisfied with my 72 average up to this point. It's scary to think that most everyone is failing, but we're not too concerned becuase we are banking on the fact that they can't fail the entire class.
I love anatomy. I really enjoy the memorization process much better than figuring out how an entire system utilizes metabolism & stuff like that. I like the cut and dry....this is the acetabulum and the ligaments that stabalize it are... you get what I mean. It's good stuff. I'm doing well in the class, but there is a test this saturday that I'm no where near prepared for. I should be studying for that too:) So I"ll try to write more often...I know I'm not good at that. Much love to anyone reading.

And we're off....again!

I can't believe it has been November since I've blogged. That tells you how busy I have been, either that or how desperate I am to procrastinate right now. Our December break was fabulous. I really enjoyed going home to Houston for a week and helping out Allison with her wedding plans & dress. It makes me miss planning my own wedding...that time in our lives was so much fun!
Last semester turned out great. The pathology teacher (Beuler, Beuler) ended up having a change of heart and made the final very easy, and we had the chance to replace our lowest grade in the class with the final grade we made if it was higher. It didn't even seem fair that I started out the class with a 72 and ended up with a 98 average:) Praise God!!! I think I've finally found my niche and I"m figuring out how to study. Unfortunately that was last semester. THis go around I still haven't gotten back on the horse yet. I find my self very easily distracted all the time. I just can't seem to focus on anything.
The classes I"m taking are
Anatomy - twice a week and then a cadaver gross lab on wednesdays. (They don't call it GROSS for nothing...that has been an experience)
Physiology- which wouldn't be so bad except our teacher is very hard core and scary. She has a little red box that we all call "the red box of death" from which she chooses her next victim to answer questions. The box alone has given me nightmares.
Intro to clinical practice- I love this one. It is being taught by PA Tevis who is super sweet. The class is all about documentation and physical exams so it seems very worthwhile. The big thing this semester is learning to write a SOAP note. We also found out that we will be going into the county jails to practice on patients. I think this falls very close to the cruel and unusual punishment that the constitution was talking about, but either way they get free healthcare.
Clinical Laboratory Science Lab- we had the lecture for this course last semester and it was a killer, so the lab is no sweat. Last week we learned phlebotomy so we practiced drawing eachother's blood. Never fun but very rewarding when you suffer thru it and leave feeling like you've learned something worthwhile. I was pretty proud of myself that I didn't hurt anyone or make anyone cry, and I got the full draw on my first try. I cannot say the same for everyone, so I left feeling very accomplished.
Documentation, special topics- I"m not really sure what to call this class, but it is interesting and we are learning a lot already. The premise is mainly focused on documentation and case stidues where we are responsible for figuring out an assessment of the patient's problem and trying to come up with an accurate solution (therapy, meds, surgery, etc.) The funny thing is no one has any real idea what they are doing to we are all shooting in the dark at this point. We are broken up into groups and mine is great with one exception. I haven't figured out whether this one person and I clash because we are total opposites or becuase we are so much alike. I feel very threatened by her and very snubbed when I offer ideas and she shoots them down without any tact. Pray for me, I am trying to love her despite my hurt feelings.

So that's all for today. It took me forever to remember my password to this blog, so now that I remembered it I will hopefully be writing again soon.
I don't think anyone even reads this, but in case you do...send me a comment. Love, K

We're Cruising now...

Things have been so hectic in the last few weeks that I have not had a chance to do anything... but we are finally getting a hold on things here in San Antonio. Dods has made 2 great friends, Tim and John who he looks forward to spending time with and his job is going great too. It is such a blessing to see him getting up for work and leaving the house in a nice suit to start the day. Praise God for jobs!!! On my end things are looking up too. There for awhile they were pretty sticky and I was feeing pretty low, but I finally think I am catching on to the amount of time I need to put into school to do well. I recently had a pathology test (the class I did so poorly in on my last test) and came out with an A!!! Finally!!! Of course I studied like a mad woman and did everything entirely different than I have been doing things, so the test grade was bound to go up. I was so excited to finally do well on something that I had worked so hard for. It's about time.....hehe it only took me the better half of a semester to catch on.
Kristina, Allison, mom and I have just finished our annual "girls weekend" shopping spree in San Marcus and it couldn't have come at a better time. I had been looking forward to it for months and it was everything I wanted it to be....nice hotel with fluffy pillows, laughing in the jaccouzi tub, great conversation over dinner and lots and lots of shopping!!! It was really great and I got teary today realizing that it came and went so quickly. I love my family, I can't imagine my life without them. Now it's back to work until Thanksgiving which will be here in a flash. Dods just got home and I haven't seen him all weekend so I"ll end here. Much love, ~K

What's the deal?

The weeks are streaming together and I"m finding that even when I do have time to hang out with family over the weekend my mind is completely preoccupied with the next upcoming test. I went home this weekend for Brenda's 50th & granny's 90th birthday parties and all I did other than attend those parties was study for by Behavioral science exam. I'm not quite sure what the deal is, but the trend in exams so far seems to be that I study like crazy until I really feel like I know the material, then I think I did well on the test, and then I get my score back only to be disappointed. I could understand if while I was taking the test I was thinking "man ,I'm going to bomb this one!", but I"m always thinking "Hey, this isn't as hard as I thought it would be!" and I really feel like I know the right answers.

I thought that my first test in pathology didn't go so well because of test anxiety( which has gotten progressively worse since the MCAT), so this time around I tried very hard to relax and take my time, reading every question several times before I answered it. I even had "bleaker street" humming around my head while I worked and I felt surprisingly mellow, but I still did worse than everyone else on the exam. I say everyone...I actually don't know that for anyone other than taylor and emilie, but even still...I want to make a good grade for once!!! I am extremely frustrated and feeling very defeated. I forced myself to have a positive attitude after the last test destroyed my spirits, and now this one, though it wasn't quite as bad, has put me right back where I was before. Everyone else was saying "I can't believe how easy it was, I wish I hadn't studied as much", and here I am wishing I had studied for another week just to make the grades they are making. I am beginning to accept the fact that I am going to barely hang on in this program until the end, if I make it that far. This will definitely be the most difficult challenge I have had to face so far. I am amazed at the hours I put in and the results I receive for my efforts. If only I didn't have to sleep. My mind keeps wandering off to christmas break....only a few months away..it seems like an eternity, but one I am so looking forward to. I just want to fix people...why am I feeling like the one who needs to be fixed? (tear, shrug)
I know, I know...."this too shall pass".

Today is not a good day :(

Well I got my pathology test grade back and the excitement I felt after turning it in has quickly deflated. I am having flashbacks of undergrad where I study like crazy and then get my grade back and have barely slipped by. I hate that feeling. I was really feeling like I did well, so I'm not quite sure what happened. Then I was looking forward to coming to class and hearing that everyone else did poorly, but to no avail...everyone else did well. Our next test is next week so I"m going to study like a mad women and hope that I can keep slipping my. I keep reminding myself that all I have to do is pass. It's still frustrating that I"m putting in so much time and not seeing the benefits of my time spent.

Needless to say, I am really excited to be going home this weekend. Brenda's 50th birthday is saturday and then granny's 90th is on sunday. I will get to reading. Pray for me:)

Ahhh...the first test is finished!

This past week was the first really stressful week. We had our first pathology test this thursday so the entire week it loomed like a cloud in the distance and before I knew it I was handing it in. I am always amazed at how much test taking anxiety I have before even a simple quiz..so tests are usually an emotional roller coaster. I am enjoying the fact that the semester is going by quickly and that I am already learning so much. I am always praying for time to fly and it seems to trudge along until the week of a test when I wake up monday morning and go to bed friday night all in the same day.

Weeks like this I feel really bad for Dods and Lady. They have both been so supportive. Dods went out really late and brought me home a milkshake the other night when I was up studying. He amazes me sometimes. I am so thankful I married a night owl because he's up all night just like I am. I usually have to tell him "ok, it's time for bed"! Lady supports me by sleeping next to me while I study in my little study nest that is the guest bed, every now and then she will sigh to let me know that it is really getting late.

The test went well, I wouldn't say great, but I definitely passed and am expecting a low A or a B. The questions I didn't know I didn't have a clue about, and the one's I knew I really knew. Luckily there were more of the latter. I was the second to finish my test after I had checked over it 3 times, so I feel like that was a good sign that I knew my stuff.

My friends are so supportive. I am thankful that I have a group of friends already in San Anonio who know exactly what I"m going thru and what I'm working toward. Emily and Taylor are the two closest that sit on either side of me in class every day and Taylor drops me off after class because I"m too lazy to walk sometimes. We have formed a monthly dinner party with Taylor & Tim(her husband), Shannon & John, and Dods & me. Emily tagged along this month and we had so much fun with her there that I think she will become a permanent fixture as well. The guys seem to get along great and they all seem to have a lot in common. They don't mind us girls talking over PA stuff and we all get a good laugh about the fact that they are our guinea pigs at home.

Next week looks a bit brighter but it will he hectic from here on out. Pray for my brain that it gets bigger because I know I need to fit a lot more in there and I don't want any to leak out.