Thank you Lord for allowing Auburn to win today!!!! Because if they had not, I probably would have had to scrape Charles off of the concrete sidewalk outside of my apartment window.

WAR EAGLE!!!!

AMEN.

6 days and counting...

sounds exciting, right? Six days until what you may ask. My first physiology test!!! I am trying to be a good little pharmacy student and start studying this weekend. I finished ch. 5 and now only have ch. 6 and ch. 8 left. I really like the way that my tablet pc (Moses) is allowing me to compile my notes all in one place. He also came with a program OneNote that is awesome at making a sort of 'study guide,' and I am actually enjoying putting it all together. This makes me a complete loser, I know. I really should get back to work, so that tomorrow I can watch all the great football on tv, but I have developed a slight headache (cephalalgia) from the studying that I have done. So this blog was meant only as a break, not at all as procrastination. (Yeah right!) Okay, okay back to studying. Have a great weekend!!!

Oh, update:
My surgery went well. But I didn't get to keep my stone; it was sent off to pathology, which is kinda scary sounding. I went to class Tuesday morning against Charles' wishes and was able to slightly pay attention. I am off the pain meds and have a follow up appointment next week.

Manning vs. Manning

Okay, I know that I should be studying right now (and I am reading physiology during commercial breaks), but I also know the importance of watching history on television. Yes, Manning vs. Manning, the first game ever in the history of NFL for two quarterback brothers to start against each other. And this game also hits home because of Charles' and my unwavering faithfulness to our two brothers. Charles, a devout Peyton fan, and myself, obviously in love with Eli Manning (after all ,we did go to college together), are trying to control our intense rivalry on my couch. It is going to be a great game, but now I must go because Eli, my love, is about to start. Go Giants!!!

week two, rocky one

I finished this week on a not so wonderful note. For those of you who I talk to regularly, you know that I am currently a medical marvel. Well, kinda. I have a lovely salivary stone in my sublingual gland, which in it self is not that uncommon. But I was informed yesterday that I have an abnormally large salivary stone that is unusually far forward in my salivary duct. Fun yes, I can hardly contain myself. And so today, at my third doctors visit in two days, I was informed that I would be having surgery on Monday to extract my little friend. Yes, the doctor said Monday. So I am currently thrilled to pieces at the thought of spending what will be the second day of my third week of pharmacy school, drugged up, in class. Yes I know that this is minor surgery, but the wonderful doctor will still be slicing open the floor of my mouth to remove a 1.5cm by .5cm (roughly) calcified stone out of mouth. Needless to say I will probably be on some form of pain killer Tuesday morning at 8am when I am in class. Because, yes, I am not letting my little friend make me miss a night of studying and a day of class, not much could do that. So to you all, chew your food carefully and thank God for you active flow of spit. Later.

Thermostat or thermometer?

Which are you? Today in church this analogy was presented and I really liked it. How do you respond when things get 'hot' or times get bad. Do you simply reflect the conditions around you, by acting like a thermometer, or do you respond internally to the conditions and adapt? This really struck home with me as I start my next week of pharmacy school. Last week was overwhelming, and I am pretty sure that this one is going to be the same (especially since my calendar is more full than the previous week). So how will I respond to the challenge of studying, attending meetings, rehearsals, and finding down time? Will I simply get more stressed as each task is added to my schedule and end up reflecting my hectic schedule like a thermometer, or will I adapt and be proactive like a thermostat, prioritzing and asking for help from others and God, knowing that if I stress it will only make things worse? I hope I can be like the thermostat. That is my goal for this week. I hope everyone enjoys their Labor Day off, please remember us poor Samford students stuck in class.

Ahhh...I love Fridays!!!

Today I got out of class at 11 am, which was wonderful, and that is how all Fridays will be!!! As I was leaving the beautiful campus of Samfrod today I thought to myself, "I have completed my first week of pharmacy school. Now, just 143 weeks left (roughly)." Don't get me wrong, I am not starting to count down the weeks yet. But it is exciting to know that I have finally started on the journey that I have wanted to start for so long. So my first week, a recap: Pharmacy school is exhausting, well at least this week was. It is going to be a lot of work (I already knew this, it was just reinforced this week). I enjoy class!!! Yes, it is a lot of information and work, but I know that I can do it.
Tonight I finished scanning in my other 1100+ page book (yea!!!), and then Charles and I spent the evening running errands (aka. shopping). Now we are sitting, watching TV, and thanking God that I am allowed a study free night. I figured I'll start back up t/m, but tonight.....REST.
I hope that everyone else's school has started well, and that it continues to go well. And if you feel discouraged during the week, just remembering one thing should lift your spirits....FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE!!!!
So everyone enjoy your weekend, watch some football, and try not to study too much! (that last one was for me).

WAR EAGLE

GO BLAZERS

and above all

HOTTY TODDY

Two New Lessons

Today, my second day in pharmacy school, two things really caught my attention. One was a suggestion from a professor. She reminded my class that our emails reflected ourselves. I know that I am one of the worst people when it comes to basic grammar and sentence structure in emails and in my blogs. So I am going to strive now to write my blogs using complete sentences from now on. This also may make reading my blogs, less like listening to my brain ramble and more like, well, correct English. (note: this does not mean I want people to critique my grammar)
My second lesson learned was that you never know who is reading your blog. I had begun to think that no one other than Dr. Copeland and my mother read my blog, but today I was very surprised to find out that one of my fellow classmates had read it. I was explaining how I use Moses (my tablet PC) to some new friends and one of them said, "Hey, I think I read your blog" I was completely shocked and taken back. He made the connection because I mentioned MSOP and how I loved Moses (again, my tablet's name). It really made me realize that you never know who is reading what you are posting on your blog. This emphasized my first lesson even further.
So far classes are going well. I am only slightly overwhelmed. I have my first test t/m on medical terminology, and I have been studying all night. Now I need to do some work for my Biochem class, and then I will be heading off to bed.
Hope all reading this have a great day t/m. Remember me at 1:00 (that is when I take my test)!!!

oh my gosh....my brain may just be fried...all day long i have been scanning in y physiology book, it's a big book, not as big as my biochem but still big...and i just finished...yea!!!!it only took me about 9 hours, pretty good i guess...but it is nice to have one book done...my goal is one more today ad then the big one sunday...while scanning i am trying to study some but it is kind of a challenge, so i took a break for awhile and watched bambi while scanning, it was nice, made me feel like i was 6 again, i like flower, he is my favorite....this week was also orientation, it was really good...i was surprised to see how tried i was after 2 days of listening to instructions and meeting as many people as i could...but i can tell that it is going to be a great year, a very hard year, but a great one....now, a snack before i start on book #2

ahhh, a break...i just needed to give my brain a break from studying my medical terminlogy....i have been at it almost the entire afternoon and need a breather....hopefully charles will be done with auditions soon and will call me to go get dinner...if not my brain may just explode....a few fun words i have learned that i feel i sould share with you all:

enucleation (ee noo klee AY shun)--excision of the eyeball from the socket

polydipsia (PALL ee DIP see ah)--abnormal state of excessive thirst

exophthalmos (eks off THAL mohs)--abnormal protrusion of the eyes

phlebectomy (fleh BEK ph mee)--excision (surgical removal) of a vein

poikilocytosis (Poy kih loh sigh TOH siss)--large irregularly shaped red blood cells

splenomegaly (splee noh MEG ah lee)--abnormal enlargement of the spleen

cholelithiasis (koh LEH lith EYE ah siss)-- generalized codition of gallstones

more to follow in the future....

Dr. Copeland would be proud....I am sitting on my couch watching gilmore girls and scanning in my medical terminology book into my beautiful tablet, moses (that's his name)....I'm hoping that by scanning my book in it will encourage me to study, I hope it works...I got my school schedule the other day and it is very intense, but I am excited!!! it is going to be a tough year but a great one...

Wonderful days!!!

yes, wonderful days still exist, and today was one of them...this morning i got to work to find that what i was supposed to do, I wasn't need for...So I picked a pharmacist I wanted to shadow....So I helped out in the micu today and learned a lot, and had a really great day...I also got off of work next Friday night so that I can go to a rehearsal dinner that I really wanted to attend....then after a great day at work I set off to walk home, which was fine since Charles has picked me up for the last two weeks...but I got outside of the hospital, about to start walking home and Charles surprises me!!! WITH ROSES!!!! then we went and he bought groceries to cook me an amazing dinner of shrimp stir-fry and strawberries...then home to relax and watch my new favorite movie "just like heaven" (great movie, great lessons)...now I am procrastinating bed time by watching the Braves vs Mets with my Charley....the only thing that would make the day better would be not having to work tomorrow, but only one more week of full time, then it is study time....So to all of you out there, I hope you have a wonderful weekend, may it be half as wonderful as my day today was...love you all!!!!

i ran 3/4 of a mile....at one time....without stopping....and it is getting easier.....i am so excited....maybe soon ill be able to say "i'm going running" and really run the entire time with no walking....my goal right now is 1 mile....maybe by next week....that would be awesome....

ahhh, a nice Sunday afternoon....I was able to take a very much needed hours nap, and then up and a'tm....charles left for work around 330 and ever since I have been trying to get caught up with all the lovely 'stuff' that must get done before the start of classes...I have been filling out deferment forms, searching forbearance options, and finishing up my immunization stuff....I found out last week that I would be able to defer my government loans, but my personal loans are not eledgible....translation "way too much money each month that I am not going to have"....right now it is my personal loans that I am struggling to pay and since I can not defer them I will have to continue to pay (more money that you want to know) each month while I am in pharmacy school (already paying out my butt for tuition)...so I am looking at forbearance options, but they look really difficult to get, and they only last a max of 12months, so I am slowly starting to stress...I don't want to work, but I may not have much of an option....I wish there was a way I could make a quick 50k that sure would make things easier...oh well I'll just deal one day at a time, not much else I can do....I also spent a bit of the afternoon studying, ah yes, trying to get back into my good study habits is proving to be a little harder than I thought, but I am making it....we have a medical terminology test the first day of school, so I am trying to cram all this in my head (800+ pages of medical jargon) but it is pretty interesting, and it is helping me understand so much more at work....It really is like learning a complete new language, kinda cool....yesterday we went to number 4 of the 9 weddings for the summer, it was sarah's and was very pretty....I am so happy for all of my friends (and Charles') that are getting married, best of luck to them all.....well I guess I need to get up and become productive again, my kitchen smells like the meatloaf I made for lunch so I'll probably tackle that first...later

okay update....work, work, work, work....that is all i have done since being back in birmingham...yesterday i met my momma in meridian to get my new car!!! it is so cute, it is actually my mom's old car, but it is new and very very nice to me....but that is pretty much the update, ill post a picture soon....and ill write about all the fun and stress getting ready for pharmacy school on saturday, that is my next day off, and i cannot wait!!!!

Well that's it...my poor little car...isn't it sad... poor Betty...

Well, what a day....I am finally at home, sitting on my mother's new couch watching Charley sleep, and finally fixing my ipod....and my thought "THANK YOU GOD, I AM SOOO BLESSED" an event this afternoon has really put everything into perspective...today on the way home to jackson, at about 4:45pm, in the pouring rain outside of meridain mississippi, charles and myself almost died...we were in a bad wreck, but thankfully we were both completely unharmed (well except for a scratch on charley's arm)...we hit a water pocket and spun out of control, across a lane of traffic, stopping only because we hit a rather sturdy tree...our tail end spun out so thankfully we went down the ditch tail first, if it was the other way around we would be in a hospital somewhere, if we were lucky....it was one of the weirdest feelings in the world...as we spun, charles was amazingly calm, just saying "brace yourself" and we did, holding on to each other, i just closed my eyes and hoped for the best...i had a flash back to high school when i spun out in the snow and just stopped on the side of the road completely fine, that is what i remembered this time and i thought "please let that happen again....i am so not ready to die" there is so much in my life, so many dreams and aspirations that i have not accomplished, this makes me realize that each of those is a gift, i will be so extremely grateful to complete them all now...Also there are so many people in my life that i am thankful for, people that i know at times i take for granted...i can not even begin to make a list of all my family, friends, mentors, and even some people that i have not yet met that have influenced me and my life....to all of you (pretty much anyone readying this)....thank you, thank you....i love you all

ps pretty sure my car is totaled....will post pictures and update soon....

Well I am slowly getting the hang of my new toy...but as it usualy goes something isn't working...my ipod is completely wigging out...the screen is flashing the apple logo & it won't stop... I have tried everything that the apple website suggests but nothing seems to do the trick... My computer doesn't recognize my ipod and therefore I am not able to update or restore the little buger.. think that my only option left is to just send it in to apple... so please if anyone knows or has a suggestion of how I can fix it, please please, please help me. . . other than that small crisis everything else is going well... Charles & I are going home to Jackson this weekend & I am so pumped! I haven't been home in so long; am very excited about seeing my family & doing some shopping with my Charley!! It is going to be awesome ...As far as work is gong, well it is going... same usual stuff, but i am getting to observe some pharmacists occasionally & that is always exciting!! Hmm... what else, I have already been studying for my first test of pharmacy school is a medical terminology test & it is very extensive... but it is neat learning alot of the diseare states & stuff, infact Ishould probably be doing that now...I will try to blog mores tarting now so you will all be updated as I get ready to start Pharmacy school... I AM Sooo Pumped!!!

This is my first official post using my new tablet pc!!! I am still trying to work out the kinks & don't have everything loaded yet... But i can tell it is going to be awesome... as far as this holiday weekend, I am here working. .. yuck. but its okay b/c am going home to Jackson very soon! I will write move when i get used to this whole tablet thing... until then I Love you All...Good Night

Okay, yeah...I know it has been forever since I have posted, but yah know it is a little difficult when you don't have a computer....Yap I haven't had a computer since before NYC (that is the beginning of may)...But I have finally been whinny enough to get one (I know that is hard to believe) so as soon as my new tablet PC comes and I get it set up, I promise that I will start blogging again....Now I should get back to work...Later

oh and happy TWO YEARS for me and Charley!!! (it was last Saturday)