I'm Alive! Back from the Study Induced Absence

Hello all,

It's been awhile hasn't it? 4th term has definitely taken a different route than I thought. Most older students say 4th term is nice because you have more free time. Well this may be true but the classes definitely require more attention. I have also taken on the role of Events and Lab Coordinator for the Shelter Medicine club so that has taken up a bit of time as well. Our event coming up is a Halloween "kissing" booth. No, I will not be puckering up to hand out kisses.....the puppies will!! The dogs and puppies from the shelter will be brought in to provide some much needed release for the hard working students and it will get them exposure to potential adopters. People also have the choice to bring their own pets and dress them up in costumes and get a professional photo. It was successful last year when we did it as a Valentine's Day fundraiser so I am hopeful for this event as well.

As far as school goes I've been learning alot. This term has some of the same ole classes like pathology, but also has some new ones such as Anesthesiology and Clinical Medicine. These are two classes I feel have been great for relating information I learned this summer, and providing new info I feel I can take back to work. In addition we are finally learning techniques for surgery next term. Suture patterns, tools and their uses, gowning and gloving, draping and how to maintain a sterile surgical field. Cool stuff. I havent done much outside of school  because when I have some time off I usually just want to take a nap.....watch out world this girl is goin craaaaazy. One of the main reasons for my sloth is how hot it is this semester. The rainy season usually features hotter temperatures because of increased humidity but this has been one of the worst rainy seasons thus far. Even the locals are saying its abnormally hot. You know it's bad when you take an ice cold shower and 3 seconds later you're sweating all over again. Such is life on the island though.

I will be happy to get back to the Virginia Mountains and cozy up by the fire in my flannel. I always hate to miss the fall season and seeing the leaves change color. I can only imagine the explosion of color up on the mountain. Driving the backroads from Blacksburg to Troutville has to be one of the most beautiful drives especially in the fall. Once again my friends and I will be holding are Thanksgiving potluck sans Turkey. Instead we will be feasting on Kentucky Fried Chicken. This weekend is actually the Grenadian Thanksgiving. I wasn't sure of the history behind it but after googling I found it is actually in celebration of the US led invasion in 1983 in response to the deposition and execution of the Prime Minister Maurice Bishop. jovial isnt it? They actually have a big mural in town in thanks to the 82nd Airborne and the US troops that helped during the invasion. Pretty neat.

Just about a month and a half left on the island for this term. It's flying by and I cant say I'm too upset about it. Not much left but some quizzes and then finals start. I'll be sure to do another update around Thanksgiving. Best of wishes to everyone back home. Step on an extra crunchy fall leaf for me :)

Dog model for endotracheal intubation

Rainbow from the porch of our house

Half Way Done!

As Term 3 comes to a close, it marks the halfway mark of my time on the island. This term I spent more time in the study hall than I ever have before. 9 times out of 10 if you ask someone what the hardest term was, they will say term 3. Its quite voluminous and the information is challenging. But....we made it through!! The last few days on the island after finals I did get to enjoy some time on the beach every day and eat some good food.

La Sagesse Beach. Situated on the east coast

Sunset over Grand Anse Beach

We managed to explore some new parts of the island, heading to the east coast to spend the day at La Sagesse beach. Very much off the beaten path and filled with only a few locals, visitors of the hotel, and a few students it was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of Grand Anse. The water was rougher but we had a blast body surfing. The ocean even swallowed up some of our sunglasses after getting pummeled by some waves. It was nice to finally get to enjoy the island and get some much needed Vitamin D.

The trip home was fairly uneventful, which is a good thing. After getting home my siblings and I planned a fabulous 30th Anniversary Party for my parents. We had family from all across the US come into town for the celebration. Nothin like a good surprise, some delicious BBQ and refreshing beer on Memorial Day weekend. A fitting way to celebrate the best parents in the world.

This summer I hpe to be working at the local clinic I volunteered at last summer. Im really looking forward to enhancing my skills and putting to use what I learned this term. Other than that just resting the ole noggin before kicking back up for 4th term.

My Mariiiiiiiiiia, Maria I love you

This past weekend was a busy one. The Jason Roberts Foundation hosted the first ever Grenada Color Run and Sunday was the annual Med vs. Vet Kickball tournament. Not to mention I had the pleasure of fostering a precious dog named Maria from the local SPCA as part of the shelter medicine club. I went with some friends to pick Maria up Friday after lab. She had a rough start to life as her previous owners overdosed her on medication leaving her toxic and holding on to life. Luckily she made a magic turn around but not without leaving her a little skidish. Shes a petit lil potthound but has the softest fur which is uncharacteristic of the breed, she must be mixed with something else. Friday we spent the day getting her acclimated to the house as well as my roommates dog Bennet. Hes super friendly but is alot of dog coming at ya, so it took some time for him to clm down and her to get comfortable.

 Do you think I took enough pictures??? These aren't even half ;)

Saturday we put on her "Adopt Me" bandana (even though I secretly wanted to hide it) and headed off to the color run. The trail wound us around the neighborhoods near campus and about every mile we were splattered with paint of a different color. By the end both dog and people were one big rainbow. The race ended with a big dance party and some good food. Unfortunately the paint was a bear to get out of dog fur and people hair so my roommate and I spent about an hour hunched over in the shower picking paint out of the dogs fur. It was not how I saw the evening going but the race was a blast none-the-less. Sunday I got suckered in to playing on my terms kickball team. We lost before the finals but there was actually some stiff competition out there. Maria came for the first game but then got to spend the rest of the day with my friends while I finished up kickball. She definitely needs lots more socialization as she gets nervous in crowds are places where lots of things are going on....but she has the potential. Sunday night was a relax and recuperate night. Maria managed to sneak up on bed after giving me the puppy eyes and laying her head on the bed. Plus it was her last night so I gave in, hoisted her up and had a nice lil sleeping buddy. The feeling of waking up with a smiling doggy face and wagging tale next to you is fabulous. Dogs really do think you are the greatest thing since sliced bread. True unconditional unwavering love.

 Monday was obviously sad because I had to return her to the shelter. I told myself if she was still here in August that I would get her. We walked in to the shelter and she was happy as a clam, it was her unofficial home after all. She was put in the pen with the other 5 dogs that are currently available and was so excited to see them. It was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. A few hours later I actually got a message from one of the vets at the SPCA saying the couple I talked to at the race and hyped both Maria and the SPCA up to actually came in and adopted Maria AND a puppy named Winslow. While I was sad that I wouldnt be her forever home, I was ecstatic that both she and Winslow would not have to spend another night in the shelter and had finally been adopted (and together!). I hope I will run into Maria again and I hope I dont see her back at the shelter. This just means I get to open my arms to the next dog in need. All in a days work.   

This ones for Maria <3

April Showers Bring May...Finals

Hello hello!

Another long hiatus since my last post thanks to the lovely life consuming third term study schedule. Since my last update not too much has happened except more test and quizzes. After midterms I did go to the annual beach party called Sandblast. I learned my lesson from last time I went and drank a lot less and made sure to be fully hydrated before attending. It was a tad overcast but this actually made it more enjoyable. The party features free Sandblast cups, all you can drink, DJ's, a foam machine, slip in slide and of course the beach! The beer didn't go down too smoothly but it was a great time none the less.

Lance Aux Epines Beach

Pre Beach breakfast of sauteed apple french toast and eggs mmmmm

Most recently I actually made it out to the beach for about 2 hours last Thursday with my friends Celene and Bri. Thursday mornings we dont have any labs and this past week we only had two tests, so we seized the opportunity to give our pale bodies a quick dose of Vitamin D. We even made a special breakfast before of delicious french toast! It was a good day :)

 Beautiful day at LAE beach. Right outside the cottages my family stayed at during their visit






Just last night I had the special treat of going out to dinner with my old roommates Sam and Emily. Sam's parents were visiting for a few days and took us to a restaurant called the Beach House. It is one of the best places on the island but also comes with a hefty pricetag. As the name suggests it sits right on the beach and boasts some amazing sunsets. Unfortunately our reservation was after the sun had already gone down but the architecture was full of beach vibes and exposed beams, so just looking at the set up was nice. Most of use got the Mahi Mahi special which was amazing. It was seared and topped with a fruit chutney and came with a side of vegetables and sauteed potatoes. Emily had cajun shrimp which was again delicious and Sam's mother got the lobster tail. For dessert we all split the chocolate bread pudding. Can you say gooey chocolatey ball of heaven?!

Me, Sam, Emily

Whats next on the horizon?? FINALS! There is only about 2 weeks left of classes before we start our 2 weeks of finals. In that time we have 2 tests and a lab final. Its going to be stressful but the end is in sight. I cannot wait to be home and see my friends and family. I will admit this term has been on of the hardest I have ever experienced in my collegiate career and I'm ready to put it to behind me. POWER THROUGH!!! Luckily I have a week after finals and before my flight to explore the island and relax. I plan on sitting on the beach, hiking the waterfalls, sliding down the rock slide and sleeping in :) If thats even possible these days.

Hope everyone is doing well, see you in a month USA!!!

Photo Updates

So here are some photos to accompany my previous post. Two tests tomorrow so this is just a quick procrastination tactic. Midterms are in 2 weeks, can you believe its almost March?! Times a flyin'

 Practicing catheter placement on models before moving on to live dogs

 Prepping the cath site

 Placing an IV catheter in the cephalic vein. This gal was awesome in keeping me calm :) And her dog was a champ!

Gotta throw in a picture of the beautiful weather to warm up everyone piled under snowfall

Updates Updates Updates

After a slight reminder from my mom it is time to do a quick but thorough update. So term 3 is like jumpin through a ring of fire with a blindfold on. Tons of work and its definitely harder than before. But hey no one said medical school is easy yea? We kicked off the semester with a week filled with 5 tests. I had to make a quick trip back to the US over the weekend so returning to an onslaught of tests was daunting but its over. It definitely helped to see how each professor likes to ask questions. Its been pretty much nose to the grindstone ever since. Ive gone out to various restaurants a few times but that unfortunately is the extent of my frivolities. I dont foresee getting my toes in the sand until after midterms. Soccer has started back up which is a great break and we have a really good group of girls. In fact we have multiple games this weekend so hopefully ill be updating again on Sunday.

This evening I was selected along with a dozen other members of the emergency and critical care club to practice placing IV catheters in dogs. Ive pulled a decent amount of blood before and its essentially the same idea, but Ive never done a catheter placement before. We practiced on models before eventually moving to live dogs. The owner also happened to be a licensed tech so she was awesome at keeping me calm and working through it. Plus her dog "Lily" was a true champ and didnt even flinch. It was an awesome experience, makes you realize you just may make it :)

Other than school we have been settling into our new house and getting close with all the creatures that like to inhabit the nooks and crannies of our house. We seem to have a handle on the roaches but the ants are pretty sneaky. There have also been frogs in the shower, which I really dont mind and today I had the cutest lil baby lizard in my room. As with all the critters in our house, I shall call him Lou...Lou the lizard

  Among the fallen creatures are Earl the cockroach, who my roommate and I lovingly sang the dixie chicks "earls gotta die" while trying to catch him. There's also Phil and Big Boy....Phil is gone but Big Boy is currently incognito.

Alright so I know I have alot more to say but my memories are escaping me right now. More to come on Sunday

Airplane Shananigans and Term 3

Hello!! Welcome back from the front porch of my new house in the Caribbean! I got back to the island early early Friday morning thanks to many delays and shenanigans on the plane. Our flight out of Miami was delayed an hour before even boarding. When we got on they finally let us know 30 minutes later that they were having trouble loading the bags under the plane. 40 additional minutes later they announced that some passengers in first class got thrown off the plane for badmouthing an airline on social media. Who knew that was a thing. Unfortunately for them the air marshal was sitting right behind them. We touched down in Grenada at midnight and my classmates and I were the last ones off the plane, meaning the last ones through immigration and customs. I dont think the customs people were very happy because they searched every bag and made every student pay for electronics again. Yes sir Im definitely going to sell my only computer and only phone while on this island....I dont need it for school or anything. As you an imagine we were all really salty about the whole experience. I didnt get out of the airport until 3 AM and then unpacked and in my house till about 430AM. It was exhausting.

The next day was all about errands.....grocery store, setting up a bank account, depositing rent etc etc. The house is nice though. Has an awesome yard and big front porch that gets a good breeze. Classes start on Monday and things will get rolling really fast. Term 3 is supposed to be another killer term but hopefully I can keep my grades above water. Short post today and pictures of the house to come later. Hope everyone is surviving the winter cold. Sending you all sunshine