Destinations Known

Land's End
Originally uploaded by JWEral

Today I selected the third and fourth rotations of my final year of graduate school. I will meander from a regional medical center in central Minnesota to a suburban outpatient orthopedic clinic in the Twin Cities to another outpatient orthopedic clinic in the exurbs to a level 1 trauma center not far from my house. After that? No idea.

I'm mulling over the option of applying for a residency in neurologic physical therapy after graduation. It would give my specialized training in working with patients with spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, stroke, or degenerative neuromuscular conditions. Only problem is that there aren't many of those residencies around, and enrolling in one would mean moving someplace new. Neither one of us are totally sure about that at the moment.

But still. Classes will be done in early August. One week off, then we get tossed into the deep end to see if we know how to swim.

Possibly the last academic paper I will have to write (but not likely)

Panorama1
Originally uploaded by Axle Adams

Dateline: nearing the conclusion of year 2 of grad school.

What I should be doing: writing a paper on the pros and cons of constraint-induced movement therapy in pediatric hemiplegic spastic cerebral palsy.

What I am doing: not that.

A couple months ago, we had a minor plumbing catastrophe in our bathroom. A shut-off valve disconnected from its supply line, shooting a very steady stream of water all over our second floor. Lots of mayhem, lots of running amok, lots of gnashing of teeth.

Since that day, we have hired a plumber, a painter, bought a new water heater, had some repair work done on our chimney, and spotted all sorts of other projects-in-waiting around the house. There's a small voice inside that keeps telling me to torch the place and build a new house from scratch. I'm not yet convinced, though I'm putting up less of a fight with my conscience these days.

School continues. Somewhere less than four months of class left (including a three-week break) before we scatter to the winds and begin our clinical rotations. I am simultaneously thrilled with the opportunity to practice what I've learned and scared to death to be responsible for an actual patient. The interaction between me and my first patient will be classic:

Me: "Hi there! I'm Andy and I'll be your physical therapist today."

Patient: "Great! What shall we do first?"

Me: "..."

(Then I stare blankly for a couple minutes, get all pale and clammy, then run away.)

Midway

SF law enfacement
Originally uploaded by lomokev

Two finals down, two to go and this fall semester will be a fading memory. And then I will dance a small jig because I will have finished my last fall semester of classwork, I will have bid adieu to stats, and I will be embarking on a delicious four week break.

I'd like to blame grad school for just about everything I've put off this year. I'm hoping to start a new writing project soon, but we'll see when that happens. No timetables, no deadlines. But something new. Meanwhile, I'll see if I can visit a little more often while I have some free time.

I miss taking pictures too.

Love is being bored by yourself

AT-AT (Meadow), originally uploaded by NickIsConfused.

I have been living a bachelor's life for the past few days, and let me tell you, it is BORING. After the first 36 hours of eating pizza, drinking beer, shunning pants, and watching old episodes of The Simpsons, it gets old. The house starts to look messy. The dog wants to be fed again.

I had a couple of beers tonight with a good friend whom I haven't seen in years. He lives in Denver and we've never been good about staying in touch. It was marvelous to reestablish connections and draw lines from our last points of connection to today. He's gonna be a world-changer someday and I'll be happy to say I knew him when. Going into alternative energy management and making the world go without polluting the waters, the skies, the land. Your car might run on bunny farts and morning dew and it could be because of my friend. Changing the world, I tell you.

We're all gonna be world-changers someday. We knew each other when. At least, that's the hope.

What's next?

Northfield,MN
Originally uploaded by Donavon.

Dateline: vacation.

Anna and I are wrapping up a very necessary retreat to her homeland, about to return home tomorrow and reunite ourselves with backed up mail, an overgrown lawn, and (hopefully) a progressing Vegetable Factory.

I spent a few wonderful days with five dear friends at the Miller Cottage. Most of us were college roommates. One was grandfathered into the group by way of workplaces and kickball teams. There was the retelling of classic tales, the listening to of old vinyl LPs (Led Zeppelin IV on the original wax? At my in-laws' cottage? Are you kidding me?), the playing of bocce and boardgames, and the repeated exposure of one's backside. (It goes with the territory of my friends, I suppose.)

Anna and her family joined me for the rest of the extended weekend. There was less exposed backside (probably better for everyone), more good cooking, and lots of paperback reading. If you're in the mood for an action-packed murder-mystery-suspense-adventure book under 400 pages, this cottage has got its own library. Feel like some John Grisham? Maybe some Ken Follett? Robert Ludlum, perhaps? They've got you covered.

There was also some movie watching. Finally saw Star Trek. Now I want to join Starfleet.

Soon I will jump into Year 2 of this graduate school experiment. Year 1 was successfully completed a couple weeks ago and the break has been a good one. I'm certainly ready for the next year to begin. Gonna try to ride my bike to and from school as much as possible. Ask me in six weeks how well that is going.

Ask me about neuroscience

Mountain Goat on Beartooth
Originally uploaded by johnchamilton

A week ago, I could've told you all sorts of tidbits about the nervous system. I knew its inner workings and functions and what structure connected to which area and by which tract it got there.

Today, I can't remember a damn thing about it and it feels great.

I finished my first year of graduate school last Friday. It has been a wonderful, difficult, challenging, and rewarding span of time. I dissected a human cadaver, held a few brains in my hand, shocked my classmates (and got shocked myself), theorized about what causes bunions, studied the intricacies of how our kidneys work, and become intricately involved at a free health care clinic. It's been a busy year.

Now, it's time to enjoy a few weeks of rest before I dive back into the fray. I'm happy to say I have no med school classes this term, and will safely retreat to the comfort of the PT program. Instead of physiology and neuroscience, I get to learn about wound care. Bedsores, here I come!

First ride of the season

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Originally uploaded by _Haru88

A beautiful spring day, perfect for a brisk ride around my town. 6.5 miles, to be exact. (I'm really going to try to keep track of my mileage this year. For reals.) It felt great. I got to sport my new brighter-than-the-sun day-glo green long-sleeve jersey. I also pulled something in my hip trying to swing my leg over the saddle. Fell over the bike in the process too. Awesome.

And just when the warm weather gets up enough courage to get over its last broken heart, that bastard Winter comes back. We're supposed to get 3-6" of snow tomorrow night. That Winter's a real asshole.

(Sorry, Mom. I know you read my blog but sometimes I gotta swear at the weather.)

This past weekend was filled with goodness. Two wonderful movies at the Riverview Theater (Frost/Nixon on Friday night, Milk on Saturday night). Drinks with friends after watching Sean Penn act his heart out. Our church choir sang at a beautiful neighbor church (with whom our church will probably merge in the next year or so, also within walking distance of our house), then we joined a friend of Anna's for brunch at Spill the Wine in downtown Minneapolis. (Sidebar: for diehard St. Paulites, we spent a lot of time in Minneapolis this weekend. Don't tell anybody, ok?) So what if I put off studying for too long? I was on spring break! This relaxing weekend with my honey was worth every minute.