I found a new great spot in the city to lounge/read and free WiFi. Color me happy!
ERAS applications are due Sept 15 so that is exciting. My list is currently at 86, not sure if it is growing or shrinking at this point. I'm applying to general Peds and Child Neuro and that's about all I have to say about that.
And speaking of child neuro, tomorrow will be the end of my first week on my child neuro rotation and I NEED TO STUDY! So far this week I have seen, Becker's Muscular Dystrophy, Global Developmental Delay, Failure to Thrive, Febrile Seizures, Plagiocephaly, GBS Meningitis, Recurrent E.coli meningitis, and some other stuff that I'm forgetting at the moment. It has been a good week. I heart peds and child neuro and clinic and babies and cannot wait until this is what I get to do with my life.
Oh, and I'm going camping this weekend. Very fun!
And my bike ride is 10 days away. You should sponsor me, see last post.
And that's my life at the moment. Life is good.
8.30.2012
8.15.2012
Yesterday, I fell off my bike
Yep. Fell. Off my bike and onto my face. At a red light in the middle of traffic.
Embarrassing? A little.
Painful? A bit.
I actually was attached to my bike (blame the clipless pedals) so I ended up landing on my bike and my chin hit something and split wide open. Good thing my dear gypsy girl was with me to help me pick myself up, clean my wound and get back on my bike.
Yep, I got back on and rode some more. Gauged in chin and all. I'm hoping the butterfly closures work, as I really don't want stitches. But now my face looks a bit interesting, almost if I got beat up, or well fell on my face (oh yeah, I did that!) Dr. Boyfriend is calling it my face tattoo. But I'm fine. And I'll ride on.
You may be wondering why I am riding a bike "clipped-in" and that is a good question. I have decided to ride the MS 150 in a month. My good friend was nice enough to loan me his super fancy road bike. But it has clipless pedals, so I got myself some biking cleats and I will learn. Yesterday was ride #1 and from what I've read and been told there is a learning curve. I will fall. It was going to happen and it did. And I'll fall again. But I will master this and ride on Sept 9th.
And I'm asking for your support. This cause is extremely important to me. If you've read much of this blog at all you know that I go to Teen Adventure Camp every summer and I use to work at the National Pediatric MS Center. And well, I heart those teens with MS. I'm riding for them. So please, donate what you can. $3, $5, $15, $50. Its a great cause, you'll make me super happy and it is tax deductible too.
Click here to donate or find out more about the ride.
I've long kept this blog semi-anonymous since the start but feel this cause is worth disclosure. So please support me if you can. And if you want to join my team, volunteer at the ride or otherwise get involved, that is awesome too. Me and my face tattoo thank you!
Embarrassing? A little.
Painful? A bit.
I actually was attached to my bike (blame the clipless pedals) so I ended up landing on my bike and my chin hit something and split wide open. Good thing my dear gypsy girl was with me to help me pick myself up, clean my wound and get back on my bike.
Yep, I got back on and rode some more. Gauged in chin and all. I'm hoping the butterfly closures work, as I really don't want stitches. But now my face looks a bit interesting, almost if I got beat up, or well fell on my face (oh yeah, I did that!) Dr. Boyfriend is calling it my face tattoo. But I'm fine. And I'll ride on.
You may be wondering why I am riding a bike "clipped-in" and that is a good question. I have decided to ride the MS 150 in a month. My good friend was nice enough to loan me his super fancy road bike. But it has clipless pedals, so I got myself some biking cleats and I will learn. Yesterday was ride #1 and from what I've read and been told there is a learning curve. I will fall. It was going to happen and it did. And I'll fall again. But I will master this and ride on Sept 9th.
And I'm asking for your support. This cause is extremely important to me. If you've read much of this blog at all you know that I go to Teen Adventure Camp every summer and I use to work at the National Pediatric MS Center. And well, I heart those teens with MS. I'm riding for them. So please, donate what you can. $3, $5, $15, $50. Its a great cause, you'll make me super happy and it is tax deductible too.
Click here to donate or find out more about the ride.
I've long kept this blog semi-anonymous since the start but feel this cause is worth disclosure. So please support me if you can. And if you want to join my team, volunteer at the ride or otherwise get involved, that is awesome too. Me and my face tattoo thank you!
8.12.2012
On second thought...
There will be no additional entries for my child advocacy elective journal.
Child advocacy is sad, depressing and I have cried enough tears these past three weeks without reflecting and writing about it. This will be all.
But I do want to say that I have the utmost respect and appreciation for those who work in the field day in and day out.
To the 18 full time detectives in Brooklyn whose sole job it is to investigate child abuse cases (both physical and sexual), I raise my glass to you.
To the medical doctors and nurse practitioners that act as consultants, giving up their nights and weekends to review pictures, talk to the detectives and perform physical exams and complete rape kits for forensic evidence when needed, I applaud you.
To the lawyers and judges that sit in court and review the cases and sentence the perpetrators, my thanks.
To the social workers and others that visit the homes and interview the parents, my hat goes off.
It is a difficult, sad, situation when a child is abused. Sometimes these children have no one else, their parents have failed to protect them and so they require an advocate. I don't know that we always get it right, the entire field is shades of gray to me... but to those who spend their careers as advocates I am grateful.
I suppose I am glad for the opportunity to witness these dedicated individuals hard at work. It has been educational and enlightening to meet and talk with them. And while it is heart-breaking to meet the children and hear about the cases I am glad to now know a bit more about what happens once a mandated reporter call the state registry.
It has been a good but emotionally difficult elective. I won't be sad when it ends... I've cried enough tears already. I cannot wait to go back to the hospital and the smiling happy children in clinic.
Child advocacy is sad, depressing and I have cried enough tears these past three weeks without reflecting and writing about it. This will be all.
But I do want to say that I have the utmost respect and appreciation for those who work in the field day in and day out.
To the 18 full time detectives in Brooklyn whose sole job it is to investigate child abuse cases (both physical and sexual), I raise my glass to you.
To the medical doctors and nurse practitioners that act as consultants, giving up their nights and weekends to review pictures, talk to the detectives and perform physical exams and complete rape kits for forensic evidence when needed, I applaud you.
To the lawyers and judges that sit in court and review the cases and sentence the perpetrators, my thanks.
To the social workers and others that visit the homes and interview the parents, my hat goes off.
It is a difficult, sad, situation when a child is abused. Sometimes these children have no one else, their parents have failed to protect them and so they require an advocate. I don't know that we always get it right, the entire field is shades of gray to me... but to those who spend their careers as advocates I am grateful.
I suppose I am glad for the opportunity to witness these dedicated individuals hard at work. It has been educational and enlightening to meet and talk with them. And while it is heart-breaking to meet the children and hear about the cases I am glad to now know a bit more about what happens once a mandated reporter call the state registry.
It has been a good but emotionally difficult elective. I won't be sad when it ends... I've cried enough tears already. I cannot wait to go back to the hospital and the smiling happy children in clinic.