Insomnia- take 2

I'm not sure that this post has a point. I'm wide awake, SUPER wide awake and have been since 4:30am this morning, which considering I didn't fall asleep until after 1am is kind of odd.  I feel strangely hypomanic, this is my third night/day of not needing very much sleep: 3 hours, 5 hours, 4 hours. And this from a girl who is normally vary happy to sleep 8 or 9 or more. So yeah, insomnia is weird.

If I didn't have my exam in 8 days and I wasn't busy with a super B-day surprise for Dr. Boyfriend*** I'd be more concerned. But I think this is my way of displaying stress, or something like that. Not that I feel stressed, I fell strangely calm and ready but at the same time like my heart is pounding and my fingers are trembling and I just don't need to sleep. Or eat. It is all very odd. If this is what bipolar or hyperthyroidism feels like than I totally have new respect and sympathy. Not fun. Or maybe this is like ADHD. My attention span has been whack the last few days as well. Which makes studying and doing a block of 44 questions rather cumbersome. Oh well. Hopefully the exhaustion kicks in and I go back to normal for a day or two before I have to sit for Step 2. I don't feel very confident to sit in a chair for 8 hours at this point. I can't even sleep in my bed for 8 hours right now. Something has got to give!


**** We are adopting a dog! Dr. Boyfriend has been asking me for some time and I kept saying no, well anyhow I decided that it was time. I'll be away at rotations for most of next year and if a dog would make him happy and keep him company than who am I to deny him that? He let his wife move to Grenada and has put up with marriage via Skype for three and half years now. It is my time to do something for him.

Future Fido- I know you are out there... we are looking for you....

(We have an appointment to see some American Staffordshire Terrier puppies at a local dog rescue today and I'm feeling confident.)

tick tock

I'm back in NY and staying at my mother-in-laws. Last night I could not sleep. Maybe it was the jetlag or sofa bed mattress but as I tried to count sheep I could only hear the tick tock of the wall clocks. I ended up taking them down and stuffing them into a closet but even the perfect silence couldn't lull me to sleep.

A few of my classmates have received their clinical placements but I am still waiting. I have few bad things to say about SGU (I am more than thankful for the opportunity and I do believe the school does a decent job educating us) but I guess the sheer number of students overwhelms the Clin Ed office plus when it come to communicating with us and administrative issue SGU leaves a bit to be desired. But it is what it is, I'm just going to whine about it.

So, in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep I started composing a few blog entries in my head. Why is it that it seems so easy to be eloquent at 2am in the morning. In the light of day the ideas are like dreams, the concept is remembered but the grandeur is missing.

Anyhow. I never finished my Confessions series and I need to do that before I completely forgot what it was like to be in Grenada and all that was 5th term. And I do want to post on my Step 1 strategy for those of you wondering. I promise I am working on them. Maybe I'll get around to posting both before I find out where and when I start third year. That seems reasonable/likely.

Another Week

So, I cannot sleep again... I don't know if it was the 2 hour nap after lecture (thank you migraine and Relpax for that!), the cup of coffee at 8pm or the fact that I'm feeling a little guilty for the amount (or lack thereof) of studying I accomplished today but here it is, after 2am and I am wide awake. I tried Netter's anatomy flashcards, they usually put me to sleep but to no avail... but maybe I can name all the muscles of the thenar now.

In more exciting news (oh wait, I'm in medical school, my life is class and studying, there is no exciting news, sorry to get your hopes up) this marks the start of my third week of classes... time is going by so quickly! DES study groups stated this week and I went to a biochem review tonight, it was pretty decent and since there were three tutors and only three students we got one-on-one time so that was good. I also looked at 50 epithelium slides via Histotime in my least favorite place, the library.  (Too bad I can't figure out how to run it on my computer- not very Mac compatible. If anyone know any tricks please do tell...)  But there was no one at the library so I did get to print about 100 pages of notes and BRS material, yay! What else can I say?

Run down of my weekend:

Saturday- I met with a small anatomy study group and that was good.  Afterwards we headed to IGA for groceries and then stopped for dinner at some bar/restaurant, the name escapes me, near the rotary. It was my first experience of true Grenadian service. Menus were already on the table when we sat down and after 20 minutes one of girls I was with asked if someone would help us. Within 5 minutes our orders were placed and we had food within 15 minutes so overall, not too bad. And it was cheap: I got a fish sandwich ($11 EC) fries ($8 EC) and diet coke ($3.50EC) so with tip my meal cost around $28EC or $11 US! No complaints here...  That really was the highlight of my weekend. I had planned to go to the beach in the morning, just for an hour or so but it was raining and thus I stayed inside with my books.... (I am sad to report that I have yet to go to the beach. It is not far but it seems that every time I try, it is either raining or I'm in the middle of studying.) Sunday was anatomy lab-small group where I realized just how much I need to study after which I headed to Mocha Jumby for my usual.

So now another week of classes...  and only two weeks until the Unified Quiz (its only worth 5% of our grade but it lets us know how we are doing, kind of a check system to make sure your study methods are working before you take the midterm three weeks later.) 

That is about it, sorry I can't be more exciting. But I promise more pictures soon!

Sleep Evades Me...

I finally get it. Dr. Boyfriend spent many a med school night tossing and turning and I would always wonder why he was so nervous. Before every test, new rotation, etc. he seemed to be anxiety ridden the night before. He would toss and turn and talk to me all night. I would say, "don't worry and GO TO SLEEP!" Well I'm 10 days in and I cannot seem to sleep. I've given up at this point, four hours of trying and I have to wake up in an hour anyhow. Tomorrow, or rather today, it just FEELS like tomorrow, I have my first anatomy lab. Now I know that Dr. Loukas will not kick me out of the lab or make me stand on my head because I forget what innervates trapezius but still I keep thinking of everything I might not know.... Is this logical? Of course not, but I can't help it. In two hours I start my marathon of a day: dry lab, wet lab, small groups and then fours hours of lecture before trying to study for the night and the chances of me making it through two hours of biochem and two hour of anatomy lecture are not looking good. Not unless I can find some espresso on this island. 

Also I thought the sun would be getting up soon, but no,its pitch dark out!  I always thought being this close to the equator would mean more daylight and I was disappointed my first week when it would be dark by the time I ate dinner and got to Mocha Jumby's, I just figured it I woke up early I would see the sun (but up until today I haven't had the need to get up before 7am.) And thanks to google, I now know, that today the sun doesn't rise until 6:32am (it sets at 6:08pm) so I have another hour of night. Speaking of google, my bioethics professor shared this was us yesterday. Maybe you'll enjoy it too! Era, I dedicate this to you.