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!
8.15.2012
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.
7.24.2012
Child Advocacy Elective Journal- Entry 1
Yesterday I met Dr. Ajl and got orientated to Child Advocacy in NYC. And by Child Advocacy I mean child abuse and neglect. Sure as a physician you may see or suspect abuse and you are a mandated reporter to the state. But there is SO MUCH more that goes on. A phone call is simply the beginning. And so this month I will learn about ACS, CPS, Family Court, legal guardians, Special Victims Unit, forensic evaluations, foster care, the Medical Examiner's Office, etc.
There are three of us in the elective this month and I actually know both of the other students so that is nice. Yesterday we toured the Brooklyn Child Advocacy Center and met the NP that has devoted the last 16 years of her life to Child Advocacy. And she truly is devoted, like most of the people I think we will meet in this field.
We were given a packet with numerous agencies and contacts and thus I spent most of the morning calling and emailing to set up appts for the month. So far I don't have much booked but I'm sure people will call back, eventually. In the mean time I have a lot to read. And learn. Did I mention I'm so glad that I am doing this elective?
At the end of the month we have to put together a group project to reflect on what we have learned and while I am happy to contribute to something for the group I also want something for myself. I think this month will be hard emotionally and I need a place to process those emotions and think about what I get to see and experience. So this blog will be my space. I will not post cases here or discuss what I see in details because these children must be protected. But my feelings will not be censored. Here what I share will be my own. So stay tuned.
And if you have any reading suggestions, feel free to let me know. I'm taking all suggestions for serious fiction and Child Advocacy related topics.
There are three of us in the elective this month and I actually know both of the other students so that is nice. Yesterday we toured the Brooklyn Child Advocacy Center and met the NP that has devoted the last 16 years of her life to Child Advocacy. And she truly is devoted, like most of the people I think we will meet in this field.
We were given a packet with numerous agencies and contacts and thus I spent most of the morning calling and emailing to set up appts for the month. So far I don't have much booked but I'm sure people will call back, eventually. In the mean time I have a lot to read. And learn. Did I mention I'm so glad that I am doing this elective?
At the end of the month we have to put together a group project to reflect on what we have learned and while I am happy to contribute to something for the group I also want something for myself. I think this month will be hard emotionally and I need a place to process those emotions and think about what I get to see and experience. So this blog will be my space. I will not post cases here or discuss what I see in details because these children must be protected. But my feelings will not be censored. Here what I share will be my own. So stay tuned.
And if you have any reading suggestions, feel free to let me know. I'm taking all suggestions for serious fiction and Child Advocacy related topics.
7.22.2012
Summer in the city, Sancho updates, Camp is Magic and other random things...
Don't you just love NYC in the summer? I do. I took this photo shortly before I left the city on one of those hot, humid nights when all the hydrants were open to cool off the kids and city.
Anyhow... I'm back from my whirlwind of Teen Adventure MS Camp and trip home to NM to visit my family. It has been quite the two weeks and everything was great but I have to say I am happy to be back in NYC and back in my bed.
I start my Child Advocacy elective tomorrow and am looking forward to it...
I have so many things to share, it has been a busy couple of weeks but for now I just want to say I'm home (well my temporary home) but once again separated from my husband and puppy. Its hard to be away after a week together. I miss them both but they are also home and Sancho has claimed the living room. Literally. He personally unpacked all of his toys and spread them out as seen here. He also seems to have perfected the stretch. He really isn't THAT much bigger than when we got him but he seems to take up so much more space (when he wants to.)
7.12.2012
Camp blog check-in
I'm at Teen Adventure Camp, aka The Best Place on Earth and realized how long overdue this post is.
Quick update: I moved up my CS, so that's done. Woo hoo! And I recieved my Step 2 CK score yesterday... so now I'm happily into fourth year, one elective done and just 36 more weeks of electives and subI-s to go! Oh, and an ERAS application, residency position to match into, you know, minor things.
Anyhow I'm at camp! So that means time to get ready for another awesome day of beach and sailing in Newport, RI with some of the most fun,amazing teenagers and people I've ever met, the fact that they happen to also have MS is just a minor detail. Happy day to you, I KNOW mine will be great!
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