Shopping

I bought myself 8 cupping jars and a bottle of tonic oil yesterday, along with 91% isopropyl alcohol and a lighter to fill out my travel kit, since every time I've come to clinic for observation I notice that 1) cups are always dirty and 2) interns are too busy ostensibly to clean them so they are available to the next intern.

I've been thinking about what else to put in my room to make it, you know, the ultimate treatment room. Some kind of small, dim lamp to ease going from total darkness to operating room brightness seems essential, as well as some good quality loose moxa wool that won't horribly stink up the room even with the exhaust fan runnig. I like Bonnie's trick of putting a little sign on her door handle so she doesn't inadvertantly walk past her room when they all look the same, and I think I would like to have some Biotone for doing small, rudimentary 10 minute bodywork sessions too, when I get fast enough with intakes and needling to be able to fit it all in.

I find I am both nervous and excited, which everyone says is normal. I haven't found a friend to agree to be my first patient yet, but with a first shift of 8-12 on Mondays I'm not all that surprised. It will all come together, I guess.

Meanwhile, I'm torn between spending this break doing as little as possible, and mounting a campaign to do all the cool stuff I don't get to do, like a multi-day running around in the hills spree. So far, doing nothing is winning out. I have been a complete bum today, the first day I have done absolutely nothing and taken the whole day to do it in...I can't even remember. It was sinfully delicious, and I'm sure I needed it, to just not have to be anywhere doing anything for once. Tomorrow, however...do I feel a run or a ride coming on?

Onward and (Hopefully) Upward

Yeah, yeah. It's been ages since a post, but since no one reads this probably but me...

So I passed. Huzzah!! Actually I feel more relieved than excited, even though I posted the highest score and had room to spare. I'm just glad I can start my internship at the end of the month and march relentlessly on toward graduation and being bona fide. One more year, and a little change, hopefully. A lot is going to have to come together--more money than I currently have, enduring an extra-heavy class/clinic load to finish early, all while studying for the grad exam and national and CA boards. Oh, and add to that the acu orthopedic board cert class/exam too. But, I've gotten myself this far, so...one week at a time I guess.

I haven't had room for much else. I started running again with Westridge 2 weeks ago, and was oh so embarrassed by how much it hurt (it's not a particularly long or strenuous run) but could not stop smiling for the sheer, unalloyed joy of being outside and playing in dirt. And, it seems to be coming back quickly--last Saturday's Sullivan Ridge run was just fine. And just past the false summit on the way up what should catch my eye but a section of backbone. No, not the trail--an actual piece of spine, maybe 5 or 6 vertebrae in all. So of course I stopped and started geeking out examining the structure of the bones, joints, etc. It had been picked completely clean of soft tissue, save for the ligaments buried deep in the joints holding the bones together. It was obviously not human, and the bones were fairly big--a deer, maybe? And the rest of the animal which may have solved the mystery was not to be found. I contemplated briefly carrying it home with me to bring in to class, then though better of it and put it off the side of the trail. And finished the run with no more wildlife sightings.

OK, 9 AM and time for pharmacology. Since it's the last class before the final I probably should go. Signing off, grabbing lab coat, and out.