| Blood Banking |
[21 Dec 2008|11:08pm] |
Finally, I'm getting to this segment of my clinical rotations. It's been busy with the weekly tests and unexpected management homework, but with this "winter vacation," i should be able to update on my time in the blood bank, and n'er spare the details.
i spent 3 weeks at Carter Blood Care in Hurst (or Bedford), Texas. It is the major blood bank for Fort Worth and Dallas and everything in between. Recently they acquired a blood bank in Tyler, which has a strong HLA department and is a core HLA lab (to my recollection, my mind is fuzzy on this matter at the moment). I stayed in the Reference and Transfusion Lab, where essentially the lab is. It is comprised of med techs that are always there. They will perform the lab testing to determine a person's blood type and presence of antibodies in order to find and send out bags of blood.
"compatible blood" is what people hear when they think of transfusions, and that's what we do. usually, a doctor will order an Antibody screen and crossmatch. this is usually for surgery. a med tech will then receive the patient's blood sample and centrifuge it into two parts: serum (or plasma) and packed red blood cells (RBCs). serum is the fluid in which your red blood cells flow through and contains anything else that may be flowing through your veins (such as antibodies).
a patient's serum is used to determine what antibodies they have and indirectly determine what antigens they don't have. the word antibody is said a lot in the news and media, making people think that it's a supercure that is within our blood, but it's just a half truth. it's actually a small protein that binds to something foreign to your body. Your body makes these all the time and they are specific to many foreign substances that you encounter. for instance, whenever you are vaccinated, you're actually infected with a disease. the disease is actually weak or dead and cells in your body will attack it. As a result, your body will make antibodies to that disease so that body will respond to any re-infection.
a patient's cells are used to determine what is on your cells and group you into a "type." like type A, B, AB, or O. what you may not know is these types are determined by what sugars are on the surface of your red blood cells. the type O sugars are the base sugars for RBCs, so A, B, and AB types will also have O sugars, but with additional sugars on top. this is the reason why O blood is the universal blood type. the other types have O sugars and do not make any antibodies against type O blood. on the other hand, type O serum has antibodies to A and B type sugars. so only type O blood can accept O blood. at the same time, type A will have antibodies against B type blood and vise versa. AB blood types do not have any antibodies against A, B or O because they have all three sugars on their RBCs.
now, what does positive or negative mean? it's actually another sugar that is on the RBC in a group/family/system called the Rhesus system (Rh system). positive means you have it and negative means you don't. if you don't have it, then that means you can make an Rh antibody which is a very quick to acting antibody. This because a big problem in the blood bank because majority of the world is Rh positive. so in order to stop Rh negative people from making these antibodies, the hospitals will make sure to give the patients Negative blood.
though there are different ways other than blood transfusions can a person get exposed to blood and developing an antibody. an example is sharing needles or an accidental stick, or through a pregnancy (baby blood will mix with the mother's during delivery). basically your body is exposed to a foreign blood and your body will then identify the foreign substance and create an antibody to it.
so now you have a general idea on what a blood bank does and what the meaning is behind blood types. now you think A, B, AB, and O types is just so little and easy to remember, why need for techs to do this? well, the human red blood cell contains over different antigens on cell membrane, making the serum capable of making a bunch of antibodies whenever it is exposed.
sometimes patients will come into the emergency room and will need some blood. later, techs will dicover that the person has antibodies to a couple of different types. well, it is possible that the blood will be destroyed by the patient and they will lose blood. though, because of techs, they will ID those antibodies and find blood in the blood bank that does not have those types and we call that compatible blood.
the blood bank makes different products, including red cells (blood), plasma, platelets and other miscellaneous products for specific procedures or treatments. platelets are the cells in your body that clots wounds and assists with healing. they only last for 5 days. any platelet that doesn't get used for 5 days can be sold to a cosmetic company to create makeup. that's right ladies, some of the makeup you are using is probably made from a person's blood.
though, you have nothing to worry about, because diseases can not be tranmitted by this way.
plasma is sometimes used for people that lose fluid. so they need a medium for the blood to flow through. AB plasma contains no A or B antibodies. in terms of plasma, the less antibodies the better.
well, that's a generally look into the blood bank. if you have any questions, i'm always a comment away. i feel very satisfied with my experience and it will be my choice to go into the blood banking specialty. it has instant-gratification because you work about 30 mins to an hour and a half on a patient in order to discover a patient's complete type and antibody screen.
i've also become a big advocate for donating blood. blood is needed all the time, but it expires. so instead of donating at big drives, you should donate periodically through out the year. it is important that a blood bank is fully stocked all year round and not only during one season. blood can last up to 42 days max without freezing and the older a bag of blood is, the less chance of it will be healthy for the patient.
plasma or platelet donors are also needed as well. so if you have a high platelet count or want to donate plasma, you should take that opportunity too. plus, at the end of every donation, they feed you with a snack and juice. :)
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| the "boy" |
[25 Nov 2008|12:01am] |
i feel like Kif Kroker from Futurama sometimes. not in the sense of "green alien with no bones," but in the sense that i feel like i'm helpless when listening to superiors: namely my parents.
it's annoying how they just spout illogical reasonings at you and then you're expected to understand and comply. **much like kif, who does as he's told and lives a miserable life. i was told to get my priorities straight because i choose to spend a little more time with my girlfriend. and because i do that instead of doing school work (ie: making a copy of my rotation schedule) at 11.00pm when it's supposed to be my bedtime. granted i am supposed to wake up early in the morning to get to Seton, but 11.30pm or midnight is NOT going to make me flunk.
my dad insists that i will flunk. i think he just wants me to fail so he has something to criticize. it makes him feel like a better person, pointing out other people's flaw. it's like a drug that he can't get enough of. and why not. he's a virgo...
he's obviously projecting physical and personal flaws onto everyone else. and so the only way to fight back is to throw his flaws right back at him. but what's the point.. there's no helping him. he is who he is. putting worthless priorities over everyone important in his life.
my pet peeve is when people tell you to do things as you are doing them. and my dad violates that rule all the time. i think i'm just going to do that to him all the time now. because he's going to hate it and he won't know why i'm doing it. it's like an ignorant manager or supervisor. ugh.. i wish i could quit.
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| i'm comin home Austin! i'm comin' home... |
[12 Nov 2008|09:27pm] |
HOT DIGGITY DAMN!! i finally got word that i will be going to Seton Hospital for my clinical rotations. this is the best news i've gotten from this school. i've been waiting so long to hear this and i'm sure the school administration has had enough of me pestering them about it. suffice to say, they really pulled through on this one and i'm super happy. :D
i will update my rotation at the blood bank later and a more in-depth post will arrive soon.
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| clinical rotations: Molecular Week |
[26 Oct 2008|03:21pm] |
I suppose I should start chronicles of my clinical rotations, in the event I ever want to look back and laugh how pathetic I was in school.
So my first week in clinicals started off at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. I don't know much about the hospital other than it was huge and rich. I say that because it wasn't a public hospital that could accept massive loads of un-insured patients like Parkland or JPS. Though this lab still had the hustle of a public lab, so i makes me wonder if they do accept anyone. well, anyone will simple medical insurance. You'd think it would be easy to be treated at a hospital, but this discussion is for another time.
Day 1: Molecular Pathology Lab.
This was the first time I arrived into a clinical with an knowledgeable academic background and I still couldn't hold back my enthusiasm. The tech that I shadowed is very kind and tried to give us (another classmate of mine) an overview of what they did in the lab. She was patient with us even though she had 3 RNA extractions to perform, a B & T cell PCR, and a bcr/abl FISH (i believe) to perform. suffice to say, most of those techniques take a long long time and interrupting the process can only come when there is incubation time. The lab had about 4 or 5 people in it at the time, so it seems like a normal sized clinical lab.
Day 2: Immunology Lab.
This one is not a large as the first lab, in fact it is in a separate building from all the older labs. It is very crowded and difficult to maneuver around other people, but it seems the people in there are used to it. This lab is filled with a lot of people and the doctor on staff is always there. Dr. Newman actually gave us a lecture over flowcytommetry and overviewed the various clinical applications for using them. This lab has 3 flows, which is quite a bit. Each one is used specifically for different things too. The lab also did electrophoresis and ANA staining, so i can understand why they needed so many people too. Not really quite where I would like to work, but interesting enough.
Day 3: Transplant/HLA Lab.
You would not believe all the ORGANS they had stacked up along the walls!?!? Just kidding! The HLA lab does not need the organs to test compatibility. They just need a blood sample. Not that many people know this, but organs need to be typed not just by blood group, but by their white blood cell groups. We spoke with the lab director there and talks a lot about the various transplants that needed to be tested. Hearts, skin, kidney, lungs, bone marrow. Though the sad thing is kidneys are the most needed organ. And people spend 3-5 years on a waiting list just to get to the top of the list. and on top of that, they need to be compatible with the donated kidney. In high demand places like NY, it may be up to 6-9 years. Though, if you needed a heart transplant, you would have a short wait (about 6 months) for a compatible heart. Bone marrow transplants have also changed into needing stem cells of the bone. And lots of people are unwilling to consent to stem cell donations because they associate those cells with dead babies. Which is completely untrue. In fact, it's less painful to give up stem cells than bone marrow. So if you ever wanted to donate bone marrow, donate stem cells instead. it's more pure for the patient and easier on you.
Day 4: Molecular Microbiology/Virology and Electron Microscopy Labs.
The molecular microbio/virology lab is ran by three techs per shift. It is because they have many automated machines that perform the amplification steps for them. This gives them more time to perform more samples, including MRSA, Gonorrheae/Chlamydia, HCV. This lab is so cool. Though, it wasn't as "fast-paced" or glamourous than I thought. Their virology section consisted of growth and fluorescent staining. I thought it was really neat, but by the looks on their faces, they felt like "if you've seen it once, you've seen them all." Maybe I'm more suited for the CDC or research lab.
The electron microscope lab was just ran by one guy and he performs maybe 1-2 runs a day. It takes about a good 3 hours to prep the machine and specimen and then about 30 mins - 1 hour to view the whole specimen and mark down areas where he thinks immune complexes are depositing onto kidneys. It's a really cool machine, but it seems like he's just by himself and really doesn't get much interaction :(
All in all, I liked Baylor. It's definitely a great place to be to find a specialized area and further your career in. The only thing that bugged me was the fact that every other person was just having a bad day or really hated their job. The parking cashier was a total bitch, screaming "Go!! JUST GO!" twice when I tried to give her my parking stub. The lunch people would change their attitude whenever they had to stop talking to their friends and do their jobs and interact with me. And without fail, at least one tech in every lab had the saddest face the whole day. I didn't know if it was because they hated visitors or just hated their job.
The only upbeat person I saw was Louise, and that's because I ran into her randomly in the cafeteria. Turns out she was working at the hospital as a Dietician / Nutritionalist. Everyone else had just a normal working face or a sour face. :\
Baylor is great, but definitely not a place for me. i need smiles. I hunger for them 350 days a year. the other days are usually sparsed out as bad days, which at those times, I hunger for blood.
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| and everything was going so well |
[19 Oct 2008|11:44pm] |
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speeding ticket! >_< dang you Cleburne! you shouldn't have enough money to buy laser speed detectors! now insurance goes up, 200 something out of wallet... poop. i wanted to spend my scholarship money on books and school supplies!
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| and i am outta there!! |
[19 Oct 2008|04:27pm] |
i finally made it to clinical rotations. i start in a Molecular lab in the Baylor University Medical Center of Dallas. quite a mouthful. it's only a week, not even, it's only 4 days!! molecular involves using DNA to identify and detect microorganisms or mutations of the genes and so on. lots of things that i probably won't be doing professional until i earn a better degree or do research for some company or professor.
the next block i will get to work in a blood bank. this is where i make magic!! i get to determine what blood goes into who. it's like a big factory that processes donated blood. we separate the red blood cells and plasma and platelets. did you know that the blood bank gets part of their income by selling platelets to makeup companies? interesting trivia for ya.
after the blood bank, i will return to Austin (i hope) and going to a Seton/Brakenridge hospital for another week in blood banking and an additional week of immunology. after i'm in austin, i'll do 3 6-week blocks in different departments: microbiology, hematology and chemistry.
microbiology is taking specimens and looking bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi. your body is a wonderland of microbes! but don't worry, it's good that you have them. they even protect you from the harmful bacteria that try to invade your colon.
hematology is more about looking at blood and counting the number of cells that go through your veins. i'll probably just do a bunch of normal bloods, but get the occasional leukemias and lymphomas. i can see why doctors get paid a lot, bad news is expensive.
chemistry is the part of the lab that measures all the different things in your blood, whether it be fats, ammonia, electrolytes, drugs or tumor markers. it's really all self automated, so i essentially just put the sample onto the machine and then walk away. that's it! oh and then i have to read the print out and give a preliminary diagnosis or interpretation.
by the time this is all done, i'll be april. i will be preparing for my program finals and then taking the national exam. once that is all said and done, i should be in at hospital with a real job. it's just a matter of time. :3
but for now, i just need to worry about what to dress up as for Halloween!
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| internet addiction |
[30 Sep 2008|05:17pm] |
so i got suspended from my internet service because i left my torrent on last night. apparently that causes slow bandwidth around the apt complex. so they deactivated it for the whole morning and afternoon. TT-TT i'm addicted to the internet. i was already going through withdrawal. :(
but at least i had my Heroes downloaded. *mwahahaha* i know now that i should only stick to leeching. screw those that need to be seeded.
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[20 Sep 2008|03:29pm] |
Instructions: Take a picture of yourself RIGHT NOW. Don't change your clothes. Don't fix your hair. Just take a picture. Post that picture with no editing (except for size).
i'm not wearing pants. >_>
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| i dream like a masochist |
[20 Sep 2008|12:55pm] |
i have odd dreams, usually. but this one freaked me out.
i've never broken a bone in my bone before. i'm somewhat sheltered from pain. in my dream though, i was at a friend's place. we were all chatting, snacking, drinking and such. though, someone made a comment about my arm. it was bulging at one part. i think i had said it was healing improperly.
then it came into my head that i need to get it to heal in the right position. so the idea was that i needed to break my arm again so that we can properly put it into place and let it heal.
so how do you break an arm bone? keep in mind this is my fore arm. i don't think i realized in my dream that there are two bones there. anyways, a person suggested me breaking my arm on someone's legs. they would press down on both sides of my arm as their leg would push up.
not a very smart way to break my arm.
i hesitate a while. everyone is laughing because i hesitate too much. i'm laughing because i just can get the courage to do it.
so then i take a deep breath and then slam my arm on the legs and heard my arm make a crackling-popping sound. i wasn't in pain, but in my dream, i was in FUCKING PAIN!! i was laughing and crying at the same time.
i woke up after my dream persona ran around the room with a flailing broken arm.
i think what warrented this dream was this youtube video:
hope you have pleasant dreams!
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| the great smell in the morning |
[11 Sep 2008|11:00pm] |
you know the one where your neighbors upstairs wake you up. my alarm went off on tuesday and i snoozed for about 30 mins. but in between the alarms, i got to hear the sounds of "ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk."
now, 6.20am is not the usual time for a washing machine or dryer to be running. so it had to be something else. well, the trump-a-bumps stop and it was just my imagination. you know, like when a house settles and all the wooden planks within the plaster creaks.
well, the wooden planks apparently had morning wood because there was more rocking. "ka-thunk, ka-thunk" to "ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-ka." that steam engine kept pounding.
yeah, it's the neighbors again. bless their hormones. i remember them having sex in the morning a while ago, and they weren't keen on any sounds. it's a disappointing opera, but the soothing sounds of bump certainly do make ...
"AHHH AHHH AHHH AHHH AHHH" - said the girl from upstairs.
amazing! she sang like a howler monkey!
surprisingly, she sounded pretty loud, but through the ceiling it was really muffled. why i had to pull out the spy sound dish gun to hear them! i must say, that washing machine really knows how to make that girl happy ;D
in other news, i dressed up for my new driver's license photo. and flash! it's terrible!!
i should have known that the photo will never be good. :P
and i hate clinical chemistry!! i'll shank ya good! stop giving me bad grades!
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| The Sum of August |
[28 Aug 2008|05:16pm] |
August was busy busy busy. I had bitch loads of tests, saw lots of old friends, saw old friends get married, celebrated another year of survival, and near the verge of having my clinical rotation in Austin.
Shit, this year is the best year i've had so far. It may be topping over last year. and that's hard to beat since chinese yo yo won best artistic at texas revue (BWAHAHA!), i made moneys, and got adopted as the boyfriend of a sweet gal!
sick of leo gloating? well, you can get back at me because i'm the ONLY BATMAN FAN to have not watched The Dark Knight (sans those dead, dying, stranded on an island, blind, forgotten they were Batman fans, and the catholic priests) yes, that's right. catholic priests like batman because they have something in common. THEY ALL LIKE BOYS IN TIGHTS! ZING!!!!!
:D
anyways, this month is rockin' and i've got a crazy future ahead of me. Thank you to everyone that wished me a happy birthday! my ego thanks you :)
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| oh lordy loo |
[15 Jul 2008|11:18am] |
to whine and bitch some more, school just hit that hump where i don't care. i just want to get done and through with it. mainly, i think it's just the lack of motivation. true, i can say that i've given my sweat and blood to this program, but in all fairness, sweat came from seating outside during lunch and blood was given to do a lab.
i think i scored lower on a test than the "struggling classmate." but he did study for it night and day. kudos to him, but i still feel like shit. sometimes just thinking about being on the job would make me feel better. rather than having to cram, everyday exposure is probably the better way to learn. though, the only troubling thing now is where i will end up. FiFi's friend studied MedTech in taiwan, but apparently it doesn't pay well on top of unpaid overtime. it probably won't matter because i intend to be more than just a tech, so i may have some kind of pay increase. ideally, i want to get paid enough so that FiFi can relax and find a day job at starbuck's and then work part time in graphic design. though it seems like a good plan, it probably wouldn't work if kids were involved.
aside from the future woes of a typical LJ entry, i need see some movies. Dark Knight is a must, but so is Wanted, Hellboy II, Wall-E, Pineapple Express, and more. watching cartoons and anime on the computer can only do so much. though i will say, Futurama has some good commentary. Billy West, John DiMaggio, and Maurice LaMarche never stop making me laugh. maybe in some other dimension i would like to be a voice actor. anything to hide my true voice, bleh.
i also recently discovered happy hour. never really got into that swing until now. happy hour hopping is fun, but need more people and alcohol tolerance. Anheuser-Busch have gone to the Belgians, but no real loss. i'm more of a fruity rum drinker. but recently i've had brain farts going into bars. i can't think up drinks or shots. is alcohol to blame?
and another sidenote. i just had my first experience with the T and P relationships of girls. i can't understand why they would ever date because twice the girl means twice the problems. but then again, all relationships have problems. it's probably an outside thing, though one observance is that T's can be just as bad as men. is society to blame?
rhetoric questions with no true answer.
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| floors vs ceilings |
[22 Jun 2008|08:13pm] |
living on my own and squatting in different apartments have allowed me to understand how thin the walls are. it's useful say when you are living in an apartment complex that uses a boiler system. that way i can listen to neighbors taking showers so i know not to compete for hot/cold water with them. this gives me a nice comfortable shower without worry of periodical scolding hot water.
walls are just plaster on top of plywood. now the floor on the other hand is plywood on top of wooden beams. living in an older apartment suggests that this wood is possibly 20 years old. that means it will creak and crumble with every step. my desk chair squeaks so much that it vibrates through the floor, surely bother my downstairs neighbor. it's ok, since they had cranked up the TV numerous times and i was able to listen to Cable TV. i don't trudge hard on the floor, but sometimes the floor is just too weak and will make noise.
and now to the reason for this post, the ceiling. now everything i've just said about the floor happens to me with my upstairs neighbor. i'm sure they hear my computer speakers all the time. i watch TV shows and movies all the times, especially during dinner time. as i'm preparing food for the night, i like to turn on cartoons. so my whole apartment is filled with the sound of "DAMN YOU TO HELL," "Whoop whoop whoop whoop," "OH MY GOD!" and "It's NOT LUPUS!" it helps drown out all the chopping and washing and the stove fan.
but my upstair neighbor or neighbors are really loud. not in voice, but their action. i can hear them walking about, dropping things constantly (i'm thinking weights), and chasing something around. it's not that annoying since i've gotten used to it and it's only natural in an old apartment like this.
( relevance or what i like to call the naughty part )
sex in the morning is great, but as audience, i would have to rate them low because i just didn't get the feeling of enthusiasm until the very end. though it is possible that sound travels better up than down, and they were actually screaming like howler monkeys in heat. maybe not. oh well.
to the tennants of 1035, you get a 4 out of 10. good technique, but work on that emotion.
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| brain no... work.. not..bad? |
[19 Jun 2008|11:42am] |
in class right now. it's been 4 weeks since i've started school again. it's suffice to say that summer break was not long enough. though, i will admit that i've forgotten many-a important things.
though, returning into the swing of things, the semester started off.. bumpy.
bumpy doesn't necessarily means terrible, it's just un-boring. i guess everyone is grumpy about coming back to school. afterall, two students didn't come for the first day back and one of them didn't come back until after a week. it wasn't entirely their fault because this school has a difficult time with announcements, organization, grading, teacher-student relations, student-student relations, scheduling, ...
the list goes on and on. but that comes with a small institution like this. it's unsettling that i'm coming from this school. i wonder if hospitals or labs will look down on the origin of my degree. well, at least i have a bachelor's already. i just need to take that out of the envelope and frame it.
so, i got about a little less than a year before i begin a career. hmm.. i just hope i'm not stuck with the same job forever, because the way this is going, it's not as attractive as i used to think poop, pee, and blood used to be.
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| one month until my last summer vacation |
[07 Apr 2008|08:09am] |
i never really hit me when i graduated that every experience was going to be last. college coming to an end and i wasted it all by "studying" and "learning." pssh-SHAW!
well, now it's finally here. i'm in school again and i know for certain that this summer will be the last time i'll have an extended summer break. i should probably find a summer job or something, but i would rather have the time.
updating the last week: everyone's been getting used to the "3 tests or more per week" routine. though this style leaves no room for study questions to be done, we all seem to manage in some way shape or form.
but for the juicy stuff. there is a particular classmate that everyone hates. i'm not sure if it's just the influence of dominant personalities of the other classmates, or is this classmate truly is a dumbshit? maybe that's harsh of me, but that description is the general consensus.
and yes, there are times where i wanted to bash her head in with a mallet, but alas, i have none. so, this classmate (classmate X) is hated by everyone for different reasons.
the main reason: she misses class on the account that she is "sick." well, apparently she's been sick for these past 2 months because she has missed more than a week's worth of class. The bitch has only 3 excused absences and we were told specifically that the only way you can miss a test is when either "you are dying or your immediate family member is dying." The bitch has missed 4 to 5 tests. completely unprofessional and i dare not ever. EVER. want to work with her.
Second: apparently if you fail two classes, then you're out! well supposedly there are retakes for tests and supposedly they are essay/short answers and very hard. But this bitch apparently has passed them all. and honestly, she's called a DUMBshit for a reason.
Third: dumbshit has cheated before. or rather, tried to cheat. another girl called her out one day and dumbshit, oops, i mean classmate X denied it. lied to everyone and said "i don't cheat!" but her grades are still crap even if she does cheat.
Fourth: she is a dumbshit in lab. she doesn't read procedures and she doesn't understand the labs we do. she even tried to take my blood without even knowing how the vacutainer works! granted, she was just a newbie, but if she doesn't know anything about what she is doing, then i don't want her near me with a needle.
Fifth: she's a DUMBSHIT and she makes everyone do her work. i'm sick of her trying to use other people. i don't think i've ever seen her do anything on her own. when she sent me her portion of the classwork, she copied answers WORD FOR WORD off books and internet articles (READ: wikipedia).
Sixth: she just said right behind me: "All I need to do is copy." ARGH!! i need that mallet right now. i'd go fucking ice climbers on her!
Finally: everyone of the four people that dropped currently deserves so much more to stay in this program than her. in fact, i think two girls left partly because they couldn't listen to the shit that was coming out of this dumbshit's mouth! LAZY ASS MOTHERFUCKING!! now she wants someone to carry her fuckin' book.
**grabs mallet. fuck.. i'm going to have to kill someone today.
**MAN... hooch is CRAZY!!!
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| tempers wearing thin |
[31 Mar 2008|01:04pm] |
it's a regular powder keg in class. i just a flurry of awful grades. three 70's. all on tests that i thought i did at least a B. i knew it. but looking back, the questions. made one dumb mistake. fine, okay with that. but everything else. what the hell?!
i don't know what's wrong with me. i study well, but maybe it's not the right kind of studying. apparently, the higher scoring people are getting high C's as well. maybe it's the tests?
but i think there is one person that's making the 90s, making the As. just laughing at us and leaving everyone else in the dust. granted, i did say this job requires highly intelligent and qualified graduates, but i'm just disappointed in myself really.
it's a downer because i have three more tests on the way and it's going to be same barrage of terrible. is it because i smell??
seriously?! i don't know what i'm doing wrong. i hope this week will get better.. because there are only 3 more "you can do it Jonney!-'s" left in me. after that, i'm going to have to throw in the towel and admit that i'm a god-awful for this profession.
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| the end of march |
[31 Mar 2008|10:38am] |
march is coming to an end and it's going to be a new month. even though it has only been 3 months at an intense program, it feels like a year already. the body count is now 2. one girl dropped because of stress and language barrier, but another one dropped because of family issues.
( emotions with cheese )
well, short version. i miss living free. i need to find a way to retire early.
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| snow in March |
[08 Mar 2008|02:09pm] |
before the ides of march, the snow will bury us all!!
no, but in Ft Worth, there has been lots of wacky weather. i know i have been obsessed with the weather here, but i guess i have been sheltered or just really easily amused. this past thursday, there was iminent weather of ice and snow mixed in with the rain. and when it came, it came down hard!
the cars in the parking lot were covered with ice and as soon as the rain hit the ground, it solidified with the other particles of rain. luckily my father gave me a tiny window wiper for just these occasions. i got home just nicely, but i feel sorry for my classmates that travel to dallas, arlington, denton, and garland. :\
but the weather cleared up and we're back in the 40s and 50s. it's an odd season this year. i like it, but in the mornings, i wish i could sleep in and never get out of the bed. i love spring and fall, but winters and summers are just too extreme for me. i guess i'm just an average person that likes the average and typical things.
WITH THIS IN MIND...
while i may seem like the typical asian american male, i tend to lose a LOT at "never have i ever." this has been on my mind. so here are a list of "i never's" that will allow me to win the next time i play.
( I HAVE NEVER: )
it's a big list, but i think i have enough to keep me sober. now then... who's up for a game of "never have i ever?"
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| hell freezing over. my bad! |
[27 Feb 2008|10:51pm] |
so.. the impossible happened. i ate tofu. but before you all gasp with shock, let me explain the dish. it was chopped into tiny bits and deep fried. then added was nicely sauteed diced onions and halapano (jalapeno in engrish). peppered and salted. it was good. i admit it. i could stomach this type of tiny tofu. but as the meal went on, it just got too ... mushy and tofu-like again and i had to stop.
now you are wondering why it's so damn cold. i inadvertantly froze hell over. and you can thank Alan Huang for the assist. :P
but now for some "good news everyone!" i just saved a bunch of money by not turning on my heater for the whole month. January's bill was horrendous measured in $119, in reality it was just for 20 days! so this month, i refused to turn my thermostat on. so when my bills came, only $44 was due. I saved almost 3 times the amount of money! yikes! imagine what i would save if i stopped bathing!
and now i close with a scary story about Hep B virus! so the chances of contracting HepB is significantly higher than HIV. the percentage is measured by this scenario:
if you were sticking a needle into a patient with HIV, then accidently stuck yourself, then the percentage of getting HIV is 0.01%. but if the same scenario happened but with a HepB patient, the chance of getting HepB is 50%. WTF?! good thing there is a vaccination for it.
well, my professor told us this story about a cross country runner who had HepB. there was a run he did where a path to cross had thorny bushes along the way. so he ended up getting scratched by the sharp edges. it's ok since HepB doesn't make him anemic. but the other runners behind him got scratched too! most or ALL of them got HepB.
WATCH OUT FOR SHARP CORNERS!?!? but don't worry. Hep B is totally treatable. Though there is just a small percentage that will develop into chronic condition, which will be with you forever. anyways, get those vaccinations people. :)
see you on the flip side of this hell week of tests.
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joniisan's journal