Because finals week is the best time to blog...and I need to document my semester

August:

• Went to NYC before school started!
• Started as president of Phi Delta Chi
• Talked to a room of about 90 new students and I didn't barf
• Had to drop one Citadel class for another two weeks into the semester
• Began a whirlwind of classes with a zillion group projects
• Wednesdays became dinner dates with Katherine, Kaylie and Erika; one of the highlights of my week

September:

• Rush/pledge process for PDC continued, and we had 29 pledges
• Held my first formal meeting at President
• Started attending a Womens Leadership book club without reading the book
• Got immunization certificate
• Emily visited for her birthday, and we attended an art/wine walk and had dinner at 82 Queen, and she laughed at me as I busted my toe. We headed to Edisto that Saturday.
• Last visit to the Edisto Pig
• Began marathon training

October: 

• Emily and Eric came down for the IOP 10k. We dined at Poogan's Porch and enjoyed downtown on Friday night, did the race and hung out on IOP Saturday, and I attended an oyster roast Saturday night.
• Kim moved out. 
• I placed my first t-shirt order, Faces of Pharmacy
• FALL BREAK!!!!
• I took Nanny and Camden to Jumping Jacks
• My family and I went to the mountains for apples
• Sugar Free Fall Festival with PDC
• Bake sale with PDC raised over $200 for childrens hospitals

November:

• Mom, Dad and Su came to visit. We went and saw the Angel Oak, a DDDs restaurant, the Coach outlet store :) and Bowen's Island.
• I played hookie to go to the fair with friends
• Natalee came for a visit!!!! We went to Hominy Grill, the market, Firefly Distillery, Taco Boy, and back to the fair!
• Had PDC's first trivia night
• Had to give a presentation on the marketing of unmentionables and talk about Viagra
• I yelled at a middle aged man for the first time
• Uncle Leonard passed but getting to see family was really great during this time
• I came home to see Uncle Leonard expecting to be able to go back to Charleston before heading up north, but didn't so Su and I had a crazy shopping trip
• PDC initiated 28 collegiate brothers and 1 faculty brother
• Connecticut for my second Yankee Thanksgiving with Zac and Colin!!! Such a blessed time away from home!!

December:

• Finished a diabetes certificate
• Held my first house party (PDC Christmas party)...no alcohol involved 
• Finals...enough said

Olivia Told Me To

Olivia has so much time on her hands that she wanted a blog post to read. Teachers. They complain about everything but have the most free time of anyone I know ;) I and my ever busy schedule filled with endless hours of Netflix, my Kindle and a little school work on the side decided to oblige. I'm such a good sister. Cookies, brownies and ice cream are graciously accepted. And I hear cookies and brownies ship pretty well this time a year ;) Ice cream too if you're shipping to antarctica.

I'm also procrastinating studying for my big test on heart failure, coagulopathies and arrhythmias. I just got through the material once. It took me 6.5 hours. I have approximately 15 hours til test time and need to get through it 2 more times for optimal test performance. Add in a shower, drive time, and 2 other classes that happen before this test and you can see why I'm writing a blog instead of studying. DENIAL. Such sweet bliss.

So since Olivia likes when I explain crazy processes to her, I'm gonna tell her about the coagulation cascade. TOTALLY JK!!! Do ya'll know how many parts come in and out of that cascade?!?! Uh huh. That memorization ain't happening. It AIN'T!!! I just know that factor Xa is the final common pathway to activate prothrombin to thrombin which activates both factor VIII and fibrinogen. Fibrinogen is activated to fibrin to form a meshwork while factor VIII crosslinks all of that meshwork to form a clot. Then you know what?!? Something in this whole process activates plasminogen to plasmin to break down that clot that went through a gazillion steps to be made in the first place. I shouldn't complain. I wouldn't want one of these clots causing deep vein thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism or a stroke. No Sir-ee! But dang we have to learn how it's made and broken down. Then guess what?! *letting the anticipation build...and build...and build...ok* Ready?! There are drugs to inhibit or activate at EACH STEP OF THE PROCESS depending on the problem being treated. Then guess what again?!?! (Has your anticipation reached it's action potential?!?! I know I know just trying to tie in arrhythmias) There's MORE THAN ONE DRUG that works at each of those process with DIFFERENT pharmacokinetics. Mercy alive. You know why? Because older drugs tend to cause more side effects. Newer drugs tend to be more specific for their receptors or have less deleterious additives so they can work better at lower doses with fewer side effects. Ya'll should be thankful. I should be thankful. I reckon I'm thankful.

And I'm also missing the Grammy's tonight.

But my precious Su got her blog post :)

Anyone care to know how warfarin fits into all this? You should because everyone and their mom is on it. But I'm done for the evening. Peace and Blessings. LOVE YOU SU!

2012

• My cousin, Lisa, had a baby-Rivie
• My friend, Allison, had a baby-Jocelyn
• Started classes at the Citadel
• Color Run with Su, Emily, Amber and Deborah
• I spent spring break at work and in Clemson
• I finished my first year of pharmacy school
• Dad and I had our first mini-vacation to St. Louis, MO
• Had my first community rotation at PIGGLY WIGGLY...AGH!!
• Worked at CCP for the rest of the summer- got good at the computer system
• Attended my first Zumba and other group fitness classes at the Y
• Vacation to Edisto
• Got a new roommate
• Start second year of pharmacy school
• Gain and lost my first SI job within a week
• Registered for my first half marathon
• Started training and got up to 10 miles before the end of 2012
• Fall break spent at work (on a new computer system) and Clemson
• Voted in my second presidential election
• Spent Thanksgiving in NYC/Conn with Zac!!!!!!
• Participated in Love Gave with River Church and 20 other Charleston churches to raise over $100,000 for local orphans
• Slept through finals week
• Worked and visited friends through Christmas break

Here's to a blessed, prosperous and fun-filled 2013!

Vacation of Transportation

I've been waiting for this trip ALL semester, and it finally came last week!!!! Most definitely the best Thanksgiving I've had in quite some time! This post is kinda long. Fair warning.

The theme is transportation, so here we go...

• Plane 1
• Uneventful except for my pat down. I was approached by a not so bad looking man for this, then he handed me on to a middle aged woman..bummer 
• To Charlotte then NYC!!!!
• Bus
• From La Guardia to Grand Central. 
• The bus driver was late because he had to use the bathroom (#2 the curb guy told me), then lost the key.
• At this point I was real anxious because, as stated earlier, I've been looking forward to this trip and seeing my best friend since middle school for MONTHS!!! I didn't have time for home boy to use the bathroom.
• We finally got on the road...then...there it was!!!! 

• Feet 1
• Because we walked forever...and ever...and ever.
• First from Grand Central to where we stayed a few blocks away.
• Then to Time Square. It was after 10PM and people were still EVERYWHERE, even construction crews!!! This city truly never sleeps!! I was amazed!!! AMAZED!!!!!
• Then to Rockefeller Center!!! 

• They didn't have the tree lit up yet!! Because they lit it tonight. Grrr. But we did see people working on it with scaffolding all in the tree. And we watched while people ice skated. 
• We walked back to Time Square and found a corner bakery to get dessert and hot tea because it was COLD. But wonderful all at the same time. Zac got some kind of peanut butter pie, and I got carrot cake with real black walnuts. I don't think I've ever had those before. 

• The next morning, we headed out to a cute breakfast place, Penelope's, where we had pumpkin waffles with baked apples and apple butter, not the brown stuff you're thinking of, but butter with apples and cinnamon in it. O my dang. I think I put a little bit in each well of my waffle. 
• Subway 1
• I didn't get raped! Zac told me I watch too many detective shows. I was REAL skeptical for a bit though, but never once felt threatened. NYC was a lot safer than I had made up in my head. 
• We rode it down to Wallstreet where I got a picture with the bull to see if I can get some extra credit from my finance teacher. I haven't gotten the nerve to ask him yet, though. 
• Then we went to the New York Wine Exchange. I just have to say that liquor/wine stores make the prettiest places the way the light glitters on all the different bottles. You can stop raising your eyebrows now. Anyone who reads this, knows I'm a little...strange. 
• Ferry
• To Staten Island.
• But mainly to pass by this!!! (we got closer, but I like this picture, thanks Zac)

• Feet 2
• We tried to find the 911 memorial, we walked all around it apparently but couldn't find it. 
• We did find a hotdog stand :)
• Then we headed to China town where I got a few scarves, and we ate lunch at a vietnamese restaurant. I got pork on rice noodles with bubble tea. Bubble tea has tapioca pearls (bubbles) in the bottom that you suck up through a straw and chew. It was good but definitely took some getting used to. 
• We had shady Chinese women coming up to us whispering "gucci? prada?" and walked by some restaurants with duck and squid hanging in the window!
• On the way back to the Subway, we found One Police Plaza and the courthouse. My detective show loving heart was further set at ease knowing we were protected by New York's finest :) 
• Subway 2
• By this point, we've walked for HOURS!!!!! So we headed back to the apartment to rest before heading back out on the town. 
• Feet 3
• O my mercy. Our poor feet. 
• Back to Time Square to see WICKED!!! My feet totally understood ;)
• We stopped on the way at a market in a park where we tried some cool lotion candle. You burn the candle and use the wax as lotion. The woman giving the samples gave hand massages as she applied it. Now only if I could've offered my feet...Ok. I'll stop talking about my feet. But they hurt.
• WICKED!!!!! I wish you could hear me sing that. But I know you're counting your lucky stars right about now. I think I smiled the whole show.

• Train
• After we went back to get our luggage, we headed to Grand Central to catch the train to Connecticut.
• Before getting on the train, we got gyros and drinks from another food truck. Delicious!
• Car
• We spent the rest of the time in Bridgeport, Fairfield, Yale, and some other towns. They're apparently on top of each other. I never knew where we were. 
• Thursday
• Thanksgiving with Peg and Greg and their daughter, friends of Zac's. It felt like a family meal. I loved it. We had a traditional Thanksgiving and played a game and enjoyed getting to know each other. Such a blessed time!
• Black Friday shopping at Target with Casey, another one of Zac's friends. It's a double decker, and they have a conveyor thing to take shopping carts up and down the floors!!!! SERIOUSLY!!! I didn't get to see any yankee brawls though. I didn't once meet a mean yankee this whole trip. My whole perception was shot. 
• Friday
• Slept in. PTL!!!!! 
• Then we took a walk to this place. Could you imagine living within walking distance?? Ahhh

• We just hung out and did some school work the rest of the day. Restoration from all that walking. Then had sushi and watched a movie with Casey. 
• Saturday
• Slept in again. AGAIN. PTL! I love my sleep. 
• Chilled out (because it was freezing outside) for most of the day then went to an orchestra concert at a church on Yale's campus. Beautiful. A woman sang opera!!!! And another guy played the PIPE organ. With pipes!!!! It was BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!! 

• And Zac decided to become a football fan when he found out I was excited about the game. He graduated from USC. Nothing else to say about that. 

• Sunday
• Sad day.
• Had to head back to the airport. This was caught going over the bridge. 

• Plane 2
• Got the option to take a later flight for a $500 voucher on a future flight so I very willingly gave up my ticket. Then last minute, they decided they didn't need me and I lost my free flight :(

Ahhh. This trip restored my soul. It was so good to get away from South Carolina (though I LOVE the south) and spend time with one of my closest friends for a longer period of time than we usually get to see each other even when we're both home. I'm already ready to go back! I'm beyond thankful for the love of travel and getting to see different parts of God's beautiful earth, even yankee land. If anyone ever needs a travel partner, CALL ME!!!

Thought Process

3 hours alone in the car gives a girl ample time to think. And to squirm looking for the next rest area. Here's my thought process:

1. What shows do I need to catch up on this week?
2. Watched Nashville, don't care about The Voice now, ooo Malibu Country, and Glee! It's the Grease episode!!
3. My first big purchase when I get out of pharmacy school is going to be a motorcycle. So exciting!!!
4. My biggest goal by the end of pharmacy school is to see what I look like at my ideal body weight. (http://www.healthdiscovery.net/links/calculators/ideal_bodyweight.htm) For me to reach it would mean losing a ton of weight that I don't really think I have to lose. I need to lose some (and I plan too, hence the half marathon training), but that much, well, I just want to see what "ideal" looks like on me. 
5. My PT and med school friends keep telling me how often they see motorcycle wreaks, but I really want one, so I'm gonna need some leather.
6. Oooooo. Halloween 2015...

Without the cigarette! And pants a tad looser.

Showing up in this!

And this is how people plan ahead or plan to fail or have too much time to think. 

Night Made

Spent about half an hour last night on skype with my Candyman! We sang, made faces, he tried to hit me, I got him back. So he made me hit myself to really get me. He showed me how he could take his onesie off. I taught him what a drag queen was. He showed me how he went poopy in the potty.It was a great conversation. :)

Pharmacy School is Ruining Me

So I've been buried in my Kindle since I got it. We'll see how that affected Monday's pharmacotherapy test when the results come in :/

Anyway, I'm reading this book about an alcoholic turned farm hand and the author speaks of how his tremors and gaunt appearance change throughout the book. To the normal reader, this would be a pleasant turn of events towards a better life. It's that for me too. Except I know why he had tremors and a gaunt appearance AND why they stopped. He was hypomagnesemic (causing the tremors) as are about 50% of alcoholics, and he was hypovolemic due to alcohol's inhibition of ADH which makes you pee more. Since he was dehydrated essentially, he looked pale and drawn up. And his improvement of the tremors took days to weeks (as the author described) because almost 1/2 of the magnesium ingested is lost in the urine. And since he was an alcoholic and peed more (not that the book mentioned that, I just know that's what happens), it took a while for the magnesium and tremors to correct. Why can't I just enjoy him getting better?!? Why must I analyze his condition?!? If I could analyze books this way, I might not have made that dreaded first B in English at Clemson :(

So does this mean I get to use reading as an excuse to study?!?