Happy Holidays

Last Post!! I hope that everyone had a great first semester at UNC and did ok on their first set of finals. I know everyone is excited to be home for winter break. Hopefully everyone has a Merry Christmas or whatever it is that you celebrate and a Happy New Year!

Going to the Doctor

Look, here is another one that is actually about medicine... kind of. I think it is kind of weird that I want to be a doctor but absolutely despise going to the doctor. I usually wait until I am so sick that my mother forces me to go with some kind of threat like "you are not riding untill you go get some anitbiotics". So I suck it up and go to the little emergency clinic and find out that not only do I need antibiotics but steroids and cortizone because my cold has turned into a sinus infection and ear infection. I also refuse to go to the doctor for injuries. Of all the times I have fallen off my horse and landed on the hard ground or solid jumps, I have never gone to the doctor for an injury and I have never fallen off without getting back on and finishing my ride. Three years ago my crazy ex racehorse reared and I fell off and landed on my lower back. This was the first time I didn't jump right up and run after my horse. I didn't stay down long because I heard my Dad yelling for me to get up before my horse trampled me. So I got up but couldn't seem to move my legs because they were shaking so bad. While my parents caught my horse I composed myself and decided to work the horse on a line so that we could both settle down for a few minutes. Then I got back on him and went back to work and I didn't realize until I was walking him out that my tailbone and back really hurt. I blew it off as having bruised my tailbone and went back to riding 3 days later. I now realize after 3 years of having a sore back and not being able to sit still in a chair for very long that it was probably more than a bruise and I probably should have gone to the doctor.

It isn't quite the same

One of the things I miss most about home is my horse, Goldie. Untill about one month ago she was still at home so I had to drive home to take care of her pretty often. Mom will feed her but that is about it and horses need more care than that. Now she is at a beautiful barn in Concord where she is taken care of every day by their staff. The nice part is that I can go ride her whenever I want and they have an arena with lights so I can even ride after dark. I still miss seeing her in the pasture when I get home... and as much as I hated going out in the cold every morning to feed her in high school, I kind of miss that responsibility now.

Home Sweet Home

I am sitting in my living room by the fire and the Christmas tree and I couldn't be happier. Well I would have liked a real tree but since I was gone I didn't have much say. It was nice to have a good home cooked breakfast, and I can smell the soup cooking for later. It is a perfect day for laying around and recovering from exams since it is nasty weather outside. I know that in a few days I will start to miss Chapel Hill but right now I am perfectly content to be in Smallsbury even if there is nothing to do.

Sleep Deprivation

We have all pulled an all-nighter before but did you know there are serious side effects to sleep deprivation? Sure, staying up all night once won't kill you but staying up late several nights in a row does take a toll on your body. I had never gone so many days with so few hours of sleep before this past week. When I was taking my music exam I couldn't stop my hand from shaking. I had to erase and rewrite half of my test. I have always had steady hands even when I am nervous or overly caffeinated so I had no clue what was wrong. Surprise... among other things such as increased blood pressure, headaches, and irritability, sleep deprivation causes hand tremors. I hope this issue resolves itself in the next four years or med school should be fun. Steady hands are kind of a requirement in the medical profession.

Lillian Update

Yesterday Lillian's x-rays showed that fluid is starting to clear out of her lungs which is a very good sign of improvement. The bad news is that she is fighting off an infection and is building a tolerance to the drugs that keep her sedated, making it harder to keep her comfortable. She also had minor surgeries to adjust the ECMO catheters because they had shifted, causing her oxygen saturation to drop. Keep praying for Lillian and her family.

Pointless Rules

Obviously you can get in trouble for having alcohol in your room but did you know that you can't have things such as wine glasses, flasks, and empty bottles even if they are used for decorations like christmas lights in wine bottles or painted glasses? This seems unfair and completely pointless. Most sororities give out beautiful wine glasses that should be allowed to be displayed. I don't know if all dorms do this but Granville is checking our rooms for housing violations after we leave for break. I don't really like the idea of someone snooping around my room while I am gone. At least the RA's won't steal stuff like the maids who have access to our rooms.