Hey, Anybody Can Do It

Well, this fall I set out to write about experiences, feelings, etc. to use my blog to remember my time at Gustavus. Needless to say, with the occasional interruption, the blog has become a bunch of pouty complaints seemingly spouted from the fingers of a moopy freshman. Fortunately I could make a strong argument that this is not representative of the last eight months of my life. In general, I think this past year has been academically challenging, especially with P-chem, Mol. Genetics, and Proteins. The academic stress has been compounded by a general time shortage because of work, med school applications and interviews, Dad getting sick, and my ineluctable personal need to be in 50 million student organizations.
I started the year with the complaint that all of my friends lived across campus. Now, I have made several new friends that have become some of my closest: HJ, BS, EB, BB. I complained about how hard P-chem was, but by the end I took the final in forty-five minutes and got the A. To be sure, I've complained about a lot of things, but the more I think about it I've learned so much from each of these "bad" situations.
And not all my experiences this year have been bad, by any means. Starting the year by sneaking bricks from the ruins of Wahlstrom Hall at midnight set the tone. "It's f-ing scary up here, I'm not gonna lie," a classic Barnitt line from CF training on the rope course. Walks in the Arb, translating Ovid, doing some reading just for fun, yogaing it up -- there have been many fun things about this year. And I'm thinking January 27th should be a personal holiday, Getting Into Wash U Day. I've gained a mentor in Prof. Dahlseid, and found out some cool things about RNA in the process. Pam hooked me on Project Runway, and recoiled in horror with me when Santino didn't win. At Wash U I met some people that might be in my class next year, and I can't wait. I've never met a more laid-back and fun, yet incredibly brilliant bunch of people.
So this year has been a mix of the good and the bad. Most of the bad things I've learned from, either how to deal with stress in a positive way or how to let go of unneeded extras when time doesn't allow for them. The good things have reminded me that there is life outside NHS. And I've also got a hell of a lot to look forward to: a summer clinical researcher by day enjoying St. Louis by night, moving into my own place, catching up on some writing, re-reading the rest of the Chronicles of Narnia (MG, PC, VotDT, SC), seeing Movin' Out with the fam, and a whole lot more.
Well, there's another month left to turn around my optimistic streak. But I doubt it will. It's all about seeing the glass as half full, I guess.

Some interesting developments...

I had to make a little reference to Mrs. Doubtfire. I mean, this is me after all.

Several cool things going on that have kept me busy lately...

(1) I interviewed for a full-tuition scholarship at Wash U this weekend. That was quite an experience. I was lacking sleep after an all-nighter on Thursday, Friday and Saturday were both long days, and the interview went so-so. I'm not going to overestimate my chance of getting one of the scholarships. They're giving 15 out of 29 of us a scholarship, so maybe I should flip a coin to see what's next. Anyway, the weekend was great, if tiring, and I got to meet a lot of cool people and see some other cool people once more since re-visit weekend two weeks ago. Tomorrow I call Baylor to see if there is any chance of me getting off the wait-list. I should know on Tuesday whether or not I get the scholarship.

(2) I got a call confirming that I will be doing some clinical research this summer in St. Louis. A few other students and I got an email from him a few weeks back from none other than the head team doctor of the St. Louis Cardinals and Asst. Doc for the Rams. Sounds like I'll be doing some work with patient interviews (probably not Cards or Rams... :D) and statistical stuff with 2 yr patient outcomes... wish I would have kept that stats textbook from sophomore year!

Other than that, I'm just trying not to fail my last semester classes so I can graduate. That may or may not be important.

Spring Break - Rochester

Don't worry, MTV won't be doing it any time soon.

Some of you might know that my dad's been sick for a while, since about the second week in February. We were at Mayo since two Fridays ago (start of Spring Break - woo!) trying to find out what is wrong with him. Since he hasn't felt pain on the right side of his body for his whole life (crazy, huh?) he ground the joint into a mass of blood and bone. The surgeons were amazed that NONE of the joint is intact anymore. Then that blood and bone got infected, and his arm swelled up like a balloon. -- A long way from the ear infection he was diagnosed with in good ol' Hibbing. He's also losing blood from somewhere, again maybe the joint. He had to have a transfusion in Duluth and one after the surgery in Rochester.

A couple of Mayo's top orthopedic surgeons (with their entourages of residents) worked on removing the old broken shoulder and replacing it with an implant. They found out about the infection when they were in the OR, so they couldn't do the shoulder replacement. He's now on 6 weeks of IV antibiotics every day and in 8 weeks he'll be going back to make sure the infection's gone and to get the implant. Six months after that he'll be able to use his shoulder again -- at least that's the plan.

So, things have settled down a little bit. The parents are spending one more day in Rochester with the visiting nurse service. Mom's learning how to administer the IV meds. Then they're going back to Hibbing, but they have to meet with Dad's doctor in Duluth first. Mom gets done with her medical leave Thursday. And then the fun will begin. At least Dad will be able to be up and about, so it's not like she'll have to do everything for him. But he can't use the one arm and he has an IV line in the other, so he won't be able to do much. (I guess not much different than usual, then! ;) j/k.

Now I have to write a couple of papers that I meant to write over the break. Heh -- guess that didn't get done.