I Totally Have a 5 Dimensional Life, 3D Just Isn't Enough

So my classes start in 4 days and I am excited and nervous at the same time. This is going to be a very challenging semester but it's going to bring me another step closer to the next stage of my education. After this semester I will be done with all my prerequisites that will prepare me for the MCAT. This will also be the last semester I have to take 2 sciences with labs at the same time, although I am probably going to take one of those labs in the spring instead. For those of you who understand how tough it is to take 2 sciences together, you know how excited I am to finally not have to do it anymore. Woo-hoo! Along with all of my regular classes, I am also going to be working pretty intensively on the research project I am involved in. It's becoming a lot more real now because we are working on the curriculum and what we are going to present to the parents and kids. It is absolutely a labor of love though and I am really looking forward to it.

My little people are doing really awesome! School has been tough for my little one to adjust to especially since their school day is 8am to 4pm but my big guy has been doing really well and has even been able to adjust with having football as well. I've been so proud of them because this has been a really big adjustment for them and they are becoming such big boys. It's still hard because they are growing up so fast. On the first day of school my husband had to make me leave because I wanted to get one last look at my monkeys. It was a little tough but I made it through. ;-)

We have been dealing with a lot financially as well because we have had our benefits we receive for food assistance decrease since both of our children are in school. Apparently, since I am in school and we no longer have a child who is not in school, I am not longer an eligible household member because I do not work. From the information I have read, I have to work at least part-time while attending school, even though I'm a full time student. The whole government assistance program seems to set up people, especially women, for failure. I understand that it is important for women to move forward and be able to support their families but at the same time, by making it more difficult for people to successively attend and complete school, the government is creating a cycle of failure. I do not work while attending school because it would not only make it extremely difficult to get the grades I need to be accepted into medical school, but it would take away from the time I spend with my children and nothing comes before them. If absolutely necessary, I will work, but it will definitely create and added stress to my already stressful life. The next few weeks will be very interesting and may add another dimension to my multi-dimensional life.

A Year of Change is Coming

So the fall semester starts in about 4 weeks and I don't know if I'm entirely ready. I have been in summer school the whole summer. I ended up with an A in physics (YAAAAAY!!!!) and I am currently taking a Bioethics class which is pretty interesting. Once that class ends I have a whole 10 days off before going back to class. I'll take it though. My little monkeys start school next week and my older little guy starts football practice this week. This is going to be a crazy semester between my class schedule, my research project, my littlest guy being in school for the first time and my bigger guy playing Pop Warner. That's not even to mention what may or may not be going on with my husband. He has a lot of things on the verge of happening but nothing is set in concrete yet so its just a wait and see. We tried to get him enrolled in school 3 times unsuccessfully so we figured that now is just not the time for him to start school. God has other plans for him and I cannot wait to see what they will be.

One thing that I did learn over the summer is that the blood clotting disorder I was told I had, I do not have. The hematologist I saw was awesome and she explained everything to me very clearly. The main thing I learned is that, as a physician, it is very important to explain things to your patients and not to keep them waiting or guessing; also, before jumping to conclusions, it is also very important to have a clear understanding of what is affecting your patient so that you can explain it to the patient in a compassionate way.

So this next year will be full of life changing events. I will be taking the rest of the classes I need to prepare for the MCAT this semester and I will take the MCAT in June of 2013. Medical school applications open in June as well so I will be completing those right after taking the test. It takes 6-8 weeks to get your results back for the MCAT and then interviews usually start around August or September at the schools if not earlier. Another dilemma I am going to have to make a decision about is which schools to apply for. I will definitely apply to the 2 osteopathic schools in state but beyond that I am not sure where else. My goal is to stay in state so I do not have to move my little guys yet but I may still have to think about that a little more. I am almost certain we will have to move for my residency and I am hoping to be able to allow that to be our one big move but I also realize that may not be our reality. The next year will definitely change our lives but all we can do is stay prayerful and follow the path that God shows us we are to follow.

I'm Sitting on the Edge of the Vegetarian Pool

So the spring semester ended over a month ago and I am firmly in the first summer session starting physics all over again (Woo-freakin-hoo). I can at least say that I feel like I am learning something in this class and he makes an effort to ensure we are grasping what he is teaching so that in and of itself is a huge improvement compared to my prior physics class. I did end the semester with a 3.53 GPA which I will proudly take because calculus and organic chemistry almost kicked my ass but I escaped both with B's and even managed an A in my physics lab (Go figure???). I have my first test next Monday which should prove to be interesting but knowing that he grades the homework more heavily then the tests makes my life infinitely easier to bear right now. I am also doing research for the physical activity project I am working on and that has been really eye opening. I am really looking forward to the actual task of compiling the curriculum for the program putting it into action.

So aside from school, which I never seem to get away from, I have also been rededicating myself to working out and taking care of my body. I have been able to run consistently for the first time in a while and I am even starting to lift weights (Yuck!) because I know it is what my body needs to stay healthy. I know that losing weight will take some of the burden off of my arthritic knees, will make me look and feel spectacular and will decrease the chances of developing a blood clot. This is important now because I recently found out that I have a mutation that causes a blood clotting disorder. I have only had superficial blood clots but this mutation predisposes me to have a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) which can be life threatening. It is something that is purely genetic and I likely got it from my maternal grandfather who hospitalized for DVTs in his legs. I find it very interesting that I was told that I have a "condition" but nobody, not even my OB/GYN who did the testing, really sat down with me to explain exactly what I have, what it means to my life and what I can do to prevent them. Not to say I haven't looked it up myself, but it will be nice to sit down with the hematologist next week and, hopefully, get a thorough explanation. Other than that, life is great! I feel great and my body feels great.

I recently decided to delve into vegetarianism and I think it might be really good for me at this stage of my life. My aunt got me a juicer and I love it! Now when I mean juice I do not mean fruits only, it is actually more healthful to include vegetables as well. Personally, I can't do straight up vegetables without any sweetness (that's an instant gag reflex) but if you get the right vegetables that have the right sweetness and don't smell funky, you can make some pretty good juice that really fills you up and has made me feel really great. At heart I'm still a steak and potatoes kind of chick, but I have found vegetarian dishes that are really awesome and that I make from scratch. I don't think I could go without dairy or eggs though which makes me a lacto-ovavegetarian, and then I do like fish and seafood sometimes....So I guess I'm not so much a vegetarian as I am limiting the amount of animal protein I eat and moving towards more of a plant based diet. I'm sitting on the edge of the vegetarian pool getting my legs wet but I'm not jumping in all the way. Lol!

I Am Working for What My Heart Is Saying

Two weeks until my finals!! Of course I have all three of my finals on the same day with my first one being at 7:30 in the morning. Booooooooo! I am so not a morning person if I'm required to think. Getting up early to run, no problem. Getting up early and having to process information, problem. It's why I stopped taking classes before 9 in the morning. Well, we shall see how it goes. I am ready for this semester to be over. It wasn't horrible but its been a lot of work and I'm ready to spend a whole week watching Grey's Anatomy and finally working out on a regular basis again. I get 3 weeks off before I start my physics class. I'm good with that class though because its all I'm taking. I am taking a class over the second summer session as well (HSC 320: Applications of Medical/Healthcare Ethics) but it is online. I'm not really sure what to expect from that class. That class will take me right to the Fall semester. I think its good though because I know that I would get lazy if I didn't do anything. I am also going to be doing research over the summer that will likely continue until I'm done with my undergrad and I'm REALLY excited about that.

I'm going to be working with an exercise and wellness professor who wants to start a pilot program that targets at risk children who are overweight/obese at a local health clinic and creates a program that allows the children to become more physically active and also teaches children how to be healthier. He would like to incorporate a nutrition education program and I have asked him if I can put that together for him as my contribution as well as my honors thesis project. The hope is that the clinic we will be working with and the City of Phoenix recreation centers develop of relationship, along with ASU, that allows this program to expand and remain in place for an extended amount of time. For my portion of the program I am hoping to incorporate local foods and bring some to the children involved in the program so that they can see some different examples of what is good for their bodies as well as why it is good for them. I am also hoping that I will be able to engage the parents in the program and provide them with some nutrition education as well as resources that will help them use that knowledge. If you can't tell, I'm really excited about this! I am going to be able to really dig into this research for 2 full years and have a contribution that can really change peoples lives. That is the ultimate reward for me, it is why I am going to be a doctor, to make a positive impact on people's lives. I could talk about it all day, but I won't....today.

My new mantra has become: "I am working for what my heart is saying."

Time To Get My Study On!

School has been craziness! So I ended up with 19 credits because I added a 1 credit honors class that helps us begin to figure out the subject for our honors thesis project. In the honors college, you have to complete a thesis project to graduate with honors. It's kind of exciting because you get to develop an idea about something you find interesting or have a passion for and create whatever kind of project you feel is viable to convey your ideas and research. I have a great idea about what I want to do and it centers around nutrition education for school-age children but doing it in a way that engages their senses. My idea centers around bringing the experience of going to a farm to children and introducing them to fruits and vegetables they may never have been introduced before as well as creating an understanding why it is important to incorporate produce of different colors into their diets. I'm still in the planning stages but I think it may be very possible I just have to do some more background research and find a method of delivery that is viable to continue long term. It's kind of exciting, to me anyway.

Aside from my thesis, I also ended up withdrawing from my physics class last week. It was one of the hardest decision I've had to make in my college career because a withdraw stays on your school transcripts but I couldn't take the chance of not getting the grade I wanted in the class nor could I continue taking a class that I felt I was not learning from. I felt like the professor taught her class as though she was teaching a group of physic majors who had full understanding of what she was teaching when in reality the class is full of pre-med and kinesiology majors. It was very frustrating because I was really trying to understand what I was learning but she just didn't make it an atmosphere conducive to learning if you did not already understand the concepts. Physics is an entire section on the MCAT and it just didn't seem worth my time to continue taking a class that I just wasn't getting knowing full well I would have to re-teach myself all of the information I was supposed to be learning. I'm still taking the lab (and I have an A, which is ridiculous) but I will be taking the class over the summer all by itself. It has lifted a load off my shoulders because now I can focus more on organic chemistry and calculus. It is very possible I could get A's in both classes if I get my focus together and get my study on!

Life outside of school has been really great. My little people are really phenomenal and it's been really exciting to see them becoming more mature and growing. I'm trying to get my biggest little person to realize all that he is capable of doing. He's so smart and sometimes he just doesn't realize it. Maybe that's a good thing though. I am trying to get him into a different school because he just isn't getting challenged the way that he should be despite being in the "gifted program." We are on the waiting list at 2 different schools so we are playing the waiting game now. Everything for my wonderful husband has been falling into place. He has been coaching for the City of Phoenix at a local community center and he recently turned in the necessary paperwork so that he can be contracted to teach a Little Dribblers class and possible do some clinics. He will be coaching again for the city starting this coming week, but this time it will be 2 age groups. Our oldest is playing basketball this time so he will be coaching a 5-7 year old team as well as the 11-13 year old team he coached before. It's really great to see him so excited about what he is doing. On top of that he got a call back from the athletic director of a local high school who wants him to join the coaching staff of the boys basketball team.On my spring break, we'll be going to Phoenix College so that he can register for classes and pursue his degree as well. We'll have 2 students in the house. Lol! God is great and we couldn't be happier with where He is leading us right now.

We're Getting There God

So January has really thrown me into utter madness. Not necessarily in a bad way, but life feels hectic all the time. As much as I studied the last 2 years, I have to study more this semester than I ever have in order to maintain the grades I need. I spend several hours during the week studying at school and at home and then most of my weekends are spend studying, doing homework and preparing for class. Organic chemistry at once worried me the most, but I have found that my instructors were correct and O Chem is a whole different beast from general chemistry. I actually kind of like it. For me, it makes sense and the purpose of it is very understandable to me. Not so say that it is easy or that I don't have to prepare myself for every class and every lab (pre-labs alone take me at least 3-4 hours every week) but the understanding of it is where I need it to be. Now physics is a whole other thing. I have an instructor that obviously has a tremendous understanding of the subject matter, but she does not break it down in a manner that allows me to begin mastering the information. Along with that she has a fairly thick accent that adds to fact that its just not sinking into my head. I may be able to keep up through out the semester if I read ALL of EVERY chapter and if my favorite school buddy, Rebekah, continues to explain certain parts to me but I am worried because physics is an entire section on the MCAT and if I don't have complete understanding of the subject my score may suffer. I may actually have to venture to the Tempe campus for the second semester of physics to gain the understanding I need to have. Blah.

 Life other than that has is pretty great. My husband, despite losing his job, is really excited about doing what is in his heart to do: basketball. He has 2 kids he is training every week and he started coaching a team of 11-13 year olds and he loves it. His mind is finally getting to where it needed to be for him to do this full time. I'm really proud of him. In my heart I have felt that he really needs to pursue his degree because it will open so many doors for him to coach but he just wasn't ready for it before and I think he finally is able to think that far ahead. Of course, what I want and what he wants may be 2 different things and I tend to think I'm right most of the time (which I usually am :-) but I think that he is finally in a frame of mind to prepare himself for the future he envisions. God keeps showing us where we need to be and what we need to be doing, we're getting there.

And So Begins Another Semester!

The last month has been a crazy busy one but has been really great. Once finals started I really just dug in and I ended up with 2 A's (BIO 182 and HSC 300 - Complementary Healthcare) and 2 B+'s (CHM 151 and NTR 241). It was a tough semester but it was a really good learning experience. I see now what I have to do to get the grades I need and how I needed to change my mindset a little bit in order to do well. I am really excited about the spring semester. My classes are actually going to be tougher then last semester but I really feel like I'm ready for it and they are classes I am interested in. After finals I really just decided to stay away from the computer and let my mind rest for the 2.5 weeks I had off, if you even want to call them time off. I felt busier in those 2 weeks then I had been most of the semester. We were doing Christmas shopping for the boys and then I felt like I was getting ready for New Years for a week. It was really nice though. I made some pretty spectacular food and I got to spend time with my monkeys and my husband. It was pretty awesome.

So my classes a started last Thursday (1/5) and I feel pretty good after having the 1st of all of my classes. I feel ready for Organic Chemistry with full understanding that it will be A LOT of work. Calculus will not be as horrible as I thought it would be but I have to make sure to stay on top of all my work. My Death and Dying class seems pretty interesting and it seems like it will bring forth a lot of self reflection. My Food in Community class is one of my honors classes and it seems really cool. Every other week we will be going on excursion and this week we are going to Food Truck Friday in downtown Phoenix. Super excited!! Today I had Physics and as terrified as I was of this class, I think I will be alright. She seems to not want to scare anyone and has made it clear that we need to review and work several problems to understand the subject matter. I think I will make it. :-)

On another note, my husband found out today that he was let go from the job he had started in November. My brain wants to go into panic mode, but I have to remind myself that God and I had a discussion and I told Him that I would surrender to what it was He had planned for us. My husband had prayed for something that would allow us to give the boys to have a great holiday season (which they did) and now I think it is time for him to find what his heart leads him to. As difficult as it is, my heart tells me we will be ok and God will, again, provide us with what we need. I just need my brain and my heart to get on the same page.