Taekwondo

I tried taekwondo for the first time yesterday. 24 hours later, all I can say is ouch. I am sore. Mostly my neck hurts from doing dozens of crunches and leg lifts while holding my neck in an awkward position. Nevertheless, it was a terrific workout so I will keep going.

The unique part of the class is that it was led by one of our medical school advisors, a practicing physician and dean's letter writer. He's not my advisor but I had heard many stories about him, as he is quite a character. It is weird, seeing professors outside of a professional context, clad not in crisp suit and tie but in taekwondo robe, wielding not stethoscope but wrist padding. These professors, stellar in their academic accomplishments, are people too. They tell stories to their children at night, cook meals, and yes, practice taekwondo. But perhaps their kicks are a little higher and stronger than mine are...for now. :)

A limerick for a tooth

There once was a tooth that was broken
That required fixing worth more than a token (expensive!)
Trouble it keeps giving
Painful too for living
Darn tooth keeps me stoking (frustrated!)

Okay so a bad limerick but at least I can be humorous about it? Stupid tooth that I injured a few years ago just doesn't quit giving me trouble. I've had it repaired three times! And it's a front tooth so it's not as easy as slapping a crown on it. Sigh.

Memories past

I am home for the holidays. Yesterday, I visited my high school, after several years of not setting foot inside.  What a walk down memory lane.

A few things struck me:
1. Why do all my teachers look exactly the same? High school must be some sort of time warp where the youth and vigor from all its perky (or surly) teens infuses into its older inhabitants.
2. High schoolers? They look like babies. How did I even feed myself at age?
3. My English teacher, Mrs. G, still has an uncanny ability to stare straight into your soul. And she has those large batwing classes too. She is a living Sybill Trewlawny (from Harry Potter).

I am very lucky to have spent my formative teenage years at this place, where the teachers are dedicated, encouraging, and invested in what they do. So thanks Mr. and Mrs. B, Mrs. C, Mrs. G! You were and are amazing!

The daily 3

Happy/grateful about:

- my beautiful Poinsetta plant

- Trader Joe's - delicious mushroom risotto

- voucher service

The Daily 3

3 things that made me happy/grateful today:

- attending a Messiah sing along. Hallelujah...hallelujah!

- meeting new and interesting people

- holiday dinner party

The daily 3

3 things that made me happy/grateful today:

- getting along with the technician I work with. Heck, having a technician to help with my experiments

- having a supportive RF that emails me out of the blue with a kind note

- appreciating the taste of coffee. Didn't used to pre third year. Now I do. It's so good.

Ethiopian food, music concert

Lots of new experiences last night.  For one, I had Ethiopian food for the first time.   We ordered a beef stew-like dish and a vegetable sampler that contained spinach, collard greens, and red lentils.  Perhaps not my favorite cuisine but the food was definitely very flavorful. The injeera (sp?)...well, let's just say I like naan better.  Nonetheless we all had a fun time and appreciated the experience.

The night was followed by a wonderful concert - selections from Bach and Brahms.  I am incredibly lucky to live in a city so rich in the performing arts - and all for free/discounted prices for students.  I cannot wait to attend the next one.  And if I am able to get tickets, then I may participate in a Messiah sing-along concert in a few weeks. The holiday season is off to a good start this year. 

Thanksgiving

Today, I am thankful for:
- a family that cares
- warm socks (Hello Smartwool. You are amazing. Why do you have to cost so much?)
- Modern Family
- good health and the ability to run/walk/jump/stretch/reach

Just life

I am having a "what the heck am I doing with my life" kind of day. It started with a "what the heck am I doing in lab" moment. Luckily one of my research mentors, who is effectively my in-lab psychologist, talked me down and reexplained the whole rationale for my research. 

Earlier that day, I had been caught off guard by the "why don't you be a dermatologist" question.  Honestly, there have been (numerous) times when I think to myself: "why not? why shouldn't I be a dermatologist? I find dermatology itself fascinating. The lifestyle is a bonus. Why am I in an oncology lab; why should I do internal medicine?" I wish I could just throw my hands up, pick a path, and then forge ahead with no doubts. Unfortunately, that is just not me. I agonize and I am still agonizing.

Autumn Weekend

I'm currently snacking on roasted chestnuts, roasted asparagus, and baked sweet potato.  This morning, I sipped a homemade pumpkin spice latte.  Autumn abounds in all its glory!

I grocery shopped, analyzed data, went to yoga class, and just baked the above plus a beautiful cranberry-pear galette. I'm going to take a nap, then head to lab, meet with a premed advisee and end the day at a house party. And it's sunny outside! It's going to be a great day.

Doctorhood

I know how to comfort other patients' families, but how do you comfort your own?

Contacts

This post is purely for me, because if I don't write it down now, I'll surely forget the details.

Last year, I finally got contact lenses fitted. My eyes and contacts apparently don't agree, so I tried the following contact brands:

Daily-Replacement
-Focus Dailies BC 8.5/13.8
-Proclear 1 Day (omafilcon A) BC 8.7/ D 14.2
-1-Day Acuvue Moist (etafilcon A)  BC 8.5/D 14.2
-CibaVision Aqua Comfort Plus Dailies (nelfilcon A) BC 8.7 D 14.2


Bimonthly-Monthly Replacement
-Acuvue Oasys BC 8.4/ D 14
-Proclear Compatibles (omafilcon A)  BC 8.6/ D 14.2
-CibaVision Air Optix Aqua ( lotrafilcon B) BC 8.6/ D 14.2

BC = base curve; D = diameter
Prescription: OS -0.75, OD -2.00

Finally, I went with Aqua Comfort Plus Dailies and also Air Optix Aqua to have a monthly replacement option. The others just did not work. Over time, I've noticed that I am less able to tolerate the Air Optix Aqua. After a few hours, my eyes become intolerably dry and irritated and I have to use rewetting drops. Too bad I have 5 pairs left over, each of which is supposed to last an entire month. My optometrist recommended Blink Contacts drops for this and TheraTears supplements, both of which are mildly helpful. Luckily the Aqua Comfort Plus Dailies are still quite good, meaning I can get 8 hours of good, clear wear out of them.