Well hey! I finally have a second to breathe and update this blog after one hectic week. I had two final lab practicals and test and a quiz all this week... right after the Thanksgiving break! Everything went well! My final lab grade for anatomy was a 96, I got a 95 on my optics test, and I did really well on my final lab practical for Theory and Methods.
For the Theory and Methods practical we had to take visual acuities and perform retinoscopy, manifest refraction, and binocular balance within 15minutes. If we had extra time, we got to do one extra task chosen at random for extra credit. I did everything within my time limit and had just a little extra time after completing my extra credit - I got lateral and vertical phorias. I really needed that wonderful grade because my last practical didn't go so well. I got cover testing which I hate - so obviously, it wasn't a pretty picture...
I have 6 finals standing between me and my Christmas break! I am so ready to knock 'em out and drive home to see some wonderful faces that I haven't seen in a while!
Anyway, I'm going to take the night off, so off to some much needed relaxation!!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
The beginnings of a newly decorated apartment
We still have a little ways to go, but here are some pictures to show you the start of our newly decorated apartment! I painted the furniture that Tyler's mom gave to us with a dark brown paint and found some sleeker style handles to put on the drawers. Tyler put two coats of polyurethane on there, and now the bedroom is starting to come together with some style!
The living room looks fantastic with red slip covers. We decided to extend the red black and white theme in the kitchen out to the dining room and living room since it's really like one big open space! I will show the pictures we have so far! :)
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| Before: Bland and white... |
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| After: Red black and white! Tyler hung the "curtains" (they're actually flat sheets from Wal-Mart), and the picture above the sofa that Tyler's mom got for us from Kirklands :) |
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| We love the red slip covers from Target!!! |
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| The gorgeous mantle that matches the style! |
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| Before: white like the walls |
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| After: Brown and sleek |
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| The end table and repainted lamps |
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| After: The furniture is a sleek brown with new handles!!! |
Sunday, November 7, 2010
A long-awaited update
Well, obviously a lot has gone on since the last time I made a post, especially since the reason I haven't been posting is that I'm super busy!
Well, I had a chair skills practical for my Theory and Methods lab. It didn't go so hot because I crashed under pressure. It's tough having someone watch your every move, but I need to get used to it. I will hopefully continue doing well on tests and learn from my mistakes to do well in the class :)
Tyler and I went to Asheville, NC over Halloween weekend to see his cousin get married with the Biltmore house as the back drop! It was such a beautiful outdoor wedding followed by a nice dinner and open bar reception. I finally got the opportunity to meet Tyler's dad's side of the family! They are certainly an interesting group, but I love them all! It's definitely different going from a very small family to tons of family!
This was also the same weekend as our cadaver lab, so I was certainly exhausted Monday after class. I had to be at school at 7:45am on Saturday to see this cadaver, go straight to the airport, and fly to Asheville for the ceremony at 4:30. Then some of Tyler's family members had planned a brunch and lunch at his grandparents' house on Sunday. Finally, we had to fly home. We didn't get in Sunday night until about 10:45pm. It was also surprising that we made it to the ceremony on time because we landed at 3:45pm and the Biltmore is at least 30 minutes away from the airport! We walked right up with all of stuff, dropped it off at a picnic table in the back and found the seats his dad saved for us!
Unfortunately, I didn't find the cadaver lab too exciting. I was hoping we could see more with the eye, but (not to gross anyone out), this cadaver was frozen, so not preserved the regular way. This made it very difficult to cut into anything related to the eye because all the pressure was gone.
It's going to be a rough few final weeks... I have 3 tests this coming up week, 2 tests and a quiz the week after that, Thanksgiving break then more tests, final lab practicals and final exams! Even though the work load is intense, I have certainly been enjoying learning about the eye ball! :)
In Theory and Methods lab, we are finally learning manifest refraction! I can find someone's prescription using the phoropter, which has been really fun- especially since it's the bread and butter of optometry! This skill (as opposed to chair skills) is something I am more familiar with from being a patient for so many years, and I find myself much more comfortable playing with the phoropter... and asking, "Which is better, one or two?"
This weekend was also pretty packed! This morning I helped with Stop Hunger Now, an organization that packages fortified rice and soy meals to be shipped to areas where hunger is a huge problem. In just under 3 hours, we packaged just over 40,000 meals! I was a boxer, which required a lot of running around picking up packaged meals that were ready to be packed into boxes for shipping.
Finally, we had the chili cook-off from noon-3. Teams competed and students/family members got to vote on the winning chili in 3 different categories: 1. best tasting 2. most unique 3. best spirit. There was a team named "Chili Carnival" who had deep fried chili ball, a balloon animal maker, and lots of spunk! I voted for them for most unique. Another team, "Team Chilizion" was my favorite in the category of taste. They had a white chicken chili that was amazing.. not to mention a very creative name for optometry students. A chilazion is a swelling caused by a clogging of an eyelid gland (Meibomian gland). It will get very large, but not cause the patient any pain. Anyway, they used the term to come up with a funny chili cook-off team name :)
Tyler is doing well! He has picked up some more hours at the gym and is working with the guys team a lot more. I know he's really enjoying it, and the employees and parents appreciate him there and like him a lot as a coach. The only thing that's hard for me/us, is that our schedules don't match at all! He works from like 4:30-8:30, and I usually don't get home from school until 5:30. He also helps on Saturdays with birthdays or team practices. Today was even harder because he was there for over 9 hours helping with a meet, but it was volunteer. He didn't know how long they would need him, or what they would want him to do, so he just said he could be there for whatever they needed. Well they used him for the whole day... 11-8. I didn't get home from stop hunger now and the chili cook-off until 1:45pm. Yet another day where we didn't get to see each other much at all!
However, we did have a nice date night last night. We went out to Applebee's for their 2 for $20 meals and got one drink each. It was nice to not have to cook and go out in public together. What was even better was that our waiter didn't charge us for the drinks! I think we'll have to come back when he's waiting tables again- he was a really fun server!
Well here I will share some pictures from the chili cook-off. Until next time.... Anatomy, optics and neuroanatomy are all calling my name!!
Well, I had a chair skills practical for my Theory and Methods lab. It didn't go so hot because I crashed under pressure. It's tough having someone watch your every move, but I need to get used to it. I will hopefully continue doing well on tests and learn from my mistakes to do well in the class :)
Tyler and I went to Asheville, NC over Halloween weekend to see his cousin get married with the Biltmore house as the back drop! It was such a beautiful outdoor wedding followed by a nice dinner and open bar reception. I finally got the opportunity to meet Tyler's dad's side of the family! They are certainly an interesting group, but I love them all! It's definitely different going from a very small family to tons of family!
This was also the same weekend as our cadaver lab, so I was certainly exhausted Monday after class. I had to be at school at 7:45am on Saturday to see this cadaver, go straight to the airport, and fly to Asheville for the ceremony at 4:30. Then some of Tyler's family members had planned a brunch and lunch at his grandparents' house on Sunday. Finally, we had to fly home. We didn't get in Sunday night until about 10:45pm. It was also surprising that we made it to the ceremony on time because we landed at 3:45pm and the Biltmore is at least 30 minutes away from the airport! We walked right up with all of stuff, dropped it off at a picnic table in the back and found the seats his dad saved for us!
Unfortunately, I didn't find the cadaver lab too exciting. I was hoping we could see more with the eye, but (not to gross anyone out), this cadaver was frozen, so not preserved the regular way. This made it very difficult to cut into anything related to the eye because all the pressure was gone.
It's going to be a rough few final weeks... I have 3 tests this coming up week, 2 tests and a quiz the week after that, Thanksgiving break then more tests, final lab practicals and final exams! Even though the work load is intense, I have certainly been enjoying learning about the eye ball! :)
In Theory and Methods lab, we are finally learning manifest refraction! I can find someone's prescription using the phoropter, which has been really fun- especially since it's the bread and butter of optometry! This skill (as opposed to chair skills) is something I am more familiar with from being a patient for so many years, and I find myself much more comfortable playing with the phoropter... and asking, "Which is better, one or two?"
This weekend was also pretty packed! This morning I helped with Stop Hunger Now, an organization that packages fortified rice and soy meals to be shipped to areas where hunger is a huge problem. In just under 3 hours, we packaged just over 40,000 meals! I was a boxer, which required a lot of running around picking up packaged meals that were ready to be packed into boxes for shipping.
Finally, we had the chili cook-off from noon-3. Teams competed and students/family members got to vote on the winning chili in 3 different categories: 1. best tasting 2. most unique 3. best spirit. There was a team named "Chili Carnival" who had deep fried chili ball, a balloon animal maker, and lots of spunk! I voted for them for most unique. Another team, "Team Chilizion" was my favorite in the category of taste. They had a white chicken chili that was amazing.. not to mention a very creative name for optometry students. A chilazion is a swelling caused by a clogging of an eyelid gland (Meibomian gland). It will get very large, but not cause the patient any pain. Anyway, they used the term to come up with a funny chili cook-off team name :)
Tyler is doing well! He has picked up some more hours at the gym and is working with the guys team a lot more. I know he's really enjoying it, and the employees and parents appreciate him there and like him a lot as a coach. The only thing that's hard for me/us, is that our schedules don't match at all! He works from like 4:30-8:30, and I usually don't get home from school until 5:30. He also helps on Saturdays with birthdays or team practices. Today was even harder because he was there for over 9 hours helping with a meet, but it was volunteer. He didn't know how long they would need him, or what they would want him to do, so he just said he could be there for whatever they needed. Well they used him for the whole day... 11-8. I didn't get home from stop hunger now and the chili cook-off until 1:45pm. Yet another day where we didn't get to see each other much at all!
However, we did have a nice date night last night. We went out to Applebee's for their 2 for $20 meals and got one drink each. It was nice to not have to cook and go out in public together. What was even better was that our waiter didn't charge us for the drinks! I think we'll have to come back when he's waiting tables again- he was a really fun server!
Well here I will share some pictures from the chili cook-off. Until next time.... Anatomy, optics and neuroanatomy are all calling my name!!
Wish you could actually see the little chilazion that they put on the eyeball, but it doesn't show up too well in this picture.
Gotta love the balloon man at the Chili Carnival
Hawaiian Munch- very unique chili- a sweet and spicy taste with a hint of pineapple.... a little too much spice for me though.
Pyros! Very tasty :) Thank goodness they had a mild version and a hot version, because my mouth was burning by the time I got to try theirs
Nothing goes better with chili than beer, especially when the keg is pumped by a security guard and the beer is poured by the SGA president! :)
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Special Occasions!
I'm going to start with some old updates, but during my White Coat weekend (about a month ago, oops), my parents came up and we took some time to go to the zoo!! The Memphis Zoo is amazing! Here are a few snapshots, just to give you an idea of what we saw:
WOLF!
They have pandas! Oh so cute :)
The entire weekend was great!! We had a big BBQ dinner Friday night, the zoo on Saturday, and then we came home to watch the wolfpack play. It was great to see my parents, but it was sad to see them leave.
I also wanted to share this picture....
... To prove that we've been keeping up with wolfpack football!
Finally, it's Halloween in one week, so Tyler and decided to carve a pumpkin together. We went to the pumpkin patch last weekend to pick out a fun pumpkin! I had a lot of tests this past week to study for, so we decided to carve it over my birthday weekend! Here is our final product... GO PACK!!
We are sooooooo proud of our awesome pumpkin!
Finally, some pictures from my birthday celebration! We went to Silky O' Sullivan's on Beale Street. It's a really fun dueling piano bar/ Irish pub! My friend Joey was celebrating his 26th and I was celebrating my 23rd!
Dueling pianos!!! These guys were hilarious!
They called me and Joey to the stage to sing Happy Birthday to us!
Those are all the updates I have for now! If you're reading this, keep in touch! I miss everyone so much!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Birthday in another City
So tomorrow is my birthday, and it's really not feeling like it. With another wave of tests finally completed, I feel so drained. A part of me is thinking that sleep would be a wonderful present. However, tomorrow morning is the Vision Walk. I am really excited about it, and a ton of SCO students go to raise awareness and walk to join the fight against blindness. It just always seems that there's something to do on your special day. Last year at this time I was interviewing to be accepted to Southern and now I'm here. I cannot believe it's been a whole year!
Tests have been going rather well. Not the same great grades from undergrad, but the material is way harder and there's no give from professors (aka a curve). I'm definitely enjoying what I'm learning, but there is a lot of material to keep with. I'm starting to forget what a "break" really is!
A lot of classmates are going home this weekend, whether it's for their undergrad's homecoming or just to visit friends and family. It was a great weekend for it since our next test isn't until Thursday. I kind of wish I had made the effort to go home now, but I still don't think we would be able to afford it or really have as much time as I would like to visit everyone.
Tomorrow night I'm going with some friends to a dueling piano bar downtown. It should be fun. :) One of my friend's fiance, who is here with her, has his birthday on Sunday the 24th. His dad is coming in to celebrate with him, so we will all be downtown!
I'm so ready to go back home sometime though. Although that's practically months away, I cannot wait for it!! I miss North Carolina so much- especially people's ability to drive better. Every now and again I will get really home sick. I like being in TN because this is where SCO is, but I hate the fact that it's 12 hours away from home...
I will let you know how my birthday celebrations go :) I MISS EVERYONE SO MUCH!
Tests have been going rather well. Not the same great grades from undergrad, but the material is way harder and there's no give from professors (aka a curve). I'm definitely enjoying what I'm learning, but there is a lot of material to keep with. I'm starting to forget what a "break" really is!
A lot of classmates are going home this weekend, whether it's for their undergrad's homecoming or just to visit friends and family. It was a great weekend for it since our next test isn't until Thursday. I kind of wish I had made the effort to go home now, but I still don't think we would be able to afford it or really have as much time as I would like to visit everyone.
Tomorrow night I'm going with some friends to a dueling piano bar downtown. It should be fun. :) One of my friend's fiance, who is here with her, has his birthday on Sunday the 24th. His dad is coming in to celebrate with him, so we will all be downtown!
I'm so ready to go back home sometime though. Although that's practically months away, I cannot wait for it!! I miss North Carolina so much- especially people's ability to drive better. Every now and again I will get really home sick. I like being in TN because this is where SCO is, but I hate the fact that it's 12 hours away from home...
I will let you know how my birthday celebrations go :) I MISS EVERYONE SO MUCH!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Learning so much and wishing it could stick better!
I just need to keep practicing! I need to keep drilling and studying!!!
I have learned so much already and I find myself randomly thinking, "what was that pathway again?" "What are all the branches of the trigeminal nerve and what all do they innervate?" "How am I supposed to perform this chair skill?" "Should an esophore have base in or base out prisms to correct their phoria?" And the list goes on!
I found out in my Theory and Methods lab that I have some exophoria (a tendency for my eyes to turn out). Don't worry- You'll never see me wall-eyed, because I have enough positive fusional vergence to overcome this tendency, but it makes sense since I am a myope (blurred distance vision). I've never been told this before, but it's never been an issue, so it's okay. :)
I am studying for my Theory and Methods test that's tomorrow, and there is so much information! We've learned about AC/A ratios (the convergence response to the convergence stimulus), how to take proper visual acuities, how big letters on the Snellen chart need to be to have 20/20, 20/30, 20/40, etc. letters, why pinhole accuities are taken, how to test the cranial nerves through extraocular motilities, and the list goes on!
I've been doing very well in the class thus far. I made a 98 on my retinoscopy practical (the two points were because I forgot to write DS after two of my spherical measurements- so I still got all the powers right). My first test was okay, but I'm hoping to do better on the next one.
I just got another work study position that's much better than my other one! As a class we are split up into 5 lab groups. Each group has a different lab at different times every day. Each group has a day off; my group's is Thursday. However, one of the groups that has theory and methods lab on Thursday had an odd number of people in the lab. Now I get to have an extra day of Theory and Methods lab to make that lab group have an even number of people... aka I get paid to have extra practice! YEAH! God is so good :)
Optics is one of my favorites classes! At first I didn't like it because we're doing 'team-based learning' but now I really enjoy it! It's like constant group studying to really test my knowledge everyday and work out kinks that I don't understand! Plus, optics is one of the main reasons I got interested in optometry!! I made a 100 on my first test in that class and my group grade is like a 97 right now :) I've really enjoyed learning about astigmatism, and now I know that I am an against-the-rule compound myopic astigmat in both eyes! Because of my -0.75 DC astigmatism, I get to participate in a study that Dr. Jackson is doing! I love participating in studies at school. We always get some kind of compensation, so it's great for struggling students :)
Life at home is going well. Tyler and I don't get to see each other that much, but we try to spend as much time together as we can (even if I'm sitting on the couch next to him studying while he watches TV).
Next week I have an Anatomy test on Monday, and an Optics test on Wednesday and my BIRTHDAY Saturday!!!
November will be a rough month, so I will try to get in a couple more blogs in before then!
I have learned so much already and I find myself randomly thinking, "what was that pathway again?" "What are all the branches of the trigeminal nerve and what all do they innervate?" "How am I supposed to perform this chair skill?" "Should an esophore have base in or base out prisms to correct their phoria?" And the list goes on!
I found out in my Theory and Methods lab that I have some exophoria (a tendency for my eyes to turn out). Don't worry- You'll never see me wall-eyed, because I have enough positive fusional vergence to overcome this tendency, but it makes sense since I am a myope (blurred distance vision). I've never been told this before, but it's never been an issue, so it's okay. :)
I am studying for my Theory and Methods test that's tomorrow, and there is so much information! We've learned about AC/A ratios (the convergence response to the convergence stimulus), how to take proper visual acuities, how big letters on the Snellen chart need to be to have 20/20, 20/30, 20/40, etc. letters, why pinhole accuities are taken, how to test the cranial nerves through extraocular motilities, and the list goes on!
I've been doing very well in the class thus far. I made a 98 on my retinoscopy practical (the two points were because I forgot to write DS after two of my spherical measurements- so I still got all the powers right). My first test was okay, but I'm hoping to do better on the next one.
I just got another work study position that's much better than my other one! As a class we are split up into 5 lab groups. Each group has a different lab at different times every day. Each group has a day off; my group's is Thursday. However, one of the groups that has theory and methods lab on Thursday had an odd number of people in the lab. Now I get to have an extra day of Theory and Methods lab to make that lab group have an even number of people... aka I get paid to have extra practice! YEAH! God is so good :)
Optics is one of my favorites classes! At first I didn't like it because we're doing 'team-based learning' but now I really enjoy it! It's like constant group studying to really test my knowledge everyday and work out kinks that I don't understand! Plus, optics is one of the main reasons I got interested in optometry!! I made a 100 on my first test in that class and my group grade is like a 97 right now :) I've really enjoyed learning about astigmatism, and now I know that I am an against-the-rule compound myopic astigmat in both eyes! Because of my -0.75 DC astigmatism, I get to participate in a study that Dr. Jackson is doing! I love participating in studies at school. We always get some kind of compensation, so it's great for struggling students :)
Life at home is going well. Tyler and I don't get to see each other that much, but we try to spend as much time together as we can (even if I'm sitting on the couch next to him studying while he watches TV).
Next week I have an Anatomy test on Monday, and an Optics test on Wednesday and my BIRTHDAY Saturday!!!
November will be a rough month, so I will try to get in a couple more blogs in before then!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
My Future in Funny Videos!
I don't know who in my class found this first one, but it is a hilarious depiction of what I will deal with when I'm finally in clinic at SCO- and for the rest of my life.
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7098419/?ref=nf
The next video I have watch to help me study for my Neuroanatomy test. It is a hilarious remake of Bush's song "Glycerine."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH1BwBRo44g
Please do enjoy fellow optometrists/medical doctors' creativity!
Now off to more studying... sorry for the short post, but this neuroanatomy is tomorrow! I will give a more detailed update soon! :)
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7098419/?ref=nf
The next video I have watch to help me study for my Neuroanatomy test. It is a hilarious remake of Bush's song "Glycerine."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH1BwBRo44g
Please do enjoy fellow optometrists/medical doctors' creativity!
Now off to more studying... sorry for the short post, but this neuroanatomy is tomorrow! I will give a more detailed update soon! :)
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