*New York, New York*

 

[Dinner at The View Lounge]

  

 [Rockefeller Center]

  

 [Times Square]

  

 [Grand Central Station & The Chrysler Building]

 

[Grand Central]

  

[Lex-53rd Subway Station]

 

[Central Park]

 

 

 

 

[NYSE]

[The Met]

 

[Brooklyn Bridge]

 

...parting shot of Manhattan...

just another 33 days...

It's another blustery winter day in Baltimore... I just arrived home after spending a few hours in the computer lab at school, and was not prepared for the weather that I would encounter when I stepped out of the building!  When I left my house earlier this morning, it was pleasant - I opted for a long-sleeved shirt and a puffy North Face vest, which suited me just fine on my walk to school.  Complete with knitted gloves and scarf, of course.  But the weather, as I have come to learn, is NEVER predictable... even from one hour to the next.  So... I walked out to a blast of cold wind, foreshadowing the approaching storm this evening... MORE SNOW.  I cannot believe it.  Unfortunately, the weathermen are not very accurate out here - one is predicting a light dusting, while another is predicting a possible foot.  Who are we to believe?  At this point, I don't really care.  As long as it doesn't cancel school -- one week off due to snow is enough for me!  It's been 2 weeks since the mighty blizzards of 2010 (the biggest snowfall in Baltimore history, I would have you know) and the snow is FINALLY melting away.  Snow bank piles still litter the road, a small reminder of what surely feels like a dream... I wonder if the city government will actually put some money towards purchasing a few snow plows to have in case of future emergencies... not likely. haha.  They'll continue to rely on the fact that Baltimore usually only gets about 20 inches of snowfall a year... and that this winter with 80+ inches was merely a one-time issue.  Why is it that I'm lucky enough to live here during this record-breaking year...? I will say, Baltimore was actually a lovely little city with the white crystals covering the darkened streets for a couple weeks...

My last update was the morning after the first blizzard -- not two days later, we were hit with another storm, that dropped another 20 inches of snow on our already-crippled city.  It was too much; 40+ inches in one week is absolutely unheard of in these parts.  We heard some locals talking about the "Storm of '96" that brought about 25 inches of snow -- the fact that they actually remember a storm from 13 years ago that brought a mere 2 feet indicates how rare it is for blizzards to hit this region of the country.  So to get 2 blizzards, and in one WEEK, Baltimore was completely shut down.  We were in a "Level 3 State of Emergency" which asks that all civilians remain off the roads and in their houses... it was a tad bit ridiculous, if you ask me.  But they were able to bring in some snowplows to help clear some of the main roads to bring some traffic back into the city.  Unfortunately (yes, UNfortunately), Johns Hopkins University decided it would be best to close school for the entire week, and as fantastic as it was for the first couple days, I hit a wall on Wednesday and was struggling to keep sane.  Cabin fever hit hard.  Amy, Britte and I decided to venture out into the middle of the blizzard, just to get some fresh air, and here are some photos from our adventure:

 

 

Our excursion into the frigid weather definitely helped relieve some of the pent up energy that we had from being cooped up inside for a solid 5 days.  And to add to our stress, we found out that the hours we missed in clinical would have to be made up the following week -- 16 HOURS.  And we already had 2 exams and a project that needed to be completed... apparently they assume that we don't have lives outside of school.  Granted, I know that it was necessary to do some supplemental/replacement work for the hours missed, but I think that they could have been a little more lenient or offered alternatives.  But that was not the case.  Needless to say, my life outside school was non-existent last week.  But I survived!  And at the end of the week, I had completed my clinical rotation in Adult Health!!  I don't quite remember those 32 hours I spent on the unit over the course of the final 3 days of last week, my memory seems to be quite the blur... but as I look back over the past 7 weeks spent on that unit, I recognize how much I have learned and grown with the experiences that I have had, and I am that much more confident with my knowledge and abilities as I move on to my next rotation:  PEDIATRICS!  My first day of clinical is tomorrow, only once per week due to our 12-hour shifts.  I have been assigned to work on the adolescent unit at Hopkins, not my first choice, but the more I think about it, the more I am excited to work with this specific population.  Thankfully I have some experience working with teenagers, so hopefully the transition will be a bit smoother... but I will keep you updated with my thoughts and perspectives after I spend my first shift on the unit.

 

[Halsted 8 Adult Health Clinical Group]

After the next 7 weeks working in pediatrics, we will begin our Public Health rotation.  Each year, Hopkins takes 3 different clinical groups to 3 different sites (Haiti, St. Vincent, and St. Croix) for a clinical experience abroad.  It's a highly selective program - only 8 students are chosen for each group, and a large majority of our class applies.  With recent events in Haiti, that site was unfortunately removed from the list (although I think it could have been an amazing experience to travel there and help) so that left 2 sites, with 16 open spots.  I applied, not really confident in my chances to be chosen (we have many returned Peace Corps volunteers in our program who had also applied) and to my great surprise, I received an email this past weekend informing me that I had been selected to travel to St. Croix!  We have yet to have our informational meeting, so I will fill you in with further details after that date, but I am THRILLED (to say the least) to have this opportunity.  I have a general idea of what our responsibilities will be while we are down there - mostly related to health screening, health education, and health promotion.  It is going to be an amazing opportunity, and a great insight into the world of global health (something I intend to contribute to once I am a midwife).  So I will be traveling to the small Caribbean island at the end of May for about 10 days with a small clinical group and our instructor -- thankfully I know a few of the girls who are going, and I'm excited that we will be able to share this experience together!  Not to mention that I'll be able to escape Baltimore and relax on the gorgeous white sand beaches... something to look forward to...

 

 [St. Croix]

Only a couple more months... haha.  Until then, however, I have much to focus on, so I can't get ahead of myself!  Thankfully, I was able to escape "Charm City" this past weekend -- Greg came to visit!!  It was a somewhat last-minute trip, his last guaranteed "free" weekend before he starts his job in California.  He arrived out here last Thursday, wish it could have been a bit of a smoother trip... but he made it nonetheless.  Friday we enjoyed our time in Baltimore before taking the bus up to New York City on Saturday!  It was a whirlwind adventure, but we thoroughly enjoyed our time spent together.  I was just so grateful to have my little brother out to visit, and so excited to share one of my favorite cities with him!  We were able to see all the highlights of the city, including Downtown (Wall Street, Ground Zero, SoHo), Midtown (Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Fifth Ave) and Uptown (Central Park, The Met, the LDS Manhattan Temple) and everything in between.  I'll post a few of my favorite pictures in a separate entry.  We walked EVERYWHERE, thankful that the weather was cooperative for the few days we were there!  We were able to enjoy a delicious dinner atop the Marriott Hotel in Times Square -- it's a revolving restaurant, that affords incredible views of the city.  We spent over 2 hours there, admiring the spectacle that is New York City, and appreciating the time we had to spend together.  As excited as I am to be moving back to Utah this summer, I will surely miss having him around... it won't be the same in the SLC without him!  But I wish him all the best as he ventures off to begin the next phase of his life in California!!

And if you're wondering why the title of this blog says "just another 33 days" ... well, I'll fill you in on my current goal.  I challenged myself to 30-straight days of hot yoga, and was able to fulfill that goal (amidst the blizzard, which did force me to rearrange some of my schedule) and loved the rewarding sense of accomplishment.  So, I have set a new goal/challenge: 40 DAYS WITH NO SWEETS.  This includes chocolate and baked goods.  Amy (my roommate) and Britte (a friend) both gave up sugar for Lent, and I decided that I wanted to test myself, to see if I could meet the challenge -- it's actually been quite empowering, to say NO to sweets when offered.  Even in this first week, it has really helped me see how easily I can give into temptation just to please that other person and not turn them down.  Quite a lesson, I must say.  I will keep you all informed as to my progress... this could get ugly in a few weeks as my level of chocolate reserve runs low... but hey, at least I'll be appropriately prepared to lay out on a beach in May!  Even if my skin is ivory white... haha.  Anyways, I have to get going... yoga in an hour, then its back to the books!  Big day tomorrow... I'll be sure to fill you all in on the world of adolescent med-surg nursing soon!

*post-blizzard images*

  

[my street!]

 

[no joke... 30 inches...]

 

[Thames Street Park]

 

[snow up to the benches!]

  

 [is that a car under there....?]

 

[SO grateful that I don't own a car out here...!]

"SNOWMAGEDDON"

It's early Sunday morning, and the sun is poking it's head through my window.  The snow rests peacefully outside, no indication of the havoc it wreaked just a mere 24 hours ago.  "BLIZZARD OF THE CENTURY" and "SNOWPOCALYPSE" were some of the catch-phrases tossed around yesterday... and for Baltimore, I don't think that the monikers are far off.  In relation to those who have lived in snowy climates, however, it's somewhat amusing to hear these descriptions of this "monster" snowstorm... aside from the winds, and the thunder and lightning (yes, THUNDER AND LIGHTNING in a blizzard... never knew that was possible) it really wasn't that bad.  haha.  But...  Baltimore is not equipped to deal with snow (I believe I have mentioned this before) so to have 30 inches drop in one storm, over the course of ONE day... it's not hard to imagine what this city is trying to manage right now.  But here I sit, in the comfort of my warm home (THANKFULLY we still have power) sitting in front of my computer - where I was the majority of yesterday, watching the storm rage on outside.  I'm in the middle of finishing my second Adult Health care plan.... just a mere 20-page assignment that details the nursing diagnoses and interventions for my patient that I was responsible for this past week.  I believe I'm at 14 pages as of right now... and I still have a long ways to go.  But I thought that I would take a break and spill my thoughts out and onto the "pages" of this blog.  It's been a long 2 weeks since I last had time to write, and there is much to mention... so without further adieu...

There are a few things that I must have in my life in order to keep me sane throughout the rigorous schedule that I currently endure... 1) yoga, 2) dark chocolate, 3) music (thank you Pandora), and 4) volunteer tutoring. 

1. I am at 26 days of my 30-day yoga challenge... and I feel amazing.  I love hot yoga... 90 minutes to allow my mind to clear and focus on being in the moment - that is quite a challenge for me.  My mind likes to race ahead to organize and plan my agenda of things I need to accomplish, so to sit and BREATHE and recognize what my body needs right NOW is quite empowering, to say the least.  It requires a lot of control, and it has helped me recognize what is truly important, which benefits me in so many other aspects of my life. 
2. umm... does this need any explanation?  The darker, the better. I always have to keep some on hand... Dove Promises are my vice.  Especially frozen.  And hey, it contains antioxidants (a "super food" if you will) so they are healthy!  In moderation, of course.. haha.  And what does "moderation" really mean to a chocaholic...?
3. For those who are not familiar, Pandora.com is one of the greatest websites that has been developed.  It's a "personal" internet radio, and it is ALWAYS playing on my computer.  Depending on what I'm doing, I'll play different "stations" that help me stay focused on the task at hand.  Currently, I am listening to "Spa Radio" -- music that you would hear if you were enjoying a massage (which does sound quite appealing, now that I mention it...).  Basically, you type in a type of music or a specific artist, and the site "creates" a station that plays music similar to your interest.  I love it because it plays music from a wide variety of artists, music that I have never heard before...  It's part of the "Music Genome Project" -- the creators of this website match similar music styles based on the underlying tone of the music.  It's quite fascinating, and I am SO grateful for it.  I think I have about 6 stations that I listen to regularly... from Carrie Underwood to Piano Instrumental to House.... I really do love music, and quite the variety as well.
4. I realized this week that I haven't really talked much about the volunteer tutoring that I do weekly.  I started last October, at a local elementary school called "Wolfe Street Academy."  It's a few blocks from my house, and I tutor a third-grade student named Ivan for one hour each week.  Doesn't seem like much, but I love the opportunity I have to spend time with him and help him with his homework.  I may have clinical on Thursday and Friday where I am constantly caring for my patients, but doing this type of service has its own rewards.  It took a while for him to warm up to me, but now we have a great time focusing on his reading comprehension and fractions.   This past week, he seemed more excited than normal -- he pulled his backpack up on the desk, and reached inside to pull out a chocolate rose and a small Valentine's Day stuffed animal.  He proudly explained that he had taken his $2 to the Family Dollar store near his house and picked these two things out for me, all on his own!  Then, with a big smile on his face, he stated how much fun he has in tutoring.  Tender moments like those... really keep me focused on the big picture, and how serving others is really the most important and rewarding part of life.  

 Speaking of service... this past week in clinical was a new experience for me.  We were assigned only one patient, as we had to collect data for our care plans, so I had ample time to focus on the elderly woman I was asked to care for.  Her sons brought her in to the ED (emergency department) due to her complaint of worsening chest/epigastric pain, fearing that she could be having some sort of cardiac event.  Upon further review of lab work, it was revealed that she had severe hypercalcemia -- elevated blood calcium levels, which is critical and requires emergent treatment.  In examining her other lab work, the doctors discovered that she was in acute renal failure, and with no past medical history that would explain the etiology of these medical issues, she was admitted to the hospital.  Upon further diagnostic studies, the underlying cause was discovered: she was suffering from the end-stages of Multpile Myeloma, a relatively rare, and terminal, form of cancer.  I found out the diagnosis before she did, and was present in the room when the physician came to inform her.  After he left, I sat with her for a while, and listened to her as she reminisced over her marriage and raising her 3 children, all the while emphasizing how grateful she was to have "lived a good life."  I asked her if there was anything that I could do, and she requested to "take a walk" -- that seemed like the least I could do.  I helped her clean up and then we went for a stroll, with me pushing her in a wheelchair around the halls of the floor.  There wasn't much to see, so I asked the nurse if I could take her downstairs, to which she smiled and said to the two of us: "Don't get into trouble!"  The first floor was quite the scene - an array of doctors, patients, and families rushing this way and that, and I pushed her down the hall to the older section of the hospital.  Knowing that she was Baptist, I asked her if she would like to see the statue of Jesus that is housed in the dome of the original Hopkins Hospital, and she nodded her head.  I wheeled her into the rotunda, where the 10-foot marble statue of Jesus is found (for those who are LDS, it is the same statue that is found in our temple visitor centers).  She sat in awe, and I read to her the inscription on its base: "Come unto me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."  We sat in the silence of this revered space of the hospital, and after some time, she asked to touch his toe (a gesture we had seen many do as they walked by) and I pushed her close.  It was a very special moment - to see her hand, with the IV line in place, reach out and grasp his toe as she bowed her head... all I could think about was how she was soon going to be in His presence.  We then made our way back into the bustling halls, surrounded by the steady stream of hospital patrons.  She had mentioned earlier how much she loved flowers, so I asked her if she wanted to stop at the flower shop to look at some flowers.  Her eyes lit up, and we made our way to the little store nestled in between the cafeteria and the admission lounge.  We sat in that shop for a good 20-30 minutes, as I pulled out each type of flower from its refrigerated vase in order for her to hold it and take in its fresh, crisp scent and its bold, colorful beauty.  I'm not exaggerating -- every type of flower they had, I pulled out.  From carnations to lilies, roses to tulips... I was actually quite impressed with the selection.  The lady in the shop was very sweet, and pointed out some of the more unique flowers and told us what they were called.  Forgive me, I cannot remember any of them! haha.  After some time, I took her back upstairs, in time for lunch and some afternoon consult appointments.  Shortly thereafter, her children arrived, and I left them to share some time together.  Friday I was able to work with her again, and her first request was to go down to the flower shop again.  I happily obliged, and after getting her ready, we made our escape off the unit and downstairs.  The same lady was in the shop, and she pulled me aside and told me that my patient could have any one flower that she particularly liked.  After going through all of the flowers, again, she held onto this one particular rose, with a deep pink hue... that was it.  I pointed to the store employee, and she smiled and told my patient that she would put the rose in a vase for her to take upstairs to her room.  What a sweet gesture -- she put the single rose in a small vase with some greenery, and handed it back to my patient.  I can't adequately describe how happy my patient was, clutching the vase in her hands as we wheeled back to the elevators.  She was so happy with her flower... gave new meaning to the phrase: "Stop and smell the roses."  After returning to the unit, I helped her find the perfect spot for her new prized possession, just in time for another guest -- her grandson -- to come in and visit with her.  I ducked out, leaving them to share some time together.... again grateful for these opportunities I have had to touch the lives of others, all the while recognizing and appreciating how much these experiences are impacting my life as well.

Unfortunately, the snowstorm we have just survived has left the city quite paralyzed... no snow plows make the streets quite dangerous to drive on, unless you have a 4-wheel-drive vehicle.  Therefore, our bishop has decided to cancel church today.  Guess that means I'll be stuck inside, yet again... I'll probably be taking a walk through the snow later, just to get some fresh air.  The sun is shining bright, looks like it's going to be a beautiful Sabbath day.... Enjoy the coming week everyone, I'll be back soon enough!