To know one life has breathed easier because you have lived. That is to have succeeded. - RW Emerson

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Just a wee update

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while. Started my summer job on May 7th, and the 9 hour work day starting at 7 am has been a bit rough on me. I'm exhausted by the time I get home at 4, but having every other Friday off and weekends makes it tolerable. I also started studying for the MCAT which I am writing on Sept. 1, the physics section is going to kill me! I got a 14 on the Verbal Reason section though that I did on a practice AAMC exam (I did the exam before I even opened a study guide), so that is really promising seeing as that is the only section that really, really counts. (Unfortunately, all the sections count, but Verbal is the most important.)

I started biking exactly 2 weeks after my surgery (May 12), and the first few rides were a little uncomfortable especially on the bumpy sections. I saw the surgeon for a follow up appointment on May 18th in Vancouver (I had to leave my house at 4 am, my mom drove me through a legitimate snow storm 3 hours to the Calgary airport after my flight was cancelled in Cranbrook at 10pm the night before in order to get there), and he was surprised at how well I was  doing at three weeks, but not surprised that I started biking exactly 2 weeks after the surgery. (To be fair, he said no activity for 2 weeks, and I followed that exactly!) He did say though he was a bit shocked during the surgery to find the distal end of my nerve had not only failed to degenerated but had grown a 2cm branch...according to biology and physiology, the distal end of a severed nerve should degenerate after 48 hours of being cut. So I'm apparently a freak of nature when it comes to neurophysiology.

I still don't have any nerve pain going up leg, which is amazing and the surgeon was pretty pleased to hear that. He did say the nerve pain in my foot should get better, and at the very least not worse. I can handle that!

I also did my first road race since the surgery on Sunday, it went okay, it was pretty painful near the end. My ankle is hugely swollen now though, and at physio yesterday my physiotherapist put on some hot pink kinesiotape like Lance Armstrong used in all 7 tours that he won. It actually made it feel a bit better and the swelling is a bit less (but of course this could all be in my head too). At the race though, the Para-Cycling coach from National Cycling Centre -Calgary came and talked to me, and there is a chance that I might qualify as a para-athlete, which means I could compete in both able bodied and para events. Which could possibly be an opportunity to represent Canada at worlds and the Olympics...something I need to look into!

One more thing, I GOT IN TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY!!!!!! Yup, that's right friends, KP will no longer be out east anymore. I have an appointment with an academic adviser on Friday to sort out transfer credits and then I get to visit the lab!!! Its pretty cool because the lab and the "O'Brien Centre for Bachelor of Health Sciences" is at the Foot Hills Medical Centre which is basically biggest and most advanced hospital in all of Alberta, and it part of the Faculty of Medicine. Its going to be awesome to be around doctors all the time in an educational manner instead of being the patient! I'm super stoked!

Peace Like a River


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