21 Reasons

Today is a big day for me.

Today is the day I turn 21, and to honour this day in history, I thought I should make a list of 21 reasons why my life is awesome right now.

1. Today is my birthday, which just makes today great despite what may happen today.
2. I got a Macbook Pro for my Birthday, now I don't have to stress about having a computer that keeps crashing.
3. I have an amazing family, and they drove all the way to Calgary this past weekend just to celebrate my Birthday.
4. I have interview at Wayne State School of Medicine on Nov. 27th!
5. The global health conference that I have been planning for almost a year happens this weekend, Nov 9-11th. This is the biggest project I have ever attempted to pull off, and I am excited to help other students become passionate about global health.
6. I have some pretty amazing friends who are not only there for the ups in life, but who are also there for the downs.
7. All of my medical school applications are done!!
8. I got mounds of chocolate and food for my Birthday, so now I'm good until Christmas.
9. I've come to accept the fact I will likely never really race a bike again, and that cycling will become a pastime, rather than a lifeline, and I am okay with that.
10. I might be going to Tanzania in May!
11. I have super comfortable bed (this is actually pretty important).
12. I am completely okay with not getting to medical school this cycle. My plans for next year are actually awesome no matter what. If I don't get in, I'm going to work, and then travel to as many countries in as many continents as I can. Sounds better than dissecting cadavers right?
13. I have GF cake left over from my family Birthday party yesterday (cake makes life better no matter what).
14. I am actually doing pretty well in gross anatomy, even if it does feel a bit overwhelming sometimes.
15. I might be really behind on my research for my honours thesis, but my lab members are awesome, and I know that they will support me through it.
16. I don't have life figured out yet, and I think that is just fine, we don't always need a plan.
17. My parents brought my guitar from home. I haven't played since grade 9, but I am excited to get some more music back in my life.
18. It snowed this weekend! While winter is not as pleasant as summer, I like to appreciate all seasons for what they are and the gifts that they bring, like skiing!!!
19. I'm thankful that I decided to take the plunge and transfer from UoGuelph to uCalgary a year ago, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I don't regret going to Guelph, I don't think I would be where I am today had I not started out there. Everything works out as it should in the end.
20. I'm a strong person, I've been through more than I should have after only being on this earth for 21 years, and I appreciate everything that I have learned about life through trials and struggles. It will make me a better doctor.
21. Being able to dance like nobody is watching. We can all do this, and doing it makes life way more awesome. You should try it sometime.

Life is great, even when it sucks sometimes, it is still pretty great.

Global Health

Welcome to my Medical Mondays Post!

I'm pretty exhausted today after spending my entire day at the Children's Hospital and then going to class...I don't understand how doctors actually make through the day. I guess now is as good a time as any to start improving my stamina and work on looking enthusiastic about everything and my all day happy face.

Anyway, in two weeks time, I will be heading over to Montreal to attend MonWHO, a World Health Organization Simulation conference. I went last year with my previous university, and this year I obtained funding for myself and 5 other students from Calgary to fly out to Montreal to spend 3 days debating, learning and sometimes fighting about global health issues. The theme of this year's conference is "Corruption in Health Care Systems," and I am the Transparency International delegate, which should prove to be a very interesting and involved role. I am also pretty excited about being able to see some of my friends from Guelph who are going and whom I haven't seen in almost year.

The main reason that I was actually able to get funding to go, is because next fall, we will be hosting the first conference of its kind in Western Canada. We are calling it CalWHO, which coincidentally sounds like "Yahoo" which is actually the traditional Calgary Stampede exclamatory phrase (it is not "yehaw" like everybody thinks). Myself and my friend U are the co-Executive Directors, founders and first ever presidents of CalWHO. Before Christmas we had an application process to select 4 more students to form our core secretariat responsible for putting on CalWHO next fall. So while we are headed to Montreal to attend the conference (and eat awesome food, potentially go shopping and maybe hit up one of Montreal's famous night clubs), we are mostly there to learn everything about the conference so that we can recreate it here in Calgary.

This is a massive under taking, as it will be the first student led conference in my faculty and one of two in the entire university (the other is hosted by the faculty of education students, most of whom already have at least 1 degree). I am a bit scared....but at this moment,  I am just really excited to go to Montreal and spend a weekend trying to solve problems that affect the health of people world wide.

Also, happy March from Calgary! I love Canadian weather! (Said no one ever.)

Home for a Rest

This is the first weekend since the 9th grade that I have been home that is not part of a school holiday. Its weird, usually I don't really  have any homework to do while I am at home, but this isn't a holiday, so I do. Its just so odd being at home right now...

The reason I came home is because I have an MRI tomorrow, which is scheduled at our regional hospital. The MRI is only there for 5 days every month (its a mobile MRI), so it took me 6 months to get this appointment. Oh the joys of rural medicine! Its also 1.5hr drive away from where I live (which in turn is 4.5hrs away from where I go to school), so that is still pretty far...

It was nice to go cross country skiing on the trails near my house today though, its a good change from rollers. 

Training Camp

My legs feel like jello.

In the past 3 days we have ridden over 13hrs...and collectively we have gotten 17 flat tires. I got my first today when a thorn from a cactus pierced through my tire and tube. I thought the weather would be warmer in Tucson, but last night it went below zero (in Celsius of course). Yesterday was pretty chilly because it rained all Sunday night. Who knew it rained in the desert?? I sure didn't, I remember being told in elementary school that it never rained in the desert, but in all honesty I know only slightly more about US geography than  most Americans know about Canadian geography (okay, maybe a lot more, but I apparently know nothing about deserts).

I received some new Speedplay cleats in my "Santa box" (aka stocking) for Christmas and I used them for the first time on Sunday. My right cleat (my right foot is the one with the nerve pain issues) was locked so that not only was it nearly impossible to clip in, but I had no side to side play in my pedal. So I rode 3.5 hours with my foot locked into a position that should not have been in. As a result, I now not only have way worse nerve pain, but my right knee along the joint line is in some pretty serious pain right now. Essentially, my whole right leg is in pain at every single joint....and all of my muscles hurt. We still have 4 days of riding to go (tomorrow is a rest day, but we still have a 1.5 hour ride to do), with Mt. Lemon on Thursday...I don't know if I'm going to make it...

I don't have any pictures because I have been too busy trying not die on the rides and too tired after the rides to do anything other than lie in bed. On the plus side, my Netflix (or m Dad's I should say) is a American!! If you don't know, Canadian Netflix cowers in the shadow of American Netflix. Americans get Grey's Anatomy episodes!!!

Hopefully we will grab a few pics tomorrow in the park. Wish me strong legs, I'm going to need them.

Peace like a dry Arizona river bed. 

Summer?

Its not even close to being summer weather here in the Canadian Rockies. It has been raining for the past 2 weeks straight and there are flood warning across the Southern BC/Alberta Rockies. It also snowed in Canmore today for the Iron Maiden XC race, fortunately, I was not racing, but from the pictures, its looked pretty nasty.

All this rain is keeping me from riding outside, which at this point is probably a good thing. My ankle pain has been increasing lately, not nerve pain, but a deep throbbing pain. It is still pretty swollen, and I feel like it should be looking  bit better by now, it has been 6 weeks since the surgery. I tried to get into see my GP...but you know how it is in Canada with the doctor shortage and all. I don't think an appointment in 3 weeks is really going to help me too much.

Also, this whole MCAT studying thing is really starting to get to me. I don't want to study anymore, but this is after all one of the most important tests of my life. Its seems stupid that there is an aptitude test for medicine, just because you know how to answer an obscure question doesn't make you a great doctor. If it did, then we wouldn't have any crappy doctors in N. America...Stupid MCAT, I just want to be a doctor!

SUN!

I love this weather! I went for a ride today, which means I have been able to ride outside for the past 4 days straight in nothing but shorts and jersey! But today it rained on me...however, because it was 23 degrees C outside, the rain was actually rather refreshing and pleasant. It was like a summer rain, one that you actually welcome because you know it won't last long and it cools you down a bit.

This weather is flippin nuts! It should not be above 20 C everyday for over a week in mid march. Back home in BC they are getting snow like you wouldn't believe! For a while I was frustrated because we didn't get any snow here in S. Ontario and I couldn't go for a ski, but now I am stoked!

Also, the club I am riding with this season (because my ankle WILL HEAL in time for me to race) just got the graphic for this year's kit, and it is looking hawt!

Clearly you can see I'm in a good mood today, despite the fact I did some O-chem homework.

Off to make some mac and cheese (not the kind that comes in a box...eww)

Peace like a river

Where am I?

Usually winter means snow, wind and freezing temperatures that makes going to class at 8 am less than enjoyable...but I seem to be wrong in my definition. The good thing is though is that my ankle hurts a lot more when it is really cold, so its kind of nice in a way, but I also really want to be able to ski. I guess we didn't need to include shoveling in The chore schedule after all! Its climate change in action people!

Winter 12?