Nontrads, Tell Us About your 'Wild' Friday Night

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I went on a date then woke up early the next day to study....still studying now on Sunday.

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Ha! Well, if I'm not working, then watching the kids while the wife works!
 
Thought I'd share. Today marks one year since I decided to become a non-trad premed.

Here's my wild friday night:

Started reading "How to read literature like a professor" with beers and a cigar. A lovely day out- not more than 70 deg with not a cloud in the sky.

Roasted pork knuckles (Schweinhaxen to the German speakers); Ate a marvellous dinner with the fiancee

Started a cure on a 4 lb slab of pork belly I bought after work. Should smoke it Thursday for some high quality artisanal bacon. Cure includes bay and garlic for a more savory bacon

Chillaxin with Scotch and Anthony Bourdain on the netflix. Gods I love pork- glad I'm a Hindu!
 
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I was in the ICU. I'm still in the ICU, and we just got another train wreck admission from a nursing home with no hope of recovery for me to torture.

On the last day I had off, I filled out my health care proxy form and had it signed and witnessed. Then I called my sister up and had a chat about futile care, and how I don't want any.

What we do to people in ICUs is just horrible. Maybe that's where premeds really ought to try shadowing. Maybe there should be grand tours for the public. Maybe it wouldn't matter even if we did. People are remarkably delusional about death and dying....
 
I was in the ICU. I'm still in the ICU, and we just got another train wreck admission from a nursing home with no hope of recovery for me to torture.

On the last day I had off, I filled out my health care proxy form and had it signed and witnessed. Then I called my sister up and had a chat about futile care, and how I don't want any.

What we do to people in ICUs is just horrible. Maybe that's where premeds really ought to try shadowing. Maybe there should be grand tours for the public. Maybe it wouldn't matter even if we did. People are remarkably delusional about death and dying....

Sounds like somebody needs some bacon!
 
What we do to people in ICUs is just horrible. Maybe that's where premeds really ought to try shadowing. Maybe there should be grand tours for the public. Maybe it wouldn't matter even if we did. People are remarkably delusional about death and dying....


The last ten days of my mother's life she spent in the ICU. Her liver had failed and her kidneys were starting to fail. I had health care proxy for her and, though it was the hardest thing ever, I authorized the DNR. Thankfully, I had enough rational thought at the time and an ICU physician who was pretty honest and frank to lead me to the decision. My Mom died 13 hours later, by the way.

In my limited experience, an ICU is the most impersonal place to die. There is no privacy, visiting hours are limited and half the time the nurses asked you to leave even during the posted visiting hours, so I barely saw my mother in her last days. Now, this may be specific to the ICU where my Mom was, but there was no communication. The nurses claimed to not know anything when we asked about my mother's status and you had to make an appointment to see an ICU physician to get an update. There wasn't even communication among staff. The social worker who talked to us the day before my mother died looked puzzled when my sister and I asked about hospice because she didn't know my mother was dying, apparently.

We had a small course recently at school which covered some end of life issues. I told my small discussion group that hospice sounded wonderful and I wish my mother could have died at home.
 
Thought I'd share. Today marks one year since I decided to become a non-trad premed.
Congrats! It's a wild ride.

Started a cure on a 4 lb slab of pork belly I bought after work. Should smoke it Thursday for some high quality artisanal bacon. Cure includes bay and garlic for a more savory bacon

I'm not normally a big pork eater but this sounds really good! How long does it take to cure bacon? Q and I are coming over! :D
 
Wish I'd seen this last night.... Went out to dinner and was asleep by midnight :) tonight I'm studying all night (how exciting).

The last ten days of my mother's life she spent in the ICU. Her liver had failed and her kidneys were starting to fail. I had health care proxy for her and, though it was the hardest thing ever, I authorized the DNR. Thankfully, I had enough rational thought at the time and an ICU physician who was pretty honest and frank to lead me to the decision. My Mom died 13 hours later, by the way.

In my limited experience, an ICU is the most impersonal place to die. There is no privacy, visiting hours are limited and half the time the nurses asked you to leave even during the posted visiting hours, so I barely saw my mother in her last days. Now, this may be specific to the ICU where my Mom was, but there was no communication. The nurses claimed to not know anything when we asked about my mother's status and you had to make an appointment to see an ICU physician to get an update. There wasn't even communication among staff. The social worker who talked to us the day before my mother died looked puzzled when my sister and I asked about hospice because she didn't know my mother was dying, apparently.

We had a small course recently at school which covered some end of life issues. I told my small discussion group that hospice sounded wonderful and I wish my mother could have died at home.

I am so incredibly sorry to hear about your experience. How horrible and stressful. I feel for you. :( I guess I'm going pretty off topic but hospice is not without its challenges. My mother, aunt and I used hospice for my grandmother, but elected to be her 24/7 caregivers with the hospice nurse coming for about 30 mins each day and her doctor checking in twice a day. This was in Virginia, Im not sure if laws regarding hospice care vary by state. We divided the time into shifts (2 day shifts and one night shift) as she required constant care with something needing attention about every 30 mins if I'm remembering correctly. This lasted exactly two weeks, with my grandmother dying in the middle of the night on one of my night shifts. It was as perfect as it could possibly be as it is unlikely that my mother or aunt could have handled it. I'm not an emotional rock, but I have emotional stability--my mother and aunt do not. Of course, I've always wondered if my grandmother would have been better off in a hospital. :)

Again, I know this is off topic but I thought it could be helpful to add my experience here.
 
I was in the ICU. I'm still in the ICU, and we just got another train wreck admission from a nursing home with no hope of recovery for me to torture.

On the last day I had off, I filled out my health care proxy form and had it signed and witnessed. Then I called my sister up and had a chat about futile care, and how I don't want any.

What we do to people in ICUs is just horrible. Maybe that's where premeds really ought to try shadowing. Maybe there should be grand tours for the public. Maybe it wouldn't matter even if we did. People are remarkably delusional about death and dying....

I'm tattooing DNR on my chest, NOT joking on this one.
 
My wild friday night involved me and my physics book....suspenseful...we are at it again today
 
Congrats! It's a wild ride.



I'm not normally a big pork eater but this sounds really good! How long does it take to cure bacon? Q and I are coming over! :D

Thanks. Cure for roughly 4-5 days, depending on how thick your belly is. Then you hot smoke it for a few hours. Really easy and so much better than store bought. Foodie trivia: the thin striations of meat in bacon are actually the pig's abdominal muscles.
 
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I was thinking about this thread all weekend as I assembled Ikea cabinets and scraped glue off the hardwood floors. At least we had home brew to enjoy while working. Ah, the joys of madly scrambling to finish drawn-out projects before losing half our income.
 
Sounds like somebody needs some bacon!
Sure, if you mean the monetary kind. ;)

I'm not normally a big pork eater but this sounds really good! How long does it take to cure bacon? Q and I are coming over! :D
Heh, except that I'm a vegetarian and grew up Jewish. Definitely not a pork eater.

In my limited experience, an ICU is the most impersonal place to die. There is no privacy, visiting hours are limited and half the time the nurses asked you to leave even during the posted visiting hours, so I barely saw my mother in her last days. Now, this may be specific to the ICU where my Mom was, but there was no communication. The nurses claimed to not know anything when we asked about my mother's status and you had to make an appointment to see an ICU physician to get an update. There wasn't even communication among staff. The social worker who talked to us the day before my mother died looked puzzled when my sister and I asked about hospice because she didn't know my mother was dying, apparently.

We had a small course recently at school which covered some end of life issues. I told my small discussion group that hospice sounded wonderful and I wish my mother could have died at home.
I agree with you on all these counts.

I'm tattooing DNR on my chest, NOT joking on this one.
Unfortunately, we wouldn't be able to use that as evidence of your wishes, at least not in my state. You should tell whoever would be your next of kin surrogate (spouse, adult children, parents, then siblings, normally) what you want, or better yet, put it in writing as a living will.

Thanks. Cure for roughly 4-5 days, depending on how thick your belly is. Then you hot smoke it for a few hours. Really easy and so much better than store bought. Foodie trivia: the thin striations of meat in bacon are actually the pig's abdominal muscles.
I didn't realize that bacon was made from pork bellies. All the more reason not to eat it. I visited a pig farm once while in college as well as cared for pigs myself, and you don't want to know what those pigs would eat. :hungover:
 
Slept in. That LA Beerfest is a beast and requires lots of energy.
 
Unfortunately, we wouldn't be able to use that as evidence of your wishes, at least not in my state. You should tell whoever would be your next of kin surrogate (spouse, adult children, parents, then siblings, normally) what you want, or better yet, put it in writing as a living will.

Already in the works.
 
tatiana 3325 said:
I am so incredibly sorry to hear about your experience. How horrible and stressful. I feel for you. I guess I'm going pretty off topic but hospice is not without its challenges. My mother, aunt and I used hospice for my grandmother, but elected to be her 24/7 caregivers with the hospice nurse coming for about 30 mins each day and her doctor checking in twice a day. We divided the time into shifts (2 day shifts and one night shift) as she required constant care with something needing attention about every 30 mins if I'm remembering correctly.

Thanks, Tatiana. It is certainly a tough and stressful situation to be a family caregiver and to watch a loved one suffer with serious illness. I like to think it will make us better physicians.

Sure, if you mean the monetary kind. ;)

Heh, except that I'm a vegetarian and grew up Jewish. Definitely not a pork eater.

Whoops, sorry Q! You might remember I once thought you were male so it's no wonder I messed up these other details! Anyway, I have celiac sprue so I'd bring some vegetarian gluten free lasagna or something. :)
 
Thanks, Tatiana. It is certainly a tough and stressful situation to be a family caregiver and to watch a loved one suffer with serious illness. I like to think it will make us better physicians.



Whoops, sorry Q! You might remember I once thought you were male so it's no wonder I messed up these other details! Anyway, I have celiac sprue so I'd bring some vegetarian gluten free lasagna or something. :)

For some reason I thought she was Latina. Quimica is in Mexico I think?
 
Whoops, sorry Q! You might remember I once thought you were male so it's no wonder I messed up these other details! Anyway, I have celiac sprue so I'd bring some vegetarian gluten free lasagna or something. :)
I didn't remember, but I won't take offense. Today on the way home from work, I stopped at a grocery store and the checkout guy at the next lane was telling his customer, "Look, if you need help, there's a nurse!" I'm like, woah, who you calling a nurse??? To be fair, I was wearing my department zipper hoodie over my scrubs, which is something that the nurses often do, but still!

For some reason I thought she was Latina. Quimica is in Mexico I think?
Nope and nope. I'm a gringa, and "quimica" is the Spanish word for "chemistry."

What am I doing tonight? Well, I got off work about two hours late, and I'm hungry enough to eat just about anything. Making a salmonburger and sweet potato french fries. (I do eat seafood, so I'm not actually a total vegetarian.) Then I'm going to go to bed since I have to get up and go do it all again tomorrow.

Edit: Today I wound up getting hep C positive blood spilled all over my shoes and also some on my scrub pant leg. Don't ask. But the end result was that one of the nurses got me some of those little socks with the no-slip bottoms that they give the patients to wear, and I went on working while wearing those until someone could go to the OR and get me a fresh pair of scrubs. I didn't care about seeing patients in my socks. (I don't think any of them even noticed, although of course all the other residents and the nurses did, and they were like, why is Q walking around in her socks???) But I had to get home somehow, right, and wearing my blood soaked shoes was just out of the question. Fortunately, someone reminded me that I had my motorcycle boots in the resident lounge (again, long story). So I wore those for the rest of the day, then walked home in them. I'm not sure which made more of a fashion statement: bloody scrub pants with no-slip hospital socks, or ill-fitting OR scrubs with motorcycle boots. I think I entertained the entire unit quite a bit today. :p
 
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Fortunately, someone reminded me that I had my motorcycle boots in the resident lounge (again, long story). So I wore those for the rest of the day, then walked home in them. I'm not sure which made more of a fashion statement: bloody scrub pants with no-slip hospital socks, or ill-fitting OR scrubs with motorcycle boots. I think I entertained the entire unit quite a bit today. :p

Motorcycle boots? We're learning even more about you, Q!
 
For some reason I thought she was Latina. Quimica is in Mexico I think?

Yeah the town is outside Amecameca...It is actually short for Neuvo Ciudad de Nuestra Señora Imaculada de la Luz Quimica del Nacimiento Santo.

Hmmmm... Male...latino....sounds like there has been some gender/ ethnic confusion going on? ;)
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Today on the way home from work, I stopped at a grocery store and the checkout guy at the next lane was telling his customer, "Look, if you need help, there's a nurse!" I'm like, woah, who you calling a nurse??? To be fair, I was wearing my department zipper hoodie over my scrubs, which is something that the nurses often do, but still!

:laugh: Too funny!
 
99% of my Friday nights are spent at work until about 1130pm. Applying this year and hopefully in 2013 my Friday nights will be spent in the med school library!
 
I got stuck outside, in the rain, covering Lacrosse, baseball, softball. Thank goodness it was too wet for baseball and softball and lightening stopped LAX. But not before I had a kid fracture his ulna!

Right now? I am being lazy. Finished some physics homework and extra credit, studying bio, watching a movie with my cat on my leg and stressing over my pending divorce :(
 
Started out good. Enjoyed beer and a cigar while reading master and commander outside.

Now it just plain sucks. My team was eliminated from the nhl playoffs. Now I'm stuck watching baseball until I don't have enough time to watch anything. Blech
 
I'd sleep over watching baseball... Or the usual sleep during baseball.

My team didn't even SHOW during the playlets...
 
Saluted my passed on family member with an evening of activities which they taught me when I was just learning what trouble was.
 
As promised I am pursuing a three month bender in the french quarter of new orleans. Tulane doesn't have an official second look program, so potential students pass through informally and I show them the delights and temptations. Cheap booze, women flashing their boobs, drinking in the street, impromptu jazz sessions and parades snarling up traffic, bachelorette parties, etc. It's shaping up to be a series of wild friday nights. And pretty much any day of the week that ends in the letter 'y'. I'll get serious again once school starts in august. Promise!
 
Second-to-last block of M1 year in the bag. EtOH ensued.
 
Was back working nights this week. Resuscitated a patient we later found out was DNR/DNI. Ugh. Taking Step 3 of the USMLE on Mon/Tues. Should be eligible for my full license by June, although I'm probably not going to apply for it. Too expensive.
 
was back working nights this week. Resuscitated a patient we later found out was dnr/dni. Ugh. Taking step 3 of the usmle on mon/tues. Should be eligible for my full license by june, although i'm probably not going to apply for it. Too expensive.

gooooooddddd lllluuuucccckkkk!!
 
I took the night off from studying to focus instead on my personal statement and letters of recommendation. This was, of course, also done with the Kaplan FLT#1 that I did this afternoon in mind.
 
Was back working nights this week. Resuscitated a patient we later found out was DNR/DNI. Ugh. Taking Step 3 of the USMLE on Mon/Tues. Should be eligible for my full license by June, although I'm probably not going to apply for it. Too expensive.



:luck:


I just worked, as usual. Can't wait for summer, love grad school but this semester needs to be done.
 
Working, again!
 
Last night I performed in my med school's talent show. Had a blast! :)

Today I went to my exercise class then came home and slept all day. It was a long week.
 
Grading chemistry stuff while working on the cardio... and then off to do HIV outreach and try and pawn off as many condoms as I possibly can before I move at the end of May.

Faaaaantabulous!
 
Rationalizing why I should stay in and write my lab report or do a problem set.
 
last friday I was doing homework, then putting a munchkin to bed, then had some hubby/wifey time. this friday will be..hmm.........the same thing
 
Grading chemistry stuff while working on the cardio... and then off to do HIV outreach and try and pawn off as many condoms as I possibly can before I move at the end of May.

Faaaaantabulous!

Are you a TA or professor?

That's really cool about the HIV outreach. You're doing a good thing! :thumbup:
 
So because I was out of town Monday I missed the only lecture in organic that covered amines. Exam on Monday with no instruction on the topic at all, so learning it on my lonesome. Bad day to miss, I guess.

Anyone having fun tonight?
 
I'm reading over 25 lecture pages for orgo, 50 lab pages, and divorce papers that just arrived... :/
 
I'm reading over 25 lecture pages for orgo, 50 lab pages, and divorce papers that just arrived... :/

Sorry/Congrats on your divorce.

I just bought a new fishing setup, tackle box, and random fishing junk. Going to take three of my kids fishing tomorrow. Woo! Much better than studying for my organic final. :D
 
Funny that everyone's mentioning orgo... All my orgo exams are on Saturdays this semester, including tomorrow. No question as to what I'm doing.
 
It's an orgo party up in here! Is there a non dirty-sounding word for that? :laugh:

Am starting the class on Monday so my night has consisted of getting textbooks together and cooking. Good luck dmf2682 and galaxyx with your exams! :)
 
I didn't mind orgo as much as physics. I hate physics.
 
I got stood up on my date, took care of a friend on her date (i.e. to tipsy to drive and shouldn't go home with the guy who she doesn't know well enough yet) and missed dinner with my sister and baby nieces. All in all an eventful evening with a few side rails. Overall I think I may have collected some Karma points. That's good because I can use all the Karma I can get.
 
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