The Importance of Elvis' Pelvis

Another week has come and gone. A week and a half is what separates me from Christmas break. However, in that period of time I will face an onslaught of tasks! In Anatomy and Histology, we are fully immersed in the Pelvis and Perineum unit, which has been an excellent learning experience, as my athletic training background didn't hit a whole lot on urogenital systems, reproductive organs, and everyone's favorite, the rectum! We have both tests next Monday, the 18th at 6:30am!!!! It's unbelievable how early that is, but that afternoon, I two patient simulation clinical exams as well. I have a heart and lungs exam in the afternoon, then from 6:30-9pm I will conduct a female pelvic exam. Now this is a great opportunity to have real clinical experience so early on, but it is amazing to me that they can get people to sign up to be patients for this. I personally have never undergone a female pelvic exam (seeing that I'm a dude), but having 5 extremely nervous 1st year med students examining a very sensitive area is not exactly comparative to the excitement of standing in line for a PS3! So next Monday needless to say will be long and tiring, as I have no breaks throughout the morning, day or night! And I can't relax after that because we have our first and biggest Physiology test on Wednesday morning, which is worth 25% of our quarter grade! This week will be crazy because of all the preparation needed for the heinousness of what I have just described. I also have an Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, Neck and Throat (HEENNT) exam to conduct tomorrow, a quiz for osteopathic manual medicine (OMM) Wednesday, and a case presentation for our Physiology workshop on Friday.

As I mentioned earlier, studying a topic day and night really sets the subject in your subconscious. Mix that with a lack of sleep and trying to maintain sanity and you will find yourself in my position. I swear, I had a dream about a mutant uterus that was chasing me, not unlike those scenes from war of the worlds, only the ovaries were firing flesh-eating oocytes at me! I may be going crazy, but the female reproductive system is a "hostile environment," biologically at least. Also, after seeing so many illustrations of the uterus, a particular coronal section (cut in half view) looks scarily like the logo for the Chicago Bulls! Hmm. The more I say, the more I think I'm going mad!!

On a less traumatic note, we started manipulation techniques in OMM on Wednesday. I was pleased to find a good deal of success even on my first tries! Now that we have done so much diagnosis and theory, it makes sense of what we are trying to do, as well as the detriment that can be caused by those "who know not what they do." I look forward to practicing these techniques a lot, and will be a great tool for me as a physician.

On the home front, Meghan and Braylei give me the strength to keep going day in and day out. They light up my life and I am so thankful for them and their beautiful spirits. Braylei just cracks me up! She is such a funny little girl! She has been talking non-stop and is everywhere. She always has a smile on her face and is very affectionate. Meghan, meanwhile, is one whom I am in absolute awe. She amazes me. She is such an incredible mother and wife. In addition, she is making a fabulous Young Women's President in our church ward. She has been so understanding of the demands of my education and is very supportive. In what time we do have with each other I absolutely cherish. We occasionally get to watch a Phoenix Suns game or maybe a movie, but her support means everything to me.

Well, hopefully I will survive this week and I will post again then!