(no subject)
Hail from the second floor of Bennett!
Here I sit, typing typing typing and more typing. And so, I decide to update my journal... which includes more typing.... oh well.
School for me started on August 21st. mark that date, that was the day my free time died. School is going to be hard, stressful, but good. I'm already learning a lot of interesting things and that is very exciting to me. One the first day of class, I looked around at my 5 other peers (yes, there are just 6 of us in this) and I noticed they were all worried. Meanwhile, I'm sitting there, hugging my new clinical chemistry book and smiling like a fool. I'm just excited to be able to learn so many new things, and of course, I love new books. they smell good, they feel good and there's a wealth of information awaiting me inside!
These first two weeks were phlebotomy training, where we all learn how to draw blood from people and they actually have us stick the public (oh those poor souls). I was not allowed to join the training, as my knee gives out (stupid surgery) and they are afraid that I'm going to poke someone's eye out with a needle. I admit, probably a genuine concern. so, i did one stick, on my friend chris, and he seems to still be living and fine. i worry about it a little, since he had such a prominient vein, that i will not be able to do the training i need, but they all say that you pick it up really easily. i'll have to train later, when i'm off of the crutch.
come to think of it, the last time i updated, i didn't even really have a concern about my knee at all. well, a lot has changed on that front. during the summer, i noticed that my left knee made a cool noise. no pain, just a noise. so, as the weirdo that i am, i wandered around, making everyone i know listen to the noise. it was awfully fun creeping people out. well, it started hurting, but only when i went up and down steps, so i started taking elevators instead of the stairs. i was a little freaked out about it (i have several years left to live, and i hope i can walk for at least a little while longer) so i talked to everyone i could think of about it. finally, i went to the doctor, and she sent me to a specialist. meanwhile, the pain was more and more, so i'm glad i went. the specialist felt my knee for just a second and declared that he knew what the issue was and that i needed to have surgery. so, i did. turns out my kneecap was pointed to the left and had been wrecking up the cartilage under my kneecap and making a worn spot. so that's what the crunching sound was! it was cartilage rumbling around in there. so, the surgery included smoothing the cartilage that was all messed up and cutting one of my musclees, to make my kneecap sit more centrally instead of to the left. a week later (friday) i had my surgery (a bit soon for their taste, but i was NOT going to miss a week of school for this), and then i started school the next monday. it's a bit rough, having to wander around on a crutch and not being able to bend my leg, and it really pisses me off from time to time. however, there's nothing i can do about it now but work on bending it and do my physical therapy. David has been great, dealing with all my annoying requests, driving me to and from school and generally keeping an eye on me. Once and a while it will give out and i feel like i'm just gonna fall right over, it's amazing how weak the muscle gets when a little part of it has been cut. All the pain and annoyance is because of that muscle cut and it's stupid.
I have to say that surgery was quite the experience. I didn't think it was that big of a deal, just another annoying appointment i had to be at, and then i could go home, and probably play WoW. well, it was kind of a big deal i guess, as mom insisted that she come along, and i admit, it was nice to have her there. the anastegiologist (sp?) had a hell of a time getting an IV into me, trying both wrists, both hands, both arms and both feet. eventually they had to gas me first, and then get an IV into me after I was out. I was told that it was more dangerous that way, but what am I going to say? no? of course not! i need to do it today or not at all, school starts in three days. so, they got mom and david and had them come in and talk to me, like the surgery was a real big deal and they might be seeing me for the last time. i thought that was a bit weird. I mean, it's an arthoscopy, they make three little insitions, it's not like they are opening up my viscera. so, they wheeled me into the operating room and they were all a little surprised that I was still awake, the gas thing was explained to them. i noticed that everyone in the room was female, thought that was interesting, about 8 doctors, all women. they were amazed as the anestegeologist told them about how hard a stick I was and how none of the needle proding bothered me. being stuck with a needle is old news to me by now, with as many times as i've donated blood and had blood tests done on me. after all, i ended up with one really awesome looking bruise. being gassed is probably something i will never forget. close your eyes and spin in circles, that's how it feels. that and a beeping sound, slow a first and getting quicker and quicker. It also smelled and tasted bad, but that was the type of gas that they use. I remember thinking that I was going to panic, but then thinking that even if i did panic, my arms and legs wouldn't move anyway, so there was no point in panicing in the first place. then i wondered if i'd ever be able to move again, and then i was out. i woke up mumbling something, my knee hurt some, my left leg was hard to move, had some juice, had some toast (raisin, apparently i told the nurse that i love raisin toast) and promptly threw it back up. stupid gas, making people all sick to their stomach. Ever since I've been getting better and better. i was using two crutches for a while and now i've graduated to just one, i have a cool brace that forces my kneecap to the right, and will be getting physical therapy.
the specialist told me that this surgery may or may not fix the problem, but it can't hurt. i hope it works.
All in all, mom, david, cait and jer have all been very helpful, and i appreciate their concern and aid.
the freshmen are here, the campus is ablaze with people, i'm wondering when john-o will be showing up, i miss that big teddy bear, i'm secretly hoping that christine will come up with him and i can see her again, i miss her too.
but for now, i'm typing up study guides and key terms and doing a homework presentation assignment. even if it kills me, i will finish this practicum and pass my certification exams. take that, crazy med-tech gods.
~L (the cripple)
PS it's a beautiful friday afternoon, you should all get out there and run and take in the fresh air, we all know that winter will be here sooner than we want it to.
Here I sit, typing typing typing and more typing. And so, I decide to update my journal... which includes more typing.... oh well.
School for me started on August 21st. mark that date, that was the day my free time died. School is going to be hard, stressful, but good. I'm already learning a lot of interesting things and that is very exciting to me. One the first day of class, I looked around at my 5 other peers (yes, there are just 6 of us in this) and I noticed they were all worried. Meanwhile, I'm sitting there, hugging my new clinical chemistry book and smiling like a fool. I'm just excited to be able to learn so many new things, and of course, I love new books. they smell good, they feel good and there's a wealth of information awaiting me inside!
These first two weeks were phlebotomy training, where we all learn how to draw blood from people and they actually have us stick the public (oh those poor souls). I was not allowed to join the training, as my knee gives out (stupid surgery) and they are afraid that I'm going to poke someone's eye out with a needle. I admit, probably a genuine concern. so, i did one stick, on my friend chris, and he seems to still be living and fine. i worry about it a little, since he had such a prominient vein, that i will not be able to do the training i need, but they all say that you pick it up really easily. i'll have to train later, when i'm off of the crutch.
come to think of it, the last time i updated, i didn't even really have a concern about my knee at all. well, a lot has changed on that front. during the summer, i noticed that my left knee made a cool noise. no pain, just a noise. so, as the weirdo that i am, i wandered around, making everyone i know listen to the noise. it was awfully fun creeping people out. well, it started hurting, but only when i went up and down steps, so i started taking elevators instead of the stairs. i was a little freaked out about it (i have several years left to live, and i hope i can walk for at least a little while longer) so i talked to everyone i could think of about it. finally, i went to the doctor, and she sent me to a specialist. meanwhile, the pain was more and more, so i'm glad i went. the specialist felt my knee for just a second and declared that he knew what the issue was and that i needed to have surgery. so, i did. turns out my kneecap was pointed to the left and had been wrecking up the cartilage under my kneecap and making a worn spot. so that's what the crunching sound was! it was cartilage rumbling around in there. so, the surgery included smoothing the cartilage that was all messed up and cutting one of my musclees, to make my kneecap sit more centrally instead of to the left. a week later (friday) i had my surgery (a bit soon for their taste, but i was NOT going to miss a week of school for this), and then i started school the next monday. it's a bit rough, having to wander around on a crutch and not being able to bend my leg, and it really pisses me off from time to time. however, there's nothing i can do about it now but work on bending it and do my physical therapy. David has been great, dealing with all my annoying requests, driving me to and from school and generally keeping an eye on me. Once and a while it will give out and i feel like i'm just gonna fall right over, it's amazing how weak the muscle gets when a little part of it has been cut. All the pain and annoyance is because of that muscle cut and it's stupid.
I have to say that surgery was quite the experience. I didn't think it was that big of a deal, just another annoying appointment i had to be at, and then i could go home, and probably play WoW. well, it was kind of a big deal i guess, as mom insisted that she come along, and i admit, it was nice to have her there. the anastegiologist (sp?) had a hell of a time getting an IV into me, trying both wrists, both hands, both arms and both feet. eventually they had to gas me first, and then get an IV into me after I was out. I was told that it was more dangerous that way, but what am I going to say? no? of course not! i need to do it today or not at all, school starts in three days. so, they got mom and david and had them come in and talk to me, like the surgery was a real big deal and they might be seeing me for the last time. i thought that was a bit weird. I mean, it's an arthoscopy, they make three little insitions, it's not like they are opening up my viscera. so, they wheeled me into the operating room and they were all a little surprised that I was still awake, the gas thing was explained to them. i noticed that everyone in the room was female, thought that was interesting, about 8 doctors, all women. they were amazed as the anestegeologist told them about how hard a stick I was and how none of the needle proding bothered me. being stuck with a needle is old news to me by now, with as many times as i've donated blood and had blood tests done on me. after all, i ended up with one really awesome looking bruise. being gassed is probably something i will never forget. close your eyes and spin in circles, that's how it feels. that and a beeping sound, slow a first and getting quicker and quicker. It also smelled and tasted bad, but that was the type of gas that they use. I remember thinking that I was going to panic, but then thinking that even if i did panic, my arms and legs wouldn't move anyway, so there was no point in panicing in the first place. then i wondered if i'd ever be able to move again, and then i was out. i woke up mumbling something, my knee hurt some, my left leg was hard to move, had some juice, had some toast (raisin, apparently i told the nurse that i love raisin toast) and promptly threw it back up. stupid gas, making people all sick to their stomach. Ever since I've been getting better and better. i was using two crutches for a while and now i've graduated to just one, i have a cool brace that forces my kneecap to the right, and will be getting physical therapy.
the specialist told me that this surgery may or may not fix the problem, but it can't hurt. i hope it works.
All in all, mom, david, cait and jer have all been very helpful, and i appreciate their concern and aid.
the freshmen are here, the campus is ablaze with people, i'm wondering when john-o will be showing up, i miss that big teddy bear, i'm secretly hoping that christine will come up with him and i can see her again, i miss her too.
but for now, i'm typing up study guides and key terms and doing a homework presentation assignment. even if it kills me, i will finish this practicum and pass my certification exams. take that, crazy med-tech gods.
~L (the cripple)
PS it's a beautiful friday afternoon, you should all get out there and run and take in the fresh air, we all know that winter will be here sooner than we want it to.