Blog entry with no name

I couldn't think of a title for today's post. But I can begin things off by saying that I'm soooooooo glad the semester is OVER!!!! And like all my previous semesters in school, I really did learn a lot. But this semester was VERY different because I was pulling up the rear academically BIG TIME!!!!

So my really great news is that my project was accepted and I was highly praised for the depth of my hypothesis given that I haven't done research remotely close using the methods in my new lab. The only thing my new gig has in common with my previous life is that once again, I'll be engaged in cancer research on the bench. The irony you know what, I should change that because there's no irony here. It was simply God mapping out my life without consulting me first, lol!!! It turns out that the very area of my Pharm class that I had so much trouble understanding conceptually (voltage gated ion channels, inactivation/activation curves, Coloombs, Faraday's constant all the other important dead guys related to the study of cardiovascular physiology) will be the main premise of my research. And it turns out the "riding the waves" of life isn't as bad as I thought it was however to be safe, I keep my swimming skills up to par in case a wave comes along and dumps me off my life surfboard!

So with that, I'm wishing everyone all the best this holiday season! I'm also leaving my favorite picture of my favorite Aunt. What a shame I didn't learn where I got my flair for modeling from (back in my 20's) until after her untimely death.

Gone but not forgotten

This Saturday, I will attend the funeral of my favorite Aunt and I guess at times like these, there really isn't much than can be said. I'm just extremely glad we were able to spend time together before she passed away.

Ironically the morning I found out she had passed, I also had an interview for another research position. And to be quite honest, it never once dawned on me not to attend the interview. So despite a very demure disposition at the interview (which isn't a word ANYONE would use to describe me normally, lol), I walked out of the meeting with a lab position from a well renowned MD/PhD. Not only that, I strongly believe that I'll be in this lab until I finish my MD/PhD due in large part to this PI's strenuous support of my professional goals. And I'll be ON campus to boot!! Honestly, it doesn't get any better than this, I simply wish I were in better spirits these days. And what is probably no suprise to anyone who regularily reads my blog, I'm back to doing cancer research.

So this week, in addition to preparing for finals next week, I also have to have a mini proposal ready by next Thursday to present to my new lab group. Talk about jumping from the frying pan ot the fire! What can I say, I'm ready to do the dam thing!

My other news is that I finally joined a ladies roller skating group though I have only been to one session. But I look forward to lacing up my new skates for our session next Wednesday! I can't wait to dust off my jam skating moves over the holiday break!

I also registered for classes for next semester in addition to setting my schedule for the 2008-2009 school year. I've got a very light schedule next semester whcih will allo me to focus on inproving my MCAT score, but I'll be back at the med school next summer taking Medical Physiology. Yikes is all I have to say about that, but I'm encouraged due to the amount of physiology (cardiovascular) I'm learning in my current Pharm course. I'll have to think about whether or not I want to take Medical Pharmacology with the med school in Fall 2008 and that will depend on how my research is going. If I haven't had any major set backs in the lab, I will probably just focus on my research so I can get back out there presenting my work at National meeting in 2009. Well see how it goes!

Last goodbyes

From an emotionally standpoint, this semester has been one of the hardest in my life. While I was home in Ga last month, one of my Aunts on my Dad's side of the family passed away. Her death was somewhat expected since she suffered with complications from diabetes and Alzheimer's. But I noticed that my favorite Aunt whom I've always referred to as "Auntie" since I was a little girl, didn't look well and when you've worked around sick people as much as I have in my life, you get a sort of "sixth sense" about people when they are ill. So at the repass for my deceased Aunt/her sister, I boldly went up to her looked her straight in the eye and told her that I wanted her to tell me what was wrong with her health wise by the time I returned for the Christmas holidays. Unfortunately, I won't get the chance to find out what issue was because as I type this note, she is brain dead from a massive stroke she had last Wednesday.

As is usually the case in these situations, my mother the retired ARNP was called by the family and it was her who gave me the update on her prognosis. However, with my father/her brother having suffered a stroke, as well as losing both parents and a sister to strokes, I didn't need to speak to the doctor to have an idea about what the prognosis was. At these moments besides the great sadness I feel, I simply wish people would stop smoking cigarettes, I conversation we'd had many, many times in the years following my Dad's stroke and subsequent death from colon and prostate cancer. I also end up wishing the most deadly forms of cigarettes, methylated, weren't targeted to the black community. But I guess that's all moot now, I simply wait for the phone call that tells me once again that December which is the month my Father died 6 years ago, will never be quite the same. Still I'm thankful that my last words to her were " I Love you Auntie".