Momisms June2014

                            *AMC movie mother-daughter selfies

Doc201X: "You'll fall in love and you'll be screamin', dreamin', oooooooooh"!!

That's a line from the song Poison by Bel Bev Devoe, and I'm singing it after my daughter and I got back from seeing the movie "Think Like a Man (TLAM) Too!!".

DD: "That's not what's he's saying".

Doc201x: "Yes it is".

DD: "No it's not".

Doc201X: "How would you know, you weren't even an embryo when that song came out".

DD: "I know 'cause I know, and I also have the song".

Doc201X: "Yeah, well let's hear it so you can see how dead wrong you are. And when you're wrong, you'll owe me $5.00 from the bet you just made challenging my 90's music trivia" knowledge.

DD proceeds to boot up her iMac to the play the song and OF COURSE I"M RIGHT, ROTFL!!!!

Doc201X: "See I told ya. And you owe me $5.00".

DD: "I didn't agree to that".

Doc201X: "Doesn't matter, gimme my 5 "dalas" kiddo".

Laughter ensues!!! Then we commence to watch the first TLAM movie!!

That which doesn't kill us, makes us stronger!!!

 
So this morning as I put the finishing touches on a document related to my response to my last death pharma gig, I'm reminded of why I would have been a hellva an attorney, LOL!! In fact, I would be  a "beast" my kid's words, should I decide to go that route and I have to be honest and say that I have thought about it a couple times, proof of which is that I blogged about it before. Maybe I'm just an idealist that needs a wake-up call that when money is involved, most people will do the wrong thing. Or maybe I just keep hoping that one day people will "do onto others as they want done onto to them or their loved ones". Or maybe I just need to make sure that I continue to build my business so as to avoid the kind of situations that was my last death pharma gig. The bottom line is that in the years since this country elected it's first Black president, the EEOC has had more claims filed with their agency than ever before. And that is so NOT a coincidence to me. :( Yeah, I'd be a beast in the courtroom..................................)

Moving on, I'm almost caught up in my class and taking my pulled/strained muscle meds as instructed has been key. I always forget that while I may feel (most of the time) and look like I'm in my early 30's, my body is in it's late 40's, LOL!! So, recoop time and medicating properly is key for treating minor injuries. I also had a moment this week where I thought "gee, this informatics stuff is kinda boring", then I reminded myself that I'll one day combine it with clinical duties, which will more than provide enough "action" for the slow informatics days.

So to keep myself focused and motivated, I spend a LOT of time reading the Resident boards of a popular site for Docs and it's fun! Except that on one level, I'm reminded how many working environments are LOT like middle/high school. Then I get disillusioned (again) and remind myself that no working situation is perfect (except that maturity is ALL I'm asking for), I'm really interested in locums work in undeserved areas, and I also have my own business to build too. Now how locums work and research are going to combine I have NO idea unless I do more consulting on research projects than actually having my own research group. Plus, the research environment has changed drastically since I started in the 80's, and I don't know if I think a research career as I originally participated, is a realistic possibility for anyone anymore anyway! Triple "any", ROTFL!!!

Settling in..............

                             *resting on my injured hand is a BIG NO NO!                                                             Especially without my wrist brace!!
So 1 month into my fellowship and my life has FINALLY fallen into place and what that really means is that I'm now used to being tired all the time. But as I ALWAYS say, I'm really enjoying life anyway!
Unfortunately, I'm about 2 weeks behind in my class because I injured my shoulder and also have carpel tunnel in that hand (my right, and I'm right handed). So things are moving VERY slow! That also means that my strongly computer driven fellowship program is slowed down as well. Luckily for me though, my PI and professor are giving me a LOT of leeway while I go through physical therapy and take meds that leave me very sleepy. Interestingly, I'd started using my left hand more just because I'd learned that doing so increases “brain power” and I can't get enough of that these days. I also use voice recognition software to complete the numerous summaries I have to write for the gazillion papers I have to read. However, I can't afford the $2K software that understands biomedical terms, so this often proves to be an exercise in extreme patience more than getting my assignments done in a timely fashion.

                                    *my quadruple screen work station
Movin' on, I'm also neck deep in my Orgo review for the MCAT and that's going well too mainly because I have a client taking Orgo I & II this summer. It's funny to be teaching a course I once flunked TWICE but I'm always amazed by what a little confidence and hard work can do! I just struggle to get my Orgo students to do the same!
Other news is that my kid and I have transitioned from a mother/daughter relationship, to being more like roomates and it's kinda fun. Until she drinks the last root beer soda (my favorite) and forgets to get more when we go grocery shopping. :( She's basically learning to be an adult even though she lives at home because I REFUSE to add another spoiled, irresponsible, entitled young adult to a population already filled with a LOT of them! She also started college ~1.5 weeks after graduating a high school and while a felt a teeny, tiny bit of pity for her not having much of a break, her full scholarship/participation in the Honors STEM program at her school came with certain responsibilities. Like starting college soon after graduating high school, so my “Black Tiger Mom” advice to her was to “suck it up and be thankful to God for this opportunity”. That said, she's adjusting quite well and I'm very proud of her efforts!!

The most important accomplishment in my ENTIRE life....

.....getting my only kid to college with a full scholarship in hand to study Engineering this Fall!

Of course, I actually forgot her graduation date until my sister/friend/kid's godmother sent me an email the Sunday before last Friday's graduation letting me know when her flight would arrive the coming Thursday. And my first thought when I received her text message was "why is she flying out here a week early"?? DUH!!! So I didn't actually forget DD's graduation, I got the date mixed up by one week, which probably sounds just as bad!

In reflecting over this past year, I had a TON of doubt that moving to hot a$$ Texas just before her Senior year was the best thing to do. But she hated high school much until we did move, that she was going to graduate a year early. So everything worked out in the end she loved her Senior year and made great friends. OTOH, she didn't get nearly the academic accolades she would have received had we stayed at her old high school in Maryland and she not transferred to a new high school last November (too late for Tennis season and selection to the Honor Society :( ). But she did manage to make the Honor roll for 3 of 4 quarters and sat first chair in the violin section in the Orchestra. Most importantly, her education will be completely free thanks to her scholarship and selection to the Honors program for Engineering students at her University. Most significant for me though, is that there's a TON of diversity at her university including in STEM programs which was of the upmost importance to me. I strongly believe that her seeing other brown girls studying in STEM, will have a HUGE impact on both her social and academic life!

Moving on, things are going great for me as well, not too much to update with other than what I've already said a thousand times before, I LOVE my life here in hot a$$ Texas!! :)