Of Mice and Midbrains

It's just after 2 p.m., I've turned in my exam, but still have to wait around until 3:30 to do a 20 point section on neuroanatomy cross sections. I feel pretty good about the exam, I studied like crazy and I think it's all finally paid off.

I should be studying cross sections, but I decided killing time was far more worth my while. And it lets me find really interesting stuff, such as this MC Hammer music video online. Since I'm just finishing a block on neurology, my first thought when watching Master Hammer dance was that he had bilateral hemiballismus, which is a problem caused by a lesion to the subthalamic nucleus in the brainstem. People with hemibalism tend to have wild erratic flailing movements because they've lost a part of the brainstem that helps suppress random movements.

Is Hammer a medical case? You decide...

In other news, I am flying out of Kansas City to head to Guatemala, for a one week medical mission. I'll spend four days working in a clinic in the mountains with some other students, nurses, and a resident physician. I am so excited to go, but I'm even more excited to sleep all the way there.

Circumstance, Coincidence

Lately, I've been thinking about Tyler. His desk chair and his electric razor are two things of his that I kept (many people who knew him took items that belonged to him, to put them to use instead of going to trash and to remember him by). Sitting in what was once his chair, I can "visit" with him, in a sense. I know others who knew him are doing the same when they look at pictures, or what they kept of his. "You are the salt of the earth. Buf if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." --- Jesus, Matthew 5:13-16 This was the foundation for my fri...

Lexington Square

Lexington Square Originally uploaded by Dr Peppers . Here's a shot of the courtyard inside my townhouse complex. Just one of a few of the photos I made with my new camera . Check out my photo feed here The rest of this weekend, however, will most likely be devoted to studying and taking practice quizzes. Hopefully, at least.

Obsession

I have a habit of not updating this thing often enough. I need to work on that whole consistency thing in the midst of the rest of life’s distractions. Class has just resumed. I’ve been back in town about a week now after driving back and forth across the state for almost a week. Being back at school is almost a relief to the constant driving. This block our focus is on neurology. From the first day it is pretty apparent that it will be a challenge; just the terminology alone makes neurology seem its own language apart from medicine as a whole. On the other hand, learning about the brain is paired with learning about behavioral sciences. Currently, we’ve been having lectures on substance abuse and sexual behavior. I was talking to a fellow classmate today about why we’re both interested in the potential medical fields we are. He plans to specialize in one of the most intensive medical fields there is, if not the most intensive field there is. I don’t doubt for one minute he will fail t...

Rural Rounds

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