That is where I am right now, awkward time, crunch time, whatever, it's happening to me. I had an absolutely wonderful time at home for my week long Thanksgiving break. It was wonderful in the fact that it was normal which at the same time is a problem because I feel like I am boring my blog readers! Anyway, so what if boring makes me happy - this is Thanksgiving break in a nutshell: relaxing at home, reading a book, having David's parents over for dinner with my fam, random night out at Rio Grande, spontaneous trip to Jungle Jim's, touring NKU with my Uncle Anthony, Twilight movie and Bar Louie with Hannah and Maria, Thanksgiving at my house, playing/loving/cuddling with my baby girls, shopping with my aunts and mom, sushi night with the family, partying at Jason's, date night with David... lots of my favorite things all in one week!!
Now back at JMU I have two weeks of classes and then a week of final exams. I'm feeling pretty confident that the end of the semester will end smoothly. My cohort is having a good bye holiday dinner the week before finals. I'm looking forward to it! We all have gotten so busy that I'm glad we plan things to keep in touch and help us feel like we have social lives!
As some of you may know, or remember from a previous post, I have a big problem with my itchy skin! It landed me in Urgent Care with an infection! Soon after finishing the medications I was prescribed it came back worse than ever, on my arms, chest, and face too! I was able to squeeze into the visiting physician's assistant (who focuses in dermatology) at JMU's health clinic and she gave me lots of home remedies and more medication. It cleared up for awhile but didn't go away like she said it would. So frustrating! Luckily, I had an appointment over Thanksgiving break with my dermatologist at home. She was all ready for me and had a plan of action! Then she found out that I wouldn't be in town after that week and she advised I see someone in VA who can do closer follow up. So frustrating!!
This really brings me to the point of my story though. I visited the dermatologist we very luckily got an appointment with in Wayneboro, VA today. She was slightly scatterbrained but she got right to it! She looked at my skin and started taking samples for testing. She thinks I have something with inflamed hair follicles and eczema. The eczema makes me itch which irritates the follicles and causes all the markings and infections and creates a cycle. However, to be sure and follow what my doctor at home wanted they took a biopsy and removed a sample of my skin for testing. They numbed my leg so I didn't feel anything but in that moment, lying on my stomach in a paper robe in a tiny room with strangers touching me, all I could do was pray. Pray that they found what has been bothering me for over a year now. Pray that they knew what they were doing. Pray that I could be brave. Pray for others who don't have the opportunity to take action.
After they were finished stitching me up (I go back in two weeks to get the stitches removed and learn the test results.) and left me alone to get dressed again I stood there for a few minutes. It was like I hit a wall. I, in my socks, underwear, and now torn and bloody paper robe, am working on my Master's degree while living on my own in Virginia. I am an adult. How did this happen? How did I grow up and learn how to do things like stay calm and ask the right questions when someone was taking a "punch" out of my thigh? Why do I have to do this alone? Why can't my mom be here this time too? It was like I was feeling a sense of pride (for going through all of this - biopsy, moving, grad school) and fear (for knowing I'm capable and have to take care of myself). It was so weird. I need some more time to think about it all maybe but it just feels surreal.
All in all, I hope we get some answers from these tests but until then I have two new medications to try! The women at the Kroger Pharmacy sure are getting tired of seeing me! Another note of interest for all you followers - I now get "no signal" every time I turn on my TV. You know my love of Comcast - how could such a well organized company mess up something like ohh you know, their service!!??? (Can you hear the sarcasm?!) I am getting other things accomplished such as blogging so I can't complain too much but you can bet as soon as I call them they won't hear the end of it!!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Where, oh where, has the time gone?!
I can't believe that I only blogged once in October! I am so ashamed! One of my goals of when I moved out on my own was to spend more time on myself and blogging has been a really good way for me to reflect and relax. The fact that I haven't done so since October should tell you something - I have been so busy, not lazy!, very busy!
I guess I'll throw out a few of the most important things that happened but I'll try to keep this brief. I know my mom doesn't like to take too much time reading an extra long blog!
Since mid-October my students have been giving presentations on mental health issues. As part of my assistantship I have to attend every program that they put on. Most of my evenings are spent listening about various topics, many times, the same topic over and over. However, before participants show up and after they leave I get to have some one on one time with my students and I really enjoy that. I hope I am able to keep in touch with them after they are done with their internship because I can see us being friends later! One girl helped me with a special project and let me video tape her while she answered questions about our jobs. I wish I could post them because she did so well but she would not be very happy with that!! Last weekend I also took my students on a cultural immersion day long field trip. It was very cool and I think they were challenged to think in new ways!
I was also lucky enough to be able to attend the Association of College Unions International Conference that was held at UNC Charlotte. This conference is for people that work in Student Unions, like I did in undergrad. I don't work in a Union now but I am still interested in that area. Most importantly though my friends from NKU would be at this conference!! I was able to drive down with JMU folks and then stayed in a hotel room with Sarah, the Director of the Union at NKU, and Leah, my old roommate and the Reservations Coordinator at NKU. It was so much fun! I loved spending having a little piece of home with me and am very excited for NKU to be hosting the conference next year. We were able to learn, talk, laugh, craft, share, eat, sleep together! Lots of it was just like when Leah and I lived together! One night Sarah popped a leftover Subway chocolate chip cookie into the microwave and we split it three ways and then I popped a bag of popcorn (which was given to me by coffee guy downstairs) so we could get a sweet and salty fix. It was so nice being with them. And it was good to get back to my Student Union roots! I planned on featuring a whole blog about my trip with them so I hope they are satisfied with this little condensed version!
David, David, David! He has seriously been the best long distance boyfriend I could have ever dreamed of. One night we planned a Skype date to watch "Going the Distance" together, a movie about long distance relationships. During the day he had flowers delivered to me at work! I was so surprised!! We had an awesome weekend together the last weekend of October. He came to visit me in Hburg just in time for a snow storm! We got about 6 inches of snow! This ruined our plans to go hiking so we bought pumpkins at the Farmer's Market (for $2 a piece!), cooked chili, watched scary movies (and sports), carved our pumpkins, baked apple crisp, and drank apple cider. We also went shopping at an old fashioned Amish market, had a couple nice meals out, and went to church. Time of course flew by and left me alone on Halloween with lots of candy and no trick-or-treaters! Good thing I bought candy I enjoy :) I am a very lucky girl though and David is coming back to Harrisonburg this weekend! Jason (one of our best friends) is coming too! It will be his first time seeing the place, besides my Skype tour. We are planning on going to the JMU football game on Saturday, the last home game of the year. I'm also looking forward to being able to show Jason my apartment, campus, and downtown.
Last week I had a really crazy week. It was mid-term time and I sure felt it! My theory course assigned 8 questions (which had half a dozen other questions in each questions). On the exam day we walked in and were randomly assigned a small group. We were then given one question to work on and one hour to create a 20 minute presentation and be prepared to answer a 10 minute question session from our professors. Talk about stressful!! My cohort had a couple of group study sessions and were very prepared! I think we all did well but it still wasn't fun! The next day I had to give another presentation in my Student Services class. This one was on Fraternity and Sorority Life. I was lucky to have tow fantastic NKU alums help me with that. Lastly, my American Higher Ed class had a research paper due on Monday this week. I think I am finally caught up!
A few other things happened in this time frame that I will try to mention quickly. First, I was officially assigned as the practicum student for Blue Ridge Community College. This means next semester I will be working there for 10 hours a week. I am super excited!! Second, I visited the JMU Health Center to meet with the dermatologist who is in the office every other Tuesday. You see, after finished my prescriptions from urget care my "rash" came back all over my body, not just on my legs! It was very itchy and irritating! She diagnosed me with a skin disorder and gave me a steriod cream and many other at home remedies I could try. I'm still in that process and will be seeing a dermatologist for follow up at home over Thanksgiving break. Third, my friends from Georgia, Maggie and Craig, had the entire cohort plus significant others over to their apartment for a low country boil! We ate sausage, potatoes, shrimp, and corn off of newspapers, enjoyed corn bread on the side, drank homemade sweet tea, and ended the night with peach cobbler. It was delicious and so much fun to have everyone together! My friend Kristin, from New Jersey, is thinking about doing an Italian night. I really hope she does!
I have a week long Thanksgiving break and am looking forward to quality time with my family! My wonderful mother sends me encouraging cards in the mail and it makes my day every single time. Sorry that this once again ended up so long... I have a feeling that my New Year's resolution will have to do with a commitment to blogging! That's all for right now everyone! Thanks for keeping me in your prayers.
I guess I'll throw out a few of the most important things that happened but I'll try to keep this brief. I know my mom doesn't like to take too much time reading an extra long blog!
Since mid-October my students have been giving presentations on mental health issues. As part of my assistantship I have to attend every program that they put on. Most of my evenings are spent listening about various topics, many times, the same topic over and over. However, before participants show up and after they leave I get to have some one on one time with my students and I really enjoy that. I hope I am able to keep in touch with them after they are done with their internship because I can see us being friends later! One girl helped me with a special project and let me video tape her while she answered questions about our jobs. I wish I could post them because she did so well but she would not be very happy with that!! Last weekend I also took my students on a cultural immersion day long field trip. It was very cool and I think they were challenged to think in new ways!
I was also lucky enough to be able to attend the Association of College Unions International Conference that was held at UNC Charlotte. This conference is for people that work in Student Unions, like I did in undergrad. I don't work in a Union now but I am still interested in that area. Most importantly though my friends from NKU would be at this conference!! I was able to drive down with JMU folks and then stayed in a hotel room with Sarah, the Director of the Union at NKU, and Leah, my old roommate and the Reservations Coordinator at NKU. It was so much fun! I loved spending having a little piece of home with me and am very excited for NKU to be hosting the conference next year. We were able to learn, talk, laugh, craft, share, eat, sleep together! Lots of it was just like when Leah and I lived together! One night Sarah popped a leftover Subway chocolate chip cookie into the microwave and we split it three ways and then I popped a bag of popcorn (which was given to me by coffee guy downstairs) so we could get a sweet and salty fix. It was so nice being with them. And it was good to get back to my Student Union roots! I planned on featuring a whole blog about my trip with them so I hope they are satisfied with this little condensed version!
David, David, David! He has seriously been the best long distance boyfriend I could have ever dreamed of. One night we planned a Skype date to watch "Going the Distance" together, a movie about long distance relationships. During the day he had flowers delivered to me at work! I was so surprised!! We had an awesome weekend together the last weekend of October. He came to visit me in Hburg just in time for a snow storm! We got about 6 inches of snow! This ruined our plans to go hiking so we bought pumpkins at the Farmer's Market (for $2 a piece!), cooked chili, watched scary movies (and sports), carved our pumpkins, baked apple crisp, and drank apple cider. We also went shopping at an old fashioned Amish market, had a couple nice meals out, and went to church. Time of course flew by and left me alone on Halloween with lots of candy and no trick-or-treaters! Good thing I bought candy I enjoy :) I am a very lucky girl though and David is coming back to Harrisonburg this weekend! Jason (one of our best friends) is coming too! It will be his first time seeing the place, besides my Skype tour. We are planning on going to the JMU football game on Saturday, the last home game of the year. I'm also looking forward to being able to show Jason my apartment, campus, and downtown.
Last week I had a really crazy week. It was mid-term time and I sure felt it! My theory course assigned 8 questions (which had half a dozen other questions in each questions). On the exam day we walked in and were randomly assigned a small group. We were then given one question to work on and one hour to create a 20 minute presentation and be prepared to answer a 10 minute question session from our professors. Talk about stressful!! My cohort had a couple of group study sessions and were very prepared! I think we all did well but it still wasn't fun! The next day I had to give another presentation in my Student Services class. This one was on Fraternity and Sorority Life. I was lucky to have tow fantastic NKU alums help me with that. Lastly, my American Higher Ed class had a research paper due on Monday this week. I think I am finally caught up!
A few other things happened in this time frame that I will try to mention quickly. First, I was officially assigned as the practicum student for Blue Ridge Community College. This means next semester I will be working there for 10 hours a week. I am super excited!! Second, I visited the JMU Health Center to meet with the dermatologist who is in the office every other Tuesday. You see, after finished my prescriptions from urget care my "rash" came back all over my body, not just on my legs! It was very itchy and irritating! She diagnosed me with a skin disorder and gave me a steriod cream and many other at home remedies I could try. I'm still in that process and will be seeing a dermatologist for follow up at home over Thanksgiving break. Third, my friends from Georgia, Maggie and Craig, had the entire cohort plus significant others over to their apartment for a low country boil! We ate sausage, potatoes, shrimp, and corn off of newspapers, enjoyed corn bread on the side, drank homemade sweet tea, and ended the night with peach cobbler. It was delicious and so much fun to have everyone together! My friend Kristin, from New Jersey, is thinking about doing an Italian night. I really hope she does!
I have a week long Thanksgiving break and am looking forward to quality time with my family! My wonderful mother sends me encouraging cards in the mail and it makes my day every single time. Sorry that this once again ended up so long... I have a feeling that my New Year's resolution will have to do with a commitment to blogging! That's all for right now everyone! Thanks for keeping me in your prayers.
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