Essay finished!

Well, I really enjoyed reading for that essay, however, writing it, not so much.  I probably wrote about 10,000 words in total and then deleted them time and time again.  I became very frustrated with myself and my lack of clarity towards the end and I was very glad to finally hand it in yesterday.  I can now get on with the second part of the very exciting project I was involved in during the summer holidays.  

I am managing to drive short distances, but I can only drive one of our cars, I don't have enough strength to drive the other as it is a 4x4 which is mildly irritating as I do rather enjoy driving that car, but I'm sure I'll be able to in time.  Physio is really annoying, always hurts afterwards and I'm relatively sure my physio forgets that I'm not particularly fit these days, hey ho, it must be doing some good as I only seem to limp when it is cold now or I've been walking for a while.  I'm just so grateful to be back on two legs. 

I'm still sending out volunteering applications as I wasn't able to do any of my placements during the summer, stressing slightly that this will reduce my chances of getting into medical school, but keeping my fingers firmly crossed that it won't.  Lovely sunny day here, but I'm happily inside working (now my essay is over and done with!) no more to hand in until the new year, although I already have lots of reading ready for the next one.  

I'm really looking forward to Christmas already this year, we're going to put the Christmas decorations up later so we'll be feeling all festive.  After my mum died I really started to hate Christmas, but since meeting and marrying my other half, it is all exciting and fun again!  Hope you're not all working too hard, and you're enjoying Christmas shopping.

I can walk again!

Finally as of Wednesday I have been walking around without my crutches!  I'm still pretty slow, and I have a limp mainly due to the fact that I can't stretch my ankle enough to have a regular walking stance yet, however, I am having physio on it so, so far so good.  It still feels pretty weak and if I walking too far or over stretch it is a little sore but the improvement is massive.  

We haven't had many Uni lectures over the last 3 weeks or so, and to be honest I really don't like these long gaps in my timetable.  However, at least now I can walk I can volunteer once we break up for the Christmas holidays which will be great.  I've been anxious to get on with some volunteering for quite some time now.   I'm busy writing my essay, with another 3 weeks remaining until it is due.  The essay is a topic I'm really interested in so it isn't a chore doing my reading for it - always a positive.

I also became an Auntie again this week - I have the most beautiful nephew ever!  We're all absolutely smitten with him of course - all in all, a lovely couple of weeks. 

Busy

Firstly, I apologise for my absence, it has been a rather hectic month to say the least.  

I am STILL on crutches, after my MRI I went back and saw my specialist and I had indeed damaged my anterior ligaments pretty badly, so I spent 3 weeks in plaster.  I'm now still recuperating and although things seem to be improving, I'm still on crutches, going to see my specialist again next week, and I'm hoping for some good news!  Although I have canceled my Christmas snowboarding holiday as I don't think I'll be strong enough for that for some time. 

Uni is going really well, the project I was involved with over the summer has progressed and I'm still really enjoying working towards it.  I have an essay due soon so I'm working hard for that and I'm making my notes ready for my exam in January.  My better half is currently working hard on an essay too, so our home life currently consists of note making with candles and a brief pause for dinner.  

It has been a busy old month and I'm hoping that things will be easier once I can actually walk around again - I haven't been able to volunteer due to health and safety which has been ridiculously frustrating.  Fingers crossed it'll all be back to business as usual soon!

Plastered

So, I had my MRI Monday night, I've had plenty of MRI scans on different injuries in the past, but this was pretty uncomfortable!  My ankle was in a position which made my leg spasm which wasn't nice at all!  On the upside it was quite warm and they played nice music for me. 

I had the results last night, and I'm now in plaster to see if the ligaments will heal, perfectly timed as I have uni starting on Friday!  I've waited AGES to go back to Uni, I really can't wait, but now I've got to get there unable to drive and I've got to hobble everywhere.  

Ah well, not a lot I can do about it, apart from keep my fingers crossed that it heals as I really really don't have time for surgery!  

MRI

As I mentioned previously in an earlier blog post, I'm accident prone!  I hurt my ankle nearly a month ago, thinking I'd be driving a few days later, yet I'm still on crutches!  It turns out I've got to have an MRI to see which ligament I've torn, which is mildly frustrating to say the least, however my Orthopedic Surgeon is hopeful it won't require surgery and can be treated with injections so fingers crossed!  I shall find out the result next week.  I really need this fixed asap as I start uni again in 9 days time, and I really really need to be able to drive!

As I can't walk unaided, and I can't drive or do anything, I've been doing lots of reading which is great, getting myself ready for next term, and also working on developing the project I was involved in over the summer which I'm really excited about.  As I haven't been able to start my voluntary placement on time due to my ankle being able to develop the project has really made my week.  

I really can't wait to start my 2nd year!  My partner (who is studying part time) has already started working so we're getting back into our usual pattern that we established last year, I also noticed that when we woke up this morning it was still dark!  I don't mind this as I'm quite a big fan of winter these days but I really don't like the rain, so I'm kind of hoping for a frosty, dry, winter this year - although I doubt we'll be so lucky! 

I hope you're all having a good week, whatever it is you're doing!

This time next year

I'm thinking about my degree and med school application for about 90% of my day presently.  It may be due to the time of year, as people who are in the year above me at University are about to take the GAMSAT and are getting all of their personal statements together ready to apply, and I keep thinking how this time next year this will actually be me.  I'll be taking the exam that keeps me awake at night with worry, and sending off my personal statement hoping that I have enough work experience and voluntary work to secure me an interview, then worrying solidly about said interview should I be lucky enough to have one...then I'll be worrying about making sure I get a 2:1....

But what I can't help feeling is that although I'm nervous about it all, I wish it was now not next year!  I'd love to be sending off my UCAS application and sitting the GAMSAT and UKCAT this year...I know it seems bizarre but the whole process really excites me!  I don't know how I will feel in 12 months time about it sure, but I know that right now all I can think about is how much I REALLY want the opportunity to study and practice medicine!!!  I love my undergraduate degree, I can't wait to go back to uni (despite the fact that I am still on crutches and getting to uni is actually going to be really difficult if my ankle isn't better by the end of the month) and I'm certainly not wishing my time on this course away at all as I love it, I just can't help thinking about this time next year! 


Fingers crossed I'll be well organised and the GAMSAT won't be as bad as it has been made out to be so far!

Normal Service Will Hopefully Resume Shortly...

So, it seems that I was mistaken, my kidney was sore, however that wasn't what was causing me pain.  I'm still in pain.  I went to the doctor at the start of last week, my dr thought it might be a water infection and gave me EVIL antibiotics, which didn't help at all.  I went back and was told by another doctor that I don't have a water infection, and I've had blood tests to see if I've got gastritis.

I get my blood test results back on Monday, hopefully it will be conclusive as I don't really know what happens if they're not...

I miss eating properly and drinking coffee so hopefully won't be in pain for much longer!  You'd think that after exams I'd be happy to lie down all day doing nothing, the answer is a big fat NO!  I'm ridiculously bored and I've had to cancel a week of plans... I have plans next week too so I have to get it fixed!!!! 

Fingers crossed I can get it fixed soon, ironically I'm an awful patient!  
 

Reading for Pleasure

Having had a busy first year at uni, reading (which is something I really adore doing) for pleasure has been a neglected pastime of mine.  Obviously since September I could probably have read on many occasions, however I chose not to, as I have a tendancy, if I really love a book, to get completely engulfed by it.  I lose hours of my days reading it - something which would not have been conducive to finishing my essays or revision.  I'm going to work on it, as I really do miss reading during term time!  

Anyway, I started reading 'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold several days ago, and I couldn't put it down - it was an amazing novel, so beautifully written!  It was so emotive, I found it incredibly calming, which considering the subject matter, I was not expecting.  If you haven't read it, I wholeheartedly suggest that you do, you won't be disappointed.  

A distinctly non-medicine related post, however, I am on vacation...I'm off to choose my next book from my bookshelves. 

First Year Over!

Well, rather bizarrely I've finished my first year (results pending!) of my BSc.  I didn't think I'd feel anything aside from relief, but I have to be honest I'm going to miss going to lectures.  The one thing I do find frustrating about the University system here in the UK is the long holidays; I'll be off for 4 months.  Whilst I am going to utilise this time to the best of my ability, with volunteer work, work experience etc and of course reading in preparation for next year, I can't help wishing for shorter holidays, or perhaps that is just my student loan talking, if the holidays were not quite so substantial maybe degrees could be completed in just over 2 years instead of the standard 3...

That said, it has been a demanding year for me, a new experience, and has completely driven home to me just how much I want to study medicine when I graduate - scarily only 2 years from now!  So essentially I shall be spending the next 4 months working towards that goal, which may not sound as exciting as jet-setting around the world, but I think personally for me, it is something I'd much rather be doing (although I do have a 2 week holiday abroad thrown into the middle of it). 

For now, this weekend, whilst the sun is shining and the sky is blue, I am going to go walking with my camera and my family - one of my favourite things in the world to do. I am also going to read for pleasure - something I have not done since September!!  I know, I'm not particularly rock and roll - small pleasures. 

Introduction

I have always enjoyed reading other people's blogs, yet I felt I had very little to write about as a 'blogger' myself.  Then I realised that I am about to start something that I consider to be pretty big - I'm going to apply to medical school  and I figured that it may well be of interest to others who are about to embark on the same (terrifying) journey.  

I'm currently a mature student studying for my Undergraduate degree.  I'll be applying in 2012 for entry to graduate entry medicine in 2013, and I'm relatively sure that I won't be alone with my angst about work experience, the GAMSAT and UKCAT.  I hope that (if I remember to blog often enough) this will serve as a diary for me to look back on and reflect on the whole process.  

Anyway, I have exams at the end of the week, so I will be spending the rest of this week revising!  If you have a twitter account I am also on there as:
@iwanttobeamedic 


Thanks for reading!