My extra teeth
I'm thinking about no longer brushing my teeth. Now that I have backups, what use do I have for the originals?
Happy Birthday to Paul
Happy Birthday Paul! In lieu of sending you something you'd like, I took this picture for you on your birthday. Please don't be too disappointed. I'll buy you a big gulp when you get back this summer.
Wish you were here:
Perspective
from the samoans:
33 have died in the VT massacre.
233 souls died in Iraq in yesterday's bombings alone.
468 people are estimated to have died in Darfur yesterday from malnutrition and violence.
I don't think I'll wear those Hokie colors tomorrow afterall.
My mouth is numb
I've had an interesting day, and I thought I'd share it.
After the usual series of Wednesday morning classes, we had a lunch lecture (which I skipped), and I was scheduled for the dreaded first anesthesia clinic.
I don't really have many fears about using the techniques and methods that I've spent the last 2 and a half years learning. Instead, I have fears about having some other goober use them on me. The only thing worse than getting a shot at the dentist is getting a shot from a dentist who has never given one before.
And that's why I was dreading the anesthesia clinic today--because I was scheduled to receive injections from another student. Rumors have been swirling all semester about the horror stories from years past.
We had a brief little talk from our friendly oral surgeon that included things like this: "push it in unil you hit the bone... then back off a little." And "aspirate (suck with a needle) a little bit to make sure you're not injecting into an artery.
We were then released to our little cubicles to poke each other with needles attached to carpules of xylocaine--2% actually. Somebody had the foresight to supply us with the stuff without epinephrine (so the numbness went away sooner).
Despite my fears of the worst, things went nicely. The injections I recieved went fairly well, and it only hurt a little.
The first injection I gave went smoothly. The second, well.. it went almost as smoothly. She still got numb.
And on that note---so am I, and I really need to stop sucking on my numb cheek.
still...
Well, I'm still pretty well distracted. But I haven't seen much of Amber this week.
I have a pathology test tomorrow morning. I'm cramming my little brain full of random pathology facts as fast as I can, but some of it really leaves me baffled.
I do wonder...
Why is this dental student memorizing random facts about the glomeruler appearance of "Focal segmental glomerulonephritis" viewed with an electron microscope?
I can imagine the conversation now...
A patient walks in and says, "Hey doc, my tooth is killing me. But while you're taking a look at it, would you mind giving me some advice on the PAS staining characteristics of my membranous glomerulonephritis? I've been dying to know...
Instead of committing this stuff to long term memory, this dentist-to-be might have to refer patients asking about this to a nephrology specialist.
The weekend is almost here.
..like a lily among thorns, is my darling among maidens
It's been a while since my last post. I was distracted.