Sunday Morning Ghostwriter

Hey everyone, this is Drew, making my return to blogging. Today I'm posting because its my favorite time of day. I woke up this morning at 7, didn't dare try to wake Marissa up at this hour, and I'm enjoying my coffee and the peaceful morning. You really do turn into your parents as you get older, lucky for me I have a great example to look forward to. There is something about the morning that is just relaxing. No one else is awake, you are alone with your thoughts, you can pretty much do what you feel like because, especially on a Sunday, you aren't expected to ANYTHING at this time. For an introvert like me, sometimes it can be all the 'me' time that I need for the week.
Enough about my love for mornings, on to recent happenings. Yesterday, I ran the Lincoln Memorial Half Marathon. Unlike last year, when I saved some energy at the start and finished strong, I started strong this year and was unexpectedly dragging at the end. I managed to keep my pace though and achieved my goal of an hour and 40 mins. I finished in 1:39, 89th out of 983 people. The results definitely made dragging myself through the last 2 miles worth it. I don't remember those hills at the end being so daunting last year.
Neuroradiology is the new business at school, for last week and this coming week. I love the anatomy, and it is really helping in that aspect. The course is helpful and interesting, but definitely falls into the category of "Reasons I am Destined to be a Surgeon." I am way to fidgety to sit in a room and look at scans all day. And while I say I am an introvert, I do miss the patient interaction as well, radiologists have very little of this. It is maybe the most rewarding aspect of medicine.
Now on to the most exciting part of the week: sports. It has been 2 LONG months since the Super Bowl. Nothing really happened, the anticipation for baseball season building with each passing week (who am I kidding, each passing day). Then sports fans were blessed with this weeks happenings. The Bears uncharacteristically traded for Jay Cutler. Jay Freaking Cutler. A real quarterback, unlike anything we have had for like 40 years. No more Cade McNown, Henry Burris, Moses Moreno, Jonathan Quinn, Craig Krenzel....I could do this for a while but will spare you. Now Jay Cutler has his critics, but I am excited about the Bears having a 6'3", 230lb, rocket-armed quarterback. A top ten quarterback makes your team a threat in every game. Period.
That trade was just a bonus for me, as my favorite time of year is upon us: Baseball Season. The Cubs open the season on Monday. Hope springs eternal. Every year produces the same excitement. For 6 months my mood will largely be based on the outcome of that day's game or the recent quality of play. My wonderful wife tolerates this extremely well while stepping in when necessary to remind me that it is only a game. And I agree with her for the most part, but those of you who take fandom to a sometimes unhealthy level like myself know that is not quite true. I rise and fall with the team and can only hope that they reciprocate my feelings. I realize how ridiculous that sounds to some of you but I can't help it. Maybe someday they will return my feelings with the ultimate gift to the fans.
So anyway, that's what goes through my mind on a Sunday morning. Have a great week everyone.

Ghostwriter

Trying something new on the blog tonight. I (Drew) will be ghost-writing for Marissa because I felt like posting tonight. Who knows, maybe it will happen more often. My OR experience today inspired me to write. Today the attending on gyne asked if I wanted to open (make the incision, go through a couple superficial layers of tissue). I actually managed to form words and tell him I would love to. Even the smallest things in an operation require skill that you just don't think about. Everything you do, every little movement potentially impacts the procedure and/or the patient's recovery. Today I feel I started to think more like a surgeon. I tried to stay more involved in the case, thinking about every move. Its completely different from being a student just trying to stay out of the way/stay awake. I already knew I wanted to be a surgeon, today was just a little taste of the future. It was fantastic, I have to do surgery, its an amazing feeling. In other med student news, Match Day is one year from today. The seniors match tomorrow. I'm nervous for them, and nervous for myself. I'm not a nervous person but I'm already a little high-strung over this. This will be a life altering year, everything I do for the next 12 months could impact where we end up. I'm trying to focus on just being the best medical student and future doctor that I can be and remember that if I take care of business and work hard the rest of it should fall into place. And of course, in my typical fashion, I'm doing things the hard way. There are certainly less competitive specialties than neurosurgery, not that I'm saying its easy to get into anything, but I went and picked one that people work as hard as they possibly can for 4 years or more and sometimes its still not enough. On more of a fun note, we get to see the family this weekend for Gaston's first birthday! Some time away from Springfield and thinking about school will be a welcome break.