Lifescouts: Bowling Badge

Hello!

I think some of the badges for nerd week aren't necessarily activities done solely by nerds, but I guess I would think things like that because I am a nerd.

I've been bowling many times, but I'm not an amazing bowler that can get a perfect 300 or a horrible bowler, just average. At the university I transferred from, there was a bowling alley in the student union. It was really cheap to play and included rental shoes and the bowling ball. It also didn't have the customary cigarette smell that a lot of the bowling alleys in my hometown have. It was in that bowling alley that I had bowled last. I went with the girls of my Bible study as well as the freshmen boys study. It was a really great time to bond with other people and just blow off some steam. Then afterwards we went to the dining hall for "Cookie Break" where they give you two free cookies and a cup of milk for free as long as you are a student. I really miss those kids. . . 

Badge count: 18

Lifescouts: Observatory Badge

Hi!

I think I'm getting better at writing shorter posts. Or maybe I just have less to say about things right now. Do you guys prefer the longer or shorter posts?

First off I want to say that this badge is really pretty to me. I don't really know why but it looks so cool and realistic. My observatory experience comes from some fieldtrip I went on while I was in elementary school. There's a local science center in my hometown where my elementary school loved to take us depending on what we were learning about in science class. I don't actually know what the science center does, like if research actually goes on there or if it's just to give enriching science experiences for kids. Either way, they have an observatory and we got to go in and look at the stars. I specifically remembering my teacher telling us that if we fell asleep we would be in big trouble. I remember thinking that everything was really cool and trying to memorize the different constellations, but I couldn't really tell you any of that information now. Still it was a fun fieldtrip.

Badge count: 17

Lifescouts: Scrabble Badge

Hello!

As the days continue on, its starting to hit me that I'm almost done with my sophomore year of college. And if that wasn't enough of a wake-up call, I have to start prepping for the MCAT and thinking about medical schools. But to keep me in my unrealistic world of never growing up for a little while longer, I'll save the "ahhh, is my life on track" post for another time.

My streak has been broken by the marching band badge. I guess that's what happens when I play the piano and physically cannot march on the field playing my instrument with my high school marching band. However, I have played scrabble. . . badly. I've never sat down and played the physical game with three other friends, but have played it online. And no I'm not talking about Words With Friends because I'm not sure if that counts. The thing about scrabble for me is that I never really got into it. I always felt limited by the letters I had and the letters on the board, because I hope it's not my vocabulary that hindered me. Either way, scrabble is a good game to play when trying to figure out who is the most creative and verbally savvy person in your friend group.

Badge count: 16

Lifescouts: Rubik's Cube

Hi!

I'm on a roll with these nerd badges!

The Rubik's cube is something that I wouldn't have gotten interested in if it wasn't for my mom. I don't remember why she got so interested but she wanted to learn how to solve it and thus so did I. We started out messing around with this miniature Rubik's Cube keychain that isn't even Rubik's brand. In fact we messed with it so much that the stickers started to come off and the pieces fall apart. By that time I was literally putting the pieces together. So my mom decided to invest in a real Rubik's cube and it now sits completed on my desk at home. For I a while I kept trying to beat my time at how fast I could complete it, but I think I never got below 3 minutes. I actually wonder if I can still complete one. . .

Badge count: 15

ER Observation 2

Hello!

Today (3/14/13) I did my second day of shadowing in the ER. Same doctor, same hospital, but a whole lot more chaotic. Well maybe not a whole lot but definitely more eventful for me in regards of procedures.

The main thing that stands out in my mind is the code that came into the ER. I know this sounds really bad, but before I went for my first day of shadowing, I told my friend that I kinda wanted someone to code so I could see how a hospital tries to revive a patient. I guess I got my wish. . . in a really morbid way. I was with the doctor in a patient room getting a better history on a patient that came in due to lack of consciousness and some chest pain. Out in the hallway was some yelling and a gurney with a doctor doing compressions. One of the other doctors came in and asked if he could steal me and led me to the room where they were trying to revive the John Doe who came into the ER in cardiac arrest. The main difference I noticed from a code in real life and a code on TV is the speed of compressions administered to the patient. While on TV, it does appear rushed and urgent, it doesn't come close to the extent in real life. In order to revive a patient and continue blood profusion to the brain, you need to do 100 beats in a minute and those doctors/nurses/transport did a good job doing compressions at about 121 beats per minute. It was also exciting for me because I got to help slightly. If they needed more gloves, I got them gloves. I opened and prepared epinephrine when the nurses arms were full. And finally I held an IV pump so that fluids would be administered. Also, the whole rubbing paddles together and shocking the patient with 300 joules of electricity doesn't happen anymore. They have a defibrillator that delivers the shock for them and it only goes up to 200 joules. They did get a sinus rhythm for about 5 minutes but never got a strong pulse and eventually lost the rhythm. Sadly, they eventually decided to stop and call it.

In comparison, the rest of my day was a little uneventful. Rather than a theme of abdominal pain like Monday, today's theme was shortness of breath. Other than that I watched an echocardiogram done and and abscess removed.

I guess upon my immediate reflection of my shadowing at the ER, I realized I can handle the blood, stool, and puke that comes with being a doctor. All in all, this was a success.