I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Monday, October 8, 2012

Reboot Progress

I keep psyching myself out. So far this year we've had several "quizzes" (the tests being mid-term and final). And I'm not doing so well. It's a combination of things. Like having 3 different classes, the higher standards (94% is the cut off for an A), the schedule, and the aforementioned psych-out. So I've been scoring a high B on most of the quizzes (91-93%). But understand that this means one or two questions missed.

Today we had another one, and I psyched myself out for not thinking volvulus is a twisting of the intestine (I thought it was where one portion of intestine slides inside another, which I believe is intussusception, which I knew, but got mixed up). The other is a 50/50 call for making sure that the lower-margin of the abdomen is on the x-ray you should palpate the greater trochanter instead of the iliac spine. Well, the iliac spine is what you palpate to center your x-ray beam, but the greater trochanter equates to the synthesis pubis, which is the lower-margin of your abdomen. So I spent 3 minutes thinking it over and eventually selected the greater trochanter which, IMHO, is correct (as it "makes sure" you get what you're looking for), but most of my fellow students put the iliac crest. Damn.

On the positive side I did score the clinical site I wanted. That is the Geauga Hospital. So if you're getting an x-ray there on a Friday starting October 26th, you may see me there. And if you wait until Thanksgiving and need a PA chest x-ray to make sure you just over ate, chances are I might be your tech (PA chests are very common and will probably be the first thing I comp on). And, it will be the second shortest commute I've had in my life at only 20-30 minutes.

Now the good news is for Patient Care (which is the pre-clinical class), I think I'm getting an A. However, it's only 2 credits. Radiologic Principles, which is where we learn how to position the patient to get the x-ray projection we want, I'm getting a high B (depends on how badly I screwed this quiz up). Now there are other assignments and evaluations of labs, but I don't know any of those grades, yet. I'm hoping with the test being longer and worth more (but they're comprehensive) to pull over a 94% (I'll be at 91-93% depending on today's quiz). In Intro to Radiographic Technology, I'm doing the same on the quizzes, but I know my scores on the other parts. For the points awarded so far I'm in the 97% range. Although for all these classes the "exams" will be the majority of our grade.

Now, a little about the schedule. I typically leave by 7am for either work or class. And then I return home somewhere around 9pm Monday through Friday. And then that's when I eat dinner. Saturdays and Sundays, so far, are mine to study. Give the schedule of quizzes, exams, and assignments I'm pretty much studying all weekend. There's a little bit of free time, and I do sleep in. But to give you a sense of the time I have, my TV watching time this weekend was all used up while the Cleveland Browns were winning, and I missed the beginning of that game. I did get some Halloween decorations out, but I didn't go full bore this year.

The day thing has gotten used to the adjusted schedule (I think)… just in time for clinicals to muss it up. There has been lots of talk and debate about getting me a laptop so I can "work from home" (read as the time between class and lab, which would add an extra 4 hours to the week, and reduce my total commute time by an hour or more depending). With last week's exam I was able to go to work between class and lab on Wednesday (which I normally don't get to do) which added 2 hours to the total. And it made a huge difference to the week. You might not think it, but wow, I could feel it. So, maybe, if they can't pull it off with the laptop, I just might do it myself. It would seriously help once clinicals would start, and if they allow me to put the corporate licensed software on my personal laptop, I could swing the rest for less than $500. Maybe $600 with a large monitor for here at the house. Believe me it would be worth it. Even for just working on Saturday to stay home and put in 8 hours.

So, that's where we are. I've already had my first day of forgetting the schedule (actually, I forgot Bette's schedule and slept and extra 10 minutes which cut into her getting ready on her early days). And I am getting very worn out, and I think that contributed to part of my performance today. I don't know. I hope I have it in me to do this.

And now that it's Write-tober I'm feeling very antsy for not having written much lately. I've got stuff on cards and I've been feeding Scrivener a little of all three projects (four, but I haven't done much for the fourth). Another VP class is being forged and I'm feeling the time slipping away. I'm really hoping to do a close to NaNoWriMo level of work come the December break. Maybe with the more structured work day of the clinicals I might be able to get some done during lunch hour, if I can find a place to secure the laptop while I'm working. It feels like that part of my dream is withering on the vine and I struggle to keep my brain form sabotaging my aspirations. I feel at loose ends with the writing right now. I'll need to do something to feed that need soon.

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