Who took my life-jacket?

I did not do well in one of my courses which is already over at this point in the semester. I didnt fail but lets just say- I skinned by by the hair on my teeth. Frankly, I'm in shock over it. During orientation they warned us not to be grade obsessed and get all upset over less that optimal grades; with that said you never think that is going to be you when your sitting in your first week of vet school. Sure, sure, some poor chap will get bad grades and that sad sucker shouldn't feel bad about it, but hey thats not going to be you so just file that in the back of your brain somewhere and move along.
Then when reality comes and slaps you upside your head- you realize despite studying for hours and hours for an exam you just didnt get the grade you wanted or deserved and it is absolutely painful....and humilitating.

Quotes of the week

Point and shoot.....the way to remember what portion of the nervous system controls ejaculation > the parasympathetic

High, dry and tight.....the description of a FM animal when she is not ready to breed....not preferred unless you are a young, adolescent male. LOL

I LOVE VETSCHOOL!

Playing catch up

When I started this blog, I thought it would be a good way to record the next 4 years of my life. What I'm finding is that the next 4 years will be 1. filled with fun, new, interesting events that I want to remember and share every detail about and 2. so busy that I will unsuccessfully attempt to document even a third of what actually happened in vet school.
With this in mind, I have pledged to try and write at least weekly the highlight and lowlight of my week. Third week of vet school;

Highlight: Friday we got our cadaver dogs and it was udderly fantastic to do something with my brain and hands other than listen to leactures and type notes.

Lowlight: a. Bombed histo quiz number one and b. my buddy didn't get voted class president despite being the best person for the job.

Fully Orientated

As the sun set on our last day of freshman orientation, we were tasked with developing skits demonstrating example conflicts and the appropriate resolution techniques covered throughout the week. Our ten groups each made valient efforts and amused us all. There was the DISH soap info-mercial complete with Willie Hays (ie Billie Mays), a Dr. Phil talk show, Twix commercial and our group's Survivor Athens parody. It was a great ending to an exhausting week; after which all I can say is I'm actually looking forward to hitting the books.

Lesson 1 (aka Orientation: Day 1)

Things I learned today.

1. Rule 6: Don't take yourself so seriously
2. When in doubt always refer to rule 6
3. Its actually fun to be in a room full of people you dont know (but want to know)
4. In an attempt to participate in discussions, DO NOT become that person who never shuts up
5. Always check your horoscope BEFORE you leave the house.

Today's Aries horoscope:

You have been handed a "Get Out of Jail Free" card and now you cannot wait to use it. But don't be in too much of a hurry, or you'll just find yourself back in trouble. Even if you feel as carefree as a bird, it's not a good time to see how high you can fly. Start off slowly at first; real experience is much better than false confidence.

Moving on UP

YIPPEE! WE HAVE A GEORGIA HOUSE! Also our house here as a ratified contract and will be closing a month after schools starts. What a huge blessing and relief that my family will be able to join me in only 3 weeks after school starts. The house wasnt our first choice but I think its a good fit and we will be happy there for the next four years. Praise God.

Mommy Loves U

My date of departure grows ever closer. I found a house (or a room rather) to live in for school until our housing situation resolves. I'm renting a room from a divorced lady and her 2 kids. This is interesting since my own children will be 600 miles away. We put an offer on a house in GA and then received an offer on our house on basically the same day. I don't dare assume things are settled, but things are looking up. God is working through the details and I have feel a strange calm that things are going to work out. Perhaps its now safe to take a deep breathe and enjoy the anticipation of my first year. I'm off to pack up my clothes and spend some quality time with my kids and husband. It will be increasingly more emotional as the date of departure grows closer. How will I ever be able to look my children in the face and say goodbye? I just want to hug and kiss you all the time; as if some how I can save it all up for the impending dearth. Mommy loves you, darling.

Housing Woes

Still haven't found a place to live. E27 days and counting and I'm possibly going to be the first student to live in my car while attending vetschool. To tell you how stressed this whole situation has been, I've even contemplated not going. Yeah! Can you believe it. I'm totally ashamed. Fought 7 years to get here and I'm considering not going because of a little minor inconvenience like not having a place to lay my head at night. So, I threw myself a little pity party, cried, complained and then promptly reminded myself, to shut and and stop whining. I got accepted to VETSCHOOL! What the hell to I have to complain about. Thank you GOD for that. My apologies for complaining. But I do hope we get a house soon.
On another note, my big sib sent me some study notes for the first semester. I started looking over my millers and pasquini anatomy books and UGH, I'd forgotten how mind-numbing learning all that anatomy minutia is. Lightbulb......stress about no house......read anatomy book.....sleep like a rock. ZZZZZZZZZZZZ

19.5 credits

Another milestone behind me. Today, I registered for my first semester of vet school. 19.5 credits. Yikers! Thankfully not all those 19.5 credits are taken simultaneously, but still a daunting task. My house is still not sold. Thus I am now having to consider renting it out. Ugh! The thought of strange peoples in my home making a mess sends shivers down my spine. Also means I will have to rent in GA. Also a daunting task with 3 kids, a 3 yr old intact, male, 50lb pitbull and a FUS cat. Wow! I really hope I win the parking permit lottery- XX.

Southern pace

Now dont take this the wrong way, Im southern born and bred. Total G.R.I.T and proud of it. But I just dont understand why it takes southern schools so much longer than other schools to get with the program. Here we are short of a month away from day 1 and Im still waiting for information. Im know the date of required orientaiton (ie the day Im supposed to report), August 11th. Short of that, Im aimlessly wandering in "what the hell's going on?" land. Cum' on people I need to obsessively plan here. A book list, class list, school handbook, policies, required equipment, electives, computer info, rabies vaccine info.....SOMETHING**** ANYTHING!
Now, wouldnt it be wonderful if once we matriculate, we could benefit from this whole southern pace idea. Come to class whenever, turn in assignments whenever, take test whenever. But sadly Im thinking once we arrive, they will be cracking the proverbial whip. So long southern getalong.

Mixed Emotions

45 days. 45 days until I need to be in Athens. Excited as I am to finally be starting vetschool, I'm sad to let some things go. Our first home, the only home our children have ever known and my family. I started crying packing up baby clothes yesterday. Why? I'm absolutely sure I do not want anymore children. I think it was more because of the finality of the whole process. Baby clothes gone (check), vet tech career over (check), entire life turned upside down (check). I do fine with change, really. But its the ending of things familiar that gets me all blubberly. I realize that new and wonderful things are going to replace those lovely old memories. But dang, like an old comfortable blanket, Im really go miss 'um.

Becoming a research guinea pig

So as a vet student, Im required to be vaccinated against rabies. Rabies virus [hereto refered to as RV] (info courtesy of CDC.gov) infects the central nervous system, causing encephalopathy and ultimately death. Exposure is typically from a bite, but can be passed from saliva into an open wound or from blood to blood contact. Human vaccinations for rabies consist of either a pre- or post exposure protecal. The pre-exposure protecal consists of a series of 3 intramuscular (IM) injections. OUCH! The thought process is for those who are at an increased risk of exposure, (vets, animal control officers, vet technicians, ect.) these vaccinations will hopefully prevent the disease from occuring if indeed we are exposed.
The problem is that the vaccines are not covered by most health insurances (???) and as a lowly, soon to be broke, graduate student I can not afford to shell out $500 per injection for shots. Yep, that is correct! $1500 total for pre-exposure vaccines. Thanks to a shortage of vaccine (made by only one manufacturer) and the limited amounts of persons qualifying to receive the vaccine, the cost remains high. This is the reason, I was never vaccinated for RV as a LVT. Employers wont pay for it and insurance will only pay for post-exposure vaccines. (Okay, side bar, don't you just love the insurance companies.)
Anyway, so UGA sent us this info packet about a CDC study that is requesting vet students volunteers to be subjects to study the IM vaccine as a intradermal (ID) injection. Same vaccine, just different route. And we get the vaccines completey FREE! So, as you might have guessed, I totally jumped at the chance. Ain't research grand! :P****** PETA.

Im Going to Vetschool?

So, seriously, after so many failed attempts, I have to keep telling myself this over and over because it still hasn't sank in. I received a very vague phone call from MM at UGA the other day that sent me into a complete tizzy. I immediately thought the worst and surmised they had found something wrong in my application and were rescinding the offer. I stressed about it all day and then found out it was a simple error. I'd paid my seat deposit and application fees on one check...they needed to be seperate. O jez, is that all. It's a little sad; instead of feeling peacefully overjoyed, I have this impending sense of doom.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever and ever in the next.

Back Story

I've always wanted to be a veterinarian. What made me want to be a vet? I dunno, really. I just always knew thats what I wanted to be. I remember, I used to happen along roadkill in my neighborhood and while my friends would be totally grossed out, I would be looking around for a stick to so I could take a look-see inside the creatures innerds. For personal reasons, I'll choose not to go into here, I made the decision to become a veterinary technician first. I loved being a technician, but quickly realized I would never be satisfied until I was able to be a doctor. So, 6 years, a husband and one kid later, I started applying to veterinary school. I think I actually told someone it was going to be a piece of cake to get accepted with my background. HAH! The joke was so on me. Now, 15 years and 3 kids later (yep hubbie is still here as well) I finally got accepted. It's been a very emotional and financially exhausting trip to get here and Im told its going to be equally emotional and financially draining making through the next 4 years until graduation. But I think its gonna be worth it. At least I hope it is.

[Sorry, this was not my orginal first post. But, the first one was long and personal and I thought that people just happening upon this blog would be lost without some explanation. ]