Long Time No See.

So I know that I haven't been updating my blog as well as I should be. If you can put my absence aside I am totally willing to update more frequently. I have internet and a more stable housing situation (hopefully!) so I'll be putting out some more posts.

This is going to be a brief update, I'll add more as time goes on and I gather more stories. I have a certificate or two to scan and post so that everyone can see my Dean's List achievement. I also am going to try and get my teacher to let me take pictures of the classroom so that you all can see a glimpse of my school life. Who knows, maybe she'll even let me take a picture of me drawing on a patient. [:

Well, I guess that's all for now. I hope that everyone enjoyed their holiday season! I hope all is well.

Thank you for reading!
xox.Lela

[P.S- I would love some comments from people! I enjoy hearing what people think of the blog and see how everyone is doing.]

Blech.

I'm sick. I haven't felt very good for the last few days and I had to stay home today. I did go into school to take my test, which I hopefully did well on but I didn't get a whole lot of time to study.
Well, I'm gonna make this pretty short. My teacher STILL hasn't given back the Unit 2 Exam and I'm not happy. I did get a really good grade on my Terminology test, only missed one!

Alright, I'm out. I'll let everyone now what goes on this weekend.
xox.Lela

Frustration.

Ugh. Today has been not so much fun. I had to get lab work done at noon, so I wasn't able to go into school on time. It took an hour to get seen and thirty seconds for the blood draw. Lame.

I rushed to school to be able to take the spelling test. (I think that I did really well on it :] ) When I got there I found out that my teacher was out for the day. We had an AMAZING substitute who was super nice to me and so knowledgeable about the field. She let us in on some procedures with processing blood that they use out in the "real world" that our teacher hadn't even mentioned. Students in the course who were finishing their program and about to enter their externships were so excited to get the inside knowledge. And the three of us who are just starting are so glad to learn this now and not later.

The only problem having a substitute is that we didn't get our graded Unit Exam's. For some reason this test is making me a bit anxious, so hopefully I have a good grade on it. If not an A, I think I'll settle for a B.
Well, I'll give the grade update tomorrow when I (hopefully) get my grade back. Also, I'll keep everyone updated on the blood work thing. I'm thinking of adding a new page just for "me outside of school" updates.
So that's all for tonight, I'll post asap. But I'm off to pick David up from work!
Send good thoughts on the test grade,
xox.Lela

Sleepy Seconds.

So I can only say that relief is all I feel at the end of the second week of school! Though I have actually been enrolled and attending school for about a month now, I have yet to adjust to the schedule. I am sleeping less and unable to get to bed early still.

It's definitely a bummer. But I can say that the second week of the actual program has been fun. I had two tests this week, a spelling test on terminology (a.k.a vocab) and a Unit Exam on urinalysis and the procedures involved.

I did well on the spelling test, only missed two, but I'm a little nervous about the Unit Exam. I think that I did well, I second guessed myself on three questions, I'm just worried that the information didn't stick as well as the last exam. Last test was very visual. Since we were learning the path that blood took to become urine we could chart it through the kidney's. This test was mostly memorization, learning about all of the terms used and kinds of urinalysis.

Hopefully I'll know what my grade is on Monday, and hopefully it's an A! If my luck continues it will be, I've been working on studying so hard I think I deserve it.

Well, I think that's about it. I'll be updating on Monday and letting everyone know what grade I got and how I think I did on my third terminology test (also Monday). I hope that everyone's weekend is going well!
Wish me luck!
xox.Lela

In the Beginning.

So it's not really the very beginning of my schooling but in the whole scheme of things I am just starting. I have already completed GS 101: Starting College. I learned valuable study, test taking, and note taking skills. (And since I am officially the youngest person in the program it was all pretty much review of what the four years in high school taught me.)

Currently, I am in Mod D of A-G. This Mod is all about the Urinary System and urine processing. My day is split into two major groups, Lab and Lecture. We start the day with blood draws and urinalysis in Lab.
Oh the joy of waking up in the morning and looking forward to a day filled with testing my classmates pee.
But it's not so bad, I am also learning the basics of capillary draws (finger pricking and filling tiny glass pipettes), and straight needle syringe draws (pretty self explanatory).

I was really nervous to actually stick a needle into someone until I did it. It was surprisingly easy and a little bit exhilarating. Nothing better to get the heart pounding then finding a suitable vein and actually drawing someones blood. And since all the students are not only learning how to do their draws but also the ones who get the draws practiced on, it makes for an interesting setting.

Last Thursday,11.04.10, I got to be the guinea pig to an innocent blood draw. Unfortunately, the fates were having none of it and I passed out in class. It was probably the MOST embarrassing thing that has happened to me in a school setting. Luckily, all my lovely peers were supportive and  encouraging when I got back to school. And who would have thunk, I'm not the only kid it's happened to. A good three people reassured me that they too had passed out while having their blood drawn. What's more, another half a dozen or so retold stories of breakdowns and panic attacks at things like their first Unit Exam or Mod Final.

Now, with (hopefully) the worst behind me I can move forward and learn more about the wonder of the human body.
I'll keep everyone updated on test scores, funny stories, and I'll make sure to recap our weekly learning. Wish me luck in the world of mischief and medicine.
xox.Lela Mae