Pregnancy

I have had the joy of watching many friends suffer through their dreaded pregnancies. I've heard all the pregnancy complaints as their bodies expand and their emotions run wild. I have also heard many labor and breast feeding horror stories. And people wonder why I am not pregnant? I actually haven't minded avoiding most of these things thus far. However, lately I'm wondering if I too am suffering many of the same emotional symptoms such as mood swings, food cravings, tiredness, weepiness.

Mood Swings: For those of you who think I am pretty even keel, you should sit down and have a converstation with my husband. I have what he calls "the Rarrrr switch." He describes me as being so sweet and fun and cute one second and the next thing you know....RAARRR! Maybe he is right...who knows. I do remember walking out of church the other day. I'm happy, pleasant, and telling him all about the things we discussed in RS and the new girls I sat next to that day. He says something to the effect of, "yeah you girls were in their for quite a while after church ended what were you gossiping about?" I lost it..."WE WEREN'T GOSSIPPING!!!" I continue to go off on him about how I'm tired of him ALWAYS (not such a good word to toss around) putting me down, ect., ect. He didn't know what hit him.

Food cravings: I don't really crave food so much as when I'm hungy you better feed me before you try to talk to me. I guess you could call my state of hunger a permant flipping of the Rarrr switch until I have something down. Derek has learned this and just sort of tip-toes around me until I'm finished with my dinner.

Tiredness: Maybe it is this whole graduate school thing (I don't know), but lately I have been so worn out. Especially at the end of the week. For example, the other week (it was Friday) I got home and went straight to bed for a nap. Last night, I got home, ate dinner, and went to visit my dear neighbors the Thompsons (Derek doesn't like when I call them that. He gets irritated and tells me that they are Raleigh and Tara, not the Thompsons). So anyways, I went to visit the Thompsons and as many of you would know if you had read Raleigh's recent blog he (and Derek too for that matter) are really into this Man vs. Wild show. I think it is interesting and stomach churning enough, and there was a new episode on last night that we all hadn't seen, so we turned it to good ol' Bear and started watching. Not ten minutes into the show (Bear had just eaten a scorpion because it is a great source of protein and tastes like old cheese only worse?), I am asleep on the coach. It's 9pm on a Friday night and I can't even keep my eyes open while Bear is swallowing scorpions to stay alive. So, there you have it tiredness/fatigue.

Weepiness: I was so greatful for the sunday school lesson last week because we were talking about talents. And, they had this great quote from some general authority listing off talents that people often don't realize are talents and one was the ability to weep. Well, I got that talent covered! I don't think I used to be this way. I really don't remember crying so easily in the past. I like to blame it on the infulences of birth control. But, needless to say the teeniest things can make me cry: sappy commercials, the end of Gilmore Girls, comments that probably really aren't mean but I interpret them that way somehow from Derek, and THIS JUST IN... not having a library card. Yes! I went to get a library book the other day, had my book picked out and everything, and my library card had expired. Well, I waited in line to renew it just to be told that I had to have proof of address which I didn't. So, went back another day, picked out this book I was dang excited to read, had a letter addressed to me with my address here in Eugene not opened or anything and they said sorry it can't be a letter with the address in a window box! What! Aren't all bills, ect. that way these days? Anyways, Derek was with me, I got in the car and just started bawling over the fact that I couldn't get a library card! He didn't know what to do with me he just said, "It's going to be okay. We will get you a library card. It's going to be okay."

So anyways, I guess my point is if I start feeling something kick me from inside it's probably about time I pee on one of those home pregnancy tests because me and pregant women are not too different.

Good Ol' Eugene

So, Derek and I recently moved back to Eugene. I really didn't know how much I missed the place until we got back. Salem really was more of a place I just ate and slept last year. I really spent all my time in Hillsboro or driving between the two I guess. There were some perks to Salem...the temple was only 40 minutes away, the Portland airport was much closer and that's where all the cheap Southwest flights fly out of, Woodburn (those of you in the area know how great Woodburn is and for those of you who don't it's a wonderful outlet mall) was just 15 miutes away (on second thought maybe that wasn't a good thing). But back to the topic at hand...Eugene. Let me give you a short little overview of all the great things that I really did miss about Eugene.

First, the River Trails. This town is AMAZING with the bike trails that can get you almost anywhere in the city. I love the River Trails and we live very close to them over here in the Glenbrook. The trails go for miles and miles all along the Willamete River with cute little bridges every few miles that allow you to go across the river, and there are intermittent parks with gorgeous flowers and fountains everywhere. Plus, there are always people out biking, run with their dogs (I WANT A DOG!), pushing their kids in strollers, ect, ect...so it's not like they are these scary trails that you wouldn't feel safe running all by yourself on.

Next, the DUCK fans. Salem was a little more BEAVER friendly, and it is nice to be back surrounded by the green and yellow. I love the Os everywhere. And, I can't wait for football season when the whole town turns highlighter yellow and green. Especially when you got out to eat the night before a game everyone is all ducked up for the game the next day. It's nice to live in a college town.

Of course I can't forget to mention the Hippies! Yes, I missed the hippies. Not their smell, but the way they can make me smile. For example, the other day Derek and I were driving past Market of Choice (the grocery store that you can find all the organic food you could ever want...and pay an arm and a leg for it). Anyways, outside of the store on the corner of the street were two hippies (boy and girl) with dreadlocks holding a cardboard sign stating that they needed "healthy dog food." You really don't see things like that in just any ol' place in the United States. This is a special town, and you know what, I bet someone bought them some organic dog food when they went in the store!

And last but certainly not least, my law wife (and pharmaceutical wife) friends. I totally missed you guys. I'm so glad to be back in your presence. You guys are terrific. Even if you do come over to my house every single day (Tara). Anyways, it's great to be back in the Euge! Hopefully I made some of you pooperscoopers that moved away from us desperate to come back. Uh...THE END!

Chelsea vs. Civilization

I don't know how many of you have seen that Man vs. Wild show on the discovery channel, but the other day there was an episode where he was trying to survive the desert of I think it was Moab. Anyways, he was getting super hot, so he decided to urinate on his shirt and wrap it around his head to help cool himself down. EEEEWWW... I know!

Anyways, I wanted to share a similar experience I had today only not in the wild and not on purpose. So, I'm at the family practice clinic where I am supposed to be seeing patients (cleanliness and very important part of the whole thing). I take a short break to go to the restroom. I must note that was wearing a long skirt today. So, I do my buisness in there, and as I am walking out, the back on my long skirt hits my calf, and I feel this frightening wet sensation. I look down and sure enough there is a huge wet spot. I pick it up and sort of sniff it...yep, it totally reaks of urine! There I am at the clinic. I am supposed to be going in to see another patient, and I have no other clothes. So, I duck into an empty room and pull the edge of my skirt into the sink and start flushing it with copious amouts of clean water. Then, I am using paper towel after paper towel to pat it dry. It still has a slight smell of urine (yuck!) So, before going in with the next patient I find some overwhelmingly frangranted hand lotion to rub on my hands and hope that will cover up the underlying urine smell. Then, I head into the room with the patient. Nobody mentioned anything. Needless to say...as soon as I got home that skirt was off. YUCK YUCK YUCK!

Anyways, I must make a little shout out to my dear friend Stephanie whom I know just had a birthday and I didn't even shoot her an email. But, I always entertain her with what we call my Amazing Grace stories. So, here's another one for you Steph and all other firends (if we can still be friends after this) who read this.

All in a Day

First off, I'd like to appologize for my ugly blog that as my good friend Crystal pointed out needs pictures. Excuse #1: I never take pictures and therefore have no pictures to post. Excuse #2: I'm really not that technologically clever and have yet to figure out how to get a neat picture off the internet to post. Excuse #3 and probably the main reason: I am lazy and really don't want to. Now that I have cleared that up...on to what I really wanted to post about.

I really think Family Practice is the place for me. In just today I counseled a patient on breast reductions, discussed the potential harms of anorexia with a 110 pound girl who thinks she is fat and wants to weigh 100 lbs, talked about gastric bypass surgery with an overweight patient who is suffering from depression and joint pain (to the point that she can't walk) after trying multiple alternative ways of losing weight, removed stitches, and incised and drained an abscess the size of a golf ball on someone's cheek!

I just love the variety of things you deal with and the relationships you build with patients as you see them over and over throughout the years. I really do think Family Practice is the place for me. And, maybe that is why when I came home and received an email from my clinical coordinator saying yet another one of my rotations had fallen through (note the PENDING rotation off to the right which used to say Salem Hospital) and will most likely be spending yet another 6 weeks out of state away from my husband, I calmly put on my running shoes, went for a run, and came back home to face this new future with an amazingly (well what I think is amazing for me) level head.