Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Post Number Two: Regarding Number Two

So according to Casey's advice, my second entry will be about...well...poop. If this isn't your cup of tea, please just ignore this and tune in next time. Oh, and don't judge me too harshly for my immaturity. Now, I know you might think, "Hey, shouldn't someone who's going to be doin' some healin' in a few years not be so immature? Why does this girl think poop is funny?!" Well, I wish I could agree with you, but the truth is, I think poop is hilarious. And I probably always will. Even when we use big words for pooping, like defecation, it cracks me up. And I think that's sort of a good thing. (Then again, the words "naked virus" in our syllabus about killed me the other day, so I might not be the most reliable source.)

We actually talk about poop a lot. From the different ways bloody stool can look (yes, there's more than one) to what seems like hundreds of different kinds of bacteria that can cause diarrhea (and which of those types of diarrhea have blood or mucous or white blood cells) to the signal that makes you have to poop. Which brings us to my all-time favorite word! (I actually have a lot of favorite words. Look out for a post in the future that's just a bunch of funny sounding words.)

TENESMUS: the word for the feeling where you have to poop.

Isn't that word amazing?! Why have I not known it my whole life? It's so hilariously descriptive.

Got a little derailed, but now we're back on track! Anywho, what was I talking about? Oh yeah! So I don't get why our culture is so weird about poop. It's normal. I believe a wise children's book once told me, "Everybody poops," and some wise graffiti in Waco echoed, "Errbody poops." But it's not ok to talk about poop. What's up with that? And it's not like we hide all of bodily functions. Embarrassingly, I find myself quite candidly announcing that I'm "going to pee," instead of the more ladylike "use the restroom," or the even more wonderful "powder my nose." But my embarrassment is only in publishing that on the internet for you to see, not so much in saying it in front of my friends. Now imagine if I announced that I was going to poop. Even if I use my fancy med school defecate word, that's just plain awk. And if even I can realize it's awk, it's really awkward.

NOTE: This blog is not about upheaving the elements of social order. I don't actually expect people to start talking about the details of their bowel movements. I just think it's funny that it's funny, even though it is a daily occurrence.

So, I guess that's all I have to say about poop. Thanks for making it this far with me. I promise next time I'll talk about a more reserved subject. I'm gonna go learn some stuff about the kidney. Appropriate, I suppose, as the word urine also kind of makes me titter.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Oh, Hello!

So, this is awkward. There will probably be a lot of awkward here. This is my first attempt at blogging.

I blame my friend Stephen, really. We were joking about how no one really knows what med school is like (unless you've been through it, in which case you should probably be writing this!) and decided that our lives as first years are comically tragic enough for people to read about. I hope what comes out of this is actually funny and enjoyable to read. Med school is so stinkin' hard, but there's a lot of room for laughter, even if it's at ourselves.

I don't really know what this is going to be yet. Probably a lot of big words, poop jokes (STILL FUNNY. ALWAYS FUNNY), anecdotes about how awkward I am working with real people, weird things lecturers say, whining about how much work I have to do, whining about grades, whining about how hard non-school life is, whining about my dog and my cat misbehaving and not letting me study... Just kidding on all the whining stuff. Probably. Maybe.

So, there's a lot in my life that isn't school. I have an amazing fiance, who just happens to be my best friend. He's hilarious, so you'll here more of the ridiculous stuff he says. I have a cat, Winston Cathill, who I think was actually a dignitary in a former life, and a dog, Junebug, who is the absolute worst dog ever. We're talking she could give Marley a run for his money. But I love my crazy little family and wouldn't change a thing.

I like nerdy TV, Jane Austen, knitting, and baking, so sometimes I might talk about that stuff. But I'm going to focus on the hilarity that is med school because, after all, this is....A MED SCHOOL BLOG.