Day Three: I Had To Pee.

There I was, sitting in my physio exam having a mild heart attack as I filled in the last few bubbles, when my body decides to compensate for my hypertensive state by sending out the signal to pee. (signal induced by what physio graduates all?)

[Yes mom, I'm talking about having to pee on my public blog. I'm sure you are sitting in front of the computer aghast. Readers: please note my mother taught me better than this. I'm just a stubborn little girl and don't listen.]

Anyhow, I tried desperately to fight the need to hit the bathroom as fast as I could in exchange for just a few more moments to review my exam answers. Unfortunately, I only got to #3 before the urge was just too great and I could literally feel the bruising in my bladder.

Turns out my renal urges were the best thing that could happen, since in those three questions I changed one of them to another answer and ended up missing that question even though my original answer was correct. Who knows how many more answers I would have missed by doubting myself if I hadn't had a case of The Exploding Bladder?

This is a syndrome I am well acquainted with...called Doubtacoccus retardus. I cannot tell you how many professors (and my father) have told me to go with my first instinct. It's all good and well to hear that over and over, but really when you're hopped up on stimulants and haven't really had your head on straight for days its not so easy to follow that advice. Logic and reason go out the window when Dr. Reich comes in the room.

I have this screensaver that slide-shows a bunch of quotes that I downloaded, and this one sums it all up:

It was like Joanne was sitting there with me channeling her thoughts into my computer...creepy.

In the last few days it seems every time I looked up at my computer that quote was flashing across the screen. So much so that the very first thing I did when I got my exam this afternoon was to write that quote across the top. Just a gentle reminder to myself that all of the answers were there, I just had to find them.

Whether I did that successfully, however, is anyone's guess. But its done, only one more to go. And that one is covering all of the things I love and adore (immune systems and vaccines and hypersensitivities Oh My!).

As Anna said to me earlier this evening, I've gotten off the Stress Train (she took my seat, mind you) and am now standing on the platform at Delusion Depot. Waiting for tomorrow afternoon to come so I can break open my extra large bottle of Grolsch in the fridge. You know the kind...with that snazzy flip stoppered top thingie. Oh yeah.

[Sorry again mom, this time for publically talking about being excited for drinking.]

Less than 17 hours.

Day Two: I Smell Like Poo.

Yes. I said I Smell like Poo. Or at least feel like it.

Day Two of The Worst Week of My Life is over. I'm pretty sure I got a B+ or higher on my parasit final. Which should make me ecstatic. I should be over-the-moon and all that jazz. And I would be...if the next two days of my life weren't going to determine My Entire Life's Direction.

That's some Major Pressure.

It's really hit me tonight. I could seriously lose my place here. I could seriously lose all I've worked towards for the last four years. I can't stop thinking about it, can't stop worrying. I realize that this is detrimental to performance in high stress situations, and I will probably fret for the next thirty minutes before channeling that energy into making sure I rock these F-ing exams.

But for now: ohmygodimightfailoutofvetschoolpleasemakeitstopican'ttakeitanymoremylifesucksi'mprettysuretherewillbemassiveamountsofpeoplelosingtheirmindsinthenexttwodaysi'mnottheonlyonewhereisthewinewho
needsaglassjustgivemethebottle.

Phew.

Alright. I am prepared. I have been preparing for this for four years. I have all of the answers. They are all there. I just have to focus, have to BE the exam, have to BE the answers. I can do this. After all, I've been through worse, right? Anyone remember Organic Chemistry? I mean at least Physio is in English.

Immuno isn't, but whatev. That's just memorization. Lots and lots (and lots and lots) of memorization.

Okay. Back to work. To all at home: I will see you in T minus 4 days, pretty much to the hour. Lynn: I'm looking forward to getting absolutely snookered with you Saturday night. Be forewarned: I plan on drinking on the plane.

Day One: Oh So Fun.

Test 1 of Finals Week:

(can I just interject here and say how sad I am that when you Google Image search "check mark" ALL of the images you find are RIGHT-HANDED check marks? I mean c'mon!

There are loads of Lefties out there....represent!)

Today was my first Final Exam for The Dreaded Second Semester. I am now completely finished with smelling like formalin (at least until we get my grades back...but we're working on that positivity thing right now so roll with it, okay?). Next up, Parasitology. So for this evening's post I shall share with you my favorite parasite of the semester:

Heomonchus contortus

Superfamily: Trichostrongyloidea
Common name: Barber pole worm
Appearance of the ADULTS:

Present in abomasum

2 – 3 cm

White ovaries spiraled around blood-filled intestine - hence "barber pole" apperance

Males:

Asymmetrical dorsal lobe

Barbed spicules

Cervical papillae

Lancet inside the buccal capsule

Females:

Cervical papillae

Lancet inside the buccal capsule

Appearance of the EGGS:

Typical trichostongyloid

85 µm

Thin shelled

Shell surface smooth

Contain a morula

Life cycle is DIRECT with infection by L3.

This parasite undergoes HYPOBIOSIS - L4 encyst on gut wall and overwinter

Site of infection: Abomasum

Pathogenesis/lesions:

Acute hemorrhagic anemia

ACUTE haemonchosis:

Anemia – 2 weeks

Decrease in packed red cell volume

Continual loss of iron and protein

Hemorrhagic lesions on abomasums

Contents are dark brown

Pale/edematuous carcass

Hemorrhagic gastritis (hyperacute haemonchosis) leads to sudden death

CHRONIC haemonchosis - typically due to a deficient pasture:

Weight loss

Weakness/inappetence

What are some clinical signs? Hyperacute:

Lambs die from hemorrhagic gastritis

Anemia

Bottle jaw

Ascites

Lethargy

Dark colored feces

Loss of wool

Diarrhea NOT typically seen

PPR occurs with this parasite.

How is this parasite diagnosed?

Season

History

Clinical signs

Fecal worm egg counts

Trichostongyloid L3

Necropsy

How is this parasite treated/prevented?

Selective chemotherapy

Major resistance to all anthelmintics

FAMCHA

What is FAMACHA? (KNOW THIS and ASSOCIATE W/ THIS PARASITE!!)

Ocular mucous membrane chart

Determine level of anemia and thus appropriateness for treatment

*****THIS PARASITE IS RESISTANT TO ALL TYPES OF ANTHELMINTICS*****

Whew! All of that for just one of 42 bagillion parasites we're expected to know for our final! Guess I should get back to work. Night kids!

(oh...and in case you were curious it's my fave because A) the name is super fun to say and B) spiral ovaries? that's freakin cool.)

Today we salute you Mr. Stressed Out Vet Student.

Hee hee. One of my classmates posted this on Facebook and I just had to share with those of you back home. Quite cute....but more so scarily true.

From Meg:

Today we salute you Mr. Stressed Out Vet Student during finals week. As you sit in your lonely cubicle in the library, doped up on Red Bull and adderall, you think to yourself, will I ever really to need to know this stuff in real life? The distractions are tempting and you have just diagnosed yourself with ADD, advanced delusional schizophrenia ... read more and involuntary narcissistic rage. By now you know exactly what everyone else is doing because you have checked your Facebook 800 times. Break is just days away, and your Prozac prescription will be in tomorrow. So crack open an ice cold Carib you Academic Warrior, because you’ll be spending break in Rehab.

I am officially sequestered in the 24-hour reading room for the next seventy bagillion hours.

Finished the last of my classes for The Dreaded Second Semester as of about an hour ago. Grabbed a table in the Quiet Reading Room, have my many various snacks, caffeine, and water....between now and Thursday night at 4 PM I am incommunicado except by email. Which I will check frequently. And I'll update the blog. Probably frequently as well. Since I'm pretty sure I have ADD.

I am feeling a little better about this semester than perhaps just a few weeks ago. Sort of like that half-empty glass didn't sprout a leak after all, and in fact instead has a leaky faucet above it. Each little mini-victory in the Study Struggle is a little droplet more. Hey, I might even move on to third semester. It's just going to take forfeiting the next, oh say 8,580 minutes of my life.

But what's a Life Goal worth without a little Sacrifice?

Make that 8,574 minutes. Took me 6 minutes longer to write this entry than I originally calculated.