Welcome to the Tundra

This is a song about how the biochemistry core is going so far. Yes, I spent a significant amount of time working on this. And yes, I do believe it was a productive use of my time.

Welcome to the tundra, we got coats 'n' mittens.

Just to keep your sanity, you'll have to McGoogan pics of kittens. 

We'll be the people that you'll find when you're feeling ill. 

If you've got the money, honey, we'll fix your disease. 

(and your illness if we understand the psychosocial aspects of disease that you experience)

In the tundra, welcome to the tundra.

We learn only from the docs with the expertise 

Their lectures put us to sleep. 

Welcome to the tundra, we take it day by day.

To survive you'll surrender your social life, but it's the price you pay

Have you heard the Glu6Val sub, causes sickle cell anemia?

Oh and increased HgbF and HgbA2 suggests β-thalassemia? 

In the tundra, welcome to UNMC's tundra.

Feel my, my, my shivering knees.

(In case you didn't get the gist, it's VERY cold in the lecture hall. I cuddle under a blanket with my good friend Emily e'reday, just to survive lecture!) In other news, we were getting a lecture on amino acids the other day and the lecturer was talking about how glycine is small and flexible. Emily looked over at me and said "Just like you!". We both laughed. It was a funny amino acid joke...clearly we are losing it.

Oh AND (I'm about to have a major nerd moment)!!!! I got to see the COOLEST thing in clinic today! I wasn't even supposed to be in clinic. I was waiting to have a meeting with the sponsor of the neurology interest group and he snagged me to come in on this patient. There's a disorder called Orthostatic Tremor. It's super, super rare (like 345 people in the world have it) and often goes misdiagnosed for years.

OT is a neurological movement disorder, characterized by high frequency tremors, predominantly in the legs when in a standing position, and an immediate sense of instability. Patients often complain of symptoms of a sudden, unique, disabling event that happens to our legs when we attempt to do anything that requires us to remain in a standing position, rather than tremor. The muscles in the legs become hard, ankles feel weak and toes curl under as legs fail to support. There is a feeling of panic to find a place to sit, or if possible, walk to gain some relief of our symptoms. Other areas of the body, such as trunk and arms may also be effected.

It's the only condition that you can hear the leg muscles pulsing with your stethoscope, called the helicopter sign. Well anyway, it's very interesting. But also very debilitating. Because it's so rare, there aren't a whole lot of things in the way of treatment. BUT UNMC is apparently the leading institution in the world for OT research, so that's seriously awesome! What a lucky happenstance!