"safe passage"

A few weeks ago, we had our lecture and discussion in our clinical skills class about death and dying. Last year I wrote about it, so I didn't think I'd write anymore about it this year. Truthfully, I was a little let down by the discussion my facilitators facilitated this year around the topic and so I wasn't sure that anything I wrote would be productive.

However, yesterday I read this incredible post by NPR on palliative care and I can't just not write or talk about it. We talk about providing "safe passage" to our patients when they near the end of their lives. Dying is not something we like imagining for ourselves or for our loved ones, but it is an inevitability for all of us. So that's where palliative care comes in. The goal is to allow the patient/loved one to continue doing the things that they love doing for as long as possible. Oh and a happy bonus is that it actually costs the country fewer healthcare dollars than to use extreme Western medicine measures until a person dies.

Well anyway, I don't have much time to write more about what I think, so I'll leave it open to what y'all think. Discuss!

oh, that's right...I have a blog

Full disclosure here: I have honestly been so busy and wrapped up with school and other life happenings that I completely forgot about the blogging. My apologies to my faithful readers! Here's a seriously quick breakdown of the happenings over the past few weeks!

• Technology fast: I am back in the social media realm. I think the fast was a really good thing for me. And honestly, I didn't miss much while I was gone for a month. Still considering deactivating everything all together...
• Challenges: This month's challenge is write a letter/note/email to someone every single day! As it turns out, I am UTTERLY failing at this challenge. Like I've only written two letters. And I wrote them both on the same day because I forgot to write one on the first day of the month. Sooooo it looks as though I'm taking a break from the challenges this month. No worries though, I shall start up again at the first of the year! Perhaps I will do both January (get up early) and December's challenges...I could write my letters early in the morning! 
• Ambur Lane: Mister Justin had a show with his band and I went back to Hastings to surprise him! I also spent some quality time studying at Morrison Reeves Science Center and Perkins Library. Needless to say, I miss both of those buildings immensely! 

  

  Ambur Lane! 

• Celebrations with food: I celebrated Thanksgiving 5 times this year. I think that means I'm extra thankful! :)
• Frozen Tundra: I continued to have class in the frozen tundra. Thank goodness for my orange blanket and snuggle buddy! 
• do juSTIce: Lots of great meetings and partnerships in the works for the jail/youth facility.
• Christmas sing-a-long: Dr. Binhammer has a sing-a-long every year. This year's was as fabulous as expected! 
• Holiday parties: Potlucks and Ugly Christmas Sweaters. Gosh, I LOVE this time of year. I have a perpetual stomachache from all of the sweets I've been eating...absolute perfection! Oh and an excuse to wear Christmas socks (btdubs, I fit into children's sized socks apparently...if you're looking for a good Christmas gift, socks are always welcome!).

  

  I <3 potlucks!

• NAP: Always an adventure at Nebraska AIDS Project. Last week was no exception!

• The Nutcracker: Ballet Nebraska outdid themselves with an INCREDIBLE production of The Nutcracker! And my wonderful friend and dance teacher was THE most beautiful sugar plum fairy!
  
• Husker Volleyball with the fam bam and roomie: we watched the 'Skers beat San Diego to continue on in the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, they lost to Texas the following night. But it was fun to go to some games! 

  

  Papa, Mama and I!

• Test week: I keep telling myself that all of the sweets I've been eating are preparing my body for all of the energy I'll use up in the next week studying/taking my final test of the semester! This one is still on biochemistry, but focused on metabolism, the immune response, cancer and clinical genetics. 
• Christmas concerts: a capella jazz concert with my mama. Pure awesomeness. 

• Gingerbread Village: Mister Justin finished finals last week and returned the surprise favor by showing up on my door late one evening! It was really wonderful to hang out. We even made this nice gingerbread village. Straw poll...do you or do you not eat your gingerbread villages after creating them? 

Note: I did not do all of the decorating. So, if you are upset that things
are not symmetrical and/or without a nice pattern, I am not the person to blame.
If you do not care how your gingerpeople live, then this is the village for them. 

In other news: I like this video... Take a look!

Just a seriously quick review of what I've been up to since Thanksgiving! I hope all is well with everyone! 

Spleens...?

It's been about a billion year since my last post. My apologies. I took Thanksgiving week off completely and now I'm paying for it since we had three days of classes that week! Well anyway, if you haven't seen this video yet, it's pretty good! Harvard Medical School usually has some pretty good videos. Enjoy! Something more about my life happenings and learning soon(ish)!