Carotids 10/17/2011

Surprise, Surprise I am going to attach some pictures of a carotid again.  This was a case that I worked on a week or two ago.  I was confused by the waveforms that were showing up in her CCA.  I will probably use this as a case study at some point, once I figure out what is going on. 

This was an 80 yr old patient with an altered mental status.  She did have some plaque at the bifurcation area, but her CCA appeared to almost have a tardus parvus waveform.  I took the pictures on the right side.

Unfortunately, the doctor that reads these cases has a different way of doing it so I have not been able to get the report yet.  I do know that tardus parvus waveforms have to do with the proximal stenosis. 
We scanned through the subclavian and saw plaque, but there was no stenosis.  At least not that we saw.  Maybe we needed to go further.

Just as a side note, I was pretty happy with the pictures that I took.  She was somewhat difficult to scan, but I was able to obtain all the pictures I need.  I feel that if we look back to my beginning posts we should see a big difference.  Next time maybe I will show a comparison of then and now.  

Tuesday 10/11/2011

Well, obviously it has been way too long since I have accessed this blog.  It took me awhile to even remember how to log in.  I will definitely get better.  I have some new images to post to show I have improved. 

I feel way more confident at clinicals scanning carotids and legs than I probably did the last time I post anything on this page.  I still struggle with abdomens and kidneys, which makes me feel a bit pathetic.  I suppose it shouldn't because I know that people at other locations have seen a whole lot more of them than I do.  I have improved though and am able to complete one.  I just need to work on my speed.  I will get there. 

I am very glad that I was able to comp out of my carotids in lab and I will post some of those pictures when I get a chance to show that I am capable of doing them.  I am going to sign up so that I am also able to comp out of my legs.  I fortunately get quite a bit of practice on these at my location. 

I do feel horribly lost in case studies when other students are showing their ob studies.  I have seen very few of these.  I definitely never see any of the babies that have real issues. 

I will start doing this blog!

10/06/2011 Thursday

One year ago today the world lost one of my favorite people.  I woke up for school only to check my email and find that my aunt had sent out a very nice reminder of my mom and how much everyone misses her.  Included in the email was one lone picture of my mom's hand that was wearing the wedding ring that had been worn by my grandma for so many years.  Since my grandma had passed away just 5 short days earlier my aunts had given this ring to my mom.  My mom being the funny lady that she was wore the ring with so much pride and flashed it to everyone that entered her room showing of her beautiful diamonds and bragging about how great they looked on her hand.  She was always a lady that knew not to take things too seriously and that there is always fun to be had.  I miss her so incredibly much with every day that passes.  She meant the world to me and I can't believe that she is no longer here. 

My sister's always joke that I cannot remember the day that she truly passed away, but in my defense I was out here in AZ so technically it was on the 5th.  I remember very clearly.  It was a day here of horrible weather.  We had hail and rain multiple times that day.  I remember because on more than one occasion I made the joke that AZ was angry my mom was not here where she belonged.  Later that night around 9pm while I was at work my younger sister called me to tell me she was going to hold the phone by my mom's ear so that I could tell her bye and that I loved her because they didn't think she had much more time.  That was one of the hardest things for me because I do not tell me feelings willingly.  Normally someone has to say them to me first, but I pulled it together for her.  Then sometime shortly after midnight my younger sister called again to tell me that she had passed.  A part of me is still very angry at myself for not staying in MN.  I do know that my mom really wanted me to return to school, it was very important to her that I finish. 

Shortly after the phone call all the storms had stopped and it was completely calm and peaceful outside, I guess because my mom was also at peace.  I am not the least bit religious myself, but know that my mom was spiritual and would have tried to comfort me in this same manner.  She truly was an amazing women and I am thankful for the time I did have with her.  I miss her every day, but together her and my grandma drive me to succeed at everything.  So, in order to not let them down I really need to buckle down and study.  I have to finish. 

Since I didn't feel those losses during my first sememster made things hard enough on me I went ahead and got pregnant.  Unfortunately, I have to go through all of this without my mom who would have been the greatest grandma ever. 

Let's just see how much I truly can endure before I shut down.  I am going to find a way to get myself through all this one way or another.  I just have to give myself a kick in the butt because I have never been an overly motivated person.  I am the person that does what I need to get by.  However, this program does require more work out of me.  So, now with all my added challenges I am getting that kick.



I know this is not the true purpose of this blog, but I am having trouble with my pictures right now so I am unable to post anything truly school related.  Plus I feel that my mom deserves some sort of memorial from me.  After all she is why I am in school again. 

Thank you very much to my mom and grandma for always pushing me to do better.  I promise that I will not let them down.
Anyway that is enough of my crazy ramblings.

Next posts will be school related.  I promise.