Us Against the World

Back in July (was it really that long ago?!) Allie and I had the most epic night ever. What happened, you ask? Well, we went to the Coldplay concert, of course.

First of all, I just have to say: Chris Martin, I love you.

Now that that's out of the way, I have to say that the concert was perfect. I literally think it could not have gone better. It was just 2 days before I took the NCLEX, so I was stressing-out-of-my-mind and she was getting ready to move across the country so she was also stressing but held it together better than I did. Let's just say, it was the perfect distraction for both of us.

We started by meeting at Quincy Market to get dinner and then rode the T over to the TD Garden. When we walked in they gave us bracelets and asked us to wear them since they were part of the show. We had a few minutes before the concert started, so we went and bought our mandatory t-shirts.

Al modeling her shirt

We were beyond excited for the concert. Even from our nosebleed seats (we're poor graduate students), we were over the moon. Let's be honest, Coldplay knows how to put on a good show.

Our glowing bracelets

Everyone had bracelets of different colors that would pulse to the beat of the song. Pretty sweet, eh?

The concert was so much fun. They played while we sang and danced and smiled so big our cheeks hurt. I told myself that I would only video my very favorite songs, but somehow ended up with 10 videos...

When Chris Martin came out for the encore and played Us Against the World on his acoustic guitar I cried. And, truth be told, I haven't been able to listen to the song since without tearing up or full-on sobbing. But it makes sense because Chris Martin is my sloth.

Picture stolen from Allie's blog

Thank you Allie and Chris Martin for such a perfect night.

Clinical: 1, McCall: 0

I was so proud of myself that I hadn't gotten sick. Given my immune system's track record, I didn't think that it was feasible for me to spend every day with sick kids and not somehow contract their illness. But here we were, at the end of October and I hadn't gotten sick yet? Score!

And yet, I spoke too soon.

Sunday I went to the MinuteClinic because I knew I had strep. I got some meds and went home and rested. Luckily classes were cancelled on Monday for the hurricane so I didn't miss anything by being out sick. Tuesday I went to class but I still felt a little bit like death. Weird since I was already on dose 5 of penicillin. Cause the one good thing about strep is that once you start taking the meds you start feeling a lot better. Except I didn't.

Last night I started thinking that the reason I wasn't feeling better was because I had pneumonia. I tried to listen to my lungs with my stethoscope, but come to find out it's really hard to listen to your own lungs. Especially when they are as tight as mine were. I went to clinical today where my preceptor heard my cough and knew something was wrong. She gave me a nebulizer treatment to loosen up my lungs and then diagnosed me with pneumonia and sent me home with a prescription.

I got a text today from Linds that said, "I see what you're doing though... trying out every disease you can think of so you can truly have sympathy for your patients. I applaud your dedication, but you may want to rethink your tactics." She's right, I need to adjust my tactics. This one clearly isn't working out for me.

I'm gonna count today as a loss and try again tomorrow.

#6 & #7

Wow, it's been a while. A lot has happened in the last couple of months, and I will write about it all in time (or I won't. There's really no way to tell). But for now, we're going to start with this.

#'s 6 and 7 on my Boston Bucket List are, respectively, the Ben & Jerry's Factory and Sharon, Vermont. Luckily for me I have some like-minded friends. So, one Saturday Anne Marie, Allie, Curtis, Jake and I took a day trip up to Vermont to see Sharon, the Ben & Jerry's Factory, and the Cabot Cheese Factory. During the car rides we played some interesting games (the skittles game being high on my list), shared some hilarious stories (ask Curtis about his most awkward conversation with a girl), ate some good food, occasionally in interesting ways (see the video of Jake eating the chex mix out the window of the car while we were driving), learned some very random facts about each other (playing the question game) and generally had a an awesome time together. And that was just the car ride.

Sharon, Vermont is the birthplace of the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith. Truthfully I had no idea what to expect to see there - maybe a farm or an open grassy area. Not sure why I thought that, because the LDS church knows how to do things right. There was a beautiful visitor's center, an enormous monument, and a quite little bench to sit and ponder. It was really lovely. Also, the day we went there was a marathon going on and we ran into two of our friends who ran in it. What are the chances? Anyway, we went and had a tour of the visitor's center and watched a movie that we erroneously assumed would be about Joseph Smith but was actually about families. A good film, but not what I expected. Then we just wandered around the grounds, took some pictures and hit the road.

We then drove to Montepelier, Vermont, which happens to be the country's smallest capital. We ate at a place called the Prohibition Pig. We chose that one over the other, slightly-more-appealing diner down the street because we liked the name and felt like it was a more authentic experience. Still not sure we made the right choice on that one, but it was fun regardless of the fact that the boys were still hungry after they finished their meals.

Our next stop was the Ben & Jerry's Factory! I was quite pleased about this because I do love some good ice cream. I was surprised how packed it was - there were SO many people. Not what I was expecting, but I guess I can't assume that we have a monopoly on good ideas of how to successfully spend a Saturday. We bought some ice cream, meandered through the gift shop, and took the tour through the factory. The tour itself was a little bit of a let down since no ice cream was actually being made. Apparently they don't make ice cream on Saturday's. Who knew? So, note to self, if you want to tour the Ben & Jerry's Factory, do yourself a favor and don't go on a Saturday. However, on a happier note, Jerry was actually there, hanging out outside and taking picture with some of the groups. We opted out of that this time around. Maybe next time. Also, remind me to get pictures from Anne Marie, cause come to find out the only ones I have are of ice cream. Don't judge me.

Our final(ish) stop was the Cabot Cheese Factory in Vermont. Our timing was pretty perfect since the last tour started 20 minutes after we got there. The tour was cool but the real highlight was the table full of cheese when you walked in the door. You could sample all sorts of flavors of cheese including tomato and basil (one of my favorites), horseradish, bacon, jalapeno, and about a million others that are escaping me at the moment. Needless to say, we each went around the table a couple of times.

Our final, final stop was actually an accident. We were trying to find a town where Allie's ancestor has a statue of her (new addition to my bucket list: get a statue dedicated to me) but we inadvertently ended up in a city in New Hampshire that has the same name of the town we were looking for in Massachusetts. I wouldn't call it a total waste, though Anne Marie may not agree. All in all, a solid day trip to Vermont. All in a day's work.

#16

#16 on my Boston Bucket List was going to the Museum of Fine Art. I am happy to announce that I have now gone twice and that it was free both times. Winning!

The first time I went my friend Ally was in town from DC with some of her friends from her internship. They mostly just crashed at my place and explored the city while I was at the hospital. But on Monday (it was Memorial Day) I didn't have class or clinical so we hit the ground running before they had to catch the bus back to DC that afternoon. The MFA was free on Memorial Day so it was packed, but so much fun! I really loved all of the exhibits I got to see in the few hours we were there. Especially the Greek and Roman statues. I don't know what it is, but I'm such a sucker for them. They're my favorite exhibit nearly every time.

The second time I met my friend, ironically also named Allie, though the spelling difference is important, for a free Wednesday night after she got off of work. There were a few exhibits that she was interested in seeing and that I wanted to see as well. We only spent around an hour and half there  but it was still way favorite. And then we went for dinner and ice cream with Anne Marie, and you just can't beat that.

Also, I'm not sure how this happened, but I don't have a single picture from either time I went to the museum. How is that even possible?

Third times a charm?

#1

This post is a long time coming, but several months ago I was able to cross off #1 on my Boston Bucket List: I went to a Celtics game.

It was their last home game of the season before the finals started. My friend Jennie had an extra ticket and texted me that Thursday morning to see if I wanted it. Did I want it?! Is that even a question? The real question was if it was possible for me to go. You see, Thursday nights I had my Psych clinical until 9:00 pm, and there was no way I would make it to the game if I went to the whole thing. I was afraid to ask my instructor to leave early for something so seemingly inconsequential as a Celtics game, but I figured there's no point in making her decision for her - I'd ask and then she could make the decision herself. Luckily she was incredibly understanding and I was able to go in an hour and a half early so that I could finish my hours in time to go! She told me later that one of the reasons she was so inclined to make it work was because I was so honest with her about my reason for going, I didn't just call in sick or something easy like that. So chalk one up to honesty!

The game itself was unbelievable. Our seats were amazing, the company was fabulous, and the Celtics won! You just can't beat a night like that. Thank you Jennie for inviting me!

Did I mention our seats were awesome?

Me, Jennie, Amber, and (part of) Melanie

 

Confession

I choose my blog font based on the name. The last one? Calligraffiti.

This new one? Unkempt. I'd like to say that this new name is not a reflection of my current state of mind, but I'd be lying if I did.

My Main Man

Well I think it's time for you all to meet the main man in my life. Friends, this is Saunders.

You may be asking yourself how serious it is. Let's just say we're pretty exclusive. He can be jealous and demanding, but ultimately I know that he wants what's best for me. He's always on my mind and I rarely go anywhere without him.Thinking about him keeps me up at night. My friends are starting to get sick of me because it's gotten to the point that he's all I ever think or talk about. Will it last? Only time will tell.


And let's all hope that our time together is limited because, let's be honest, it's not a healthy relationship. After August 1 I hope to be rid of him (and the NCLEX) forever!

Dreams

A few weeks ago I finished my rotation in the NICU for my summer synthesis. I've tried several times since then to sit down and write about it, but haven't been able to yet. Even now as I type this, I have tears streaming down my face - tears of gratitude, tears of sadness, tears because I'm so overwhelmed with the opportunity I had to fulfill a life-long dream. But how do you put all of that into words? I feel so inadequate to do so, and yet I have to try. It's something that has become so much a part of me that it can't go undocumented. So here's my best shot.

I have very mixed feelings about it being over, mostly erring on the side of being verklempt. It was, quite literally, a dream come true for me to work there, so I am more than a little sad to see it end. I had extremely high expectations going in to it, and the entire experience far exceeded my wildest dreams. Isn't it amazing when reality goes so far beyond what you could ever hope for? Those moments are rare and precious and life-changing.

First of all, there's the staff. They are some of the funniest, most caring, knowledgeable people I've ever met. I got to work with two preceptors (nurses I worked under) and I could not have hand-picked better people to work with. I won't share their names on this blog since I have not gotten their permission to do so, but I wish that I could. I wish that each of you could get to know them because your life would be better for it. I know mine is. They accepted me unquestioningly and made me feel like I made a valuable contribution to the medical team. They guided me and encouraged me and praised me, even when I felt inadequate for their love and praise. They took me under their wing and gave me some perfect examples of the kind of nurse I want to become. I truly can't express how blessed I feel to have been under their tutelage.

And then there are the patients. They are unlike any other patients you could ever have. There is no way to prepare yourself for what you'll feel while working in the NICU. It's more than a little heartbreaking to work with these tiny infants when it seems like all odds are against them. And then you see their little personalities and their fight to live and it makes you appreciate every second you have on this earth, even the hard ones. Those tiny fingers that wrap themselves around yours and suddenly you're hooked. Even though you know that they'll eventually go home and you may never see them again, you can't help but become attached to them, to their families. They are these strong, miraculous little beings who you would do anything in the world for. You begin to recognize their cues, their likes and dislikes, their preferred positioning. Even though they can't use words, they still communicate with you if you pay attention. And when they are discharged, even though you feel sad to see them go, you mostly feel happy because you see that there is good in the work you do and that it does make a difference in these peoples lives. They thank you profusely for your help, but all you want to do is thank them for their strength, for allowing you to be a part of this journey of theirs, and for the trust and love they show you. And it makes all of the long, challenging, heartbreaking days worth every second.

There is so much more I could write about. I could write about my two primary patients, a baby born at 25 weeks and another at 26 weeks. I could write about the respiratory therapists, physical therapists, ophthalmologists and other medical professionals I had the pleasure to associate with. I could write about the wonderful sense of community among all of the staff on the floor, how everyone watches out for one another. I could write about the crazy-long days where we didn't get to lunch until 4:00. I could talk about how fulfilling it is to care for people who physically cannot care for themselves, to make a difference, however small, in their lives. And maybe I will write about those things, some day. But for today, I just want to say that I am grateful. Grateful and sad. Grateful for this experience and the ability I had to make my dreams come true and the fact that I loved it more than I could have imagined, and sad because it's over. But also hopeful. Hopeful because I have a lifetime left in which I can continue to make my dreams come true. And that is a beautiful thing.

Sleep

So I went to bed 2 hours ago because I was tired and my productivity was reaching a new low. And yet, as you can tell by the fact that I'm writing this post, I'm still awake. NCLEX (my certifying exam) is keeping me up.

If things continue this way, I'm in for a long 3 weeks.

Voice

So this weekend I got sick (can you say finals?) and lost my voice. Like gone, gone. As in, it-seems-like-I'm-whispering-but-really-I-just-can't-speak.

Which I've come to find out makes all of my conversations a little more interesting. It's like everything is a secret.

Birthday Catchup

Alright, let's be honest with ourselves. I've been neglecting my blog. Shocking, I know. But as such I have missed several family birthday shout-outs. And today I'm going to remedy that. Buckle up buddy, this won't be short.

First, let's start with Bear.

I don't know of anyone who can make me laugh harder or longer than him. He's also the best at getting me to laugh at myself - not always the easiest task.

He's also one of the hardest workers I know,

AND he's one of the funnest people to be around. Best of both worlds.

And last but not least, he is such a cute dad to two of the cutest little girls on the planet.

And on that note, it was also Sophie's birthday. Soph is so smart - just the other day she was teaching me about photosynthesis. She's 3.

She has such a fun personality and constantly keeps us entertained.

Not to mention that she is darling. Also tanner than I am. Not hard to do, but still. I'm slightly surly about it.

And then there's Dane's birthday. He's a whopping 4 years old and about 17 times smarter than me. I wish I was joking.

He is such a cute older brother to Campbell (most of the time :) and I'm sure he'll be such a good example for his soon-to-be baby brother.

He is constantly asking questions and wanting to learn. And he's even been known to help around the house.

So I guess what we learn from this is that I have a really great family. I am so grateful for all of them and for the chance to celebrate them on their birthdays. Happy (belated) birthday Bear, Soph, and Daner! I love you all.

To my favorite man in the world:

 

 

Happy Father's Day. I love you Daddy.

#9

So, a while ago I crossed off #9 from my Boston Bucket List - I went to a concert in the House of Blues. And not any concert, mind you. I went to the Fun. concert! They just so happen to be one of my favorite bands at the moment (see here). It was hands down the best concert I've ever been to. My friend Jerr had an extra ticket and I was so happy because I had tried to get tickets but they were sold out. Not to mention that we were on the floor about 6 people deep from the stage. That was cool too.

The pictures aren't great quality, but that's what you get when you take them on a phone...

Outside the House of Blues

Jerr and I

The crowd behind us. The House of Blues was literally packed. Nate (the lead singer of Fun.) told us that we were freaking them out with how many people were there.

I loved it, sometimes he would just stand there grinning at us, acting like "Is this real life?"

Of all the concerts I could have gone to to complete my bucket list requirement, I'm not sure I could have picked a better one. Seriously, such a Fun. night :)

My thoughts on running. Also the Boston Marathon.

My roommate has a shirt that says, "Life is short. Running makes it feel longer."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

So, the day of the Boston Marathon is a holiday around here (mostly because it's patriot's day, but they intentionally put the marathon on that day so the whole state has the day off). I was pretty stoked since I've never been a part of the marathon before. And, to top it all off, some of our good family friends flew in for the marathon since their daughter was running in it, so I got to spend time with some familiar faces. Good times all around. I have a depressing lack of pictures since my camera is broken (still. Good heavens, I really do need to do something about that because at the moment I have little-to-no proof of my life here in Boston), but I do have a few gems. The only photos I have of me or my visitors are from Mike's phone, so a huge shoutout to him for that.

Here is the starting line on Saturday before the race.

Annette and I at Cheesecake Factory for dinner on Saturday night.

In Boston Common there are these duckling statues from the children's book "Make Way for Ducklings." The day of the race they were all dressed up with masks and capes in celebration of the marathon. I wish I could have gotten a picture of all of them, but there were too many kiddos in my way, so this will have to suffice.

This is at one of the T (Boston's subway) stops. The T was out. of. control. on marathon day. Seriously, every single car was like a game a sardines, trying to see how many people we could fit in the tiniest space possible.

 My favorite sign I saw that day was a girl who, for every male runner that went by, held up a sign that said, "With that determination and stamina, you can call me ANY time" with her number on the bottom of it. I really wanted a picture, but, alas, was unable to get one.

Also, a note on the marathon. Despite being blazing hot and the fact that I got a sunburn, I absolutely loved it. It was such an amazing experience to be surrounded by thousands of people who were cheering other people on. That's all they were doing. We were all supporting thousands of runners that we didn't know, but appreciated anyway. I was near the finish line and if there was ever a runner who was struggling or who was walking when they reached us, everyone would cheer just *that* much louder to show them that they really had come so far and we just knew they could do it. And then, when anyone from the army ran by, the crowd cheered even louder. And when someone ran by who was pushing someone else in a wheelchair, the crowd absolutely erupted. It was such a special experience to be a part of something so big and so supportive. I don't think I've ever been somewhere where so many people were joined in a common, selfless cause to encourage and cheer for everyone they saw. Suffice it to say, I'll be participating in Marathon Monday again. Specifically as a spectator. Don't get any crazy ideas (Linds, I'm talking to you.)

Burnt. (Don't worry Mom, it wasn't that bad.)

To the best Mom a girl could ask for:

My parents were here for the weekend to help me get a car (more on that later), but they left today. I'm so grateful I was able to actually spend time with my Mom on Mother's Day (though it was cut shorter than I would have liked). I am so grateful for her and all she does. So Mom, here's to you. I love you so much!

Summer

I have some exciting news! For my summer synthesis (my capstone if you will), starting May 14, I'm going to be in the....

NICU at Brigham and Women's Hospital!!!

I am beyond excited about this because being in the NICU was my first choice, and Brigham and Women's is nationally ranked as one of the best hospitals in the nation! Seriously, what an amazing opportunity.

I love this city and all it's amazing hospitals.

Favorites

Come to find out, I have some interesting favorite things, things that other people don't bother having favorites for. Like my favorite compliment. The other day I was at my friend's house and she asked if I would be going dancing with them that night. I told her I couldn't because I had an assignment I needed to work on. Her response was:

"Dang! 'Cause you've got moves for days!"

Probably my favorite compliment I've ever gotten.

The perks of going to a Catholic University:

This week I get Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and next Monday off from school in celebration of Easter. On the agenda? Aside from getting school work done, I'll be getting my hair done (more blonde!), painting my nails (since I'm not allowed to have them painted while I'm in clinical), exercising every day (hallelujah!), celebrating the real meaning of Easter, and spending time with friends.

Let's just say that those things are part of the recipe for a very happy Mique :)

Fact:

I'm a happier person when it's warm outside.

Boston Bucket List

Well kids, it's about time this happened. I've always liked making lists, and it's even better when the list is of fun things to do. So here it is, in all its glory: my Boston Bucket List. I'm sure it will morph and change as we go along but here's what I've got so far:

• Celtics game
• Sail on the Charles
• Go to the Cape
• Salem in October
• New England Aquarium
• Ben and Jerry's Factory
• Sharon, Vermont
• Mansions in Rhode Island
• Go to the House of Blues
• Patriots game
• Red Sox game
• Tour the Longwood House
• Louisa May Alcott's house
• Kayak on the Charles to watch fireworks for the 4th of July
• Ice skate on Frog Pond
• Watch a performance at the Boston Opera House
• Museum of Fine Art
• Outside movie, ideally in the Commons
• Picnic on the Commons
• Lexington
• Concord
• Trip to Maine
• Quebec
• Montreal - the ice hotel!
• Martha's Vineyard
• Shakespeare in the Common
• Trip to DC

Wow, that's a lot. Good thing I've still got at least a year to fit it all in!

That time I met Harry Potter

So, I went to New York this week for part of my Spring Break. Good heavens, I love that city. Now, this story isn't about this trip, but I got reminded and it deserves to be documented.

Back in October I went on a somewhat-spontaneous weekend trip to New York with two of my roommates, Dema and Pam. We did the normal things: ate really, really, ridiculously good food, went to Times Square, got makeovers at MAC, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and so on. Oh yeah, and we went to see a show. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying to be exact. (Funny side note, I was in this musical in high school and had never heard of it until that point. So many hilarious memories....) The main stars of the show were Daniel Radcliffe and John Laroquette. It was an endearing performance and I was quite impressed that Daniel Radcliffe did as well as he did, seeing how he's not really a singer or a dancer. But bless him, he was really dancing his little heart out.

Fast forward to the end of the show. We decided to go to the stage door cause why not? We were already there, it could be fun to get a picture of Harry Potter. Only, come to find out, he doesn't come out for the matinee performance. Disappointment ensues. Then, we start thinking. Well, we're already planning on being in the area for dinner tonight, why not just come over after the night show and get a quick picture? So, that's what we do. Except it was anything but quick. In fact, in all it took several hours. We got there early enough that we were on the front line, right behind the barricades. Not to be dramatic, but it really was a bit like war. Not at first, but as time went on and the masses got larger, star-struck crazy girls start pushing, thinking that the one inch separating them from the person in front of them was unacceptable, and they just had to get that much closer to their beloved star. It got so bad that a little girl who was also on the front line couldn't breathe and had a panic attack, after which she had to be taken out of the crowd (at which point the security guards won me over because they were determined that the little girl would get to meet Daniel Radcliffe, even if no one else did. They were darling.).

This was the crowd before things got really crazy.

Anyway, long story short (too late), there was a large build-up and long wait for the much anticipated arrival of Mr. Radcliffe. John Laroquette came out first, and I was really impressed by him. He let people hand up their programs from the back of the crowd and just hung out and signed autographs. He was standing in front of us for a while, and we talked about how his wife was in Europe so he had the dog for the weekend and really hoped he didn't kill it while she was gone.

Then Daniel came out. Bless his heart, he was really anxious and flustered. Not that I can blame him, those girls were out of control and could have easily crushed him (he's tiny!). When he got to us, Dema told him that it was Pam's birthday and he looked up for the first time since he'd gotten outside. He said, "Who's birthday?" And Pam very eloquently said, "Um, well, it's uh mine, and, I mean it's her's too, but.... yeah." Then I talked to him and just told him that I was really impressed with his performance. He thanked me and said it meant a lot. We talked about the show and he recommended that we see the Book of Mormon musical because "it's something special." What are the chances he would say that to the only 3 mormon girls in the entire crowd? We wanted to tell him about how special the REAL Book of Mormon is, but we lost our chance because he was in a hurry.

Daniel signing my playbill

 And that is the time I met Harry Potter. That being said, I will leave you with some of my favorite things, Harry Potter style.