Numero Dos

I must be going over thorns or glass because I've gotten like two flats in one week! I thought I was going home until I saw my front tire. So I radioed "team support" and the director sportiff said I'd have to wait till' Nicole woke up. So I went back to the library and cracked open a few veterinary journals. Amongst my classmates I'm known for always going to the professor after class and asking questions, or reading professional journals from the library. I enjoy reading DVM magazine probably because it's the same size and is bound just like Velonews "the journal of competitive cyclists"....atleast it has the same feel as I turn the pages. I cracked open JAMA (journal of american medical association) and found out a few things:

Topic: Daily Activity Energy Expenditure and Mortality Among Older Adults

In a nutshell: increase energy expenditure during daily activities = decrease mortality

Topic: Women's Susceptibility to Tobacco Carcinogens and Survival After Diagnosis of Lung Cancer.

In a nutshell: women are more susceptible to tobacco carcinogens but yet have a lower rate of fatal outcome (good marketing for Philip Morris?).

Topic: Adult Weight change and Risk of Post-Menopausal Breast Cancer

In a nutshell: increase weight after menopause = increase risk of breast cancer (doesn't smoking curb appetite and therefore reduce weight? hmmmmmm.)

I do lots of journal reading inbetween study breaks, but believe me if there was a Velonews within a 30 mile radius I'd read it!

Moral of the Story/Research: If your a woman, run to the store and buya a pack of Marlboro's, nah just kiddin' it's NOT that black & white!

Oh, today I was elected "treasurer" of the AAEP (American Association of Equine Practitioners Student chapter here at Ross University!

Sharie doesn't feel comfortable driving our Nissan Sunny, and I don't blame her because it sure does make alot of weird noises! So now we must hunt for another "Ross" mobile. I'm personally tired of dealing with flats everyother day with the car. Up until a month ago I was using my floor pump to inflate the car tires every other day!

Classes performance is starting to come around now that I've figured how to study for Bacteriology and Parasitology with 3 weeks to go! I'm making up ground though and that's what counts. . . is it 7th semester yet?

See Niki even knew Floyd would win the Tour de France

Look at our "Number Dos"

1680

I figure I should look at this challenge through the eyes of the cyclists that I am. On the way to school atop my Eddy Merck AL dodging cow pies and goat pellets it dawned on me how I can make a Tour out of this. At 3.0 miles round trip M-F makes for 15 miles per week and 240 miles per stage/semester,and a total of 1,680 miles! Oh, 7 stages total (on the island) 3 in the states (different race though). So far I'm glad to report that I haven't DNF'd (Did Not Finish), and only two flats so far too.

Stage 2 is supposed to be easier from what I hear but it hasn't been for me. I'm actually looking forward to stage 3 which is supposidly difficult because of Mt. Reich (Dr. Reich). Apparently Dr. Reich is a Hor category climb (most difficult) and will shatter the field. However, stage 1 proved that Mt. Reich and I jive just fine. I'm banking that my previous exposure to arterial blood gases as an RT will come handy as the bulk of Reich will cover this topic in great detail.

Until then I can only dream about this sweet single track in Colorado, Thee 401 trail....somedat we shall meet.

See most of you in August after stage 2! Hopefully I can catch a few rides while I'm in California.

Striking Idea

Last week we had a visiting professor lecture on Business Management and Transitioning From Veterinary Student To Veterinarian. Alot is involved, especially if one plans on owning a veterinary clinic. Dr. Wilson a veterinarian and lawyer decided after a lengthy and respectable career to venture into the world of consulting. This professor opened my eyes to the entrepenurial possibilities of being a business owner. I'm excited now and can't wait to get started on the wonderful world of veterinary small business.

Before I would daydream about what my lap pool would look like in my custom home, perhaps a reflection of our yearning to settle down and start some roots. Now instead, I realize that taking care of the customer, patient, business and it's employees will provide all that we need and more, so a lap pool at the clinic first! Don't get me wrong I'm not hung up on materialism and making money, but I do believe in paying off such an enormous loan. After some additional daydreaming I was lead to my final vision (albeit ambitious): a veterinary clinic/bicycle shop/coffee shop!

window repair Ross student style

On a different note last night I should've worn a diaper because I have never in my life experienced mother nature in her full electric glory. The thunder I tell you was like having a hundred bull whips at your ear and a million camera flashes in your face! Windows reverberated, thunder roared, rumbled, and cracked ala shock and awe. I'll admit it I even hesitated to look at it creeping ever so carefully towards the window! In the end I only got one hour of sleep followed by an anatomy exam :( For those of you that are Meatrix crazy check out part II at: www.themeatrix2.com

taking easy with the Bory's and Jeanine at Turtle beach

The Meatrix

Today I'm cherising the last of my "mid-semester" break, so far I've done nothing. Actually I've been watching the tour on the spanish version of ESPN. I didn't want to drag cycling into my blog but "operacion puerto" was the last straw for me. When Tyler Hamiltons name appeared on that list I pretty much decided everyone in cycling is doping. Actually except for pros that appear to be struggling with their cycling career or the lantern rouge. It must be the norm to junk otherwise you get left behind and contracts aren't renewed. I love cycling too much to just walk away though, as a matter of fact I can't wait to get back to the states to toe the line. I've even been border line obsessive with looking at dream homes at www.dupontregistry.com, specifically in Austin.

It's Moopheus!

You gotta watch this video: www.themeatrix.com. I thought it was just a joke but It looks like they are actually serious. Well I better get back into vet student mode as my break is almost over!

Cute bra

Second semester is in full swing and it's crunch time now. Parasitology has been getting alot of my attention lately as it will be the "bread and butter" of being a veterinarian. Anatomy has been fun this semester as I have a keen interest in large animals. What is cool is that the donkey, goat, and swine body systems are similar in some areas and not so in others. However, in the areas that that are similar it re-enforces what I've learned with the dog. What I wasn't counting on was learning about other organisms like fleas and mites, but hey it's all interconnected.

Now that I'm knee deep in parasitology and bacteriology I don't want to touch a blade of grass, pet a horse, eat sashimi or walk barefooted. Call me paranoid but the truth is that they are everywhere, looking for the perfect environment (small intestine very popular) YOU! For example I did a google on a parasite I could've sworn was spelled cutebra, the search result revealed numerous sites for "cute bras". Well I've been in parasitology long enough to know that wasn't a parasite so I checked my spelling. . . . Cuterebra. Now this guy likes to lay its eggs on rabbits and rodents but also consideres humans and dogs. The larva penetrates the skin and Bam! A month later this bad bow below emerges from a hole in the skin!

not to be confused with a cute bra

Well the girls are back after a brief hiatus to the "Cowboy capital of the world". Sharie has been going through cowboy capital withdrawls ever since she arrived. Here's a picture of them arriving (planes fly right over our roof top).

I see this soo much that I know when the pilot is coming in too high or too low!

Dr. Berg: "let me tek you to z bar, I wants to show you sumzeen"

Sergio: "uhhhh...Dr. Berg do you think it's a wee bit too early in the day for a drink?"

Dr. Berg actually wanted to take us to the "barn" to show us the material we need to know for the next palpation exam of the pelvic limb. The horses pelvic limb starting from top to bottom goes a little something like this: boring, boring, boring, interesting (knee), boring, what was that again, whoa, whoa that's alot of stuff from the hock down. The horse has many structures, vessels, nerves, bursa, retinaculums, bones, you name it and it's no wonder why so much goes wrong from the hock down! Alright, I'm gonna relax before things get crazy for the coming week. Have a great weekend!

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae

Sharie and Nicole have been gone for a week now and am starting to miss Sharie complaining about the sugar ants or the clothes line. I'm also missing Nicole wanting to sit on my lap while I'm studying or running around and having a hissy fit. We have her potty trained so let her run around without a diaper, but when she throws a fit she takes a leak on the spot.

pee fit

Nicole wants to do everything Papa is doing. If I'm studying with headset on, she wants in on it too. If I'm walking chump she wants it too, or if I spank Mama on the toosh guess who wants to spank too?

hee hee

The cool thing about being in school is not only that I'm getting in debt, but that we get to attend voluntary inservices. These include such topics as turtle conservation on St. Kitts, hoof care, horse handling, or as we did last week horse physical examination by Dr. Yverchuk. There's always something going on in terms of learning to the point that it's impossible to try and make all of them.

Max checkin' out heart sounds on Ricky

Interesting to know that Max and I were inspired by the same veterinarian (Dr. LeTourneau) to go to veterinary school. We grew up about 40 minutes away from each other and met each other on some remote island because of one great guy!

How's this for a tounge twister: Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae

Learned that bad boy today, bacteriology isn't bad. It's parasitology that I have a difficult time with. I equate learning parasitology to cracking open a phone book and trying to memorize random names and their corresponding phone numbers. Don't get me wrong I've learned a great deal but it all comes down to bulk memorization and I suck at that! I prefer subjects like physiology where one can make a story out of biological pathways. Anyhow back to bulk memorization.

Superstar

Only in St. Kitts

I guess I'm a superstar now. In the name of accreditation Ross U has undergone a serious face-lift. From plasma screens, newly paved roads, to shooting a film for the AVMA visit in September it's buzzing here on campus. So the campus now looks like the most boring hollywood scene ever. . . I was asked "Can you act like your checking out a book at the counter?" "Sure" (I know I have the Brad Pitt thing goin' on but you don't have to tell me) were do I sign for my multi-million dollar contract? Actually it just took but five minutes to stand in as a background. When will I get to be the "foreground". I had the opportunity to be in a Nike commercial for the Asian market a few years back as background, and what sucks is that Lance never even showed up. We used a cat I guy who looked like the Hulk instead. . . but hey my day will come.

When Ross does get accreditation classes will go from 65 to 100 easily. AVMA is the governing body for the Veterinary profession and they will have the last word. But the fact is that we will be short about 900 veterinarians per year and need to either build 9 more vet schools in the states or extend accreditation to offshore schools. Plus all Rossies go back to the states to practice so accreditation just means one less hurdle for us to jump.

Thanks for the pool Tia Diana. . . I even got sick drinking the water!

Thanks Honkey

Boy I can't wait to start doing all the surgical procedures, tests, trouble shooting, med administrations, and actually seeing a live animal. Well that's not true we did start doing palpations on the horses in the barn. . . . it's definitely a teaser.

can't wait till it's my turn to park here

But time is all relative, we average about 72 years of life while the mange mite (Chorioptes bovis) only lives 4-6 weeks! So we just need to go one day at a time and enjoy the ride while it last!

Thanks for lettin' us learn honkey!

Every see often I stop to reflect and appreciate the life that is sacrificed in the name of education. I would rather learn on honkey than a clients prized pet that's for sure. I also recall what my animal physiology professor at CSUSB told us before our first dissection: that as humans we tend to be more critical of animal dissections as the organism gets larger and don't seem to care as it gets smaller, for example: goldfish vs elephant. All I know is that I appreciate all of them small and large. . . well maybe not the parasites!

last semester saw only 2 or 3 bikes. . . look at it now!

These last few days I've been thinking about way, way down the road. Every so often I try to figure out which branch of vet medicine I will go or be lead to. I have a feeling I'll be the 1/1000 vet that goes into some off-shoot specialty like poultry plastic surgery or public health (ouch).

Mama's weekend

This weekend we celebrated our 4th year anniversary and mothers day! First Sharie and I treated ourselves to a four course meal at Ottley's Plantation. . . . the place was awesome. The grounds were manicured, lots of peacefulness going on, very relaxing, and great food.

As usual Sharie can't make up her mind

relaxing under the mango tree

gettin ready for our massages

The next day (sunday) we went out for mothers day with the Bory's. It was nice to eat some pastries as they are hard to come by on the island. Sharie is counting down (minus 16 days) till her departure day to California, I just have to remind her that she does need to return. . . hopefully she'll remember. Check out Ottleys: www.ottleys.com. This place sure does beat the Four Seasons on Nevis and it's about a third the price.

Nicole, Sharie, Chris, and Wendi at the Marriot

might as well play the role. . . one mex-am, one cub-am, both from SoCal

Draggin' Ass

Orientation is over now and the first week of school well under way. I was definitely worked to the bone being an orientation leader and will do it again if I get the chance. It was rewarding to see my "kids" leave the nest reassured that I taught them all they needed to know to survive. One day the school took out the new class on a catamaran trip to the nearby island Nevis.

we had to return for some students. . . including the Dean!

two of my kids here, mario and beth

So far the classes this semester aren't too bad because we have a better idea of what to expect in anatomy and physiology. The class I need to stay on top of is parasitology as this is all new to me. Bacteriology is pretty much like microbiology so nothing big so far.

draggin' ass

We haven't named this ass but I'm sure we'll come up with something soon. Unfortunately someone already took seabiscuit, oh well. This week we will be focusing on the intestines followed most likely by the thorax. From what I understand we will also be dissecting a sheep, pig, and a chicken! Speaking of animals Chump is now eligible to go running with me. . . yahooooo!

Welcome

Orientation week is well under way by now. I'm tending to 9 of the 65 students that arrived for the next semester. It's alot of fun to be a orientation leader as I get to share some good stories and impart some advice. In the process I get to drive around the island and discover some new places. I basically act as a tour guide by picking them up at the airport, showing them their new place, take em' grocery shopping, take them around town to get car related paperwork in order and make sure they're on time to school organized functions. Here I'm on my way to pick up a batch of students.

I got the Benz

I'm rested now and ready for the next semester. This time I'm gonna do things a little differently so I don't have to do 12 hr study marathons 2 weeks before finals! I feel completely aclimated now and can say that I'm now enjoying living here. At first it was nerve wracking, but now we've settled into our environment.

Hazards of driving on The Rock

I need to get back on the trainer because I haven't been doing a thing for the last two months! I don't think I'm gaining weight but I know for sure that the 1.5 mile commute to school is getting harder. But like Sharie put it, I can't exercise I only know how to train and if I don't have a race to go to there's no reason to train. It's funny but out here the sun saps your energy and I just don't feel like doing much at all. I'll give it a shot however this next week.

Turtle Beach Rainbow

Round Two

checkin' out the trails around here

What a relief to know that I'm continuing on to second semester. I was telling Sharie that I had to mentally accept the idea that perhaps I could potentially repeat second semester. This goes for about 60 of the 65 students. Of course except for those five that could afford to fail their finals completely, for the rest of us it's fair game. This next semester I will be taking Physio II, Bacteriology, Parasitology, and Anatomy II. Apparently second is a cake walk compared to first, third, and sixth but I'm not taking my chances.

Sharie has been itching to buy a plane ticket feeling the loneliness from Grammy and most Rossies leaving at the same time. I'm used to the feeling since way back at P.U.C.. For those familiar with P.U.C. you know that everyone evacuates pronto and next thing you know it's a ghost town. Back then I had alot of time to think about life as I do now. However, I sure wish I had a mtn bike back then because P.U.C. has some sweet trails.

Alright time to relax...atleast for the next two weeks.

Waiting game

Now that finals are said and done it's all about waiting to see what our fate will be. Some professors put more weight on the final, so even if your going in with say a 90% overall one can still end up buying a one-way ticket home. It's interesting to know that even some of my classmates that have stellar grades sweat it till the very last second. So at 1300 our time final grades will be posted until then I will be trying to keep my mind off it. Some students who have repeated the semester are on their last chance so alot is at stake for them. What stinks is that out of the 5 classes we are taking nutrition (theoretically the easiest) is proving to be the gatekeeper. The problem with this class is that we have a gazillian instructors teaching it which makes me feel like I'm shifting gears at every few feet.

Chump waitin' for something just not sure what?

Actually he's waiting for 30 days confinement to be up. Here they have a confinement rule for all imported animals to make sure they don't have contagious diseases. Funny thing is that all the sugarcane mutts run around town looking downright filthy and contagious. So maybe this is more a protective measure for chump.

We came across this business last week when we drove around the island. How would you like to work here? Overhaul an engine in the morning, wipe of the oil grime, then teach aerobics in the afternoon?

Have a great weekend!

Feelin' the Burn

Brimstone Hill

This week has drained me physically and emotionally. It has been finals weeks and it's sink or swim. At this point you either know it or you don't, no overtime allowed. I usually study at home, clear the kitchen table put on the headset and get to crackin'. Lately it has been getting very hot, the wind has disappeared and the sea looks like a lake. . . . creepy calm. The fan is starting to make a rattlin noise due to the 24/7 operation. Today was the first day we were brave enough to turn on the A/C given the horror stories we've heard of electric bills. Grammy is going back home tomorrow and I feel bad for Nicole, she's use to seeing Grammy around everyday. We took Grammy on a tour around the island.

Grammy and Niki @ Ottley's Plantation

Tomorrow Nutrition final then Anatomy on Thursday and first semester be done mon! As a reward I decided to treat myself to being an orientation leader. Actually this is alot of work but I was inspired by MC (our orientation leader). He made our transition from US life to St. Kitts life very very smooth. He reminds me of the mellow version of Chris Hansel, now let me go pull a pic of MC.

MC. . . I don't think that little guy meets the size limit

I was inspired by MC so much that now I volunteered to do what he did for us when we were nervous about the madness of moving over here. . . it made the difference and I have some big shoes to fill. He even hooked me up with notes, old tests, graphs, you name it. . . he rocks!! Actually I'm going to try to squeeze in some rides around the sugarcane roads. I went on a run recently and it was awesome to go from an arid, hot landscape with low lying fauna to the lush, misty, cool forest in a matter of minutes. . . I just wish I had one of those fancy GPS gadgets. I've seen some TOPO maps downloaded from mtn bike rides, they are awesome.

What Sergio will be doing over break (MC behind the wheel)

RT Roots

There is no doubt that I feel priveleged to be here. But I must confess that now and then I miss human medicine. It's strange but I don't feel like I'm a member of the animal medicine world quite yet. I've come to realize the vast experience my classmates have in the animal world. I see how they grasp concepts so much faster, share experiences and often wonder how much more I could have learned had I had more animal experience. I can't tell them how I got Mr. Richards off the ventilator so he could go tend his 6,000 acre ranch, or how I once treated Roy Rogers. Or even how Mr. Killian made me laugh when he cussed at me objecting to my care. But then it dawned on me that my experience and education in human care will always be there waiting for me, to draw from it the human touch.

A while back it I was curious to see how many RT's were out there that were DVM's as well. So I did a quick google and was not surprised to only find but a handful. The one I found in CA was a gal that worked at a small animal clinic as well as a human hospital in Sacramento. I thought what is she thinking? Why doesn't she focus on her veterinarian career? Why would she want to return to Respiratory care? It now makes sense to me because I feel a great degree of alliance to not only respiratory care but human medicine.

The advantage I possess will some day allow me the privelage to not only work with animals but with humans alike. Until then I must be satisfied with my current understanding and keep chugging along. And of course it was perfect timing that Dr. Reich gave us a pep talk on not judging ourselves too much. He mentioned how he and three other professors form the admissions committee. So if we ever doubted about being veterinarians to remember that by the mere fact that we are sitting in class means he believes that we can! So I will never forget my respiratory roots, someday we will integrate.

One dedicated Respiratory Therapist

The Queen

Here from Camps Bayview we can sometimes (if I stretch the neck a little) see cruise ships in the port from our porch. Yesterday I didn't have to do any stretching, so that caught my curiosity. On it's way out it cruised past Camps so I decided to go investigate this beast of a ship. Sure enough it was the Queen Mary, so I snapped a few pictures of her in all her splendid royal majesty.

I just hope the queen doesn't get any ideas while I'm relaxing at Shiggidy's. That image will burn my rods and cones and I only have one layer! Yeah, that's right I'm studying the eye, ear, head, and cranial nerves right now. My first final exam today in anatomy lab so wish me luck. Gotta know every thing from the whiskers/vibrissae to the fill-in the blank/anus. I'd show you a picture of Stag (lab dog) but the poor guy would be unrecognizable. He looks like a roadside carcass by now. Some of my anatomy drawings I hope I will remember. I had to draw out the root system because the "dental formulae" doesn't work for me: I 3/3 C1/1 PM 4/4 M 2/3 = 42

Sometimes I wish

On my way home, down the sugar cane road I couldn't help but remember that today was the last day of Sea Otter in Monterey, CA. I thought wow if I was still in the states I know exactly where I would be. . . doing the cross-country race. I looked down at my watch and it was 5 pm caribbean time or 2 pm PST. That time would put me towards the end of lap one on the cross-country course. I pretended for just a split second as if I was in the thick of it, then just like that I was back to reality. A vet student on his way home to wash off the formaldehyde smell from 8 hours of anatomy lab. That's just the way it is, Sea otter and the rest of the schedule will be there waiting for me when I get back. Speaking of back, my dog is back with his Papa. Irene was instrumental in getting my dog here. She is visiting for two weeks and so far she is having a great time relaxing. I did catch here trying to do some work though.

relax. . . . it's o.k.

That's more like it

Nicole has been enjoying have Grandma here, I just don't know how she's gonna handle it once she has to leave. That goes for Shaire too.

One fully potty trained baby

makes sense

Justin's Oddysey

This last weekend Dr. Smith invited us to the dock where he lives. It was nice to see some of our professors outside of school. I just don't think Dr. Hutchison should have should up standing soo close to the edge of the dock immediately after a test. Brandon, a classmate accidently dropped his sunglasses and phone into the marina. This of course was inevitable when one mixes water and few Caribs. Before Brandon jumped in I recall Dr. Hutch saying something about three feet of fecal sludge!

nothing will stop this drunk man

now that doesn't make sense

He got the sunglasses out but not the phone.....no mo' social life fo yu, especially wit that smell. What does make sense is all things clinical. Dr. Reich shared with us a story about his intern days at Tufts University. Hangin' out with a clinician doing ambulatory rounds from dairy to dairy they had a moment of enlightment. The clinician says to Reich: When a cow has that "far away look in its eyes"..............that's where it's goin'. One tags along with clinician expecting them to impart their wisdom upon our receptive minds. Then what happens? They come out of left field, but wait a minute it all makes sense.

As simple as it sounds it takes many years for clinicians to cue in on such subtle signs. That "look", the "posture", the "smell" a pattern. For example at Kindred Hospital I cued in on one thing. If I walked into a patient room on a ventilator and the patient had a fan blowin' right in her face this patient would be a tough wean off the ventilator. Sounds strange but the truth is that this meant the patient was psychologically dependent on this feeling of "getting lots of airflow". . . so now she can breathe. Hey whatever works. Or as a student my clinician said " use your third eye" to draw the arterial blood gas? Or later he said "I've been in respiratory care for so long that I don't need a stethescope anymore" Say what? We'll towards the end I could walk into a room and without even introducing myself understand what the patients ailments were all about. The look, the smell, the posture, that's what it's all about. Enough ramblin' off to skuhlll!

This doesn't make sense either

tick n tin

Being here has it's advantages. For one I get to ride by cross bike to school. I even get to dismount once over a drain ditch to keep my cross skills sharp. The dirt road is lined with sugarcane fields of which is becoming extinct. The only thing I have to watch out for is the naked guy running around in the cane field. Other than that I just need to stay clear of the cow pies left behind and the occasional cow grazing. Here's my commute to school.

road to education

the occasional bull I have to negotiate around

The good thing is that I'm able to understand what kittitians are actually saying to me.

Sergio: Am I safe going down this fire road here?

local: Buz boos ka bool, nek mon, doeng ting, tick rite, ya understand mon?

Sergio: uhhhh, yeah mon, sure.

Now I can say with a great degree of confidence that I actually understand atleast half of what they are saying. . . . the ear has acclimitated. Here's an example of ting (thing).

It's we own ting

what happens when you have one too many Tings

sometimes it's just better to blend in

I'm just glad the fireworks are over for now. Exams were tough and I've had to take three weeks off of doing any form of exercising. Finals are around the corner and first semester will be but a memory. They weren't kidding when they said we would learn more in first semester than in all of undergrad combined. This weekend I will go for a ride, it's been well deserved, then maybe a Stag.