Becca-Lynne

Becca-Lynne
K....S.....U..... WILDCATS!!

Friday, April 23, 2010

Good Golly I love this boy :)

I can't BELIEVE IT! A NORMAL PICTURE!
I Love it.... So much. :)

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Ivy makes me laugh :)

NO! You will not make your bed today...

Friday, April 16, 2010

A little of this, a little of that....

I never knew how busy I was until I tried to start a blog.  Stuff keeps happening, I want to blog about it, then I run out of time.  (Cue Jessy Spano from "Saved by the Bell": "I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I'm... so scared!") There never seems to be enough time to get anything done outside of school that I want to.

I was in surgery last week for clinicals and I loved it.  The first week of clinicals at Newton Medical Center was in the out-patient surgery center.  I saw breast augmentation (breast implants) for a lady who had battled breast cancer, won, then wasn't happy with how her breasts ended up.  It literally looked like an ice cream scooper had taken chunks out of her breasts.... I wouldn't have been happy with that either.  The surgery lasted about 3.5 hours and she looked a lot better afterward.  She didn't feel better after surgery, that's for sure, and I'm really surprised she went home that day.  She looked horrible.  It's amazing what modern day medicine can do.... cut someone up, put breast implants in, sew em' up and they go home that day.  Amazing.
Some of the neat surgeries I saw last week were an  appendectomy (appendix removal) done laproscopically, same surgery procedure done to remove a gall bladder, 2 thyroidectomies, kidney stone removal, and a mid-foot amputation.  I LOVE SURGERY! It was a fun environment to work in.... I think I've found my niche :)
During the appendectomy, the circulating nurse was cleaning off the boys stomach to prep for the surgery.  She was using alcohol wipes at one point, and she noticed they kept coming off his stomach brown.  She hadn't used betadine yet, so it took her a second to figure out what was happening.  It was tanning lotion!  She said, "Ohhhhh.... he's not going to be happy with me.  I just cleaned off his tan!" Then she slathered him up with betadine so it probably left him even more brown than when he came in.  ha.
The amputation was a totally different experience for me.  The nurse said that we were going to watch an amputation next, and I was totally pumped.  I'd never seen a surgery that removed a limb, and I couldn't wait to see it.  I hadn't seen knee replacements like some of my classmates, and I was wondering how I would do with the "crunch" sounds that come with surgery on bones.  We walked into the surgery room, I looked into the old mans eyes, and I immediately felt guilty.  I was excited to see someones foot be cut off?! It hit me: these are real people.  It's easy to get caught up in the learning aspect and forget that.  Not that I've ever been callous or rude to patients, I just appreciate the fact that I'm seeing something I've never seen before.  That being said, I felt pretty sad throughout the whole surgery.  It was actaully very quick--about an hour once the patient was under and the surgeon began.

Moving on to my ant farm... remember that?! I've had some trouble getting the seeds to grow.  I filled the holes too full of seeds, and too deep, I think.  Since the medium is blue gel, I could see the seeds growing sideways, upside down, etc. etc.  That was a little frustrating.  I did a bit of digging with tweezers and was able to pull some of them toward the surface, but most of them are still growing underground, sideways.  Sigh.  I was a bit anxious to get the ants into the farm because the ants are starting to take over my bathroom.  I hate killing things!!! I appreciate all of God's little creatures, but would rather they not be in my bathroom with me.  It's small enough just for me. So, the plants weren't quite as tall as I'd want them to be, but the time to put ants in had come.... otherwise I was going to take a garden hose to my bathroom wall. Ahhh!  I managed to catch about 15 or so (that is TOUGH work), lost 2 in the process (sorry little guys) and sealed up the farm.  I was excited to see them start digging tunnels and thriving in their new home.  After all that work, I sat on my couch to relax for a bit.  About 15 minutes later, I went to check on the ants.... I bet they've already started building tunnels!!! Such good workers they are!  Nope.  They managed to find the one ITSY BITSY, TINIEST hole in the tank lid for oxygen, then escaped.  I mean, this was a SMALL opening.... I didn't even know it was there.  I was really frustrated. Grrrr.  At this point, I decided that I'd tried my best, and that I was going to have to end the ant farm in my bathroom.  (I've yet to do it though.... I just hate killing things!!) I do have 3 ants in my antfarm that have decided it's a good place to live.  And I will say, I know this is odd, one of them is a wonderful worker :) He immediately began digging a tunnel while the other 2 took a nap (I think--unless they're dead? I'm in Manhattan for the weekend... I'll have to check on that.).  I told Ryan that he is my favorite ant, and he told me I'm weird.  Oh well.  Nature is such a cool thing to watch.... and it is so cool to watch him dig into the gel.  He worked all day at it.... if only I was that hard of a worker! I wonder where I'd be today? Probably a billionaire.

One of the things I love about Ryan is that he lets me do "girl things" on him: like trim long eyebrow hairs, tell him to cut stray nose hairs (ha! old man!), pull out ingrown beard hairs and take care of his nose pores. :) Gross maybe, but I have fun playing beauty school on him.  Last night I asked him if I could clean out his pores.  He said "surrrrrrre."  He really doesn't care what his pores look like so I think it's funny he appeases me by letting me do this.  He said "Add biore strips to our Wal-Mart list."  I wrote down "bjore strips."  He laughed at me and said, "Ummm, Bec, that's BIORE, not BJORE, like the singer."  And I started to crack up, wondering why in the world he knew this?? Hmmmmmm.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Italian Greyhound + Boxer = Harvey??


For Ryan's 30th birthday we had Harvey's DNA tested at Petco.  After waiting, and waiting, and waiting, I went online to see what was taking so long.  I googled the DNA company and found a link that had user comments.... about 75% of the users said stuff like "What a joke!!!" or "Good for a laugh, bad on my wallet!"  I was bummed.... we really wanted to know what he was.  We were told when we adopted him that he was a "Short-haired St. Bernard."  We googled that, and he DOES look like one, but he is 90 pounds, which is pretty small for a St. Bernard.  Well, I got the DNA results yesterday in the mail.  The results?? According to a professional DNA company, Harvey is primarily boxer, with Italian Greyhound ancestry.... Really?! I definitely see the boxer.  I always tell people he's a St. Bernard/Boxer mix.... but an Italian Greyhound mix?! I don't think so.  :) 

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

So it's come to this...


I am tired of there being 6 bottles of pills (vitamins, arthritis medicine, pain medicine) on my kitchen table.  Between a jug of protein powder, my pills and an ant farm (haha), my table is pretty cluttered.  So I did it.  I broke down and bought a pill box--and I feel pretty weird about this.  My grandmother had a pill box...  in her 90's!  Me? I'll be 28 this month.  And the best part? I already broke the Monday lid, and fixed it with scotch tape.  CLASSY!!! :)



 .

Nearly time to add the ants!! :)



Look at these cute little sprouts! Can't wait for them to get big enough to add my ants :)





Sunday, April 4, 2010

One thing I love about weekends in Manhattan...

I love Manhattan's trails!  Ryan and I enjoy taking the dogs to the spillway, then walking them on the 1-mile loop next to the picnic area.  When we started dating, Ryan took me to the trail, and told me he called them "Hougie's Trail" because he ran them so much.  I, being naive, thought that they were actually called "Hougie's Trail..." like the city let him name the trail that or something.  Sheesh.  I was smitten--I'd believe anything he said at that point :)
Yesterday we took all 3 dogs to "Hougie's Trail."  Ryan was going to run the trail a couple of times, and take Harvey with him.  I can't run due to my dumb hip, so I was going to walk the other two (Sera and Toban).  I told Ryan that he favored Harvey, and that he should take Sera running, because she loves to run and I feel like he takes Harvey all the time.  He said he would take Sera, but asked "Are you sure you can handle Harvey?"  Yes, I said.... I can handle Harvey and Toban.  I walk the dogs more than Ryan does (I'm guessing), and I've walked Harvey many times.  Not an easy task by any means, as he weighs just about 20 pounds less than I do, but it is certainly manageable.  Ryan started off down the trail in front of me, and I started the 1-mile loop.
About 2 seconds after Ryan ran past us, Harvey started whining and throwing himself at Ryan.  He wanted to go too!! I pulled back on his choke chain, and said, "Harvey!  No!"  I got him slightly settled down, and we made it about 5 feet down the trail when Toban started "internally sneezing."  I put this in quotations because that is the official term for something that scared me half to death the first time he did it.  Anyone had a beagle before? They do this weird snorting that looks really painful.... it involves their entire abdomen.... a snorting/heaving motion that makes you think your dog is going to pass out or throw up a rabbit.  I asked my vet friend about this (after taking my beagle to the vet clinic to have "his trachea checked out". $35 dollars later they found nothing wrong with him.  I asked my vet friend about this and she just laughed.  She said that's how they sneeze.  This sounded very fishy to me, but I googled it and it's true :) I'll post a youtube video at the end to show you what I'm talking about, if you're interested.  Ha.  



So Harvey keeps whining, and Toban keeps sneezing every 5 feet (literally!!) and I am getting quite frustrated.    I am trying to keep my cool, because I did tell Ryan that I was capable of doing this.  I take a deep breath, look at the river and try to relax, and begin again.  Harvey has decided at this point to pee on every bush, sign, rock, squirrel (ha) he can.  Toban is a copy cat and has followed suit.  It would be amusing if they didn't kick up dirt after each pee.  The wind is blowing very hard, and the dust is flying in my face.  I yank them away, say "No! Let's go!!" and begin walking again.  Once again, Harvey yanks me over to a bush to pee. Toban did the same.  The wind is blowing, Toban (who is short) stands under the bush to pee, and Harvey stands right on top of him.  I screamed "NO! Harvey, NO!"  but it was too late.... Toban had his head peed on, and with the wind blowing, it blew Harvey's pee right onto my leg.  We are now probably 30 feet into our 1 mile walk.  I am certain Ryan is going to come around at any moment for his 2nd lap, and there I will be, 30 feet into the trail with a wet beagle and a peed on leg.  I suck it up, and yank the dogs along, Toban snorting and sneezing, and Harvey yanking me this way and that.


Ryan did pass me, but not for awhile.  He was at the end of his 2nd lap when I was about a 1/4 mile away from the pickup.  I noticed that Sera was nowhere in sight.  I threw Harvey's leash at him,. said "Take him!!" and started yelling out for Sera.  I thought it was odd that Ryan would let her get so far out of his sight... Ryan ran away with Harvey, and I was left with the cutest dang beagle in the world, and a bit of peace and quiet.... until the snorting started again.  I get to the end of the trail to see Ryan walking back towards me with both Harvey AND Sera.... apparently 2 minutes into their run, Sera pooped out on him.  He yelled over at me, "She isn't a 7-minute-mile dog!!!"  I said "Who is?! And why would she be? When is the last time she went running?!"  Apparently he'd put her in the back of the pickup before starting his second loop.


Yet, after all of this irritation, I love spending time with Ryan and the dogs on this trail.  Ryan even buried my cat, Milton, under a big tree on this very trail :)  Illegal?  Maybe, but with the shade of a cottonwood tree and a view of the river, we couldn't think of a better spot for him to be.  I say hi to him every time we walk past that tree :)


 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1rbSj2y6RU  

Friday, April 2, 2010

A pain in the butt!!!

About 12 years ago my leg started hurting.... an ache that hurt a lot but "moved."  Sometimes it hurt in my butt, sometimes it hurt in my hip, always moving, but always aching.  No one could figure out why my butt, hip, leg was aching, so they told me to stretch more.  I stretched, I took ibuprofen, I went to doctors, and it still hurt.  As a last resort on nights when it was really hurting, I'd take a broccoli rubber band (you know, the BIG ones!) and would put it around my ankle until my leg went numb.  My mom did not approve of my self-medication, but it worked, so I did it.  She told me I was going to lose my leg, but I never did... although I did stop wearing it when I woke up one morning with an indention from the band, and when I got home from school that evening, it was still there.... yikes!!


I went to an orthopedic doctor yesterday, and $401.00 later (yes, he is expensive, apparently), he has diagnosed me with trochantric bursitis, IT band tightness, and a hip that dislocates when I sit down.  Neat!  I received a shot in the head of my femur (into the bursa which is inflamed) and have physical therapy twice a week for the next 6 weeks.  If this doesn't work out the doctor says I will have to get an MRI because he doesn't know what else it could be.  You know what? Now that I found out my butt dislocates every time I sit down, I really do notice it.  I sit on the ground, plop... it moves.  I do yoga, plop.... it moves.  I always thought this was "normal," as it's done it as long as I can remember.  It really does hurt though, which is probably due to the fact that now I know it's happening.  Isn't that the way things go?