Just a note to say....

I'm still dry. No alcohol (unless you count last night where I mistook bucks fizz for orange juice - i spat it back out immediately) and still enjoying myself. I am going to be a real featherweight at the end of lent, but I'm considering staying dry until the end of my degree now. It might be fun.
Merys

The Yoof of Today

This is a stern message to all freshers out there who live in halls - setting the fire alarm off at 2.30AM is not funny, or nice, or considerate to anyone else, and especially not to the fire brigade. As a member of the halls residential staff at my uni, I am usually the one who gets it in the ear from the Fire Brigade while you inebriated little sods laugh your heads off outside. On the good side, I'm the one who decides when you get to come back in.........
Unfortunately I've had no luck trying to find out who set the bloody thing off, but I really struggled to get back to sleep, and eventually managed it at 4.45AM, for the alarm clock to greet me at 6.20AM. Needless to say I did snooze strongly through my 10AM lecture on alcohol toxicity. Hell, what I don't know about alcohol poisoning and how to put a drunk fresher to bed isn't worth knowing.
Anyway, I have to go to Birmingham later this morning, so I am going to retire to my boudoir (read: scabby hovel)
Merys

giggler

I'm procrastinating wildly from my dissertation, and I came across this http://www.union.ic.ac.uk/medic/fitness/home.php?type=listen
Now as someone who is desperately trying to get into medicinem i'm very skeptical of many things medically related, but I have been giggling in the library with my headphones on. In fact, i'm proud to say I have just bought a copy myself, and I will use the Drug Song as exam revision I think.
Lectures today = 0
Study = yes, quite a lot actually

Blood tests

Well the results are in, and surprise surprise, are completely normal. No rheumatoid arthritis, just a continuing mystery - although the nurse did look a bit shocked when I burst into tears on her. I'm not saying I want the results to come back and say I have R.A., because I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy, never mind myself, I think it's just that I want to approach it sensibly. I want to know what the problem is so it can be fixed. It's useless to not know what's wrong, as it can't be treated. I'm too logical I think. (LOL)
Besides, I was crying mainly because it bloody well hurt today.
M

Sticking with it

Have just got exam results, and it would appear that I don't understand my biomedicine as much as I thought I did, as they aren't quite as good as I had anticipated they would be. I've still passed them all, which is a small relief though I suppose.
Today I finally got my eyes tested - and now need to wear glasses all the time. I would kill for contact lenses, but the opthalmologist said he didn't recommend it, as my eyes are too dry and itchy. He also told me i'm gonna have to start using artificial tears, as my eyes aren't moist enough - hence the excessive burning sensations. It was great fun trying to use eye drops when i've never used them since I was 5. It was much easier at that age, parents are very good at that sort of stuff. I'm a bit like Rachel in friends when she needs eye drops, i'm a bit of a wimp, but I think I can kiss mascara goodbye for the time being anyhow!
It would also appear as though I can kiss medicine goodbye for the time being, as I seem to be moving the goalposts further and further away. Maybe the GAMSAT is an option - I don't really know.
Merys

Jellyfish from the waist down

Well, today I have spent muchos time in front of computer, sans glasses = sore burning eyes. (Note to self, get eyes tested.)
I managed to up my dissertation total to 2000 words - only 3000 to go. Still no news from the med school I really want to go to, even though most of my friends have interviews next week. I'm beginning to feel a bit disheartened by it all. I was considering applying to work for the ambulance service, reminded of the fact that this interested me after reading an excellent blog randomreality.blogware.com and having given this a lot more thought lately, I have wondered if they would have me, considering that I have an undiagnosed joint problem (don't even get me started). I'm reasonably fit and have been training tonight for 3.5 hours non-stop (hence jellyfish from the waist down), and i'm sure that tomorrow afternoon whilst attempting to stand behind a bar, I will actually be laying down behind the bar due to lack of lower body movement.
It upsets me that my joints are screwed (ok, i've started so i'll finish), not because they are screwed, but that I first went to see the quack in November 2002, and they still don't know what's wrong with me or them. Instead I was told that it was normal adolescent growing pains, and that I would grow out of them. Rather, that they seemed to grow into me, and rapidly spread their way around my body. What went from being a bit of dodgy knees / slightly sore hip, has become sore knees, ankles, hips, grumpy right elbow and sore neck. I actually feel guilty going to see my GP, and I know that she doesn't know what's up with me, which is probably why, after 4 blood tests, they are sending me to see a rheumatologist. What intrigues me more is why a rheumatologist when every test is negative.
I love the NHS.
Merys

Ooops

I think in all the excitement of not actually drinking last night, I may have got a bad case of foot in mouth disease. In my excitedness, I think I may have outed one of my friends, who didn't want all of our team mates to know that she was Bi.
Needless to say I feel incredibly guilty, but I think more people know than she realises, and we love her for who she is as a person, not who she goes for. Personally, its non of our business.
Oh testicles.

The first challenge to sobriety.

Well, tonight was gonna be the first night I really struggled at Lent. Girls night in. Something along the lines of comiserating ourselves on our crap taste in men (made more difficult for me by my ex's new g/f sitting in same room- at least alcohol wouldn't let my mouth run away with me!).
I've got to say how much I respect my friends and team mates for not pushing alcohol my way, or taking the piss. In fact, they were quite suprised by my hyperactivity, even I thought I'd been drinking at one point, but I always keep an eye on my drinks.
It's really refreshing to be able to have a decent conversation with a taxi driver on the way home too. I honestly think taxi drivers are truly wonderful people, they have such interesting stories to tell, and they way they must analyse their clients. I swear I would love to be a cabby for just a day (not a night though!).
Its nice to be able to come home to the flat and be sober enough to do something over than just fall into bed.
Merys

Lent

I'm not exactly sure why I decided to give up alcohol for lent, but anything for a change. Besides, at least my liver can now remember that it is alive after all, not just preserved.
My friends seem pretty cool about it though, and they weren't too bad when we all disappeared to the pub this afternoon between lectures. Ok, so I guess i've just confirmed a stereotype there, but I honestly didn't drink. God bless Diet Coke! And, I was particularly good as I needed to see a professor in the department about my work, so I didn't feel it appropriate to smell of booze.
I suppose it really is true that many students would do anything for a freebie, and one of my coursemates definitely proved this earlier today. The barman came up to us in the bar, and asked if one of us would model a woman's t-shirt with the name of a new film on it. The idea was that we would pose for some stupid photographs, and we could keep the t-shirt. I mentioned that it was a woman's t-shirt right? So, we have one bloke sitting with us, who decided after 3 pints of guiness that it would be a good idea for him to do it - cue large man in small t-shirt prancing around a busy bar. It was quite amusing though, and he did swap it for a mens shirt in the end. (thank goodness, as he wore it for the next lecture!)
At least I have standards. If the film had been a decent one I might have done it myself......
Merys

A little more about me

While I don't particularly want everyone to know who I am, I do want people to know why I am writing this blog, and it would be nice if someone could post me some comments to let me know that they are actually reading it. (Just longing for some loving really!)
I'm a third year biomedicine student at a University up north. I don't really enjoy my degree very much, but it's a means to an end.
You see, what I really want to do is study medicine. I know that there must be loads of medics somewhere wondering why the hell anyone would wish for it, but it's all I really want to do.
I've wanted to be a doctor since I was eleven years old, and I'm now 21, and still struggling to try and get in to med school.
I didn't exactly do stunningly at A levels. (Why oh why did I do Chemistry, Biology and Physics??????) and I only got CCC, when my only offer for medicine was AAB. Understandably, they rejected me, can't think why!
So they offered me a place on biomedicine, with the idea that I could graduate with a 2:1 and start on a post-grad medicine course, or even the regular 5 year one. I accepted the place, hate the degree and still don't look like I'm going to get into med school. Oh dear.
But, I do hold an offer at a medical school down south, so with any luck, shoudl I get a 2:1 I will be toddling off there next year.
Here's hoping.
Merys

Maybe I am....

a normal, proper money seeking student? I dunno, all comments welcome. I have just been paid the grand sum of £15 smackers for falling asleep inside a MRI scanner. Easy life huh?
But hey, I need the money, and there are worse ways to earn it.
I think I am losing even more faith in freshers, as they woke me up twice last night, again. I honestly couldn't be arsed to get out of bed and say anything, so I'm just simmering quietly to myself. (Grrrrr)

Lectures attended: 1 (the effects and uses of diuretics)

Currently trying to write up last week's notes as a form of revision, in attempt to actually get a 2:1 at the end of this year.
Merys

Sent to try me....

I swear I wasn't that bad when I was a fresher.
Most of the common stereotypes of students must come from first years, because I am sure that I am not that bad (or am I just deluded?)
Why they feel the need to shriek and scream at interesting times of the day completely befuddles me. I know for a fact that I never did that, drunk or sober. To make things worse, these people were definitely sober?? What the hell????
It was made worse by the fact I had fallen asleep at the computer, had a banging headache, and was then woken up by the little sods.
Why the hell did I think living with first years was a good idea.
why?

Scrounging Tax Dodger????

OK, I'm officially maddened.
1, I am a student, but
2, I work to keep myself in university, and,
3, I pay tax and NI contribution

so...you can imagine my anger when a drunken man called me a scrounging tax dodging student. But, there's more to this than meets the eye. I was actually enjoying a night out at my Student Union. You do have to question the sensibility of student-haters who go to a students union.
His particular rant was brought on by so called 'unprofessionalism' on the part of the Union. The fire alarm had been activated by some drunken tit so we had all been evacuated into the freezing cold February night, and this idjut of a bloke had decided that it was unprofessional to potentially save our lives by evacuating us to be on the safe side!
And I'm meant to be the stupid student, I honestly do wonder sometimes.