Neighbors From Hell

I have the neighbors from Hell. They've lived next to me for about 5 years now, but have only become unbearable in the last year. Let me put them in perspective for you. The house is a split-level house that is moderate in size. Living in this house is an woman, her son, her mother, her sister, and her sister's boyfriend/fiance/husband. There are also seven dogs. Compound this with the fact that no one in that house weighs less than 200 pounds. They're favorite past-times include playing rap music extremely loudly from their house and cars and vibrating the windows on my house. The son, who recently turned 17, has a new hobby. It includes reving the engine of his piece of shit car while in neutral. Then he tears off down the road leaving rubber and exhaust in his wake. This past Sunday, the rap music was so loud that my sister, who lives a street behind me, called and asked what the hell was vibrating her windows. I went outside to investigate and found it was my neighbors, sitting in their SUV, pounding bass as loud as possible. When I walked out of the house, a large group of teenagers decided to get the hell out of dodge - but not before reving the engine and laying about 3 feet of rubber in front of my house. If you are interested in what these people may look like, I recommend watching an episode of Dog the Bounty Hunter on A&E. Actually, my neighbors make Dog look like a fellow sophisiticant. This summer is going to be GREAT. (Note large amounts of sarcasm). In the great state of WV, hot weather tends to bring out the best in people. Some individuals find it necessary to move their dinner tables to the front porch of their house to dine a fresco. I can just tell that hot weather will entice these idiots to play music louder. In the meantime, I've got some research to do. Is it against the covenants and restrictions to build a 12 foot privacy fence???

Hippocrates and Hypocrisy

In keeping with this "right to life" theme that I started early this afternoon, I'd like to touch base with another topic that hits really close to home. My father printed an article off of MSNBC for me to read. The article is entitled - "Pharmacists' Rights at Front of New Debate." Apparently there are some pharmacists out there who believe they have the RIGHT to refuse to fill birth control and morning after pill prescriptions. Ok, last time I checked, the Oath of a Pharmacist says nothing about pushing one's personal or religious beliefs on anyone. The only reason a pharmacist has a legal right to refuse a prescription is if he/she feels that the patient will be harmed from the medicine or if the pharamcist feels the prescription is being used to maintain an addiction. Let me read that again...nope, still don't see anything about personal beliefs. Simply put - if you join a healthcare field, you have to put your person beliefs aside. If we allow this to happen, where to we draw the line? The religion of Islam does not allow followers to use alcohol, even for medicinal purposes. So, if a Catholic pharmacist has the right to refuse a birth control prescription, doesn't that mean that a Muslim pharmacist has the right to refuse all medications containing alcohol? That may sound trivial, but let's take a look at medications that contain alcohol - cough syrups, Benadryl elixir, Decadron elixir, Dimetapp elixir, syrup of IPECAC, Lanoxin pediatric elixir, Phenergan syrup, Phenergan with codeine syrup, phenobarbitol elixir, Tylenol with codeine elixir, and Vick's 44 - just to name a few. For those of you not pharmacologically oriented these medicines are used to treat anything from the symptoms of the common cold to seizures to heart disorders to pain. Is this a game we're really willing to play? I think not. The basis for the Hippocratic Oath is to do no harm. By denying the patient a prescription, I believe a pharmacist has violated the most sacred of all health care professional oaths. Apparently for the right to life movement, the right to life does not include the right to a life with access to healthcare. Hypocrisy anyone?

The Greatest Hypocrite of All

Sitting in my Pharmacy Law class today, I decided to skim the headlines at CNN. Under the Law section (I figured I'd honor my law professor by at least violating the honor code by looking at law matters), I found a headline that was quite disturbing. It appears as though a North Carolina man has attempted to obtain contract hits on Terry Schiavo's husband and Judge Greer. The man was offering $250,000 for the head of Michael Schiavo and a whopping $500,000 for the head of Judge Greer. For those of you who have not been imersed in the Terry Schiavo fiasco, Judge Greer is the judge that ordered the removal of her feeding tube. Ok - this is why I love the right to life movement. "Let Terry Schiavo life! But, let's kill her husband and a judge!" Apparently Michael Schiavo and Judge Greer have no right to life? Hmmm...I don't know about you but I see holes in the logic of this thought process. You can't truly be right to life and yet advocate the cold-blooded murder of living, viable human beings! The same goes for those idiots that blow up abortion clinics. Hello! There are living, viable human beings in there....and this is the best part - what about the pregnant woman there to have an abortion? Um - you just blew that "life" up too. It must be nice to have it both ways. Right to life when it fits your agenda, murder for those who don't see it your way. I don't think I've ever heard of a more hypocritical agenda...

A Simpler Way of Life

I am sitting here in the living room of my house while my nieces and nephews enjoy their Easter presents. I can't help but think that our society has lost sight of what is really important in life. How do we measure success here in the US? Why, we measure it by the amount of money in our bank accounts, the size of our house, and the brand of car we drive! Why don't we measure success by the amount of satisfaction in our life? I think we abandoned this practice because no one can see our personal satisfaction. We get satisfaction by knowing our car is better than our neighbor's car and our house has more square footage than our neighbors.

On Wednesday, I had to attend three lectures at Creative Scholarhip Day. The first lecture I went to was about the Global Citizenship Project that our university participated in. Our university sent a team of students and a guide to one of five countries - Netherlands, Costa Rica, India, Taiwan, and Mali. Listening to the students speak about their experiences was so refreshing. Their views on US politics and our foreign policy changed so much after their trip - as well as their views on material possessions. The girls that visited Mali were thoroughly impressed by the happiness exhibited by the individuals living in this area. These people lived in huts and had no worldly possessions - but yet they were so happy. All the people in this country are on anti-depressants. Perhaps if we stopped measuring our self-worth by the amount of possessions we have, we would be a happier society. I'm not saying we should renounce all worldly possessions and live like the Amish - but I am saying perhaps their way of life is better. Maybe we should start measuring our self-worth by our contributions to society. In a little over a year, I will be entering a very lucrative health field. Salary caps are in the six figures - but right now, I'm surviving on a little over $10,000 per year. This is my solemn vow that money will never change me as a person. I will still strive to do for my neighbor and to be a better member of society. I just wish the rest of our country could do the same...

Cinderella Loses Her Slipper

WVU's dream for their first chance at the NCAA Championship since 1959 ended tonight. They lost to Louisville in OT. WVU came out fighting and were up 40-27 at the half. Unfortunately, they were unable to keep up that intensity. Pittsnoggle posted 26 points and was again player of the game. At least the boys can go home to Morgantown to find their campus not burned to the ground - because if they would've won tonight, Morgantown would have failed to exist tomorrow morning. They certainly have nothing to hang their heads about - the entire state of WV is proud of them. :) Here's to next season - and another NCAA birth.

Jesus's Greatest Carpentry Feat

This is a sure sign that shit has gotten waaaay out of hand in Florida. I haven't seen a float like this since the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! Apparently, this minivan with Jesus in tow, is headed for a demonstration in Florida for Terri Schiavo. Have we totally lost our minds? Notice the pulley system located just under Jesus's lower back - so he can spring to action.

Can You Say - "ELITE EIGHT?"

WVU is headed to the Elite Eight! Another phenomenal game from the boys from WV and especially the boy from my hometown - Kevin Pittsnoggle. His two free throws at the end of the game helped seal our victory. For second time in the NCAA tourney, he's been named player of the game. Let's just say, if WVU goes any further in this tournament there won't be a couch left in Mo'Town!

Today wasn't such a horrid day. It was my last day of Standardized Patient Assessment Lab - EVER. That sounds so great to say - I'm going to say it again. It was my last day of Standardized Patient Assessment Lab - EVER. :) The class ended with two quizzes and a patient encounter. My patient was a 17 yo girl who's skirt was so short that even porn actresses wouldn't wear it. The porn actress would say - "Shit - I have standards!" The encounter went pretty well. I attempted to persuade her to see her doctor about her depression; however she would not agree. Therefore I counseled her on the correct way to take St. John's Wort and gave her a follow up plan. After the session I was asked to participate in a debriefing session with the students. At this session my "patient" informed all of the students that I was the best pharmacist she had. That was very rewarding. Then good ole' Dr. Caffee informed me that my decision in the counseling session was very good. That was even more rewarding. The day was finished with my first exam in my Musculoskeletal module. The test wasn't that bad. I walked away with a feeling of adequacy. Let's just say WVU was the icing on the cake for today. :)

Duck CPR

Earlier this semester, as a requirement for my Standardized Patient Assessment Lab, I was required to learn basic life support. This amounted to learned CPR and the Heimlich maneuver for infants, children, and adults. I was also taught the correct way to use an automated electronic defibrillator. What I was not taught was how to apply these principles to the animal world...that is until tonight. I was studying for my exam tomorrow on osteo and rheumatoid arthritis when my mother yelled frantically upstairs for me to come down. When I got downstairs, Dandy was not breathing. For those of you that have missed previous posts, Dandy is one of my three ducklings. He had sucked a piece of bedding into his throat. He was bubbling around the beak and nostrils. I quickly picked him up and start to massage his throat and push on his sternum. He let out a weak squak. My dad's a paramedic (with zero experience with animals) but I called him up to the kitchen. He found an eyedropper and I held Dandy while he placed water in his throat. This seemed to help a little. Dandy could chirp, but he was still bubbling and shaking his throat. We decided to put more water in and massage his throat. The woodchip dislodged and he could breathe. Dandy appears to be doing much better. When I placed him back in the pen, he went and drank from the water dispenser. Before laying down for the night he also went and ate some out of his bowl. I hope he survives. He appears to be doing well. I never dreamed that my first use of CPR would be on a duck...

Michael Jackson Spotting

I am writing because I am still in awe. Kit and I went out to roam the halls of our great pharmacy school and we made some shocking surprises. The first of which is that 75% of the students who have graduated from our pharmacy school share the last name of Patel. Ok - that's an exaggeration, but there are a lot. As I was counting Patels from the class portraits, Kit observed something that literally left her speechless. When Kit was finally able to catch my attention, the person had walked the rest of the way down the hall. My God - it was Michael Jackson! He was wearing plaid pajama pants, a sports coat, and a pair of sneakers. He quickly ducked into the bathroom. I went and got several other third year students to observe this rare find. We waited patiently for him to emerge from the bathroom. We kept our distance - we know how dangerous this man can be. Finally, after several minutes of anticipation - he emerged - and laughter insued. Kit and I have retreated to the safety of our lecture hall - where we discovered a man attempting to fix the "Exit" sign behind our row of seats. He was up on the ladder when he dropped all of his equipment loudly. Kit is currently in throws of laughter. And the guy, he's curretly opening and shutting the door of the lecture hall very loudly. Spring is driving us all nuts. :)

HIPPA Violation?

I write today in concern of a matter that really galls my ass. (For lack of a better way to put it). It seems as though George Orwell's predictions in 1984 are slowly coming true. The government has made one more push into the private lives of American citizens - and as usual it is on the tailcoats of religion. Thirteen years ago a woman named Terry Schiavo had an eating disorder. This such eating disorder gave her a chemical imbalance in the brain and she has consequently become a living vegetable. For the last two years, her husband has been trying to let her die with dignity - and what was once just a fight with his in-laws has now become a fight with Big Brother himself. Good ole' "W" rushed home from vacation to push a law through the Senate and House that allows a federal court to hear this case. Do the American citizens realize the implications of such a law??? Of course not - it's not like things of this magnitude haven't happened before. Two words for ya - PATRIOT ACT. So at 1:32 this morning (which is when I think most old people are asleep - but apparently not the Republican dinosaurs), the House approved the bill that was approved in the Senate yesterday. If Terri Schiavo wants to die, she better get to it - she's only got until 3:00 before some federal judge rams another tube into her and forces her to live as a vegetable for another ten years. How incredibly sad. In the midst of all of this, I can't help wondering - where is this woman's right to privacy??? Every person that is even remotely involved in the health care system knows what HIPPA is. In the pharmacy, I can't even tell a someone if the medication their spouse is taking has refills left on it - so how can this possibly be legal? Her plight has been slapped across the television and print so much that I feel like I know this woman personally. This can't be right! And one more thing - isn't this whole "plight" by right-to-life people pure undermining of the "sanctity of marriage" (a quote used so often by the Republicans). We can't let two people who want to be married, but just happen to share the same anatomical structures get married, but now we can tell a husband that he cannot make decisions for his incompetent wife. How insane is that? Bush is only 3 months into his second term - it's going to be a long four years...

WVU = Sweet 16!!!!

Ok - if you missed the game last night, you really missed THE game!!! WVU beat Wake Forrest in double OT 111-105. I went out to dinner at a very nice restaurant in my small town and then went to see "To Kill A Mockingbird" at our theatre. I made these plans several weeks before I knew WVU could even be in the NCAA tourney. On the way back from the play, we went by an electronics store in downtown that had the WVU game on a TV in the window. I said, "Oh my god, Mike! WVU is winning 79-77 in OT!" We were a low flying airplane the rest of the way home. We ran into my kitchen and turned on the TV and stayed glued there until 12:00 when the game was finally over. There were so many people fouled out I thought they were gonna pull fans out of the stands to start playing! That game was soooooo incredible. Now - if they can just kick Bobby Knight's ass - I can die a happy woman. :)

The play last night was absolutely awesome. All of the actors were extremely talented and they kept Harper Lee's spirit alive. It was great. The play lasted almost 3 hours - like the movie. The set design was incredible. A local church's choir was in the play and they were amazing. They sang a cappella. It was a wonderful show.

Currently, I am seeking refuge in the confines of my room. It is Sunday evening and the entire family comes home for dinner (read - Mom, Dad, Grandad, my sister, her 2 kids, my brother, his wife, and his 2 kids). The house is just a bit full and the noise is incredible. I have retreited to the upstairs with 4 of my cats to escape the noise and the possibility of a migraine. This is almost as bad as the white trash neighbors I have. Usually the pounding bass from their rap music vibrates my windows. I swear, one of these days, I'm going to get my O' Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack out and blast bluegrass music at their house. I would blast my Chevelle CD, however, I don't think it would have much effect. I think they will only respond to banjos at this point. Now I'm sitting here wondering, should I be studying something??? Everyone on AIM appears to be studying - but I can't for the life of me figure out what that could be for. Classes were cancelled on Wednesday of this week for some kind of scholarship shit. Attendance for pharmacy students is mandatory - joyous fun. And, there are no classes on Friday because my University is apparently Methodist and feels the necessity to take Good Friday. I'm not complaining, its just that our school doesn't take any "normal" holidays - such as Labor Day and President's Day. They cancel 2:00PM classes for Martin Luther King, Jr Day. What an honor for Dr. King...

How about them 'Eers?

WOOHOO! WVU is headed for the second round of the NCAA tournament. And, if you missed the game last night - you missed THE game. Creighton took off to a 10-0 lead quickly; WVU called a time out, settled the players, and then routed on their own 10-0 run. The game went back and forth like this the entire time. In the end, fate determined that WVU would get the last bite at the golden apple. Pittsnoggle pulled down a rebound, threw it to half court, that guy lobbed it into Tyrone Sally's hands and he dunked it with 2.5 seconds remaining. Creighton inbounded the ball and called time out when they reached half court. They had enough time to inbound the ball and get one shot off - there was exactly 1.8 seconds left. Creighton inbounded to a guy at the top of the key. He shot an airball, WVU rebounded and the buzzer sounded. WVU WON!!! It was an incredible game. It was well worth skipping studying to watch the game. Mainly becaues WVU won, but also because the my therapeutics quiz was incredibly easy. The questions asked were cake. I only read over my notes one time and totally aced it. It was looking like an incredible day. However, as I have so often told Kit - you can only climb so high before you must start back down hill. I get home and decide to go purchase some ducks. I drag my mother along with me and we decide to eat Pakistanian food. As we pull up to the restaurant, which sits on the main drag in a small town, we notice a school bus parked in the middle of the street. Upon closer observation I notice a man laying on the side walk. He is not moving and he appears to be unconscious. We park the car and get out. A paramedic comes running down the street. He rushes to the body and starts to look for breathing and assess for a pulse. Then an ambulance pulls up and they come running with a crash bag. I'm pretty sure this guy was dead or at least knocking on death's door. I couldn't take anymore - so I went into the Pakistanian restaurant. We ordered food to go. By the time the food was ready and we left, the body was gone. (I later learned that the guy was flown to a Level 1 Trauma Center by helicopter - his current status is unknown) We then headed to pick up my ducks. I am now the proud owner of 3 crested ducks. The answer to the following names - Yankee, Doodle, and Dandy. (This was my Mom's idea - and if you knew my mom, you'd know that once she had her heart set on something, there's no looking back). I also purchased another fish. This is my 5th fish in 3 weeks. I apparently am playing the role of the grim reaper in the fish world. My new fish isn't doing too well. He is just hanging around the bottom of the tank. I only bought him because the very nice guy at the pet store suggested him. I may take him back tomorrow and suggest the guy at the pet store flush him down the toilet. I could handle seeing him again. :) Now it's off to watch the GW Colonials upset Georgia Tech (whatever they are).
Let's Go Colonials!!!

I like it, I really like it

Ooooo... This site is a lot nicer than my previous blog site. All posts will be seen at this page from now on. :)

So - currently I should be studying for a quiz in my therapeutics class. Being as WVU plays at 9:30 tonight in the NCAA tournament, I only have 2 hours left to entertain the thought of studying. I even passed up an invitation for a NCAA tournament party to study. And yet, here I sit doing absolutely nothing. Perhaps it was the exam I took this afternoon that has turned my planned evening of productivity into mush? Today was my ICARE lab midterm. I was told that I didn't need to study (these were my professor's exact words) and therefore spent last night laying around the house doing nothing. Today at 3:00 (well actually 3:15 by the time Parrish stopped receiving signals from outer space) I learned that my patient is an alcoholic with a cirrhotic liver who currently has pneumonia. Compound this with the fact that he's chewed tobacco for 10 years and has high blood pressure and gout - and what I thought was going to be a 30 minute piece of cake, quickly turned into a 2 hour nightmare. It took the front and back of two pages to detail his ailments and make a plan for his treatment. In reality, his treatment would probably be referal to Hospice or a quick trip to the morgue. Senioritis has set in so bad that I contemplated sending him to the morgue. I figure the guy grading these wouldn't even notice that in my plan. So now that I've got that off my chest, perhaps I should start to study about the therapeutics of osteoporosis, osteomalacia, and Paget's disease? I'll think about it...

PS - LET'S GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!