Ashley's Blog

I don't even know where to begin…this is my last blog!  I seriously cannot believe I will be graduating in less than two weeks! Of course, I am excited to move on from NUHS, but I have to admit it is quite scary! Not being told where to be, what to do, and how to do it every day is going to be a very big change… but I am sure I will adapt!!  

I have become very nostalgic lately, hugging my friends more than usual knowing these last few days may be the last time we are all in one room together. I have been saying goodbye to my patients, which is extremely hard! I love my patients and will think of them often even when I am gone! I poured my last tincture in the dispensary, performed my last hydrotherapy and wrote my last paper this week. Every day there is a new reminder of the closing of my time at NUHS. 

As sad as it may be to say goodbye to friends and old routines, I am very happy to be going to spend time with my sweet little niece! My sister is always sending me pictures of her… the latest photo shoot was of my niece dressed up in her various bathing suits with captions saying, "Come visit me soon Auntie A!" How could I not want to just drop everything and go squeeze her!!

Hospital Shadowing Experience

This coming week I will be shadowing at a Joliet hospital ER room. I have never been exposed to emergency room situations and am very thankful for this opportunity! I know I will see things I might never see in real practice. Not that I have any plans to become an ER doctor, but it will be worthwhile to learn a new aspect of medicine and meet new doctors. It's like Dr. Lou always says… make friends everywhere you go! 

As I move on to hopefully bigger and better things… I ask that everyone stay in contact! I will certainly be happy to update everyone on my goings on!

I hope that everyone has a happy and healthy summer!

Graduation is now officially one month away and I couldn't be more excited! I am more than ready to be done spending all of my time within the confines of the NUHS clinic walls and get out into the "real world." Sometimes I think we spend so much time worrying about graduation requirements and check-offs that we start to loose touch with reality; we are going to be doctors!! 

I think my reality set in hard this week when one of the adjunct faculty, Dr. Lou, wanted to take the 10th trimester ND students out for a graduation dinner before she left for the trimester. She praised each and every one of us and pointed out each of our strengths. She really knows how to speak to your heart. After some Thai food, talking and tears, we all left feeling confident and ready to graduate!   

A Favorite Memory

One of my most favorite memories of Dr. Lou was her lecture on finding your "target" - meaning, we all have goals in our life that we aim for. Some are small and some are large but they all are leading towards a common goal/target. That goal may be to have the means to support children and a family in the future, or to have the means to travel freely, or it may be to build your ideal medical practice. Whatever the goal "target" may be, there will undoubtedly be obstacles that will come along and try to knock you off of your course toward your target. 

Dr. Lou explains that it is no one's fault but your own if you allow these obstacles to let you get off course. She also explains that once your start to rationalize the obstacles and let them lead you astray, you will in the short term be aiming for your target, but in the long term you will miss the target by a long shot. For example, if you are in an unhappy relationship and are aiming to have a happy healthy family in your future, you can rationalize that things will get better as time goes on and ignore the fact that you are no longer aiming for your target. As difficult as it may seem, removing yourself from a situation or people that do not support your reaching your target is what you must do. 

I know it sounds cheesy, but when you sit down and think about what makes you get out of bed in the morning and what actually makes you tick, you realize what your most important goals/targets in life are and this will help to re-direct you onto the appropriate path. 

Mama Chella comes to town!

My boyfriend's mother flew in from Boston this past weekend to pay us a very short but sweet visit. We were able to go downtown for a very nice dinner and drinks and some long overdue shopping! I also attended my first temple service with my boyfriend and his mom to observe the Jewish festival Purim. It was a learning experience to say the least! I love learning new religions and traditions and can't wait for the next holiday!

I know this is absolutely ridiculous, but I have to admit I have never taken the Chicago Metra train in my whole 5 years of living here! I was actually forced to take the Metra from Downers Grove to my Salvation Army rotation in downtown Chicago this past Friday as my car quit on me early last week. Aside from my broken down car being a headache, the train was so easy and the best part was I didn't have to sit in traffic on the way back home! I am totally going to take the train much more often!  

Valentine's Day Fondue! 

Since Valentine's Day fell on a Monday, my boyfriend and I decided to make dinner and have a quiet night at home. When I got home from my clinic shift late in the evening, I was surprised with a bubbling pot of cheese fondue and heart shaped rice crispy treats! Yum! On top of my dinner surprise I also received some paraben and phthalate free bath products! I finally have my friends and family trained to look for products that are free of harsh preservatives that are known to create long term health affects.

Phthalates are used in plastics to give them their flexibility and durability. The use of phthalates is being phased out, as there are emerging health concerns over their safety. Parabens are used to increase the shelf life of cosmetics and are found in an array of products from shampoo to toothpaste. Parabens can also be added to food to prevent spoilage. Products without parabens and phthalates are becoming more available especially in many infant bath products. It's something to keep in mind the next time you go to the store for toiletries! 

The final move!

This weekend wrapped up my month of moving… FINALLY! My boyfriend and I rented a 16-foot truck with a car carriage attached to the back to haul the rest of my apartment and car back home. I know it had to be unnerving to drive that big truck with an additional car in tow, but my boyfriend would never admit it!  It was nice to spend some time with my family and get out of school mode for a few days. 

I am counting down the days to graduation… Only 2 more months now!! I am so ready to graduate… can't wait!!