And the Countdown begins!

Hi friends!

I've been enjoying a few days of a well deserved vacation. The weather is beautiful (it's summer here!) and Watson (the kitty) and I have been lounging around, reading books for fun, taking care of the garden I created on my balcony and hanging out with friends. Today I got to eat the first 2 homegrown strawberries!!

However, this is all about to change very soon. In 6 days I will be on a plane, flying over the Atlantic and heading first to Paris. I have to stop there in order to request my visa for Chad, as there is no embassy here. I also get to see my friend Nadya for a couple of days, and that's a nice bonus.

Then I fly to Athens, and take a train to Oinofyta, a sea-side town in Greece, where I will be volunteering for 2 weeks at a Refugee Camp. This is with an organization called Adventist Help, and I have a few friends who have volunteered with them in the past and told me some incredible stories. Since the beginning of the refugee crisis, I wanted to do something to help, and when I heard their stories and the opportunity to help, I had to do it. I can't think of a better way to spend Christmas then helping people who really need it.

After Greece I fly to Chad. I can't wait to get there!! I have just now finished my 2nd year of medical school, so besides our rural family med clinic (where I started going once a week last year and continued this year), I don't get much patient contact. I definitely don't get any OR time, and I desperately miss the OR!! So it'll be a nice change, to be in the OR all day, every day again. :)

Stay tuned and check the blog periodically (or subscribe!) so you can keep up-to-date with my latest adventures. Also, if you're the praying kind, please pray for my trip, and for every patient I will come in contact with.

Thanks for your support! 

Neurosurgery

I'm on cloud 9 right this moment. Sorry it's been a while since I wrote, but I got back from Chad on the day my classes started, had a friend come visit, then my mom, and between studying and trying to get my life organized, time got away from me.

But I just got home after being out of the house for 15hrs, and had such a fantastic day that I had to come and share. Let me explain: today was my 1st ever medical congress, and it happened to be a Neurosurgery Congress.

I am a lowly 2nd year medical student, and even though I've done and experienced a lot more than your average 2nd year, none of it was in my country and my university doesn't know anything about it. I get no brownie points for going to Africa and assisting in surgery, or doing internships in hospitals in Germany. Therefore, I am really, just a lowly 2nd year med student. Who happens to be fluent in French.

The guest of honor and main speaker for this congress, was a heavy weight French neurosurgeon. I had obviously googled him prior to the congress. This morning when I got there, imagine what isn't my surprise, when the 1st person I see, standing alone close to the door of the auditorium, is The Man Himself! So I smiled and said "Bonjour" to which he replied "Vous parlez Français?" To which I replied in French and we somehow immediately fell into conversation. It was just 30 seconds, but it was enough.

A little later, we had a coffee break. This is a small congress, so most people already knew each other and I was the only med student, lost in the crowd, nursing my cup of coffee. The Neurosurgeon guy comes, all by himself, talk to me. We end up talking for about 10 minutes, I tell him a little about myself, ask for advice, and walk away with his card and **an invitation** to come do a rotation with him, once I get into the clinical years! YES!!!!!!!! I am over the moon!!!!

As if all of that wasn't enough, I later met a team of Neurosurgeon/Neuroradiologist/Radiotherapist from Brazil (and I also speak Portuguese!) and one of them said casually that if I wanted to come do a rotation, I'd be more than welcome. I didn't let that pass and immediately got their contact info and even went so far as to suggest a possible date (winter break, I have 3 weeks off!).

You'd think the day's riches had been exhausted, but they weren't. The French Neurosurgeon *comes back* to talk to me, and we start talking about travel, philosophy, and of course, Neurosurgery. The guy is simply awesome. Not only is he a great surgeon, but his holistic philosophy of care and his emphasis in Quality of Life above Overall Survival is something I had always thought about.

Just to sum it all up:
- I befriended a world renowned Neurosurgeon and got an invitation to do a clinical rotation with him in France.
- I befriended an entire Neuro-onc team and also got an invitation to do a rotation with them in Brazil.
- I learned A TON about the latest treatment options and diagnostic imaging for brain tumors + made a list of things I don't know/didn't understand so I can read up and catch up.

Today was a really, really good day. The only thing I didn't do was make any local friends in Neurosurgery, which is kind of a downer because they're the ones who can let me into surgeries here and now. But hey, there's still tomorrow!! :)

Back home

Sorry guys, I got busy and sad and then in a whirlwind I was back in Berlin for 4 days, in Paris for 14hrs, then flying home. I arrived Monday at 11am, went home, ate, showered and *went to class*!!

I am exhausted. It's Thursday evening, I got back from class a little while ago and all I want to do is sleep. But I have to study. And my mom is still here. So I'm procrastinating and writing a blog post. Mom leaves tonight.

I only had 4 days of class, but I feel like I'm so ridiculously behind already. One of the profs definitely loves the Socratic method, and is pimping us hard. I also met the 1st gunner and wow, she's annoying.

I guess I better get my act together, or this semester is going to kick my butt!!!

I'll write more about Chad later, there are still many stories to tell. :)