1,095 days...

...is how long I have been going out with Chris!! Yep, today is our 3 YEAR 'anniversary' !!

We wanted to do something super exciting like go watch the new Harry Potter film, but I have a test on heart conditions tomorrow and I haven't really had time to revise for it yet this week, so we'll have to go to the cinema tomorrow instead! (gee, aint I fun?!)

Even better than that though....only 8 MONTH till Chris & I get married!!! YEEYYYY!!!

and the end of the inviation saga is in sight....we have the pretty paper, we have worked out the wording, we have made maps, and done extra information sheets for guests...all we need to do now is GET THEM PRINTED AND MAILED OFF!!!

but for now...I better get back to my revision on abnormal pulsations and heart murmurs...

Divine Intervention!

Yey! God is looking out for us all the time!

My Grandmother lives with my Aunt, (the one whose husband died 10 days ago) and one of the things which made my Uncle's death even more difficult was that he helped my Aunt out a lot with my grandmother.
My Grandmother had a blood vessel burst in her brain about 12 years ago, and so now is totally paralysed and unable to talk or move at all. My Uncle used to help my Aunt look after her; being the strong man he would carry her out of bed, into her chair, help carry her in the bath, get dressed, washed and would generally stay at home to look after her when my Aunt had to go out.

So, naturally, when my Uncle died there was a bit of worry about how my Aunt would now cope alone with my Grandmother (well, basically she wouldn't) and what we as a family should do.

My Aunt honestly has a heart of GOLD ( truthfully, I have never met anyone as charitable as she is) and so, unless she was on her death-bed, she would never put her mother into a nursing care home.

But God has helped us out!

My Aunt knows a lady who used to come and clean her neighbour's house every few weeks (and occasionally came to clean for her too). This lady is Ukranian or something and was in Italy living and working for the last 6 years as the full-time carer of a 90 year old woman also living in my Aunt's town.

Well, it just so happened that about a month before my Uncle died this old woman also passed away, and so the Ukranian lady was jobless.
For the last month she had been unable to find a job anywhere.

I'm sure you know where this is going....

yes! She moved in with my Aunt earlier today and so will be living full time with her to help look after my Grandmother!

So not only does my Aunt have someone full-time to help her out with my Grandma, but she will also have some company at home and it's also someone she already knows and so can trust!

AND, to top it off, this Ukranian lady is actually a GERIATRICIAN (a medical doctor for old people!)!
What more perfect people to look after my Grandma than her own daughter and a qualified doctor?!

(Apparently this lady gets more money working as a simple carer for the elderly in Italy, than she does as a full-time doctor in the Ukraine.)

God was looking out for us, both for my Grandma and my Aunt (and the Ukranian lady!)

He is so good!

As JP2 once said...'There are no coincidences with Providence'.

yey!

Thanks Be to God!

65% Nerd

I am a...

Pure Nerd!

65 % Nerd, 0% Geek, 26% Dork


For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.

A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.

You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd.


Being smart isn't as socially crippling as it once was, and even more so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful.

Congratulations!



Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

hehe! Oh dear...!

As medical students we are often told to make sure that when we speak with patients we speak clearly, and ensure that we avoid medical jargon and use language that patients can understand.
This morning provided a rather humerous, albeit unfortunate, example of the important of this advice!!

My friend & I were on the Wards and tottled off to see one of the patients. My friend was conducting the medical interview and they were discussing the patient's general medical health and any past health problems he may have...



Friend: Could you please tell me whether you've ever had any respiratory problems in the past?

Patient: *looks shocked* Oh no no no no! Never! No no!

*pauses*

Patient: Why do you ask? Why should I be having spiritual problems...?!

Friend:.......errrrrr......I meant breathing problems...


ooopsie!!

Only two years older than I should be...

You Are 24 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

My baby cousin..

just because I think she is super cute!

I confess...

I have been tagged by dilexitprior to do an 'I CONFESS' meme!
I'm not totally sure of the rules, so I'll just write a bunch of confessions about myself and then tag 3 other people to do it too!



I confess that I'm not good at buying people birthday presents. I never know what to buy for people, and I feel like it's a waste of money buying people stuff that they don't want and won't use....so I always end up delaying buying them a present...and then always look bad cos I give them a present way after their birthday...

I confess that I am really bad at remembering people's birthdays

I confess that I don't really like throwing parties for myself

I confess that I have a problem remembering people's names, in that I forget them after about 3 seconds! ..not a great trait for a future doctor.

I confess that I don't always read every letter of new words, and often I make up what I think a word spells, rather than what it actually spells (I do that a lot with pharmacological drug names!)...again not a great trait for a future doctor who will need to prescribe medication.

I confess that I used to call Hermione in the Harry Potter books 'Her-mee-one'.

I confess that I made Chris ask me out after our first proper date (going to see the Harry Potter film in November 2002) by saying '....so, you gonna ask me out then...?' and gave him a look like he doesn't really have a choice...

I confess that I have size 8 shoes

I confess that I really dont like sitting further back than the second row in mass

I confess that in my 2nd year of medicine I sat on the first row or second row of the lecture theatre for the entire year (there were about 50 rows in total)....and I took notes the whole time...and I brought a dictaphone to tape the lecture....and I re-listened to most of the lecture tapes in my own time (big time nerd or what?!)

I confess that in lectures I still never sit further back than the seond row...

I confess that I think it's very very inappropriate for ladies to dress in sleavless tops to mass, or to wear anything shorter than their knee, or anything showing their back or belly-button.

I confess that I have 'Ssssssh'-ed people before who were talking during mass

I confess that I have hidden books written by dissident theologians in our Catholic students' library

I confess that I am super super super mega passionate about JP2's Theology of the Body and hope one day to be an NFP teacher (NFP = Natural Family Planning).

I confess that I get very upset when I hear about Catholics who practice contraception and feel so sorry for them because of everything they have missed out on by doing so.

I confess I waste more time reading blogs than I do reading medical text-books.

I confess that I am really bad at parking (no surprise for a woman then...sorry girls, but we know it's true!) and have only parallel-parked mny car once since I got my licence 3 years ago...it ended up with the whole right-hand side of the car all scratched up..

I confess that I broke the speed-limit while taking my driving test but was distracting my examiner with witty conversation so he didn't notice

I confess I used to live in Saudi Arabia till I was almost 17


Okay, I guess that is all the confessions I can muster for now! I may add some more if I think of any!

I tag, Thursday, Carmel & C to confess!

The Funeral

It was my Uncle's funeral today. I couldn't go because it was in Italy and the flights at such late notice were extremly expensive. I really really really would've liked to go, but, c'est la vie. I went to mass here and partook in the same eternal Eucharistic meal as I would've done in Italy, so I was spiritually present there!

I spoke to my Aunt and my mum (who is staying with my aunt in Italy). My Aunt sounded a bit happier than she has done since Friday.

Apparently there were over 500 people at my Uncle's funeral mass, and the Church was so full that people were standing outside!
He was a police-man and so all the police-force turned up in their uniforms and saluted his coffin as he was carried past them.

My mum also said that since she arrived on Sunday over 200 people have come to my Aunt's house to pass on their condolances and she's recieved several hundred Euros to have masses said for my Uncle's soul. (It's a tradition in Italy to give money to have masses said for the soul of the deceased.)
One person even said they had arranged for a mass to be said every week for 20 years for my Uncle.

I think it made my Aunt really happy to know that he was loved so dearly by so many people.

I loved him a great deal.

:-(


~Eternal rest grant unto Him Oh Lord, may your perpetual light shine upon him, may he rest in peace. Amen~

Noone got to say good-bye....

My Uncle died yesterday. It was pretty unexpected and out-of-the-blue so my entire family in Italy is in shock. His wife and daughter are destraught.
The funeral is on Tuesday.

A 19 year old student got knocked off his bike yesterday here in my town while cycling to lectures. He was killed.
I cant even begin to imagine how his family must feel.

It's made me think a lot about death.

The only thing in life that we can be certain to experience, is death.
But even then, we can't know when it will happen, only that it will.
It makes it seem all the more important to make the most of every single second of life.

How much time and effort every day do I waste by caring about the transient, passing and superficial things which will die when I do?

How often have I neglected to spend the same effort and time on the things which have eternal value?

How negligent have I been towards Him who loves me more than I could ever comprehend? He who suffered for me and is pained by every one of my selfish thoughts and deeds?


As someone once said 'life it not a dress-rehersal....' this IS the real thing! This is it! What we do or don't do now is what will determine our eternal resting-place.

It matter what I do and say and think today, because tomorrow I will be asked to justify my choices in life, and if they weren't each done with a pure heart, with unadulterated love and in imitation of Christ Himself.....

Yes, God is loving and His mercy unfathomable and endless, but He is also Just, and He does not simply overlook sins and offences. Each one matters. We see in the lives of the Saints the true horror they had of sin. They recognised it for what it is, and how sad it is when I try to justify sins as being 'necessary', 'normal', 'healthy', 'understandable' or somehow 'excusable'.

Why do I consider myself exempt from God's eternal and unchanging justice?!


Furthermore, HE defines what are sins and offences, not me! Not my friend. Not doctors in the hospital. Not the media.
His has put His Holy Catholic Church on Earth in charge of being His earthly voice and of proclaiming His eternal will. The Church therefore is the only one on Earth we can trust, because, as Christ's very body, she proclaims His truth in everything she teaches.


I have decided to be more ferverant in listening to Jesus' instructions in the Gospels about being prepared for death, because "it will come like a thief in the night" when I least expect it.
I dont want to live my life as if death won't happen, and as if death won't matter.

I've decided to put things into perspective; I will strive to change all those times when I act like me, myself and I are all that matters. I want to be more generous in my love for God and others.

I'm also going to increase my frequency of going to Reconcilliation from the current once a month, to once every 2 weeks (or every week if I can).
I find that after every Reconcilliation I am more sensitive to sins and notice the more subtle habitual sins, and God grants so many graces through Reconcilliation that give me the courage to change and grow away from the world, and closer to Him.

*sighs*

~Eternal rest grant unto him Oh Lord, and may your perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen ~

From The Lancet, July 20 2002

This made me think...


Breast-cancer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If a drug could reduce breast cancer by 42% in the USA, the government would be promoting it.

If the drug was used for more than 24 months, breast cancer would be reduced by 54%.

However, of those women who use this drug, most quit its use within 4 to 6 months.

Those women in the USA who average 2.5 children and who use this drug for 6 additional months than is customary could prevent 25,000 breast cancers each year.

Using the drug for 12 additional months could prevent 50,000 breast cancers each year.

This drug has a wonderful impact upon the health of women.


This “drug” is breastfeeding.



This information is based on 47 studies of almost 150,000 women in 30 countries (The Lancet, July 20, 2002).

from forums.catholic.com

Q- Why is Roman Catholicism so viciously hated? Why are there people that try to discount and "poke holes" in what the Church teaches?


A- That Roman Catholicism is the one Christian religion that is attacked from all sides, from Fundamentalist Protestants to Eastern Orthodox, from non-Christians of various traditions, from irreligious secularists to "religious" atheists, and even from within from radical Traditionalists to radical Progressives, is a sign of the Church's divine origin. In his preface to Radio Replies by Frs. Leslie Rumble and Charles Carty, Archbishop Fulton Sheen concludes:


Quote:
If I were not a Catholic and were looking for the true Church in the world today, I would look for the one Church which did not get along well with the world; in other words, I would look for the Church which the world hates. My reason for doing this would be that if Christ is in any one of the churches of the world today, he must still be hated as he was when he was on earth in the flesh. If you would find Christ today, then find the Church that does not get along with the world.

Look for the Church that is hated by the world as Christ was hated by the world. Look for the Church which is accused of being behind the times as our Lord was accused of being ignorant and never having learned. Look for the Church which men sneer at a socially inferior as they sneered at our Lord because he came from Nazareth. Look for the Church which is accused of having a devil as our Lord was accused of being possessed by Beelzebub, the prince of devils. Look for the Church which, in seasons of bigotry, men say must be destroyed in the name of God as men crucified Christ and thought they had done a service to God. Look for the Church which the world rejects because it claims it is infallible as Pilate rejected Christ because he called himself the Truth. Look for the Church which is rejected by the world as our Lord was rejected by men.

Look for the Church which amid the confusion of conflicting opinions its members love as they love Christ and respect its voice as the very voice of its founder, and the suspicion will grow that if the Church is unpopular with the spirit of the world then it is unworldly, and if it is unworldly it is other-worldly. Since it is other-worldly it is infinitely loved and infinitely hated as was Christ himself. But only that which is divine can be infinitely hated and infinitely loved. Therefore the Church is divine (Radio Replies, preface, p. ix, source, slightly edited for readability).


Additional reading: here

Just a quick note..

...to say that blogging from this little English corner of the world will be scarce for the next week. The little free time I have during my week is being taken up by the annual Clinical School pantomime which is on all this week till Saturday 19th. I am working backstage and so have to arrive early (to set up) and leave late (to pack away). I'm not 100% sure why I volunteered...(oh yeh, now I remember...because I can't put 'Wedding Planning' on my CV...)

I did however have a great weekend; a friend of mine that I met at Summer Camp in the USA last summer came over from Rome (where she is currently studying) and I showed her the sights & sounds of my exciting town!!

She also told me that if a couple goes to Rome within 6 months of their wedding, and brings the bride's dress, Pope Benedict will impart a special nuptual blessing on the newly-weds!!
How super cool would that be?!!!
I'd never heard that before & am definitly going to look into it!! (...when I get time...!)

-x-

I GOT IT! I GOT IT!

On Wednesday I came back home from the hospital because there was a wedding dress sale on in one of the hotels in my home town. It's run by some private company of seamstresses who make wedding dresses and then travel round the country displaying their dresses in hotels.
My mum's friend had bought a lovely dress from them for her daughter a few years ago and so my mum really really wanted me to come and have a look.....


AND I GOT MY WEDDING DRESS!!!

Yey! I had been praying to St. Joseph for his intercession for all the itsy details of my wedding so that it wouldn't all get too stressful for everyone involved, and everything would go smoothly....and this certainly went wonderfully!

My dress is perfect! Everything I wanted! It's a typical girl's dream princess dress!
I cant say too much in case Chris reads this and I dont want to give away the surprise! Plus if you keep reading till July...I will definitly post pictures!

I had been reading some online sites about wedding dresses and they all say corny stuff like "You'll know when you've found the one for you", "it will be love at first sight.." etc etc and I thought nothing of it.

That evening I had tried on about 3 or 4 dresses and on gazing at myself in the mirrorI was like '...well it's really pretty. It has a lovely train/fit/embroidery etc....let's just see what the next one looks like'.
and then when I tried on my dress it WAS love at first sight; 'WHOOOA! That is SO pretty! I love it! It looks amazing!' My face hurt so much from smiling! It looked like....well...like what I had always dreamed it would look like!! and it wasn't mega expensive either!
My mum loved it too

Hehe! I know the focus of the day isn't meant to be the aesthetics....but you know...the dress is pretty important in making the bride beautiful ( at least externally) for that special occasion.

I'm really grateful it was so smooth and that it's one less thing to worry about! (still got invitations, shoes, cake, car, catering, guest accomodation, honeymoon, flowers etc etc etc on the list!)

medicine-medicine-medicine-wedding-medicine-medicine-NFP-medicine

That's what my life has consisted of in this last month of absence from blogging.
I have been moved to a hospital 1.5hrs from my house, so I only get to come home for the weekends. I am studying surgery at the moment & so have seen lots of varicose vein, appendix and gall-bladder removals, hernia repairs, blood clot extractions, stents put into people's arteries, and some cool major stuff like repairing a soon-to-rupture abdominal aorta (the big artery running down the middle of your tummy) and a partial pancreatoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure, where they remove some of the stomach, all the pancreas, all the gall bladder and all the first part of the small intestine) (usually done for cases of pancreas cancer) (see pic).

Anyhoo, it's all very interesting! I'm also a total wizz at taking blood and putting in male catheters..!

The days are still pretty long; ward rounds start at 8am, and then by the time everything is done it's usually getting on for 6pm.
But that really doesnt matter cos my accomodation is a small room in an empty appartment, so I'm usually in no rush to get back!
There is no internet access in any of the rooms, and so all students have to fight for the 7 computers in the library! Needless to say therefore that the luxury of typing out a blog-post is not one that I can indulge in!

Luckily though my 5 weeks in that hospital ends on Nov 11th, and then I am back here till February (when I get sent back for another 5 week stint!)


Stuff is going slowly on the wedding front too!
We have now booked the venue for our wedding reception; it will be in the golf course place on Sunday 30th July 2006 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are getting married in Chris' home church in his parish up north and his Uncle/God-father will preside over the wedding mass (he's a priest).

I should be coming back from the hospital mid-week this week in order to go to a wedding dress fair.
I have been looking for dresses online, but I'm never certain how trustworthy these places are!
Plus most of them are based in America and so the postage costs are really high.

While I'm not toooo picky about my dress, I do have few 'it must-have..' conditions:

1. it HAS to have sleeves. I'm not really a major fan of the sleavesless/shoulderless style of wedding dresses today. Plus I dont think it's at all appropriate it go to mass & recieve communion dressed that scandalously. (I have also included a notice on my wedding invitation informing the guests that their wedding attire must not be above the knee, or expose the shoulders...!!)

2. I want it to have a bit of a train at the back...just to fulfil my little-girl fair-tale dreams!!

Something like THIS would be nice, but unfortunatly none of the shops in my area supply it.


The invitations are still in the process of production. We have designed the front and back of the invitation ourselves, and we sent it off to the printers for a sample........2 weeks ago.........
We put a picture of the Holy Family on the back, so I'm excited to see what that will look like.


And finally, I have started doing NFP charting.
After reviewing all the literature on the various methods avaliable (including the Billings Method, the Creighton Method etc) I decided on going with the Couple-to-Couple League's (CCL) stuff.

To be honest, they are all really really good and work on 99% of the same principles. I just chose the CCL because a married medic friend of mine practices NFP as taugh by the CCL and she recommended it to me. Plus they have an awesome book out which is SO thorough.



Basically it involves charting your mucus and basal body temperature changes during a cycle, and cross-checking them (i.e. ensuring they both indicate you are out of your fertile phase before you resume marital relations).

For those not in the know, countless studies have shown the effectiveness of these methods and even the World Health Organisation did numerous studies showing they have a 99%+ effectiveness rate of being able to indicate when a woman is in her fertile phase, (...and so if she is postponing pregnancy, then she would abstain from intercourse during that phase).

hmmm, maybe I should write a post on how to practice NFP one day...




Oh, in other news....I HAVE A NEW FRIEND!!

Go have a look at WINTERR'S WORDS!!!


I guess that is all from me for now!

-x-