Let's just say the first week of this semester went a lot faster than that of last semester. My high hopes that we would start things off slow...were completely, yet not surprisingly, shattered. We are back in the full swing of things almost like we didn't even have a break. But I will admit that the material that we covered this week has been really fascinating...the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). It's not every day that in the middle of a lecture that a teacher pulls out a cadaver brain with the spinal cord still attached (really cool!!!). It also feels quite satisfying to know all of the nerve pathways for touch, vibration, pressure, pain, and temperature for the entire body and how those connect to the brain. This first week of the Neurovascular block has also seemed a lot more relevant/applicable and clinical in comparison to previous material, which makes learning a lot more engaging. For example, one thing we learned about this week was a reflex called the Babinski Sign or Extensor Plantar Response. This is tested by taking a blunt object and pressing it firmly against the heel of an individual's foot, and then tracing the object to the balls of the feet. Now, in individuals above the age of 2 with no neurovascular damage, the typical response would be to curl your toes or plantarflex. However, in infants ( up to 12-18 months), their nerves aren't completely developed yet, so this response does not happen. Instead, they will spread and extend their toes (dorsiflex). This was one of the first things that I have learned here that I could directly apply to my life (I had my sister try it on my 8 month-old nephew and it really worked) and it provides assurance that what they are teaching us here is really true and not a bunch of malarkey. Yea, I used the word malarkey. This is what I was trying to explain in a video:
In addition to the academic side of life, over the past week I've made a more conscientious effort to eat more. If you are a regular on this blog, you would know that I typically eat cereal in the morning, grab a meal at the Shacks for lunch, and have dinner at Subway. So...apparently if you follow that regimen and maintain a pretty active lifestyle over the course of 4 months, you are bound to lose weight. Fifteen pounds to be exact. In order to try and prevent the loss of any more weight, I now eat a banana around 10 o'clock between lectures (they are really good here and only $.50 EC) and a Snickers candy bar in the afternoon. Mmmmm delicious and it reminds me of home. We'll see how it works out for me...I don't want to look like the skeletons we study in anatomy lab...that would be bad.
Have a great week everyone...until next time.
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