Feb
19
I took my fifth semester, block two exams today. It seemed kind of monumental as I thought about it. I have one block left on this island of paradise. After all the time we’ve spent on this island, our time is quickly growing to a close and I’m starting to get a little nostalgic. Emily has been talking a lot lately about how our time is growing short. In fact, just the other day we were taking a little walk down the road and she said, “You know, we don’t have too many more opportunities like this.” Step out the door, and walk down the street with a billion dollar view! It’s hard to believe our time on Saba is drawing to a close. We’ve extended our say on this island by splitting up a couple semesters and I know I’ve certainly enjoyed the extra time I’ve been able to spend with my family in the Caribbean (especially as our family and friends are getting dumped on with snow). I am excited, however, to be moving on to the next phase in our lives. The next chapter . . . a new adventure.
I’m sure in many ways, it will still be exciting as we move back to the United States, but I will alway look back on our time in the Caribbean with fondness. I’ve really tried to take the proverbial time to “smell the flowers”. The journey has certainly been sweet. I’m going to make the best of my time left!
Nov
10
saba sunrise
Filed Under emily, hannah, happiness, life | 2 Comments
I’ve always been excited to see the sun rise. Now, that doesn’t mean I’ve seen a whole bunch of them. It takes a lot to get me out of bed in the morning. I’d rather sleep until my body says, “GET OUT OF BED!” Hannah has, fortunately, changed that. It still takes a lot to get me out of bed, but she’s something else. One of the nice side benefits of having her get up anywhere between 5:30 am and 6:30 am is that I get to witness the beginning of another incredible day on this beautiful Earth. Emily recently posted some photos of a sunrise, so here’s my shot at it. I think I took around 280 pictures of the sunrise this morning. It was a spectacular experience watching the sun peak over the horizon. The colors changed constantly and the warmth of the sun gradually fell on my face as it slowly climbed out of the ocean.
What a beautiful day to be alive!
Nov
9
she’s back!
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Emily’s been making fun of me that I haven’t posted anything for a while. True, I used to bug her about letting so much time go by between posts, but I really do have a good excuse . . . I’m in medical school. Tonight, though, I’m going to carve out a few minutes to let everyone know how happy I am to have changed my status. I’m no longer “desamparado”. My wife has returned and I’m no longer the most miserable bachelor in the whole wide world.
Since Emily’s been back, a lot of things have changed:
- I’m eating, er . . . healthy
- I’m focusing better in school
- I’m able to sleep at night
- I’m experiencing the progress Hannah is making in her development
- Seriously, there are too many other things to list . . .
Life really is better now that my dear, sweet, loving wife has returned to this little paradise we like to call home.
Sep
26
It’s been a while since I’ve written anything on my blog . . . as you can see. Last semester was quite a rough ride. All I can say is that I’m still floating. Although Pathology has been one of my most difficult courses yet, I really enjoy the class. In the midst of a semester it’s difficult to appreciate the information I’m trying to internalize, but after the stress and pressure of exams has subsided . . . it’s an amazing view in retrospect. Again, I marvel at the amazing way the body deals with injury.
So now, I’ve been abandoned . . . or as my father-in-law says, “desamparado”. Emily and Hannah left Monday of last week for a month visit to the States. They first flew to Southern California to spend some time with Emily’s sister. Then, on Sunday, they flew to Utah to spend a few weeks with the rest of her family and mine. She’ll round out her trip in Texas for a few days with our dear friends. This will mark the longest we’ve ever been apart.
When Emily and I got married, I was in school to become an airline pilot. I was going to be the one traveling around the country and possibly the world, but as it turns out Emily has been the world traveler. She stared out going to Las Vegas and Phoenix, then it progressed to Columbus. Ultimately she visited Taiwan and Hong Kong. When the decision was made to come to medical school . . . it was only natural that we travel to get here. I’m sure you can see a bit of irony in our marriage. In ten years of marriage, Emily has been the one being left only once. We had a funny conversation before she left comparing the one doing the leaving verses the one being left. The one doing the leaving doesn’t quite miss the other in the same way. She agreed with me. I’ve made it through a little over a week . . . just a few more to go.
Jun
30
definitely a tool
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While at school yesterday, one of my classmates showed me a new piece of technology . . . yes, it was a gadget. However, this gadget is different than many gadgets as it can actually be justified for me in my future profession. Call it a tool, if you will. Let’s start with a handy little program that I’ve been told over and over is absolutely essential when practicing medicine. It is a program called Epocrates. This little program fits on a PDA and provides drug information, drug interaction information, and if you get the subscription it has a clinical consult section. From what I understand, it is an incredibly powerful program which aids the physician in covering all the bases. Next, there is the fact that physicians carry all kinds of “tools” with them as they are going about their workday. Stethoscope, reflex hammer, cell phone, and of course (to carry Epocrates) a PDA in addition to many other items.
To cut down on the weight and clutter of all these items . . . it would be ideal to combine as many of them as possible. The phone and PDA have been combined for a while . . . first with the palm and the add-on phone adapter . . . then, more effectively by the Palm Treo. Now, I believe the best combination yet . . . the HTC Touch. On their website they tout, “The world’s first touch phone.” The press release on HTC’s website stated, “The HTC Touchâ„¢ is now available [June 5, 2007] in the United Kingdom and will be released later this month in Asia [June 12, 2007] and throughout Europe. The North and Latin American version of the HTC Touchâ„¢ will be available in the second half of 2007.” Since yesterday was the widely anticipated Iphone release . . . I guess they beat them. I’d have to say that the Iphone is a watered-down version of the Touch. Plus it has Windows Mobile® 6 Professional . . . so you can add products like Epocrates and anything else your heart desires. The features are rich and the interface is the most usable I’ve ever seen. I’m not an expert on gadgets . . . but I do love them, and this one impresses the socks off me! It’s certainly on my “must get before I start clinical rotations” wish list.
My friend got his on St. Maarten for ~$600. I found one online at 1ShopMobile.com for $489. That’ll save you a little chunk of change.
Jun
19
healthy body
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Wow! What a day. I had another round of exams today. It wasn’t pretty, but I’m getting through. I’m currently taking Pathology, Pharmacology, and Physical Diagnosis. Pathology and Pharmacology are both very difficult classes due to the shear volume of material I’m expected to internalize within a three week period of time, (the length of our blocks). Physical Diagnosis is a bit easier for me as it’s a little more hands on. It adds another mode of learning for me that I feel comes a bit easier than gleaning all my knowledge from a book. The classes have been very interesting. I’ve learned a lot, but have struggled at times with the tremendous amount of tiny details, (but I guess that’s why I grow in knowledge). The big picture has become more and more clear as my time in basic sciences has progressed. The human body is truly an amazing thing. I marvel at the way it is able to, when functioning normally, maintain our temperature, pH, and all the other inter-environmental factors in line as we go throughout our daily lives . . . not giving two thoughts to our breathing . . . or our heart beating, etc. Truly spectacular! It really makes me grateful to be healthy.
Jun
11
misc hello
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Another beautiful day in the Caribbean! Over the past several weeks, I’ve been saying that to myself at least once a day while looking out over the ocean from our patio. The weather has become a bit warmer during the day, but it usually cools down as the sun ducks behind Mt. Scenery. The clouds are starting to produce a bit of lightning and thunder. The sky, ocean, and view are just breathtaking! I still find it hard to believe I live in the Caribbean. I’ve certainly become accustomed to this simple, slow-paced lifestyle in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. It will be hard to leave.
This semester has certainly taken its toll on me so far . . . and I’m only five weeks into it. I’m completely overwhelmed by two of my classes . . . Pathology and Pharmacology. The good thing is that Emily has dedicated herself to helping me learn the endless list of drugs, their applications, side effects, and all the other minutia required by the curriculum. I’ve really enjoyed having her help me study. It reminds me of when we worked at our wedding gown store together. I love spending time with my wife! Anyway, it’s really been helping me remember the drugs as I have someone to which I can explain the mechanisms etc. Studying with her has also freed up a bit of my time as my studying has become more efficient.
Hannah is growing faster than ever! She’s about 10.5 months old. She’s got two teeth visible on the bottom, and two on the top that have recently broken the surface. They’re not quite visible without close inspection. She’s not yet walking . . . but she’s getting close. She pulls herself up on anything she crawls up to . . . the couch, chairs, the wall, and even our sliding glass door. (That’s one of my favorites!) When she pulls herself up to the chairs around the table, she likes to yank on them and move them around. She doesn’t move them very far, but she gets the most triumphant look on her face . . . kinda like, “Look Dad, I’ve just moved the house!” She’s added so much joy and depth to our lives. I can’t imagine not having her in our family.
Well, that’s about all the free time I have today. From the Caribbean . . . smile!
Apr
25
a life worth duplicating
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I’ve been on break since Wednesday of last week. It’s been a nice reprieve from the rigors of school. Although, I have to admit, this last semester was not as difficult as it could have been. Having split my second semester on the island when Hannah was born, this semester was a perfect load for having a family. I was able to spend some quality time with Emily and Hannah. I’ll look back on this past semester with fondness.
Yesterday, I was lounging around the house and noticed a movie was just starting. Intrigued, I watched it for a few minutes. It looked like it was set in the early 1970′s. I looked it up on TVGuide.com (yes, Emily, TVGuide.com) to see what it was. It turns out it was a movie about a guy named Steve Prefontaine named Without Limits. I wasn’t able to watch every second of the movie, but it was one of the most inspiring stories I’ve ever seen. This genre of movies, unbelievable sports stories, is full of miraculous people or teams overcoming great odds to be the best in their respective fields. The application of this man’s desire and drive reach all areas of life. He was truly an extraordinary man. In reading more about him, I came across several quotes that were very inspiring:
To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.
A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more.
A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways as they’re capable of understanding.
I’m going to work so that it’s a pure guts race at the end, and if it is, I am the only one who can win it.
Someone may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it.
The only good race pace is suicide pace, and today looks like a good day to die.
I think this man ended his life with few regrets. He obviously left the world wanting more. A life like this can only give hope and inspiration to those who know the story. He has certainly inspired me . . . and he died two months before I was born.
Apr
15
pride
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In keeping with my spiritual theme for writing on Sunday . . . I had the opportunity today to speak in our Sacrament service. I say “opportunity” because it truly was. Public speaking is the number one fear of people in general. Growing up in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) I’ve had the opportunity to speak in front of audiences of varying sizes since I was four years old. Through no doing of my own, the fear of speaking in front of an audience isn’t something I have to deal with. Therefore, I was able to concentrate more fully on the topic for which I was preparing. How grateful I am. A couple weeks ago, while I was listening to General Conference, I had a thought enter my mind as to the topic I should address. In short . . . it was pride. My main resource for the talk I gave was a talk given by President Ezra Taft Benson in 1989 titled Beware of Pride. Another talk I used as source material for my talk was given in 1992 by Elder Dallin H. Oaks titled Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall.
While reading these talks and the scriptures, I was humbled. There are so many things I need to eliminate from my life. When preparing a talk or lesson, I always feel an unfair advantage. I always get more out of the preparation than anyone in the audience will ever gain from my presentation of the topic. Pride has truly become a device of destruction in our world. Lives, marriages, communities, and nations have fallen to the destructive force of pride. I’m going to share a few of my favorite points from Beware of Pride:
Fear of men’s judgment manifests itself in competition for men’s approval. The proud love “the praise of men more than the praise of God.” Our motives for the things we do are where the sin is manifest. Jesus said He did “always those things” that pleased God. Would we not do well to have the pleasing of God as our motive rather than to try to elevate ourselves above our brother and outdo another?
This is so evident in the world around us. Co-workers going to any length in order to “look good” to their superiors. Honesty, sincerity, and integrity are replaced by a cutthroat desire to climb the ladder at any cost. Worrying about what the crowd will think if a decision made is “against the grain” leads to a loss of what truly makes us great!
Another point I loved from Beware of Pride was:
Another face of pride is contention. Arguments, fights, unrighteous dominion, generation gaps, divorces, spouse abuse, riots, and disturbances all fall into this category of pride.
Contention in our families drives the Spirit of the Lord away. It also drives many of our family members away. Contention ranges from a hostile spoken word to worldwide conflicts. The scriptures tell us that “only by pride cometh contention.†(Prov. 13:10; see also Prov. 28:25.)
This pretty much sums it up. There’s not much more I can add to that. In preparing my talk, I’ve become more resolved to eliminate the awful faces of pride from my life. I’ve experienced times in my life where I don’t think pride was prevalent and I’ve experienced times in my life where pride ruled . . . I prefer the former. We live in an incredible world . . . beautiful beyond description . . . how much greater could it be . . . without pride?
I’m going to close this entry with a scripture from the Book of Mormon. It is found in Alma 7:23:
. . . now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.
What more can I say?
Apr
10
mobile baby
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Well, we’re ten days into April and this is the first time I’ve decided to sit down to write. Hannah decided to stop being stationary and joined the ranks of the mobile by crawling. She started Saturday by taking about three “steps” for lack of a better word. I was outside and Emily came to the door and screamed, “David! You better get in here . . . your daughter is crawling!” Since then, she has decided to explore the house. I was just telling Emily the other day that I don’t feel my life has changed that much since we had Hannah . . . I know Emily’s life has changed more than mine, but my life is not all that different from before Hannah was born. Of course, my heart has expanded beyond anything I could ever imagine. Having Hannah come into our life is indescribable. Anyway, as I was saying about my life not changing that much . . . we’re having to be much more vigilant about stuff at her level. Cords are getting tucked away, our little tables we use for our computers can’t be left out without our supervision, etc. So . . . admittedly, my life is changing. I accept it happily! Well, this semester is almost over and I’m looking forward to the break. Our Saba time is slowly but surely drawing to a close . . . I’m not looking forward to it.