Bye for now.

The first term is over! I am beginning to wonder if medical school is incompatible with having a regularly updated blog. Thank you so much for reading my blog.

I don't want to blog half hearted-ly so this will be my last post for a while.I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and New Year.


I will be back next term,so I hope you remember to check back.

Guilt

Hello

I am so sorry I haven't updated this blog for a while.

Freshers week is longer over,and its now back to being busy and studying, YAY!!!(not)

Why do I feel guilty?

• My body is not being my best friend,I have been really tired,and I spent some time in hospital.
• As a result of the above,I have not bloged,and I have so much uni work to catch up on

I feel better now,so hopefully(crosses finger and toes) there will be a lot more blog posts.


Why was I in hospital?About two weeks ago,I collapsed in the street,luckily I don't remember it or else I would have been mortified.

I remember waking up in hospital and being in agony.My arms where really cramped ,i couldnt move and I was shivering.Not being in control of your body is quite possibly one of the worst feelings I have ever experienced.

After some tests ,they found out I has high blood sugar levels and a potassium deficiency.
Potassium is important because its really important for muscle signaling,and your heart is a muscle.

I have steroid induced diabetes,which I am now treating using insulin.

Please check back for more updates soon. :)

Grades in medical school

Hi,Sorry for the really long break between posts.It was a very hectic start of the academic year.

To all future medics,I would like to say CONGRATULATIONS on getting into medical school.

Its fair to say that most all students that get into medical school will be used to getting good grades.

But its impossible to be the best all the time.Remember to become a doctor you need to PASS every test. A grades are great but they are not a necessity

I choose to defy expectations

This week (9 September-15 September) is National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week. in honour of this I have chosen to write about being a medical student with lupus.

I don't usually tell people in real life that I have lupus,mainly because I don't want sympathy and other times its because i am avoiding insensitive comments.Insensitive comments are part of life, but I find the ones where people tell me what they expect me to do to be the most frustrating.

Here are a few things that have actually been said to me,and my replies.

How can you be a doctor? Shouldn't you have let someone more able take your place at medical school after all you can't offer that much?
 My medical school is aware that I have SLE, they believe in me and they are very supportive. Most of the time I am healthy and fit,but occasionally I do take time off. I realise that I may contribute less working days over my life, but I have lots to offer.Maybe having lupus means I will be able to show much more empathy to my patients

Oh, you have lupus? I know someone that died at 30(insert other really young age here) are ready to die?
Yes, i do have lupus.I am 20,I do not intend to die at any point in the near future,besides treatments have improved, and some people are more severely affected than others.
I am not delusional,and I do not think I am immortal,but I am not at deaths door.Please realise that I am probably more aware of my prognosis than you are.

You have lupus, its ok if you hand your work in late people will understand.
Maybe they will understand, but having lupus is not an excuse to be lazy.I will try my best in everything I do. So far ,i have never handed in a piece of uni work in late,and I don't intend to unless it is absolutely necessary. I can compete with non lupies, and I will.

Being ill must be really tough, you must hate talking about it,it must be so hard for you!
I neither like nor dislike talking about my illness.I don't mind answering questions, I would rather answer questions than have people tip-toe-ing around me unnecessarily.I want to raise awareness of invisible illnesses ,if talking about myself helps, then I don't mind doing it.

Please don't put me in a box. Everyone with an invisible illness is different, get to know them individually,before you decide what is expected from them

Sometimes I will exceed expectations, and thats great.

Other times I will fail to meet them,and whilst I am sorry.I have come to realise that I can only try my best,but i am not a super hero,I have limitations and I can not be perfect.

I CHOOSE TO TRY MY BEST AT EVERYTHING.

That question...

What are you studying?

Some of you may love to be asked this question,you may see it as a chance to show off ,or you may be proud of your achievement.(if your a male fresher you may even use it to pick up girls)

I personally despise this question. Its on the same level as other awkward questions such as are you pregnant or fat and when are you getting married.

Reasons I dont like this question

5.Its un-pc to say, "oh you soooo stupid"
I am not an arrogant person, but inevitably you get aunts,uncles, people at church, and even people in Tesco asking what do you study,and it goes something like this
Great Aunt Glenda: so what are you studyingMe: MedicineGreat Aunt Glenda: Ohhh you must be soooo smart.
Yes,med students are smart, but there is no need to act shocked. And how do you respond to that? If you say yes,it could be rude.Choosing to reply with 'not really' prolongs the conversation.And you most definitely can not say "oh you're so stupid" in the exact tone they used

4. Expectations
For some reason I am still surprised I actually got into medical school.I am surrounded by at least 100 other smart or hardworking people.Since starting med school,i have actually had to work and put effort into staying at the top of the class. I don't want people expecting anything from me incase I fall short of their expectations

3. I am a medical student not a doctor
Inevitably someone is going to have a medical problem,and they will ask what I suggest as a treatment.I am a student not a qualified doctor,its highly likely I can't even diagnose your problem.When I become a doctor I suppose this will become a more frequent occurrence.*sigh*

2.The questions
People just love to ask questions.Now before you think I am a grumpy grouch old woman, normally I welcome questions and love answering them. Some questions I get however are blegh. Eg:

• So do you want to be a nurse?
   Doctors study medicine,nurses study nursing
• Can you should speak to my son/daughter I want them to be a doctor?
  If your son/daughter wants to know what med school is like they can talk to me.Harassing teens and forcing them to consider medicine is not cool.Studying medicine is hard at times,if you do not have a desire to be a doctor you will suffer
• So do you want to be a doctor?
  Seriously??

1. IT IS NOBODIES BUSINESS
I hope this does not come across as rude or arrogant,but if it was relevant to your life you wouldnt need to ask. I am shy,I hate drawing attention to myself .Saying you are studying medicine puts you in the metaphorical spotlight.

In some cultures parents dream of their kids growing up and becomeing doctors or lawyers. So when you actually get into medical school you become " the girl that studies medicine"

One of my best friends a fellow medical student also sews,she was wearing a dress she made.When someone found out she had made it their reaction was  " *gasp* But don't you study medicine?"

Studying medicine and having a life are not mutually exclusive things. Medical school is a huge part of my life,but its not all of my life.I had a life before medical school, I still have hobbies, interests and a name!!

So from this point forward if any one asks....I study something science-y

Resolutions for the New Academic Year

Beginning a New Year...


September is the time students a new academic year. Some may be brand new freshers,others returning students.

I sit in my room contemplating what to write in my brand new academic planner, (its lego,because I adore lego blocks)the first day of another new school year, whilst sipping my mocha. The year is off to an auspicious start: I’ve set my alarm sufficiently early to allow for quiet prayer time and reflection before getting dressed and packing my bag.



My backpack hangs behind my my door ready to be filled with folders,and textbooks. The pencils are sharpened to a deadly point with not a single eraser chewed off yet, fountain pens are cleaned and filled with new ink cartriges. Summer clothes have been folded and packed away, allowing me to easily select uni outfits. I feel ready – at least for the first day of class.

In my quiet time, I contemplate how to make this the best academic year ever. I face the logistical challenge of living off campus. Student life has pampered me and the idea of living more than 10 minutes walk away from my lectures seems like a great hardship.

In my own life, I find great value in setting and actively pursuing resolutions, defined goals, to achieve desired results. I don’t wait for 31 December to set resolutions – it can happen at the start of a new academic year, the beginning of a month, or even at the start of a season.

My hopes for the school year remain the same year after year. I hope this will be a year filled with spiritual and academic growth, and fun times with friends.

My new academic year resolutions are:

1.Be organised to ensure I get to class on time
2.Maintain my A average
3.Exercise  regularly (studies have shown that exercise improves cognitive function)
4.Try to get a research placement,or some extra GP shadowing next summer( will need to start emailing people ASAP )

What is Lupus

If you watch house,you will probably have heard about lupus.This is a chance to find out a bit about it.

I hope you guys don't mind. I am a med student so things could get a bit sciencey.

What Is Lupus?

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease where the body's immune system becomes hyperactive ³and attacks normal, healthy tissue. This results in symptoms such as inflammation, swelling, and damage to joints, skin, kidneys, blood, the heart, and lungs.³

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus(SLE) affects about 5 in 10000⁴ people in the UK.

What Causes Systemic Lupus Erythematosus?

At present the cause of lupus is unknown.Researchers have identified a number of  mutations⁶ in the genes

The immune system defends the body against infection. Viruses and bacteria trigger an immune response.

In people with lupus, B cells stay in the body longer than normal. This is thought to be the result  excessive amounts of B-lymphocyte stimulator present in the body. These are called autoreactive B cells, autoreactive B cells react against the body . The autoreactive B cells produce autoantibodies. Unlike normal antibodies, which react against foreign invaders, the autoantibodies attack the body. This results in inflammation of body tissue.( red box figure 2)

Figure2: Top Left - Antibodies in a  normal person. Bottom right-Antibodies in a lupus sufferer.

 Risk Factors

 A persons chance of developing lupus are increased by certain factors.

Estrogen levels: Lupus is more common in female(figure3) than males. In addition to this almost all women

develop lupus whilst they are childbearing age³

Race-lupus is more common in Black and Asian people

Family history: Approximately 10% of people with lupus have a family member with lupus

Major stress or infection: In people who are  genetically  predisposed to get lupus, extreme stress or an infection may trigger onset of the disease

These risk factors are out of peoples control, and it is not possible to reduce the risk of getting lupus.

 Symptoms

How is Lupus Diagnosed

Systemic Lupus Erythematous is difficult to diagnose. This is because symptoms of SLE are sometimes similar to several other conditions, most of which are more common than SLE. Lupus patients often suffer unpredictable bouts of the disease (flares) followed by periods of 

remission ,further complicating diagnoses.

If SLE is suspected, a doctor will run the following blood tests

· Anti-nuclear antibody test

· Anti-DNA antibody test

· Complement level test

Prognosis

SLE is incurable, but available treatments enable sufferers to lead a high quality life⁷

In the 1950s, most people diagnosed with SLE lived less than 5 years.¹² Death within 5 years, of diagnosis is due to organ failure or overwhelming infections.⁷

Now over 90% now survive for more than 10 years after diagnosis.¹² Many  sufferers live relatively asymptomaticly.³  and 60-75% can expect to live a normal lifespan.

Prognosis is worse for men and children than for women.³ If symptoms first present  after  60, the disease runs a more benign course.

While there are no known root causes or cure, the 

progress of recent discoveries and treatments in development is encouraging. Scientists hope that with this 

information effective treatments can be made to prevent the disease.

 References

1  

1.       Lupus Foundation USA.Malar Rash.Lupus Foundation 2009
http://www.howdoyougetlupus.com/lupus-malar-rash-symptoms

2.       GlaxoSmithKline.Lupus Facts.GSK 20012
http://www.benlysta.com/benlysta-information/lupus-facts.html

3.       Lahita RG.Systemic lupus erythematosus. London : Elsevier, 2004

4.       NHS.Lupus.NHS,2012
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Lupus/Pages/Causes.aspx

5.       Lupus UK.Image of Lupus Symptoms.Lupus Uk,2009
http://www.lupusuk.org.uk/

6.       Kamboh MI, Wang X, Kao AH, Barmada MM, Clarke A, Ramsey-Goldman R, Manzi S, Demirci FY. Genome-wide association study of antiphospholipid antibodies.Autoimmune Dis. 2013;2013:76

7.       Wallace DJ. The lupus book : a guide for patients and their families. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2009.

8.       Frieri M. Mechanisms of disease for the clinician: systemic lupus erythematosus. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2013 Apr;110(4):228-32

9.       Tortora GJ, Derrickson B. Essentials of anatomy and physiology. 13th ed., Asia. John Wiley & Sons, c2011

10.   Al Arfaj AS, Khalil N.Clinical and immunological manifestations in 624 SLE patients in Saudi Arabia Lupus . 2009 18: 465-473

11.   Kan HJ, Song X, Johnson BH, Bechtel B, O'Sullivan D, Molta CT. Healthcare utilization and costs of systemic lupus erythematosus in Medicaid. Biomed Res Int. 2013;. Epub ahead of print  

12.   Arthritis UK.What is Lupus. Arthritis UK.2010
http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/conditions/lupus/what-is-lupus.aspx

Rosario C, Seguro L, Vasconcelos C, Shoenfeld Y. Is there a cure for systemic lupus erythematosus? Lupus. 2013;22:417-21. 

Study Tips

University not only about parties,there is that other thing called studying. Medical School is intense,there is a lot of work required,therefore its important to stay on top of it all.

There is no magic set of instructions to ensure perfect grades.Each person is unique and some things may not work for everyone.

Here is a list of my top 10 study tips.

10. Set mini deadlines or use a to do list.
Break each task into small achievable chunks.Its easier to accomplish lots of small tasks compared to a single big one. With small goals you can also ensure you are on track to achieve the bigger goals
A list reduce the chances of you forgetting to do something.Crossing things of to-do lists is soooo satisfying.


9. Draw mind maps and diagrams
Mind maps are the marmite of studying,you either love them or hate them
I personally only use them during revision time.Mind Maps help me see how various concepts and ideas relate to each other.I found that my course was delivered in such a way that the information given seemed really out of context,so there was no way I could have used mind maps in the beginning. Diagrams are great at all times, they are certainly a nice change from reading text. Print out diagram stick them on doors mirrors,draw your own,or try labeling a blank diagram.


8.Aim to Study a little bit everyday

Every little bit helps.I know from experience that there will be some days when you can not be bothered to study or 101 things are happening at once and you just don't have time to study. Do something,even if its just going over that mornings notes, or making a vocab list.


7.Coloured pens or highlighters
Studies have shown that use of colour can improve memories.I personally love my colored pens and highlighters. Write your notes in colour or highlight key ideas.


6.Be prepared when attending lectures
Doing this will dramaticaly reduce your work load.Before going to a lecture ensure you are ready to learn, try not to be hungry or thirsty.In the lecture listen to whats going on,and do not be distracted by friends. If you are going to drag yourself out of bed for that 8am lecture,you may as well get the most out of it.
Repeat after me: Lectures are for learning, revision is for recapping stuff you have already learnt.


5.Post-it notes
Use post-it notes to summarise things.They are tiny so you can not get too wordy. If have lots of ideas stick to one key idea per post-it note.
Post-it notes are great for revision games
Example:   1.Copy facts onto one color
                 2.Stick these onto a wall.
                 3. Using a different colour try and re-create as many post-it notes as possible,and keep                                    trying to beat your personal best

4.Frequent breaks

As you study your attention span decreases meaning you will become less productive.This means it will take much longer to do every thing.Take breaks after 40 min of studying, go for a walk,stretch, have a snack or tidy your room.
Warning: Don't spend more time having a break than you do studying

3.Periodically review what you have learnt
This is especially important if you are studying a degree like medicine.The sheer volume of information means it will be difficult to rely on cramming for exams alone.
I choose to go over my notes quickly at the end of each week before filing them.Its fairly simple, the more often you review stuff the more you remember.


2.If stuck go find an expert
There is no shame is asking your lecturers for clarification.Send them and email or ask them after class.If you are shy ask your friends if they can explain it for you.
When it comes to essay writing read a book about how to correctly write an essay

1.Stay motivated.
Above all other things keep your eye on your goal.Think of all the great rewards studying will bring.
When desperate:

New Flatmates and Chronic Illness

Freshers week is almost upon us.Many people like with long term conditions such as epilepsy,allergies,diabetes, etc.I personally have lupus, and several food allergies resulting in anaphylaxis.

If you decide to live away from home its highly likely that you will have flatmates, deciding what to tell them about your health can be difficult for some. Medical conditions are a highly personal thing, that you wouldn't want to share with just anybody.

I personally tell my flatmates exactly what I am allergic to ,this is important for my safety and it just makes things simpler later on. I didn't tell them the first time I met them but they definitely knew I had food allergies after a week.

It was not a formal chat,it just randomly came up in conversation,and my flatmates didn't find it weird at all.If you have a medical condition that could result in you requiring assistance in an emergency( diabetes,allergies etc) you should definitely let your flatmates know.

This brings us onto emergency contact details, who to phone if you get ill. My G.P said that this would be a good idea, because if you get ill you don't have to worry about contacting your parents.

 I did not because:
1.lived and will live on campus, assuming I got ill enough to be incapable of phoning my parents, I would be in hospital or on my way to hospital. There is no way this can happen without the accommodation staff getting involved, the accommodation staff have my parents contact details.
2.I have a medic alert bracelet that has all my incase of emergency contact details, if i am ill in the presence of my flatmates they will have access to my wrists
3. Uni students are notorious for their juvenile pranks, the last thing I need is my flatmates ringing my parents in the middle of the night as a joke.

Long term conditions and Mental Health

There is less of a need to tell others about these,but bear in mind that you will be living with the same people for at least a year, they will notice stuff.

If you tell them from the beginning it will get rid of any awkward moments before they happen. Your flatmates can also be more accommodating and helpful if they know.

If you say nothing they could wonder what's wrong with you but be too shy to ask ,resulting in them reaching misinformed decisions.

I chose not to tell my flatmates,because I did not want to be treated differently.When they asked questions I answered them honestly and it all worked out well.

Please post about your experiences or thoughts in the comments bellow.I would love to hear from you

Introduction

Hey Guys

I am a medical student and this is my blog.
At this point I am not exactly sure what I will talk about,but it is most likely to be about

1.Medical School-Studying medicine is all consuming, unsurprisingly it takes up ALOT of my time. I love is and this is what I have always wanted to do.Hopefully my account won't be boring or scare you away from studying medicine.

2.Arts and crafts- I knit, sew,and create jewelry. When I was much much younger I used to blog about this,so  my creations might make an appearance on this blog.

3.My life-Lets not forget that other thing called life. I have a family,friends, no pets. You will find out a bit more about my life as this blog progresses.