More on oncology

With October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, I can't help but feel cool that not only did I get to enjoy Race for the Cure, but also I got to go to Arizona for an Oncology Massage Conference called Massage for People Living with Cancer. It was A-mazing. I learned a ton. And I highly recommend it to Massage Therapists. I'm not clear though whether I learned more from the class material, from the class members themselves [a forensic pathologist was in our class, as was an edema specialist], the volunteers who came in for massage, or from the hospital MT and Donnie - the Hospital Music Therapist. Or, it's also possible that I learned the most from the Holy Ghost about my own path and other truths of the gospel. At any rate, it was worthwhile all the way around.
It was also nice to get into some warm weather - it was cold when I left Denver. Surprisingly when I got back it was almost 75 degrees outside. Now, however, 2 days later, it's been snowing all day. Boy am I glad I only worked at one place today - and that I work all day inside! Brrr!

Race for the Cure

Last week Sunday - General Conference Sunday- it was Race for the Cure here in Colorado. I've always wanted to run it, and this was my first year. It was amazing. I don't have pictures yet .. I meant to ask my sister-in-law for hers, (she flew in just for that), and take some of my own. Pictures will come soon.
It was a touching experience to be there with my mother-in-law who is a 17-year survivor. I loved being there in support of her, and literally hundreds of other survivors. It was also wonderful to be there in memory of my Aunt, and many others whose lives have been claimed despite a hard battle.
I know that many who have battled cancer have gained strength and faith because of their fight. I still pray that one day soon there will be a sure cure so that millions of others don't have to battle will their will, their tears, their faith, and sometimes even their lives. I am so grateful to have my mother-in-law in my life now. Her faith, example, and love are inspiring. I am so grateful for the lives of those who have touched mine, and those who I know who continue to fight their battles with cancer will remain in my prayers until the day they and their families can look back and say that they too gained strength and faith from their fight.
After all, as they say at Race - we (our hope, prayers, donations, love) are the cure.

Somebody Loves Me!

So for those of you who don't know, I long ago decided to shift my dreams (career -wise) from Med school to Nursing school after I did quite a lot of extensive research into medicine/nursing/nursing theory etc. During my research I also found out that everyone and their mom (literally, people's mom's want to become nurses) want to become nurses in Colorado and Utah. So, its hard to get into programs in those two states.

Basically, there are two programs (accelerated ones that is) that I was eligible for at the current time: Regis and UC Denver. Regis is the only 12 month program here in Colorado, and by far the best and most respected. So I applied to both, and I just found out today that I got accepted for an interview at Regis! SWEET! So, on Oct. 30, I will have my interview. I hope that it goes well! Wish me luck... pray for me! Lianna and I are going to need it.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers already.

The Evolution of Hair

To some, it may seem like a shock that I shaved my head... I thought it was a shock myself until I sat back and looked at all the changes of hair styles that I've gone through. Here are a few
Here is what my hair looked like when I was very little. Ah, so cute.
Next was the flat top. Viva los 80s!Once I hit middle school, my sister Katie and her friend (now my friend too) Janelle Hart decided I needed a makeover, and gave me a new hair style. What a great sister.

After middle school came high school, and my hair style morphed into a flat top/spiked hair. You may have to click on the pic to enlarge it.
Once I hit college, the mad scientist came out, and I let my hair go as curly as I could stand it. Talk about crazy.
Then my hair morphed to my chin. (I can't really grow facial hair other than on my chin.... Don't ask me why.)

And then it culminated in the shaving of my head, pictures are from the last post. And there you have it! The evolution of hair, by Joseph Quillen

Hair cut

So J has been petitioning to shave his head for a little while now, and now that he's in school and has no one in particular to impress (HR directors at biochem labs, or prospective student interviewers to be precise) I acquiesced. It was fun to hear him cackling as he shaved it short (I was in the other room and could only hear the jubilation due to liberation).how cute! Towards the end, I heard "DOH! OH NO WAY!!.. Oh mAN.."
A note to posterity:
Don't forget to change the grade back to medium after cutting your sideburns if you return to the top because you missed a spot.

It's a good thing J's tall! (That's about all I can say, at least all I can manage to say through my mad giggling.)

Although I didn't know her as well as some, it is easy to think of Amanda as a friend. Her creativity and kindness are what I remember best about her from when I knew her at BYUH. She always inspired creativity in others - or at least made me, whenever I walked by her door or saw her freebie bin runs, wish I could think of the same ideas she had. I remember her trying to be cheerful when she was working and pregnant and miserable. I'm glad that I was able to meet her, and get to know her a little before we both left the island.
I hope to hold my loved ones closer and dearer, because although we will see all our loved ones again some day you never know how long that will be. I'm grateful for the small touch that my life has felt from each person I've been blessed to know. To everyone who read this, take care of yourself and those you love and please be careful.

Quiznos? More like Quiz-HECK-nos!

So, like every other American out there, I am constantly bombarded with hundreds of advertisements every day. Some of them influence me more than others. One of such was a Quiznos commercial. They were advertising their over-foot-long sandwich for $4. I thought to myself, "That's great! Thats $1 less than subway's foot longs, and I typically like the taste of Quiznos' bread better."

So one day I found myself with the need to buy lunch. Naturally, I sought out the nearest Quiznos. So I asked for the $4 sub, and the guy happily complied. He then took out... A BREADSTICK!!!!!!!!! No seriously, it was a bread stick in size. My eyes jumped and my stomach whimpered. I thought to myself, "No, it has to bake up in the oven." So I didn't say anything.

Well, it didn't bake up. All I had was a foot long breadstick, cut in half, with a wee bit of meat on it. I asked for veggies, and the only veggies availble for that sandwich was lettuce and tommatoes. Good enough for me right? Well, for those of you who don't know me, I don't eat veggies, at all, but I can appreciate them on sandwiches. Basically, if I did not see for myself the physical act of putting on the lettuce, I would never have known they were there. They cut it up so fine and put so little on that it looked just like a seasoning. I tried to take a picture of the fiasco, but my phone, losing heart at the sight of such a dismal sandwich, gave up the battery and died. So there I was, stuck with a sandwich that, compared to Subway's $5 foot-longs, was 1/4 the amount of bread, 1/165th the amount of veggies (by weight of volume, its all the same), and slightly less meat. I curse that wretched day I went to Quiznos.

But then again, I guess that's what I get for listening to a talking Sandwich toaster. =/