Neurology is weird...

So I got the results of my MRI and while they say it is all "structurally normal" (aka: no tumor), it all looks really abnormal to me. Not abnormal like I think there really is something wrong that they just aren't seeing, abnormal like some of the pictures look like my intestines are in my head. My limited understanding of anatomy was that intestines are in the torso, not in the skull. There are 558 images, so I won't post all of them, but here is an example of what they see in my head and call "structurally normal". (Yes, this picture looks like a brain, but some of the other 558 don't at all)

Monday, I had a nice day off for President's Day. Because I only work 4 days a week (classes are on Wednesday), this week turned into a three day week. So Monday, I woke up a little later (8:30 is now later) and went to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. The museum is very well put together, very interesting, but extremely depressing. They have a room of shoes that people wore while in the concentration camps before they died. The smell really gets to you. I only made it through two floors before I decided I had made myself sad enough for one day and would do the rest another time. Since its free, I can go back whenever and take in another floor. After being thoroughly depressed, I took a walk around the Tidal Basin to the Jefferson Memorial. It was a little cold (about 30 degrees) but the walk will be absolutely beautiful in early April when the Cherry Blossoms blossom (that sounds weird). I was shocked to see ducks swimming in the lake when it is so cold out. I thought it was funny so I took a picture. From there, I walked around the FDR Memorial which is basically a series of waterfalls, none of which are on in the winter. Again, something cool for the spring.

What else.... Some of you have asked how the apartment is. While its not Versailles, it isn't bad. My room is pretty small and the bathroom is not very big, we actually have a pretty big living room and a decent kitchen. I share a dresser with my roommate, so we each have 3 drawers, but we have separate closets. The kitchen has a refrigerator, stove/oven, dishwasher, garbage disposal, and microwave. We even have a little balcony.

Only 30 days until Jake comes out to visit (March 20)! Then my mom and dad will be out here for about a week beginning April 12. I booked my flight home for May 2nd - should arrive by noon! Its weird to think that time is flying by, but our internship midterm evaluations go out next week and are due the first week in March.

I do miss home, but I wouldn't say I'm homesick or depressed or anything. Carly called me yesterday at work because she thinks I should come play. How do you explain to a three-year-old that you can't right now because you are a thousand miles away? It was cute though.

Well, I hope I supplied you with enough graphic images for a little while. I'm not sure what I will do this coming weekend, but hopefully I will get out and do something fun. I'll try to post again over the weekend or early next week! Until then...

Over and out!

Three day weekends are happiness...

So its Sunday evening in the middle of a three-day weekend. President's Day means no work so I'll take it. An extra day of relaxing sounds quite nice right now.

Yesterday, I got my MRI. All went relatively well. I wasn't a big fan of the IV they stuck in me to give me "contrast" but otherwise it wasn't too bad. They are pretty noisy machines and you just have to lay there for a while. Mine took an hour in all - thirty minutes without contrast, then I got the IV, then another thirty minutes in the machine. I don't know my results yet, but I will find out when I visit my neurologist on Tuesday morning. They steroids they put me on aren't really helping the headache. She said that they usually work, but knowing me, of course I will fall into the 5% that it doesn't do the trick for. Oh well.

While I did not get to spend Valentine's Day with my amazing boyfriend, I did get a very nice present. Jake went the jewelry route and sent this to me from Kay Jewelers. I am a very lucky girl.

Today, I did some grocery shopping and found a Target! I was really excited that I didn't just have to get stuff at CVS like I have been for a month now. I also got my hair cut - it needed it. I think its cute!

Tomorrow, I am planning on doing some sight-seeing stuff for the first time in a while. I am thinking of hitting some of the monuments and memorials and maybe spend some time at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Oh and one more exciting fact: Jake and I are at the half-way point to seeing each other. I left 33 days ago, and in 33 days he will be out here!

Over and out!

Up on the Hill....

A quick medical update for you and then on to some fun stuff.

I saw a neurologist on Tuesday. She spent almost an hour with me and I explained everything to her. She put me on steroids and gave me an order for an MRI. The steroids are making me very hungry all the time. I woke up twice last night for a snakc. I have the MRI scheduled on Saturday, not the ideal way to spend Valentine's Day, but I'll take it. From that, I go back to the neurologist on Tuesday. I'm fairly confident all will go well and I am happy that she is doing everything to check out all possibilities.

Today, I went to a House Budget Committee hearing on the Hill. Serveral representatives were there. One of the representatives, Gerry Connolly from Virginia's 11th District was there. I wrote a paper on his election last semester. Well I caught him on his way out from the meeting, explained who I was and told him about the paper I wrote. I asked if he would honor me with an interview for a class project this semester (we are supposed to interview 5 people about their jobs). He said he would love to, but only if he can read my papers. So that was exciting.

Valentine's Day is Saturday and a couple suspicious calls from Jake make me think he has something up his sleeve. I just don't know what yet. I'll keep you posted.

Over and out!

In my life....

Alright so not too much to update on... but I wanted to fill everyone in on a little something. I've been having really bad headaches (actually one headache that won't go away) for a week and a half now. I thought it was a migraine at first, but my migraine medicine didn't work and I still can't get the headache to go away. So long story short, I'm seeing a neurologist on Tuesday. I'm not too worried. I think they are going to put me on stronger medicine, maybe do an MRI, and all will be well. I just wanted to keep my bases covered.

Other than that, work is work, not too much to report. I'm going to Delaware tomorrow (Monday) for employee orientation.

Today it is a beautiful 67 degrees out. I'm going out with my Godfather, Rob tonight who is in town for a conference. Should be a fun evening!

Over and out!