VCarter

I'm starting to plan out a new tattoo! With only one tattoo (right ribcage) the asymmetry is starting to bug me (I'm super anal retentive), so I'm planning something out for the other side so I feel more "balanced". Once again it will probably be something super girly and brightly colored, I'm thinking possibly flowers (orchids, irises, lilies, my favorites). I love the planning process!

Both my parents like the tattoo I currently have (a pair of ballet slippers on my rib cage) as well as the ideas I've been tossing around for a few others I want to get. Then again, my parents are pretty freaking cool.

Both my parents have tattoos that pre-date my arrival, but I was probably 5 or 6 when I first got to see a "before and after" sort of deal when my dad added to his collection (until the color was put in he spent many hours sitting patiently as I happily scribbled away on my personal coloring book with washable markers).

Got to spend the past 3 weeks back home visiting my parents while doing a rotation in neurology. I was also able to take in a few ballet classes at my old studio, turns out that I can still function reasonably well en pointe!

UGH. Crazy busy day, dealing with an a-hole attending and a pager that just wouldn't stop beeping. However, after a backrub from my sweetie and 4 martinis life is feeling much better (and slightly more spiny).

Oh PCR, either your best friend or your soul-sucking worst enemy. What's super awesome is when you order your primers, spend a month freaking out because you can't get the right band, then receive an email saying they screwed up and sent you the wrong sequence. Not that I'm bitter or anything. As much as I loved my basic science days, I'm glad they are long behind me now.

Trust me, there are still plenty of people pursuing medicine as a career. Where I am studying there is an average of 800-900 applicants every year and only 100 spots available.

@beez - mattresses are tricky to deal with since they can't just be tossed in the washing machine. I would get some Lysol or other disinfectant spray, and give the whole thing a good spritz until it is damp and let it air dry completely.

Norovirus definitely tends to have a seasonal distribution, more common during the winter months when people spend more time in close quarters. Symptoms definitely tend to have a quick and dirty appearance (usually 24-48 hours after exposure), and usually go away within a few days. It is a huge pain in the rear to deal with in a hospital setting, I've seen whole wards shut down within only a day or two since the thing spreads like wildfire (in fact my internal medicine rotation just got switched to a different hospital because of an outbreak). Unfortunately there really isn't much you can do for treatment aside from supportive care, lots of rest, plenty of fluids, and all that jazz. Once you are feeling better I would highly recommend giving everything a thorough cleaning (hot water for fabrics, bleach solution for solid surfaces) since the virus can persist.

I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that a tattoo machine doesn't really look like a needle, in the same way that a hypodermic needle and syringe does. Maybe it also has to do with the fact that getting a tattoo is a voluntary action, whereas needles in a medical context tend not to be. I'm finding also that the patients I deal with who have the greatest needle anxiety also tend to be those who have had bad experiences in the past (having an old battle-axe of a nurse aggressively try multiple times to ram an IV line into my hand as a kid definitely had me spooked of needles for a while).

Hmm, never heard of this one! In my mind it seems like the leaf is basically acting like a heat sink, and absorbing the heat given off by the inflamed body part (heat being one of the cardinal signs of inflammation), leaving the underlying tissue cooler and thereby feeling less irritated.

I basically grew up in a dance studio, and spent the majority of my life as a "bunhead" using my 20+ hours a week of ballet, jazz, tap, etc. as my primary way of staying in shape, accompanied by some yoga, pilates and running. Unfortunately I had to give that up once I started med school, as my schedule is way too hectic and my body is way too damaged at this point. I'm in the process of training for a half marathon, so I have a 5 day schedule for my running and I also try to get to at least 3 yoga classes per week.

@Elise - Congrats on surviving! I found that the first 24-48 hours were the worst in terms of finding clothing to wear. If you can get away with a tank top with just the built in bra I would try that (i found that the band of my bra touching my tattoo was very uncomfortable for the first couple days). Unfortunately (or fortunately) I am rather "ample bosomed" and it isn't really feasible for me to go out in public without a good bra.

Wow!!! Some amazing tattoos have been happening lately! I only got my first one a couple months ago but this is making me itch to get started on my next piece.