Hi friends!
Hope y’all had a fantabulous April and beginning of May!
My month started out chill with like 1.5 normal weeks, I then went to Tufts to adjunct again, came home, and rapidly became quite ill.
Unfortunately, ‘twas the co(vid).
Honestly, this round really sucked. I was much more sick than the first time I got it in December of 2021 and was sick for almost 2 weeks.
As an immunosuppressed girlie, I was prescribed paxlovid which was HELL. I couldn’t take it for more than 1 day because it made me so sick that I could not eat or drink and was just dry heaving and gagging all day. Am I sensitive and/or dramatic? Yes to both.
Anywho, I had to be out of work for 10 days due to NYU covid protocol for us immunosupressed folks, so I missed my students first week. Yes, I have another student because I loveeee teaching (and also talking).
I find it ironic that I also missed a week of CI duties when I had covid the first time around, however it was his last week. Which is worse? Idk.
So thank you to all my wonderful coworkers who were substitute CIs…y’all did an excellent job getting him acquainted!
I’m thinking I caught the co either on the airplane or in lab, but who the hell knows. In hindsight, I probably should’ve worn a mask whilst teaching the 80ish students cough assist techniques and ACBT.
Live and learn.
I went to Shen Yun for my monthly special date and 100/10 recommend. It was wildly windy that day and my Ilia makeup held up like gold. It’s also not terribly rated by the EWG, so it’s lasting and less toxic. Win and win.
I also started another round of iron infusions which helps SO much with my energy. Let me tell you, living a very active life with a ferritin of 6 is a lil hard. It’s better now. Praise.
Another thing that happened this month was Cannoli discovering her passion for TV. It started with dedicated cat TV including both the nature stuff and the cat game stuff (the YouTube channel CAT TV is gold), but evolved into literally all TV.
So far, we’ve discovered she likes makeup videos, kitchen organization, and tarot readings.
She’s so damn well rounded.
I also had my birthday in early April but I lowkey hate it so that’s all imma say about that. I did get a Qure mask (the face one and the neck & décolletageone) though, which you can see me model in the photos below (you’re welcome). I got myself an upgraded robot mop and vacuum (Henry has been adopted by my mom for her office, along with his cat garland dress). HIGHLY RECOMMEND Wally. My gosh.
April 7 was a fine day, but just another. I honestly think birthdays should celebrate the moms. I just made it out of the womb kinda okay which I’m sure was hard, but my momma grew me and put up with me internally for 9 months and externally for many more years. Kare is the real MVP.
Maybe it’s harder for babies than I know as I for sure don’t remember, who knows?
Actually, does anybody know bc I’m legit curious now.
Side note: how cool would it be to take a trip down memory lane and remember entering the world? What sort of drug do I need to get my hands on for that? jkjk, nobody call the police.
Maybe we all do remember and it was just traumatic as hell so we’ve blocked it out. Again, who knows?
Who also knows how I got on this tangent bc I for sh*t sure don’t.
BUT HERE WE ARE.
Could I erase that weird af thought process (welcome to my life)? Sure.
Will I? Obv not, which you’ve probably already gathered seeming as though you’re reading it.
Anywhoooooo, since I was either at Tufts or on my couch most of April, I don’t have very many daily learned tidbits, but keep on reading if you’re curious!
4/1/24: Subclavian steal syndrome (SSS) (aka subclavian-vertebral artery steal syndrome) is a pathophysiologic phenomenon that takes blood flow away from the vertebrobasilar or coronary circulation and diverts it to the arm. Due to this diversion, SSS can cause cerebral hypoperfusion during arm use and cause syncope or presyncope. AV malformations are usually the culprit, however it can also be an adverse effect of a CABG when using the same side of the internal mammary artery graft used to bypass the narrowed or obstructed coronary vessel. This variant usually results in symptoms of cardiac ischemia such as angina or, in severe cases, can cause myocardial infarction.
4/2/24: Patients with acute or chronic kidney disease are at greater risk for baclofen toxicity. Clinical signs and symptoms of baclofen include confusion, delirium, CNS and respiratory depression, hypotonia, flaccid paralysis, and hemodynamic instability. In overdose, baclofen can mimic brain death
4/3/24: Short Telomere Syndromes (STS) are accelerated aging syndromes often caused by inheritable gene mutations resulting in decreased telomere lengths. Consequently, organs systems with increased cell turnover (skin, bone marrow, lungs, GI tract) are commonly affected.
4/5/24: Buried bumper syndrome (BBS) represents a less common but major complication of PEG. The internal fixation device of the cannula (bumper) migrates alongside the stoma tract and out of the stomach, ending up anywhere between the stomach mucosa and the surface of the skin.
4/6/24: Mucormycosis is characterized by the rapid progression of tissue necrosis due to an invasion of blood vessels and subsequent thrombosis.
4/9/24: Fanconi syndrome is an inherited (usually in children) or acquired (usually in adults) defect of proximal tubule leading to malabsorption of variouselectrolytes and substances that are usuallyabsorbedby theproximal tubule.
4/10/24: Fanconi anemia is a rare recessive disorder that ischaracterizedby pancytopenia, hypoplasia of the bone marrow, patchy brown discoloration of theskindue to melanin deposition. It is alsoassociated with multiple congenital anomalies. Like Fanconi syndrome, it can be either inherited or acquired.
4/29/24: A huff helps to mobilize secretions in the small airways to the large airways and a cough mobilizes secretions from the large airways (hopefully) out of the body. This tidbit is from my station at Tufts DPT pulmonary lab immersion.
4/30/24: Gabapentin can be used to treat hiccups. This tidbit is courtesy of my boyfriend from our discussion of gaba use in cats, so thank you Anand.
That’s all for April folks!
Not too much planned for May besides a visit with my momma and meg (actually happening tomorrow as I write this 4 days late), but I’m super excited for that!
Anand is rotating to the CCU and then nights this month, so we will do what we can date wise, but such is life dating an intern.
I think next year will be a little easier maybe? Idk. I know I’ll see him more bc we’re becoming roomies shortly, so that’s cool.
OH
I forgot to talk about our date day/night up there. I first dragged him to get a facial and my esthetician Natalie, who has heard me complain about his COMPLETE lack of a skincare routine for months, finally got to meet him and give him a facial! He loved it even more than acupuncture (I dragged him there too in case you were wondering). Next on the list is drag brunch (happening tomorrow), massage, and pedicure. I’m slowly easing him into the world of spa days.
I come with many perks.
We then went to a restaurant we were not planning on going to for dinner and it was AMAZING. We got there and found out it was a COMPLETELY vegan and gluten free Mexican restaurant (aka my heaven). Sadly, we also found out it was their last night as they were closing. Le sigh.
Apparently, another vegan/gf place is opening there, but they weren’t sure what it was just yet.
RIP Etérea. You are missed already.
After dinner, we took a tequila shot on the sidewalk to relive college, which was an exceptionally bad idea for me seeming as though I rarely drink.
We then went to El Churro where I proceeded to drop chocolate sauce on his shoes whilst engulfing a churro.
Because of the chocolate fiasco, he finally decided to get new shoes which we picked out today and he loves.
Again, perks.
ALRIGHTY friends, that’s all. I need to go to sleep. My 100th Pilates class today kicked my behind and I have a big day tomorrow at drag brunch. I need all my energy for singalongs.
OH WAIT AGAIN
I forgot another thing…I got my first hate mail!
Well, technically Anand got it, but still.
I was going to not say anything on here, but then I remembered I’m an instigator and also a spicy Aries.
To the anomalous individual who sent a false email about me to my lovely boyfriend, I’m sorry you are so miserable. I wish you the best and highly suggest you find a hobby outside of sending anonymous encrypted emails to a stranger. You must be quite bored.
Ps- props for creativity on the username though, I do love tacos. It really gave me an lol
I guess this is kind of a big step for my blogger career, though, I mean, are you even a real blogger if you don’t have a hater?
What a monumental occurrence.
Okay now I’m actually done.
Enjoy photo documentation of April below!
xoxo caity
(iykyk)
