Tri-3, Wk2, Days 137 & 138, Wed & Thur

I got my first doctor bag today :) The first instrument we put in it was a reflex hammer. I liked the one shaped like a giraffe and thought it would be nice to use with kids but it was 5x more expensive than the standard hammer - so we went standard today :)

The little bag was pretty darned nice as well. I think it was meant for a sphygmomanometer normally sold without a bag but, it was just the right size for the hammer and a few other things I need for my orthopedics class. I can't recall the names of the other instruments I'll need to pick up, I know there are three more things and I do remember that one of them cost around $175 but, fortunately, that one comes with a case ;) These simple tools are for an orthopedics class. I suppose it will help to desensitize us for when we have to buy the really expensive doctor tools next year.

I also cavitated a lower lumbar region today which was really cool. HVLA - High Velocity, Low Amplitude and I certainly had that going on today in my diversified class. OK, so it was an ilium adjustment but, I still thought it was pretty cool ;)

A couple of the classes are immensely entertaining. Sometimes I almost think of them as shows that one might pay money to go see but that's just how some classes are. In the class known as Logan Basic, we learn about a technique pioneered by the founder of the school but it's co-taught by two teachers and they'll go back and forth while presenting the slide show ...er, powerpoint presentation.

It's the same way with our Diversified class, there's two main teachers as well as a host of other teachers that continually walk around the room to help everyone get their technique down and answer any questions. It's a really nice set up. The two main teachers have a long standing friendship so they're always kidding around with one another which makes for a lot of levity in the classroom.

I'm not sure what to post today. We have our first test next Wednesday in Physio II and a lab due on Tuesday. I've got around 250 flashcards I've made up on my laptop using that nifty program from FlashMyBrain.com. I've got a heck of a lot of reading to get done this weekend.

OK - Here's a pretty cool pic - we've got two brains - guess which one is healthier (assuming they were in living bodies) ;)

You guessed it - the one on the left is healthier. See all that space on the brain on the right? We saw a brains in the cadaver lab similar to the brain on the right which was from a patient who had dementia but the brain in the picture is actually of an 82 year old male with atherosclerotic disease. This is important to understand because we aren't talking about any kind of neurological or brain disease, atherosclerosis deals with the cardiovascular system, you know, the heart and arteries. A major place for plaque to build up is in the carotid arteries and those arteries are pretty important to your brain. If we impeded the blood flow to the brain we may end up with a brain looking like the one on the right. Be sure to click on the image to get a full sized view. :)

OK - one day left of this week - school, study, sleep, repeat - only 13 weeks left after tomorrow :)