I spent my morning at the base in the Coumadin Clinic with one of the contract pharmacists - aka non-military personnel. She reviewed how the clinic functioned and it's purpose and explained her role in patient care. We met with a couple returning patients and reviewed their INRs and warfarin doses adjusting them according to protocol. For those reading this that think I'm speaking in a foreign language, INR = international normalized ratio. This value is used to determine the clotting tendency of blood. Therefore, in the clinic we make sure people don't develop blood clots (eg. deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms) by managing their medications, diet, and lifestyle. I really enjoyed this type of patient interaction. The patient's were all motivated to better their health which makes a pharmacist's job a bit easier.
During the afternoon, I worked on our self-injection video project which will instruct patients how to use their injectable medications. Somehow I ended up being the only one okay with being on camera, so I get to inject myself for the videos. After working on that some, our Captain took Jenna (a Hawaii student) and myself on a "field-trip" around base. For some of our rotation activities we must drive to the other side of base which can be quite confusing with how large the base is, and it is also a "joint-base" with Fort Richardson Army Base which we also travel to. Therefore, I wrote out detailed directions and highlighted the multiple locations and routes on a map for the other students. I think I might be developing some organizational skills. It's a weird feeling... I even typed up my handwritten notes from the paste week today. I'm hoping this good habit will stick!
To explain the title of the post:
Flick - my lacrosse stick - traveled with me to Alaska for the purpose of playing in a women's lacrosse league. Tonight I went to the first gathering where I met ladies that grew up on the East coast playing lacrosse and played at colleges in New York and Maryland. We also had a couple of newly graduated 18 year olds that picked up sticks for the first time tonight. Therefore, Tori (coach from Maryland) and myself taught the new girls how to play. It was a lot of fun teaching the first timers the basics of the sport, but it definitely made me miss my high school lax girls who are about to start camps. The last portion of the night we sat around and got to know each other better which I really enjoyed. I haven't been around lacrosse players from across the nation like this since I played on the Midwest Team when we traveled to Pennsylvania. (Laura, do you remember that trip?)
Also, there's a youth boys league going on as well on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, so I was able to meet their coaches and talk to them about how much lacrosse has grown in Anchorage. It was definitely an encouraging time. A lot of the guys that coach the boys play in the men's league, and they invited us to watch the men's games on Monday nights. So you all know where I'll be Mondays. I just can't get enough lacrosse!
Tomorrow, Becca and I have the day off (because our preceptor is awesome), so we are planning to drive North of Anchorage to hike Reed Lakes. I'm hoping my legs won't be too sore from the 7 mile bike ride to lacrosse and 4 mile ride back. Why the difference in mileage to get there? Well I took the scenic route going there which just happened to be the wrong way. Don't worry, I used a Bus Stop map to figure out how to get there. Also, I'm pretty sure I looked ridiculous with my lacrosse stick poking out the top and bottom of the back of my jacket while I rode Celeste's bike.
Anyway, today was a rather surreal day. I never thought I'd have the opportunities - professionally and personally - that I have had experienced while in Alaska. I really can't wait to see what else is in store this next month!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Trivia: Which US state's citizens eat more ice cream per capita than any other?
Answer: Alaska! And yet the past 2 nights we have searched for a local ice cream shop in Anchorage and discovered they're hard to come by. You have your DQ and Baskin Robins, even throw a Cold Stone in there, but as far as a "local" ice cream place open past 8pm, you're out of luck. You'd think they'd have one open on every corner as long as there is daylight. So I question, where is all of this ice cream being consumed by Alaskans? My guess: the grocery store. Their ice cream sections are ridiculous! More brands than you could imagine with more flavors than you're probably willing to try. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a reindeer flavor out there somewhere. My advice: if you're looking to make some money, move to Alaska for the summer and open an ice cream shop. If you're willing to stay year round, make it ice cream and espresso.
Trivia: Is metoclopramide indicated for the treatment of headaches?
Answer: There is no FDA-indication for its use in headaches though recent studies have showed some positive results with its use in migraine therapy in emergency departments. I spent most of my day at work today answering these types of questions. I really enjoyed working on Drug Information questions when I didn't have an assigned duty at the base. I was able to put my EBM (Evidence Based Medicine) skills to good use. I'm also really glad I brought some print resources with me in my carry-on as we have limited internet access with one computer between 12 students. Dr. Sperry would be so proud!
Trivia: What is the tallest mountain in the world?
Answer: Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world when measured from sea level. However, if you consider the actual "rise" of the mountain, from its base to its peak, McKinley is actually a much higher mountain than Everest, even though Everest reaches higher into the sky. This is because Everest sits atop the Tibetan Plateau which is already 17,000 feet above sea level. (See diagram below).
So the reason for my Mt. McKinley/Mt. Everest debate? Well, during some free time this afternoon, my roommates and I started planning our Denali Park Adventure for the weekend. Possible activities range from ATV rides, whitewater rafting, plane flight to see Mt. McKinley, park bus tours, Jeep rides, animal viewing, hiking, camping, and the list goes on. We've narrowed it down, but you'll just have to wait and see what the jam-packed weekend holds for us!
What's all this trivia you ask? Well, tonight we were supposed to attend Trivia Tuesdays at Humpy's Alehouse only to find that they no longer have Trivia Tuesdays. Therefore, I thought I would entertain all of you (or simply myself) with Keri's Trivia Tuesdays. Hope you enjoyed it!
Trivia: Is metoclopramide indicated for the treatment of headaches?
Answer: There is no FDA-indication for its use in headaches though recent studies have showed some positive results with its use in migraine therapy in emergency departments. I spent most of my day at work today answering these types of questions. I really enjoyed working on Drug Information questions when I didn't have an assigned duty at the base. I was able to put my EBM (Evidence Based Medicine) skills to good use. I'm also really glad I brought some print resources with me in my carry-on as we have limited internet access with one computer between 12 students. Dr. Sperry would be so proud!
Trivia: What is the tallest mountain in the world?
Answer: Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world when measured from sea level. However, if you consider the actual "rise" of the mountain, from its base to its peak, McKinley is actually a much higher mountain than Everest, even though Everest reaches higher into the sky. This is because Everest sits atop the Tibetan Plateau which is already 17,000 feet above sea level. (See diagram below).
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| No I did not draw this. I googled it of course! Thanks www.lastfrontier.org. |
What's all this trivia you ask? Well, tonight we were supposed to attend Trivia Tuesdays at Humpy's Alehouse only to find that they no longer have Trivia Tuesdays. Therefore, I thought I would entertain all of you (or simply myself) with Keri's Trivia Tuesdays. Hope you enjoyed it!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Spit Spelled Backwards is Tips
Started out the weekend by driving 45 minutes North of Anchorage up to Palmer, AK Saturday morning. Upon arriving, we grabbed a quick lunch at the Downtown Deli where Jess and I had some pretty great turkey-bacon-guac sandwiches after trying some Butter Cookie Nutella gelato. Next we headed to the Reindeer Farm where we were able to pet and feed the reindeer. We also had the opportunity to feed/pet their 2 moose: Denali and Kenai which was a really great experience. Here's a video of me feeding one of the reindeer:
Then we drove 5 hours South of Anchorage to Homer, AK, The Halibut Fishing Capital of the World. Our first night there we headed to the Homer Spit where the boat harbor, sea kayaking, fishing charters, camping, etc happens. We stopped by the Salty Dawg Saloon which you may have seen from the show Deadliest Catch. This bar is where a lot of the fishermen hangout when they come in from being out at sea. Unfortunately, none of them were in Homer for us to see/meet.
After all our travelling, we were pretty hungry and the Boardwalk Fish and Chips was the perfect place to end up. The place was right on the water, and all their fish was caught fresh that day by a local fisherman. It was decorated with local signs including: "Spit spelled backwards is tips". It was here that I enjoyed the best halibut I've had so far.
We headed inland to the downtown area of Homer to find a place to stay for the night. We ended up at the heritage hotel which was reasonably priced for the nice (1st) room we were provided. Due to a minor issue we were "upgraded" rooms which moved us to a 70s style retro room where a band was playing at the bar next door. Luckily Jess had some clothespins with her to ensure our room would be dark for the night - something none of us have experienced since being here with the perpetual sunlight.
Sunday morning we headed to breakfast at the diner next door. I enjoyed a "Full Sail" which included thick french toast and crispy bacon - mmm breakfast! We then booked our sea kayaking tour with True North Kayak Adventures who were great in accommodating our last minute request. So we headed to the Spit to the Boardwalk Bakery where the ladies there were AMAZING and put together boxed lunches for our day trip. They even put our names on our bags which made me feel like my mom had made my lunch :)
At 10:45am, we started our adventure by gearing up with rain pants and rain boots - I'll try and get these pictures from Jessica. We look like mini-fishermen! Our water taxi took us from the harbor to a neighboring island across the bay. Here we met our tour guide Brad who lives on another island and kayaks to work everyday. Yeah, he's pretty hardcore. From there we went over the basics of kayaking and got our boats in the water. I was in a single kayak while Celeste and Jess had a double, and it was pretty amusing as we all learned how to steer with our rudders. While kayaking around the island we came across a couple of sea otters that were eating and cleaning themselves as they floated past us. We also saw a variety of sea anemones and barnacles and were able to touch them. It rained a little during our trip, but by the end the sun came out as we went ashore to enjoy our boxed lunches on the beach. My lunch consisted of: chicken salad sandwich on focaccia with southwestern pasta salad and a ranger cookie (rice krispies, coconut, and oatmeal). As my mom says, I'm eating well up in Alaska :)
Once we finished lunch, we were picked up by a water taxi and were transported back to the harbor where we changed out of our rain gear. We then hopped in the car and headed back to Anchorage. Upon our return we headed to the Glacier Brewhouse where we met up with Becca and ended our weekend adventure. Celeste and I split a halibut, salmon, and cod dish that I enjoyed with a raspberry wheat beer that I can honestly say has been added to my list of favorite beers. We'll probably be back there for Growler Tuesdays :)
Monday was a fairly normal day back at work. I learned a lot about the Warrior Transition Unit where we work with soldiers as they return from deployment. I really hope I have the opportunity to take part in this sometime next week.
We have already started planning our next adventure - so check back soon to see what this week holds!
Then we drove 5 hours South of Anchorage to Homer, AK, The Halibut Fishing Capital of the World. Our first night there we headed to the Homer Spit where the boat harbor, sea kayaking, fishing charters, camping, etc happens. We stopped by the Salty Dawg Saloon which you may have seen from the show Deadliest Catch. This bar is where a lot of the fishermen hangout when they come in from being out at sea. Unfortunately, none of them were in Homer for us to see/meet.
After all our travelling, we were pretty hungry and the Boardwalk Fish and Chips was the perfect place to end up. The place was right on the water, and all their fish was caught fresh that day by a local fisherman. It was decorated with local signs including: "Spit spelled backwards is tips". It was here that I enjoyed the best halibut I've had so far.
We headed inland to the downtown area of Homer to find a place to stay for the night. We ended up at the heritage hotel which was reasonably priced for the nice (1st) room we were provided. Due to a minor issue we were "upgraded" rooms which moved us to a 70s style retro room where a band was playing at the bar next door. Luckily Jess had some clothespins with her to ensure our room would be dark for the night - something none of us have experienced since being here with the perpetual sunlight.
Sunday morning we headed to breakfast at the diner next door. I enjoyed a "Full Sail" which included thick french toast and crispy bacon - mmm breakfast! We then booked our sea kayaking tour with True North Kayak Adventures who were great in accommodating our last minute request. So we headed to the Spit to the Boardwalk Bakery where the ladies there were AMAZING and put together boxed lunches for our day trip. They even put our names on our bags which made me feel like my mom had made my lunch :)
At 10:45am, we started our adventure by gearing up with rain pants and rain boots - I'll try and get these pictures from Jessica. We look like mini-fishermen! Our water taxi took us from the harbor to a neighboring island across the bay. Here we met our tour guide Brad who lives on another island and kayaks to work everyday. Yeah, he's pretty hardcore. From there we went over the basics of kayaking and got our boats in the water. I was in a single kayak while Celeste and Jess had a double, and it was pretty amusing as we all learned how to steer with our rudders. While kayaking around the island we came across a couple of sea otters that were eating and cleaning themselves as they floated past us. We also saw a variety of sea anemones and barnacles and were able to touch them. It rained a little during our trip, but by the end the sun came out as we went ashore to enjoy our boxed lunches on the beach. My lunch consisted of: chicken salad sandwich on focaccia with southwestern pasta salad and a ranger cookie (rice krispies, coconut, and oatmeal). As my mom says, I'm eating well up in Alaska :)
Once we finished lunch, we were picked up by a water taxi and were transported back to the harbor where we changed out of our rain gear. We then hopped in the car and headed back to Anchorage. Upon our return we headed to the Glacier Brewhouse where we met up with Becca and ended our weekend adventure. Celeste and I split a halibut, salmon, and cod dish that I enjoyed with a raspberry wheat beer that I can honestly say has been added to my list of favorite beers. We'll probably be back there for Growler Tuesdays :)
Monday was a fairly normal day back at work. I learned a lot about the Warrior Transition Unit where we work with soldiers as they return from deployment. I really hope I have the opportunity to take part in this sometime next week.
We have already started planning our next adventure - so check back soon to see what this week holds!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Dinner and a Movie
Today, I spent the morning calling Navy, Army, and Air Force bases all over the US getting transfers for prescriptions. I also learned how to do IEPs (Interventions, Edits, and Projects) with Jenna from Hawaii. I really enjoy all the students that we work with. Though we're from all over, with our own accents and vocabulary, it's been a great group to be in Alaska with. Considering we've only known each other for three days, I can't wait to see what all happens the rest of this month.
Tonight, we went to the Bear Tooth Theatre Pub to enjoy some unique and tasty pizza while watching Source Code. You know the place is good when the line to get in is about 25+ people deep out the door. Basically this pub/restaurant/movie theater shows movies from this year (not always the most current), and they deliver your food while the movie is playing. Sounding a bit like Cinema Suites? Much different. There's a bar in the theater, so we celebrated our first week complete with a pitcher of some local Hard Apple Ale that I really enjoyed. We also ordered 1/2 Brewhouse favorite and 1/2 Chipotle Steak pizza. Both were delicious! I still don't know what the green "Denali sauce" was on the pizza, but it tasted too good to question it.
I'm still working on settling into the time change. My body is exhausted from the lack of sleep and the hike yesterday. I'm hoping this weekend will give me time of rest. Prayers for that are appreciated :)
Overall, I'm really looking forward to my first weekend here. There seems to be rain in the forecast most of Saturday/Sunday, but I'll make the best of it. Heck I'm in Alaska!
Tonight, we went to the Bear Tooth Theatre Pub to enjoy some unique and tasty pizza while watching Source Code. You know the place is good when the line to get in is about 25+ people deep out the door. Basically this pub/restaurant/movie theater shows movies from this year (not always the most current), and they deliver your food while the movie is playing. Sounding a bit like Cinema Suites? Much different. There's a bar in the theater, so we celebrated our first week complete with a pitcher of some local Hard Apple Ale that I really enjoyed. We also ordered 1/2 Brewhouse favorite and 1/2 Chipotle Steak pizza. Both were delicious! I still don't know what the green "Denali sauce" was on the pizza, but it tasted too good to question it.
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| Front of Bear Tooth Theatre Pub |
Overall, I'm really looking forward to my first weekend here. There seems to be rain in the forecast most of Saturday/Sunday, but I'll make the best of it. Heck I'm in Alaska!
Friday, June 3, 2011
View from Flat Top Mountain
This video is our view from the top of Flat Top Mountain. It's a beautiful view and this video does not do it justice.
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| Here I'm on the first peak of the mountain. |
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| Made it to the 2nd of 3 peaks. |
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| At the very top of the 3rd and final peak! |
Don't Bail from the Trail
Some of you know what news I received this morning which made my day very difficult. I tried to concentrate and focus on work, but found it quite challenging. Luckily this morning, we spent time in a Diabetes Patient Education lecture that took most of the morning and kept me distracted. We headed to lunch after that where I discovered how cheap food is on base - WIN! Plus, we had a "lunch-and-learn" aka drug companies feed us lunch and educate us at the same time.
Our Captain assigned us projects to work on during the course of the month. I was assigned with 3 other students from Ohio, Arizona, and New York to make infomercials on how to give patients IM (intramuscular) and SQ (subcutaneous) injections. This is when I really miss Cole and Jon to help out with editing. It's going to be used on base for patient/provider education so we want it to look official!
It was a pretty full day already, but we decided to enjoy the evening. When speaking to my grandma (Adele) last night, she told me that her and grandpa had never been to Alaska and she wanted me to enjoy ALL of it. As my grandparents loved to travel, I thought it was fitting that myself and 9 other pharmacy students went on a true Alaskan Adventure (to again keep my spirits up and my mind distracted). Therefore, we headed to Flat Top Mountain for an evening hike. It took us from around 7:00pm to 10:00pm to hike all the way to the top and back down plus a TON of pit stops for pictures - well worth it.
At the start of the hike, the Flat Top trail warning stated: Don't Bail from the Trail. I innocently thought that meant "don't give up". Apparently it means keep to the trail, so I immediately broke that rule and wandered right off trail from the start to pave my own path. At times it was probably more difficult, but I'm in for the challenge if it has the potential to be an adventure.
Pictures and video of our hikin adventure will soon follow.
Our Captain assigned us projects to work on during the course of the month. I was assigned with 3 other students from Ohio, Arizona, and New York to make infomercials on how to give patients IM (intramuscular) and SQ (subcutaneous) injections. This is when I really miss Cole and Jon to help out with editing. It's going to be used on base for patient/provider education so we want it to look official!
It was a pretty full day already, but we decided to enjoy the evening. When speaking to my grandma (Adele) last night, she told me that her and grandpa had never been to Alaska and she wanted me to enjoy ALL of it. As my grandparents loved to travel, I thought it was fitting that myself and 9 other pharmacy students went on a true Alaskan Adventure (to again keep my spirits up and my mind distracted). Therefore, we headed to Flat Top Mountain for an evening hike. It took us from around 7:00pm to 10:00pm to hike all the way to the top and back down plus a TON of pit stops for pictures - well worth it.
At the start of the hike, the Flat Top trail warning stated: Don't Bail from the Trail. I innocently thought that meant "don't give up". Apparently it means keep to the trail, so I immediately broke that rule and wandered right off trail from the start to pave my own path. At times it was probably more difficult, but I'm in for the challenge if it has the potential to be an adventure.
Pictures and video of our hikin adventure will soon follow.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
A First Time for Everything
Lessons learned on base today:
1. Wear a watch set on military time so I don't screw it up.
2. When in doubt of rank, ma'am and sir work just fine.
3. If you don't have work to do, ask for work to do.
4. Lunch on base is SUPER cheap.
5. White coats serve as a decent umbrella in the rain.
Made it through my first day of rotations - phew! My preceptor is really awesome and got us oriented to the medical center. We met majority of the 10 other students (that's a LOT for one preceptor) who are from all over: Tennessee, Hawaii, Ohio, Arizona. I started out the day counseling patients on new medications, and I attempted to learn the basics of the computer system. It was a bit challenging. After lunch, I learned how to prepack prescriptions for ER and pre-flight use which was pretty cool. I got to spend most of that time getting to know some of the other students which was really great.
I had to get my Tdap shot which didn't hurt at all until a couple hours later when my arm started throbbing. Needless to say, I won't be playing any lacrosse in the next couple of days.
In order to celebrate our first day completed, we ventured downtown to a bar called Humpy's known for their halibut tacos. Unknowingly, on a Wednesday night it's the place to be... to watch hockey. Yep, we're in Alaska. After grabbing a table on the back patio next to a heater (it's a bit cold here), our waitress asked to see our IDs. Both Celeste and myself accidently left our IDs back at the apartment, and so we were promptly asked to leave the premises. After getting kicked out and attempting to get into 2 other restaurants and well, failed, we settled on Rumrunner's.
I had a halibut sandwich that was really good and beer battered fries that I would go back for. I figured while in Alaska I need to try out the local fish, so you'll probably be seeing more reports of halibut, salmon, etc. Also, I'll probably try reindeer - as they stuff just about anything with reindeer meat.
Since my body thinks it's passed midnight (as I'm still not adjusted to this time change), it's time to attempt sleeping in this perpetually lit city. I'm hoping the rain/cloud coverage today will darken the sky just a bit.
1. Wear a watch set on military time so I don't screw it up.
2. When in doubt of rank, ma'am and sir work just fine.
3. If you don't have work to do, ask for work to do.
4. Lunch on base is SUPER cheap.
5. White coats serve as a decent umbrella in the rain.
Made it through my first day of rotations - phew! My preceptor is really awesome and got us oriented to the medical center. We met majority of the 10 other students (that's a LOT for one preceptor) who are from all over: Tennessee, Hawaii, Ohio, Arizona. I started out the day counseling patients on new medications, and I attempted to learn the basics of the computer system. It was a bit challenging. After lunch, I learned how to prepack prescriptions for ER and pre-flight use which was pretty cool. I got to spend most of that time getting to know some of the other students which was really great.
I had to get my Tdap shot which didn't hurt at all until a couple hours later when my arm started throbbing. Needless to say, I won't be playing any lacrosse in the next couple of days.
In order to celebrate our first day completed, we ventured downtown to a bar called Humpy's known for their halibut tacos. Unknowingly, on a Wednesday night it's the place to be... to watch hockey. Yep, we're in Alaska. After grabbing a table on the back patio next to a heater (it's a bit cold here), our waitress asked to see our IDs. Both Celeste and myself accidently left our IDs back at the apartment, and so we were promptly asked to leave the premises. After getting kicked out and attempting to get into 2 other restaurants and well, failed, we settled on Rumrunner's.
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| Rumrunner's Bar pictured with my three roommates: Becca, Celeste, and Jessica. |
Since my body thinks it's passed midnight (as I'm still not adjusted to this time change), it's time to attempt sleeping in this perpetually lit city. I'm hoping the rain/cloud coverage today will darken the sky just a bit.
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