Monday, September 29, 2008

"Monster"

WARNING: Don't read before meals


You really don't want this type of tumor. Called a teratoma (latin = monster) this is one scary cancer (or it can be benign) in my opinion. We had to learn about this today in our lecture on neoplasms (neo=new, plasm=growth). It comes from organs that have the potential to create all the different cells types in our body (think: ovary which can differentiate in to the cells necessary for a baby). The picture above includes lots of hair (the black stuff--bottom left), teeth (the white blob--bottom right), skin, brain tissue, cartilage, fat, and a juicy cyst (the yellow stuff, top left).
Boyd wondered the other day if I thought everything in medicine was sad. Because evidently when I'm studying I say "oh how sad" quite often. Well, I told him no, I think some things are gross. Usually that includes things that people do to themselves when they should know better-- like STDs. Since people cannot help getting a teratoma as far as I understand, I think it is sad. But I have to be honest with myself that I think it is really gross too.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

We made it!


I have been guilted into posting more about our semi-interesting lives, so I just wanted to make sure everybody out there knew that we aren't stranded somewhere in the vast midwest. We made it to Tucson in July and here is our cute new place. Some highlights include the new TV (see left hand corner with the Olympics on), a kitchen with a dishwasher (besides Boyd), a walk-in closet (not pictured...) and new carpet! It's amazing what impresses you after living in a 400 sq. ft. studio. But we still miss Boston a lot. Here are some of our favorite things about Massachusetts that we miss dearly:

1. Seeing our beautiful nieces, new nephew and MaryBeth and Andrew on a whim
2. Our amazing jobs at Mass General Hospital
3. The fall leaves at Mt. Auburn Cemetery
4. Christina's ice cream shop (with fresh whipped cream)
5. The T
6. L.A. Burdicks decadent hot chocolate and chocolate mice
7. Harvard sqaure
8. Not having the ice cream melt on the way home from Market Basket
9. The sense of accomplishment that came with knowing the streets all around Boston
10. Biking the minute man trail
11. The wharf
12. Good clam chowda
13. The Patriots, Celtics, and Red Sox (Hmm, no local loyalty)
14. Our intellectual ward (but not always the primary that came with it)
15. Reading a good book in the Public Garden
16. Newbury Street
17. The North End
18. Sailboats, crew, and water sports in general
19. The 4th of July and the Boston Pops

Well, you get the idea. And a few things we don't miss:

1. MIT
2. The blistering cold
3. Bad Mexican food
4. Parking tickets, ridiculous parking laws, and generally being towed

We may end up back in the great east coast, but for now here's to looking forward to rodeo break and 60 degree December weather in Tucson.