Good enough.

I really should be studying uniform rotation, coordinate systems, and vectors for Part I of my Physics test tomorrow, but I’m taking a brief break to write an update on today’s happenings. As I mentioned before, my hospital rotations started. I am going to spend Tuesday and Thursday mornings of the next three weeks in El Hospital Salubridad in Cholula. It is a public hospital with the main attractions being Urgencias (emergency) and Partos (OB). So I’m pretty much getting to hang out with a bunch of gynecologists for the next month-ish.
Anyways, the first day was an overall success except that I fainted within the first hour. So now I’m THAT GIRL. I think it was just a bad combination of factors: general low blood pressure, early morning wakeup, lots of standing and a history of similar behavior (thanks Wassmuth genes!) I was in the best of hands and was given a bed in which to recuperate, a hot cup of milk (not ideal), and the report that my blood pressure was 90/60. The bright side of all this is that I
A) Learned the Spanish verb “to faint”- desmayar
B) Will not have hypertension issues anytime in the near future
C) I didn’t throw up. That would have definitely been worse.

When I wasn’t elevating my feet and reluctantly drinking my warm milk, I spent the morning shadowing an OB-GYN. I got to see a lot of beautiful Mexican babies, met some very nice doctors and med-students, and generally got my bearings in the hospital. I was loaned some surgery scrubs so I could witness a birth, but I ended up having to leave before the baby was actually born.
Based on today’s experience I have decided several things:

1) I’m going to eat a slightly more substantial breakfast on Thursday.

2) The Mexico bus system is not too bad and is actually quite extensive if you figure out the routes and don’t mind waiting a bit.

3) I never want to birth a child in a public Mexican hospital.

I ended up missing my one class today because of a slight communication problem but was back in time for the Salsa-cumbia class that I’m taking with a few other ND kids. I had a blast! The first few classes we were just learning basic steps and it wasn’t terribly exciting but today we were able to dance with partners and learned some step combinations. We’re already making plans to hit up Legends’ Salsa Night during the spring semester.

Ok, I’m going to go spend some quality time with Newton. Wish me luck!