I learned in college...

I learned in college that….

The moment you decide you need to buy a plunger it is probably too late.
If you want clean clothes then you have to hoard quarters
You will go to class and find out you know nothing, then you pass the class and feel smarter until you start a new class and find out you still know nothing.
An emergency chocolate supply is not a “if I can fit into the grocery budget” kinda thing
Your whites and colors can to mix in the washing machine… most of the time (I learned this from the school news paper)
I can live without youtube and TV (cringe) I really can
Strangely themed parties and dances are a requirement example: starch dance
You get a free drink at Costa Vida with a student ID (SWEET)
You can sneak almost any food stuff into a movie theater. Including ice cream…just don’t forget spoons
You can buy sleeping and pep pills in the vending machines
That there are not instruction on the back of the refried beans can to tell you how to cook it them
That bad potatoes smell worse than cadaver lab
Turn the quiz paper over to look for questions on the back before you turn it in.
You may have to call you teacher Dr. so and so, but they still won’t know what to do when you pass out
That memorizing a Simpson’s episode takes me a half hour but memorizing historical facts takes me a week.
You can add fillers/nonsense words into your reference/bibliography list at the end of papers because no one really reads them.
If you wait to print something at the last minute then that is when the printer will stop working
It doesn’t matter what time of year it is something in your apartment is going to be decorated with Christmas lights
That your room will get so cold that icicles form on the blinds
That church business in a young adult ward is usually handled through text messaging
Not locking your door is the same as inviting the neighbors over.
That every-year I will have to replace half my kitchen things because somehow when your roommate moved out early half of it disappeared
By the time I get a bachalors degree I could have taken a two week tour of Europe with the money I spent on text books that most people don’t read
That most people don’t read the text book and that is why I am so dang slow at homework
Walkers are considered a fire hazard and will be moved so that the rest of the auditorium can get out saftely.

It is very exciting when you get a nice click-y pen or a cute colored notebook
If you use toothpaste to fill nail holes make sure that it doesn’t smell like mint or the seasoned landlord will know.
An anatomy/physiology class is more like a foreign language class
Sometimes you just have to go to the bathroom at school because you know there won’t be toilet paper at home
That as soon as you get brave enough to flirt with a guy you will probably find out he is married
When your cell phone rings in class it will take you 3 minutes to find it and one minute to get it to stop
If you want to kiss a stranger the school holds a party to accommodate you.
That you won’t die if you pass out and fall down old main hill….the trees will break your fall.
That packages from home will make your day even if your only two hours away
You shouldn't worry at the end of the year you will find all the food that you lost in the fridge…yuck

Back at School

I have moved back to my apartment. It was exciting to come back but hard to leave home. I always have a difficult time leaving my family and being so far away. You would think I would get used to it but I never seem to get over missing them.

My apartment is great there are only 4 girls all of us with our own room and only 2 to a bathroom. This summer mom and I made a hobby of preparing things for my room, and I love how it turned out. I took some pictures but they hardly seem to our hard work justice. If you really want to see how lovely it is you will have to come up and see it in person.

I got these shelves at Savers and painted them black to match the rest of my room. I think they look nice and gave me a great place to put my family pictures

It got my bed spread and curtains from Ikea. (I LOVE IKEA) I made the red throw pillow.

Recognize that desk it is my favorite part of the room. The mirror above it is also from Ikea.

Mom bought this vinyl wall quote and put it up for me as a gift. I love how it looks and like having a reminder to be more faithful.

Thanks family for helping me move up come and visit me soon. ;)

Painting Pains leads to Desk Delight

I have taken on a number of projects to help keep myself busy this summer. The one that I am most proud of at the moment is a desk that I made for my room.
My Mom had discovered an old fashioned sewing machine in our shed. It was old but not worth much as an antique especially since it was so beat up. It seemed like it would make a great desk for my room up at school. So I had Dad remove the sewing machine, patch up a large hole, and put a shelf in. He left the making it pretty part to Mom and me.

As you can see to make that pretty was ambitions, possible leaning toward insane. Truthfully the sanding, priming, and first few coats of paint went without so much as a hiccup and quicker then I could have imagined.

When we finished Mom and I had found this can of spray paint in the garage that said it was clear and would seal and protect our paint. Great we thought. Alas when we sprayed it on it most definitely was not clear. It was a cloudy white color, and made the carefully sanded, smooth as glass surface feel like those scratchy kind of welcome mats people have by their front doors. D'oh! We ended up sanding and painting all over again. After two more painting mishaps (both too depressing and complicated to explain) and a knob installment problem I have a final product that I am almost sinfully proud of.

I am glad it is done. After I forget how difficult it was I think I would enjoy doing something like it again. I figure I already made almost every mistake possible. My skills can only improve from here on out.

Fainting Humor

This made me laugh hope you enjoy it to.

How to treat a fainted person.

Summer update number 2

Hi everyone. Lots has happened since my last post so I am just going to try and hit the highlights.

Number One: Summerfest...

We got to see fireworks,

Camile and Josh went on carnival rides,

Brittney and Dominic performed with Acting Up.

Number 2: Trip to Idaho...

We got to see lots of family some came all the way from Virgina (Shout out to Nathan, Aunt Samee, and Anna!)

We went fishing on two really beautiful lakes.

We did lots of boating, river rafting, and swimming even Sammy got in on the action.

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Gardner for a wonderful trip, and congrats on 50 years of marriage.

Number 3: 4th of July...

We went to a BBQ at my Aunt and Unlce's house and watched some great performances at cul-de-sac of fire.

Last and least interesting I went to the cardiologist and nothing new happened. He said if I moved to Hawaii for the lower altitude and more consistent temperature, took a 6 month break from school, and tried some compression stockings then maybe I would feel a bit better. We are going to get the compression stockings this week. If any of you are moving to Hawaii and want some company let me know ;)

Summer happenings

Hey everyone. So finals went well and I have been home enjoying some R&R. I have not done anything too exciting.

I have been taking a lot of naps lately which means Sammy our poodle/yorkie mix has been following me around everywhere she had been my little shadow. I love it and wish I could take her back to school with me.

I have gone to soccer games that Camile played keeper in. She is a great goalie and sometimes makes some pretty miraculous saves.

I went to see lots of show done by all the Scera youth so Brittney, Dominic, Joshua, Camile, and even Caleb my cousin were in them. They all did really well. I love watching there shows even if sometimes they are a little long.

My Aunt and Uncle went on a trip for a while which meant I got to spend some time with my cousin David at the end of our time together we got to go to Special Olympics where David and his softball team won a bronze medal. Woo go David!



Finally I have seen 3 movies "Up", "Wolverine", and "Star trek". I loved all of them. There are not very many movies that I don't love though so don't trust my opinion. Thank you Dad and Joe for taking me.

Final weeks and finals week.

That picture is pretty much what I am going to look like the next little while. I have lots of studying to do. I have two week before the semester is over (WOO-HOO). I am very ready for summer to be here. I just have to finish finals and move all my stuff back down to Orem. Sorry about the lack of posts lately. Honestly I probably wont post again until finals are over. See you in two weeks.

Spring break highlights

It is the very last day of my spring break today so I thought I would give you the highlights

• I cut and colored my hair. I would post a picture but didn't like any of the ones I tried to take so you will just have to come see me in person. It is not a big change it is a bit shorter with layers and colored a darker brown I like it very much.
  
  
• My stinking computer died and I spent a small fortune to buy a new one. I really feel like being a grown-up and having to pay for all your own stuff is not as cool as I thought it would be. On the bright side a lot of people helped me out with my new laptop. Especially Uncle Duff. Thank you Uncle Duff!
  
• I did almost no studying over the break which I am kicking myself for now.



• I did lots of eating. Mom takes such good care of me. I much fatter now.
  
  

Finally I promised Dad and Dominic that I would blog about this so here it is. Dominic and Dad came to drop me off so Dad could help me do the final computer set up stuff. As Dominic went to go get something out of the car he yanked the door knob out of the door! The metal was so old it just sheared off.

Leaving us with nothing but a gaping hole into which any stranger could peep.

We filled the hole temporarily with our finest TP

and put a note on the door saying "Please knock the door is locked"

Luckily Dad was here to fix the door if he hadn't been we would have been stuck with TP door for the rest of the weekend.

Sunday Sweets

As many of you know doing things in front of a lot of people makes me a bit uneasy. I worry and complain the whole time. When I found out Saturday afternoon that on Sunday My roommate Kelli and I would be in charge of feeding the whole ward "Sunday Sweets" at our apartment I couldn't help getting nervous. Right after church the baking madness began. I had decided on Chocolate chip cookies (classic) and Poppy seed bread (one of the only things I can cook well.)
Problem number one: My cookies started to turn out nasty looking. My roommates tried to be nice and kept saying, “at least they taste good", sure they tasted fine ,but they looked awful I am not even sure how to describe it. It is like they had to much oil or butter and had turned a little translucent ick. I didn't know what to do because batch after batch they were coming out all wrong and getting stuck to the pan and just being little chocolaty pains. My bread turned out fine though and I just didn't have the ingredients, time, or energy to make something new.
Problem two: Clean up. By the time we had finished baking the kitchen looked like two monkeys had been given an open bag of flour and a carton of eggs. We cleaned as fast as we could but just couldn't finish in time so some of the dishes ended up in my bathtub.
After throwing the dishes into the tube, shutting the door to my room, and putting a life-size cut out of Jack Sparrow in front of my door to guard it. We were done and ready for everyone to come over.
Problem 3: 3 day weekends. We hadn't really thought about how it was a three day weekend and had made 2 times the amount of food we had needed. We forced everyone to leave with handfuls and napkin piled high. We still ended up with LOTS more food then we had thought we would.

(After Sunday sweets)

Just trying to be helpful I thought I would eat some of the rice crispy treats in milk as cereal...
It was not bad at all. At least now treat night is over and we don't have to deal with it again till next year. Oh yeah I forgot My questionable cookies were a hit. All the guys who came over didn't even look twice. I didn't see many girls take cookies though. Guess they knew better.

Dysautonomiac of the month

As many of you know I am a member of a group called DYNA kids it stands for Dysautonomia youth network of America. They have members from all over the world and most of them have the same type of heart condition as me. This month I was chosen as Dysautonomiac of the month. Meaning they send "my story" out to hundreds in their news letter and sometime soon will post it on the website under the link stories. I have posted part of the news letter they sent out below so that you guys could see it. I also thought I would take this opportunity to say thank you to all of you who help me get around and put me in your prayers. I am very grateful to all of you. (I am warning though it is a long story.)



DYNA FEATURED YOUTH MEMBER:
Charlie P.UtahJoined DYNA at age 19
Charlie’s Story
My name is Charlie. At the age of ten I passed out while climbing a tree. I fell twelve feet and broke my arm. While I was in the hospital getting my arm set the doctor noticed some abnormalities and sent me to the cardiologist. I was diagnosed with Atypical Neurocardiogenic Syncope. My symptoms at first were mild, and I continued living as actively as I could. I assumed that things would stay that way. I was active in theater productions, was on Student Council, and was a competitive fencer. I was on the first all women's fencing team in Utah and medaled.
The summer before my junior year of high school I got appendicitis and never fully recovered. All of a sudden I was unable to stand without fainting. I had extreme tremors, brain fog, headaches and fatigue. The school decided I was too much of a liability and put me on home/hospital tutoring. I didn't have the energy to do physical activities like fencing anymore. Since I was not in school, I rarely saw my friends anymore. I was able to concentrate my efforts on my schoolwork though. By the end of high school I not only obtained my diploma but also a certificate in Phlebotomy and Medical Assisting.
My parents have been wonderful. They've helped me study through brain fog, and they have taken me to countless doctors' appointments and have always been supportive. They have had to fight school systems to obtain fair accommodation for me. They joke with me when things are hardest, and they are constantly looking for ways to make my life as normal and easy as possible. Thanks to the support of my parents, siblings, and extended family members I am doing so many things that I didn't think were possible.
With some accommodations, I am living on my own and am attending Utah State University. I am currently able to take 9 credit hours. I fall (literally) all the time but I always get back up and keep going. I have a great roommate who on bad days has lain on the floor with me eating salty chips. She is willing to drive me places, and scoops me off the floor at stores and restaurants. It isn't easy to find friends that aren't embarrassed or scared by this and I feel lucky to have her.
During my first year of college on a particularly difficult day I stumbled across http://www.dynakids.org/. I had never really met someone else who had been affected by dysautonomia as severely as I had, and I instantly felt comforted by the mere fact that I was not alone. Being a member of DYNA has changed how I look at dysautonomia, has helped me become more educated about my condition, and has given me hope and reassurance in times of need.
Having NCS has turned out to be more complicated, expensive, and life altering then any of us thought it would be. Even though I have been sick for about 4 years now I still miss doing the things I used to do. However, with the bad - has come good. I’ve had the chance to experience the best in people as they offer to help me. I have learned how sweet it is to go on a walk, and I could never doubt that my family would do anything for me. I am blessed.
Learn More:http://www.dyakids.org/

Donations to DYNA can be made at: http://www.dynakids.org/ via the Justgive.org link. No amount is too small to make a difference

New Car!

Hey guess what I got a minivan. I would tell you the make, model, year, and all that but I can't remember any of it. I do know that it is red, has numerous cup holders and a CD player. Also I can use the wheelchair ramp with out having to use the wench which is the main reason I got it. I am going to miss saying "just a sec let me pull the wench out of the trunk" though. ;) Dominic and Dad came up today and had to switch everything over there were some crunched fingers and near cursing, but they made it work I got to practice going up and down the ramp I tried to ride the chair all the way into the car but nearly decapitated myself and have decided walking it up is going to be the best way to do it.


All I have to do now is name her/him. I can't think of any names that I like. I was hoping to get the help of all you creative people out there. Please feel free to post some suggestions.

Birthday "Potty"

I am posting an English paper I had to write not because it is particularly good but because It is a favorite memory of mine plus dad was able to find the perfect picture to go with it. I am sure most of you have heard the story before though.


“No one’s getting cake until they do it.” Mom taunted. The Guests grinned. This is exactly what they would expect from my mother. I found a pair of underwear I approved of and tried to protect the rest of my unmentionables from the frantically searching guests. I had settled on 100% cotton, with magenta and green stripes. Tasteful, not too granny panty, but not anything a guy might whistle at. I fit them onto my head like a bandanna. I then helped the youngest pull her ponytail through the leg holes in her underwear. My brother Dominic had forced his unfortunately sized chin through the leg of some plaid boxers. The other leg hung off the side of his head like a flag. My cousin Jobba had found a disgusting pair of whitey-tighties, and wore them like a French beret. Mom of course, pulled her pig-tales through the legs of a thong.
Shockingly fast our “potty hat” clad guests were ready and waiting by the front door.
“One time around the block yelling it is a birthday potty!” Mom declared. She opened the door and literally leapt down the sun-soaked driveway.
“It’s a Birthday Potty” echoed off the peaceful streets. Our bare feet smacked the sidewalk in unison as we jogged. Our laughter was probably as loud as our yelling. I couldn’t help but giggle, even though the laughing was starting to make my sides ache. As our troop passed a group of my schoolmates I tried to avoid their bulging eyes, and pumped my legs a bit faster. “Hey mom,” I said, “next year how about a nice piñata.”

I have a bone to pick with Anatomy class

I went to my first Anatomy Lab today. Talk about an experience. First off it is held in a room full of dead people which wouldn't bother me except that they use them as desks. Everyone’s books and the bones they were studying were all laid out on the nearest cadaver. My desk is a 51 year old named Bethany... Creepy right?
Next the amount of info they threw at us today was overwhelming. They point to small holes in the skull and say. What is this holes name? I don't know it looks exactly like all the other holes! We passed around skulls and ribs and vertebrae which were way cool but they have a million different parts with the weirdest names that we are required to know how to spell.
Oh and the cherry on top of this sundae is that to get up to the cadaver lab in the wheelchair or with the walker I have to ride in the cadaver elevator. It is the only elevator they have. It is the most foreboding elevator ever with a HUGE sign in it that says “No passengers Freight Only” The door doesn't even open automatically and is so heavy I had to get help to open it.
If anything this is going to be an interesting semester.