Jaime Browning's Blog (graduated September 2009)

I Like Her!!

I like her! Check out her blog: Sarah Palin for VP

College Football is Coming!!!

Ok, for those of you not familiar with the south, here are a few things we take pride in:

• Good food (ie. fried chicken, potato salad, green beans, etc)
• Beautiful weather
• Friendly people, with warm hospitality
• ...and COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!!

I know, I know...some of you are scratching your heads and wondering what is the big deal. And I can see from where you are coming. I use to think the same, or at least until I experienced the pure, TRUE pleasure that is college football. My support leans to Clemson football. I married into season ticket holders, who would never miss a home game. Seriously, they have asked for weddings, birthdays, etc to be scheduled around these games. And honestly, I *kinda* feel the same. It's pure adrenaline in these games. The atmosphere is dynamic and pulsating. And, to me, college football still has some innocence in the process. Actually, all college sports have that innocence still, in my opinion.

This weekend is the first Clemson game. I am thrilled. This game is a rare one, though. We (Clemson) play Alabama at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. I have a ticket for this game. And by the end of today, I have to decide whether I will use that ticket, or give it to someone else. Normally, this would not be an issue. I would go hands down. This is a super-bowl-type atmosphere for a college game. But with my ankle still in the non-functioning role, it makes things much harder.

I can get around pretty well on my crutches, and the stadium has elevators. It's getting up and down the steps to the seats that's the doozy. I can go up and down "some" steps...but stadium steps are a whole new ballgame. They are small and copious, not ideal for crutches and a big girl. Plus, I can keep my foot down for a while, resting on the floor. But over a few hours, I'll need to elevate it some. Swelling is minimal these days. But keeping my foot down for a long time is a recipe for edema! Again, I'm not sure if that will even be an option. To top that off, they do have handicap seating. The problem is: it's first come, first serve. So, if they have seating, I'll be glad to sit there. It's just a luck thing when we get there. Nonetheless, I'll be watching the game from somewhere.

Okay, enough of college football. If you are interested in professional football, visit Jaclyn's Blog or Greg's Blog for updates on the season. They do a great job covering all that goes on. I think Greg should do some part-time sports writing in his future.

Anyway, I am thrilled about this upcoming season. Go Tigers! And I am counting down the days till I can *officially* weight-bear on my ankle...less than 2 weeks! Yay!

Board Reviews

So it's Board Review time, again. I'm taking reviews for part II. Part II is interesting stuff. Unlike Part I (where I thought I was going for my Basic Sciences PhD), this is more like stuff we use everyday. Well, most of it is like our stuff. We still have some heavy duty diagnosing on this exam. The sections covered on Part II are:

• General Diagnosis
• Neuromusculoskeletal Diagnosis
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Principles of Chiropractic
• Chiropractic Practice
• Associated Clinical Sciences 

It's nice to see the words "Chiropractic" in the subject lines. To top all this off, we got Irene Gold to teach our Board Review. Yep, the legendary Dr. Irene Gold! She's great. She has awesome stories from years of experience in the healthcare field. And she is a great teacher. You get your monies worth with Irene. She goes at a blistering pace. She packs lots of information in the hours with her. Our group loves her, and I am so excited to learn more.

Update on the Ankle

For those of you interested in what's going on with my gimp limb, here's an update. Today I went for my first post-op appointment. It was interesting to say the least. I got about 12 staples removed. Although that was not as horrible as my nightmares had imagined, it wasn't pleasant either. I'm such a pansy at this stuff; I think I almost blacked-out when the assistant was removing them. I don't do well with my own injuries.

Seeing my oddly-shaped foot was not that great, either. It had a morphed look to it. I've heard of people hating their feet/ankle after such an injury, just because of how odd it looks. I can understand that. 

Anyway, I came home with a HUGE boot, and am still not able to weight-bear for another 4 weeks. UGH! For my friends at school, they know how difficult things are for me. It's not an impossible feet. It will just take all I have to get through clinic this quarter.

I am currently seeing patients in a wheelchair. I haven't taken on the task of adjusting yet. And I may just get a proxy to help me to do that. It's still an uphill battle, but at least I'm on the right track. The bones are healing, and I have two weeks under my belt. God help me get through the next 6 weeks, when I return for my next post-op. And God help my family deal with me. I'm a hard cookie to live with right now. :p)

Olympics 2008

The Olympics are here! YES! I love this time of year!!! Of course, I cheer for America. But honestly, I love to see countries overcome and win. I'm a sucker for the underdog. I can't wait to see beach volleyball, INDOOR VOLLEYBALL (my favorite sport of all time), swimming, GYMNASTICS, track, and even weightlifting.

I'm always impressed with the determination of these athletes. I know it's cliche, but there is a spirit to the Olympics. And I feel like a child watching them. The honor, pride, camaraderie, and sportsmanship that make-up that spirit is inspiring. Many blessings for this Olympics!!

And just for extra fun, here is a cool outfit designed for the US Olympic team (in theory) by a Project Runway designer. I think it's SO sheek. Too bad they aren't going to be sporting this outfit this year. You may not agree...but diversity is what the Olympics is all about!!!

 

Evolution DVDs

They're here! The 2008 Evolution DVDs. Some of the best speeches and topics were covered at this year's Evolution. The experience was literally life-changing for me. It was at this event I made a commitment to give my life to correcting upper cervical subluxations. If you are interested in learning more, check out: Upper Cervical Evolution 2008.

So Here's Why I've Been Absent From Blogging

So, I haven't blogged in a while. Actually, I haven't been to school in a while. I, with all my grace and stability, fell down my stairs and broke my ankle. Actually, it was only the last 5 steps and I was holding my daughter at the time. And for those wondering, I did not drop her. Although, I don't think many people would drop their child. I think it was from trying to hold her that I broke my ankle.

Anyway, I dislocated my tibia and broke my fibula. All this happened Sunday night, and the tibia was reduced that night. I had surgery on my fibula the following Tuesday at Patewood Memorial Hospital in Greenville. This hospital specializes in orthopedic surgery. My orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Stefan Tolan, is from the Steadman Hawkins Group. Steadman Hawkins is known for being the best. And, so far, I've been happy with what I've seen.

    This is like what happened at my ankle, minus the tibia fracture. I only dislocated my tibia. I had two screws and a plate put into my fibula. And then I had an undissolvable suture placed inbetween my tibia and fibula, to hold that syndesmosis together. At least, this is what I think happened. My husband had a consolation with Dr. Tolan, so this information is coming through him.

    

   

      

And here is what I look at everyday. Nothing fancy. I just can't wait to get back in motion.