1 term down...8 more to go!

It is such a feeling of accomplishment for me to say that I have not only completed my first term of grad school but passed with 2 A's and 1 B (Patho-yuck!) The perfectionist in me would normally be ticked that it wasn't an A but I really am just excited to be done. My vacation will be slightly marred by side effects from the new meds for my clinical trial that I am starting next week. However, I am going to enjoy laying somewhere outside, soaking up the sun and just relaxing. If I feel like it I might even read a book or two NOT related to anything for school. I don't expect this next term to be a killer, just lots of busy work that will require me to be mentally prepared. I hope all of my fellow classmates enjoy their breaks...1 down and 8 more to go for me!

fired up

So I realize that I'm the only one reading my own blog but it does help me to vent sometimes, even if its posted on the world wide web. :) Anyways...
This week something really has me upset. Here in NC, the house and senate has approved a bill that will require women to be counseled prior to having an abortion. Now if this were the only thing that it was requiring I might be agreeable to it. But the bill doesn't stop there. It also requires women to wait 24 hours after consulting with a health care provider and then have an ultrasound and listen to the heartbeat at least 4 hours before the procedure. This is supposed to be an effort to help women, with what I'm not sure. When I read this all I hear is a bunch of clueless people trying to guilt a woman into having a baby. Abortion is a touchy topic for this country. I personally can say that I believe it is a woman's right to chose. It's not for me to say whether its right for you to have an abortion or not because I'm not in your shoes. You have to do what's best for you. So why can't some of our lawmakers respect this? Why must so many assume that its just an easy way out for a woman who can't keep her legs closed? What about the 13 year old who walks into her provider's office and says that she's pregnant with her father's child? What about the woman who ran out to the store to grab some stuff for dinner and was attacked as she was carrying the groceries inside? What about the mother who has so desperately wanted a child, only to find out that the baby she loves more than anything in this world has a fatal chromosomal defect and instead of trying to carry this baby and watch it die shortly after birth, she is choosing to let it go? How are we showing any compassion or respect for their rights by forcing them to feel guilty? I don't know...I guess I'm just so ashamed some days to live in a state that seems so closed-minded and backwards. I can only hope that not only will this bill be vetoed but that somebody also comes to their senses and leaves intact a woman's right to chose.