FROM THE ISLAND...

And we're off!

Hey everyone! We have always talked about how we needed to keep in contact with everyone from back home, and then after our first 4 months here, we realized we weren't 100% successful and decided to figure out how we could do a better job this time around. So, here we go! We have decided to update this page at least once a week with everything that is going on in our lives on the island. Let you know how the weather is, what has been going on, and just basically everything. I will probably be making entries more than Jacob seeing as he is busy with school but he has set a goal to make sure and post something at least once every week! We hope you enjoy this, and if no one ever looks at this, at least we'll have a journal of our time on this beautiful island! It really is a new way of life and we love every minute of it; even if the water goes off right when you want to take a shower, or the power shuts off right when dinner is almost done! Okay, off to the beach! See ya, Jacob & Erin

Getting back to the grind....

Just thought I would write a quick note tonight! We have been back on the island for a couple of days now.We traveled to Arkansas and Ohio over Christmas break to visit with our families! It was so great seeing all of our friends and family, but it's nice to be back on our little island! Jacob and I are getting back into our routine .Jacob has only had two days of class and already his nose in his books! I give him alot of credit!! Meanwhile, I've been stocking up on groceries and what not trying to get our cozy little apartment back to normal! And of course, grocery shopping was a two day experience! This "friendly island" has taught me patience! Well I'm going to cook dinner (thanks for the new recipe,mom!! )before we meet up with our friends to go watch the BCS championship at the casino! Talk to you later!
XOXO
Erin

Welcome 2010...or maybe I should say 2011?!?!?!

Isn’t technology great! I think this idea is one of the best ideas Erin has ever had... well with the exception of saying yes to me of course! Haha! Anyway, Oh 2010 is going to be a whirl wind! 3 semesters of medical school, 2 receptions in both Arkansas and Ohio and the big day in June! I hate to say it, but 2011 will be here before we know it, that’s why Erin and I are determined to live life one day at a time, and honestly this island is a great place to be doing that! On that note, I’ve been back to school for a week now, and am starting to get back in to the swing of things. Both Erin and I showed up to the island with some sinus infections, but we are both back to 110% which is good. Erin can work out and run again, and I can...well, I can look for another good excuse for why I can’t go to the gym. I do have to brag on my lady though, she’s running a 10K on the 25th of this month. I don’t know how she does it! My schedule for this semester is looking like a challenging one. Molecular and Cellular Biology II, Physiology, Immunology, Biostatistics, and Introduction to Clinical Medicine. Fun stuff huh! I think I am really going to enjoy Immunology, which is surprising to me to be honest, but we’ve only been in class a week like I said, so we’ll see come April if that’s still the case. Speaking of, I really should get back to the books. Like our message said, some weeks I may be able to update this a couple times each week, but my goal is at least once a week. And being the nerd that you all know, I’m going to leave every entry of mine with a medical fact that I found very interesting during the course of the week. How’s this: Cancer cells are considered “immortal” because they lose what is called replicative cell senescence which functions normally to set a limit on the number of divisions a cell can undergo before it stops; therefore because the are not phased by this mechanism they can divide, grow, and unfortunately conquer.
Adios!
J

Do you Jacob take 65 year old Erin to be your wife? Uhh excuse me?

You’re probably wondering what is going on... but yes, that is Erin and yes she is really wearing that. She is getting in to character for her role as a 65 year old woman for her acting as a standardized patient. We have had lots of laughs about that and I’m sure more are to come. She’s got a great granny walk to go along with the clothes as well, which adds tremendously to the hilariousness of the whole situation. Anyway, so as you can see, sometimes we do have to entertain ourselves and we do a really good job of it most of the time. So another week has flown by, which means I have one more week of class before the first set of block exams on the 25th. This Friday was the white coat ceremony for the first semesters. And with the ceremony comes free food and a great night out in St. Maarten. However, our plans changed when the dinner and after party located at a very awesome outside bar was disrupted because of the sudden rainfall. So, Erin and I with a few other of our friends decided to have a sushi night instead and man was that a great decision. As you can imagine the sushi is very fresh, but I have to give it to our "go to" place back in Arkansas, Sushi Cafe; I still don’t think I will ever eat better sushi than what I’ve eaten there. So, we had a late night hanging out eating and drinking and socializing. We are very lucky to have the luxury of getting out of the house and out of our “Jacob and Erin bubble” every now and again. Don’t get me wrong though, our bubble is a great place to be. Well, I’m going to get most of my studying done in the next few hours and that way I can watch some of the NFL playoffs and root against the Cowboys, although I feel like I should boycott seeing as the Packers are no longer in the picture, then at 5:30 I have a study group and I was just informed that I will be having a steak dinner prepared by the best chef in the world! Medical fact: Botulinum toxin cleaves and binds the isoforms of SNARE proteins that are found in nerve-muscle synapses. Because of this cleavage it blocks the release of Acetylcholine filled vesicles and thus blocks muscle contraction, causing flaccid paralysis. This is the basis for the use of “botox” in cosmetic surgeries, because it results in local, semi-permanent paralysis of facial muscles.
Adios
J

And I thought I was done with studying.....

Well,I decided to take a quick break from studying my patient case to update the blog! I have ICM Monday afternoon and I have about 4 pages of info to memorize! I thought I was done with studying!!! But it's fun getting into character and having the future doctors interview me! It brings me back to the days of the Lorain Palace Theater when my parents thought I was on my way to Hollywood! Hahaha!! Anyways, last week was a pretty busy one! I substituted highschool history and business all week. Not my favorite grade, but it keeps me busy! I am still in awe that the students are allowed to sit there with their laptops out and the ipods playing! We weren't even allowed to have cell phone in our book bags at school! Oh well....it keeps them quiet,so I can't complain! I started my morning runs again with Melissa and taking 3 weeks off of running was not a smart idea! There were a couple of times that I thought I wasn't going to make it, but then I would catch a glimpse of the ocean and the cruise ships and I was automatically cured! We are running a 10k on the French side of the island in about a week, so wish me luck!! Then on Wednesday we had our friends over for our weekly dinner! Jim,Jacob,and Carter studied while Alexi and I cooked for the boys! They put so much hard work into studying they deserve a good meal! Friday was our sushi night and then Saturday Jacob and I had a much needed lazy day! Well I should get back to learning this case, check in with us later! We miss and love you all!!!
XOXO
-Erin

It's been a while... My Bad!

So, it’s been a while since I’ve updated anything, but there has been good reasons for that. This past Monday was our first set of block exams so as you can imagine I was very preoccupied with studying! The hard work paid off as it continues to every time, as the results were really good! Anyway, the good thing about having exams is the week and weekend after is pretty laid back and not as strenuous as far as studying goes. We have had a fun filled weekend and are starting to suffer from the constant “go-go-go”. It started Friday with Erin running her 10K and doing freaking amazing. I got to watch her finish the race and I was incredibly proud! The results haven’t been posted yet so she doesn’t know her official time, but we are guessing somewhere around one hour and 3 or 4 minutes. There is no way I could have done anything like that... which makes me think maybe I should start exercising again.... eh probably not! Then on Saturday night we got to see Rev Run from RUN DMC and members of N’Sync at a club called Tantra and then woke up early this morning to head Deep Sea fishing with Carter, Alexi, Jim, and Jason. I was very nervous at first because I didn’t know if I was going to get sick and spend the whole trip with my head hanging off of the edge of the boat “losing my lunch”. But aside from some nauseousness initially, both Erin and I stuck it out. However, we didn’t catch any fish, but we had a great time hanging out, relaxing, chatting with friends, and I kept finding myself thinking “you really live here”! Oh and I've added some pics of our weekend on the photo page, check it out! Well, I’m exhausted and ready for bed. Oh and since I won’t be making another post until probably next Saturday or Sunday I would like to wish my dad a Happy Birthday! If I look like him and am as active as he is at his ripe age (haha) I will be very fortunate. Love ya dad! Medical Fact: In an isometric contraction external muscle length is held at a constant. The muscle develops force, but cannot shorten. Think of trying to lift an extremely heavy weight, but not being able to do so. Your arm muscles are contracting (trying to lift the weight) but no muscle shortening takes place, thus isometric contraction is occurring. (You can try it yourself for proof... I did). Just feel your forearm when your arm is just on the weight you are about to attempt to lift, it’s relaxed and “soft”; then try to lift it and notice how tight and feel how hard your muscle is... it’s contracting, just not shortening. Terminology is weird huh!
Adios!
J

Hey guys!!

I haven't written a blog in a couple of weeks, so I thought I would write one tonight! We had a great/busy weekend....Friday Jacob studied while I attempted to make a homemade pizza sauce...I think next time I should lay off the heaping tablespoons of red pepper flakes! Cooking is definitely a trial and error experience, but Jacob's a trooper and eats whatever I put on his plate! Then, I headed to bed early to get an 8 mile run in the next morning! It was my longest run to date and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! It's nice to run around the island and do a little sight seeing! I still can't believe I can look around and see the ocean. I am so excited for everyone to come down and visit for the wedding! We want to share this experience with everyone! Speaking of wedding....Saturday afternoon, Jacob and I took our engagement pictures.I posted just a few of the engagement pictures to the blog. We had a 5th semester student take them and they turned out pretty good! Austin is going to do a few more pictures on Wednesday at sunset on the beach....needless to say, this beach is clothing optional! It's a little distracting trying to take engagement pictures on a beach were you have necked people looking at you!! hahaha!! Only in St.Maarten!! Then tonight we headed over to Jim and Alexi's to watch the superbowl.....I mean if the Saints can win, doesn't that give the Cleveland Browns some hope?? Hahaha....a girl can dream,right! Well it's getting late! We miss everyone and I hope everyone has a great week!!!
XOXO
Erin

Valentines Day was on the 15th this year... didn't you get the memo!!!

Ahhh, I feel like I can breathe again! Those second exams crept up on me pretty quickly it seemed. I spent the majority of last week and this past weekend with my nose in the books. There was a lot of information for just a 3 week period of classes and I will admit there was one point on Saturday morning that I felt like I wasn’t going to be able to remember it all. But with some determination and great support from Erin I just got down to business and all went well. I made two A’s and a B on the tests! I was really pleased with that and hope it will continue for the last two blocks that way there won’t be much weighing on finals in a couple months. So, to celebrate we went to the beach and hung out with friends that afternoon and since Erin and I moved Valentines Day to Monday this year (because of exams) we popped open a bottle of champagne before a very nice dinner at a restaurant called Bajatzu in Maho which is the next town over from where we live. I splurged a little and ended up ordering a 24 oz Porterhouse, medium rare, and man was it great! Erin got some chicken that was marinated to perfection if you ask me. We really, really liked the food and it was so good for both Erin and myself to go out to dinner, talk, relax, and enjoy each others company without the looming idea of school in the back of my head. I think we had a great Valentines Day on the 15th this year! And I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before on here, but even though I am still having to go to class still, my studies are not as demanding. I still have to review something every day, just not as “much” I guess. With that in mind, Erin and I are trying to figure out what post block adventure we should partake in this weekend. Stuff on the table so far is going and spending a day in Philipsburg along the board walk watching cruise ships coming in, eating, and shopping, or taking a 45 minute ferry ride to St. Barts for the day and coming back that afternoon (we may see some famous folks there, because that’s the celeb “get-a-way” these days), or just picking a beach, packing a lunch, wasting the day away in the sun. I’ll keep you posted on what we decided to do, and of course there will be proof with pictures. Medical Fact: Glycogen synthesis is an important part of the metabolic processes that keep us alive every second of the day. Glycogen, which is simply stored glucose is formed for reserves of glucose to release in order to keep our blood sugar levels in the normal range when we’re in a fasting state (ie asleep). However, when we’re in the womb as an embryo we are unable to form glycogen because we have not seen any glucose for it to be stored as glycogen. Therefore, there is a pre-existing glycogen starter known as glycogenin that allows for other glucose molecules to add as units in order to “make” glycogen. This molecule glycogenin is sort of a magical molecule in that it just appears, well at least that’s what they’re telling me... crazy huh! Well, stay warm everyone...I know we are! Sorry I just had to! :)
Adios!
J

LAZY,LAZY Sunday!!!

Greetings from the couch!!! ( or futon,in our case! ) Well I have been sticking to the half marathon training, so we ran 11 miles yesterday and I am paying for it today!! I feel about 100 years old today,with every joint aching! Sooo needless to say, I have been on the couch salivating to the food network!! But the run actually wasn't too bad (until today!) We got to run on both the french and dutch side of the island, so the scenery kept me occupied! And when we reached the french side, we had to wait for the bridge to open and let all the yachts through! It was a sight to see! Maybe one day we will have a yacht passing through! A girl can dream right!!
Last week was a busy one and I had to sub the dreaded seventh graders! They actually behaved a little better,but they were working on science fair projects,so I was almost certain the whole school was going to blow up with their experiments! Luckily,we made it our alive with just one test tube breaking! Which isn't bad with this hyper bunch!!
And like Jacob mentioned in his earlier blog, we spent Valentine's Day on Monday with a delicious dinner! I thought his steak was amazing until we went out to eat with some friends at Pineapple Pete's, yesterday! His steak had a gorgonzola cheese sauce and needless to say, I had more than a couple of bites of his dish!!! YUMMY!!!! We were laughing because I try and get something "healthy" and then I just end up eating all of Jacob's fries and half of his dish! Now that is love!!! So this was my first time at Pineapple Pete's and it was a laid back atmosphere with pool tables and darts in the back! It's a fun place with live music....even though the musician that night may have been a lingering hippie from the 70's...she was quite a character!!
So this upcoming week, I am going to continue to run, sub at CIA, and I am trying to get a couple of girls together to hike to the top of Fort Louis! I will take pictures and post them on the blog! Andddd one last thing....I am so proud of Jacob and his test scores from last week! It is true what they say...."hard work really does pay off!" We will be putting his tests on the fridge, like the good ole' grade school days!!! LOVE AND MISS YOU GUYS!!
XOXO
Erin

Cheeseburger in Paradise!!!

Hello All!!! Soo I thought I would blog about our recent trip to St.Barts (or as the French say, St.Barths) . Saturday morning I got up around 6 am to fit in a 10 mile run before we headed for the ferry to island hop to St.Barts! We barely made the ferry due to my primping and the extremely slow Hyundai in front of us the whole time! Our visitors for the wedding will quickly learn there is no fast way to get anywhere on this island! Well anyways, the captain decided to let us on board,stamped our passports and we were on our way! It was a pretty gray day, but the boat ride was relaxing and we got to the island in about 30 minutes....And of course, on the way to St.Barts, we saw the infamous "A" megayacht owned by the Russian billionare. He probably was just craving a pizza or something from St.Barts so he headed that way! When we pulled into the port, we were all a little lost. So the 7 of us decided to grab a Carib (the absolute best beer on the island...i know our dads are going to love it!!) and brainstorm. We happened to grab our drinks at a place called Le Select and come to find out this was the inspiration behind Jimmy Buffet's, "Cheeseburger in Paradise". How crazy! I mean the 7 of us were sitting in the very spot where Jimmy Buffet was writing away one of his hit songs! Le Select was just a hole in the wall bar/diner with a really laid back vibe. There were t-shirts hanging from the wall and stickers pasted on every corner of the place! And talk about a small world....there was sticker on the wall from Put-in-Bay,Ohio! So after clearing our minds with a refreshing Carib, we decided to hail a cab and do an hour long tour of this beautiful island! All seven of us piled into the van and Roland, our cabbie, took us all over the 18 mile long island. The roads were hilly and narrow, so I'm glad I wasn't driving! We all know my driving skills! We got to see all the beaches and villages on the island. The houses were quaint and very remnant of Tuscany. Each house had its own unique quality and no two were alike. And of course some of these villas were rented out to celebs for around 450,000/week!!! PER WEEK!!! Unbelieveable! Then we passed through the area with the island's salt pond, which brings in most of the business to the island. It laid right in the middle of where all the natives resided,so I'm assuming most of the natives worked in this trade. Roland took us past a famous Russian ballet dancer and since I was sitting in the back of the van, I could have sworn we were at the house of a famous belly dancer! Needless to say, I was confused for part of the trip! We passed through the island's cemetery and I couldn't believe how beautiful and bright the cemetery was. Each grave was decorated with bright,vibrant flowers and white crosses. Unlike the US, this cemetery was far from drab and morbid! So after this tour, we were all starving, so Roland dropped us off in the St.Jean area to find some grub. We looked around at the shops for a bit and I was drooling at each store wanting to buy everything in sight! I held back though....maybe because each dress was about 300 dollars ( and i mean cotton dresses)! We ended up picking the Hideaway to grab a bite to eat! Before lunch, we all decided to wash our hands and if you could only see the 7 seven of us try to find the lever to turn on the water, you would have been laughing so hard! It took us about 10 minutes to realize the lever was by our feet and I could have sworn our waiter was just watching us, laughing to himself....thinking " Oh those Americans!!!" ! We had a delcious lunch, followed by vanilla rum for an after lunch dessert. Now, I know what you all are thinking, but we didn't order the rum! It was brought with our check. I guess the French have dessert rum instead of cheesecake! It took us another 15 minutes to try to convert our checks from euros to dollars. We were with 5 med students and no one could figure it out! Hahaha! Finally, we were on our way to St.Jean beach. So relaxing!!!!! We set up camp and just had a great time! All of us were sore the next day from throwing around the football and swimming, but we had a blast. And let me tell you....I have never seen so many men in speedos! And believe me, these men should have not been wearing the barely-there swimsuits! We had a good laugh! Roland picked us up around 5 and of course took us back to Le Select. We had to try a cheeseburger!! And yes, it was like having a cheeseburger in paradise! After dinner, we caught the ferry home and it was eery being on the ocean at night....I mean you are in the middle of nowhere! But never in my lifetime did I think I was going to island hop to the land of the rich and famous, St.Barts. We are truly blessed. We miss our friends and family everyday and wish you guys were here to experience this crazy journey with us!! We love you guys! Check out the pictures from our adventure!!
XOXO
Erin

I'm the luckiest man in the world!!! Really, I am...

I figured it would be a good idea to write today since this upcoming week is going to be very busy with studying for the third block of exams. We had a great day yesterday. We went to Orient Beach on the French side to watch the Heineken Regatta with Carter, Jim, and Alexi. We really didn’t get to catch the race though, the boats had already passed Orient by the time we got there, but we still took advantage of a beach day. So we rented chairs, relaxed, and enjoyed the scenery. I also found something that I loved, which was frozen mojitos from a beach bar there and man were they goooooood!! I have to make a confession on here by the way... I am SPOILED! This past week, Erin has made something brand new each night for dinner. Not only were they great, but she makes sure they are healthy too and man, I’m lucky. A few things that I’ve eaten over the past week are fish tacos with a great coleslaw, homemade pizza (she even added yeast to the dough), and a peach glazed chicken! I know, you’re jealous, and you should be. But not only is she an amazing cook, she’s basically the glue that keeps my life together. She cleans and does the laundry and looks beautiful doing it! I know it probably seems like I’ve done something wrong and am trying to get browny points or something, but honestly she deserves all the credit in the world for putting up with crazy me! So babe, I love you and thank you for everything! Anyway, I will be glad when this week is over and I don’t have to study 8 or 9 hours a day and get back to my regular 4 or so a day (since that's normal haha) Medical Fact: Gastrointestinal physiology combines what is known as the digestive and interdigestive phases. The digestive phase is what occurs when you are eating and takes care of material that can actually be digested. The interdigestive phase is what occurs while you’re not eating and interestingly when you move non-digestable things through your system. Therefore, when your kid swallows a penny or something of that nature, not eating is the best thing to move it through your system so that your interdigestive phase will be working.
And heres a shout out to the Wampus Cat baseball team! Go get ‘em guys especially the shortstop and the third base coach!
Adios!
J

I Survived!!

Well I’m alive!!! The half marathon was at 6 am this morning and I ran the whole way!! There were millions (ok I think I’m exaggerating!) of hills, so the course was pretty tough, but I made it in 2 hours and 17 minutes! Jacob was sweet enough to wake up in the morning with me and cheer me on at mile 4 ½ and at mile 9! I passed by our apartment and he was right there cheering me on!! It meant a lot since I know he is so busy studying for his upcoming tests on Monday!!! And then at the finish line some of the girls I always hang around with were there cheering me on!!! It was a tough race and I couldn’t have done it without all the support! They had water, croissants, and beer (yes, you read correctly) after the race…..Now I am not sure if the beer was a joke or what (because I know in real marathons they have a beer garden for the spectators) but the thought of beer after 13 miles is just sickening!!! Then after the race, the girls and I had breakfast at a place called Zee Best! (which in my opinion, it wasn’t really zeeee best!! Hahaha) I walked in the door after breakfast to a house covered in toilet paper and sticky notes! Jacob decorated the place for me!!! I guess when you are on student loans toilet paper replaces streamers!! Hahahaha!!! No but it was really sweet!!! Ok, I’m going to try to recuperate now!! Everyone say your prayers tonight, Jacob has his third blocks tomorrow!! He has been studying really hard and I know it will all pay off!! I’m proud of him! Love you guys!!!
XOXO
Erin

Hello!! Remeber me??

Hello everyone! I just realized I haven't written in awhile! So I thought I would share my experience as a patient with you today! So ICM2 has started and that means it it time for me to be a "patient" in the intro to clinical medicine class at AUC. Soooo lo and behold I walk into the classroom and its Jacob's class!!! Now Jacob and I have been practicing his interviewing skills but it just seems every time we practice one of us starts laughing! You can say we are still immature!! :) So anyways, I interview Jacob today and I didn't take it easy on him! When he asked if he could get me anything in the beginning I told him I was sooo thirsty and made him go get me some water! Then I threw out 3 symptoms at once and he had to find a way to integrate all the main concerns of mine! Now remember, this is only the classes second day doing interviews, but Jacob passed with flying colors! I'm just happy we acted like mature adults for the time being!! So anyways, I thought I would share that with you! Not too sure what is going on this weekend, I know Jacob is going to have to hit the books hard, so a beach day might be in store for me! But I do know tonight that I will be cheering on the buckeyes! Hope everyone has a great weekend!!! Only 80 somethin days until the wedding! how crazy!!!!!!!!
XOXO
Erin

Long Time Coming...So It's A Little Long! My Bad

Yikes, I’ve been slacking big time with this blog and got informed by my loving fiance that I should probably make a post soon. She’s totally right though, I can’t believe it has taken me this long to make an entry...my apologies to all our avid readers, haha! Anyway, since the last I’ve posted, I’ve taken another set of block exams and they went really well, an A and 2 B’s. Keeping the grades up is a task but will for sure pay off when finals come in a couple weeks. That is another thing, finals are already around the corner. I cannot believe another semester of Medical School is over. Time is flying by that is for sure. Before we know it, Erin and I will be back in the states somewhere...who knows where, but somewhere. As Erin has mentioned, I have been taking our introduction to clinical medicine class where we have been interviewing patients, and as Erin mentioned, me interviewing her was difficult in trying to be “professional” and asking her how her rash was affecting her daily life and what not. But she is a really good patient and I’ve been learning a lot from her. It was really cool to actually do real “doctor stuff”. We also have had to do our physical exam check-off before we could pass the class, and good news future patients, I passed. I now can take a proper patient history and give a full head and neck physical exam. Over the next couple of semesters we will be expanding the interview and the physical exam, so it should continue to feel like I’m a true physician in training and not a professional studier (which gets real old real quick) haha! So, like I said, the semester is basically winding down and in one week I’ll take my last set of block exams, then two weeks from now I’ll take my Biochemistry Shelf exam which is given to all medical students across the nation, we’ll see how I rank...haha, I’ll let ya’ll know if it’s not too too terrible. Then on the 20th I will have my Physiology and Immunology final exams and then I’m off to Arkansas for a couple weeks. Class will start back again on May 4th so it’s not that long of a break, but it’ll be good to see everyone back home. In fact, my bachelor party is going to occur during my time off, which I’m really excited about. Me and a group of guys are headed to Chicago to catch a Cubs game and see how much trouble we can get in...not really, but you know what I mean. So, I’m super excited about that trip. I’m also very excited that I’ll get to see my youngest brother play a couple games. From what I hear he’s doing really well this year, so I am really glad I get to see it in person. I won’t get to see my middle brother play since it is a week of just practice for them leading up to their tournament, but I plan on making a trip to Magnolia to spend a night or two with him as well. But we should probably get back to my worries before I head to Arkansas. Oh and I’m glad I get to see my parents also (there’s your shout out mom and dad :) ) Now, back to my worries, Erin is actually heading to Ohio a week before I’m done here because she has a wedding to go to in New York City (really jealous about that one by the way). So, the problem is, you know how I’ve mentioned how great of a cook she is...well I haven’t really tried out my cooking skills in well, ever, so it should be interesting; me fixing super and lunch for myself. Normally I would just eat fast food and not worry about cooking, but here on the island, without a car, fast food isn’t an option. So, I’m going to try to talk Erin in to maybe freezing me some meals that I’ll just have to heat up, because if I’m cooking, ha, our apartment may burn down. Isn’t that terrible though. I am such a spoiled dude when it comes to her taking care of me. I really don’t know what I would do without her. Good thing we’re getting hitched...at least for my sake. Haha. Speaking of getting married, since the last update, Erin and I have purchased our wedding bands. Needless to say there is not a shortage of jewelry stores down here, but you would be surprised...Erin and I both had something in our heads that we wanted and nothing seemed to fit our expectations. However, one place (like our last stop for the day) had both the bands we wanted, and at a very reasonable price might I add. Lets just say, they really jack up the prices back home. And here’s a crazy number for you... 77... that’s how many days until the big day! Holy cow! Feels like just yesterday I was down on one knee asking the question! Well, I am going to try and get over the Cubs terrible display on opening day, and watch the finals of the NCAA tournament. I hope I get another post in before the semester ends, but seeing as I did terrible before, I’m not going to make any promises. Medical Fact: For those of you that have ever had your blood pressure taken (which should be everyone) the numbers (ie 120/80) represent your systolic blood pressure/diastolic blood pressure. How you get those numbers is when you pump up that uncomfortable cuff and then listen to your artery in your arm, when you hear the first sound, look at the meter, the number that the needle is pointing to is your top number or systolic pressure, you then continue to listen until you don’t hear anymore beats. The last number you get with a beat represents your bottom number or diastolic pressure. Pretty cool huh!
Adios,
J

4 days and counting!

Hello all! Like I mentioned in my last post, I was going to try to write something before I head home and well I'm taking a quick lunch break from the studying so I figured I could get a post in real quick. So, Erin is in New York right now and while I miss her so much, I have plenty of company (as you can see in the picture). That's a semester worth of material that I'll be tested on both Monday and Tuesday. I've been studying pretty hard the last 3 days, probably 13 -14 hours each day and this morning I woke up and felt a little crazy to tell you the truth. It is really weird how when I'm in "study mode" I like forget about the outside world or something. And normally Erin is here to bring me back from la-la land but she's gone so I think I'll just be there for the next 3 or 4 days! Haha! I wish I had some exciting adventure story to tell like we normally do when we blog but like I said I've been lame. Oh I guess the most exciting thing that I've done is..... are you ready for this... I've made myself a sandwich or wrap everyday for lunch (all by myself) and have also made chicken quesadillas (healthy like Erin taught me) one night. I would make more but Erin left me a few things and I've been eating those as much as possible so I don't have to attempt to cook anything. Haha! I'm gonna get in trouble for that one, you watch and see. Anyway, I'm sure Erin will post pictures on here from her New York trip, but I talked to her yesterday (for about 5 bucks a minute using our "trusty" go-phones for back home use) and she said that she and her family are having a great time and that they did a day full of sight seeing yesterday. I won't tell you what all they got to see because that would just ruin it for her. Anyway, I'm almost done with the semester and it's that motivation that it's almost over that is going to have to push me through these next couple days because I could really go to the beach with a cold beer in my hand and just relax the day away... ahhhh that sounds so good doesn't it. I'll be in Arkansas on Wednesday night late, sorry mom and dad for having to pick me up that late but flight times are sometimes hard to come buy, especially for a reasonable price. And then I'm sure I'll be nonstop while I'm home, but for all good reasons: catching up with friends and family, watching baseball, and doing wedding stuff with my mom... can you just feel my excitement through the computer screen about the last thing I mentioned!!! Haha, no, it'll be fine. So for those of you back home, see ya in a few, wish me luck, and say a prayer that I get up on time for my tests both days (that's another thing Erin is really good at hahaha, making sure my butt gets out of bed). Medical Fact: There is a disease known as Maple Syrup Urine Disease. It is caused by a deficiency in the enzyme ketoacid dehydrogenase which allows you to break down your branched chained amino acids (valine, isoleucine, and leucine). Because you cannot break them down they build up in their ketoacid form. This disease presents in infancy and specifically after the first few days of life. Their symptoms will include weight loss, potential mental retardation, and their urine will have the characteristic odor of maple syrup. (Crazy huh, anyone want some pancakes)
Adios!
J

Let the countdown begin!!

Hey guys! I haven't written in forever....I was in Ohio for three weeks and we are just getting back to the grind on the island. I went home to finish wedding stuff and to have my bridal shower and to see my family! And Jacob went home to Arkansas for his break and to go to Chicago for some bachelor festivities. I had a wonderful time back home and my mom and maid of honor threw me such a beautiful bridal shower. It was great to see all of my friends and family there. So anyways, we will be having wedding guests arriving in one month and then 35 days until the big day! I can't believe its almost time! I am starting to stress because I feel like I have so much to do!! And speaking of time flying...its almost been a year since we got engaged and found out we were going to med school in the Caribbean! Our lives sure did change fast,but I wouldn't change any of it! We have such a great support system back home,so all the transitions were pretty easy! Anyways, I am so blessed and so excited for the big day! I sure did find a good one and he takes care of me, so I know we will have a very happy life!
Jacob's first tests of the semester are in a week, so he will be in study mode this week. That means I need to be in wedding planning mode this week! I have been doing patient work for about 2-3 hours a day since I got back so that is keeping me busy! These interviews are one on one and last about an hour. So they are pretty intense! I haven't been asked to sub in awhile, so maybe the stink bomb incident really did the principal in! Hahahaha! Anyways, I am going to go make some lunch! But before I forget, when Jacob and I came back to the island from break we had a visitor! We were watching tv and all of a sudden we hear this light tapping on our sliding door!! We looked out the down and a HUGE crab was just sitting there tapping on our window! And I mean huge!!! Check out the picture! We named him Crusty! We haven't seen him since, so we think someone made him their dinner! Have a good one guys! Love you and miss you all!!!
XOXO
Erin

One Week until " I Do" !!!!

Hey everyone! I can't even tell you the last time that I blogged! Sorry about that, but my mind has been going a mile a minute with wedding planning! Our first guests arrive this Monday and continue coming until Thursday! It will be hectic, but we wouldn't have it any other way! And amongst the crazy island wedding planning, Jacob is getting ready for his second blocks for Monday! It has been a whirlwind! And sometimes wedding planning on the island can get a little frusturating...I mean we are all on "island time" here so if you have an appointment at 2 it may not take place until 3. This "island time" sure had taught me patience....which I am grateful for! I was lacking in the department! Hahaha! But everything is all set and ready to go. I am trying not to think so much about the little things and let this wedding week just happen. I don't want to spend time stressing so my motto is "whatever happens happens!" We are so very excited and grateful for everyone to not only share this special day with us, but to show them around the island we call home. It is funny when people ask me if I am nervous for the wedding, and I can honestly say there is nothing to be nervous about. Jacob is wonderful and I know that we will live a happy life together! He puts my feelings before anyone else's and takes care of me and that is all I can ask for! I will update the blog after the wedding with pictures! And then we can't wait to share this experience with everyone at our receptions! We love you guys!!
XOXO
Erin

Oh Earl!!!

So I know we haven't written in so long and the next blog will be all about our wedding receptions, but for now, we are sending an update about hurricane Earl! So Earl came through the island on Monday with winds up to 150 miles per hour! Luckily, we were still in Ohio, but we were so nervous about our flights getting cancelled for Tuesday! Again, we lucked out and made our flights! However our friends flights were cancelled and they finally made it back to the island today! So when we got to the St.Maarten airport, the floors were all wet and when we looked out the window we saw trees everywhere! The damage wasn't too bad on the island, but all the pretty landscape around our apartment was wiped out! Some trees were down and some street lamps and street signs were down! We were nervous that our apartment was flooded but we were ok! Now the electricity is another story....I am currently writing this blog from our friend Carter's place since he has a generator! We haven't had power since we got back to the island! Let me tell you.....that was a test of our relationship! It was hottttt!!!!!!!!!! So Jacob and I just laughed it off, lit some candles, played some cards, and sipped on some Caribbean adult beverages! But it was about 90 degrees and muggy and with no wind our apartment felt like a sauna! But we are surviving!! Here are some pictures that our neighbors took before and during the storm! We love you guys and miss everyone from home already!

WEDDING RECAP 6.19.2010

Now I know that I have been super slacking on our blog....I didn't even write about our wedding!!!! And that was almost 3 months ago! So sorry about that! We had friends and family coming in left and right on all different days! So the Friday before the wedding we all thought we would catch some sun and just relax until we realized there were torrential downpours all day! So we were left to do the rehearsal of the wedding inside. The weather was looking too nice so we were left with the decision that the wedding might have to take place inside! So all night we were all praying and crossing our fingers, toes, ect..... So after the rehearsal at the Westin resort (where everyone was staying) all 28 of us hopped in a cab to one of our favorite restaurants on the island, Belmar! The place is very quaint and overlooks the ocean and since it is so small they closed the place down for our crazy crew! We had such a great rehearsal dinner with lots or tears and lots of laughter! Jacob's mom and good friend Velda wrote these small booklets for everyone explaining our lives and it was really touching! Then the best man and maid of honor gave their speeches and of course I was just boo-hooing the whole time! But we have such great friends it's hard not to get touched my their words. Then my daddy stood up and just talked about his love for both of us and the tears were flowing like waterworks! But of course they were all good tears! Speaking of crying, Jacob's dad and brothers welcomed me into the family by giving me a black pearl and explaining this very tradition in the Boucher family that was originated years and years ago! It was so special to me and I don't think there was a dry eye in the place! Great food and great friends and family made for a perfect pre wedding night! So now its Saturday and its the big day!!! I'm not nervous at all, I was just a little worried about mother nature. She wasn't cooperating! But I always heard rain was good luck on the big day so I wasn't too stressed. Luckily, the rain held off and we had the ceremony on Dawn Beach. However, the winds were sooooo strong!!!! Everyone was practically blowing away and the winds and waves made the ceremony inaudible at parts! We just had to shake that off and try not to laugh at everything that was happening around us! But we couldn't have asked for anything more! It was intimate and exactly what we wanted (minus my veil blowing away and the preacher fighting with the wedding planner about holding the microphone! hahaha!) After that, we headed on over to the Dinghy Docks to celebrate! It's a small bar outside and its flanked by all the yachts docked in the area! We had appetizers and drinks and enjoyed everyone's company! But then the band stopped playing and Lady Gaga came on and the crowd went wild! We turned it into an all night dance party and this was the night we were all introduced to the dances moves my father has been hiding since the seventies! They were definately a hit! So needless to say we all had so much fun! Thanks to our friends and family that made it all possible!!! We can't thank you or love you enough! Check out some pictures in the "picture tab" on the blog!! LOVE YOU GUYS!
XOXO
Erin

RECEPTION RECAP

Hey guys! We are trying to get back into the swing of things for our fourth semester on the island! We've been here for only a couple days but we are already falling back into our routine (which we call our bubble) ! I can't believe we have lived on the island for a year already! Time sure flies! So I want to take this time to blog about our amazing wedding receptions in Arkansas and Ohio! Our families joke that this is the wedding that will never end but it finally came to a close last Saturday in Ohio! I am having recepetion withdrawal right now! hahaha! So the Arkansas reception was on August 21st at a place called the Old Gin in Conway, Arkansas. The venue was an actual cotton gin back in the day and Jacob's mom and her team of help transformed the Old Gin into a beautiful reception! My parents came down that weekend and we all pitched in to get ready for the reception! My mom's job was the ironing of the table cloths (which we joked about the whole time!) and Jacob and I were there to set up and run errands as well! The reception had a rustic, but elegant feel with oversized black lanterns on some tables, and then the other tables had bold floral centerpieces (handcrafted by the Boucher team). Instead of the traditional cake, there was a cupcake stand that Jacob's dad built! The cupcake stand had beaded fringe all along the three tiers and the whole thing looked straight out of a magazine!! I will have Jacob add some pictures to the "picture section" of our blog. For the wedding favors, we set up different jars of candy so people could make their own goodie bags! We were eating candy for days!! But we caught up with great friends and danced the night away! It was so great to have my parents there too! We are truly blessed!! Soooo then after the reception we all met up at Jacob's parents house for late night snack and drinks! My poor parents had to leave the next day for the airport at 4 in the morning so you can imagine how tired they were! Then a couple days later we hopped on a plane for our Ohio portion of the trip! So on Saturday August 28th, we had our reception at Spring Valley Country Club and we had a blast! Jacob's parents also came to Ohio so we caught an Indians game on Friday and then set everything up at Spring Valley that Friday and Saturday! The country club looks like a Southern mansion and it was absolutely beautiful. Everything was already set up so we just had to put together the centerpieces for the table and set up a picture and sign in table up front! The centerpieces were bright sunflowers and roses in an orangish colored vase and each table got to take the flowers home at the end of the night! My mom did a great job picking out the flowers and the cake! The cake was delicious and beautifully decorated! I think I ate 5 pieces of the cake the next day! After dinner (which was yummy!!!) we did the traditional dances and then it was time to PARRRTYYY! Of course dad had to bust out his Kevin Bacon footloose moves along with his lady gaga dance moves! We have a great picture of both of our dad's dancing crazy! The Marino Brothers were such fun deejays and kept the party going! At one point, Jacob and I were on the speakers singing our hearts out to Bon Jovi! Both receptions were a great success! And just like my parents last week, Jacob's parents had to leave the next day at 4 am! This week wiped us all out! And with that being said, we want to thank our families for all of the time and money and work they put into the parties! We sure do appreciate it and we just want you to know how happy you have made Jacob and I! We have felt so loved and its just a great way to start our lives together! We love you so much! Also, we want to thank everyone who supported us and helped us through this journey. Check back for wedding pictures!!! LOVE YOU GUYS!!
XOXO
Erin and Jacob

Here's me trying again!

Well hello there long, lost friends. I think it has been like 5 or 6 months since my last post. Well maybe not that long but it feels like forever. I do apologize to all our avid readers out there (hey mom and dad) haha! Anyway, here is me taking a big deep breath “ahhhhhhhhh”... that was for the wedding, the receptions, the traveling, the dry cleaning, the flowers, the packing, the unpacking, the packing again, followed by a hurricane, terrible weather, studying, studying, more studying, and then finally first block exams. So yea, that about wraps it all up. Haha! My wife (doesn’t that sound weird) did a great job of updating everyone on the wedding, receptions, and the hurricane. I told her when we got back to the island that I would for sure update the blog and then what do ya know, school was in full force and I had my nose in the books. So every semester I try to give a quick outlook on what it will entail. I will be taking Pathology II, Behavioral Science for two blocks and then Pharmacology for the other two blocks, Neuroscience, and Introduction to Clinical Medicine 4. Yea, that gives me a headache too. Haha, but no worries, we just finished out first set of exams (blocks) on Monday and I did really well. I was nervous about this first exam though. Not only because I’ve been told that fourth semester is the hardest semester, but also because I felt really well going in to the tests. Carter and I do most of our studying together and are normally just crazy busy the weekend before the exams. However, this time was different, we really stayed caught up and learned the material quite well, so Saturday and Sunday, while we did study for a good 14 hours we could do so while watching some football and checking scores and taking a break to eat (which sometimes just doesn’t happen). So it was a good change of pace, and I’m pretty sure Erin could tell that I was more relaxed because I wasn’t making up my own words and could almost fully participate in a normal conversation. I know, sad huh, but hey sometimes I just get so in to the medical zone, there’s no climbing out until after the tests. As for this week, I am really planning on taking it slow, studying some, but not too-too much, and enjoying getting to spend some quality time with Erin! Speaking of, she is becoming more busy that I am most days. She is still a patient for the Clinical Medicine class, she is still substitute teaching, she is also a weather/hurricane correspondent for a weather service in the states (she’ll have to tell you more about that, but it seems really cool), she is now tutoring at the International Academy 3 times a week, and all-the-while staying busy with the Spouses Organization that is associated with the school. I am so lucky that she is willing to jump in to things feet first and just go with it. And from what I learned she has her mother to thank for that... do you know how many different clubs and activities Erin was in as a child. If you think it, she’s done it, well except for gymnastics I think; something about it being too dangerous for such a little girl!!! Anyway, again, I’m so blessed to have her be willing to try all these things, but at the same time I know that she’s got her eye on the prize and when we get back to the states, her dream job will be in her cross arrows and nothing is going to get in her way of that! Hmmm, what else; oh this weekend is a beach bar-b-que hosted by the school and it involves a volleyball tournament so of course I’ll be part of that; even though last time my team only got 2nd place, we’re going to try and step it up and win it this time. So I’ll let you know how that goes; oh and later that night I’m sure our crew down here (representing the SEC) will be watching and cheering on the Hogs to beat Bama... we’ll see how that goes. Oh and who knows, I think I may just take Erin on a date Friday, after all she sure does deserve it! Medical Fact: The inferior parietal lobe of the brain is supplied by an artery called the pericallosal artery. It is a branch of the anterior cerebral artery that is part of what is known as the Circle of Willis. If you had a stroke in the pericallosal artery that supplies the right inferior parietal lobe you would more than likely suffer from what is known as Contralateral Neglect Syndrome. Patients with Contralateral Neglect literally neglect the left side of their body (particularly their left hand/arm) so much so that females will paint their right finger nails but not their left. It can be so severe as to they are so “disconnected” from their left side, that they don’t even recognize their left side as their own, interestingly though, this isn’t a problem with the brain’s input or output mechanisms but rather a problem with the link between them. Here is a illustration of a patient with Contralateral Neglect Syndrome that was told to draw what they saw:

Weird Huh! Expect more doozies from the brain later...Neuroscience is crazy!
Adios,
J

Rain,Rain Go AWAY!!!!!

Hello Everyone! Since it's been raining for 5 days straight, I thought it would be a good time to blog! And yes, you read right....5 days straight! And when I say "rain", I actually mean torrential downpour! It's almost time for us to build an ark!! At first, the rain was cozy and calming, but now....it's making us a bit stir crazy! Luckily, today the weather has calmed down, but all the roads and stores are closed due to flooding! Jacob's been studying over at Carter's during this storm, but I don't know how he is concentrating....the rain sounds like you are going through a car wash! Luckily, we only lost power once during this madness! I read somewhere that we got over 12-14 inches over the past couple of days! But I have to count my blessings....even for the simple things in life....i went to the little market by our house today to pick up some much needed caffeine ( i haven't had a diet coke in 5 days and I'm beginning to get the shakes!) and of course I took my umbrella with me....but when I walked in the market there stood a man with a garbage bag cut out into a raincoat.....at first I wanted to laugh, but then I realized he couldn't afford an umbrella! So always look for the silver lining when things seem "tough". The picture on this entry, shows a fish that got misplaced from the salt pond onto the flooded road! Crazy picture! With rain, comes wind here too! I walked to the gym this afternoon and was laughing the whole way there....the wind was so strong that it was actually causing me to "jog" to the gym and of course I wasn't "jogging" in a straight line! It's the little things that make ya laugh! Well enough about rain....everyone think of Jacob this weekend as he prepares for Block 2! TIME IS FLYING!!!! I know all his hard work will pay off! And his hard work is just not for him but for us! Keep him in your thoughts! We miss you all!!!!! Xmas will be here before you know it!!
XOXO,
Erin

Can you believe it's almost the end of November???

Hello all!!!! I've realized it's been about a month since I have blogged! But between Jacob's studies, my work on the island, and of course football season, I've been slacking on the blogs! Let me explain the picture of my husband before I go on....yes he is wearing gloves on the island, but it's only to cheer on Auburn.....Carter's alma matter! We have been trying to fit in football Saturdays and Sundays in between Jacob's studies. But watching football in 90 degree weather just isn't the same! We even call it "tailgating" on the island to make it feel like home...but it just consists of us watching football in the air conditioning, eating bbq, and enjoying an adult beverage or two! Well enough of football ( GO BUCKS!!! ) ( AND HOGS!!!) Let's talk about Jacob's tests he had last week! He did very well! I would say the week before the test he was over at Carter's until 2 in the morning every night! But his hard work sure did pay off! I am so proud of him! I have no idea how he does it! I was even quizzing him on the porch the Saturday before his tests and I looked over and the poor thing fell asleep!!! (this was at 3 am! ) But Jacob know's it is all worth it! And he says to me all the time that this is not just for him, but for us!! Hard to believe we only have 5 more months of paradise!!! Jacob and I will be coming home for Christmas break (both to Ohio and to Arkansas) but he gets out a couple of days earlier this year so we are headinggggg to VEGAS for 3 nights before we head to Ohio and Arkansas!!!!! I am soo excited! I have never been, so I have no idea what to expect! We are meeting our good friends from Conway out there and it's going to be so much fun! I think we might even try to get on the price is right.....I can see it now.....Erin and Jacob Boucherrrrrrr Come on downnnn!!!!!!! We have been putting my tutoring money and standardized patient money in an envelope labled "Vegas $$" all semester! I feel like a little girl saving up for a toy or something!! But we can't wait to see all of our friends and family over the holidays! We won't be with you on Thanksgiving, but we will be there in spirit! And speaking of "giving thanks", we just want all of you to know how much we love you! It's amazing to feel the love and support that all of you have given to us on our journey!!! Talk to you soon!!!! Oh and please say a couple of extra prayers for some family members that have had surgeries in the past two weeks.Thank you!! We love you all!!!!
PS I added new pictures to the picture tab! Some of the beach, some of "tailgating", some of us at the wine and cheese event the school has every semester!

XOXO
Erin