😄 Well, they train you on what to look for. You get better at it with time. Most of the semester in my Pathophysiology class, we looked at images of normal organs and ones that had issues. I've seen lots of pictures and it helps if you know your markers, like what the spine looks like or the diaphragm, or other brighter objects. The progam is 2 years ... which means I'll be approaching my 58th birthday when I graduate. But I need a life. I need a challenge.

I'm willing to share the one i wrote for dd. pm me.

Congratulations! I have 2 1/2 weeks left to the semester. and I have high As that will likely stay that way. My application to the DMIS (sonography) program is complete ... all the recommendation forms have been received. And I have an interview slot for next Monday ... the final step before decisions are made. So far, it is looking pretty good for me to be accepted. If my recommenders gave me the top rating, I will have a perfect score on their criteria going into the interview. We started scanning each other 2 weeks ago. I was so thrilled to be able to find all of the structures I was supposed to so far. I felt bad for the student who had to scan me. I was not able to fast this past week, which meant that I had more bowel gas than usual. Yes, we call eachother gassy in class. 😄🤣

For me, it's Chris Collinsworth. Back when dh and I used to watch football, we had to mute his smug, smarmy voice. I couldn't figure out why he was commentating at the Olympics He knows NOTHING about any sport that is not football (which is not an olympic sport.) Why was he there? it seems like every doctor and dentist office plays HGTV in the waiting room. And I can't stant Christina El Mousso (or whatever her last name is now.) She'd show up at the site all dolled up in her "don't get dirt on me" white jeggins, beauty queen hair and makeup and "f-me heels." I wanted to scream "get in there, get dirty and do some work!" And Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear (and now The Grand Tour.) I watched several seasons of Top Gear with dh. But as he started calling James May "Captain Slow", I called him "Captain Mean." He became so irritable and childish that I though he might have had the "a$$hole" brain tumor or dementia or something. Nope. Just a first class brat. Then when he got kicked off the show for being a boorish jerk and decking a producer ... I was glad that he was gone (but sad for the rest of the hosts and crew.) But when they rebooted for The Grand Tour, I had to leave the room and put on headphones any time dh wanted to watch it.

This. Same thing happened to our dog. Of course it was late at night and we had to find a place open late to buy more hydrogen peroxide and baking soda because he needed several treatments - being a big dog. But, it worked really well. We followed with a regular dog shampoo. He only had a slight lingering smell for the next week or so, especially if he got wet. Here is a good recipe.  

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I don't have a lot of answers for you because my kid's mental health issues are different. But, regarding the bolded, did you wean her off these meds or stop abruptly? Stopping an SSRI abruptly can cause some really big psychiatric issues. I don't have experience with ADHD meds. Regarding RAD, sometimes, they save their worst behavior for mom and dad because they are the safe people, people they are firmly attached to rather than not attached. My kid could hold it together in public, but would rage at home. Some people would tell me it was because I was "too soft." But I could actually watch my child start unravelling the closer we got to home. It was as all this pressure had built up while out in public and the closer we got to the "safe place", the closer we were to the cork blowing! I hope you can find solutions.

Well, I'll be 58 when I re-enter the workforce. I'll have to pass my boards after I am done. While it makes cash flow difficult right now, I figure I can get loans if I need to and I should be able to pay them off very quickly when I get a job in my field. For me, it is not just the job, but the act of going to school that gives me a challenge and something else to think about. So, even if I can only work 5 years, it will have been worth it for my sanity.

That was my biggest fear ... what to do when we dropped her off. I grieved her leaving and my life changing for about a year before it happened. We went from spending lots of time together to talking once a week. And all I had at home was stress with my mentally ill 22 year old. (and my super great husband, who is an engineer, not best girlfriend material.) I was fortunate that, about a year before dd left, I ran into an old homeschooling friend who was working in the advising department at our local community college. She invited me to come talk to her at work. That is when I decided on getting a 2 year degree in a field that pays really well. Many people thought I was crazy for getting an Associates after a Bachelors, but the Associates looks so much better when considering my age (I'm 55), return on investment and cash flow in the intermediate period. While this doesn't fully take away the crushing loneliness, it does give me something to do and to look forward to. The key is, I actually have to get accepted into the program now that I am finishing the prereqs. Apps are done. Interviews start next week. The "what if I don't get in" problem is stuffed firmly into a box to be dealt with later and I'm sure I'll be here looking for a lifeline if that happens.

praying for a good outcome!

My oldest surprised us with getting an REU his first summer. At least we had him for 3 weeks at the beginning of summer and 3 weeks at the end. And he did two more summer REUs so he didn't come back to stay until graduation. Due to him not getting into the grad school program he wanted right away, we had him for 18 months. Now his over 1000 miles away. DD leaving was really really hard. My life was like yours ... dedicated to my children. I had some other issues that got in the way of me beginning my 3rd act and I am still in the process of making it happen.

Thanks for the support everyone. I am sorry to hear that others are struggling with things too. DD arrived more than 5 hours later than promised. We had a nice dinner that dh did most of the preparation for (making a ham is his thing) and I worked on fighting back tears. Then dd and I took the dog for a long walk and that was most enjoyable. It was a gorgeous evening. Now, we both are studying. I'm struggling to stay awake and think I might just hit the hay and deal with this in the AM. Dd, dh and I will be meeting up for lunch after my class and then I will be taking her to the train to go back to school. She will be home for the summer in a month. I'm trying not to spoil the rest of the time. Happy Easter to all of you.

I've been trying all day to stay positive, but I'm not succeeding. This is the first Easter where we had no one home. Ds25 is nearly 1000 miles away. K is somewhere and not speaking to us. Dd came home for Easter and spent a day with me, then left to visit a friend at another campus who is having a hard time. I knew that I would be struggling with seeing all the families at mass all happy together in their Easter finery taking gorgeous pictures and greeting their friends, so dh and I chose to go to a really early mass thinking it would be less crowded and there would be less fanfare. Well, that mass was still standing room only ... and we were standing. So, dd promised me she would be home by noon on Easter. I know how college kids can be and didn't think the other people in the car would be up for leaving so early. So, i strongly urged dd to take our car and drive. That way she would be in control of when they left, instead of relying on others. I was already sad that she would not be attending mass with us. I will only see her tonight and for a short time tomorrow before I put her on a train back to school. Well, here it is, 5 hours past the time she promised us she would be home. I so wanted to spend the day with her ... it is a gorgeous day and I just can't enjoy it. I have tried to get my studying done today for my quiz tomorrow, but I just can't concentrate. I'm just too sad. This whole "kids growing up and leaving" and not having any friends or family to spend the day with is just killing me. I would just pretend it was any other day, but, with the windows open, I can hear all the car doors shutting and all the neighbors greeting their loved ones for Easter dinner. Thanks for letting me vent.

If this is what they intend, why bother keeping the structure at all? This would make it irrelevant. O gee, what's that weird old building?!?

This. I used to find it comforting, until the real $#!% hit. And anyone who would be offended by something I had up in my house (no Nazi or Confederate flags here) can just not come over. And this is even more trivializing and condescending to people who are suffering and doing everything in their power to walk in faith only to find themselves being swept away by a riptide ... yeah, Jesus is walking along the shore and I am getting pulled further and further out to sea. No jetskis in sight. Dory's encouragement to "just keep swimming" has worn me out.

Interesting article about Gothic construction and design, which likely saved much of the Cathedral.