In Memory

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/democratandchronicle/obituary.aspx?n=kenneth-jackman-van&pid=144906589

The above link is for my orthopaedic surgeon in Rochester when I was younger. He basically oversaw all of my care when I was younger. Dr. Jackman was a really great man and basically was a huge part of my family's life (considering I was there almost every week for a check up or follow up from an operation). When I was four-years-old, Dr. Jackman could tell that the operations that he was performing were not making me better, but had done some research into a revolutionary surgery that had been used, and continues to be used, for lengthening the limbs of dwarfs. It could also be used to treat my condition because the pins that were inserted in my leg would, when turned, put new layers of bone on the existing, weak bone. He actually went down for my first surgery in Baltimore with me and my family and was present in the operating room during the surgery. After my medical care was turned over to my ortho in Baltimore, I didn't see Dr. Jackman on a regular basis anymore (except for when I injured my right knee and I needed to get a follow up from that). I had not seen him in years.

I did write an essay about him my senior year of high school for a contest for HSBC where I had to write about someone who had changed New York State in the past 150 years (for their 150th anniversary). I wrote about how he changed New York because he made the best possible decision for me and my health and how hard it probably was for him because he realized what he was doing was not helping me get better. I ended up being one of the finalists and sent him a copy of the essay. I wish that I still had a copy of the essay for his wife but unfortunately, the computer that it was on is long since gone and I don't think my parents saved it.

Updating the focus of this

It really isn't going to be so much of a change, but I figure that I could add a couple of more things to the mix.

I start school again on Thursday. The good news is, I'm only in school one day a week (Thursdays). However, I need to do a large scale research project during the fall semester and during the spring semester, I need to finish that off and maybe present it (I'm not 100% sure). However, I am planning on doing a thesis in place of the final research project. It gets me out of taking the class and I just need to periodically meet with a professor about what I am doing for guidance. Last semester, I wrote a research project on different educational programs for children with autism, so I am going to continue with that, except probably focus on a couple of specific programs and weigh the benefits, as well as the minuses, of both. It will be an undertaking, but it will also free up my time so that I can work more. I need a new car in the next couple of years, so I need to start saving up for that. In addition, I don't always want to be living in my apartment, and I do want to get married and start a family at some point, so I need to start saving up for a house (I've already got some money put away for that).

That being said, I'm probably going to lose my mind at some point this year with reading nothing but journal articles and books about educational programs. I do intend to try to read for enjoyment as often as possible so while I am going to continue to use this as my platform to vent and just talk about what is on my mind, I am also going to blog about the books I read. It will help keep me sane and it will also help me keep track of what I read.

So I know that I have been quiet for a while...things continue to go well with my new job. I lost a couple of cases due to the parents being noncompliant with the services, but am going to be taking on two more cases, in addition to one that I am still working with (who knows how long that may last for though...the clinician who was on the case with me had to leave because of a family emergency and the mom is worried about how the kiddo is going to react to the new clinician and if there are going to be any problems...not that I blame her, we basically are starting over from square one again). I'm finally going to be full time next week, which will help a lot with the finances - plus I will finally be able to get benefits.

School is done for the summer. I enjoyed my class and think that I did well in it. Hard to believe that in the fall, I will have 2 years left. Here is hoping that it speeds by quickly.

Chris and I are going away for the weekend to Baxter State Park to go camping. Although we won't be able to see any fireworks, we do plan to do a lot of outdoorsy stuff - hiking, boating, just walking around the trails. He took me up there a couple of weekends ago to go hiking and it was absolutely beautiful. We need a break from Portland, so this will be good.

The big excitement yesterday was that there was a moose wandering the streets of Portland. I didn't see it, but I guess that Chris's brother Brian did...literally walked right through his backyard and by his front window. There have been a couple of moose wandering around in civilization recently. I heard today that it may be because of the bugs and the recent heat.

It's official

I am 26 (as of 12:41).

Damn.

I also forgot to mention that I found a gray hair on Friday. I promptly pulled it out of my head.

In less than one week....

I will turn 26. I will be out of high school for 8 years (that part scares me...), and out of college for 4. I am not freaking out as much as I did last year when I turned 25 (the whole turning a quarter century thing really scared me) and I've basically gotten to the point where I really don't care. Ask me again in 4 years when I turn 30.

YAY!

I finished my last couple of assignments for grad school and am now done with my second semester! 2 more years!

Relief!!!

Done with all of my assignments for grad school for this semester! I'm officially at the half way point....two more years to go!