The Good Things: When I am older...

The purpose of this blog is to inform you, (someone curious about autoimmune diseases) about my autoimmune diseases. But I want to tell you a little bit more about myself. The things that people who don't know how sick I am, know. The Good Things.

Being sick is a big part of my life but it is not my whole story. 

Yes; having chronic conditions has made me sick. It controls how I eat and somethings that I do on an everyday basis. But it has unintentionally brought me good things, lasting memories, funny stories, and has helped me to realize what I want to be when I am older.

As long as I can remember I have wanted to be a doctor. 

When I was really young I thought this meant that I had three options: Eye Doctor, Dentist, or Pediatrician. Of the three I claimed that I would become an Eye Doctor when I was older.

I thought that this was the most beneficial job because almost my entire family wear's glasses. 

The summer before third grade, my mom signed me up for a summer camp at a local college. Every week for a month we would focus on a different subject. The week that we did science was a game-changer for me. Every day, we would dissect something different. We started with worms and we worked our way up to frogs. I became so fascinated with the idea that everything I touched had a function. I wanted to know what everything did and how it did it.

When I left, I told my parents and anyone who would listen that someday I was going to be a surgeon.

As I got even older and got introduced to more and more doctors. I learned that there are doctors for everything and I realized that I had many more options.

(My addiction to Grey's Anatomy has helped.)

My diseases have taken me into an OR a couple times. I've been through the routine and I have seen it first hand. They have shown me the inside of a doctor's office and given me a front-row seat at what doctors, specifically pediatric doctors, do on a daily basis. 

It is especially fun for me to see student doctors or doctors who really know what they are doing.

I think that if I do become a doctor, which is the plan, I will be able to use my inside scoop. I will know more about what patients think and what parents want to know. As well as what parents want to hear and how to read the room.

Because I want to be a doctor, I have volunteered in a hospital.

Though there isn't much for 15-year-old volunteers to do in the NICU, I loved volunteering there. I found the tiny babies that would come in so fascinating and adorable. And I wanted to help them. As of now, I want to be a Neo-natal surgeon. But I know that I still have time to figure it out and I have to go to college and then med school and then residency first.

After my time in the NICU, I moved to Post-Op and Pre-Op. 

I would get to restock supplies and clean charts. Since I was near the Operating Rooms I would get to see the surgeons come in and out of surgery and then speak with their patients. 

It was so fascinating to me and I miss it so much! (Because of COVID-19 the hospital is not safe for volunteers at the moment.)

 My first sutures!

Overall I think that if I hadn't been exposed to great, good, bad, and awful doctors as a patient, I wouldn't know enough to know what I want to be when I am older.

I love science and I love doing extra-curricular's that pertain to it.

Recently I participated in a research program at another local college and I had so much fun. I have also taken college classes like Biology 101, Biotechnology, and participated in labs.

I have loved every experience!

Biotechnology Lab :)

Though Science is a hard subject, and it is a scary competitive field that requires a lot of time and effort;

I am so intrigued by the ways our bodies work.

I am also able to appreciate what does not work too. It is amazing to me that there is a system in place, inside our bodies, (that is microscopic) sees things that look wrong and attacks them. Our immune systems' are able to see tiny foreign invaders and kill them. Therefore I find it so interesting that my immune system attacks itself. That my cells see themselves and are confused and actually try to fix the problem. 

I think that it is amazing and that I am so lucky that there are medicines that can stop my cells from attacking themselves. And that someone looks at my blood... sends it to my doctor... my doctor can see what is happening inside of me... find what is wrong... and try to correct it. 

It's honestly so fascinating and it's a really Good Thing! ;)