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In less than an hour I’ll be leaving for the airport and will eventually be making my way to Amsterdam, after a half day in Switzerland. I’m hugely excited about the trip — it’s my first time presenting a paper at a conference, and I think it’s really cool that my Master’s research is culminating into a trip to the Netherlands and a conference publication. Not that I ever feared, or even worried too much about whether or not my research was making a contribution, but it’s great to know that other people got something out of it as well.

It’s also a nice bit of closure on the years spent head deep in fluid simulation stuff. I really enjoyed doing it, and I’m glad I decided to do a Master’s at Dalhousie, but I’m also happy that soon it’ll be done and over with. It’s an awesome way to end that period of research, and although I don’t know exactly how yet, I’m sure it’ll spark the beginning of something new too.

As excited as I am to present my research to others I must admit that I’m also looking forward to checking out Amsterdam and the Netherlands (and maybe even a surrounding country or two if there’s time). I’ve never been to anywhere in Europe before, so I’m planning to make the most out of my free time while I’m there! I don’t know how well connected Amsterdam is yet, but hopefully if there’s WiFi abound I should be able to update on the go!

So it’s official: I don’t have anything nasty… that they tested me for. I’ve just been sick a lot, and I only fainted that one time. .

They x-ray’ed me twice, did three malaria screens on different samples of my blood, ultrasounded my liver, spleen, and for some reason the underside of my freakin’ spine. Seriously, when pregnant women get ultrasounds of their babies done, does it feel like the doctor is trying to forge the ultrasound wand into the sub-atomic particles inside the molecules on the back of your skin?

Anyway… so yeah, after all that, a bunch more blood tests (at least 10 vials worth), 3 urine samples, plus the fainting episode, and a trip to the hospital in an ambulance, they were able to give me the diagnosis that I am perfectly healthy!

I’m actually pretty stoked about it. Plus who knew that your liver and spleen were so cute. Well at least mine are. My internal organs are so much cuter than everyone else’s, and it’s not just because they’re mine! They were way cuter than any of those blotchy fetus ultrasound photos I’ve seen.

So my liver and spleen didn’t have hands or arms or legs, or a head. Nor did they look remotely different from each other in any way. They were smooth, and oblong, and completely uniform in colour. That’s what I’m talking about.

Alright I have no idea what I’m talking about.

The whole experience was a bit mad, but I’m thankful it’s over, and I suppose in a way I’m glad it all happened the way it did. Next time I feel weak from 4 nights of fevers though, I’m staying in bed!

Posting from my phone. Jess and I have been feeling on and off crappy since getting back from the DR in Dec. Finally decided to go to the Doctor this morn. They sent me to a lab for bloodwork and I fainted while standing in line. Rode in ambulance. Currently laying in hospital bed waiting for bloodwork to come back. Will update again as soon as I know more.