Breast Cancer Awareness Month

As you may all know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. It is very important that we all participate in this one way or another. My grandmother has breast cancer. My mom had symptoms of breast cancer but thank God it wasn't. I've heard of many women that have passed away because of breast cancer. That is why we should come together to help the women overcome this. It might not have any effect on you but think about the families out there, the children of these women. There are many ways to support. You can donate money to an organization or send in your Yoplait caps. I also heard twitter was donating $0.05 everytime someone tweeted #beatcancer, so tweet! You can also help by help spreading the word about breast cancer. A mamogram is to be done every year. Just to make sure everything is fine and to detect cancer early. If the cancer is detected early,
then it is easier to treat and get rid of. So encourage all the women to get check-ups!
And please make a donation if you can!

Camp CHLA

In March, I submitted my application to participate in Camp CHLA which takes place in the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. I received a letter in the mail telling me that I got accepted to go! I was so excited that I'd be able to work in the hospital and see if this was really the career for me. The first day consisted of classes and workshops. I learned
things like how to take vital signs like temperature, blood pressure and heart beat. We took a tour of the hospital at the end of the day. When we got to the BMT unit, i saw one
of my favorite bands perform, Camila! It was a very exciting day! The next day we were able to go job shadowing and also take a few other lessons. The lessons were on the Oncology/Hematology unit and we were able to visit the Trauma room & Helipad. I job shadowed a registered nurse in the Bone Marrow Transplant unit. I was with her while she took care of a baby boy and I got to help her bathe him! I also got to see a blood tranfusion. This was a great experience. After we came back from that, we were taught CPR and got to keep our doll! The third day, we had a presentation on the NICCU and Diabetes/Nutrition. We did the Diaster Olympics which was really fun because we got to go through a series of obstacles and figure out a way to save our "patients." We also took a tour of the Operating room and got to see a surgeon remove a tumor! Then I job shadowed an MD at the Orthi clinic. I went along with them as they did a few checkups on the patients. I also got my very own cast! I've never broken a bone before so it was a great experience to have it on all day. On Thursday, we did an equipment lab. Where we learned how to use an IV line, how to take our heart beat count and how to test our blood sugar. Yes, it's true! We did poke our fingers like any other diabetic! It did sting a little but it was a great experience. That same day, I shadowed a Nurse Practitioner in the Hemoc Clinic. I saw many patients with different blood diseases. I also got to see a Lumbar Puncture also known as a spinal tap which is a process to collect spinal fluid. The next day was our last day, sadly. We had a presentation on the PT/OT and Cardiology. I job shadowed a Nurse practitioner in the Radiology unit. It was very interesting because I got to see the CAT and MRI scans. I also went in to see two doctors insert an IV line for a young boy. It was amazing that they did everything just by looking at the X-ray! The day ended with our Culmination ceremony where we saw a slideshow of the things we did and got our certificates. I reccomend Camp CHLA for anyone who is interested in the medical field! Just visit http://www.chla.org/

Introduction

Hi, bloggers!
My name is Mariana and I am a freshman in college. The reason I made this blog is to post my experiences and things I learn while I study to become a Pediatric Oncologist. Last year, I saw a movie called "My Sister's Keeper" which inspired me to become an oncologist. I've always wanted to be a Pediatrician ever since I was a young girl. But I never knew in what I wanted to specialize. "My Sister's Keeper" broke my heart but it was very inspiring to see what the children with cancer have to go through. I knew from that moment that I wanted to help them overcome this difficult obstacle. In this blog, I'll try to post the things I see (about healthcare), things I learn and my experiences working with sick children. I hope you can join me and watch my journey to success. Someday, I dream of being a Pediatric Oncologist.

P.S I love getting advice! (: