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July 10th, 2006

11:26 am - Surgery Update Quote of the week: "Don't worry; they didn't leave the scissors in. I checked… twice." -Mike Yang Man, it must have been months, if not years since I've signed on and written in my live journal. Sometimes I even wonder if I should even keep it. But back to the story at hand and that concerns my surgery. First off I want everybody to know that I'm fine right now and everything is great... kinda sorta. I'm just taking it easy like I have for the last three days. I got into the hospital at about 8:30 a.m. on Friday morning and got dressed (well...undressed) for surgery at about 10:00 a.m... The doctors and nurses all asked me questions to make sure I was indeed Mike Yang and making sure that I was going to have the proper procedure operated on my groin area. It would kinda suck if I woke up with a missing leg, would you think? I remember the anesthesiologist telling me, "Okay, I’m going to add your (???) to the IV." (Maybe a few of you future pharmacists can inform us on what kind of medication ??? was?) As he did, I saw two small air bubbles flowing down the line onto my arm. My first thought was the rats at work. Sometimes a rat would die because we would accidentally inject a small air bubble into the blood stream along with the medication which caused a stroke. The rat would lose mobility on his right back leg and die a few hours later. Intentionally or unintentionally my two air bubbles were caught at a link somewhere in the line and it never got to my arm. "Okay, you should start feeling the effects now." Almost immediately I felt as though I had a huge buzz. My peripheral vision was blurry and I felt very relaxed but I was still alert and comprehendible (at least I think I was). As I was pushed to the operation room, I asked the anesthesiologist: "So how long have you worked here?" and he said, "blah blah grumble mumble years blah haha blah blah" I heard what he said. I just don't remember any of it. I do however, remember lying in front of the doctor and nurses in the operation room. The anesthesiologist placed a mask around my mouth and nose and asked me to breathe in deeply. I took a deep breath, and the anesthesiologist loosened his grip on my mask. Someone was tapping me on the shoulder. "Wake up; your parents are coming here to take you home." Wow, I knew I wouldn’t remember any of it but still feels weird missing a few hours of your life by of course deep sleep does this to you every night too. As I was got in my wheel chair, I thanked the older nurse or volunteer for wheeling me out. "Oh you're welcome! So are you going to miss some time off from your summer job?" A summer job? Only students have sum... "Yes. But it's not a summer job. I'm working now." "Oh. So when are you going back to school?" "I graduated already, back in 2003." "How old are you?" "Twenty-four." Well, 24 3/4 actually but who's counting. "Oh, I'm retiring on Tuesday so everybody looks the same age to me." "Wow, congratulations." Yes, I have a case of Asian youth and I've just learned to accept it. Since I didn’t have a watch with me my mom told me that surgery started at 11:00 a.m. and I was out at noon. I slept in the resting area until 1:00 before they woke me up and discharged me. At home I slept for a few hours, woke up for a few before sleeping again and this continued about six to eight times throughout the night. Not fun as you can imagine. I also woke up with a sore throat which lasted about two days because the doctors put a tube down my throat just to make sure I would breathe properly throughout the procedure. So how am I now? Well, I feel a lot better than I did that dreadful first day. I’m awake, alert, and my appetite is back (although it was never really gone). I’m sitting up for an extended period of time for the first time and I can walk a bit better than before. It still feels heavy when I walk but at this rate I should be able to walk with little difficulty by tomorrow morning. Maybe I can even go back to work. Doctor said I can perform light activities as tolerated, which include walking, watching movies, and video games but we’re going to leave the strenuous activities at the door for a month. Yes, that means no weight lifting, no hockey, and no running. And of course this also includes no sexual activities (::cough:: ladies, Chris, and Jon ::cough::). Thanks for your well wishes or slick damnations. I will cherish them both. Current Mood: okay Current Music: Mom playing on Chinese Harp

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November 24th, 2005

12:35 am - Long time no see... Quote of the day: “It gave me the chills when I see him....” -caller on Loveline It’s been awhile since I’ve last updated my journal. The pervious September and October months had been really rough on me; I couldn’t find a job and my MCAT scores weren’t up to par, again. Family had been nagging on both accounts and I’ve just been down back then. But it wasn’t all bad because one of my dear friends just got married early October, another one is now engaged, another one was recently proposed to, and my cousin is finally getting married at age 30. Seems like a lot of people are getting married now and I’m happy for them and I wish them the best of luck on everything. It’s funny how differently guys and girls approach weddings. All of my girl friends were so excited when their friend was getting married and they couldn’t stop talking about it with other friends or coworkers. Although I was genuinely happy for my friend’s engagement, after talking to her on the phone I just plopped on the couch and surfed the tube and I found that many of my guy friends did the same. As a biologist/geneticist, I understand why guys and girls view marriage so differently and I just happen to fall victim to human nature so it’s was unavoidable. I thought of a person that I haven’t thought about in a long while now and that person is my dad. Just typing the word “dad” gives me chills since we’re talking about MY dad and not somebody else’s. I listened to Loveline as I drove back home and a 21 year old woman asked if it was a good idea to get back together with her father. The dad left her life when she was about two years old and he tried to enter her life again when she was about seven or eight. Each time she saw her dad at the time, she got the chills so she decided not to see him anymore. The dad is an alcoholic and also has anxiety disorder although he’s been sober for about eight years. The dad is trying to made amends with her but she is blocking him out. Her question is if she should continue blocking him out. Now granted my dad wasn’t an alcoholic nor does he have anxiety disorder but he has been out of my life ever since I was 8 months old. I first saw him when I was about 5 years old and he tried to come back in my life when I was about 11 but failed. I’ve talked with many of you on how I should approach this should I see him again in the future. Should I make amends? Should I not? Do I invite him to my wedding in the future? At this point I really don’t want to see him because the damage has been done and it can never be corrected. I never would wish someone ill and he is no exception but I hope he will be out of my life. I know it’s strong words but I really do mean it. It’s not because I hate him for not being there for me when I was younger but because I think I know how I would act should I see him. If he was in trouble I would help him or if he needed a place until the day he dies I would offer my place and THAT’S what kills me. I know I am a nice guy but this is beyond it because, even though we can’t change the past, he will ALWAYS be my father whether I like it or not. I’m going to stop it here because it’s beginning to be too much for me. On the happier note, I finally found a job and I have a season of roller hockey under my belt. I’m not the best player on the team but I feel like I’m a better player than before and I can continue to improve. Cheers until next time. Current Mood: tired Current Music: None

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September 1st, 2005

08:52 pm - Me? A signature laugh? Quote of the day: “You have this signature laugh.” -Kathy Do I really have a signature laugh? I’ve thought about it before but I’ve never actually had someone mention it to me. In a way I’m quite honored because it means I must laugh a lot for it to be noticed. At the same time I’m hoping that my signature laugh sounds good because if it doesn’t then it defeats the whole purpose. I had a job interview today and I welcomed it with open arms. Overall I think it went very well and only time can tell how well I did although I should have another chance to sell myself next week at the company. Wish me luck fellas because it's all part of the plan to enter medical school. Current Mood: giddy Current Music: Chinese TV drama outside

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August 19th, 2005

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August 12th, 2005

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August 11th, 2005

10:21 pm - Take care of your children people, please? Quote of the day: “Take care. Eat. Are you getting skinnier? Less of Yang means less for me. =(“ -ML I am so tired right now. Usually I sit upright in my chair but right this very moment I’m slouched and it's both comforting yet painful: comfortable to my neck but painful to my lower back. ::sigh:: The choices we make where one must suffer so the other can prosper. I can’t study right now; I’m too exhausted. Remember I mentioned last time about the kid in the car with the windows up? What did I say? Something about the child should be with the parent (or at least a guardian) at all times, especially for an infant no older than a year old. You’re not to let them out of your sight because unfortunately there are crazy people out there and you never want YOUR child to be a victim. I saw it again today at the library, not that the child was a victim, but an infant that was left alone on the floor in his or her basket. I was tempted to pick up the basket and walk away just to prove a point but I didn’t. On a lighter note, I heard this conversation while I was studying… “So I went to a fast food joint with my pregnant sister and her husband. We went to the drive thru and I ordered, “Six fajitas please.” She yells at me, ‘I’m pregnant!’. And I said, ‘Oh, and a kid’s meal.’ ” Current Mood: restless Current Music: motorcycle rumbling

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01:25 am - What a day. What a day. Quote of the day: “For a split second, I was thinking of stealing that shuttle.” -MY Today wasn’t exactly a good day neither was it a bad day. Sometimes you get those days where everything goes wrong and the only thing you can do about it is laugh at the end. How can I sum it up quickly? 1) Wanted to take a practice MCAT test. 2) Needed $1.50 for parking. (I had a $20, a $5, and $1.30 in change) 3) Couldn’t get change at three different places. 4) Shuttle’s engine was running w/ no driver (for a split second, I was thinking of stealing that shuttle.) 5) Late for practice test. 6) Gave me laminated test instead of paper based test. (Couldn’t write worth shit) 7) Test had pages out of order. 8) Decided to check out test site instead of taking test. 9) Planned to visit Clara after visiting test site at El Cerrito. 10) Took wrong exit and went to SF. 11) Paid toll. 12) Did an about turn at the first available exit. 13) Saw Clara and got my clothes back that have been held hostage for a year now. 14) What a day. What a day. I heard on the radio that there was a meteor shower tonight and laying outside my backyard, I realized how smoggy our city is because the stars aren’t half as bright as the ones in Davis. I did see a faint one though and yes, I did make a wish… Current Mood: peaceful Current Music: tick tick tick

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August 5th, 2005

12:50 am - Oh so close... Quote of the Day: Teacher: “…so that’s how birth control pills work. Besides the option of pills, women also have the option of taking shots for the same affect.” Me: “What? Take shots? Oh! You meant taking shots to the arm!” Rich: “Yeah, taking shots the other way would have the opposite affect.” Yes. Taking shots the other way could get you pregnant if one is not careful. So you guys out there (especially you Bob) stop taking shots or you might get pregnant. Haha! Test day is getting closer now and I feel like I’m prepared. I’m not where I want to be with my scores but at the same time I wouldn’t be unhappy with the scores I’m getting. The last practice test that I took I received a 33 so I’m about 2 points away from my target score. But because I’m so damn close I’m going to raise my expectations because the danger is not setting a goal too high and not reaching it. Quite the opposite: the danger is setting a goal too low and reaching it. I’ve gone mad with Harry Potter. In just a relatively short span of four or five days I’ve finished the fourth book of the Harry Potter series. I’m especially fortuitous that Mags has my fifth book which impedes my desire to continue the series. Now I can’t wait to see the movie and compare how my imagination matches up. I forgot the sounds of music. For the last month or so I've been refusing to listen to the F.M. radio stations because I worry a song would be stuck in my head as I study. Am I paranoid? Possibly, but this has happened before and if I remember correctly, this might have actually happened during the real thing last April. Maybe that's why I've been so moody lately. Current Mood: groggy Current Music: Teenagers yelling outside in the streets

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July 31st, 2005

12:32 am - Tired.. so tired. Quote of the Day: “Clip. Clip…. Clip…” -Guy in red shirt sitting to my left during the MCAT practice. So there’s I was minding my own business and doing my own physical science section during the practice MCAT and low and behold… I hear a “clip clip” sound. What is that you may ask? It’s exactly what you think it is: Some asshole chewing on his fingernails during the test. Does it bother me? Apparently so but not so much that I had to say something out loud. By the way, he did this for the whole damn test which pisses me off as the sections went by, though I must admit that I became accustomed toward the sound near the end of the test. Hope I did well. Verbal section wasn’t so nice to me today. Hmmm…. I’ve been really moody lately. I’m not sure is it because of the stress or the lack of people I see because I can feel the discomfort in my bones. I get irritated pretty quickly and I don’t want to do anything. Perhaps it’s because of my lack of contacts with friends from home and from work because I’m definitely not as happy as I was before. My ex-coworkers mention they miss me, my laugh, and my smile at work and I told them I would miss it too. I wasn’t lying. I do miss it. I don’t laugh or smile as often because there’s no one around lately. I’ve brought this on myself I know because I’m doing this for my future… for our future. I’m not sure, but I think I’m still sick so I took some medicine. I feel terrible right now because I’m sooo sleepy. Yes, the medicine is taking affect. Current Mood: sleepy Current Music: Car driving by at a distance...

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July 26th, 2005

07:58 pm - I swear it's a gift. Quote of the Day: Hot student: “So when are you taking the MCATs? August or April?” Me: “August.” Hot student: “Good luck!” Me: “Thanks!” I swear, people who can talk to strangers at the blink of an eye are incredible. I find it amazing how one can just start up a conversation with a complete stranger not knowing anything about them. Usually I try to find something in common before I even attempt to talk to that person because it gives us something to talk about. Maybe we share a common friend, a common hobby, a same class, or whatever. So this guy, who was fanning himself with a clipboard because it was around 90 degrees today, noticed I was studying for the MCAT and he wished me luck. I didn’t know him and he didn’t know me. People like them FIND out what there is to talk about and they go from there. I swear, it’s a gift that these people have. Off topic, I’m kinda sick right now and I don’t get sick very often. Got a headache and took some Tylenol already. Okay, got to work on the nervous system right now. Current Mood: sick Current Music: Fan whirling

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July 25th, 2005

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July 24th, 2005

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July 23rd, 2005

11:01 pm - Got Very Harry Crazy!! Quote of the Day: (After inviting me to a club w/ “Pimps and Hoes” as the theme for the night and “hitting” on her…) Me: …once again, thanks for inviting me to the club tonight but like I said, MCAT is tying me down right now. Maybe after the test we can go see the “Pimps and Hoes”! Her: Yeah, but they’ll probably have a different theme. Oh well, we’ll make our own “Pimps and Hoes” version at home instead! Me: LOL! Yeah, I was thinking it but I didn’t want to say it. I’m so glad that you’re the one who said it. So today was another day of testing from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.. Overall I don’t think it went too bad although I did think I screwed up on the second prompt which stated something like: “The pursuit of scientific truth is flawed because of economics and self interests.” Anywho, I think I did okay on the Physical Sciences although there are some parts I was confused on. Verbal was probably one of the easier sections I’ve had thus far although all my friends and classmates mentioned that it was easy for them too. So I wonder was it easier for me this time because I’ve improved my reading and guessing skills or were the passages just easy in general. I’ll find out Monday. Biological Sciences went well for the most part although again, there were a few questions I had to work on. Again, I’ll find out Monday. Today was great. I took my cousins out to watch “The Chocolate Factory” at the IMAX in downtown SJ although Christine didn’t understand it. Mags and I, on the other hand, had trouble watching it because we all sat on near the front and constantly had to look up which hurt our necks. Overall it was a good experience for me and for them I hope. I got Harry Potter crazy all of a sudden. Mags convinced me to buy the second and third books for myself while she bought the fourth one for me. Very cool. Very cool. Current Mood: amused Current Music: Motorcycles driving by...

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July 22nd, 2005

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July 16th, 2005

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July 15th, 2005

09:49 pm - And I Want to Thank You... Quote of the day: “If you do make it be a doctor, I’ll might CONSIDER marrying you.” (Careful babe, I might hold that against you in the future.) The first thing I did when I got back home this evening was recycling my over used pairs of shoes that I’ve had for the last year or so, not ironically the same time I’ve been working for my company. Now it’s finally over so now I can concentrate on MCATs whole heartedly with out messing around and get that 35 that I want/need to get into medical school. Just like Jon said, Synpep was very similar to an abusive relationship, one I kept on going back to even though I knew it wasn’t going to work out at the end. I’ve made my decision, it’s my final decision, and I’m not going to regret my decision. It’s amazing the support I accumulate from my friends, coworkers, and including my supervisors. In a way, I’ve felt I had set a bar so high with expectations equal to the task that I can’t manage to jump it. I remind myself the problem is not reaching a goal that was set too high, but reaching a goal that was set too low. And although luck and chance help bring some people to their dreams, I, like almost everyone, must rely on determination and intelligence instead. I’ve received all of your luck, from those who have read this journal and from those that haven’t. I won’t let you down. I can’t let you down. Because each and every one of you is my inspiration and my motivation and I can’t afford to fail any of you. I thank you and I love you all. Current Mood: Calm, Hopeful Current Music: None

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July 10th, 2005

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March 24th, 2004

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March 3rd, 2004

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February 27th, 2004

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