October 27th, 2006
Love is like a hemorrhagic type of stroke
It has a sudden onset. There's rupture of arterioles that leads to hemorrhage. Either you'll have a good or a bad prognosis. Either you'll die or live with mild residual deficit. But then at some point in time, you'll still be left paralyzed, hemiparetic, numb, agnostic, apraxic or even blind. It's all up to you on how you deal with this illness. Either you live and accept it. Or forever neglect it and be devastated.... - a text message from Lau. 
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This news is already a day and 2 weeks old. But for those who have been out of my text-and-email circle, I'm gonna post my announcement here: I made it to the Neuro residency program in PGH. Whoopee!!!! Special thanks to Poline, my harbinger of good news. She texted me the day before but I held off sharing it until I have received the official announcement from the Neuro department. And thankyouthankyouTHANKYOU so much to everyone who prayed for me and texted/emailed me words of encouragement (esp Lexi, Phoebe, Maffy,Therese & Rod Rod, Lau, Dennis, jptan, Ate Grace). God is soooo good!
This is the second major request I asked of Him this year and He hasn't failed me (the first being the medical boards of course!).
I really wasn't expecting I'd make it to the program, especially after the interview which I thought I botched up. It was (at least) a 12-member panel, the biggest panel I ever had to reckon with (there's even more of them than all my previous other interviews combined). I was seated alone in the middle of the room, on one side of a long table, and there they were, all on the other side, ready for the kill! They weren't threatening, but there was enough intimidation in numbers.
And I was very anxious because this is a pivotal point in my life, this is THE REST OF MY LIFE! Becoming a neurologist was one of more certain things I have ever wanted in my life; much more than Bio; more than med school, more than having a boyfriend (right now).
I'm glad I didn't have to go through the whole soul-searching experience. I knew what I wanted. But it was also scary. Because I would be heartbroken if it wasn't meant to be.