The third installment in this year’s medical updates….

My 3rd bleomycin treatment with Dr. Berenstein was a nice excuse to experience Manhattan in October. (You can read about the treatments in my first recap here: “Continuing my Medical Journey“)

Though the timing was not ideal (I left the day after my GRE and missed 3 midterms plus a group presentation…oops!), I was fortunate enough to have understanding professors who accommodated my medical schedule. 24 hours after finishing the graduate school admissions exam, I was en route to New York City and reunited with my mom after 2 months apart.

The Lorelei to my Rory!

Flying over North Carolina was glorious. There were little neighborhoods nestled in the masses of thick green trees, unlike the brown grids we see flying into SoCal, Phoenix, and New York. And the Charlotte airport – it had white rocking chairs. I wanted to stay forever.

We made the best of Sunday with a Broadway show (Wicked!) and dinner at Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain. Living on my own, I rarely ever cook meat. Maybe once a month. So I went away from my norm and got a pork chop with yummy sweet potatoes mixed with plantains and greens. I think I impressed the waiter when he came to take away an almost perfectly-clean plate ;)

Monday morning meant time to check into the hospital….the actual purpose of our East Coast holiday. The typical routine proceeded. I’m under anesthesia the entire process as Dr. Berenstein monitors the facial nerves while tracking the bloodflow in the network of blood vessels. He injects small doses of bleomycin into the veins, which will kill them and their branches over the next 6 weeks. 48 hours after leaving the hospital I was headed back to school, ready to take 2 more of my midterms. No rest for the weary. :)

The night before we left New York again, my mom and I had dinner at a restaurant on the corner of our street on the Upper East Side. Couples, families and friends filled the tables around us, and the overwhelming majority were in their own little bubble, glued to their smart phone. It was a sad sight to see couples sitting across from each other, silent, faces lit up with the blue glow of their screen, thumbs numb from scrolling up and up, completely oblivious to the people right in front of them. I love the convenience of having my phone, especially for taking pictures. I check my SportsCenter alerts and my Instagram feed daily. But honestly, seeing how detached we look when our heads are pointed down towards that brick in our palm makes me more conscious about the amount of time I spend mindlessly pushing buttons.

It’s HOMECOMING WEEKEND and this sports marketing intern has some work to do. :)