Fletcher Allen Health Care

Lots has happened since I last wrote. Ski season officially ended here in Vermont, I have been on some mad bike rides and got a sweet farmers tan. More on that in another post. I signed up for some crazy ass Bikram Yoga through work, went and saw a few good movies and have drank way to many margaritas…More on this in another post as well. Other than that things have been very slow for me the past few months.

Back in March I got sick with an infection and the other day was my millionth trip to the Doctors, mind you this could have all been avoided and everything could have been resolved on the first trip. I am going to play out my last trip to the doctors:

Mrs. Doctor “hi Ilke, how are you today?”

Me (with a puzzled look on my face) “why do you ask me this question? If I was good I wouldn’t be here right now and no one ever likes to hear you are doing badly…next time can you just say Hello Ilke, HOW CAN I HELP YOU TODAY?”

So we had a bad start…

It only gets better. I of course go into my rant that I have told them several times, and talk way more than I want to about the stuff going on in my body when they have me do all the same tests I did last time.

The end conclusion is they gave me the wrong antibiotics…THREE TIMES! And that now I need to try a fourth.

I am not sure at this point what to think or what to do, I am guessing it’s not very good to be in antibiotics for two months and on top of that…how does Mrs. Doctor know if this is going to be the one to cure me? Than my doctor says: “You should feel better tomorrow.”

BING…I SNAPPED! How many times have I heard that? Every single time I got handed a prescription I was told “you will feel better tomorrow!” What? You just randomly shooting me with antibiotics? When you left to go look at the test results, did you open up the cabinet, close your eyes and randomly pick another drug? OR...Fletcher Allen, do you just sell the drug of the day?

Let me tell you something Doc…I better feel better tomorrow, otherwise I will be hunting down your practice for the 2+ grand this has cost! So much money for no resolve…how can this be…how can this be ok?

If I were to have performed the same level as my doctors have been I would've gotten FIRED!

Visit VT Photographers

Shane McConkey

Biathlon and EABC in the New York Times

Have Rifle, Will Travel (on Skis)
By KATIE ZEZIMA
Published: March 12, 2009
A small but growing number of amateurs in the United States are taking an interest in biathlon, a sport that combines cross-country skiing and target shooting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/fashion/12fitness.html

Stowe Derby

Yesterday started off with a bang, as I almost missed the start of the Stowe Derby. My day started off a little late and with some bad driving conditions to registration. I arrived at registration at 9:30...with a 10am race start time. On my drive I figured this would work out great and I wouldn't be sitting a the top of the mountain freezing waiting for my start. But when I arrived at registration I found out I had a very high seed...number 33...with all the fast men. The pressure was on, not only to race fast but to get to the start on time. I would say this is where my warm up started...I sprinted to my car, and drove as fast as I could to the mountain(rally racing in the wrx). Once I got to the mountain I stripped down to my race suit and sprinted to the lift line, once I made it to the lift I knew that if I didn't make the start now it was out of my control. Lucky me, arrived with three minutes before the start of the 75th annual, 2009 Stowe Derby.

At the start I felt good, my skis were very fast and tracked through the deep snow really well...especially at high speeds. I tucked in behind two men, at the start and I let them pull me down the hill, we raced together very well through the fast turns. I managed to make it down the toll road, with only one crash!

Then the climbing starts, and we all know that all the time is made and the race is won, on the climb and the flats. Yesterday was a good day for me, as I kept up with the men in the climbs and drafted as long as I could, powering hard with V2 on the flats. Before I knew it I was skiing on my own, dropped by two of the top skiers in my start but no one in the waves be hind me catching me. I took the fact that I wasn't being passed as a good sign and kept skiing as hard as I could. I finished strong and started to get worried about the girls behind me...I knew I was the first girl to start and that there were a few really fast ladies in the waves behind me. To ease my nerves, after the race I headed straight back to the mountain for some downhill skiing. The powder was AMAZING!

It's an honor to have a Derby win...one of the biggest, funnest races in North America! The best part of the Derby, by far, are the stories, of crashes, wax, broken equipment, snow conditions, other athletes and fans along the way.

One last note on the Derby; THANK YOU to the helpers out there that made this race possible!

Off the MAP

Where have I been these past few months?

WORKING

On a good note, I still have a lot of work to do and it doesn't look like it is going to slow down anytime soon.



Don't worry, I still have my out of control hobbies and interests, that I am working on. When I am not at work I am keeping busy with my coaching, ski racing (all for fun now) and photography. I will have some skiing updates after the Stowe Derby next weekend, so you'll have to wait out for that. If you check out my Flickr you can see what I have been up to, a little shooting of some Biathlon races, ski races, work in New Orleans and shooting a bowling birthday party bash!

yikes

It has been a long time...working to hard and not skiing enough. As for interesting things going on in my world; I just got back from New Orleans, you can check out some of my shots here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ilkevg/