Jazzine

So, I realized it's been a while (ok, a *long* while) since I updated my journal.....time to catch up, right?
For those of you who have noticed the lack of my postings, there's a very good reason...actually several reasons, and they involve technical and time issues.
the technical: my pc is dying. As in "dig a grave and bury the damn thing already" dying. This shouldn't surprise me really, it's 4 years old after all. In the world of computers, that's like "older than dirt" LOL. It was a great system 4 yrs ago, and I could run pretty much any program/software I wanted, but not now. Poser and Daz are both a lost cause, and even Photoshop is painful to navigate. The polar ice caps melt faster than PS works
But there's light at the end of the tunnel...(or is that a train) - actually the hubby has pretty much promised me a new pc next month OMG!!!!! YAY!!!!! and I am super excited about itFinally I will be able to render again, and I can't wait!!!! However, part of the reason he is agreeing to a new pc, is also due to reason #2, the "time" part....

the time: I am going back to school - I know you just went "wait...WHAT?!?!" And don't you say *one word* about how old I am!!LOL. Besides, I've prolly already said it myself . But yes, at the (cough)tender young age of 51(cough) I am going to school. Sort of. I'm actually doing what's known as "distance learning". Meaning, I am doing it online. (If you ask me, it's a fancy way of saying "thank God we don't have to look at your ugly face in a room every day and put up with your piss-poor attitude" LOL.) And man am I learning a lot.....like... what in the world made me think this would be so freaking cool?? lol...... and like.... it's a lot of work!!!
What am I studying, you ask? Awww, thanks for asking!!. It's called "medical coding" and I am really enjoying it (hard work aside). Basically, coders read the patient's record from a hospital or doctor visit, find every single service and procedure that occurred during the visit, and converts that information into codes which are then sent to (a)places like insurance companies for payment, and (b)health organizations like Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization, for statistical purposes. It's a pretty big deal, and rather more involved than I initially thought. Errors are not well received as you can imagine, so there is really a *lot* to learn. Coders need a thorough understanding of the health record's content, as well as anatomy and physiology of the human body (think: lots of really strange words that are hard to pronounce lol- freaking Greeks!). They also study diseases, and must know how it started, what are the symptoms, how is it treated, and what's the prognosis. And then there's the drugs...almost an entire course on pharmacology alone. The job is more than simply looking up a medical phrase in the coding manuals or with software. They also have to be knowledgeable of state and national guidelines concerning payments (think: Medicare and Medicaid) and are the ones who are directly responsible/accountable if fraud is ever suspected (think: who goes to jail first lol). But I am absolutely loving it!! I started 2 months ago, and have about 7 or 8 months left to go. (It normally takes 12 months or more, but I am devoting full time to the studies, in order to finish sooner, and because I have the time.)
And what are my grades you ask? Gosh you're so sweet to ask..... I have an A average, tyvm!!

Soooo.. my plate is full, but a new pc in the wings, and a new job on the horizon....I'm thinking life aint half bad right now, ya know??