kapachino

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  • Circle Journal

    I was so excited to pick up the mail yesterday and find this box:

    Box

    And inside it:

    Journal

    This is a journal that three of my best college friends and I began in 2003. Angie, Julie, and I gave it to Becca for her birthday that year. They had recently graduated (I was a year behind), and we would no longer live close by each other. The idea is for one person to write in the journal and then mail it to the next person. Eventually it gets back to the person who started with it and another round begins.

    Here is the inside cover, where we posted a picture of us with directions of how to use the journal. We also keep stickers there along with other miscellaneous things from time to time.

    Cover

    It’s the most fun when we put in pictures and other little things like that, and when we make notes in the margins of each others’ entries in response. Although we do keep up with each other through e-mail, some phone calls, and the occasional visit, the journal is infinitely more fun. I have to say that we aren’t always the best at keeping up with it, some of us keeping it for up to a year at a time without sending it on, but we try, and it is so worth it.

    Here is an example of a page I entered back in 2006:

    Inside

    I encourage you to give it a try! For more information and ideas, visit the Circle Journey website.

  • A Hard-Earned $45

    I had a big day lined up today. After my morning class I planned to eat a hearty meal and then donate blood at noon, after which I was going to walk over to Baylor College of Medicine to have an MRI for cash. When I told David about this latest experiment he just said, “Oh Kat,” and smiled. He’s made his protests, and now he’s coming to terms with our differences.

    Anyway, I ate the hearty meal as planned – a huge ham and provolone sandwich on a croissant, a banana, and two chocolate chocolate-chip cookies. I then meandered over to the blood drive to begin the screening process. At this point I was nervous about the whole blood-giving experience because I have had issues in the past, and I was already feeling bad with a headache and cramps. Also, I have an important soccer game tonight which I still planned to play despite my cells being drained of their oxygen source. Because I’m tough like that.

    So I began the screening process. My vitals were good: pulse 60, blood pressure 102/70, temp 97.2. Yes. I got my finger stuck and my iron level was 39. On a roll! Now all the questions…no, I don’t have HIV, hepatitis, hemophilia, or anything of the like. No, I haven’t had sex with a man who has had sex with a man. No, I haven’t paid for sex. I got hung up on the travel questions. In 2006 I went to a small town in Mexico that isn’t in the database. We spent approximately ten minutes figuring out what state it’s in, enlisting the help of a supervisor for this process.

    I was getting worried at this point that I would be late for my MRI, but after about thirty minutes of screening I was told that I can’t give blood for a year because of the unlicensed bird flu vaccine that I received the other week. My gift of life was denied. Should I worry that I had an unlicensed bird flu vaccine last year as well and donated blood three times without reporting it? Nah.

    After this disappointment (although I was secretly relieved) I walked over to the neuroimaging lab. After a bit of waiting and paperwork I was loaded in to the MRI machine. First came a quick 10-second scan. No problem! Then I waited…and waited. This was a group study, and apparently the others were having issues with their scanner. I am still having cramps during all of this. After more than enough time had passed, I began a 4 1/2 minute scan so that they could get my basic structure…or something like that. This one was extremely loud and sounded like some kind of emergency alarm that gave me the serious urge to exit the building NOW. It also gave me the serious urge to vomit, because the magnetic field was so strong. I had to implement controlled breathing exercises to make it through that one. Afterwards, a voice asked me, “Are you comfortable? We want you to be as still as possible for the rest of the experiment.” Um, no. I am decidedly NOT comfortable, I am dreading the actual experimental scan (30-40 minutes! Torture!), and as soon as someone tells me not to move, that is ALL I want to do. But I replied “Sure,” with only a hint of sarcasm.

    More waiting, and then it was time to begin. I was going to be playing a computer game against another person while they scanned me. This was to try to discover something about the brain and how people work together. I would explain the game to you, but it’s probably not interesting to 99% of the people reading this. But I guess I did alright on it, because I earned an extra $15 for my performance. Add to that the $20 flat rate for being involved in the study and the $10 extra they gave me for being a “good sport” with all the waiting, and I have myself 45 big ones. You may not think it was wort it, but to me it totally was, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

  • Pictures of Life

    Just wanted to share with you a few random images from the past week.

    Here is the bulletin board at my school:

    Bulletin

    This is where I discover new clinical trials to take part in. Currently I’m involved in a 7-month bird flu vaccine study, and I’m also scheduled to go play some computer games while having an MRI done on Wednesday.

    Here is Cleo playing with Riley, one of the dogs I pet-sit:

    [Video lost. Sad.]

    They got along great, and as you can see Cleo was not intimidated by Riley’s size. But unfortunately the two of them together caused a little more trouble than either of them on their own. The victims were two wooden chess pieces and a portion of a very nice floor rug.

    Here is David and I on our Good Friday fishing trip:

    Fishing Trip

    We had a great time, and David caught 5 trout, but I came away with a sunburn on my thighs and some very chapped lips.

    Well, I’m off to work a clinical shift. Happy Tuesday, everyone.

  • Spring Break, Where Did You Go?

    Dear friends,

    Hello, how is everyone doing today? I’m great, thank you. The internet is still not working at the house I’m staying at, so I’m writing from school. Today I have a test, a quiz, a presentation, and a paper due. I’ll be glad when it’s all over.

    Since I haven’t been able to be in touch, I’m going to let you in on what has been going on with me. I guess I’m somewhat stressed out with all the stuff going on in my life, because lately I’ve just been crying at random times, over something that seems trivial. But I haven’t cried in the past two days, so things are looking up!

    I finally found the perfect place to have my wedding, which is a huge relief. It’s called House Plantation, and it’s a home built in the 1890’s which was remodeled to hold events. It’s old but not run-down, antique but not gaudy. It’s beautiful, can accommodate all our guests, and the owners are flexible with letting us bring in any services from the outside that we want. Having this place makes me excited about planning the wedding again. Also, this means we finally have a date set – October 3 – which makes the whole thing seem more real.

    So back to the whole crying/stressed-out thing. I think part of that had to do with the fact that I really needed a spring break and I didn’t get one. Yesterday I was supposed to work a clinical shift (I have 3 more to do), but then I realized that I hadn’t studied for my test, I needed to finish preparing for my presentation, and I was on the verge of a breakdown. So I decided to do the unthinkable for me – give myself a day off.

    I didn’t leave the house yesterday, and it was great. Even though I slept horribly because three dogs all wanted to be in the bed with me, I got all my studying done, ordered pizza and watched a movie with David, had some time to relax, and got to bed early. And it turns out that Friday, which I was planning to work, is an office holiday. A forced day off! So David and I are going fishing in what is supposed to be perfect weather. This week is so much more of a spring break than last week, even if I do have all the school stuff due.

    Well, my presentation is coming up, so I’d better get going. I’ll try to be in touch again soon!

    Love,
    Kathleen

  • Technical Difficulties

    So I’m house-sitting and the internet isn’t working very well. I had to drive home tonight just to submit an assignment that was due by midnight, but my roommate double-locked the door so I couldn’t get in. Fortunately the wireless is working outside the apartment, so I am currently sitting on the concrete in front of my door. Lovely.

    Anyway, I hope to get it sorted out tomorrow and be back in touch with you.