This has been an interesting week for me. It’s been a roller-coaster ride, emotionally. My daughter has been sick and, due to a compromised urinalysis, we were in and out of the hospital for a couple of days. The “stick test” at the doctor’s office kept showing elevated glucose levels, but the battery of blood tests and additional urine tests at the hospitals read normal. We ended up taking her to Primary Children’s Hospital, the top pediatric hospital in the area. After several hours of various tests, they concluded that she had intestinal flu and sent us home. That certainly distracted me from school a bit, but I’m doing my best to get back into the swing of it.
One highlight for me though was in my biology lab. We had another teacher substituting, and we were doing experiments with enzymes under various conditions, including pH. One group of students was having difficulty with some of the pH tests, particular the acidic ones. I made the off-hand comment that we do the acid test if someone wanted to go pee in a cup. You know; uric acid and all. The sub got a weird look on her face and said, “That might be interesting. I’ll be back.”
I can’t believe it. I never thought I’d be able to say that I got a professor to go pee.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
My Body Says No
I feel like crap.
I don’t know if I’m burning the candle on both ends, or what, but I just don’t feel good. I think I may have had another bout with my gall bladder early Monday morning, and I’ve just not recovered. I just don’t have any energy, even a day later. I missed my Monday classes, not to mention work, and I’ve got another chemistry test coming up Wednesday. I’m thinking I may need rest right now as much, if not more than, I need study.
Ick.
I don’t know if I’m burning the candle on both ends, or what, but I just don’t feel good. I think I may have had another bout with my gall bladder early Monday morning, and I’ve just not recovered. I just don’t have any energy, even a day later. I missed my Monday classes, not to mention work, and I’ve got another chemistry test coming up Wednesday. I’m thinking I may need rest right now as much, if not more than, I need study.
Ick.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Affirming Meeting
I just got back from a meeting at BYU with Dr. Christopher Lepisto, ND. He was acting as a rep for Bastyr College, a college of natural medicine in Seattle. While the meeting was mostly what I expected, a Q & A session and presentation geared at recruiting students to Bastyr, it was also very informative.
The biggest part of it, though, was how it helped affirm the path that I’ve chosen, going back to school in pursuit of a medical career. Oddly enough, it helped me affirm my choice in doing Chiropractic first, and then pursuing an N.D. second. I’m not sure why, but it really did.
It really reminded me why I’m drawn to so-called “alternative” medicine, even though I’ve got a bit of a scientist lurking in my make-up. I firmly believe that our current medical system is broken. These poor MD’s are being asked to do too many things these days and, in too little time. To top it off, much of their continuing education is provided by pharmaceutical companies that have their own agendas. Medicare and Medicaid are broken, as is the medical insurance industry.
Something needs to be done that is more cost effective for patients; a medical model that helps people to improve and maintain their health, so they can reduce their chances of having to deal with major pathologies later on. I believe that a more holistic approach, one that integrates prevention with crisis management, is the answer.
The biggest part of it, though, was how it helped affirm the path that I’ve chosen, going back to school in pursuit of a medical career. Oddly enough, it helped me affirm my choice in doing Chiropractic first, and then pursuing an N.D. second. I’m not sure why, but it really did.
It really reminded me why I’m drawn to so-called “alternative” medicine, even though I’ve got a bit of a scientist lurking in my make-up. I firmly believe that our current medical system is broken. These poor MD’s are being asked to do too many things these days and, in too little time. To top it off, much of their continuing education is provided by pharmaceutical companies that have their own agendas. Medicare and Medicaid are broken, as is the medical insurance industry.
Something needs to be done that is more cost effective for patients; a medical model that helps people to improve and maintain their health, so they can reduce their chances of having to deal with major pathologies later on. I believe that a more holistic approach, one that integrates prevention with crisis management, is the answer.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Curious Professor
Dr. S., my chemistry professor, must have gotten curious about me. After class he called to me and asked, “John. What work do you do?”
Now, I really don’t like my current job. In fact, it’s kind of embarrassing to me in some ways. So I told him, “I work in Sandy.”
“Yes,” he smiled, “but that doesn’t answer my question.”
“I’m an internet business mentor. I call people on the phone and help them set up business websites. I really don’t like it, though,” I sheepishly replied. “I’m curious, what made you ask?”
“Well, I guessed you are about 38 years old, and must have been working for several years.”
“Good guess. I’m 39. I’ve already got a Bachelors degree in music composition, I’m just changing careers.” I left out that this was the second career change for me.
“Really? Well, we’ve got to keep our dreams alive. Was my question to personal for you?” he asked.
“Not at all, I’m just curious what makes people think, ‘I wonder what makes this guy so weird.’” I joked.
“Oh, no! I don’t think you’re weird. I just wondered. Like I said, we need to keep our dreams alive.”
I like Dr. S. He’s a good teacher and he knows his stuff. He’s done some pretty important health science stuff in his career as a chemist, and I’ve learned a lot from him.
Like Dr. S., I wonder about me, too. Am I really keeping a dream alive? I’m not sure. Maybe going back to school is a knee jerk reaction to the events of my life these last few years (getting laid off, finding my career outsourced overseas, and my annual income cut by one third). I think the truth may be more that I just got scared about losing one career path, and have decided to rekindle a path I had started when I first started going to college, not believing I could make a career out of music. I’m also pretty passionate about health care, though, so maybe there is more of a driving force than just fear.
Maybe I’m not keeping a dream alive as much as I’m resurrecting one.
Now, I really don’t like my current job. In fact, it’s kind of embarrassing to me in some ways. So I told him, “I work in Sandy.”
“Yes,” he smiled, “but that doesn’t answer my question.”
“I’m an internet business mentor. I call people on the phone and help them set up business websites. I really don’t like it, though,” I sheepishly replied. “I’m curious, what made you ask?”
“Well, I guessed you are about 38 years old, and must have been working for several years.”
“Good guess. I’m 39. I’ve already got a Bachelors degree in music composition, I’m just changing careers.” I left out that this was the second career change for me.
“Really? Well, we’ve got to keep our dreams alive. Was my question to personal for you?” he asked.
“Not at all, I’m just curious what makes people think, ‘I wonder what makes this guy so weird.’” I joked.
“Oh, no! I don’t think you’re weird. I just wondered. Like I said, we need to keep our dreams alive.”
I like Dr. S. He’s a good teacher and he knows his stuff. He’s done some pretty important health science stuff in his career as a chemist, and I’ve learned a lot from him.
Like Dr. S., I wonder about me, too. Am I really keeping a dream alive? I’m not sure. Maybe going back to school is a knee jerk reaction to the events of my life these last few years (getting laid off, finding my career outsourced overseas, and my annual income cut by one third). I think the truth may be more that I just got scared about losing one career path, and have decided to rekindle a path I had started when I first started going to college, not believing I could make a career out of music. I’m also pretty passionate about health care, though, so maybe there is more of a driving force than just fear.
Maybe I’m not keeping a dream alive as much as I’m resurrecting one.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Lastest Test Report
I got the results back from my latest Chemistry and Biology tests. I’m rather pleased with myself, I have to admit. Sure enough, I bombed the last question in my chemistry test (I only got half of it right), but I think I can pat myself on the back a bit when I say that I got every other question on the test right. So I still got 94%. I did better on my biology test than I expected, as well. I only got docked a few points (I missed two questions on the multiple choice because I didn’t read the question thoroughly, and I only got 8 out of 10 on one of the essay questions) so I’m sitting at 96% for that test as well. Not bad for a guy who was scared out his gourd he’d do badly. Of course, maybe it was that fear that led me to study as hard as I did.
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