Well, I survived several tough weeks. I planned on writing a new-year/new-semester post, but obviously the newness evolved a little quicker than I thought, so here I am finally. Rather than an entire post on excuses of being negligent, I’ll just proceed.
1. First is first, READING!
Over the short winter break, I actually did get a lot of reading done than I thought. I suppose my brain, deprived from non-technical writing, lunged onto my ever-beautiful library at home. Here is the list.
iRead:
JK Rowling’s Harry Potter Series.
Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Roald Dahl’s The Collection of Short Stories
and part of:
Jostein Gaarder’s Sophie’s World (I never seem to finish this book.)
_
I unabashedly re-read the entire HP series. Easy plot, quick read and instant satisfaction. I got into the whole audio book fad (mostly for Dr. Seuss and Roald Dahl’s children books.) over break because I traveled quite a deal (Motion sickness = my nemesis) and it allowed my tired eyes to rest. Now that school has started again, I haven’t had time to read much (five labs/week!) but science text books, of course, more notes and lab manuals, but I’m taking a creative writing class as a stress-reliever, so I haven’t completely severed myself from the dark side. Maybe I’ll post something that I wrote one of these days, so keep an eye out!
2. If I could play seer…
Last semester, I busied myself by applying to pharmacy school and trying to survive. The cacophonous and rather-blackened-out agenda paid off quite well! I’ve received interviews from all of the schools I applied, and I’m really excited about visiting them! I already interviewed with one of my top choices, and I fell in love with the school even more. Another big interview is coming up soon, so keep your fingers crossed!
Having to apply to school and correspond with the school faculty have re-convinced me of why I’m pursuing this profession. I won’t bore you by some speech, but despite the stress, the competition with the applicant pool and the countless number of exams, papers, quizzes, et cetera, I think I made a fantastic choice. Though it’s a longer course of study, I’ve been actually thinking about continuing education after, but we’ll choose the door when I see the rectangular frames.
3. Yoga
We had to do yoga in high school PE; I despised it. No joke, I thought it soporific and lame at the best. Perhaps a change in mentality, personal interest, or even age (and more wisdom, eh?), but now je l’adore! Last semester tired me tremendously in so many ways, and I decided that I would take a few more steps (or less strenuous ones) to enjoy what I have and love life for its simplicity I so often seem to miss. My friends know very well that despite my happy, and almost flippant façade, I do have a lava pool of thoughts ready to rupture… and I guarantee you that lava can be very deadly hot.
Anyways, I’ve observed that after starting yoga, I do not hyperactivate as much. I do not give yoga all the credit for this demeanor. Better time management and better stress management. Obviously, I enjoy writing, so I try to fit that in here and there (and yusssss, the blog serves as a form of anti-drug.), I started singing again, etc, but yoga does help a lot. A lot of my shoulder and back pain have been diminished, and to be honest, a lot of the time, I don’t even feel it any more. And, I promise on my secrete stash of chocolate in my room, that’s taken away a huge portion of my illogical stress.
While it’s too early for me to swoon for yoga, hopefully I can keep this calm, but happy, demeanour up this semester.
4. Anemia&Hypotension….
SUCKS! and let me introduce you to a devil: 1,3,7-trimethyl- 1H-purine- 2,6(3H,7H)-dione.
also commonly known as: caffeine. It often takes the form of coffee, Monster and cappuccinos from Starbucks.
Caffeine is obviously a stimulant; it stimulates both the nervous and the cardiovascular system (a.k.a. your nerves and your heart.) That’s why caffeine wakes you up (them β-1 receptors) and increases your heart beat. Get it? Good.
While there seems to be distrust and speculation widely held by the medical community of whether caffeine is a diuretic or not, I just say it depends on who you are. If I drink even a small cup of milk coffee, I bounce off the walls and seem to miss the toilet a lot. But if one of my guy friends (who has larger body mass) has a pot of coffee, he just continues on with his life just like any other day.
Since I don’t drink coffee often (I stay at least a mile away from energy drinks), the effects are obviously magnified on me. Though this won’t be the case for everyone, this is what happens to me. Here I present you a beautiful numbered systematic thought process:
- Caffeine intake.
- Urine output increases. The heart rate (HR) increases alongside,
- blood volume (BV) falls
- BV falls, so cardiac output (CO) decreases. The HR increases even more to maintain CO levels [the body needs a constant amount of blood flow]. **In my case, the BV decrease seems to mask the HR’s attempts…
- chest (pectoral) pain due to too rigorous heart activity. Also, due to BV decreasing, less blood to brain and anemia is magnified.
Thus, next time you drink coffee, if your anemic AND hypotensive, think again! [I obviously need to mention a disclaimer! So here's one: you're responsible for your own actions. I'm a student IN SCHOOL, and most likely younger than you are, and even if I'm not, you should follow your doctor's advice, not mine. If you do, and you stay away from coffee, etc, and you go psychotic, that is not my fault, but yours.]
But really, I think it makes sense, anyone have a better idea about my chest pain that follows my extreme caffeine intake? [FYI, I have normal heart beat, etc. Got it checked at the hospital.] The floor is open now.
