Mid-Semester Update
Hi All,
It is crazy to think that the semester is halfway over! Also, Facebook reminded me that I started at the call center a year ago today (feels like so long ago at this point but it has only been a year). A year later, I am attending a masters program for biology, substituting, and overall, thriving in being able to reach my goals. Has it been easy? No. Is it worth it? Absolutely.
My courses are going better than I would have ever imagined. With the exception one exam I freaked out on (but it only delayed me by 15/20 minutes but I was able to show what I knew after the fact) but I have done better with less anxiety on tests and have breezed through all of them so far! I went back on proper treatment for the ADHD/OCD to overcompensate less in an academic sense. Surprisingly unless you noticed my quirks or running around - I do very well (grades, I am on-time, motivated, etc) but there were issues that were hidden. I was doing all the things I knew I could do without treatment, exercise (Running is a huge thing for me to feel in control), educating, proper nutrition & sleep, support networks, and being open. But it wasn't enough - especially when I can be fine and stress from other things would periodically lead to a cycle of obsessive-compulsive behaviors that were hard to manage. Also, ADHD is not just a developmental issue, it affects your nervous system as well. For example, I thought it was normal to feel 'tired' after studying or focusing on something longer than I wanted to - leading to an insane amount of coffee. Also, not only is there the tiredness, but I struggle with restless leg syndrome (I had a professor figure this out in undergrad because I always seemed to be bouncing in the seat & tired a lot). RLS and ADHD are related to dopamine... and ADHD hyperactivity has been shown to be related to the motor cortex (overactive) and your body does become adapted to being sedentary or active - making it harder to adjust your body's physiological response when you change activity levels.
I have also learned a LOT so far in these classes. I have learned about streams in ways that are opening my scientist mind - I know how substances and other factors affect our systems (I am very human biology inclined even though I have an interest in the environment - so it is always good to learn about other things in the ecosystem and our relation to them) but it also cascades to the ecosystem level. Medical entomology is interesting as well. I am interested that there are many insects that affect animals with diseases such as tapeworm, American Horse Fever, infectious equine anemia, and so on. Plot-twist that I never connected until this course, many of the epidemics, Black Plague, Yellow Fever, Malaria, Typhus, and others have changed the course of history. Yellow Fever (the one that influenced Laurie Halse Anderson's novel "Fever 1793") affected the Panama Canal construction and affected Philadelphia's population in 1793. Malaria used to occur in the U.S. until the use of DDT was used (and surprisingly affected the bed bug population as well - there were not any cases from 1945-1950). Typhus affected Napoleon's army, wiping out many people. I am sure I will learn more as we continue through the rest of the semester. Also, random facts: beetles can be toxic, Drosophila isn't necessarily a "fruit" fly but rather a vinegar fly, people can have psychoses of insects/spiders, and flies & beetles are useful for forensic purposes and can have a positive spin on the environment. Lastly, I can't forget about parasitology - I took parasitology as an undergraduate but I didn't have a course that was pathology-based. This is a course that I know (selectively - I mean the worms are a bit rough to stomach when thinking about) some basics but not how extensively they can affect a person and in what ways. I have learned that Chagas disease leads to inflammation in the heart that occurs years later and can become a chronic illness. Malaria, which is a problem in other countries, has different strains that affect different red blood cells (mature, immature, both) and can penetrate into the red blood themselves. Leishmania is another one that is interesting since there are various strains, one leads immunity, one can initially cause disease and come back later causing worse symptoms (like syphilis, varicella, etc), and one strain goes deeper into the internal organs. Resistance and parasite load are important for all of these as well. Taking this course also allows me to appreciate that we do have a high level of sanitation, health care, and more preventative measures to not acquire some of these diseases (especially preventable ones like schistosomiasis, Chagas, flukes, etc).
And... on the thesis front... things are going... It was ideal for me to have start over the summer but I needed to be working to save money (it was also the best at the time). And I delayed picking places for research and then when it came to go and see a few I was out of commission with illness... so here's to hoping this following Monday works out weather wise. I have completed one grant, have one I will be working on, and scholarships to weed out (and I did get one from my church too, which was nice). I have my research ideas hashed out -- doing the tick collections, with tick drags, carbon dioxide traps, and something else. I know I will be preserving them and ID'ing them morphologically (which this sounds a lot like my undergraduate experience but with ticks) and then doing molecular work (not sure if I will use PCR, western blot, or ELISA or what specifics at this point. I did the grant related to the field work). I am hoping find out if the areas I chose have a high coinfection rate (with Lyme, Lyme and Babesia, Lyme and anaplasmosis, or all three - even if there are other pathogens that can co-occur wtih Lyme) - this would be interesting to find especially the southern part of CT has a higher number of Lyme diseases and coinfection rates but not as high in Hartford County. Plus Lyme disease has been an interesting conflicting disease from misdiagnosis, the disease being comorbid with other diseases, and even perceptions of it in our society.
In other news, I have been substitute teaching in the county I am. I have subbed for Spanish, preschool, 3-5th grade, and as a floater (which was cool because I got to see the use of STEAM to help teach the students). I have so far stayed with 2 schools and many of the children are so loving. The magnet school I subbed at has kids that are always excited to see me while the other school has students that recognized you since it is a smaller school. I also got the chance to meet an adorable little girl who made my day a few weeks ago and I was happy to see her yesterday. I have been told by students I should be a 'real' teacher (if only they knew that I am planning on being a professor one day), that I am not like the other subs because I don't yell at them (I mean I raise my voice to get attention because some don't listen but it isn't putting the student down or making them feel bad, its about keeping the consequences but being there for them), and young children are generally very loving and will compliment you (younger kids are brutally honest). I feel like this is good place for me to be working currently, yes I get everyone has the preconceptions of substitutes - but at the end of the day I want to be a positive influence, a familiar face, and open to being the person who shows they truly care instead of it being something I have to do instead of being it for the kids).
Other than that, I have been running on and off, am EXCITED for Christmas (I mean gives me something to look forward to haha), and I have been helping my peers with studying - which I have a natural knack for leadership I guess... I had one girl from my parasitology class reach out to me because I gave a quick spiel in class about something and I was familiar (which is a requirement for me and the other grad student is to contribute where we can), people from my stream ecology class asking about the lab and test, and yesterday notes on mosquitoes from medical and vet entomology. I also I am getting over sinusitis, ear infection (never had one since I was probably a toddler (but don't actually know - I was a very healthy kid) - but likely is because of allergies leading to congestion), laryngitis (for about a week; but I least found this humorous - because my roommate did see me and heard me and threw her off & I squawked at several people including my advisor (who asked me to repeat myself which I absolutely abhor - then was told no offense you sound terrible - haha )) and hormones. I would just love to be able to hear but the rest has improved a lot.
Onward with the rest of the fall semester... and insects, parasites, streams, and kids!
It is crazy to think that the semester is halfway over! Also, Facebook reminded me that I started at the call center a year ago today (feels like so long ago at this point but it has only been a year). A year later, I am attending a masters program for biology, substituting, and overall, thriving in being able to reach my goals. Has it been easy? No. Is it worth it? Absolutely.
My courses are going better than I would have ever imagined. With the exception one exam I freaked out on (but it only delayed me by 15/20 minutes but I was able to show what I knew after the fact) but I have done better with less anxiety on tests and have breezed through all of them so far! I went back on proper treatment for the ADHD/OCD to overcompensate less in an academic sense. Surprisingly unless you noticed my quirks or running around - I do very well (grades, I am on-time, motivated, etc) but there were issues that were hidden. I was doing all the things I knew I could do without treatment, exercise (Running is a huge thing for me to feel in control), educating, proper nutrition & sleep, support networks, and being open. But it wasn't enough - especially when I can be fine and stress from other things would periodically lead to a cycle of obsessive-compulsive behaviors that were hard to manage. Also, ADHD is not just a developmental issue, it affects your nervous system as well. For example, I thought it was normal to feel 'tired' after studying or focusing on something longer than I wanted to - leading to an insane amount of coffee. Also, not only is there the tiredness, but I struggle with restless leg syndrome (I had a professor figure this out in undergrad because I always seemed to be bouncing in the seat & tired a lot). RLS and ADHD are related to dopamine... and ADHD hyperactivity has been shown to be related to the motor cortex (overactive) and your body does become adapted to being sedentary or active - making it harder to adjust your body's physiological response when you change activity levels.
I have also learned a LOT so far in these classes. I have learned about streams in ways that are opening my scientist mind - I know how substances and other factors affect our systems (I am very human biology inclined even though I have an interest in the environment - so it is always good to learn about other things in the ecosystem and our relation to them) but it also cascades to the ecosystem level. Medical entomology is interesting as well. I am interested that there are many insects that affect animals with diseases such as tapeworm, American Horse Fever, infectious equine anemia, and so on. Plot-twist that I never connected until this course, many of the epidemics, Black Plague, Yellow Fever, Malaria, Typhus, and others have changed the course of history. Yellow Fever (the one that influenced Laurie Halse Anderson's novel "Fever 1793") affected the Panama Canal construction and affected Philadelphia's population in 1793. Malaria used to occur in the U.S. until the use of DDT was used (and surprisingly affected the bed bug population as well - there were not any cases from 1945-1950). Typhus affected Napoleon's army, wiping out many people. I am sure I will learn more as we continue through the rest of the semester. Also, random facts: beetles can be toxic, Drosophila isn't necessarily a "fruit" fly but rather a vinegar fly, people can have psychoses of insects/spiders, and flies & beetles are useful for forensic purposes and can have a positive spin on the environment. Lastly, I can't forget about parasitology - I took parasitology as an undergraduate but I didn't have a course that was pathology-based. This is a course that I know (selectively - I mean the worms are a bit rough to stomach when thinking about) some basics but not how extensively they can affect a person and in what ways. I have learned that Chagas disease leads to inflammation in the heart that occurs years later and can become a chronic illness. Malaria, which is a problem in other countries, has different strains that affect different red blood cells (mature, immature, both) and can penetrate into the red blood themselves. Leishmania is another one that is interesting since there are various strains, one leads immunity, one can initially cause disease and come back later causing worse symptoms (like syphilis, varicella, etc), and one strain goes deeper into the internal organs. Resistance and parasite load are important for all of these as well. Taking this course also allows me to appreciate that we do have a high level of sanitation, health care, and more preventative measures to not acquire some of these diseases (especially preventable ones like schistosomiasis, Chagas, flukes, etc).
And... on the thesis front... things are going... It was ideal for me to have start over the summer but I needed to be working to save money (it was also the best at the time). And I delayed picking places for research and then when it came to go and see a few I was out of commission with illness... so here's to hoping this following Monday works out weather wise. I have completed one grant, have one I will be working on, and scholarships to weed out (and I did get one from my church too, which was nice). I have my research ideas hashed out -- doing the tick collections, with tick drags, carbon dioxide traps, and something else. I know I will be preserving them and ID'ing them morphologically (which this sounds a lot like my undergraduate experience but with ticks) and then doing molecular work (not sure if I will use PCR, western blot, or ELISA or what specifics at this point. I did the grant related to the field work). I am hoping find out if the areas I chose have a high coinfection rate (with Lyme, Lyme and Babesia, Lyme and anaplasmosis, or all three - even if there are other pathogens that can co-occur wtih Lyme) - this would be interesting to find especially the southern part of CT has a higher number of Lyme diseases and coinfection rates but not as high in Hartford County. Plus Lyme disease has been an interesting conflicting disease from misdiagnosis, the disease being comorbid with other diseases, and even perceptions of it in our society.
In other news, I have been substitute teaching in the county I am. I have subbed for Spanish, preschool, 3-5th grade, and as a floater (which was cool because I got to see the use of STEAM to help teach the students). I have so far stayed with 2 schools and many of the children are so loving. The magnet school I subbed at has kids that are always excited to see me while the other school has students that recognized you since it is a smaller school. I also got the chance to meet an adorable little girl who made my day a few weeks ago and I was happy to see her yesterday. I have been told by students I should be a 'real' teacher (if only they knew that I am planning on being a professor one day), that I am not like the other subs because I don't yell at them (I mean I raise my voice to get attention because some don't listen but it isn't putting the student down or making them feel bad, its about keeping the consequences but being there for them), and young children are generally very loving and will compliment you (younger kids are brutally honest). I feel like this is good place for me to be working currently, yes I get everyone has the preconceptions of substitutes - but at the end of the day I want to be a positive influence, a familiar face, and open to being the person who shows they truly care instead of it being something I have to do instead of being it for the kids).
Other than that, I have been running on and off, am EXCITED for Christmas (I mean gives me something to look forward to haha), and I have been helping my peers with studying - which I have a natural knack for leadership I guess... I had one girl from my parasitology class reach out to me because I gave a quick spiel in class about something and I was familiar (which is a requirement for me and the other grad student is to contribute where we can), people from my stream ecology class asking about the lab and test, and yesterday notes on mosquitoes from medical and vet entomology. I also I am getting over sinusitis, ear infection (never had one since I was probably a toddler (but don't actually know - I was a very healthy kid) - but likely is because of allergies leading to congestion), laryngitis (for about a week; but I least found this humorous - because my roommate did see me and heard me and threw her off & I squawked at several people including my advisor (who asked me to repeat myself which I absolutely abhor - then was told no offense you sound terrible - haha )) and hormones. I would just love to be able to hear but the rest has improved a lot.
Onward with the rest of the fall semester... and insects, parasites, streams, and kids!
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