I was in the kitchen last night (but Sarah wasn't, ha she sees what I did thar) unpacking and cleaning chicken breasts, listening to Areta tell me a story. She gets to a point where I am supposed to contribute something to the conversation. There is a heavy, damp noise.
Cue awkward pause, followed by me saying faintly "...there is a chicken breast on my foot..." and collapsing into the sink.
"Questing with Wren on WoW" is actually code for "having large amounts of sex."
Love,
the girl who thinks you shouldn't knock what you've never tried.
I dropped my History class today. Between being sick this week making me fall really far behind and the stress caused by getting used to my meds, a job, an internship, two labs, and two clubs, something had to go.
Job can't go because of bills, internship can't go because I need it for my major. The clubs can't go because I live in one and would be lynched if I quit the other, and my meds certainly can't go, because it's not like I could handle myself BEFOREHAND.
So the elective went.
But the professor? She's so nice, and so understanding, and so friendly. I don't feel like I dropped her class, per se. I feel like we've broken up. "It's not you, it's me."
So now here I am, running around, and feeling like a terrible person.
Will someone please explain myself to me? XD
It used to be that when I saw "XO" I thought "aww, hugs and kisses!"
Now I automatically think of Turner Syndrome.
Thank you SO much for being an understanding person and allowing me to forego the zoo trip today. I am still ridiculously sick, and probably would not have been able to do all that walking around and still be alive for my exam.
<3!
I think I mentioned a while back that I got two new ratties, but was currently missing a camera charger, so couldn't post pics. Well, I can post pics now, so here are a couple. Yes, I am well aware that you won't be able to tell the difference between either of these two or S.T. Strange, but I don't care.
Everyone, meet Melvin and Scooter. They came pre-named, and I thought about giving them new ones, but it didn't seem right since they were given to me by a friend. "Melvin" is the one closest to my foot. He has a straight stripe down his back and no spots. His brother, "Scooter, is the one closest to the wall. He has a saddle and a stripe on his back.
They may look a lot alike, but they're really not. Scooter is the more active and adventurous of the two. He was also the one who had a tendency to leap blindly at walls when I first got him. For this reason I have nicknamed him "The Tweakmonster." I'm also going to be bluntly honest here and say that Melvin is one of the dumbest creatures I have ever met, which has made me start calling him "The Brick." (The fact that Sarah is in the background singing gleefully along to "Lump" is not making this any less funny.)
Melvin was actually the first of the pair to leave his cage voluntarily today, something which has never happened, causing me to exclaim to Sarah "Look! The Brick has mobilized!"
As far as psych rats go, they're turning into pretty normal guys. The good news is they're used to being trained, so learn new things very easily. The bad news is that they hate, hate, HATE leaving their cage, and don't understand that snuggling with humans can be a good thing like S.T. does.
Clearly they needed to be cleavage raised.
Monday: Am sick.
Tuesday: Class 9:30-12:20. Take-Home Exam Due.
Wednesday: Class 9-10, 11-12. Lab 1-5. Exam 6-8.
Thursday: Class 9:30-12:20, Lab 1-4, Exam 6-8.
Friday:Class 9-10, Appointment, Class 11-12. Essay Due.
Today was a panda hat and trenchcoat day. I was walking out of lab with Matt when I get stopped by a professor. The following conversation ensued:
"What are you dressed for?"
"Warmth."
*blink blink*
I just increased my dosage again last night, so I figure it's a good time to give another update.
Last week was hard. I flaked out so much that I bought things at the store, and the next day when I was searching through the kitchen, found things I had no idea I'd bought. (As I said last night: "It's like presents from past me!") I had a terrible time staying awake in classes for two days, my attention span was shot, and so forth. But, I started taking more careful notes in my planner, and it slowly got better.
I also had really bad swings. I went from peak mania to bottom depression in less than 24 hours. That has never happened to me, and let me tell you, it was utterly exhausting. Then the depression stuck around for three days.
But now I feel mostly okay. I upped my meds last night, and other than feeling like I got hit by a train, I seem to be doing okay.
Let's hope it sticks.
Today I was going to wake up early to shower. I really was. But then I woke up and realized that panda hats are acceptable alternatives to shampoo. So I threw on a pullover, put on the panda hat, and started brushing my teeth.
Sarah: "Good morning!"
Me: *quickly learns that sleepy panda growls while brushing teeth are bad*
Sarah: "...oh!"
Last night we read a paper about mating behaviors in toads for a paper discussion. Apparently males who are "calling" to females become so engrossed in the behavior that you can inject them or bleed them and they will not stop calling. They won't even move.
*Croak, croak* obviously means "NEEEEED SEEEEEX NOOOOOOOOW."
This day was the worst gauntlet I've run all week. Which, to me, is a claustrophobia-inducing portent of impending adulthood. After all, just a couple of years ago, life would STOP so I could have a birthday.
And now I have to work my birthday around life? When did that become fair? =/
Even though I never really wanted to be, it made me a little sad today when I realized that I would not be allowed to be an astronaut.
Then I just felt weird.
I saw the psychiatrist today, and got a doctor's note for the professor's class that I keep missing. It was all very high school.
Anyway. I'm upping my meds again. Right now I'm at 200 mg a day, and she wants me to get up to 400 mg/day. So, I'm taking 300 mg for the next three days, and then switching to 400. Pretty soon I'm going to start having to get blood draws, as well.
But, I'm not really complaining. I can tell it's working, and the side effects so far have been manageable. I'm a little worried about the way the Tegretol interacts with my birth control, since I take the stuff primarily for hormonal reasons and not for contraception. There's been talk that I may have to augment the pills with a patch. Both the pills and the Tegretol compete for similar protein binding sites, and "the Tegretol always wins," which means I absorb less of the hormones. So, back to the doctor I go for a professional opinion to see what I can do to keep my old issues under control.
I can't imagine going through this if I were in a career situation or in the middle of a serious relationship. I'm so glad I decided to go through this now, because it would only have been harder later on.
Not to say it's not hard enough now.
One of my old Bio professors ran up to me today and said "Oh! I used you as an example in my 112 class yesterday!"
"Oh?"
"Yes! I said 'now Wren's hair is purple, but not because of her genetics. Can you see the difference here?' And a couple of my students were nodding vigorously and going 'Yeah!'"
"Well, thank you!"
"No, thank you!"
Yesterday I had my first real flake-out day from the meds. I think the fact that I hadn't gotten a full night's sleep in a few days compounded it, but I seriously felt I was on Vicoden with the added bonus of being incapable of remembering a damn thing.
It was really frustrating. I don't think I can adequately explain it.
But, today I feel fine. I've been writing every little detail down in my planner, but I do feel fine.
Ad nauseum. I need my fucking insurance card by Friday the second. Please mail me my package. Give me my fucking insurance card. Please mail my package.
I called Unc on Monday. "Can you send me my package? Also, I HAVE to have my insurance card by Friday the 2nd. Absolutely have to."
"Okay. I'll ship the package overnight. You'll have it by Wednesday. And I'll send you my insurance cards and just request new ones."
Today is Thursday. I get this e-mail from his secretary:
Hey Lauren. Unc has a box full of "stuff" (not sure what all is in there yet).
I'll be packing it up today and hopefully get it out in the mail tomorrow.
Are you needing it fast? Want it shipped UPS or anything?
Also, we have requested a new health insurance card. It will be mailed to Unc' house so hopefully he gets it to me when it arrives and I'll get that to you soon as well.
Take care and let me know if you need the box quickly otherwise it will go out in regular mail.
Thanks.
NOTE TO SELF: Update this banner.