Waterlogged

Check out this slide show from the floods in Georgia.

Your Flooding Pictures .

Brain Freeze

I’m finally done with Anatomy & Physiology! Today was the final for A&P 2. I studied my butt off for the past two weeks and managed to get a 93 on the written portion of the final, an 88 on the lab portion. The written portion is the biggie. After failing the final for A&P 1 and dropping my final grade from an “A” to a “C”, I am super pleased with this quarter.  My final grade for this quarter was an 89.8. I’m a little disappointed with that… I mean .2 away from an “A”. But I was determined not to fail this final. It has been on my mind for the past three months. So even though I got a “B” in the class, I got my “A” on the final.

I had told myself on the way to the school that if I passed, I would treat myself to a Chick-Fil-A milkshake. These things are so good, they could be illegal. I hesitated afterward, I’ve been trying to behave, but I went and got my reward anyway. Of course I drank it down so fast I repeatedly got a brain freeze.  I would wait until it passed and then do it again.  I can’t help myself, these things are so good.

I’m Working My Way Back

I’ve been absent from here for a while for a few reasons: school, life, and a bit of a “funk” I have landed in. This one has been particularly bad. I guess the reality and uncertainty of everything finally caught up with me. I’m really not sure what triggered it. One day I seemed fine, and then suddenly I was experiencing some severe anxiety. I couldn’t sleep no matter what I tried. I was getting maybe one of two hours a night. If you’ve never experienced insomnia, it’s kind of like getting the rug pulled out from under you. It’s a vicious cycle. The less sleep you get, the more you know you need sleep. The more you think about it, the less sleep your gonna get.

It finally got bad enough that I listened to my wife and went to see a doctor. She was great. Not like doctors I’ve experienced in the passed. She actually took time to talk with me and not just hand me a prescription and boot me out the door.  Oh, I got the prescriptions too (one for sleep, one for anxiety\depression). But talking things out with someone really helped as well.  I looked into getting some counseling, but under our current situation we can’t afford it. But the medicine seems to be helping a lot, anxiety level is way down. I have good days and bad days, mostly good. I wish I could say my sleep was back to normal. It is better. I’m at least getting five to six a night. There is something about 4 am though, I seem to wake up at 4am like clockwork. Not sure what that’s all about.

Things are looking up. I’m doing well in Anatomy & Physiology this quarter. Despite this little episode I’ve still managed to keep an “A” average. I also got a part-time job. Something I’m looking forward to. I know this may make studying a little harder, but I think I need to get back into the workforce (even if it is only part-time).  Football season has started. That is always a mood lifter for me. Although as a lifelong Atlanta Falcons fan, that can change in a hurry.

I almost forgot; I quit taking my pain management medication. I feel great. My back actually feels better now that I have kicked the pain meds. I think the weaning process may have intensified this funk, but I am so glad to be done with that crap. I have also managed to lose 12 pounds, which is good for the old back. Partly because I lacked any appetite for a couple of weeks. But now that the appetite has returned I am making an effort to make better choices in my eating.  Next step is to increase the exercise.  The lack of decent sleep is making for low energy levels though. But I’m going to try and do it anyway and maybe that will help with the sleeping.  I just gotta make myself do it.

All that said, I’m glad to be back.