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February 24, 2006
i'll make the most of it / i'm an extraordinary machine
hello kentie!
I love data. I love data more than I love ice cream, which is saying a lot.
Part of the reason I love science is that I love data.
What fascinates me more than data from my films, is data from my life. I specifically love to keep track of my exercising. In true commitment to that love, I now possess a heart rate monitor. Prior I had a pedometer, which recorded my steps, miles (base on stride length), time, and calories. I love it, except it was never quite right. Whenever I would run faster, I would measure less mileage (even though I ran the exact same route). The stopwatch was never quite accurate because it only measured time when I had moved forward 4 steps – therefore it stopped at stop lights where I stretched. But it did enable me to push myself to a point.
The HRM is so much cooler. A strap around my chest measures and beams my HR to the watch on my wrist, which is a stopwatch that I control. I record the data when I get back. I have numbers. I love numbers.
Did I mention that I also have a heart murmur? They found it in the ER. My awesome doctor confirmed the nurse practitioner’s diagnosis that it is from running. Of course, I did a little research and found out that it is a condition called Athlete’s Heart. Of course, I laughed, as I would be the last people to say I am an athlete. After a little bit of reading (and with the knowledge from my heart monitor), I do fall into the category with my 6 days a week 1-hour dynamic (cardio) exercise. I do just barely, in my opinion. My resting heart rate is low (~60 bpm), but right on the edge between normal and “athlete’s heart). Anyways, it turns out that when your heart is in good shape, it does things that in sedentary people would mean something is wrong. Because of the amount of blood that must be pumped with each beat, the valve just doesn’t close efficiently. According to what I read, the weird things go away when you are exercising. It is interesting.
Posted by christina at 2:11 PM | Comments (1)
February 18, 2006
i don't understand about / diamonds and why men buy them
it is so cold here. The thermometer reads 4 degrees. The high in Evanston today will be 6. We are hunkered down inside, but will venture out later for the gym and dinner.
Posted by christina at 1:45 PM | Comments (1)
February 15, 2006
what's my age again
chris with the deer head he proudly displays on top of his piano.
Well, well, it turns out that I was right. I do have a kidney infection. Well, to be exact, I was more convinced I didn’t have a UTI. I was right. I saw my awesome doctor yesterday. She scoffed at the ER doctor’s analysis. She poked around and got at my right kidney from under my rib, which did hurt more than the left, so alas, kidney infection for me. It totally explains why I still had no appetite (despite on day 3 of antibiotics, uti symptoms usually clear up with the first dose). I also was still really out of it. I couldn’t focus on anything and kept forgetting things.
I feel a lot better today. I had my first good workout. Due to the illness, I’ve confined myself to the elliptical machine and did lower intensity workouts for Monday and Tuesday. I’m still ellipticaling, but today was a heck of a lot better. And per Dr. Jenny (physical therapist), I’m all about the stretching of my upper legs to stop my SI pain. I feel a lot better also – able to focus, etc.
Speaking of health care, I am horrified by this article in the Times about how much companies charge for cancer treatments. I understand how much money goes into research and how the company wants to recover that cost. This makes a good case for governments to pay for research. The cost for developing health care advances should be shared by everyone, not just the people unlucky enough to go cancer.
Posted by christina at 12:52 PM | Comments (0)
February 12, 2006
but what you've done here / is put yourself between a bullet and a target
kentie, the model
Since getting back, I had two busy days at work and then woke up Friday morning nauseous. I thought it would pass with my run. I managed the 5 miles, but it was a combo of running and walking and thinking I was going to hurl. I got back home and after much effort and resting went to school for a meeting. It was all I could manage. I had a temp before I left, I was afraid it was the flu and didn’t want to spread my germs. Plus I felt so horrible. I have to feel really bad to not go to work. This was porch boy’s first clue something was really wrong. I went to my meeting and came home to be sick all afternoon. My temp rose and I couldn’t keep anything down. About 4, just late enough to not make it back up to Evanston before the health center close, it dawned on me that I might have a kidney infection. My SI joints have been hurting really bad lately. The pain comes and goes. I just assumed that I had hurt my back. The pain had certainly gotten worse during Friday. As I contemplated the misfortune of my back pain and my stomach flu, I decided to call the on call doc who said it could be a kidney infection and that I should go to the ER, not even wait until the morning for the health center to open.
So porch boy and I spent our evening at the lovely er down that street. It was funny. I don’t have a kidney infection, but just a UTI, which just didn’t present this time with the normal symptoms. I was dehydrated (because I couldn’t keep anything down), so they gave me an iv (uck).
Saturday I felt better. I was (and am) not happy with having to stay on the couch all day for my SI joint. I want it to get better so I am staying (somewhat) put. Fever is gone, so I guess the dr. was right and it was an infection.
Posted by christina at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)
February 11, 2006
you don’t know what you got ‘til its gone
My quiet has been a function of life. Usually I post during the day while I watch some experiment. For the past two weeks, I’ve spent that time grading homeworks. I went to Atlanta on my birthday for 4 days, so I worked by butt off to get everything in order so I wouldn’t be stressed out about taking the time off. See, my problem is not that I can’t take the time off to travel, but the fact that I have to get stuff done, so two days out of the office puts me behind.
Due to the silence, I have no had a chance to gush about the new ditigial camera porch boy got from his parents for graduation. I’ve been using tom’s, and it is quite nice to now have our one. (Though tom is awesome and has given me free rein with his camera since July. JULY! That is a long time to let someone run off with your camera. He is just that awesome.) The picture at the top is one of the first. Kitty with her cute pink tonge.
Atlanta was excellent. I took a ton of pictures, except forgot to get one with Shel. Oh well. I’ll just have to photoshop us together. : ) I love how I have friendships that just pick up easily. That is the hallmark of a great friendship. There are a couple of things that make me want to move back to Atlanta – the dekalb farmer’s market, kent’s apartment complex (complete with pool, workout room, and great water pressure) all for cheapish, and Atlanta. I do love Atlanta. I also love Chicago. I would pick Atlanta, though. One would think because it was warm, but it is more because you can still live in the city and buy land. Houses that have actual yards. Chris has an amazing backyard.
Posted by christina at 4:49 PM | Comments (1)