No query responses this week either. I love when they tell you "don't call or email if you haven't heard from us" and yet they don't send even an automated response that they have even received your email query in the first place! Ugh! It can be so frustrating! OK that was my rant for the day... I'm over it and calm again. Ahhhh.
38 weeks and ready to pop! Everything just feels like a chore now... washing clothes, going up and down the stairs, even bending over to pick something up off of the floor (or put socks on) requires some forethought. I can't stand too long because it gets painful and I can't sit too long for the same reason. Is this my body?! I know. I know. I'm ranting again! OK that's over.
I went in for my weekly appointment and all is well. The baby has moved out of position (head down) but that's normal my daughter did the same thing and then she moved back into position before I delivered.
With my daughter I delivered drug free. No epidural. No induction. It was just me, the baby, my husband, sister, mom, nurses and doc. We did pretty well even though I know my mom and doctor didn't think I could do it. I have to tell you it is one of the most empowering feelings I have ever felt. One of my nurses told me that she had been in obstetrics for 20 years and she could count on one hand the mothers she cared for who went drug free. It was funny because towards the end when it got really painful all the nurses were like a cheering section saying things like "You can do it!" and "You're almost there!" I know they probably say those things all of the time but I think they really wanted me to stick to my plan. My doctor (who is wonderful by the way) was skeptical (but supportive) probably because he had heard so many women say they didn't want drugs and then they caved at the last minute. But I know when it was all over he was really happy with how things went. With this pregnancy he has been a lot more supportive since he knows I mean business! LOL!
My husband always knew I could do it. He was there through the last 3 years of my graduate work and he attended my Ph.D. dissertation defense. And although all of that seems irrelevant to having a baby... he saw me go through the wringer at that time and accomplish one of the most difficult things I had ever set out to do. So he knew I had it in me. It just took the good old "pressure cooker" to bring it out!
All and all I'm happy with my decision (since I lived through it) and I plan to have a drug free birth with this baby too. It helps having already been through it but it doesn't make the whole idea any less scary.
My daughter had her 1 year check-up with the doctor this week and all is well with her! Her doctor was very happy with her growth and progress. She walked from me to my husband for the doctor which shocked both my husband and I. Usually she won't leave me for anyone but it was like she knew she had to perform and she did what she had to do. It was very sweet and I know my husband felt good knowing that she left me for him... finally!
And here's a bit of science we all can relate to... Brain Freeze (and yes, it seems that is the technical term for it).
Brain freeze as we all know occurs when we are eating or drinking something very cold or frozen like a Slurpee or ice cream. Suddenly you stop drinking or eating and you rub your head feeling the pulsating pain and cursing yourself for allowing it to happen.
Researchers were able to map the what happens using brain imaging instruments. It turns out that the pain is caused by the anterior cerebral artery one of the two main arteries that supply blood to the brain. Because the brain must always be working it is highly regulated by the body including its temperature. Eating or drinking something very cold can cause the temperature to drop. This triggers a rush of warm blood into the brain to bring the temperature back to normal. Hence the sudden and painful "Brain Freeze". It goes away after a minute or so but you have to appreciate the quick response of the body and the protection of one of your most vital organs.
I know what your thinking... why exactly would anyone spend grant money on this type of research?
To answer your question... The reason this is such an important discovery is that it allows scientists to examine what occurs in the brain during these short and easily induced episodes. This research can then be applied to more important and painful problems like migraine headaches. Migraines usually occur without warning and can be crippling.
Well that's all for this week! I hope we all learned something! :)
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Showing posts with label query response. Show all posts
Showing posts with label query response. Show all posts
Friday, April 27, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
All Eyes On You
Hello Everyone!
I want to be as realistic with blogging as possible and let's face it I can barely post once per week let alone twice. So I'm going to change up my scheduling to once per week with new posts appearing on Fridays. I apologize if this inconveniences anyone but I'm pretty sure once I have my second child life is just going to get more hectic. I figure I may as well nip this in the bud now especially since it's all still very new.
I have not received any feedback on queries in the last week but I'm sure just my mentioning will anger the query gods and I will get my rejections soon! LOL! I'm taking it all in stride. I've decided to hold off on writing this month. I really want to focus on building my platform as a writer. And with my daughter, pregnancy, April challenge and everything else life has thrown at me I just don't have the time or energy to start a new novel. But don't despair I have been jotting down ideas as they come to me so I haven't stopped writing just slowed down some.
The April Platform Building Challenge from the My Name Is Not Bob Blogsite has us writing a blogpost today. So thank goodness for that at least I can stay on track for this Friday! The challenge is in day 19 and I am behind on days 15 & 18 mostly because I haven't been feeling that well due to allergies & my pregnancy.
I went to the doctor on Tuesday and everything is progressing well. I am in week 37 (or 34) as of today! That means baby is full term and I will deliver soon (hopefully)!
Since I have been slacking in the science department the last few posts I am making a point to add it in to this blog...
A bionic eye? That's what they're calling it. That's right! Look out 6 million Dollar man, we're on our way!
The Monash Vision Group in Australia is a multi-disciplinary group made up of computer scientists, engineers and medical researchers. The group has mounted a camera on a pair of glasses. The camera can view images and send them to a chip that is surgically implanted in the brain. The chip has 650 electrodes as thin as a human hair. At this point the eye will produce low resolution black and white images. Which is a stepping stone to the future of visual implants.
This type of device is targeted at people who once had normal vision but because of disease (retinitis pigmentosa or macular degeneration) or trauma to the eye can no longer see. These people are the focus (no pun intended) because they were able to see at one point in their lives and therefore it's easier to get feedback on what they can see using the device. Based on this research, future devices may be able to help people who were born blind as well as for other brain impairments.
There are other researchers out there that are trying a different method of stimulating the eye using chemical drug delivery. That is when an implant that contains drugs will release the drugs over time to stimulate the receptors of the eye allowing the person to see. This research is very important as its success will make possible implantable chemical drug delivery devices for neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's just to name a few.
This research is near and dear to me as it was the focus of my graduate research work. I tested new and classic biomaterials for use in implants such as this one. The research is ground-breaking and the broad potential use, as you can see is very exciting.
Find and connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Like me on my Facebook FanPage!
I want to be as realistic with blogging as possible and let's face it I can barely post once per week let alone twice. So I'm going to change up my scheduling to once per week with new posts appearing on Fridays. I apologize if this inconveniences anyone but I'm pretty sure once I have my second child life is just going to get more hectic. I figure I may as well nip this in the bud now especially since it's all still very new.
I have not received any feedback on queries in the last week but I'm sure just my mentioning will anger the query gods and I will get my rejections soon! LOL! I'm taking it all in stride. I've decided to hold off on writing this month. I really want to focus on building my platform as a writer. And with my daughter, pregnancy, April challenge and everything else life has thrown at me I just don't have the time or energy to start a new novel. But don't despair I have been jotting down ideas as they come to me so I haven't stopped writing just slowed down some.
The April Platform Building Challenge from the My Name Is Not Bob Blogsite has us writing a blogpost today. So thank goodness for that at least I can stay on track for this Friday! The challenge is in day 19 and I am behind on days 15 & 18 mostly because I haven't been feeling that well due to allergies & my pregnancy.
I went to the doctor on Tuesday and everything is progressing well. I am in week 37 (or 34) as of today! That means baby is full term and I will deliver soon (hopefully)!
Since I have been slacking in the science department the last few posts I am making a point to add it in to this blog...
A bionic eye? That's what they're calling it. That's right! Look out 6 million Dollar man, we're on our way!
The Monash Vision Group in Australia is a multi-disciplinary group made up of computer scientists, engineers and medical researchers. The group has mounted a camera on a pair of glasses. The camera can view images and send them to a chip that is surgically implanted in the brain. The chip has 650 electrodes as thin as a human hair. At this point the eye will produce low resolution black and white images. Which is a stepping stone to the future of visual implants.
This type of device is targeted at people who once had normal vision but because of disease (retinitis pigmentosa or macular degeneration) or trauma to the eye can no longer see. These people are the focus (no pun intended) because they were able to see at one point in their lives and therefore it's easier to get feedback on what they can see using the device. Based on this research, future devices may be able to help people who were born blind as well as for other brain impairments.
There are other researchers out there that are trying a different method of stimulating the eye using chemical drug delivery. That is when an implant that contains drugs will release the drugs over time to stimulate the receptors of the eye allowing the person to see. This research is very important as its success will make possible implantable chemical drug delivery devices for neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's just to name a few.
This research is near and dear to me as it was the focus of my graduate research work. I tested new and classic biomaterials for use in implants such as this one. The research is ground-breaking and the broad potential use, as you can see is very exciting.
Find and connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Like me on my Facebook FanPage!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Query Cherry Popped
OK so getting on here daily seems to be a problem right now. But I shall overcome or at least try for more than once a week. I have found the time now only as my saintly husband is getting our daughter ready for bed.
So here's the deal... I received my first query letter rejection today! Yes folks my proverbial cherry has been popped! I know it won't be the last but as in losing your virginity it's nice to get the first time over with! I cannot and will not lose hope that someone somewhere will think this 108,000 word rag is worth a damn. Ah well sweet success will be mine although I may have to win the MegaMillions for it to happen!
As far as the family... my daughter is one week shy of turning 1 year old! So exciting! I know. I never in a million years thought that a child turning 1 could be so wonderful. But like my mom always told me... "It's different when it's your kid!" She was right!
My pregnancy is now in the 33rd week. Time has flown by but the aches and pains are definitely there EVERYDAY to remind me that the big day is fast approaching. So far everything is going well and normal and hopefully it will stay that way. Fingers crossed!
On the science front, it seems that they have found a blood test that will determine if a person is going to have a heart attack. This can be determines up to 2 weeks before it happens. I will keep this as layman as possible... apparently there are cells in the blood that if the majority are malformed than it can indicate a coming heart attack. Currently they can only determine if you had a heart attack or are having one. They will be working on this new blood test for the next couple of years to get it approved for use but WOW! What a discovery!
In the future they are talking about a nanosensor that can be implanted into your vein to detect the abnormal cells and then send an alert to your phone. As someone who worked on biological implants I think it is awesome. Although I would prefer the alert be sent to my phone and my doctor's. Because, let's face it we all don't heed the warning signs in our lives... even if they're in plain sight!
So here's the deal... I received my first query letter rejection today! Yes folks my proverbial cherry has been popped! I know it won't be the last but as in losing your virginity it's nice to get the first time over with! I cannot and will not lose hope that someone somewhere will think this 108,000 word rag is worth a damn. Ah well sweet success will be mine although I may have to win the MegaMillions for it to happen!
As far as the family... my daughter is one week shy of turning 1 year old! So exciting! I know. I never in a million years thought that a child turning 1 could be so wonderful. But like my mom always told me... "It's different when it's your kid!" She was right!
My pregnancy is now in the 33rd week. Time has flown by but the aches and pains are definitely there EVERYDAY to remind me that the big day is fast approaching. So far everything is going well and normal and hopefully it will stay that way. Fingers crossed!
On the science front, it seems that they have found a blood test that will determine if a person is going to have a heart attack. This can be determines up to 2 weeks before it happens. I will keep this as layman as possible... apparently there are cells in the blood that if the majority are malformed than it can indicate a coming heart attack. Currently they can only determine if you had a heart attack or are having one. They will be working on this new blood test for the next couple of years to get it approved for use but WOW! What a discovery!
In the future they are talking about a nanosensor that can be implanted into your vein to detect the abnormal cells and then send an alert to your phone. As someone who worked on biological implants I think it is awesome. Although I would prefer the alert be sent to my phone and my doctor's. Because, let's face it we all don't heed the warning signs in our lives... even if they're in plain sight!
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