Six Weeks and Counting...

Most of the midterms are finished. I got one more this week, plus a big ecology project. There is always some homework I have to do.

I'm happy only six weeks are left of my college education. It's a nice feeling. I'm betting that I'll be feeling something even better in six weeks.

Right now, I have no plans of what I'm doing after these six weeks. I'm not going to worry about that either. I still have six long weeks of school work, so that is my focus.

Once I have passed this "finish line," I know another one will be in front of me. And I'll be doing my best to finish the race well, just like I always do. That's how I know I'm an American - I never stop working. ;)

Time to get back to work again.

Not Yet

Well, it's that time again.

School's almost over. I'm staring down the barrel of it now. Only nine days left before I finish everything school-wise for another year and get to head home again.

It's usually about this time of the year anyhow where I'll start thinking about how I've done over the past school year. Things like - Did I do my best? Did I get enough sleep? (which is always a no. *grins*) What did I accomplish? What did I learn? Am I ready for next year?

After thinking and remembering a bit, this is what I find.

I believe I did do my best. It's all I can do. Whether my grades show it or not, I know I worked hard, really hard. I got three more finals to go, so can't quit just yet. I'm still gonna study hard for those exams and get through it all. Whatever happens happens.

Oh, I never get enough sleep during the school year. One day I think I'm all caught up, only to lose it the next by getting about four hours of sleep. Weekends are just the time for me to catch up a little bit, but it's still not enough sometimes. Sooner or later though, I'll get back some of that sleep.

I completed another school year. That's a good enough accomplishment for me. Plus I turned 20. :)

I probably learned a lot school-wise. I'm thinking though that by the time I finish my finals, I won't remember much about the textbook facts I had to learn. They seem to have a way to disappear during the summer. But I also did learn to have a little more fun. What's life without a few laughs?

I don't want to think about next school year just yet. I better finish this year off first. Then I want to enjoy summer for a while. Don't have much plans for it except to travel a bit, watch TV, read some books, play some golf and hang out with my family. It should be fun. I'm really pretty sure about that.

So, nine days of school left for me. Three finals to study for. One dorm room to pack up.

Then it's home for me. My best car will get me there.

Summer's almost here.

But not yet.

Note to Self...

Umm, just a little warning first - this is going to be something of a rant. I'm not one to complain most times, but this is something that needs to be said to keep my sanity in a way.

Now, I've been quiet for a while, haven't I? Hmm ... I got a good reason if that helps. Well, I try to have a good reason or at least a reason for everything I do. And I'll explain things here as much as I can.

Back to the heading...

Note to Self - Beware of Pills.

And so I begin.

During my Spring Break, I went to the doctor for a checkup on a few health issues. I was given some antibiotics to take at the time and referred to a "specialist" to see a few weeks later. I took the antibiotic as instructed. I decided to take them in the morning, for that's when I take my vitamins and the occasional if necessary Tylenol. Lo and behold, the health issue started to get better a little bit by the end of my Spring Break.

I went back to school for a week then came back home on that weekend to watch my brother in the high school play, My Fair Lady. He was good and I enjoyed it. Drove back to school Sunday afternoon. Monday morning, I woke up with a bad sinus infection. And I was taking the antibiotics at the time.

Now, around this point, I was beginning to have a slight stomachache every time I ate something. I kind of ignored it at the time, thinking it wasn't anything major. I've had ulcers before and I tend to like some spicy food, such as barbeque sauce with a cheeseburger, so I wasn't really concerned with it as I was with the sinus infection.

Nevertheless, to fight off a new health issue, I began to take some more medications, mostly Sudafed and Tylenol, but being very careful with how much I took and when I took it. After a few days, that stomach problem got worse and the sinus infection would not go away. By the end of that week, both issues got much worse.

I stopped taking the antibiotics and eventually got off the Sudafed and Tylenol as well as the vitamins. I stopped everything, being content to just let my body heal itself. At this point, I could not eat very much anymore. I mostly had to stay on liquids and take chances once in a while to eat a little something when I was hungry.

Second week went by. Much of the same continued to happen with the stomach yet the sinus infection was slowly disappearing.

I had that doctor appointment with the "specialist" coming up and that occurred at the end of the second week. So, I came back home again. Saw the doctor for a short time and got some new prescriptions to try, one of them being a new antibiotic. When I mentioned my stomach problems, he merely told me to wait a few more days before taking his prescription, but I should be alright. Heeding the doc's advice, I went to the pharmacy to pick up my new prescription to start on in a few days. I waited around a bit and they were ready. The pharmacist began giving some basic instructions about the prescriptions. When she got to the new antibiotics, she said to not to take it with any dairy products or vitamins or any other medications. I think she said something more, but I can't remember at this point.

Now, the antibiotics I was taking is the same variation of the new ones. Yet the instructions I just received were not given to me about the first antibiotics. Just to clarify, I asked if the same instructions applied. She said yes. I then asked what would happen if the antibiotics were taken along with what it was not supposed to be taken with and mentioned my stomach problem as well.

It turns out I burned a hole in my stomach.

Not a hole literally. But the insides of my stomach have been "burned" in a way. And every time I eat something, acid is produced like normal to aid digestion, but the acid keeps the wounds from healing, keeping me from being healthy again.

So, I'm now on my third week. I still have a burned stomach. I've lost over 10 pounds. I'm hungry, but cannot eat anything without pain. I'm very reluctant to take any more medication because that is what got me here in the first place. And school never stopped to allow me to take a rest for a moment.

I'm sick of the sickness that I feel. It's a mystery to me.

Note to Self ... Beware of Pills. Always!

Ahem. Thank you for listening if you stayed with me this far.