Got Stress?

I do! I do!

I don't know if it's the ever-closer end of the school year, the fact that I'm anxiously waiting to hear back about the internship I applied for, or the fact that I have to figure out how to live in Seattle on $100 a week if I do get the internship, but I am stressed.

So, of course, I turn to the faithful Internet to figure out how to deal with it. If you're feeling like I am, perhaps this will help you too.

I searched Ladies Home Journal online for some common and not-so-common stress busters.

Some soothing habits that I already knew about include: yoga, taking a bubble bath, lightening your work load, going on vacation, getting more sleep, and drinking tea. But, they also had some tips that might surprise you. They say sex is a natural stress reliever. Also forgiving a grudge and practicing religion can reduce stress. I guess shuffling off your responsibilities into the hands of someone else- god or other, would help reduce stress. They also suggest something called biofeedback, where "sensors are used to measure your temperature, muscle tension, or heart rate and translate them into lights or sounds."

Something I like to do to relieve stress is to take a shower, change my sheets, and put on clean pajamas and new socks. A clean start and a good night's sleep can make you feel very refreshed.

I also searched Better Homes and Gardens online for foods that contain vitamins and minerals that naturally reduce stress.

They say, the best stress fighting foods contain zinc, iron, folic acid, antioxidants, and B-vitamins.

They suggest a diet containing asparagus, beef, milk, cottage cheese and fruit, almonds, blueberries, tuna, and cornflakes or crispy rice cereal.

I suggest not eating all of these at the same time.

To read the facts on each of these foods click HERE

My visit to the gastroenterologist

After giving in to my concerns about the black vomit I had several weeks ago I went to see a gastroenterologist.
I checked in and began filling out my medical history before I was called in to the examination room. Once there the nurse asked me what was wrong with me. It told her all the things I had filled out on my medical history, and then she left. Shortly after the doctor entered and after a quick glance at the computer started asking me more questions about what was wrong with me. Now I know it's important to ask questions to so that they can get a good idea of what is wrong with me, but do I really have to tell them three times! By that time I was feeling very much like I was in an interrogation room.
Tears started streaming down my face, and I can only assume that the doctor thought I was very upset about my health, but in fact I was feeling threatened and frustrated. Finally he took me out and had another nurse take my blood. Tears were still streaming down my face so the nurse treated me like I was hysterical about getting my blood taken. I didn't mind so much. It was nice to have someone try to soothe me.
My blood was taken to see if I had a bacteria that causes ulcers to grow in the stomach. Since I don't smoke or drink that was the only reason I would have an ulcer. The test came back negative and the doctor came to the conclusion that I had retched so hard that I caused my esophagus to bleed a little bit-the black substance. He then assured me that I'm a "healthy young girl." While that may be true, I'm now not so sure that I don't suffer from social anxiety disorder. :)

Unhealthy Hormones

Harmful hormones are in many things we use every day, and they are leading to decreased birth rates, increased birth defects, and increase of many other diseases and disorders like cancer and diabetes.


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The cherry on top: my roommate has pink eye

My morning greeting was thus: "Hey Kanani, you better wash your hands a bunch, because I have pink eye."
Oh great.
She had pink eye a few years back and she was able to contain it to herself. I'm hoping that remains the case this time around. I'm very concerned though, being a wearer of contact lenses. It may be smart of me to wear glasses the rest of the week.
The scientific name is conjunctivitis. According to Medline Plus the symptoms of conjuntivitis are:
Increased tearing
Eye pain
Redness in the eyes
Gritty feeling in the eyes
Itching of the eye
Blurred vision
Sensitivity to light
Crusts that form on the eyelid overnight

In order to decrease the spread of conjuntivitis:
Keep your hands away from your eyes.
Wash your hands frequently.
Change pillowcases frequently.
Replace eye cosmetics regularly.
Do not share eye cosmetics.
Do not share towels or handkerchiefs.
Handle and clean contact lenses properly.

Oh no... I can feel my eye welling up already. Let's just hope that's my hypochondria kicking in.

Moldy=Bloody?

So I told my friend, the Biology grad student, about my black moldy vomit situation. He immediately told me that it wasn't mold, but in fact blood. According to him and also CNN.com when you vomit blood that has been in your stomach for a while it appears black or dark brown.
Possible causes are:
Peptic ulcers
Internal inflammation
or Cancer
Needless to say, I will be checking in to WSU Health and Wellness as soon as possible.

The Moldy Truth

I woke up early Monday morning with a horrendous stomach ache. It hurt so bad that it made me vomit.
I guess I should post a warning now that this post might be a bit graphic.
So I dry heaved for a while and finally this black stuff came out of me. As bad as I felt I was interested enough to take a closer look. What was floating in the toilet looked like what could be chunks of food with black mold growing on it.
According to an academic website pertaining to exposure to environmental hazards when mold is accidentally ingested it can cause irritation to the digestive system resulting in nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and dehydration. All of which I was experiencing.
Although I don't remember ingesting mold, I did recently throw away half a loaf of bread because it was moldy. I guess it's possible that I could have eaten some moldy bread without knowing it.
Inhalation of mold is also very dangerous. For tips on how to eliminate mold in your house click HERE.