Waste

18 December 2008: My first thought on this sunny, birthday morning was: i'm 27 years old - this sucks.

My next thought was: it's Thursday - my morning workout day. And I felt better.

I find my mood is more affected by my activity level, less by the weather. I've come to believe in the power of perspiration, not precipitation. So, I sweat. And I smile.

On Skype, I update mom and dad with my birthday goal:
- J: At 27 years old, I should have a 27 inch waist.
- M: You should be 127 pounds!
- J: What?! Mom, at the end of high school I was 148 pounds and in fine swimming shape...

- M: No, at 127 you'd be svelte.
- J: I'd be bones!
- D: Bones and svelte...

image from: espion

Precious

10 July 2008: Krissy (high school classmate and volleyball teammate) has been diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS).

MDS is a primary bone marrow condition, where her bone marrow does not produce normal blood cells. The condition is otherwise known as "preleukemia".

Typically diagnosed in 60+ year old men, Krissy is a vibrant 25 year old woman. Her treatment requires a bone marrow transplant. Complicated still by needing to find a tissue match given her mixed Asian and Caucasian heritage.

Attached, please find her letter to high school classmates and an article in the newspaper. She is calling for people to register with the National Bone Marrow Transplant Registry.

I am going to register, if I can from overseas. Details of the registration, commitment, and donation procedure can be found here.

Much love and good health.

Love,
Jackie

image from: krissy

Front

05 July 2008: Happy Birthday Small!

I plowed my 4wd through the snow and up the hills to join in the celebrations. The wind was howling - and so was I - with crippling back pain.

Sadly, I will have to hang up the bicycle this week.

image from: geoftheref

Welcome

03 July 2008: Happy Birthday baby Oscar!

Congratulations Mama Stephanie and Papa Frank!

image from: Frank

Crackpot

27 December 2007: I'm lying on my pack, in the rain, at dusk, clutching my injured knee on the bouldered banks of the Wanganui River Valley and this guy is talking to me about lemons.

Lemons are what you don't want to add up - the gambling equivalent of hitting all cherries or 7's - winning you the outdoor disaster jackpot. My knee is no slot machine, but I did hear it bling, ring, and pop!

Now faced with the decision of turning back or seeking shelter, I recalled a quote by the great philosopher, Yogi Berra, who said: If you come to a fork in the road, take it.

So, that night, I chose to continue on - though the rain, darkness, and swollen rivers to Hunters Hut.

Many hours and a few more lemons later, Andy (Colorado, Astronomy PhD candidate) and I bivouacked before an impassable river crossing. Maybe tomorrow, we'll get to the hut and make lemonade.

Image from: jackie (bivouac shelter)

Belly

2 November 2007: 2nd day in Leeds with Frank (BioMechanics Post-Doc, Philadelphia) and Stephanie (Yoga Instructor, Ohio).

After a morning at Frank's lab at the University of Leeds and a wandering walk to Hyde Park - I rested in the afternoon doing yoga for the first time, ever before the "hat party" tonight.

Frank showed me yoga push ups and four other moving or holding shoulder poses. It was quite tiring, so I was thankful the routine actually concluded with a "yoga nap".

Anyway, it was during that time I felt and explosion in my belly chakra. I disregarded it as gas...

However, when I told Frank, he notified me we were doing Aura yoga, which does target the electromagnetic properties of the gut! Who knew.

As a yoga instructor, Stephanie was delighted to hear of my experience.

Note

28 September 2007: Sunrise and run at Angkor Wat temple.

Highlight of the day was my 10 AM lunch and nap. I woke up in a hammock with a puppy guarding me.

Favorite temple of the day was Banteay Srey - red stone and beautifully maintained carvings. It was also a refreshing drive through countryside and rice fields.

On the route back I stopped at Sras Srang waterfront. Turns out it is beside the archway I found shelter from the rain yesterday. The market girl spotted me immediately asked me what I wanted to buy (key words emphasized).

She made offers in her Jamaican-sounding accent and so did I:
- I want to buy Cambodia.
- I would nev-ah sell ma kon-tree.

After looking at the waterfront site I returned to her market stand. She approached me with a pair of trousers. Incessant this one.

I met her whole crew. She did most of the talking for her group, then suddenly spoke Khmer to point out out my blood donation band aid. Her mom looked up at me slowly, stood up, and offered me her chair. The girl noted: for free...

Images from: jackie

Friends

26 September 2007: I would give my blood, and more, to Angkor Hospital for Children.

The hospital serves 350 children each day - free of charge. They treat upper respiratory infections, dengue fever, emergencies, surgeries...

Arun Sinketh (Public Relations) gave me the tour - starting with the machine shop run by Va Morgan. I also saw their medical training facility, outreach center, in-patient ward, out-patient ward, IC unit, surgery, laboratory, waiting hall, kitchen...

It's a small facility with only x-ray and ultrasound, but Angkor Hospital for Children provides a great service to all Cambodia. This year they had to face a greater volume of patients with dengue fever - for some reason an outbreak happens every four years, the last in 2003.

I saw a tiny 26 day old child being treated for upper respiratory infection - the most common medical problem of patients at the hospital. Va told me how to wish the child good health in Khmer.

And I donated blood. Turns out my blood type is in high demand - it's even the same type as the nurse who collected my blood.

Afterwards I met up with Mark (British chef and IT) for an afternoon trip to Tonle Sap lake.

The first thing his driver said to me was that I look like a man. (Maybe I am a spy.) I told him to be nice - I gave blood today.

He then thanked me and said that was a very good thing - I could help his daughter. Good, I thought, maybe she would consider me a blood brother.

Image from: jackie

Shot

28 August 2007: Last bits of my world travel plans are coming together - one day at a time - like my typhoid vaccine pill.

Tetanus, polio, typhoid, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria... Destination: Cambodia.

Melt

12 August 2007: Family field trip to Wicked the musical at the Pantages theatre.

While reading the book I became intrigued with Elphaba's relationship with other women characters. Besides Elphaba/Glinda, my particular interests focused on the connection with her mother, Melena.

I found their mother-daughter relationship so caustic, I suspect Elphaba's aversion to water began during her gestation - burning in the fluid of her mother's womb...

Image from: *sean

Care

Had the worst pain I've ever experienced in my life this afternoon.

Diarrhea, cramps, abdominal pain, sweating, went pale. I nearly fainted.

Went to the UCLA hospital emergency room. They didn't take a stool sample (high cost, low yield) - instead, they gave me a pregnancy test.

Turns out I'm not pregnant.

Image from: suzanna