Little voices

Sometimes I feel like I have a little voice. Maybe it’s because I am a little person. :-) But really, sometimes I feel like people just aren’t listening when I have something important to say. I got into three separate debates this week with three separate people where I felt like my side was not just being heard at all. Maybe I also tend to surround myself with wonderful, stubborn friends. :-) But it’s made me wonder how many other little voices are around me that I’m ignoring. Maybe they have something important to say, too. Hmm, food for thought.

Spring break has been amazing. I can hardly believe today is the last day of it! My best friend from home flew down to see me for an amazing four days, and then was St. Patrick’s Day, some relaxing, and some SXSW fun. The four days with my hetero-lifemate went too quickly…we had such a great time and tried to pack in as much as we could (still some things she def needs to come back to do!). It was so good to see her, too. We’ve known each other since we were three, but now with our work and school schedules we’re lucky if we get to see each other more than two or three days out of the year. Four days in her nonstop company was total bliss. :-)

The best SXSW night was when two friends and I biked downtown to a hip-hop gathering. Not only did I get to see the Blue Scholars perform, but I also got to meet them and grab a photo with Geo!!! I was honest-to-Godly shaking from the adrenaline rush after that….I was freaking out with my friends, and just totally pumped up for the rest of the night.

The walk back to our bikes was amazing – 1:15 a.m. and the streets were maddened with music shows, young people, older people, costumed people, hippies, hipsters, weirdos and freaks…you name it. They shut the streets down from traffic because there are so many people. Everything felt so animate and young. I love this city!

A great spring break indeed. I hit the ground running tomorrow (heavy duty anatomy test on Wed, lab on Wed, and scholarship application due Friday), but no worries. I feel like I got the most out of my time off and am ready to conquer classes again.

Yoga wise, I’m at about the same place I was last entry. I took a break while my friend was visiting, and have been doing the same routine I usually do since then. Have been practicing king pigeon pose against a wall, and have gotten my head to touch the floor. My quads still scream at me, but I can feel the muscles lengthening and retaining muscle memory every time I go back to try it.

Working on mastering it, as well as crow pose (...damn you crow pose!). I have weeny-butt arm-balance capabilities and can hold it for about 4 or 5 seconds before I topple onto my face, but I shall conquer you, crow pose! (below)

Bauer!!

I swear I just saw a guy on campus who looks like Jack Bauer.

I watched him for a few seconds, waiting for him to do something ninja-y (he didn't...but maybe that's because he's here undercover).

Badass. :-)

Spring Break (almost)

Woohoo! It's almost spring break! This is going to be awesome...this is the first true spring break I've had since I was a senior in college. One of my best friends from home is coming to visit for a few days, and I decided not to go anywhere for the second half of break...partially to save money, partially give myself time to truly decompress from a crazy semester, and also...SXSW! 'Nuff said. :-)

As with all spring breaks, the prelude to it is pretty killer. I've got plenty of work to keep me busy until my friend's plane lands on early Friday, but I think the build-up only makes the liberation only that much sweeter.

Tummy has still been iffy. I had a bunch of tests that came back fairly normal, so I'm on another new med, with a follow-up appt scheduled in a week and a half. The good news is that I've been feeling well enough to practice a little yoga. I pushed myself a little on Saturday with more headstand attempts and some serious back-bending poses, and was paying for it (in a happy "hurt-so-good" way) on Sunday. It feels great just to be moving again. I biked to school this morning, but felt really ill after 2 miles. I'm dying to go running, but I think I'm going to wait another week or so before I try doing that. I hope since I was doing 3-4 miles just a few weeks ago once I get back into the groove my endurance will bounce back quickly.

Ah well. Patience. Patience. Patience.

*breathes deeply*

Anywho, I've noticed my strength and flexibility have improved since November (when warmed up enough, I can touch my toes!! This is big for me...I have horribly tight hamstrings and an atrociously tight back...so yay!). I feel like I'm going through a little growth spurt in my yoga practice and plan on starting a yoga blog where I can just write about my daily practices: the good, the not so good, and everything in between. It will be fun and fascinating to look back in a few years and read them, and watch as I grew/struggled/achieved into....well....whatever I am in a few years down the road, haha. I'll probably do the same with running, although I've been a runner for so long I don't notice too many things. Maybe I should. I've always considered myself to be an aware spirit, but there's probably always room to grow.

Ah, I don't even know if this post is making sense! Well whatever....I'm study-exhausted, and tired, and this new medicine is a little trippy.

Tummy

I've been really ill with some mystery disease for almost two weeks. It started as what felt like unbelievable gas-like cramps on a Wednesday night, and within an hour I was incapacitated. After trying to wait it out, I've paid a visit to the ER, a GI specialist, talked to a physician assistant on the phone twice, endured a HIDA scan for gallbladder function, and gone to the school's urgent care clinic and no one seems to know what's wrong with me. I feel like a crazy person. This is not in my head...this is real and no one seems to be taking me seriously. I was in so much pain this week I had to skip three of my classes, and was paying exuberant prices to park near my class buildings since I couldn't bike or even walk from the bus stop.

I'm on a new medication that is at least letting me keep food down and fairly settled, but I'm still far from feeling well. I've been trying to be patient and keep my spirits high, but it's been so long and it's really starting to frustrate me. I can never seem to get in touch with the doctors (I'm constantly on hold for 12 minutes at a time whenever I try to call) and no one seems to relay my messages.

Ugh, I just want this to stop hurting. I want to stop feeling like I'm going to throw up all of the time. I want to be fixed, and feel better, and run and do yoga and be able to sleep through the night and be able to concentrate on my studies. I want to be able to hang out with my friends instead of being balled up on the couch for 12 days straight. It sucks.