It finally happened today. I was walking to get my lunch and I realized that I wasn't hungry. Now this wasn't because my breakfast was exceptionally big, but that's not to say it was the smallest breakfast either. I have had this breakfast before because the meals have begun to repeat themselves and it didn't have this same effect before, so I know my stomach's will has been broken. This realization was solidified by the fact that I missed the starting point for my nighttime snack. One of the staff actually had to come get me. That never happens, I'm usually checking the clock every half hour or so seeing how long it is until I get to eat something and when it gets to within 10 minutes I go there so they don't have to come get me.
Now just because I have adapted to the small portions doesn't mean I don't think about food anymore. Actually, I have recently found myself planning out exactly what I will eat on the first day I get out. Then I start thinking about all of the things I want to have that first week, but I'll start with the first day.
First, I want to have a half pound bean and cheese burrito with no sauce from Del Taco for breakfast since I will be getting out in the morning. Then for lunch I will have a Chipotle burrito with black beans, rice, cheese, mild salsa, medium salsa, guacamole and lettuce, although I'm sure it'll end up being just half of a burrito, but still I want chips as well. Then to finish the day off I will have Yard House nachos with a beer or two for dinner. I seriously can not wait. I generally don't think about food that much, to me its more of just something you need to get through the day rather than the focus of it, but for that day each meal will be a focal point.
As for the things I want during the first week I don't have a specific order or time. I just know that I want each of these at a seperat time throughout the week; a mocha latte, a malt, pancakes with syrup, salad from Olive Garden, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, ice cream, Subway sandwich, Mongolian BBQ, pizza with extra cheese and yet to be determined toppings. Did you catch that extra cheese part and all of the cheese on the first day? You know why? Because you know what there isn't in an Asian diet? You guessed it, cheese. No cheese this entire time and I freakin love cheese. I'm ok with there not being meat on my pizza ever again, I don't miss meat and my experience here having to eat it again has only solidified that, but there better damn well be plenty of cheese on my pizza. Which is why I could never be a vegan.
I know I said I was going to talk about my roommates, but that will have to wait till next time. I am really looking forward to all the visitors I will be getting this week. First there will be Alex tomorrow who unknown to him until possibly now will be joined by Ryan and Austin. This is because they asked to come on Monday and I can't sign up for another spot on the same day, so we'll all be together. Then on Wednesday, which will be the studies half way point, Casey and Natalie will be visiting. Even though Brett isn't coming this week I still want to mention him and say that I am looking forward to the fourth. That's it. See you guys.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Day 2-5
I have lost a few pounds already, I checked a couple days ago and I was down four pounds, but I'm guessing its more by now. Besides that this is the easiest trial ever. We started off with a high dose and no one has reported feeling anything. On top of that we have almost no procedures.
This is what the day consist of, health assessment (which is just them asking how we feel), vitals check (which is blood pressure, heart rate and temp), dosing and finally blood draw. After that nothing for the rest of the day and some days we don't have blood draws. Although there are PK days, but only four throughout the entire study and we already had one of them. Basically PK days are the same procedures as every other day but are repeated throughout most of the day. Although even these days are easy compared to the PK days of the previous study. The only thing about the PK days that sucks is that they draw your blood 11 times and they don't use a catheter. After the first PK day it looked like I had a drug problem, but that's going to be nothing compared to the two PK days that will be back to back. I am going to try to have them do 11 on one arm and 11 on the other for the following day, but that's assuming they hit a vein every time. On that subject they really like a vein on my right arm that is unusually large so they say, although they have never missed on that vein. Still you can only use a vein so many times before it gets really sore. Enough about blood.
I spend most of the day in a kind of routine, which is essentially just moving from one activity to another before it gets boring. I'll either brush my teeth before or after breakfast depending on when I wake up. After that I'll read for at least an hour. Right now I am reading Save the Cat and I am more than half way through. I already finished Franny and Zooey. After reading I'll catch up on my words with friends games. Followed by a long shower, long partly because the time slots are in 30 min increments, but mostly because there is no rush. Also I blast some music from my phone which I have just outside the shower curtain. After that I either go back to sleep or surf the internet. I might also get an episode of a show or a movie in there before lunch depending if I go back to sleep or not. If I don't go back to sleep I will eventually take a nap later in the day. After lunch the day will consist of alternating between the internet and watching streaming Netflix, especially now that I beat Portal 2. I'm guessing my days wont change much so I will devote more of my next post to my thoughts on the people around me.
This is what the day consist of, health assessment (which is just them asking how we feel), vitals check (which is blood pressure, heart rate and temp), dosing and finally blood draw. After that nothing for the rest of the day and some days we don't have blood draws. Although there are PK days, but only four throughout the entire study and we already had one of them. Basically PK days are the same procedures as every other day but are repeated throughout most of the day. Although even these days are easy compared to the PK days of the previous study. The only thing about the PK days that sucks is that they draw your blood 11 times and they don't use a catheter. After the first PK day it looked like I had a drug problem, but that's going to be nothing compared to the two PK days that will be back to back. I am going to try to have them do 11 on one arm and 11 on the other for the following day, but that's assuming they hit a vein every time. On that subject they really like a vein on my right arm that is unusually large so they say, although they have never missed on that vein. Still you can only use a vein so many times before it gets really sore. Enough about blood.
I spend most of the day in a kind of routine, which is essentially just moving from one activity to another before it gets boring. I'll either brush my teeth before or after breakfast depending on when I wake up. After that I'll read for at least an hour. Right now I am reading Save the Cat and I am more than half way through. I already finished Franny and Zooey. After reading I'll catch up on my words with friends games. Followed by a long shower, long partly because the time slots are in 30 min increments, but mostly because there is no rush. Also I blast some music from my phone which I have just outside the shower curtain. After that I either go back to sleep or surf the internet. I might also get an episode of a show or a movie in there before lunch depending if I go back to sleep or not. If I don't go back to sleep I will eventually take a nap later in the day. After lunch the day will consist of alternating between the internet and watching streaming Netflix, especially now that I beat Portal 2. I'm guessing my days wont change much so I will devote more of my next post to my thoughts on the people around me.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Day 1
As I mentioned in a previous blog I will not be posting everyday, but instead every four days or so depending on events.
Today was interesting and deserves its own post since it was the first whole day. To qualify for this trial you had to fit within very specific parameters as far as liver enzymes and thyroid levels are concerned. These things are affected by anything ranging from a drug to excercise. When I say drug that includes caffeine. On top of this the clinic was checking in four people more than was needed for each race. That means twelve people who thought they were in the study, by this morning were told to go home with very little compensation. Needless to say the tension among the volunteers was high last night and this morning. I was not exempt from this stress especially considering I didn't follow the guidlines to qualify. The first thing is that I took a couple vicodin about a week ago for the teething pain of my wisdom teeth, just so I could go to sleep. We weren't supposed to have any prescriptions between the screening and the study. Also I crashed my bike recently and have visible injuries from it. Last but not least I didn't avoid exesive physical activity. In fact I moved out the day before the trial into a storage unit. Not just that, I also helped Zach load this 300 pound log into his truck. This apperently had a very little affect on me since I had the second to best levels for all the cuacasians and obviously got into the study.
Just a little more side info. There are a few participents that I recognize from the trial I was in before. There is Art, Marcus (aka The German), The Chinaman, and The Viking (aka the Hell's Angel guy). Also plenty of the staff recognize me and seem happy to see me.
The food situation is a bit more slim than the last study, but the participants are mostly made up of people who don't complain, so you wouldn't know it. This does mean that I will be losing more weight and since I haven't gained back the weight I lost from the last study I'm guessing I'll lose another notch in my belt by the end. Which in case you didn't know is the 10th of July. Although the food is minimal I really like it so far since its almost entirely Asian food and contains very little meat. Which actually has been the main source of complaints for the rest of the Caucasians. The study demographics are, 12 Japanese, 12 Chinese and 12 Caucasians. There are only two women in the study, one is white and the other is Japanese, I think. That's it for now.
Today was interesting and deserves its own post since it was the first whole day. To qualify for this trial you had to fit within very specific parameters as far as liver enzymes and thyroid levels are concerned. These things are affected by anything ranging from a drug to excercise. When I say drug that includes caffeine. On top of this the clinic was checking in four people more than was needed for each race. That means twelve people who thought they were in the study, by this morning were told to go home with very little compensation. Needless to say the tension among the volunteers was high last night and this morning. I was not exempt from this stress especially considering I didn't follow the guidlines to qualify. The first thing is that I took a couple vicodin about a week ago for the teething pain of my wisdom teeth, just so I could go to sleep. We weren't supposed to have any prescriptions between the screening and the study. Also I crashed my bike recently and have visible injuries from it. Last but not least I didn't avoid exesive physical activity. In fact I moved out the day before the trial into a storage unit. Not just that, I also helped Zach load this 300 pound log into his truck. This apperently had a very little affect on me since I had the second to best levels for all the cuacasians and obviously got into the study.
Just a little more side info. There are a few participents that I recognize from the trial I was in before. There is Art, Marcus (aka The German), The Chinaman, and The Viking (aka the Hell's Angel guy). Also plenty of the staff recognize me and seem happy to see me.
The food situation is a bit more slim than the last study, but the participants are mostly made up of people who don't complain, so you wouldn't know it. This does mean that I will be losing more weight and since I haven't gained back the weight I lost from the last study I'm guessing I'll lose another notch in my belt by the end. Which in case you didn't know is the 10th of July. Although the food is minimal I really like it so far since its almost entirely Asian food and contains very little meat. Which actually has been the main source of complaints for the rest of the Caucasians. The study demographics are, 12 Japanese, 12 Chinese and 12 Caucasians. There are only two women in the study, one is white and the other is Japanese, I think. That's it for now.
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