Ahoy, Matey!
Started school yesterday, Statistics at Chapman University. It's fairly easy and the teacher is a good one. (I don't know if anyone's familiar with Chapman, but the college works like this: each term is 9 weeks long so you get through faster; there are satellite campuses all over the state; and while it's not the most prestigious school a person could attend, it is accredited and maintains a competitive transfer rate to other universities.)
It feels wonderful to have something of a schedule again, and to have started down a happy path. I thought I'd never get a degree and would inevitably bumble through life from one odd job to an even ever-odder job. Some days I didn't think I'd even make it that far. Well, I consider this (going back to school business) as more of a symptom of my internal changes than another symptom of me biting off more than I can chew. This time really is different. For one thing, I'm getting loans in my name that I will repay. It's my money I'm spending, and this is the best thing I can think to do with it. For another, this year has been stabilizing for Gabe and I. Many positive changes have been brought about through the planning, focus, and effort of both of us, together. He's happier, I'm happier, the whole household is happier. (The cat is about as happy as he ever was, I think, but it's hard to say.) Gabe signed up for school as well, and he begins in the fall.
Boston went well, all in all. I did not like the city, but was impressed by their public transportation system and the Museum of Fine Arts (we were able to see Gaugin's complete works including his journals). I met with Dr. Faustman, the researcher who developed a cure for diabetes. She took my blood and I took her card. We ate ceasar salad and talked about ways to raise money for her research to continue. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) declared that they're in favor of our efforts and connected us with several potential contributors. We discussed our expectations of one another and were satisfied. My respect for Dr. Faustman as a person grew when she told us that she'd been offered a few million dollars to cure an individual child's diabetes, and refused because it would more likely spoil than fund her human trials. (She already has FDA approval to begin with 40 patients* and is ready to go as soon as there is the money to hire people, automate the blood testing, and fund the FDA applications - a new application must be approved before ANY change to the experiment. That means that if a dosage is to be changed, it will cost $125,000 to $250,000 in a single application fee. That is why she can't just patent her drug and sell it for $5 to people who need it - it has to go through the right channels first, and unfortunately, that costs a bundle.)
The Reach for the Cure NPO was founded last month and will handle small donations ($1 and up) as well as large ones. Its sole purpose is to fund MGH and Dr. Faustman, to free their time and alleviate their paperwork by writing one large check from several small sums. The website will be up shortly, I will keep you posted.
*I am not part of this 40 patient group. They haven't been selected, but it's not likely I'll be part of the first study. I might be in the second, but nothing's been promised and I don't expect anything. If I have to wait until it reaches the broad market, or if I die trying to help, so be it.
Oh, if anyone has been trying to get ahold of me by cell phone, I got a new phone with an interim number and so didn't receive any of my voicemail on the old #. I'm sorry about this, I am not trying to avoid anyone, I just didn't want to cause confusion giving out the 'new' number because, as of yesterday, it's been switched to the same old number you're used to. So if you've tried to call, please call again (especially Venus, if you read this).
I guess that's it for news.
It feels wonderful to have something of a schedule again, and to have started down a happy path. I thought I'd never get a degree and would inevitably bumble through life from one odd job to an even ever-odder job. Some days I didn't think I'd even make it that far. Well, I consider this (going back to school business) as more of a symptom of my internal changes than another symptom of me biting off more than I can chew. This time really is different. For one thing, I'm getting loans in my name that I will repay. It's my money I'm spending, and this is the best thing I can think to do with it. For another, this year has been stabilizing for Gabe and I. Many positive changes have been brought about through the planning, focus, and effort of both of us, together. He's happier, I'm happier, the whole household is happier. (The cat is about as happy as he ever was, I think, but it's hard to say.) Gabe signed up for school as well, and he begins in the fall.
Boston went well, all in all. I did not like the city, but was impressed by their public transportation system and the Museum of Fine Arts (we were able to see Gaugin's complete works including his journals). I met with Dr. Faustman, the researcher who developed a cure for diabetes. She took my blood and I took her card. We ate ceasar salad and talked about ways to raise money for her research to continue. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) declared that they're in favor of our efforts and connected us with several potential contributors. We discussed our expectations of one another and were satisfied. My respect for Dr. Faustman as a person grew when she told us that she'd been offered a few million dollars to cure an individual child's diabetes, and refused because it would more likely spoil than fund her human trials. (She already has FDA approval to begin with 40 patients* and is ready to go as soon as there is the money to hire people, automate the blood testing, and fund the FDA applications - a new application must be approved before ANY change to the experiment. That means that if a dosage is to be changed, it will cost $125,000 to $250,000 in a single application fee. That is why she can't just patent her drug and sell it for $5 to people who need it - it has to go through the right channels first, and unfortunately, that costs a bundle.)
The Reach for the Cure NPO was founded last month and will handle small donations ($1 and up) as well as large ones. Its sole purpose is to fund MGH and Dr. Faustman, to free their time and alleviate their paperwork by writing one large check from several small sums. The website will be up shortly, I will keep you posted.
*I am not part of this 40 patient group. They haven't been selected, but it's not likely I'll be part of the first study. I might be in the second, but nothing's been promised and I don't expect anything. If I have to wait until it reaches the broad market, or if I die trying to help, so be it.
Oh, if anyone has been trying to get ahold of me by cell phone, I got a new phone with an interim number and so didn't receive any of my voicemail on the old #. I'm sorry about this, I am not trying to avoid anyone, I just didn't want to cause confusion giving out the 'new' number because, as of yesterday, it's been switched to the same old number you're used to. So if you've tried to call, please call again (especially Venus, if you read this).
I guess that's it for news.