I have this strange chair that is the corner out of a segmented sofa. It is supposed to be off white, but it is so old and dirty that it is more like gray mottled with brown. Last winter the roof leaked on it and the stains were the worst yet. I generally keep it covered with a blanket. Today I propped it up on the bannister of our tiny 2nd floor porch. I sprayed it with dilute dish soap, scrubbed the spots a little and hosed it off repeatedly. Then it started to rain. I thought "great, it will get rinsed off well". But then the rain set in as if it would never end. The chair might never dry left out on the porch. So I just wrangled the oversized ugly thing back into the foyer and set a fan on it. This chair only came with me to Oregon because my cat loved it. It is the thing that has told her we are "home" in the several moves we have made so far. I think this may be the end of the chair. It is a piece of garbage that I carted here with me from Arizona. I often think back on the stuff I loaded in a truck to bring here. Junk. But this chair has had its moments. It has been a good meditation chair. And it fits well in small nooks beside windows. I think I paid Suzanne (not this Suzanne but the prior one in my life) $10 for it. I can barely believe I paid ten bucks for this. But here it is. Funny how possessions can complicate our lives. I would have done well to get rid of it a long time ago, and the cat would have known some other way that we were home.

I keep thinking I should get rid of 90% of everything that I have.
Then I cram more stuff into the closet that I might use someday.

What two enzymes begin the process of breaking down glucose?
hexokinase in muscle and glucokinase in liver

What other sugar can hexokinase work on?
d-fructose from diet-->F-6-P in glycolysis lineup

What enyzme splits fructose 1,6 bisphosphate into glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate?
aldolase A or B

What byproduct is created when alanine is converted to pyruvate?
NH3 (urea)

What is THE rate limiting enzyme in glycolysis?
phosphofructokinase

What inhibits PFK function?
ATP and citrate
fatty acids, ketone bodies, glucagon, cAMP

What induces PFK?
insulin

What activates PFK?
AMP, F6P, Pi, F2,6bisP

What's the ATP breakeven point in glycolysis?
PEP

What enzyme converts PEP to pyruvate?
pyruvate kinase

What enzyme converts pyruvate to acetyl-CoA?
( self quiz, these are the ones I need to remember for boards )

--second messenger = diffusable signaling molecule produced or secreted after signal is received
--molecule activates effector proteins inside cell-->cell response to signal
--can be synthesized/released and broken down again in specific rxns
--production, storage, and destruction can be localized
( this stuff is pretty hazy so far, clarification much needed )

metabolism of ethanol-->acetaldehyde-->acetate
one NAD+-->NADH with each of above oxidation rxns
drinking binge w/o food intake-->high NADH relative to NAD

high NADH/NAD+ causes:
*pyruvate-->lactate-->lactic acidosis (bad)
*depression of the TCA cycle (less pyruvate-->acetyl CoA, so less ATP production)
*inhibition of gluconeogenesis (from all 3 top sources: alanine, lactate, glycerol)
-->depletion of glycogen stores-->hypoglycemia (bad)
*promotes: dihydroxyacetone phosphate-->glycerol-3-phosphate
LONGTERM EFFECTS
*G3P combines with fatty acids-->triacylgylerols (triglycerides) which accumulate in liver
*fat in liver blocks protein synthesis-->can't make & secrete VLDL-->fatty liver disease (bad)

energy gained by oxidizing alcohol to CO2 & H2O: 7kcal/gram ATP (carbs make 4, fats 9, prots 4)
so it's high calorie, my friends

and of course you remember that NADH is made from niacin, vitamin B3

Phew. Seems like I am constantly on the edge, but I keep passing, so I guess I'm doing something right. I even got honors in a couple classes, including the one in which I was shaking so hard that it was really tough to draw blood. Phew. Now I'm officially an ND3. I am still on the 4 year track, slated to graduate in 2011 with a lot of clinical experience already under my belt. I can't relax yet. I'm studying biochemistry today, in preparation for the Basic Science Boards. August 5. I'll get to relax after that.

I will be taking the first ever case-based NPLEX exam for ND's. What this means is that instead of having five sections (pathology, biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, microbiology) it will have many cases each with 5 questions relating to the case. This makes it more interesting to me. I am studying biochemistry by looking up metabolic dysfunctions and understanding their chemical pathogenesis.
( biochemistry nerdiness: mucopolysacchariosis nutshell )

The explosions are constant now and the sirens are temporarily silenced. The pets are in hiding. The show is amazing, terrific, colorful, people are applauding within a block of here. I am tired, and headed for bed soon. The noise will not keep me up.

I remember hearing about that day--7/4/1776--that the representatives of America's 13 original colonies announced to the world that they were free, and that they would no longer accept outside rule. The gall of them. Just saying HEY man you can't boss me around anymore. Anymore if an American patriot acts with such independence, he finds himself listed as a terrorist on some government watchlist.

Text of old document behind cut.
( we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor )

http://www.hpathy.com/diseases/Swine-flu-symptoms-treatment.asp
Don't assume that I approve. I'm filing this to examine it later.
( Text from link above behind cut. )

This in an email from my dad:

I found the word "naturopathic" once on the Tennessee Government web site. Among the things that TennCare, the Tennessee version of Medicaid, will not pay for is specifically listed "naturopathic services". That does not surprise me, because a lot of things one would consider essential for good health are also listed.

It's a lot of material to cover in a short time, so I have made a schedule for myself. I will be spending long days in the library because I have a hard time focusing consistently at home. I have an hour timer, and my strategy is to study for an hour, then get up and move around. We'll see how it goes. The exam is Tuesday August 4.

I can't walk very well right now because I stubbed my left big toe (I think it may be broken) and the ball of my right foot is very irritated, I think from walking/running in some very thin flip flops. It's a killer not to be able to walk. I may have to dust off my bicycle.

Looks like two different bills regarding naturopathic physicians have been introduced in TN.
http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0723
( What I've found out so far: one bill decriminalizes naturopathy, the other offers licensure. Both bills introduced by Republicans. At least at the state level republicans are doing some good work. =-] )

These days it's hard for a mother to know what is best for her child. The modern medical machine has its ideas, and it will tell you what is best, but can you trust it? There are many who argue that you cannot, that the drugs and vaccines that are pushed on you are not necessarily in the best interests of your children. So how do you find out what to do? How do you know who to trust?
( more )

The tribes of the land are on the ball; they have added Naturopathic Medicine to the official definition of health profession in this bill. This will allow NDs to provide care to their communities at a fraction of the cost of "modern" medicine. The bill up to bat is HR 2708, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. It would give NDs a slot in a federal health program and set us up for participating in a federal loan repayment program. This is good news to me. I was already thinking that I might be working for a tribe somewhere. I appreciate the ferociousness of many natives I have known. Help naturopathy get a foothold where people already know the value of traditional and natural medicine, on the reservations! Contact your representative!