The End.

Well.

It is weeks later. I survived.

In fact, I got out early. I got out Monday evening. Don’t tell anyone though. Military fitness made it sound like anyone who came on Wednesday was going to have to walk off a diving board blind folded (if they are afraid of heights, which I am) into a pool and carrying some kind of weight so some other group could practice saving people. Not lying. Pretty sure that is what was going to happen that week.

Anyway, in retrospect, I would do this again. Multiple times over. I was pretty sick for a few days but not the whole time and this was even with the worst case.

I will admit: I did start to go a little crazy after a week. If I wasn’t busy being deathly ill for a couple days; would my tolerance for been cooped up actually prove to be shorter? It gives me something to think about since I’ve played with the idea of satisfying my travel goals by simply going to some country and spending the bulk of the time still working. It wouldn’t really be officially ‘cooped up’ I suppose but still. I remember hearing about some study for astronauts where they wanted volunteers to be asleep (or not moving) for three months. Sure they make a ton of money but, if conscious, I would go insane. If not, I wasted 3 months of my life which is pretty substantial. I wouldn’t do it. Not that kind of thing. No cancer, prions, flesh-eating bacteria or HIV either.

I do feel inspired though. Inspired to seek things like this out again. Maybe once I graduate I’ll just sell myself as a guinea pig for a while as I plan for the future and study up for prospective jobs.

I hope to run into some of the patients again sometime. I bet I will. Next study, lol.

And I'll blog next time too! With pictures!

Day (?): starting to go crazy

Day…uh…Sunday at some time. Looks like it is 10.13.12. The time/days have been weird not having a schedule. I am having a much more difficult time doing my work than I expected. I think part of it is not getting enough exercise. I’ve also quit caffeine permanently. This has permitted Depo to take a more full hold. Mood swings and fatigue. I know it is evil for sure now. Never again.

Today I did some experimentation with oil pastels and I loved it. I ran into my typical frustration whereupon my work doesn’t seem ‘good enough’ but I think it would be a lot of fun to try to get into it and maybe do some science-art.

I did almost no stats because I kept zoning out and getting distracted. I need a doctor. More doctors.

But…what about poop?! Isn’t this all about poop?! Yes!

Today, they stopped collecting my urine samples and pressuring me to drink profusely. However, everyone got to go outside except for me and one of the other more physically troubled Cholera patients as, apparently, our titers are still showing signs of Cholera despite today being our last day of antibiotics.

According to the Bristol Stool Scale my stool is currently a Type 5. When I arrived here it was a healthy Type 4. Wednesday (they day of doooooom) it was, of course Type 7; same as the day following.

What I know about the real world is all from facebook. No different from any other day. Apparently there is something going on with football and Tom Brady. You know what? There’s 10 of us here. Not a single one of us is interested in the game. Not one. Not even 1/10 Cholera patients are interested. However, most, if not all, of them ski or snowboard and play video games. None of them are homeless to my awareness.

My medical wristband appears to be deteriorating. I imagine it’s timed such that it will completely disintegrate the day of my release which, I hope, will be early! There are rumors. A gift to me and the other sickest individual for having to be so severely ill to get antibiotics early. Joy! I hope it is true!

Yes, clearly I haven’t ye obtained a camera either. L

NO THROMBOSIS FOR ME!!!

i took a shower. thought you really needed to know that.
also...THEY TOOK OUT MY IV BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID I WOULD GET THROMBOSIS!!

That is why I took a shower. Because I finally could without plastic wrap around my arm.

My intake is listed on the front of my door in milliliters. They threaten to put the IV back in though so I am guzzling water like a pro / like I am scared to death of the IV. Finally I can respond to my emails without extreme irrigation irritation. I feel like running around! Excitedly. Because I don't have to drag a huge pump around with me. I'm going to wear real clothes today. Clothes that I wear all the time normally! I am wearing them now!

That said, I am still showing substantial cholera symptoms. The staff are hoping they will let up today but appear a little surprised that, even after my 2x daily dose of 500mg Ciprofloxacin, my symptoms have not let up to a greater degree. I definitely notice the difference though.

I named my IV pump 'Peter'. I don't know why. Maybe because it has the same first letter as 'pump'. We parted ways at 11:35am.

9pm antibiotics

With the IV in my left arm it's actually impossible to floss the left side of my mouth.
Other things that are impossible to do:
Wash left arm
Put on bra
Sleep (no surprise)
Stop whining (not doing as bad as you think though)

I officially have the worst case over all three sites (as I have been told repeatedly). It's been indicated that people have lost ~10L usually, if they get it. I've lost ~20L+ (i haven't been updated on my volume since early afternoon though) so far since 4am Wednesday with most of that being Wednesday. However, Mitch says we are the healthiest overall so that tells you something.

I do notice that the antibiotics are kicking in though and my hope is that I will approach normalcy tomorrow. Maybe, if I am lucky, this will be my last night with the IV.

In other news, my team pwn'd Cranium. As a reward we got some decks of cards clearly from an old attic or yard sale. I chose some I think Grammy Lamberto would appreciate to send to her. :)

I've discovered that the banana bread is pretty good. Also, now that I am not allowed to have calcium (interferes with the antibiotic), I crave milk and cheese. Very like me.

I suspect that I no longer can smell things. Temporarily (i hope). I do recall horrific scents prior to by intimate introduction to Cholera on Wednesday but, afterwards, I simply haven't smelled anything. I still can't really smell anything. Anything. Must be a self-defense mechanism.

it finally happened

Well, it looks like it finally got me. HIV.

I mean Cholera.

As of 4am this morning I've been rabidly catching up to the 3 who manifested symptoms prior to me. Oddly, all of them on the same side of the hall, in a row, in order (with me last). I've been told it was actually a complete accident. The other side seems fine. Man! Thought I would be on the vaccine group. Oh well, I still am mounting a serious Ab repertoire against it now.

First person, not a nurse, I saw today was K. He's the photographer + other things I can't remember. He became ill around 10pm yesterday and is off his IV now. I'm not. Also, he wasn't in such dire straits as to require antibiotics early. I got my first one around 11am after being depleted > 5L of water. Guess I would have died if I wasn't in the hospital.

So far as I can tell, I am the last to display symptoms and it's unclear whether or not any others are on antibiotic.

So what symptoms kept me off the comp for nearly 12 hours (aside from the you-know-what)?

• full body pain [still in effect]
• massive headache [improving]
• nausea [improving]
• incredible fatigue [I did go to bed at 1:30am just to get up to be ill by 3:30]
• lack of appetite [still in effect but I think I want carrot cake. Only carrot cake.]

I tried to listen to Dr. Everse's biochem lectures but, having not eaten and possessing a headache, I had to give up on that endeavor. I can safely say the only productive things I have done today has been send slightly irritated emails to students emailing me about stuff that doesn't really matter right now and making decent headway on Slaughterhouse 5; temporarily housed in the restroom.

Baird 787-1

I will start with the admission that I am jealous of Mitch's blog since it has pictures and is, therefore, automatically better than mine :(.

Somebody! Bring me a camera [that will connect to my comp]! Drop-off hours at Baird 7 are 2-6pm; I can trade you hospital food!

Anyway, apologies for such a late post, I was dying today. Not from Cholera. From fatigue. And I still haven't completed all my daily goals.

Yesterday, I managed to get through the first chapter in “Love in a time of cholera” (about 50 pages). The bulk of that contained painfully trivial descriptive information on everything the author could think of including, but not limited to, multiple pages dedicated to a couple of character’s bathroom preferences. After my ‘success’ of reading that one first chapter I decided it was time for some reviews. Although it is relatively high ranking on Amazon a substantial number of people evidently felt the same as I did and most were irate having made it further than I did and having wasted valuable time.

Thank you mister Bill A. for the gift, but I think I will surely go mad if I read it any further. The reviews actually made the book even more distasteful than I already perceived it to be. Maybe the movie is good but, honestly, unless you are painfully bored and blind to the world around you or are enclosed in a blank white room of nothingness, I would recommend avoiding this book. The only other book I failed to complete after starting was “Moby Dick” and that was about a decade ago.

I expect my next reading will be more fulfilling: Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut! So far I have only read one chapter since I still haven't completed all the work I designated for myself today.

A couple patients, today, have entered the Cholera zone and are being provided "ORT": oral rehydration therapy and are ready with there intravenous inserts. I am greatly appreciative that I am not on that and, honestly, I've had very little news on that progression. So far, actually, I am the same as Mitch (I am not hiding his name since he does have that blog) when it comes to the Bristol Stool Scale.

I've been keeping track of my food consumption and I will tell you: I've been eating like a pig.

Luckily, I have found the local exercise bike!

the selected

I spent the morning hungry and wondering whether or not I was going to be 'selected' or an 'alternate' and who else would be 'selected' or 'alternate'. I utilized by time by responding to emails and becoming one with my increasing heart rate.

At 8:43am I was finally notified that I was in the selected group. WOOO!

The pH in the stomach is very acidic and will kill off a lot of the cholera so, 1 minute prior to consuming the cholera (1x10^5 CFUs btw) they had us drink a baking soda mixture (basic) to ensure transmission from stomach to small intestine, where the cholerae will thrive. Yay!? Now, after the 90 minute obligatory waiting period, I am downing as much coffee as I can (acidic). I doubt it will help now, but just in case.

Btw:
CFU = Colony Forming Units

This morning, a little before 9, the 10 of us were gradually ushered into the common room. Slowly, we took account of who was there and who was not. The brothers who were playing water pong all night were not there, most notably. Rumor was that one was a type O, and the other was not. Type O's  (as I am) were considered to be almost 'guaranteed' to get into the study so it was suspected that one of the brothers might have been chosen and the other not and then the other brother may have opted out.

I haven't learned the names of everyone yet. I did quite well playing rummy with MI and JSN. Maybe too well, because after starting to pwn them, they decided to quit to watch a movie instead. I only just met MI today at the challenge. She seems pretty nice and relatively social. JSN I met earlier and, if I remember correctly, is from CT and moved here to VT to live with his mom and not really have a job. I would guess he is in his 20s. I can't quite be sure if the things coming out of his mouth are serious or not.

Among those I noticed were definitely still with us include MTC. The MRI-guy who apparently also has a blog about the cholera challenge! Of everyone, I feel I can probably carry on a fluent science-based conversation with him the most. He's also quite forward, which is advantageous to all of us. I know I am not always confident about asking about particulars (like: when are we getting paid??).

Also, a good idea that I may steal from MTC, is using the Bristol Stool Scale to convey truly intimate details about the horrors I may be about the embark upon. I haven't quite decided yet.

I'll continue to describe the players as time goes on. There are 6 more.

Once we were all in the room, one of the clinicians presented us with out first solution and pointed out that we were all now ready for the "drinking party". All at once we downed our brown bottles full of baking soda solution before being presented with the main course, a 50ml conical containing the cholera. We obediently inverted the tube to mix the solution (~25-30ml) and consumed. The no-turning-back point.

There is a photographer in the group, and it appears MTC has a camera as well (it appears)- if I can convince them to let me take some there will be pictures yet! I've now started reading "Love in the time of Cholera" as well.

strawberries + salmon

Having completed "The Sirens of Titan" and consumed "Salmon Filet grilled with pesto", strawberries, and lemon peel tea that was actually black tea- it's clear that all 15 of us are settled into our rooms to simply wait until midnight whereupon the nurses will come and ensure there is no food or water left for our fast before Cholera challenge tomorrow morning.

The plan is to rise at 6am and await the results of the randomization which should arrive around 8-8:30am. At that point; those selected will be inoculated. At that point, both groups will wait 90minutes to ensure that none of the alternates are required. Everyone will be able to eat breakfast and then the alternates will be dismissed.

At this point, some explanation is necessary. It's easy enough to google 'Cholera' so I won't drone on about random facts I've copied+pasted from wikipedia. The vaccine that was, hopefully, provided to me on Friday (09.27.13) ten days prior, was a form of CVD 103-HgR. There have actually been a series of studies relating to this vaccine. Some are:

Ryan, E. T., et al. (2006). "Live attenuated oral cholera vaccines." Expert Rev Vaccines 5(4): 483-494.

Richie, E. E., et al. (2000). "Efficacy trial of single-dose live oral cholera vaccine CVD 103-HgR in North Jakarta, Indonesia, a cholera-endemic area." Vaccine 18(22): 2399-2410.

Lagos, R., et al. (1995). "Attenuated live cholera vaccine strain CVD 103-HgR elicits significantly higher serum vibriocidal antibody titers in persons of blood group O." Infection and Immunity 63(2): 707-709.

Simply, this study examines the effectiveness of a live, truncated Vibrio cholerae bacteria based off of the previously effective intravenously-administered CVD 103-HgR.

People of the "O" blood type are classically more susceptible to Cholera but, from a number of these studies, have been demonstrated to be more prone to protection via the vaccine. Being O+, this means that there may be an increased protection from the vaccine if that is what is received. Of course, if I didn't, that means the bacteria will be extra deleterious. Either way, I'm not worried. I'm in a hospital. Actually, I will be sorely disappointed if I lose out on the randomization process. I am hoping to consume salmon+strawberries every day. :)

stabbing the lobsters without me

It's Tuesday. The end of Tuesday. I just told my students that I would be out for the next two weeks. They know that I'll make sure they are well informed about their next lab though: the 'lobster lab' where they will essentially stab a lobster in the artery (imagine: neck) resulting in a geyser of lymphatic fluid spurting out before it dies 3/4 of second later. Then they need to extract the ventral nerve cord. They know I will prepare them though. I know they know because I send them extensive emails sometimes pages long to describe their labs ahead of time and today I came in with circles drawn all over my left arm from the day prior so that they knew where to position the electrodes they were to stick onto themselves. I really am happy to do it though.

I'm happy to do a lot of things. Like get DEXA scans...or Cholera (especially if I am paid 2-3k).

The Cholera project put on by the vaccine testing center at Fletcher Allen has definitely gained some attention. Really though, I have my eyes peeled for almost anyone requesting a guinea pig. I'd prefer to do it for money but sometimes you really just want to see what your brain looks like and you're willing to get an MRI for free.

Honestly, I highly recommend the Dengue virus study so long as you have plenty of blood to spare. They pay plenty but they also really really drain you in the first few weeks. Free dengue vaccine though!

My hope is to keep this blog up, posting every day from the time of infection.

I've already been given the vaccine (or placebo) as of ~9:30am on Friday September 27th. 10 days later (this Sunday) I will be 'challenged'. I can't help but be excited/nervous. I'll be stuck in one-half of a hallway with my own room, whatever food I want to eat (if I can eat), with a group of 10 other daring, or maybe just really financially in need, individuals. There will be a common room and I believe I have a window. I plan to bring 'Cards Against Humanity'. 

I wonder if this will be kinda like those weird 'reality-shows' on TV where they stick a bunch of people in a house to live together. I wonder if we will all bond over becoming incredibly ill. Or if the people who got placebo will feel resentment for the people who received vaccine. GANG WAR! Just kidding. Seriously though, I met a few of the floor-mates. I wouldn't consider a single one of them 'normal'.

I am hoping to exchange the $ received from this study for a trip to Prague, if there is any left over by the time I finish paying my dental bills.