Heptadecagon

Disclaimer: this post is not for the faint of heart. Nor is it for those that cannot discuss bodily functions. Now that I think of it, I might be posting one full of TMI. Just telling you now to leave. If you don't mind being disgusted, then read on. According to Wikipedia , "the human body is about 60% water in adult males and 55% in adult females." These numbers are pretty consistent with most textbooks I have seen. If you actually want to know where that water resides, we usually say that there are two compartments: intracellular fluid and extracellular fluid. In class we teach that approximately 2/3 of the 55-60% total water is found in the intracellular fluid; 1/3 is found extracellularly . What do these terms mean? If you understand intra - and extra - than you shouldn't have a problem. Essentially, intracellular means within the cells, while extracellular means outside of the cells. The extracellular fluid itself actually has 3 components: transc...

I have a love-hate relationship with the month of April. Two of my favorite people are born in this month, spring starts to show its lovely face, and warm weather begins. On the other hand, April tends not to be good to us. For proof, revisit this post , if you dare. Perhaps we are on the every-other-year plan for April, as I don't remember having a tough one last year. This year, it hit us. One of us (or more) has been sick since mid-March, and the germs are pretty tenacious, to say the least. Poor Zoe has fared the worse. She missed an entire week of school, had a temperature that reached 105 degrees at one point, and still hasn't eaten enough to sustain her for very long. Tim's throat has been sore off and on (as has mine and Aaron's) and Melina started the month with antibiotics for a double ear infection and has just gotten through a bout of fever, diarrhea, and vomiting. Too much information? Too bad. Since I don't have help here, I at least get to...

I am taking my running shoes back to the store tomorrow. I hope they can give me my money back, or at least help me get my money back from Nike. Even if I cannot get my money back from anyone, I cannot run in these shoes again. From what I can tell, I now have osteitis pubis , which is basically inflammation of the pubic bone (there is a joint there where the two sides of the girdle come together). The last time I felt any pain in my pubic symphysis (or symphysis pubis, if you prefer) was with each pregnancy. Once my hips went back into place sometime after delivery of the kids, the pain in that region went away. Tim was kind enough to do a search for me on the topic. I guessed my shoes were the problem, and indeed, according to these people , "ill-fitting shoes" can be a cause of osteitis pubis. So out with the Nike. I plan on purchasing a new pair of my old Saucony shoes. In the meantime, I plan on actually resting and not running for a week. Ouch. That will actual...

My bad. I shouldn't have labeled the last post. Instead of sharing something funny that Aaron said, I have received criticism for something upon which we have not yet completely decided. (And I don't mean you, Tami! Thanks for the support.) So, let me clear something up here by saying that Tim and I won't be letting Aaron decide his own fate when it comes to his urethral problem, but since he is getting older, and it is his penis, we think it is a good idea to ask him his preference. Furthermore, we like the fact that our urologist is not in the habit of suggesting circumcision as the first choice. When we met with him, he said that there are too many of them done, and that there is no need for circumcision. That was our feeling, too, when Aaron was born, and the reason why we didn't have him circumcised at that point. When Aaron goes to the bathroom, the urine backs up under the foreskin, causing the foreskin to balloon out. The urine eventually leaks out, and ...

A couple of things you need to know to understand the funniness behind one of Aaron's comments: 1. Privacy is at a premium around here. The girls are good about knocking on the bathroom door or bedroom if the door is closed, but Aaron and Melina haven't quite learned that trick yet. Furthermore, we are a pretty open family, and nudity is just a normal thing here. That is not to say that the adults in the house parade around naked. But all children have seen their parents in the buff, and the kids still bathe together at times. 2. When Aaron was born, we chose not to circumcise him. Unfortunately, he has had some urinary issues as of late that have forced us to see a urologist. The urologist told us that the urethral opening was too small, and that when Aaron urinates, some of the urine backs up under the foreskin. The options to take care of this are: a. steroidal cream; b. a dorsal cut to the foreskin; c. complete removal of the foreskin, a.k.a. circumcision. We opted...

Dear Nike*: I LOVE running. I started to run back in 1991 and I haven't stopped since that time. Well, I took some time off while I was pregnant, but aside from that, the feet have been hitting the pavement quite regularly. I was a fan of the Pegasus shoe for a very long time, and consider them one of my all-time favorite shoes. In 2003, I moved to another state. While I found a super running store, I had to switch from you. Why? The store didn't carry Nike products. So, I was fitted for another brand, and I happily traversed the roads in that shoe for a couple of years. Imagine my surprise (and delight) when the store informed me that they now carry Nike! I am a lucky person: my feet do not pronate or supinate, and while I have somewhat of a decent arch, it is neither too high nor too flat. Therefore, I am able to try many different types of neutral running shoes. "Would you like to try the new shoe?" the saleslady inquired. "They are the XXXXX ...it...

Sometimes things happen during the day that crack me up. Today, something happened, and I had to post it, just because . This just because moment was funny, but I couldn't laugh out loud. Why? Because a certain red-head actually did something quite inappropriate, and laughing about it would have indicated consent. I was preparing lunch, and Melina, who had previously been in the family room with Aaron, wandered into the kitchen. I looked at her. Upon each cheek, there was a small piece of black electrical tape, about the size of a postage stamp. On top of her head sat another piece of black electrical tape of the same size. Me: Melina? Why do you have electrical tape on you? Melina: Heh! Me: Aaron? Why does your sister have electrical tape on her? Aaron: I don't know. I didn't do it. Me: Aaron, please come into the kitchen. [In he comes.] Me: Aaron, the only other person in the family room with Melina was you, so you must have put the electrical tape on her. D...