Stress is getting into everyone

In the last 2 weeks, I started growing accustomed to running around in the lab frantically and confluzzledly trying to accomplish trivial but oddly difficult tasks, such as collecting liquid nitrogen, and purifying DNA. Thankfully my supervisor Nigel had been patient with my painfully overcareful ways many a time, but patience does have its limits. I do recall one time last week when I was fixing a brain for microtome slicing ever so painfully pussilanimously (if there were ever such a way of describing it), that he suddenly reached out and over my fingers, squeezed the fixative forcefully out of the tube in my hands . I gave a yelp of surprise at the time because I thought that was a little forceful of him to do so, and also the brain had shifted slightly away from midline. Well, that's Nigel for you, very paternalistic, fatherly-like, always treating me like a child. Not that I have any problems with being treated like a child :)...

Today after writing down my protocols for RNA extraction, I find myself faced with an entire day of just sitting down and reading papers or facebooking, which is really much appreciated when in need of rest. But, instead, silly me decided to go observe my friend Gabi with the Morris Water Maze test. This behavioural test is pretty cool, because watching a rat swim around in a pool of water and ruffle its wet fur when perched on the platform is just too cute! Well it was cool until you realize that you have to scoop up rat faeces from the bottom of the pool after every 2nd or 3rd swim, plus there are 4 trials altogether per day for 5 days, so if one has 10 rats, that would be in total 40 rat swims to record per day, 200 per 5 days, for just one cohort (note I have 18 rats waiting). I found my interest fading away after the 10th swim or so...

But even for the first day of the water maze behavioural study, Gabi is starting to show signs of stress - the "losing it" stage. At lunchtime, she told us that over the weekend she dreamt of her dog having a seizure, and there was an incision over its head (refer to rat electrode implantation below and you'll get what I mean). And later on, she asked lab coworker Amelia (who is a close friend of hers), what day it was, and laughed to say that the answer was 218 (referring to the age of her rats). It was a joke, of course, but still I adviced her to have some well deserved rest.

Thankfully, my mind is still intact and well functioning. But my brain had been sulking quite a lot lately that today it finally brought upon me this horrible migraine to disable me from doing work. Finally, I had to admit defeat and left during a meeting because my urge to vomit had become quite overwhelming... I'm all better now, after having emptied all my stomach contents into a plastic bag, and having carrots and golden kiwis (all of my week's stock) replace my lost nutrition. Right now, I'm reflecting on how much Rahul was there for me when I needed a shoulder to lie on, on how much my lab mates and supervisor were concerned for me when I was sick today (no, it wasn't the swine flu fear), and so am really thanking God for having such a lovely work environment. :)

Will hopefully be going Go karting and Darkzoning soon with my lab mates in an organized outing soon. Can't wait to destress! :D
















Above is one photo I stole from the lab.Please keep this secret and do not post it elsewhere or they'll murder me! D: