As many of you know, I went to several epidemiology classes over the passt couple of weeks. Once of them was about infectious diseases, so we did a lot of talking about outbreaks and the various diseases and how to isolate what is making folks sick. Most of the folks in the classes were the people from the various counties who did this on a regular basis. Another of the classes was on disasters, so we did a fair amount of talking about outbreaks in that class, too.

This morning, I come in to work and get this email. I swear I thought it was somebody's idea of a joke, but it isn't.

The Columbus Health Department and Ohio Department of Health are
currently investigating reports of illnesses among attendees of the July
25th-July 29th OSU Summer Program in Applied Statistics. You have
received this e-mail due to your registration or participation during
the program. As part of our investigation, we are asking that all
participants, both ill and well, in the July 25th-July 29th summer
program complete the attached questionnaire. Questions regarding the
investigation can be directed to XXXXXXX.

Additionally, we are asking anyone who was or is symptomatic to consider
providing a stool specimen for laboratory testing, which may be arranged
at your local health jurisdiction. If you are willing to provide a
stool specimen or have questions regarding the stool specimen, please
contact XXXXXX.

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

With the symptoms they were asking, I'm guessing it is e-coli. That's a bit sobering. I coulda lost my bean...

( quizy thing )

...that's how time is moving. I've been taking this epidemiology class at OSU this week. It is really cool in that it is free and it is being taught by the infamous Dr. Kleinbaum. It is really uncool in that we spent all day yesterday on two-by-two tables -- as in stuff that I know like the back of my hand. Oh, and they keep acting like they are going so fast and apologizing "if we are lost." PLEASE! One thing I can say is that they have awesome snackage on the breaks. For instance, yesterday it was a sundae bar. Mmmmmm....

Next week I have two more classes (on stuff I don't know as much on) and that means I don't have to go into work AT ALL. Wah-hoo!!!

Another reason time is creeping is that it still isn't time to test yet. I am currently in love with my chart. I know when I do my overlays, the temps are totally within the same range they always are, but it just LOOKS so promising. Click the link for a lovely excel representation of my chart overlaying my average chart and a 1 standard deviation band. If my temps are the same height for the next couple of days, then it WILL be totally outside of the standard deviation of my chart AND it will be triphasic (which means that a second thermal shift has happened). Alternately, today could be a fluke but it is so nice to dream.

http://www.hopeandmegan.com/pics/sdchart.jpg

( Symptoms that I have. May or may not be pg-related. This will be written in a rose-colored-glasses fashion )

Megan and I went to Grant hospital tonight for the labor and delivery tour. We think that if we decide to give birth in a hospital that probably we want to go there. They are very much "create your birthing plan and we'll follow it". I like that. They also are the only hospital with a laboring tub. We didn't get to see it because it was being used, but I guess it is super huge. *siiiiggghhhh*

All of the other women were at least 4 months pregnant, but I guess other "shoppers" have taken the tour before. I mainly wanted to go to find out about an OB that doesn't suck. A blond ice princess of a pregnant woman walked in to the crowd. I could tell by the way she clutched her "what to expect when you're expecting diary book" that she would know what doc to go to. Then when she was asking questions about things I was interested in I _knew_ I wanted her doctor.

I was asking the tour guide about docs. Oh course she wanted to send us to Dr. Barrows because she is Teh Official gyno to the dykes in Columbus. My reaction was just shy of gagging, so she tried to think of others. The name she came up with was one that I remembered from my insurance list (YAY) AAAANNNNDDD the ice princess said that WAS her doc and that she liked her.

Here is her page at OhioHealth. I remember looking at it before and thinking that I would like a doctor who didn't bother to brush her hair for a picture. http://www.ohiohealth.com/findadoctor/physicians/doctor.cfm?id=35077266

On top of the hospital tour, I worked for three hours, went to my epidemiology class at OSU and we still managed to have dinner with mom and dad after their surprise announcement of "we're coming to pick up a dog" at 3:30 today. Whew, I'm tired.

Wah! I wanna be pregnant. Can somebody speed up time to whenever that happens???