JOB DESCRIPTION: Long term team players needed for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.
RESPONSIBILITIES: For the rest of your life...
Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.
Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.
Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next.
Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.
Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.
POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT AND PROMOTION: Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: None required, unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.
WAGES AND COMPENSATION: You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.
BENEFITS: While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
TEDDY Study
We had another TEDDY visit on Monday...which is how I know Jaina's height & weight already! What is this "TEDDY visit" you ask? Well...here's the low-down.
When Jaina was born, the hospital asked if we wanted to have her cord blood run through some genetic tests. The tests were for like 6 or 7 different things, one being Type 1 Diabetes. We said, "Sure," since diabetes & such runs on both sides of the family. Well, we got a telephone call and letter about 6 weeks or so after Jaina was born saying that she's got the higer risk genes to possibly develop T1D in the future and we were offered to participate in The TEDDY Study.
TEDDY Stands for The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young. We're doing our study through the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. It's all free and the child is monitored up to the age of 15. Plus, we get small monetary compensation and we got free coupons for packs of diapers! They do small blood draws every 3 months, monthly stool samples - which parents collect , water samples, 3-day food diaries, and even toenail clippings. Not sure what they do w/ the toenails...
Here's the basics: What Is TEDDY? The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) consortium is a network of centers with a mission to organize international efforts to identify infectious agents, dietary factors, or other environmental factors, which trigger type 1 diabetes in genetically susceptible people. TEDDY Objectives The primary aim of TEDDY is to identify infectious agents, dietary factors, or other environmental factors including psychosocial events, which may trigger type 1 diabetes in genetically susceptible people. Other aims include creating a central repository with data and biological samples for use by the scientific community, developing novel approaches to identifying infectious pathogens, dietary factors or other environmental influences that may contribute to the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes and developing a better understanding of disease pathogenesis and new strategies to prevent, delay and reverse type 1 diabetes.
The TEDDY Study is an international research study to discover genes and environmental exposures that may cause type 1 diabetes. There are 6 centers in the U.S. and Europe. The TEDDY study has two stages: TEDDY I The initial screening for the genetic risk to develop type 1 diabetes is either from a) a heel stick at the same time as the state mandated newborn screening or b) a heel stick performed by the pediatrician or the parent. ***for ours, they took a sample of her cord blood*** TEDDY II Babies who are found to be at a high genetic risk to develop type 1 diabetes in the future are eligible to enroll in TEDDY II. TEDDY II will closely examine the child’s environmental risk factors.
TEDDY Sites: - Medical College of Georgia is the lead site for seven hospitals, - Including MCG Medical Center, University Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital in Augusta - Northside Hospital in Atlanta - three hospitals in Gainesville, Fla (sorry, no names) - Barbara Davis Center at the University of Colorado (which is where we go) - Pacific Northwest Research Institute in Seattle - University of Turku in Finland - Lund University in Sweden - Diabetes Research Institute in Munich, Germany - Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute at the University of South Florida is analyzing the extensive data collected by study sites as they enroll participants over the next four years.
When Jaina was born, the hospital asked if we wanted to have her cord blood run through some genetic tests. The tests were for like 6 or 7 different things, one being Type 1 Diabetes. We said, "Sure," since diabetes & such runs on both sides of the family. Well, we got a telephone call and letter about 6 weeks or so after Jaina was born saying that she's got the higer risk genes to possibly develop T1D in the future and we were offered to participate in The TEDDY Study.
TEDDY Stands for The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young. We're doing our study through the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. It's all free and the child is monitored up to the age of 15. Plus, we get small monetary compensation and we got free coupons for packs of diapers! They do small blood draws every 3 months, monthly stool samples - which parents collect , water samples, 3-day food diaries, and even toenail clippings. Not sure what they do w/ the toenails...
Here's the basics: What Is TEDDY? The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) consortium is a network of centers with a mission to organize international efforts to identify infectious agents, dietary factors, or other environmental factors, which trigger type 1 diabetes in genetically susceptible people. TEDDY Objectives The primary aim of TEDDY is to identify infectious agents, dietary factors, or other environmental factors including psychosocial events, which may trigger type 1 diabetes in genetically susceptible people. Other aims include creating a central repository with data and biological samples for use by the scientific community, developing novel approaches to identifying infectious pathogens, dietary factors or other environmental influences that may contribute to the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes and developing a better understanding of disease pathogenesis and new strategies to prevent, delay and reverse type 1 diabetes.
The TEDDY Study is an international research study to discover genes and environmental exposures that may cause type 1 diabetes. There are 6 centers in the U.S. and Europe. The TEDDY study has two stages: TEDDY I The initial screening for the genetic risk to develop type 1 diabetes is either from a) a heel stick at the same time as the state mandated newborn screening or b) a heel stick performed by the pediatrician or the parent. ***for ours, they took a sample of her cord blood*** TEDDY II Babies who are found to be at a high genetic risk to develop type 1 diabetes in the future are eligible to enroll in TEDDY II. TEDDY II will closely examine the child’s environmental risk factors.
TEDDY Sites: - Medical College of Georgia is the lead site for seven hospitals, - Including MCG Medical Center, University Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital in Augusta - Northside Hospital in Atlanta - three hospitals in Gainesville, Fla (sorry, no names) - Barbara Davis Center at the University of Colorado (which is where we go) - Pacific Northwest Research Institute in Seattle - University of Turku in Finland - Lund University in Sweden - Diabetes Research Institute in Munich, Germany - Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute at the University of South Florida is analyzing the extensive data collected by study sites as they enroll participants over the next four years.
Jaina is now 18 months old and is turning into Miss Independent. Otherwise known as "I'll do it myself"! :)
She's got her 18 month doctor visit/checkup tomorrow but she's already been weighed & measured - 25.8 pounds, 32 and 1/2 inches tall! She's getting into everything and has figured out the joys of ketchup, ranch, or anything else to "dip". Plus, she can now climb up onto the kitchen chairs to reach the table. Look out world! She had her first ear infection a few weeks ago and we ended up going to the ENT for a consult because she had an allergic reaction to the Amoxicillin they gave her.
I'm still babysitting Bradyen, the little guy I started watching in March. He just turned 1 and he and Jaina get along great... or as great as 2 toddlers can! I've gotten some strange looks when I'm out and about with them. The doctor's office asked me "how old are your kids" and when I told them "just turned 1 and 18 months," they looked at me really funny...so I had to explain that Brayden is my "loaner-kid" and I get to give him back at the end of the day. Now if I could only teach them to share... :)
She's got her 18 month doctor visit/checkup tomorrow but she's already been weighed & measured - 25.8 pounds, 32 and 1/2 inches tall! She's getting into everything and has figured out the joys of ketchup, ranch, or anything else to "dip". Plus, she can now climb up onto the kitchen chairs to reach the table. Look out world! She had her first ear infection a few weeks ago and we ended up going to the ENT for a consult because she had an allergic reaction to the Amoxicillin they gave her.
I'm still babysitting Bradyen, the little guy I started watching in March. He just turned 1 and he and Jaina get along great... or as great as 2 toddlers can! I've gotten some strange looks when I'm out and about with them. The doctor's office asked me "how old are your kids" and when I told them "just turned 1 and 18 months," they looked at me really funny...so I had to explain that Brayden is my "loaner-kid" and I get to give him back at the end of the day. Now if I could only teach them to share... :)
Monday, June 04, 2007
An update.
Yes I know it's been a while since I've written. I've been hellaciously busy with watching Jaina and Brayden, plus doing house work. :)
Trying to decide what I want to be when I "grow up"- like that's gonna happen - the growing up part at least! :) Got accepted to DU for grad school this fall, but tuition is upwards of $30,000! Not sure I want to go into debt for that much a year for the next 3 or so years it'll take me to get my MA. Plunking around the idea of a 2nd BA in History - that way I can teach English and/or history. Make myself more marketable to future employers when I start looking for a teaching gig in the next year or 2. Decisions decisions.
Also - been cleaning our house, getting yard work done and such. Kev's best friend is moving in w/ us b/c he's getting divorced and is hurtin broke. So we're doing some major cleaning & painting, and some minor remodeling - bathroom & building a wall for a 2nd bedroom. I love Josh like a brother and he's girly's god-father. So I'm more than happy to help him out. He'll be moving in come July, if not before then.
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