Bibliosphere

 So to really understand this post, we need to back it up all the way to December. And in December, I read a book about the Blue Zones of happiness (find it here ), written by the Blue Zones guru himself, Dan Buettner. Not to be confused with the regular Blue Zones, where people live longer and healthier lives than in other parts of the world, these Blue Zones of happiness are where people are happiest. And at the end of the book, it gave some top ideas of how you can be happier and live like people in these Blue Zones of Happiness. They were (in order of importance): Prioritize friends and family Get involved (clubs, teams, and other organizations) Learn likability (the art of being a well-liked person) Thirty minutes of physical activity a day Focus on the happiness of others Make a best friend at work Keep track of your health Live together, but with the right partner Be in the moment and take time to enjoy life or what you're looking forward to Set meaningful goals and track yo...

 One of the things I've come to learn as I've dealt with years of mental health conditions (and I learned this more recently then I care to admit) is that I sometimes have to redefine what a "good day" is. Because I have what's in my head as a "good day" that I aspire to. Something along the lines of, wake up, enjoy a full breakfast, go on a hike, draw, spend time with a friend, delicious food, hot shower, fresh sheets at the end of the day with a good book.  Ok, that's the ideal day, not just a good day. But recently I've had to think about what's really a good day. What is really important to achieve, and what really matters. So here's some of the things that have made a day good recently: I had a good conversation with my boss and felt understood. I had enough energy after work to cook. I made it through the whole day at the office without coming home. I was able to use my tools to manage my mental health. I was honest with someone abo...

 When I write, regardless of what it is, I'm often thinking about the voice that comes through. I can have a formal voice, like when I write an email to a volunteer I don't know, but usually I try to be more relaxed. The stuffy wording that I can find so easily puts distance between me and who I'm writing to, something that's not great in a social service job. Or in the rest of my life. But this blog doesn't have one voice, it has many. I have the more formal voice when I share scientific research, the more convincing voice when I'm writing calls to action, or my most honest voice, when I write stories of my personal life and experiences. But none are quite the voice I'm looking for in this mix of posts. When I think about the voice I want to develop, it is one singular voice, not many. It is a voice that is steady and true, while being able to speak not just in one way, but all of them. A voice that is adaptable, strong, and, most importantly, something I c...

 A new-ish awareness day is DIPG Awareness Day, held on May 17. The awareness day dates to 2016, when the then-governor of Maryland declared the day for the first time, on the anniversary of the passing of DIPG warrior Michael Mosier. Currently 30 states and the US Senate recognize DIPG Awareness Day ( x ). Here are some fast facts about DIPG: DIPG is a rare, aggressive cancer of the brainstem. DIPG is the most common cancer of the brainstem in children and the leading cause of brain cancer deaths in children. DIPG has a median survival of 11 months. The overall survival rate is less than 1%, with the 5 year survival rate being 2%. There are a few long term survivors of DIPG, with some common characteristics, but they often face stigma from multiple communities. The most common ages for diagnosis with DIPG is 4-11 years old with the median age being 6-7 years old. Families can find resources and support here . It is time to #defeatDIPG. Sources: x , x , x  

 Let's be honest: every month is a mental health month for me. I live with a mental health condition, a pretty impactful one (though they're all impactful), and spend lots of time caring for it. I'm currently going through a big medication change. It's been very challenging and overwhelming. I haven't been able to focus on caring for myself as much as I would like due to work and other commitments. I do believe that it's very important to talk about mental health, including mental illness. There is still a lot of stigma in our world. For example, I feel like it would go over better at work if I was outed as gay, as opposed to being outed as having mental health conditions. There's just a lot of misunderstanding and a lack of education, especially for some of the seemingly more complex mental illnesses and conditions. Mental illnesses affect 1 in 5 adults every year. That's a lot of people. Mental health is for everyone, and together we can defeat stigma....

 May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month, also known as "Grey May" according to the National Brain Tumor Society. I used to think it was only brain cancer that was represented by May, but it's actually all brain tumors, over 70% of which are benign ( x ). It is thought that over 1 million Americans live with a primary brain tumor, including over 13,000 children. Indeed, it is the most common solid tumor cancer in children and accounting for a quarter of childhood cancer diagnoses ( x ). I actually had a bit of a scare with a (possible) brain tumor earlier this year. I've had a hormone imbalance for years, and we'd always assumed it was due to some medication I take. However, after finally starting treatment, the imbalance didn't resolve, and my doctors agreed that I should be tested for a pituitary tumor, a usually benign tumor of the pituitary glad that may be present in up to 10% of people, usually without symptoms ( x ). The scan was (thankfully) negative and we...

I am always learning. I love to learn, whether it's reading books, listening to TED Talks, or attending webinars. A love of learning is one of many reasons I went to grad school, to learn more about a new topic that I was passionate about. An inability to limit my interests is also a reason that I have the degrees I have, and why they are so different. Not many people attend an arts high school, then study and interdisciplinary form of engineering, then finish their education with a social science masters, all while working in jobs that are only semi-related. A desire to learn and experience new things has driven many things in my life. I still take classes. I'm taking one now, about race and the history of it in the US. I'm even writing a paper, like a real paper with citations and research. The courses are college level, so they have high standards. Some higher than others, and this one has very high expectations. The first assignment even took me by surprise when I looke...

 May is here. It's one of my favorite months. Warm, sunny, blooming flowers, leafy trees, flowing streams, perfect for being outdoors in Utah. May is a beautiful month. May is Brain Cancer Awareness month, as well as National Cancer Research month, Neurofibromatosis month, and Oncology Nursing month. Clearly a lot is going on. And it's all worth learning about. So stay tuned for more posts this month about at least some of these topics.