Moving

I called KGO 810 today during a talkshow that they were having about Britney Spears and her recent escapades. What upset me about the reaction to all that we know about her is that she is suffering from a real psychological disorder that everyday people live with and yet how many people have serious misconceptions about the way she's living her life, claiming she's doing it on purpose or that the media got to her. This, in addition to receiving positive feedback about sharing whatever knowledge I have about adrenal fatigue, has prompted me to start a new xanga....focused solely on sharing critical information on unspoken subjects such as adrenal fatigue, mental health issues, or being Indian in America, etc. I will post what I know, and I look forward to learning from readers as well. It's time we begin a dialogue and break the barriers of silence that are harming us.

See you at my new home! :)

Fact of the....?

A new year is upon us! This was the first time new years was significant to me...most years it's just another day but this time, a lot was riding on it. One of my goals of this year is to use my terribly difficult experience of 2007 to educate people on a condition that many more than are actually diagnosed live with daily. It is a condition that unfortunately most traditional medical practitioners are unaware about and even admit themselves that they are inadequately trained on this subject matter. I am so thankful that I found such a brilliant and open-minded holistic doctor and would like to share with anyone I can find, some facts about adrenal fatigue. I don't want to overwhelm readers with a list of symptoms and ignite some sort of panic.. But I would like to educate at a slower pace so I will include facts (hopefully) weekly in efforts to spread awareness about a very common and extremely debilitating disorder that has a promising prognosis if diagnosed appropriately early on.

So for my first entry, I will shed some light on these little (but highly powerful) guys called "adrenals". They are glands that sit on top of the kidneys (one on each) and are considered a part of the endocrine system. They secrete a hormone called cortisol, which in excessive quantities, is deleterious to the body. A superficial result of excessive cortisol is the "pot belly" look in many people who have high-stress jobs and lives. Cortisol has a positive function too in that a moderate amount is required in the body for all organs to function. (All meaning all.) The adrenal glands also secrete a hormone called "adrenaline" which is used in reaction to the "fight or flight" response in highly demanding situations. When cortisol production is low (as in adrenal fatigue) the adrenal glands can still secrete adrenaline. However, too much adrenaline in the body results in a highly anxious/panicky feeling and does not allow time for the body to rest. Therefore too much adrenaline (even as a result of caffienated drinks) is not good.

The adrenal glands different from other parts of the body in that when they are weaker than usual, they do not stop completely functioning. It's not like a heart after a heart attack where, if pushed passed a certain limit, will stop working. If adequate cortisol is not present, adrenaline levels are kicked up and take the place of cortisol's job almost like a backup generator. Therefore, adrenal fatigue is very tricky to identify. Most people, as in the case of depression, learn to live with diminished functionality of adrenal glands and quickly adapt to the lessened quality of life, genuinely believing it is "normal" to consistently wake up in the morning feeling unrested. Unfortunately, because it goes undected for so long by the patient, adrenal glands are often abused by people as they try to push through the excessive demands of daily life. What most people don't realize is that the less functional the adrenal glands are, the closer you are to having organ trouble or even organ failure. Unfortunately, traditional Western medical practitioners are only trained to identify adrenal troubles when they turn into Addisons Disease, a life-threatening disorder where medication is life-long and severe changes in daily life are necessary. If people are more aware of symptoms of adrenal fatigue (which is at least a few steps before Addison's Disease), the problem can be reversible and you can resume daily functioning without life-long medication.

Adrenal fatigue is a serious disorder that afflicts countless numbers of people. If I can increase even one person's awareness about the reality of its seriousness, I would feel as if my struggle with it served a purpose.

More to follow.....

Super Power Gone Bad

Correction!

Oh dear. I guess this is what happens when you update once a year. I am engaged, yes, to a wondeful, beautiful and talented lawyer to be, Kavitha Kadambi! I am shocked () and hurt (), Kav, that you didn't remember!!! We've been engaged for YEARS now! We must now work through this new tiff in our relationship.

Anyway, sorry for the heart attacks people. There is no "other" engagement in sight for years and years and years. And if that does happen, I definitely would not be posting it on xanga as a way to inform y'all!

P.S. I love these new smileys!

Random quizzes...randomly

Taken from fiancee...

1. What are your initials?
PD

2. Like to wear the most?
jeans, sweatshirt and flipflops

3. Last thing you ate?
sushi

5. I say Shotgun, you say?
fiiiine

8. Last person you hugged?
T

9. Something you like physically about yourself.
not much post adrenally...maybe fingers

10. The last rumor you heard about yourself in school/work?
That they didn't like me because I am younger than them and in the same grad program...

11. Who is your best friend(s)?
that has become increasingly clear this year

12. Why are you still up?
I have no clue. I might be hungry still.

13. Who/What made you angry today?
Me.

16. Favorite type of food?
Sushi!

17. Favorite holiday?
Diwali! It just finished this weekend.

18. Do you download music?
I don't myself but I have connections. ;)

19. Do you care if your socks are dirty?
Yes! No dirt and no holes, please

20. Who's your favorite celebrity?
Madhuri Dixit, Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Jackman, Julia Roberts

21. Would you date the person who posted this last?
considering we're already engaged...of course!

22. Has anyone ever sang or played for you personally?
nope

24. Do you like George Bush?
He provides much entertainment and I enjoy laughing...so sure.

25. Have you ever bungee jumped?
No way

26. Have you ever gone white-water rafting?
I wish!

27. Has anyone ten years older than you ever hit on you?
lol yup

28. Do you miss anyone right now?
at this very moment, no. recently, yes.

29. Have you met a real redneck?
yes! just met one last weekend actually

30. How is the weather right now?
freezing

31. What are you listening to right now?
the sound of my keys tapping

32. What is your current favorite song?
Ajab Si from Om Shanti Om, Haji Ali from Fiza, Omkara from Omkara

33. What was the last movie you watched?
Started Hum Aapke Hain Koun but didn't finish this weekend. Last weekend saw Devdas. Dude when did I become all Indian again??

35. Where was the last place you went besides your house?
Sushi restaurant

36. Whose car did you last ride in?
My dad's

37. How many piercings have you had?
Two.

38. How many pets do you have?
zero

39. What's one thing you've learned this year?
Good friends are not only those who are there for you in the good times, but who are happy for you (and not jealous) during the happy times. They also know how to recognize, appreciate and cherish a good friendship and are generous when it comes to reciprocating such kindness. There are not a lot of people that fit this category.

40. What do you usually order from Starbucks?
Nothing I don't support Starbucks.

42. Have you ever fired a gun?
Ooh no.

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1. Name someone who made you smile today.
T and S

2. What were you doing at 8:00 this morning?
sleeping!

3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
surfing the internet

4. What was something that happened to you in 1992?
had a surprise 10th birthday party at home

5. What is your Mom's mom's name?
Shalini (or Sudha)

6. Three words to explain why you last threw up...
food, poisoning, mushrooms

7. What color is your hairbrush?
black and silver

8. What was the last thing you bought?
really nice shirts for T and S (for a GREAT deal)

where are # 9 and 10??

11. Where do you keep your money?
jar under my bed *shhhh*

12. What was the weather like today?
freezing  

13. Where did your last hug take place?
in the garage where it was freezing!

14. What are you excited about?
A new year and hopes of it being a better one

15. Have you ever stayed up all night waiting for a phone call?
no way

18. Are you very random?
apparently I am - another thing I've learned this year

19. Do you want to cut your hair?
Yes I need a haircut!

20. Are you over the age of 25?
unfortunately by a few months

21. Do you talk a lot?
depends on who I'm with, yes.

22. Do you watch The O.C.?
I unfortunately wasted my time on season 1...bad move.

23. Does your screen name have an "x" in it?
Nope

24. Do you know anyone named Kelsey?
nope

25. Do you make up your own words?
of course-ish

26. Are you ticklish?
nope

27. Are you typically a jealous person?
meh  

29. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter "V"?
Vishal, Vivek, Vikram....hmm no girls.

30. Who's the last person to call you?
S

32. Do you chew on your straws?
Nope...but did you know drinking from straws makes you burp more?

33. Do you have curly hair?
curly

34. What is the next concert you're going to?
Sa re ga ma pa challenge 2007!

35. Where did you go today?
Lunch and dinner

37. What is something you say a lot?
weee!

39. Have you seen the movie "Donnie Darko"?
oh ya loved it

40. Do you have work tomorrow?
i'm unemployed

42. Who was the last person you said "I love you" to?
S

43. What should you be doing right now?
sleeping!

44. Do you have a nickname?
p, tai, pnut, cash, chipya, wanda, yolanda, rhonda, chaaru...so many more...

45. Are you a heavy sleeper?
only if i'm on drugs

46. What are you listening to?
keys

47. What is the best movie you've seen in the past two weeks?
Devdas...only one I've seen in 2 weeks.

48. Is there anyone you like right now?
Yup lots of people

49. When was the last time you did the dishes?
Saturday

50. Did you cry today?
Yup.

---------------------------------

A-Z in things about yourself
A: are you Anorexic: no! what a terrible question on an online survey. the true definition and diagnosis is so misunderstood by the general public, why perpetuate just pop psychology?! bah!
B: who's your Best friend: see above
C: can you do a Cartwheel: yup
D: do you have a Dog: not anymore
E: do you like to Eat: sometimes. i mostly eat because i have to. but i love being around people who enjoy to eat
F: how many Friends do you have: 8.7
G: are you Goth: no
H: any bad Habits: plenty
I: do you like being Ignored: does anyone on a regular basis?
J: can you Jump high: um sure high for a short person
K: do you like flying Kites: yup
L: how do you Lay when you sleep: side or stomach
M: what Music do you listen to: nice music
N: do you have a big Nose: apparently someone said it reminded them of a bird's beak
O: could you say that your Odd: yup after this year i can
P: are you a nice Person: very....too nice often
Q: have you ever sewn a Quilt: no
R: ever seen a Rainbow: yup
S: what State do you live in: cali
T: do you know how to Text: nope
U: do you own an Umbrella: many
V: do you like the scent of Violets: never smelled them....or seen them 
W: isn't Wal-mart awesome?: it's actually kind of creepy
X: ever had a X-ray: yup
Y: is your Yard big: big for newly developed plots now....not big for any house outside of cali
Z: have you ever seen a Zebra: on tv i did

A-Z of your Favorites:
A: Animal: dolphin...or penguin! did you know their body temp is 90 degrees?! ah HEAT!
B: Band: Lifehouse, Matchbox 20
C: Color: blue
D: Drink: water without ice and with a slice of lemon
E: Eye color: dark brown
F: Fruit: strawberry
G: Game: taboo
H: Hair color: black
I: Ice-Cream Flavor: rainbow sherbet at BR
J: Jelly Flavor: strawberry no seeds
K: Kitten Color: ew cats
L: Lollipop Flavor: ew lollipops
M: Music Type: nice
N: Number: 27
O: Odd thing: dry erase markers
P: disney Princess: Anastasia
Q: Quilt color..:/: huh?
R: Rainbow color: Blue
S: Sport: football
T: TV Show: Friends, Gilmore Girls, Greys, anything on Food Network
U: Underwear Type: comfy
V: Value: to be selfless
W: Work Tool: hammer
X: X-ray type: what?!
Y: Yellow thing: sun!! HEAT!!!
Z: Zipper up clothes: hoodie or jeans

Great just wasted half an hour and I'm still not sleepy.............