Brainiac

Well today is the day. The basis of my job is today. The reason I have benefits is today. Today is the Johns Hopkins University Dpt of Brain Sciences "Discovery and Hope" symposium and gala. I have been helping plan these events for the last 10 months, and it's amazing to see it finally come to fruition. There are roughly 900 people in the symposium, as I type this, and over 800 coming to the gala dinner this evening. This was no small task. When I get married, notice I said WHEN and not IF, I will know how to plan the seating charts, the menu, flowers, and all that crap. I now have experience.

I got to work at 7 this morning, and helped with registration from 7:30-8:30. Well, I didn't help so much as I just cruised the room for possible Dr. dates for later this evening. I caught the first lecture of the symposium. It was about worms and experiments with oxygen? Or something? I don't know...I only understood words like "neuron", "laboratory", and "pathogens". Yes, pathogens. I know what that means. Hah! I did understand the last 3 minutes of the lecture, and found it really interesting. Somewhere in all that molecular level science talk, serotonin was mentioned. Apparently, 95% of the serotonin in humans is produced by the gut, not the nervous system. And, serotonin is related to nausea experienced by chemo patients. The reason doctors tell chemo patients to eat bland foods during treatment is because if the patient eats his favorite food during chemo, he won't be able to enjoy it again after chemo without feeling nauseous. Isn't that interesting? I thought so.


OK..back to checking email and phone messages, and then back to the symposium for lunch. And talks! Yes, talks. That's why I work here.