Aging and Academia

The odd schedule at work has been taking a mental and physical toll on me. Usually tired, my mood swings as regularly as my shift does. I'm just trying to keep up.

To break that spell, boost GPA some and get ready for grad school, I decided to take a class. Its an online course, through Penn State Dubois.

I went to the "duck" campus seven years ago. Thats hard to imagine. I remember being intimidated by it back then, even though 13 members (5%?) of the freshman class were people I graduated high school with.

This time, I really appreciate the atmosphere, the people, the opportunity to learn, and print out as much stuff as I want.

The class I'm taking is "The Biology of Aging". Its all about what happens to you when you get old, and what doesn't have to happen if you live the right lifestyle.

Main point: I really miss college; people should have to wait until their mid-20's to go.

Ask Your Doctor

Lets say you have high blood pressure. Or Cholesterol. Or herpes.

Your doctor knows this. Plus, he/she is a doctor. So, shouldn't they know what prescription medications you should be taking?

How can there conceivably be any reason for a commercial telling me to 'ask my doctor' about a medication to fix my heart problem? If its the best medical solution, why doesn't he already know about it, and prescribe it or not?

The doctor told me once that in our health care system we are really good at treating disease and disorders. In places where they have universal healthcare, doctors are very good at preventative medicine.

Draw your own conclusions.

*Void in situations where the problem is erectile dysfunction, sleeping at night, or mood-related.*