Saturday, July 09, 2011

Taking care of business

I was happy that today was for the most part productive, even if I wasn't feeling my best. After running a few errands, I went to Jiffy Lube today. My car is in dire need of an engine fuel filter change but they explained to me at Jiffy Lube they cannot do Audis/VW because they require special tools. Damn German cars for being more expensive all around! But I still love my little car. I feel really bad for this inanimated object its crazy I know but I do. Been like that all my life. I remember being worried when I was really little that a particular stuff animal might be hurt if I didn't place it on by bed by my pillow. I guess I always care about how other people are feeling and even non-living things such as my car. And I guess I am grateful to have a car so its important to get it squared away soon!

So back to the point, Jiffy Lube people were so nice, they referred me to a car shop across the street that unfortunately was closed. Come Monday, I will see how much they charge for that type of work. I really need to get it done and go to my school to take care of financial aid related matters.

I also studied a good 4 hours for my exam today, I am glad its on the cardiovascular system. We have also begun to learn about the respiratory system as well (fascinating) how it all comes together. I really enjoyed learning about the epiglottis and glottis with the hyoid bone in the trachae. This is where people often choke when they try to eat and breathe at the same time. Basically what happens is you inhale bits of food and you end up coughing up a storm! That's the anatomy I recently learned about and we also got to use a spirometer which tests your I think is referred as respiratory volume but don't quote me on that. I know there is stroke volume to measure blood volume of one of the ventricles of the heart per beat. But my respiratory health looks great according to my age and I think it was height or weight I should have a 3000 (x-measurement) and I had 3500 yay! I also finally understand the whole diastole and systole concept. Diastole is when your heart is NOT contracting, in a resting state. While Systole is when your heart chambers contract (pump blood) into another chamber or artery. I still haven't fully mastered the difference during the ventricular diastole and the atria systole about how the ventricles are never fully empitied or something like that...it has to do with cardiac rhythm and blood pressure volumes...see I had to stop studying cuz now I am just confusing myself ;-)

I think the anatomy of the lungs is far more interesting to study than that of the heart. I guess because the heart is truly a pump based on a timing that the atria and the ventricles do not run pararell exactly. But then again ask me about the lungs in a few weeks from now. If there's some complicated chemical reaction involved in that related to action potential, I am not going to be a happy camper then either. I am just glad its not the endocrine system again. Man I got to say that was the most difficult of all to learn in all the areas we covered.

Onwards and upwards! Heave-ho! Heave-ho! Tally-ho!!!

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