Scary face

Each week I am able to love med with less fear. A few weeks ago med felt like an interesting monster who followed me around. Now it feels like a Willy Wag Tail that flutters and hops around me. When these birds try to be scary they puff up their eyebrows- which to me is the most ridiculously funny 'scary face' that I've come across! It is such a delight to study what I love with minimal fear.

This week the same thing happened three times- and I think I've finally learnt my lesson! For years I've 'hidden' myself from others. Oh I've been friendly and smile at everyone, but that's like being a nicely wrapped present that is never opened. I do this so that I don't annoy people- thinking that perhaps I'm a rather a specific sort of present. Such as a box of 80% cocoa chocolates filled with fig and caramel. These are brilliant chocolates (my favourite actually), but not many people like the taste. 

Basically three times this week I've hidden even more, trying not to annoy people. What a tragedy!!! Especially since in all three cases the people where worried about annoying me. If only I had not hidden, but instead taken the lead and fixed things straight away! What a silly week it's been fretting. 

Doctors, of all people, cannot hide. They must be leaders. Surely doctors do what they know is right (hopefully with sensitivity and compassion) instead of shyly waiting for the patients to take the lead. Growing into this role will be this year's project (as well as my veggie garden, the blanket I'm crocheting, and passing medicine).

Okay onto cool medical facts. All day I've been studying the immune system- my favourite thing has be B cells. These are lymphocytes (Along with T cells and Natural killer cells)- this means they like to hang out in the lymph system. B cells are white blood cells and are made in bone marrow. Once made, they travel through the blood and hang out in lymph nodes hoping to meet a pathogen (germ). Once they meet the pathogen (and a whole lot of other things happen) they produce antibodies (which give the kiss of death to pathogens so that other cells know to kill it). Okay that seems sort of boring, but.... not only are these B cells specific to different pathogens they are able to produce antibodies that are suitable in different circumstances. All the the types/classes are Ig- something. 

IgG are the only type that can pass through the placenta to help protect the foetus. Even better than this they have a half life of 3 weeks so they can tide the baby over until they start making their own antibodies!

IgM antibodies are shaped like a flower and give the kiss of death a pathogen on each petal at the same time- all while attracting two explosives close enough to to each other (imagine explosive rubbing each other until they spark) and the pathogen (on each petal) to cause an explosion which kills the pathogen. This antibody is made from the first trimester. 

IgE antibodies are sort of similar in that they too can cause an explosive near the pathogen. Except in this case they are best with BIG pathogens like parasites that are way too big to be eating. This is the class of antibodies that can cause anaphylactic shock. This is because the explosion uses histamine that makes fluid leave the blood (eg swelling or a runny nose) and can make smooth muscles (muscles that you don't have to consciously move (except the heart) eg. around the windpipe) contract. If too many bombs go off  too much fluid may leave the blood = heart failure and you may suffocate. 

IgA antibodies though are my absolute favourite. They cover the 400 square metres of mucous in the body (eg around the gut, airways) They are shaped like a long stick and therefore can easily squeeze through the tissue in the body to the mucus area. They are also resistant to digestive acid. Using their four hands they grab pathogens who are trying to squeeze through the mucus to get deeper into the body. They are now a much bigger lump that the mucus can get a hold of and carry out of the body. This is AWESOME. This class of antibodies are in breast milk and therefore line the newborn's mucus from its mouth through to its gut with. How good is this? Especially as babies put all sorts of germs in their mouths.

Finally everywhere I live I quickly find my 'favourite place' just to go and think. In Scotland it was the beach (even in winter). In Whyalla it was the wetlands. In Darwin it was the coastline. In Fremantle it is the round house. From it I can look over the sea, be refreshed, and then walk 5 minutes back to uni. I LOVE it.