Day Seventy-Seven: Me & Michael J

Alex P Keaton was one of my teenage crushes. I used to watch his character, played by Michael J Fox, on the show Family Ties during my formative years. When he came out to Back To The Future, I begged my Uncle Brian (my step-mother's step-brother if that's not complicated) to take me to it on one of his visits to El Paso. What 80's girl didn't read about Michael J in Tiger Beat magazine? Its so strange that after a couple of decades, he's now on my mind all of the time.

I'm joining the small group of students that research with Dr. Edward Castaneda, the head of the Psychology Department at UTEP. I'm unbelievably honored & humbled that he is allowing me to study under his tutelage. I'm currently a student in his psychobiology class, & his area of research is on dopamine receptors with reference to drug addiction and....you guessed it...Parkinson's Disease. Parkinsons Disease is a condition that occurs when the dopamine receptors in the Basal Ganglia region & cells of the Substantia Nigra that release dopamine in the brain degrade & die. My Great-Grandmother Cade had Parkinson's, & so does Michael J. From the Post on Day 33: Real Pain, you'll recall that dopamine is also released in the brain when we eat emotionally. The addiction to the effects of dopamine is real. Being able to study dopamine & DA Receptor systems/Ascending Motor Systems is amazing for me. Here's an animated clip ... http://www.michaeljfox.org/living_popupActionInTheBrain.cfm

I've been taking my licensing exams to work in the laboratory with rats, which includes surgical procedures, lab safety, & bloodborne pathogens. I've studied more this spring break than I do normally during the semester trying to get them knocked out so I can begin my hands on. I've been so torn inside thinking about the procedures that are conducted during animal studies in order to understand & learn how to treat diseases and addictions. Then, I think of Michael J & realize that every single advancement made in medicine is done at the hands of animals. Thank you, animals. I now thank you every time I take an Ibuprophin or a birth control pill.

Guess what the number one non-drug prescription is for Parkinson's...Exercise. "Given what we know about the universal health benefits of exercise, it is not surprising that exercise & physical therapy are the most frequently suggested non-pharmacological treatments for Parkinson's disease. Exercise programs can help people with Parkinson's stay active & relatively limber, improve balance & motor coordination."....-MJFF website.

I've been thinking of Michael J as I go to sleep at night. I wonder how he's feeling. I wonder what he's thinking. I wonder if he's praying for me & the many thousands of researchers in research labs looking for better drugs, cures, & further understanding of our complicated brain & its diseases. I'm praying for him.