Month: February 2024

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What’s Going On?

Mindy Kinnaman

Kids, let me tell you: aging sucks. Lately, it’s felt like every time I turn around there’s something new going wrong in this aging body of mine. For a while, everything was going fine – well, as fine as it can be when you have a chronic medical condition that requires you to take three medications and other supplements daily.

For the most part, the migraines had been under control, but slowly, they’ve been increasing in frequency. I’ve gone from having one migraine a month to one a week. The positive is that their lifespan is a lot shorter than they used to be. The longest I typically have them is a day or two. Seriously, when you have migraines that span the course of a week, going down to a day or two is sweet, blessed relief. But because they’re picking up in frequency, it’s time to go back to the neurologist to see if it’s time to adjust my medication. But there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that I’ve got a neurology appointment scheduled. The bad news is that it’s not until June. So, I may just complain a bit over the next four months.

Sadly, though, the migraines aren’t all that’s going wrong in this aging body of mine. Back in 2021, my doctor had me do my yearly blood test and found that I had minial liver damage. He wanted to keep an eye on things but told me I need to cut back on things like cheese and lunchmeat. Last year, my new doctor saw my liver results in a blood test and also wanted to keep an eye on things. So, when I recently had my blood drawn, she decided it was time to take action. Tomorrow, I have to get an ultrasound of my liver. Cue panicking. Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well.

But wait! There’s more.

*cries*

My OB-GYN is concerned about my irregular menstrual cycle. I just thought that I had entered early menopause, but my recent blood test revealed some irregularities with my pituitary gland. So now, I’ve got to get a brain scan. It’s not been scheduled yet, but I can guarantee you that I’ll be freaking out from now (well, from last Thursday when I got the call from my doctor) until the scan’s results come in. I did do some Googling to see what could be the issue. I found a few things that could be impacting me that, fortunately, can be cleared up with medication. One could also require surgery (cue panicking).

So, why am I telling you all this? Really, as a reminder to take care of yourselves. We’re aging every second, and the ride is not always pleasant. Thank goodness, though, that modern medicine is ever-evolving. Because that helps soothe me a little. So, until I have answers for you, take care. I know I’m going to try to distract myself by writing Do No Harm. Really, that’s all I can do.

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Best Book of the Year … So Far

Mindy Kinnaman

Anyone who knows me knows that I am prone to hyperbole. Cheese? Best thing ever. My cats? Also the best things ever. My husband? You guessed it: best thing ever.

So, yeah, when I say that I just finished the best book of the year, I recognize that it’s only February 11. There is plenty of time for me to read books that will surpass what I am now calling the best book of the year. However, if I do read better books, then those are going to be some damn good books, because one of the books I finished reading this week was sooooooooo fricken good.

This week, I read The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill. Sure, I’m a little late to the game – this book was published in 2022 – but, holy crap, this book is one I’m going to be recommending to everyone. And yes, I’m a little annoyed that I’ve had this book in my to-read list pretty much since it was published, but I’m glad I finally got to read it. Now, I’m going to recommend it to you, because, seriously, everyone should read this book.

Four strangers are sitting in the reading room of the Boston Public Library when a woman’s scream sounds out from somewhere nearby. The strange situation brings this foursome together, and what follows is a great reverse locked-door mystery. Why? Because one of these four people is a murderer.

That, alone, is a great premise. If they’re all sat at a table together, how could one of them possibly murder the woman who screamed? Well, that’s why you have to read this book.

But this book is so much more than a murder mystery. There’s another component to this novel, which I won’t spoil for you, but it, combined with the mystery, keeps you turning the page. I knocked out the book in a couple of days, but, to be completely honest, this is one of those books where I would have stayed up for a whole night just to finish reading it. The story is so compelling that I hated having to close it at night so I could get a good night’s sleep before work. But trust me, the minute I got home from work, I jumped right into reading.

If you’ve read this book, I’d like to hear what you think. Feel free to leave me a comment with your thoughts. If you haven’t read it, buy it, check it out from your local library, or download it to your favorite e-reader, then let me know what you think.

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Ch-ch-ch-changes

Mindy Kinnaman

This week, I started a new job at my university. As of Thursday, I’m the new assistant director for equal opportunity, access, and Title IX coordination. This job will be an interesting challenge for me, as it will be one of the few times I’ve worked outside of student affairs. Not only that, but I’ll be conducting investigations, leading our Equity Advisor program, making sure our hiring practices are equitable across the university, leading trainings, and making sure our institution is compliant with federal regulations like the ADA.

I’ve spent more than 20 years in higher education, and I’ve learned so much over my career. I’ve worked at two-years, four-years, public and private universities, and even a private housing company. But one thing I’ve never done in my career before now is move to a different department in the same institution. Saying goodbye comes anytime you leave a job, but it’s different when you’re just moving upstairs. I’ll miss the day-to-day conversations with my old colleagues, but I won’t have to rely on social media to keep up with them.

Another positive to moving upstairs is that I don’t have to carry the same level of first-day jitters. I knew most of the people in my new office space. That made things so much nicer. Everyone is friendly and welcoming, but they’re not meeting me for the first time. Odds are good they’ve already heard that I’m a dork who works really hard.

The only nerve-wracking thing about moving upstairs is that I’ve left the Dean’s Office and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Office for the Chancellor’s Suite. The Chancellor, himself, is on the other side of the office. I haven’t seen him since starting my new role, but I’m sure our paths will cross at some point.

So, that’s what I’ve been up to. What about you?