Why Alternative Medicine Exists

October 3, 2011 Ashley F. Milleracupuncture, alternative medicine, doctors, homeopathy, stomach issues, traditional medicine3 Comments

I have been sick for nearly six weeks, there’s something wrong with my stomach. I’ve been to three different doctors, had seven tests done, each with different supervisors and doctors and nurses. I am nauseous, if I eat to much it won’t stay down, and my stomach and intestines hurt. I have lost 20lbs (and part of my brain is all “huzzah” but I’m so tired, it’s not a very enthusiastic “huzzah”).

It’s like overnight my guts mutinied and I can’t get them back under my control. And, while my doctors have diligently tried to give me things to help, they’ve either not worked or had side-effects so bad that I’ve been unable to take them long enough to see if they worked. The thing about an upset stomach is that you can still work, you’ll be grouchy and very tired, but you’re awake. The thing about working when you’ve been knocked out by a drug is that you can’t.

So, of course, when people find out you’re not feeling well they 1. have a cousin/brother/aunt who had the same thing and it turned out to be celiac/stomach acid/cancer and 2. you should try acupuncture/unproven diet/homeopathy, it really worked for my friend/loved one/family member.

And when you’ve felt like crap for six weeks, you’re pretty much willing to try anything to feel better. Even I, skeptic extraordinaire (I guess) am tempted to do things I know are useless. I sit here and think, “Well, maybe the placebo effect will help even if nothing else does.” It’s nutty, I know it’s nutty, and yet I am so miserably sick and there seems to be no explanation or cure forthcoming, it’s hard to say no to something that might possibly work, even through magical thinking.

Here are otters, they make things ever so slightly better.

{advertisement}

Otters are the opposite of depressing

December 6, 2009 Ashley F. MillerOtters2 Comments

To cheer up after previous post, have otters.

Back to our Regularly Scheduled Programming: Pitching, Zombies, Glee and Otters

November 23, 2009 Ashley F. Millerbible con, Editing, Gay, Glee, musicals, Otters, PitchQ, Progress Report, screenwriting, zombiesLeave a comment

So, I have actually had a good couple of days. I had a pitch with PitchQ. They’re a service that records your pitch and posts it online. I submitted a pitch to a specific call and got to go in and record it without paying the usual fee on the website. It was a really great experience. The guy behind the service is really cool, supportive, and open about the process. He says they accept about 2-3% of the pitches they receive, and then have about a 1% success rate.

He also said if you’ve written a zombie script, you’re in. Which reminds me that I have that zombie idea that I keep meaning to write about. It’s actually web series in my mind — but maybe I could Love Actually that thing up.

And I found out last week that I got a promotion — I’ll now be Lead AE on a full season of a reality show, which is exciting. It won’t start until February, but it’s a decent raise, and an excellent job. I’ll even get to edit the webisodes, which I am stoked about. Because I have a strong attachment to the idea that the web is the new distribution method… as soon as it figures out how to do that.

I also watched the entire first season (so far) of Glee. Which I love. Like, I want to work on that show because it is everything I love: musical numbers, awkward high schoolers, comically over the top bad guys you love, and occasional really touching and honest moments. Also, the gayness. The only thing that would make it better would be otters.

Delinquent

November 16, 2009 Ashley F. Millerbible con, Editing, Logging, nicholl, Otters, Progress Report, screenwritingLeave a comment

I’m sorry I’ve been so lacking in interesting things to say. At the moment I’m just showing up to work and trying to write a business plan. I’m doing a slight re-write of my Nicholl Script, “Bible Con”. I’m hoping to have it and a new script ready to send to Nicholl this year.

So, I dunno, not a lot going on. I’m about to start working on editing a short, but I haven’t actually started yet. I spend a lot of time trolling the internets for jobs. Yeppers.