Random, very random

So I volunteered to be in a research study where the levels of a drug used to treat HIV are measured in the blood stream. A control group of HIV negative subjects were needed and I volunteered to participate in that group. Why you ask, because they pay WELL. Not sure how many of you all know this but volunteers for medical related research studies are typically paid well. The first $500 doesn't have to be claimed to the IRS. I got paid $800 for my study so I had to set up a savings account for tax time...anyway...

So the plan was to take a pill twice a day for two weeks. Every 3 or 4 days I would go into the hospital where the researchers where and stay there all day. Part of the study involved hospital stays where blood was drawn every few hours to be tested. This sounds boring but actually I loved staying at the hospital. I could watch movies, sleep, read books, visit people I know (I work for a medical college so I know a few people at the hospital) and come and go as I pleased. I spent most of the time reading, studying for my grad classes, and sleeping.

Now we get to the interesting part of the story. Part of the study involved obtaining a fat sample from me for testing (They needed a fat sample as people who are on the drug for long periods of time complain of losing fat in certain parts of the body and gaining fat in other parts). So this fat sample came from my rear! It was liposuction and I was sick during the procedure and almost passed out. On the first day of the study they took a sample from one cheek and on the last day they took a sample from my other cheek. It was a very small sample and didn't hurt.

It is interesting to ponder most people pay someone else to have fat liposuctioned off themselves but I was paid to have liposuction performed on me. My life is so rough...