The past two months have been expensive for me. I had a fence put in my backyard, so that the new puppy would have a place to run around. I had been wanting a fence for a while, but I hadn’t been planning on doing it quite so soon. My car also had to be in the shop twice. TWICE!
The result of this was that I was considerably lower on funds than I like to be at any given time. But, I resolved, it would be okay. I made a new budget, and tightened things up where I could. I started planning out my menus weeks in advance, so that I would minimize grocery expenses. I told myself that I would go without all luxuries for as long as it took to restore the appropriate balance to my bank account.
It felt good to have a plan, but I knew it would be well into 2011 before I would be able to relax my budget. It made me anxious, and angry, to think of doing without simple things until March or April or however long it took.
And then a miracle fell out of the sky.
I got a call from my dermatologist’s office. They told me that they were conducting a rosacea study. And that participants in the study would make exactly the amount of money that it cost me to have my car repaired twice and to put a fence up in my backyard.
There were a number of variables that would determine whether I could participate. I had to be approved to take three days off work, to start. And then I had to go be screened to determine whether or not I actually had rosacea. I had never been diagnosed as such, although I have always felt like I had a very red face.
My boss thought it sounded great. And then I went to be screened by the dermatologist, and he told me that I had just a moderate enough case of rosacea to qualify. I have never in my life been so happy to have something wrong with my skin.
So, tomorrow, I will arrive at a dermatologist’s office at 6:00 a.m. and stay there for 12 hours while they conduct the first part of the study. They need to see how the topical prescription works after application in a controlled environment, which is why I can’t leave for 12 hours. But I get to bring books and my laptop and pretty much anything else I want to entertain myself. 12 hours of sitting in a room enjoying leisure activities and getting paid A LOT OF MONEY FOR IT?
I will confess that I am so excited about the prospect of 12 hours of leisure time, and it just seems too good to be true, that I’m worried that it is actually a secret psychological experiment. I’m concerned that they’re going to make me spend 12 hours in a room with a crazy person or something, and that will be the TRUE study.
However, I am remaining optimistic. So far, I have compiled the following list of things to bring with me:
- Pillow
- Blanket
- Laptop
- Earplugs
- Ipod
- Snacks
- 3-4 YA novels
- Girl With Curious Hair (if not finished by then)
- You’ve Got Mail
When I say that this feels heaven-sent, I mean that literally. As in, thank you, sweet baby Jesus, for this.
Melodia, that’s awesome!!!!! If only someone would invite me to be in a study (or, say, publish my article?) and offer to pay me the amount that my new computer cost… ARE YOU LISTENING, UNIVERSE?
WOW! That is THE MOST amazing thing!!
I hope you’ll report back to us about the experience. Is it three days in a row or three days spread out? I’m interested to know what type of room you’re in (was there a bed in it, like a hospital room? Or was the blanket/pillow idea just wishful thinking?) And, were you alone or did you actually have to share the space with other(s), implying it was actually a secret psychological experiment after all?? (A hilarious thought that I’m not sure would have occurred to me if I were enrolling in a medical trial…. I’ll have to remember it in case I ever do one someday!)
Gabi–I’ll share some of the details now, LIVE FROM THE SCENE!
I’m in a smallish room, and I’m sharing it with three other people. There are actually six people in the study today, but two of the people are sitting in the cafeteria-type room across the hall, doing work.
The room is big enough for 10 armchairs and ottomans for everyone, but not much bigger than that. It’s about the size of a small conference room. White walls, very bright overhead lighting. Everyone did bring pillows and blankets, and lots of people have spent a lot of the day sleeping.
At least two of the people brought literally nothing to do for the 12 hours that we’re here, which means that they started the day with a lot of, uh, “interesting” conversation, which did make it difficult for me to do things like read my books. My earplugs do not block out enough noise. However, currently, both of those people are asleep.
It’s today, November 1, and November 15.