A Note From JP

I still don't know if I'm permanently coming back. Something happened today that reminded me of why I used to blog, and I'll share it with you.

A graduate student in my program just developed RA, and her advisor brought her to my office. I had never met another scientist with RA. I hugged her and cried. She was a first year graduate student and was worried she couldn't finish her doctorate because of RA. "You can! You can!" I said. "Once you get treatment, you'll be back in the lab. A little slower, but you can do it!" She and I talked for an hour about symptoms, meds, lifestyle changes, and everything else. This is really why I'm a professor now. I want to encourage and facilitate other scientists with disabilities to go after their dreams.

I have never felt so passionate about any cause before - people with RA can pursue their dreams, we just do it differently. We can do science just as good as anyone else. Don't let it get you down, don't let it stop you. Take care of your body first, and then go after what you want.