Sick of me talking about that insomnia story yet? Yeah! So am I! So you can imagine my delight when it closed yesterday at five. It'll be in the magazine on Monday. I don't want to link to it here, but I'd be delighted if you went to my publication's website and read it on Monday - it should be featured on the health page. (Usually it would go on the website over the weekend, but we're holding it because I used a fact from a report that's embargoed til Monday.)
It's a three-page story - the longest I've written yet for work. I wrote a five- or six-page freelance piece in February, but it was a really different kind of story...more of a narrative, and sciencey/naturey. The insomnia story was of the "All About Disease X" variety.
As always, I had a really rough time reporting it. I find it so hard to pick out a story line from the deluge of information I get on a topic. I know I have to, because no one wants to read just a bunch of random information squished onto a page. Maybe it's my scientist's nature - I'm too cautious about drawing conclusions from the facts I know. Well, and my packrat nature - I hate to leave anything out. I had a day or two this week when I was convinced that I'm a worthless reporter...influenced by my survivor's guilt from the layoffs. (I'm not worthless, but I'm not nearly as good as some of the people who got fired.)
Reporting is getting easier, though. Usually I feel like I dramatically underreport some aspects of a story, while digging way too far, in too much detail, into other parts. Like this time, I spent hours on the phone with various researchers learning about the insomnia studies they're doing now. And the fruits of those conversations is one parenthetical comment about one study at the end of a paragraph. It just didn't fit. Hm. So I guess that means I did still dramatically overreport one part of the story. Maybe the difference is that I don't feel as bad about it this time as I usually do.
And of course, I always feel a little guilty about the people who I interview, but don't end up quoting in the story. Their information always contributes to the story, but there's only so much space. And it's not like I interview them *knowing* I'm not going to use them. I never know where a story's going to go when I'm reporting it.
Well, anyway. It's over. And I know a lot about insomnia now. On to...skin!
7 comments:
Oooohhhhh...skin!?!?! What about it? I'd love it if you could figure out how to treat this damn eczema of mine without skin-thinning steroid creams!
I'll be taking a looky at that article of yours during coffee break #2!
Skin as a window on autoimmune disorders, I think, but I'll let you know if I learn anything fantastic and exciting about eczema along the way.
Here's something about eczema, but take it with a grain of salt, since it's written by a drug company: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=32133
Same query as J.Bro only regarding rosacea. Rosacea sucks! Although mine now seems to be under control with a combination of prescription stuff and Eucerin Redness Control Soothing Night Creme. Which is noticeably soothing, believe it or not.
The zillionth time I went in for rosacea, they tested me for lupus (which I don't have). That sounds closer to what you're writing...
I totally wish I could use Elidel. My insurance as a grad student covered the cream (go figure), but my insurance under this "real" job doesn't. I can opt to pay out of pocket, but I choose not to. Thanks for thinking of the Po, though, and I'd love to continue getting info!
And re: autoimmune, there is some recent thought that a lot of seemingly allergic diseases (asthma, eczema) may have an autoimmune link. This comes from deep within the recesses of my memory, however, so don't trust what I say.
Wow! I wasn't totally wrong!! Amazing!!!!
...
Recent Findings: It has been shown that patients suffering from atopic dermatitis exhibit IgE autoreactivity to human proteins. These autoantigens are expressed in a variety of cell and tissue types. Complementary DNAs coding for IgE autoantigens have been identified, cloned and characterized at the molecular level. Using purified recombinant IgE autoantigens, it has been shown in paradigmatic models that IgE autoimmunity may be a pathogenetic mechanism in atopic dermatitis. Moreover, it has been shown that the levels of IgE autoantibodies are associated with severity of disease.
Summary: Patients suffering from severe manifestations of atopy mount IgE autoantibodies against a variety of human proteins. The levels of IgE autoantibodies correspond with disease severity. Several mechanisms of IgE autoimmunity may contribute to the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis.
(from Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology)
J.Po, I love you! I wonder if I can use that?...
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