You yam/sweet potato Americans confuse me.

Our yams have a variety of colours of their flesh, running through to yellow (most are variations on white and beige). They're not that sweet. Sweet potatoes are light green inside, and sweeter.

I don't know what this orange stuff you eat is "really" called.

I don't think I'm OK and I don't know what to do.

Nora, what do you need? Do you need to leave work? Do you need to leave work AND have company?

Can you leave work and call Tom?

I can't remember -- do you work at MIT? Could you go to the campus health center? (Obviously that won't help you if you don't work there.)

I need to do work, otherwise I'm fucked. I think i can finally get some stuff done, and the situation isn't as perilous as it was before - although by the time we all figured it out, I was already cramped up in high anxiety mode. I think I'm ok. I can't talk to anyone right now, so that precludes leaving, but hopefully that will change soon. My stomach still hurts but I can breathe withour sobbing, so that's an improvement.

Jesus, what the hell has happened to me? You know it's bad when I am envying someone's SPRAINED BACK.

I'm sorry for inflicting this on all y'all.

((((Nora))))

You're on the East Coast, correct? Can you wander off for a lunch break?

I ran out at 11am and devored a burrito and an ice cream on a stick, which helped slightly until I came back.

I have a meeting, which is sure to be stressful, at 1:30. This should be interesting. If anyone has any ~ma to direct so that I don't start crying IN MY MEETING that would be great.

I can't talk to anyone right now, so that precludes leaving, but hopefully that will change soon. My stomach still hurts but I can breathe withour sobbing, so that's an improvement.

Well, I hope you can get out of the office ASAP, just to get a break and maybe chill a little (if that's possible).

{{{Nora}}} Love you.

You're under a lot of stress. You just bought a house. You're trying to be a grown-up. You've got work issues. It's okay to be feeling like this. It's okay. There's nothing wrong with you. Deep breaths...maybe promise yourself that if your brain/chemistry/stress/whatever gets you through the meeting, you will let it cry all it wants once you're home. It might help.

Remember you're loved and valuable and important and it's okay.

{{{{{Nora}}}}}

An acting trick I was taught to help stop unwanted crying was if you try to force crying, you won't. So in moments where you really don't want to cry, try to force tears out and tell yourself "go ahead, cry now, cry, one tear." and it usually stops things.