What's on the banner photo?

This is from Medfield State Hospital, the first post I've ever done through the venue called "Creepy-chusetts, Strange-chusetts". It was... about 2 years ago. Medfield State Hospital is a now defunct psychiatric hospital open to public to wander around.

What's the instrument? It looks like for something with music or art therapy. Everything I saw was a great mystery or "discovery" waiting to tell its story. Looking thorough the past pictures, I feel the purpose of my blog (or even my life) is to function as a medium between our everyday life and forgotten or neglected.

I only have 10 days or so in Boston. There are so many places I wanted to visit. Perhaps, I should visit Danvers State Hospital and its cemetery again.

Lyme Disease Alert!

Hi all,

I've been away from blogging for last one month. I have been feeling unwell for a month, and after seeing a few doctors: I have Lyme Disease!

I always explore the places I introduce in this blog with heavy protection -- boots, long pants, long sleeve, and bug spray -- because I know there are lots of bugs and poisonous plants in the woods. A interviewer in the past warned me about Deer Ticks, so I knew the danger of it. 

I was off guard when I visited the Minuteman National Park in late May. It was a Sunday type, spur of the moment decision so my gear wasn't as sufficient as it should be.

I saw a brown bug sticking on my leg few days later. I thought it must be a deer tick so I decided to be cautious for next one month. I need to emphasize that no bulls eye rash developed on my skin!

Three weeks later, I began noticing a tenderness around an armpit area. I thought it was a hair removal fail; the tick didn't bite there. A few days later my temperature reached 100 f, which is very high for me. After the temperature broke I recognized a red rash around the armpit area.

First doctor I saw was a MESS. She quickly disregarded my concern because I DIDN'T HAVE A BULL'S EYE!! Over 20% of patients don't develop one! Instead, she diagnosed me with other kind of bacterial infection and prescribed a Cephem antibiotic, which is useless with Lyme Disease. I was completely unhappy with the visit. Ok she did a Lyme Disease test but it turned out to be negative, I believe, because they didn't call back for the result.

Even after taking all the antibiotics prescribed, the rash got worsen. I began noticing a rash on my back, too. I developed a sensitivity on an area of my skin. So I decided to see another doctor, which was about a week ago.

Oh boy, he listened to me! He administered a blood test again, telling me that it is not always accurate. Then he prescribed Tetracycline for 2 weeks. The rash began diminishing next day. It's working!

The doctor called me yesterday that I DO have Lyme Disease. I hope I can clear the bacteria, I'm anxious. The doctor is optimistic about my recovery because it was caught in the early stage.

Everyone! Watch out!!

PubMed Health: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002296/
Lyme Disease Map Project: https://sites.google.com/site/lymediseasemapproject/

It's a shame that I couldn't visit places last month, because I'll be moving to Western Massachusetts soon.

Public Alley 439

Back Bay, Boston

Quonset Hut, Newton

A Quonset Hut is always in an unexpected place. The first one I came across is an abandoned hut in my neighborhood which used to store Emerson Iron Lungs. The Iron Lung might look like the horrifying symbol of Polio, but it helped saving countless children and adults from the acute paralysis of respiration muscle. Without an Iron Lung, no breathing was possible.

Tide Pool Planets

Halibut Point State Park, Rockport

Hillcrest Cemetery (Grafton S. H. Cemetery), Shrewsbury 2-2

From Hillcrest Cemetery, Shrewsbury 1-2

So, why is there an abandoned tower in the state hospital cemetery property? There is an interesting discussion about the original purpose of the tower speculating it was: a Civil War era watching tower, Irish tower commemorating Irish immigrants held in the hospital, water tower for the hospital, etc.