Not bad, smothered in ketchup...

Saturday

February 28, 2009

Hi,

Well, a reader sent me an email, wondering when I would ever post again (thanks, Linda).  I responded that my muse seems to be in hibernation this winter.  I have never felt less like writing, I don't think.

However, I do have things happening that I can report.  I rejoined the gym (did I tell you already?  probably).  It's going very well.  I'm back at Body Pump, Body Vive and Body Flow classes and feeling stronger every day.  I'm still trying to keep to the 1200 cal food plan, although I allow some room for being "naughty" once in awhile.  In the past, I would have given up months ago.  Both the slips and the plateau would have twisted my brain into believing that I am, indeed, a failure at sticking to anything.  This time, though, I've adopted a new song.  "A slip is not a complete fall" and I get back on my program the next meal.  I wish I could tell you that I've dropped another 10 lbs, but I don't like to lie unless I'm going to spare someone feelings. :)  I've been challenged to lose the next 10 by May 1.  Wish me luck!

So, the title of my post.  Ahem...  Well, I have a new memoir workshop at the college.  It started on Wednesday.  That morning, I loaded up all of my stuff...2 boxes of books and mags and handouts, as well as a large totebag with my curriculum and notebooks.  After work, I drove to the college and reached into the back of the trunk to dig out the luggage carrier I bought so that I can load everything at once and make one trip.  I opened it up and put the big copy paper box onto it, then the smaller box of books.  The last thing I had was the totebag.  Because it is heavy, I didn't want to lift from it's location for fear of hurting my back again, so I dragged it forward until it was resting at the edge of the trunk opening, then used both hands to lift it straight up.  When I did that, I saw in the corner of my eye, a small black thing sort of pop up, then drop back down.  I put the totebag on the luggage carrier and peered inside the trunk.  You know the small cutout that is put into the fake floor of the trunk so you can lift it up to get at your spare tire?  My old iPod was tucked down in there.  Do you know how many times I looked in that trunk when it first went missing?  When it wasn't in it's usual location, the car was the first place I looked because I was sure I'd brought it to Tammy's at Christmas.  Needless to say, I ate crow for dinner that night, and followed it with a large slice of humble pie.  Sigh... The upside?  Nora is giving me $100 for it on Monday.  It's only about 2 yrs old and loaded with over 500 songs.  She offered $75 for the iPod (half the original cost) and $25 for the music.  I'm happy to bring her into the 21st century (she still uses a walkman when she's out walking!!!) and to replace $100 of the $150 I spent on my new one.

I had a physical yesterday.  My first in 2 yrs.  (yikes)  I hate going.  My blood pressure begins to rise the morning of my appt and is off the charts be the time I sit, in my johnny, on the exam table staring at the stirrups.  However, my doc has a great NP.  I've been seeing her for the last handful of appts because I'm more comfortable with her.  Not that my dr is awful...he's a very thorough and compassionate guy.  I just prefer a female and Gen is great.

So, I've been having issues with this and that, including a "swelling" on my neck that I should have had checked months ago, but chose to ignore as I am wont to do.  Then there was the trip to the ER in November with chest pain that turned out to be (possibly) costochonodritis.  And, the fact that I still get a pinching  kind of pain in my chest off and on...with or without movment.  I have also been bothered with the occasional sensation that something is caught in my throat, even though I know there isn't.  Lastly, at Grand Rounds a couple of weeks ago, a cardiologist spoke to the docs about statins and side effects, etc.  Because the librarian (my friend, Gayle) puts these programs together every week with the Chief of Staff, she sits in on the  programs.  She knows I'm on lovastatin for high cholesterol, so she showed me the printout of the presentation.  Lo and behold, the combo of statins in excess of 10mg with a lopid (like the gemfibrozil I was put on because my triglycerides were off the charts) has been known to cause myopathy.  I wondered where my muscles went and blamed it on aging and inactivity (and, it partially is, but...)  I guess it was time to get checked out.

I fully admit that up until this appt, I've not been very proactive about my own health when it comes to visiting the dr.  If I was told by my physician that skydiving would improve my balance, I'd probably sign up for lessons despite the fact that I have an irrational fear of heights.  This time, however, I went armed with information that I'd printed from the Mayo Clinic on all of my woes, their possible causes and treatments and what I am and am not willing to do about them.  I also said that I am working to get off my meds and am more open to alternative treatments than more drugs.

We had a very comfortable discussion on all of them.  She agreed that recent research has indicated the combo of the 2 meds is not a good idea and told me to stop taking the lopid.  She checked my neck and said it wasn't a lymph node (the sigh of relief heard round the world), and offered 2 options for getting it looked at.  First, an ENT (who can also check the throat thing, although we both agree it's a side affect of GERD and if I laid off coffee, spicy and acidic foods, it would probably resolve itself).  The swelling could be a lump of fat, for all I know.  You can't feel anything in there...it's just, well... swollen.  And, a dermalogist.  I chose the ENT to start.  She thinks the chest pain is muscular, not heart related. 

After the rest of the exam (blech), I left with paperwork for a bone density test, all kinds of blood work, a mammogram, an ENT appt., and an echo stress test.  I guess I'll be spending the next month in and out of doctors offices, but (hopefully) it will put my mind at ease about the handful of things that have been scaring the crap out of me.  I'm sure that in the end, I'll just say..."why didn't I do this sooner, instead of worrying for months"?

Over and out....

Peace,

Kay

Comments

[Linda]

Oh goody thanks for the installment. It usually is good to know what something going on in the body is due to. Most of the time it isn't near as bad as our imaginations lead us to believe. If you are in the middle of bad weather and want it to be over then I will wish it for you. Love, Kiss

[Pat]

Hey Kay.. glad that you are back on :).. missed you. Also glad that you are getting yourself checked out. Our family is great on suggesting seeing doctors, but not for ourselves.. Stay healthy, so looking forward to your visit..
Also glad that you found the IPod.. don't you just hate that..when you lose something, go out and buy it, then it reappears somehow???
Anyway..just heard that you're in for another snowstorm.. hang in there, it's almost over..
OOOXXX