Symbol
Mood:  mischievious
Now Playing: hum of dishwasher
Topic: health

Here's an interesting haiku about food. It is in honor of my recent bout with food poisoning. Must treat the food carefully. Must wash hands often.

Symbol of teachers
The repellent of doctors,
The red fruit of sin.
Roatha Chap, Houston

Compensate
Mood:  spacey
Topic: health

Did I mention I've lost 8-10 pounds? Well, I haven't done it through any extra exercise or diet changes. In fact, I may be overcompensating by adding a bit more dessert or soda to my day-to-day. I guess I'm treating myself because of all the joint pain and other symptoms I've been having.

So, in other words, I did not lose the weight by joining a gym or going to a boot camp. At www.BootyCampFitness.com, you can sign up for one of those. In 8 weeks, they'll have you "bikini" ready. For example, if you go to the Toronto Boot Camp, you'll work with your own personal trainer and meet other people like you. You'll be doing circuit training, sculpting, and, my favorite, "hand-to-hand cardio training." That sounds like fun!

Well, I hope I can keep up a healthy rate of weight loss.

Treatment
Mood:  crushed out
Topic: health
My appointment with the rheumy is five days from now. I have a great sub booked for my class and I’ll have the whole day to cry and sweat. Well, sweat with nervousness beforehand and cry after I get the diagnosis. Even if we don’t get a diagnosis (need more tests), I’ll be upset. Unless he gives me a cortisone shot.

Paranoid Surfing
Mood:  hug me
Topic: health
I had some more blood tests the other day. I read the lab sheet of course and noticed one of the tests for Sjogren’s Syndrome, which was in the back of my mind anyway. Okay, all of these amateur diagnoses were spawned from the internet, and back to the internet I went. The more and more I read, the paranoid I get. But my appointment isn’t for another week and a half. Wish me luck. Someone turn the internet off, please.

Whole Body Treatment
Mood:  down
Topic: health

Aside from the joint issues and muscle spasms, I’ve also lost about 6 pounds in the past week. Usually, this would make me very happy. I’d love to get into a smaller size and fit into some smaller clothes. However, I don’t want to do it through being sick.

I’d rather visit a place like The Center of Wellbeing. They offer various treatments and services with a mind/body approach. Their master healer, Skyler Madison, believes some issues manifest themselves physically, though they may result from nternal imbalances and emotional turbulence. A treatment like weight loss hypnosis will help you to rebalance the energy centers of the body. Everyone knows that when you’re trying to lose weight, the hardest part is kicking old habits of eating junk food and snacking at all hours. Through a variety of strategies, this hippie-like, cat-friendly resource, can reprogram you and make you feel fresh all over again.

It’s not just about weight loss, which is the point. You may need motivation or relaxation techniques. Lately, with the stress and pain from my illness, I’ve turned to food for comfort. I’m also less mobile and can exercise less, so all of that chocolate and fried yumminess turns right into fat. I could use some help with alternatives to snacking. Of course, there are the issues with my childhood that contribute to my habits, both physical and emotional. I’m hoping to have time to deal with these issues in the next few months.

I’m one of those cats at the window, lurking, licking my paws, waiting for my chance to get back in the hunt. Prowling for my next adventure.

Sad Eyes
Mood:  irritated
Topic: health

Picture sad puppy eyes now.

I've been blogging for too long tonight. Sitting in one position. My hip is throbbing. I'm only 31 years old.

Mutiny
Mood:  don't ask
Topic: health

Pain. My body lately is betraying me, working for the other side, the dark side. It's like the major muscles and joints in my body are staging a mutiny. In the beginning, I was just paranoid. The whispers behind my back, the pangs and twinges. Now, it's just out and out warfare. I walk around and the blows come from nowhere, hitting everywhere. My hands, my shoulders, my neck, my feet, my hips, my legs - they're all involved and everyone's pointing fingers. I thought my foot pain was a separate issue, but it definitely is part of the conspiracy. I don't know which is worse - the shredding heat in my bones or the throbbing tension in my muscles. There's not just a knife in my back, there's a fish knife between my shoulder blades and lit matches being held between my fingers. But I don't know any secrets, not ones they're interested in.

Yes, the pain is THAT BAD lately. So bad that R couldn't help but mention it to his mom, who almost dropped everything to help us. She picked Baba up yesterday from daycare to give me a chance to rest. When she came over, with R's aunt and the baby, they helped me clean up and do the dishes. Yes, my mother-in-law did our dishes!

R's aunt is a nurse, so she was full of medical advice. They both were trying to cheer me up and keep me thinking positive. R's mom has Kaiser Insurance, which is a very user-friendly health insurer. She's very cautious about her health, but with good reason, since her heart surgery last year. She is at Kaiser a lot these days. I can only wonder if I would be seeing my rheumatologist sooner if I had Kaiser, and not my current insurance. I called to make an appointment this week, since the pain has become almost unbearable. But the one I have schedule, two weeks away, is the earliest one available. In the meantime, I'm doing more labs tomorrow and confirming my medical records get there. Again, Kaiser would probably have all of that at one central location, making my life a bit less complicated these days. Simple and insurance, not two things you normally hear in the same sentence. But isn't that the ideal?

I Called the Joint Doctor
Topic: health
I wish all doctors were specialists. I hate going to a general practitioner when really they don't know much about a lot of things. Well, I don't mean to make them sound uneducated, but it seems the specialists got it going on. I guess I was spoiled by all the attention I got at the maternal fetal specialists - the high risk ob - during my pregnancy.

Anyway, the appointment went well, despite paperwork hiccups. I actually got to talk with the doctor for over 20 minutes. We're waiting for more bloodwork and medical records, and my next appointment is in 3 weeks.

Maybe It's Lupus
Mood:  irritated
Topic: health
The last time I went to a primary care doctor was so long ago, I don't even think I was dating R at that time. Hmmm. The last couple of weeks, though, I have been having recurring joint pain in my hand. At first, I thought it was the muscle, but after a few sharp stabs of pain, I know it's the joint or joint region. I'm imagining it could be carpal tunnel, arthritis, or lupus. You always have to consider lupus. Not to mention I'm positive for the lupus antibody (which does not correlate directly with having lupus).

I'm going to make an appointment tomorrow. I don't expect to have the appointment for a while. I hope my thumb doesn't fall off or my arm stops working in the meantime.

One More Week
Mood:  on fire
Topic: health
It's only the first week at school, yet I feel like taking a short break or vacation, just to get away from the city, from the noise, from all the conflict and stress. Maybe I can convince some girlfriends to go on a cruise with me. R would be fine taking care of the baby for awhile.

I'm imagining a soothing, relaxing trip down through the Gulf of Mexico, stopping at a Carribean island, and sunbathing on the deck. Don't get me wrong, I am really enjoying the school year so far. I guess I'm just really tired like everyone else probably is and wishing I had one more week of summer.