I’ll See You In 6 Months

No Indian food… not even Real Food Cafe happenin’ here.

The eye doc hadn’t sent the results of the tests she had done to Rheumy yet.  My eye appointment was two weeks ago. Seriously? I told her that I had an appointment coming up with Rheumy and could she please, please, please send over the results as oh so much hinged on them. Why does that take more than 2 weeks?!  It takes me approximately 10 seconds to write and send an email!  Without those results, Rheumy couldn’t say if I do or don’t have Sjogren’s.  What he did say is that I definitely don’t have scleroderma which I didn’t even know was in the differential but was good to know.

So now what?

Rehumy said I have the symptoms of primary Sjogren’s Syndrome: dry eyes, dry mouth, joint pain...  So… use my eye drops and if the eyes get worse go on Restasis.  Chew sugar-free gum, use Biotene toothpaste and mouthwash, up my fluids and if it gets worse try a med that has side effects such as excessive sweating and diarrhea. [NTY!]  For the joint pain, take Motrin and if it gets worse maybe we will try something else.  So really, he says, it doesn’t matter if I do or don’t have it because he would treat it the same.  But that when he does get the results from the eye doc he will let me know and he wants to see me in 6 months.

Ok I get that the treatment is the same and I may just have to deal with the fact that I choke on carrots, popcorn, and hamburger buns. But a diagnosis of Sjogren’s would also mean a higher risk of lymphoma.  As a cancer survivor I already have an increased risk so anything adding even a percentage point higher is a big deal.  Also, I like to know if I should freak out anytime my lymph nodes swell up.  Well, I guess I do that anyway but…

I’m tired of seeing doctors every 6 months, spending my hard earned cash and PTO.  Right now I'm rotating between three I see every 6 months, one I see yearly, and another one I see when I get sick. That’s about 4 too many IMHO.  Just give me some answers and let me figure out the rest.  I’m done with this nonsense.

Plus and Minus

Tomorrow will be a plus and minus sort of day. 

On the plus side, i’m only working a half day and it is supposed to be a bee-E-A-YOU-tee-ful day!

On the minus side, I have to go see Rheumy to find out what he makes of all the blood tests, CT scans, and eye tests I've undergone in recent months.  I’m actually hoping he has something definitive to say instead of just scheduling more tests.  I’m tired of tests.  More tests would be a minus.  If I have Sjogren’s Syndrome [SS] that would be a huge minus.

On the other hand, if I’m told I don’t need more tests, don’t have SS, and don’t have to go back to see Rheumy again… well, then it could be a super plus kind of day. 

It might even warrant Indian food and ice cream.

I’m praying for the super plus version.  I hope you will be praying for that too!

Whirlwind

It has been such a whirlwind day and there is so much I can’t say just yet!  I’m a big ball of nerves, anxiety, and excitement and I can’t wait to shout it to the world!  Everything has it’s time and it isn’t the right time just yet…

On a more tell-all note, I’m working on a 101 goals in 1001 days list.  It is a  lot harder than I thought to come up with 101 goals/things that are attainable in a mere 2.75 years.  So far my list is at 45 things and I've been scouring the web for ideas.  Maybe it is finally time for me to actually learn German rather than catching only a word or two when visiting my “other” family.  Maybe it is time to take up running.  Maybe it is time for me to go without cable TV.  There are so many things that could go on the list but I'm trying to make the list attainable, specific and meaningful.

If you have any suggestions for goals/things to do in the next 1001 days, leave me a comment.  I would love to hear them and may just incorporate it on my list!

Goodbye Spikey…

My parents had to put Spike down today…

Spike was one of my parent’s cats – we got him when I was in college so I never quite considered him my cat but he was part of the family just the same.   Spike was a ginormous orange cat who was the biggest baby you have ever seen.  He weighed approximately 25lbs and loved to lay on your lap.  If your tummy hurt, he would lay right on it.  If you had a surgical wound, that was exactly where he would plop down.  He tried to heal your hurts with his gentle purring.  Spike also loved to suck his paws like a baby – it wasn’t unusual for him to lay on your tummy purring away while sucking his paws and leaving wet paw prints on your blanket.

We took him from the shelter when he was only 3 months old.  By then he was already huge for his age and was overlooked by everyone looking for a kitten.  He had the sweetest disposition and loved ice cubes and cat treats.

Spike earned his name while I was in Europe… yes I left the naming to my dad and sister.  I wanted to name him Colby or Bree but they said every time he gave himself a bath his hair stood up in spikes and it just fit his personality.  We called him Pike or Pikey most of the time and since he was ginormous and had the tail of a squirrel, we decided he was not a cat but a “squicadog.”  We figured out he had to be at least part Maine Coon because of his size and characteristics.  Since he was a shelter cat we will only ever know that he was found on the side of the road.

Goodbye Pikey… you will be missed…

Redecoration

I’m sitting here thinking about my environment [aka: home] and trying to decide if it really fits “me.” 

The answer is: no.

I recently discovered The Clean Sweep Program online – its used by many “life coaches” in an effort to improve the lives of their clients.  There are 4 categories with 25 items listed that they say can help you clean up, clarify and energize your life.  Ok so I bit – why not check it out right?   Who doesn’t want to be the best version of themselves?  So I started looking at the “environment” category… yeah not doing so hot there.  I saw the item “I surround myself with beautiful things.” And then I started looking…

I have lots of things that I like and just a few that I love.  Some things were my style 10 years ago while others are only 5 years behind the times… I started thinking about why I have certain things or where they came from or why I don’t have something else in it’s place.  Recently I bought a new shower curtain and it fits me so much more than the ones I have had before.  Its something so small but it instantly made me like my bathroom more.  My “dislike very much” items of the moment are my couch and loveseat.  They are a sage green color, microfiber that feels like a suede almost with floral pillows, and they are huge… well the couch is anyway, the loveseat is probably normalish.  I’ve had them for approximately 6 years and they are still comfortable [thank you Broyhill] but they just aren’t “me” anymore.  Something much more “me” I would classify as this:

It is smaller than my sofa/loveseat combination and it not only has changeable slip covers, it is also convertible.  Yup, this lovely piece of furniture is actually a loveseat/chaise combination set – you just pop off the arm from the chaise, reattach it to the loveseat and poof!  Genius.

So as I sit here rethinking my environment, I think I just might list my sofa & loveseat on Craigstlist and see if I can’t put a dent in the cost of the new sofa!

Next on the list: the horrible lamps in the picture or my ancient and ginormous television set – replaced with a sleek flat screen! 

I just may become an adult here soon! Of course I might need to win the lottery first…