Dear Self:
Do not go back to the rheumatologist without curiousmay9 or sambear. In fact, don’t go see any specialist for anything but a routine check-in without one of them. You’ll get too tired to think straight and forget things or not get your point across.
Love,
Me
After several months of trying to see the rheumatologist recommended by my primary care provider, I went back to my old rheumatologist. That required driving to Lawrenceville (50+ miles from home), but it seemed worth it. Besides, I was going across town to maid-sit for ridinrabbit, so it didn’t seem that it would be too difficult. It had to be easier than waiting for October for an appointment, anyway!1Yes, I had an appointment—on the day of the wreck. The next available appointment is near the end of October.
I was tired enough before the visit that I got all brain-fogged and lost. I grew up in Gwinnett County, which is where Lawrenceville is. I learned to drive there. I’ve spent many years living there during my adult life. But for about 30 minutes, absolutely nothing was familiar.
I did finally get to her office about 30 minutes late for my 3:30 pm appointment. They didn’t even notice that I was late since they were (as usual) running hours behind. I didn’t get out of her office ’til just after 6:30.
I really, really should have acknowledged that I was too tired to drive safely and asked someone to come pick me up, but by that time I was too addled to figure that out. It’s something of a miracle that I did get home safely.
I have a prescription for a new-to-me drug for arthritis, ketoprofen. The COX-2 inhibitors never did much for me, so I have to say I’m fairly happy to have the docs going back to NSAIDs. She made a point of saying, repeatedly, that I have to take it within 15 minutes of eating a meal and can’t lay down for 2 hours after taking it. I was too tired to fill the RX on the way home but will start it tomorrow.
She should let me know what the mess of x-rays showed sometime in the next week. I doubt there will be any real surprises—more deterioration, I suppose. And I need to go see the lab vampires for more bloodwork.
I’m supposed to see a physical therapist for evaluation for a scooter. That’s a big emotional thing for me, but I’m tired of missing events because of the pain/fatigue/mobility BS. Cons, the Pride festival, gathers, whatever—I go out less and less because I know I’ll be tired out before everyone else and will be a drag. My partners do a lot of things with/for Katie that I should and want to do with/for her. If a scooter will change that, I’ll deal with the hit to my ego.
Finally, the van is well and truly totaled no matter how generously one values it. The guy who hit me was going so fast that he bent the frame of the vehicle. (I do hope that carries some weight with the traffic court judge.) curiousmay9 and I are arguing with the insurer, as they’re still dragging their feet on the settlement.
It is ironic that the kinds of events that suck down spoons usually lead to the ongoing need for more spoons to get things straightened out.
My baby comes home tomorrow! I’ve really, really missed her. We’ll have pictures Real Soon Now, I promise.
The maids cleaned here today, too. There’s something particularly soothing about a clean house, especially when you didn’t have to clean it yourself.
