Wednesday morning things

* Had my six-month checkup yesterday. Everything is ok, my weight isn't the LOWEST it's been in recent years but it was close to the lowest. BP too high at the doctor's but she looked at my records from taking it at home and said I was okay. (Being around people stresses me out, I'm concluding)

Actually, I can often judge from my heart rate and how my heart beat "feels." - if it feels "fast" or "hard" I know my bp will be high. At home, my heart rate is slow (if I check it) and not really noticeable, same in the office. Sometimes after driving I can feel it, definitely after having a negative interaction with someone I can feel it.

Also, I maintain the disinfectant smell at doctors' is upsetting to me on a subconscious level; I have never really been in a GOOD situation where there was that smell: either I was preparing to get a shot or bloodwork or I was sick, or I was at the dentist, or I was at the hospital visiting someone who was sick or hurt, or at the vet's with an aging cat....maybe, now, if my main hospital experience was having healthy babies in easy deliveries I might be more sanguine about the smell, but no.

* I told her about my weird digestive thing (I had a couple days of stomach cramps and loss of appetite, followed by incredible muscle aches). She said as long as it was resolving she was going to assume as I did, that it was a virus, and "not do further tests." (I confess: I worry every time I find my stomach going troppo, that it's my gall-bladder going bad. Two of my uncles have had theirs out, and when I was much younger - before I was exercising and eating carefully - I had a little trouble with mine. Also, I fit the old formula of "Fair, fat, female, and forty" more or less well). Later I mentioned the events of Friday night, and she kind of cocked her head and said, "Well, also, when you've been under a lot of short-term stress, it can refer to the abdominal region and act like you have food poisoning or something." I don't think I've ever noticed that in me before, but really, worrying about the health and safety of aging parents is probably the worst stress I've had....yes, I have a lot of other stress but it's lower-level and more chronic and manageable. (So I guess the old thing about a student throwing up before a big exam is for real.) My doctor is a D.O. and I think I can sometimes see that more "holistic body" viewpoint coming out. I don't think I've ever had a doctor talk about the effects of stress like that before - mainly they talk about what it does to blood pressure and the like. Things that need to be fixed, I guess, whereas here, she was more explaining and sympathizing.

She also sympathized, noting, "Having aging parents is *hard*"

I feel *mostly* better (my back still hurts some, but that could also just be regular, ahem, female stuff rearing its head) so I'm trying hard not to worry. I still don't have much appetite, though, so I'm just eating lightly. (Also, the pains I've had seem to be - based on the anatomical charts I've examined - too high up and in the wrong part of the abdomen. And as far as I can remember from the time my gallbladder DID bother me, it was in a different place. Well, also, it was the WORST pain I've EVER experienced - worse than the worst of my migraines, worse than when I broke my elbow, worse than when my bursitis is bad.)

Anyway, I'm eating extra low fat for these couple days just to be careful. Probably a good idea even if it's just a low grade gastric-tract inflammation brought on by a virus or stress.

* Yesterday was long. I taught my two classes, had the doctor's appointment, and then had a meeting. This was a meeting for a volunteer group I belong to. We are having to totally overhaul our bylaws because of the IRS becoming stricter about non-profit groups. And wow. There's a lot of detail there that makes my head hurt when I read those bylaws. The meeting took two and a half hours. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but still, two and a half hours at the end of the day after I've already exhausted most of my "spoons" in re: dealing with other people, is not good. At one point I kind of waved my hands in the air and declared "I am out of cares to give about this" when two people were arguing some arcane point and they asked the rest of us what we thought.

I cannot decide if having all my undesired-human-interaction packed into one day is preferable to having it spread out over different days. At least tonight when I go home, I can stay home.

* I also have to think. My mom called me last night to remind me: "Your birthday is coming up, you need to let us know of gift ideas." Other than my Amazon wishlist, I don't really know. I saw a throw kit in the new Patternworks that I MIGHT like, but then again, given how little time I seem to devote to knitting these days...And I can't think of any kitchen thing I need now.

Honestly, I was thinking more about what I was going to DO on my birthday - probably go down to Whitesboro where there's supposed to be both a quilt shop and a yarn-dyer's studio (Will have to check to be 100% both are open Saturdays; some places have weird hours around here).

Again, it's like Christmas: what I really want are things that can't be bought at a store.

* I am slowly getting the Miniontines ready to go out. Hopefully most will be mailed tomorrow. If you still want one (or a Ponytine), I still have some left, so just drop me your address.