Monday, June 27, 2011

That kind of day . . .

Here's an example of the kind of day I've had . . .

I forgot to take my "lunch" pills (a couple fish oil pills and a multi-vitamin I take to help keep the AS under control). I noticed them sitting on my desk at work as I was about to leave. Since my water bottle was empty I figured I would stop by the water fountain in the hallway on my way out. As I approached the water fountain I popped all three largish size pills into my mouth. Then I lean in and press the button on the water fountain only to discover that the water fountain is broken.

The closest door into the main office (and the water cooler) is locked, so I end up having to walk all the way around to the main door. Not so bad, except I have two fish oil pills and a multi-vitamin in my mouth, starting to dissolve. Then the admin. asst. starts to talk to me as I pass her desk. It's only after I'm finally able to get some water and swallow the pills that I am able to explain the disgruntled look on my face.

Oh, and after I finally got home (I won't tell you about the people who rudely cut me off) TheHusband informs me that we have no running water. I laughed. I mean, what else could I do?

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

This is what happens . . .

When I try to do way to many things at one time and, in the process, forget to unplug the immersion blender before cleaning it.
The nurse at Urgent Care has some
serious injury wrapping skills!

I can't tell you exactly what happened. All I remember is that one second I was cleaning the blender, and the next second I was reaching for the nearest dish towel while trying to figure out how I was going to call TheHusband while applying pressure to my finger. Let me tell you how much I love speed dial.

Let me tell you how much I dislike voicemail. So I leave a message for TheHusband, it was right around the time his class was ending, then sit down with my hand elevated above my head. While I wait for him to call me back I practice deep breathing. I've passed out from shock before (once from 3rd degree sunburns, and once from stabbing myself in the hand with a letter opener. . . yeah, I'm an unintentional danger to myself, but the guys in the white coats don't need to be called) and can tell my body just might be reaching that point. But the deep breathing helps and the diaphoresis seems to pass. Then TheHusband calls. He didn't actually listen to my message, just saw that I called and wanted to know "What's up?". I quickly explain the situation and ask him to come home as quickly as possible. So he does, because he's awesome like that.

Maybe the fact they were in a strip
mall should have been a clue.
While on his way to save me he calls the Urgent Care in our clinic, but they tell him they are full and then they redirect him to the next closest Urgent Care, which really turns out to be the "Please take a number and we'll be with you as soon as we can." Care. Can you tell I wasn't impressed? We took a number and waited 10-15 minutes to be called up. When we are called up, they give us some paperwork to fill out (so they can get paid). TheHusband fills out the paperwork and we wait another 10 minutes before I finally get called back. During the wait I start to feel woozy/nauseous and really light headed and the diaphoresis returns.

They took my blood pressure, which was WAAAAY too low, then took me to the actual exam room where I got to soak my hand in hot soapy water while we waited for the doctor. This wait was shorter (only about 5-10 minutes). The doctor looked at the finger and decided I needed stitches. (Ya think?) However, he thought he would be funny and said that because I had done it to myself I wouldn't be getting any anesthesia. My unsaid response: "Um, yeah, my insurance company pays you to be a doctor not a would be comedian. Stitch the dang thing up already!"

Needless to say I did get several shots of lidocaine (and tried not to break TheHusband's fingers when the first couple shots were administered). Ahhh, the bliss of a numb finger. After searching for the gauge of suture thread, the doc finally settled in to get business done. I won't go into the awkwardness of having my arm/hand dangle off the side of the exam table while he stitched me up or the near mis-adventure we had while trying to get the painkillers (ohh, we do love our pharmacy though and I'm not even being sarcastic). But here's how the finger has been healing (caution if you get queasy at the sight of injuries you may not want to look).

2 days after,
first bandage change
4 days after
Frankenfinger
(I got bored)










Day 10 - Last day before
sutures come out.
Day 11 - Sutures out!
Still pretty ugly.












Day 13 - looks a little better
Day 18 - camera won't focus, but it
looks MUCH better

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Recently Read: The Postcard Killers

I'm a huge James Patterson fan, so when TheHusband picked up The Postcard Killers for me I was quite excited to read it.

The basic story line is Jacob Kanon, a NYPD detective, travels across Europe attempting to track down a pair of serial killers, who happened to kill his daughter and her boyfriend while vacationing in Rome.

He is able to get the assistance of local police, with seemingly little problem, and Dessie, a Swedish crime reporter (and his romantic interest in the book) who received one of the postcards the "Postcard Killers" send after they have killed.

Sadly, I was a bit disappointed in this book. And you can tell that because instead of reading it in one weekend, it actually took me a couple months to finish. I didn't feel like this was up to Patterson's usual standard. I'm not sure if it was because he had a co-writer or if it was something else, but I wasn't really rooting for the main character like I have in most of his other books, and while completely despicable, his antagonists weren't all that compelling either.

Overall, I'd give the book a C. It's not the worst piece of dreck I've ever read, but it's certainly not up to my usual high expectations of Patterson.

Rating: C


These opinions are entirely my own. Neither the author nor his publishing company even know I exist.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Word of the month: Diaphoresis

di·a·pho·re·sis

 noun 
\ˌdī-ə-fə-ˈrē-səs, (ˌ)dī-ˌa-fə-\
plural di·a·pho·re·ses

Definition of DIAPHORESIS

: perspirationespecially : profuse perspiration artificially induced

Origin of DIAPHORESIS

Late Latin, from Greek diaphorēsis, from diaphorein to dissipate by perspiration, from dia- + phorein, frequentative of pherein to carry
First Known Use: circa 1681

(definition taken from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diaphoresis)

Why is this the word of the month? Because I've experienced this reaction twice this month. The first was when I tried to blend my finger and TheHusband had to take me to Urgent Care to get stitches (post about that coming later this week, now that I can type again), and the second time when I was having the stitches taken out (at least my finger got numbed up when they put them in, not so lucky on the taking them out part though).

It's also the word of the month because a day or two after my trip to Urgent Care, TheHusband and I heard it used (and explained) in an episode of ER.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Life as a Dinosaur: The Last Straw

(This post has been written for a while now, I just keep forgetting to actually publish it.)


January/February 2011 - At my last visit to the rheumatologist she said that I was doing so well I wouldn't have to see her for a year and she said she was writing a prescription for the Celebrex to hold me over (including the refills).

Monday, June 06, 2011

A Quick Update

Just in case anyone missed me, I just wanted to let you know that everyone in the ATC household is still alive and well. Mostly "well" anyway (and yes, there is a story there, of course).

I'm in the process of preparing a few new Foodie Friday and What Happens Wednesday posts, but have been slowed down by some stitches in my index finger (yup, that was a reference to the before mentioned story). I'll be getting back on track with regular posting soon, but in the meantime, I hope you all are having a delightful summer.
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