GOING TO BED EARLY

 I am very tired and don’t feel that well. I’m going to bed early. If you think 6pm is early. 

Lucky and I went for a walk around the block but I think it was too much. 

Until tomorrow…

GOT TO TALK TO DOCTOR

Trigger alert: if medical things make you queasy you might want to skip this post.

I woke up this morning to bloody pee. Yes, my bloody pee. Also horribly painful pee. I called the doctors office as soon as they opened and they fit me in later that morning. When I arrived I checked in and the person at the front desk asked me for my co-pay. Then she said "I see you still have an outstanding co-pay but I guess I won't bring that up.  I heard you the other day.  I don't want you to hit me." WTH? I paid my co-pay. 

I saw the doctor (which was a surprise since I thought I was seeing a physician asst) and she talked to me. Yes, it seemed like a UTI. They ran a test that I will hear about on Monday. She gave me antibiotics and a magic medicine that numbs the area and makes your pee turn florescent orange. 

Then I told her what happened to me over the last few visits. How the office manager trapped me in her office to chastise me for not paying my co-pay, the front person asking if I was going to hit her and then not showing me empathy when I was crying. She seemed appalled. I took responsibility for my part of being upset and in pain and not myself. She said her HR person was out that day but she assured me she would be following up. She did not want me to leave her practice and was upset I would even think that way. I felt better that I spoke up. 

Then I came home and my nice dog walker went and got my prescription at the pharmacy where no one is wearing masks again. 

Today there was an article in The Washington Post about how more vaccinated immunocompromised folks are getting COVID now with this strain. Many are ending up in the hospital. 

I spent the rest of the day watching TV, drinking water and peeing. Fun times! 

Until tomorrow...

COLONOSCOPY SCHEDULED

 I had my appointment with my Gut Doctor today. It was short since all we really did was set an appointment for my colonoscopy. She explained that starting Monday they will be requiring all patients to wear a mask during colonoscopies. The staff are already wearing masks. 

I actually ate dinner tonight after last night not eating much of anything. I had such a hard time yesterday and last night. I didn't get any sleep last night. It was really hard. I am feeling better today. I can't wait to get to the bottom of this situation. 

I made vegan ramen noodles with broccoli, mushrooms with peanut sauce. 

 I appreciate everyone of my friends and family who are checking in on me to see how I am doing. 

Until tomorrow...

TOUGH DAY

I think the test yesterday inflamed my system and made it that today is very tough day. I tried to get things done today but it was all very difficult. Had a very nice phone call from a friend and I sat through a webinar.

I wish this was better news and I'm trying to stay optimistic. I have another virtual doctor appointment tomorrow. 

Until tomorrow...

FIRST TEST COMPLETE

 I won't go through all the gory details. I had the test done and it showed nothing. No cysts. No growths. Now I need to go to the gut doctor to see what the plan is there. I assume it will be a colonoscopy. 

It was a hard doctor visit and made even harder by an office manager who squabbled with me about a co-payment issue. I said I wanted to deal with it at home online but she insisted I go into her very small office to discuss it. I finally said I would pay it if it got me out of this small space. I paid it and insisted they give me a breakdown of the invoice. I looked at the invoice and it showed that I paid a visit that I already paid. I got very angry. This was why I wanted to deal with it at home. I had to go back to the office manager and get her to figure it out. This time I did it with the door open and me standing in the doorway. She finally did figure it out and wrote me a letter stating I already paid the old invoice in case it comes up again. She claims it will not come up again but it has been coming up since last November. I left the office and got in my car and cried. It was such a hard appointment and then this billing issue that didn't have to take place made it so miserable. Also still no resolution to my pain. 

I then had to come home and deal with the continuation of my phone issue. It is working but I needed to deal with some part of it. 

I made a little ramen, broccoli and mushroom for dinner. 

 I was exhausted after all of that. I did a little work and then I think I fell asleep for a bit. It was an emotional and tiring day. 

Until tomorrow...

ONE DAY UNTIL MY FIRST TEST

 I spent the day trying not to think about my upcoming medical test. Luckily the issue with my phone not working helped keep me busy. Around lunchtime I finally got a text from the phone company telling me a tech was on the way to fix the phone. It turns out that the phone line was disconnected at the juncture. Whether it was cut or unplugged, I am not sure.The effect was that my phone was cut off. It took about 30 minutes and the phone rang. It was back on and working. 

I am going to sleep early again since I have to wake up early again.

Until tomorrow...

FELT BETTER AND THEN...

Today started out pretty good. I got three loads of dog towels washed and dried. I pile them up so I can wash them all at once and then wash out the washing machine after. Dogs use so many towels for baths, when they come in from the rain, Lucky sleeps on one on my bed and I keep one on the couch where she lays down. They need to be rotated when they get dirty or smell. I have lots of old towels that I use. 

Then I did my daily guided meditation in the backyard. It was a nice sunny but breezy day. I had planned to sit outside and read but it was too breezy for me. 

Then I started to not feel well again. I guess I overdid it again. I went to bed at 6:30 pm. I feel better laying down. 

Until tomorrow...

I'LL WRITE MORE TOMORROW

I am not feeling well. I am going to sleep. I'll write more tomorrow. 

Until tomorrow...

HAPPY EARTH DAY!🌍

I hope you had a wonderful Earth Day!  I spent the day conserving water and electricity. 

I got a surprise today when a person I spoke to a month ago contacted me out of the blue to hire me today. We already had our first meeting. It was a nice surprise to get more business. 

I felt pretty good this morning but by dinner time I felt not so good. I had a problem sitting up and went to bed. I felt much better lying down. 

I did a 17 minute guided forest meditation today and I am really starting to like it. These little vacations in my mind are relaxing. 

I'm sure it will be a better day tomorrow. 

Until tomorrow...

UPDATE ON CURRENT MEDICAL ISSUE

 I got up early and went to the doctor. I didn't get a certain answer but I did get some answers. I most likely do not have cancer which was my biggest concern. Her answer when I asked was "I am not even considering that."

I have been given a list of things to do. I have to get an ultrasound to rule out ovarian cysts. Then I am going to a gynourologist to check my estrogen levels and other things. Then I need to get a mammogram. 

For the Plan B I am seeing my Gut Doctor to move forward with getting my gut checked. 

The thought is that I may have ovarian cysts. I may have low estrogen. I may have two things going on at once: a urinary thing and a gut thing. I may have interstitial cystitis. There are no answers yet but a plan to figure it all out. 

I feel much better having a plan. Some of the plan will take many weeks so I will not have answers quickly. 

I made a tasty salad for dinner. I wasn't very hungry but I ate it anyway. It had romaine, avocado, cucumber, apple, and mushrooms. 

The rest of the day was resting, watching an Arthritis Foundation webinar and notifying friends and family. 

Until tomorrow...

A BIT ANXIOUS

 Today was all about keeping busy. Tomorrow is my doctor's appointment and I am a bit anxious. So today I got myself ready for the appointment, meditated, worked, did laundry, washed dishes and rested. 

It is an early appointment so I have to be organized to get out of the house on time. I am going to bed early so I get up early. 

Until tomorrow...

CREEPY CRAWLY THINGS

Lucky and I had to get up very early to go to a quick vet appointment. I found some little lumps on the tips of her ears. I barely slept all night thinking it was some sort of creepy crawly thing that got in her ears. I swear I felt things crawling on me all night. 

Turns out it was vasculitis. Just a skin condition. Unfortunately to fix it they had to scrap the fur off the spots. She has no fur on the tips of her ears. 

They also found an ear infection. She is having a hard time with allergy feet, infected ear and furless ears but she has a great attitude. She still wants to play and go for walks. 

Once we got back home, I changed my sheets on the bed anyway. I couldn't get the creepy crawly thoughts out of my head.  Then I worked, meditated and rested. 

Until tomorrow...

RECOVERY DAY THIRTY-TWO

 I am focusing on positive thinking until Thursday when I see the doctor. I need to focus on creating a positive space. I did another guided meditation along the beach today. No I didn't go to the beach, they take me to the beach in the meditation. 

I am thinking of putting a Plan B in place in case the doctor's appointment doesn't give me the answers I need. So, tomorrow I am going to make another doctor's appointment with another doctor just in case. I can always cancel it if I need to. 

I had an avocado toast for the first time. It was pretty good. 

I found bumps on Lucky's ears. I found one last week and now there are more. I am taking her to the vet in the morning. I looked it up and it could be nothing or something not good. She is sleeping in her bed tonight just in case. 

Until tomorrow...

HAPPY EASTER

I spent my Easter morning frosting the sugar cookies I made yesterday. I did an outline frosting this time. I used pastel yellow, pink, green and orange. I think they came out great. 

After the icing, I took a bath. I already started watching Killing Eve season 4. I watched the whole season today. I had to see how the series ended. 

That was my Easter. I hope your Easter was everything you wanted.

Until tomorrow...

RECOVERY DAY THIRTY-ONE

I feel better today. Not great but better than yesterday. I actually made cookies. It was a slow process but I made 20 vegan sugar cookies. They are not frosted yet. I will try that tomorrow. 

I am spending my time laying on the couch watching The Gilded Age. It is pretty good. 

That was my whole day. Last night I went to bed early and slept for eleven hours. If anyone thinks there is nothing wrong with me, healthy people do not sleep eleven hours unless they were out partying or doing something the night before. 

Until tomorrow...

RECOVERY DAY THIRTY

Today has been a hard day. I spent a lot of it laying on the couch. Now I am in bed. 

I did package and deliver the vegan Easter chocolate candy to my neighbors. I made some people smile. 

Until tomorrow...

RECOERY DAY TWENTY-NINE

 Today went really fast. I hung my new doorbell for my side entrance door (the old one had the door bell ripped off), my new drill was delivered which is how I removed the old doorbell, put Lucky's new cone on her head, Lucky and I walked to the post office in the rain to mail my ballot, and I worked. That was the day. 

Here is the photo of Lucky's new cone. She was having a problem sleeping with the old cone because it was hard and it seemed to cut off her airway. I saw a soft cone like this on Instagram.

She is supposed to be a bear. Isn't she cute?

I made a stir fry with tofu, broccoli and rice. It was super delicious.

Health Update: I was very nauseous last night and again this morning.  I did not feel so great today but tomorrow is another day. Maybe it is the rainy weather?

Until tomorrow...

MORE VEGAN EASTER CHOCOLATE CANDY

 I made more vegan Easter chocolate today. I had some fun doing it. I used the leftover milk chocolate and some dark chocolate. Then I made some hazelnut and white chocolate mixture. I made chocolates that are dark chocolate with the hazelnut/white chocolate combo, milk chocolate with the hazelnut/white chocolate combo and dark and milk chocolate with the hazelnut/white chocolate combo. There are big chocolates and little chocolates.  There are bunnies, duckies, eggs, and Easter baskets.

I gave some to my dog walker and he says he was impressed by how they look and that they taste really good. Since he used to be a chef, I take that compliment. 

The rest of the day was working, attending a webinar and wishing my borther-in-law happy birthday.

Until tomorrow...

VEGAN EASTER CHOCOLATE CANDY

 Okay, I know I can't eat chocolate right now but I decided I wanted to make Easter candy for my friends and neighbors. I am so happy making food. Especially chocolate. I made vegan milk chocolate eggs with vegan white chocolate/peanut butter inside and I also made eggs with half chocolate and half white chocolate/peanut butter combo. I can only say that the white chocolate/peanut butter combo tastes like heaven on Earth because I had to taste it to see if the proportions were correct.

The rest of the day I walked Lucky, put a cone on her head because she was licking her feet and worked.

It was a full day and I am feeling much better.

Until tomorrow...

RECOERY DAY TWENTY-EIGHT

 This is a boring day. I worked. Period. 

I contacted a company that sends me vegan food in a subscription because one of the items in the box was not vegan but vegetarian. I was a bit annoyed because if you advertise that the box if full of vegan items and I get the box, I should not have to inspect the items to see if they are all vegan. I am sure most people didn't even notice. I sent a "dissatisfied" email and already heard back from them asking for more information. 

I made a vegan rice bowl for dinner and used soy sauce for the second time. Hopefully this yields a good result. I would be sad to say goodbye to soy sauce. I used white rice, carrots, kidney beans and peas. 

I am thinking of making chocolate Easter candies for my neighbors. We shall see.

Until tomorrow...

RECOVERY DAY TWENTY-SEVEN

 Today was a better day than yesterday. My abdomen doesn't hurt quite so much. I actually did two loads of laundry and changed my sheets. I twirled my mattress around. It is kind of like flipping it but not. I just turn the left side to be the right side. Spin it around. I can do that without lifting anything up. 

I did more work today. I have clients that work on the weekends so I sometimes do work calls on Saturday and Sunday. 

I made a Deconstructed Vegan Burrito for dinner. It contained white rice, avocado, kidney beans and steamed carrots for color. Quite good.

Last night I was watching TV when I fell asleep and I slept all the way until almost 8:30 this morning. I think this new medical situation is taking it out of me. 

Until tomorrow...

RECOVERY DAY TWENTY-SIX

I was supposed to post this last night but I fell asleep. Sound asleep. At 8:30pm. While watching Bridgerton season 2. I woke up at 11pm, let the dog out, covered the bird and fell back to sleep. I guess I am exhausted. 

I don't think I am tired from anything I did because I did very little except take Lucky out for a bit of a walk. It was a longer walk than I have been taking her but it was a nice day and we strolled. I did some work and cleared out my Hulu dvr section. 

I made a bland dinner because I wasn't feeling particularly good. It had white rice, green peas, and broccoli.

That was my exciting day. 

Until tomorrow...

RECOVERY DAY TWENTY-FIVE

 I tried some new food today. I have to wait to see if it bothers me. I ate a vegan burger and some cauliflower chips.

I finally finished all my invoicing. I am exhausted. Every couple of years I get this behind and hate that I do this. You would think I would learn. No. The last few months have had a bunch of things happen that made it difficult: RA flare, taxes, Covid vaccine and this last UTI/IC situation. It seems like one thing after another since January sapping my energy. But I am done! 

I made an interesting dinner: a deconstructed vegan burger. I broke up the vegan burger, cut up an avocado, added romaine lettuce. Then I made some white rice and steamed some peas. It was a good dinner.

It was another beautiful day but I was inside working all day. 

Until tomorrow...

RECOVERY DAY TWENTY-FOUR

 I wish the pain in my abdomen would go away. There I said it. I hate complaining but I am tired of this pain. Sometimes it doesn't ache at all and other times it really hurts. It is really annoying.

Today was a HOT day. I took Lucky out on a walk midday and she was limping a little. I called the vet to see where her new painkiller/muscle relaxer is. Turns out it was never ordered so I had it ordered. 

I made a cool dinner because it was so hot. I made a warm salad bowl with romaine, barley pilaf, green beans, black olives, cashews, red potatoes and mushrooms. 

That was my day. 

Until tomorrow...

RECOVERY DAY TWENTY-THREE

 Today it was beautiful outside. I spent some time sitting on my deck talking on the phone. I had two work phone calls. I got a number of small tasks completed. 

I made a wonderful sandwich for lunch. It had avocado, romaine, mushrooms and vegan mayo. 

I have one more week until my doctor's appointment and I can't wait.

Until tomorrow...

RECOVERY DAY TWENTY-TWO

I had a pretty stressful day. Not for a reason you might think. My wifi went out last night and did not come back on until 4:30 today. It turns out that there was a fire somewhere and some part that was in charge of the internet burned and they had to replace it. That took longer than they thought (probably because they could not get to it because of the fire and then the fire inspectors) so I had no wifi. 

It was stressful because I needed to get things done and I needed to work. I could not do any of it. I had to find things to do. I scanned all my insurance paperwork and put it in an online folder. Once you have lived through a disaster, you stay prepared. I worked on my puzzle. I watched the end of a movie on my computer. I walked Lucky.

I also had an appointment with my nutritionist. It was supposed to be a video call but it ended up being a phone call. He was super helpful in explaining the latest studies to me. We worked out a plan for what next to eat. We are going to check in in a few weeks instead of our normal three months. 

I am not feeling as good today but I am sure it was from the stress of the day. Tomorrow is another day.

Until tomorrow...

RECOVERY DAY TWENTY-ONE

 I had been feeling better than today. My left side was hurting more today. I am not sure why. 

Today the alarm company guy came and agreed that the problem I was having, I was having. It is always nice when they come and see the problem and don't dismiss you. He was so nice, called his supervisor, drove back to his office, got a part and had it totally fixed today. Originally he said it would take a few days but then he went outside, called his supervisor and said he would fix it today. I don't know what he said but he told me he didn't want me to have a broken alarm another day. Wasn't that nice?

That was the highlight of my day since it took a few hours with him coming and going. I got some work done in between.

For dinner I made another vegan warm salad bowl with barley pilaf, potatoes, chickpeas, avocado, mushrooms and romaine lettuce. 

I got a text from someone asking if I did a task. I texted back that I made an appointment with myself tomorrow morning to do the task. The person texted back that they thought that was a great idea. I have been making appointments with myself for important things for years. I learned this method in a time management course. 

Until tomorrow...

RECOVERY DAY TWENTY

 I spent the day babying Lucky. She had one of her upset tummies. When she has these episodes she clings to me and wants me to rub her tummy. She paces constantly and is so miserable. She is finally asleep after eating a little baby food (yes, baby food) that I keep on hand. I usually mix it with rice but I didn't have any rice today so I gave her just a little of the baby mixed with her kibble. At least it got her to eat something. 

I spent part of the day doing more invoicing. I spend yesterday invoicing too. I finished one whole client's invoices and that was an accomplishment. Today I worked on another client. 

I also talked with my parents who were stranded at the Dallas airport. I asked them nicely to pick me up a Cowboys T-shirt since mine is old and has a stain. So, this worked out for me but not for them. 

Last night I spoke to my friend in HI for three hours. I haven't had a marathon talk like that in years. We had one disconnection for unknown reasons, one phone battery die and one accidental hang up in those three hours. It was so much fun catching up. I can't wait to visit HI. 

I made vegan barley pilaf today. It has mushrooms, peas and carrots. It was surprisingly good. I was only supposed to have a small bite but I cheated and had a serving. Hopefully it will be okay.

That was my day: dog, phone call, dinner and work. 

Until tomorrow...

RECOVERY DAY NINETEEN

 It was a nice sunny day and I sat outside in the backyard for a bit. I read my book and filled out my food diary. Lucky came out for a little while.

I had a full serving of tofu scramble today. It was tofu scramble with broccoli, mushrooms and carrots.

I was so excited to eat tofu again. It seems that it doesn't affect me. 

I need to figure out my next food to try. 

Until tomorrow...

RECOVERY DAY EIGHTEEN

 I took a walk today to mail some mail. The way down was fine but the way back was a bit tough. It is uphill and I had a tough time. Normally I can walk it but today I had to stop many times and I walked very slow. 

Lucky is feeling better but I am going to call the vet tomorrow. She is still seeming off. Not sure what is wrong. She was fine with the dog walker. I had to put her in a time out for the first time in a year. I thought she was just hungry yesterday but now I think she is sick or in pain. I am not sure. 

I had another interesting dinner of pasta, sauteed spinach, carrots, mushrooms and cashews. It was good. I also ate a small amount of the tofu scramble. 

I feel better but a bit weak. I think not eating much is catching up with me. I think I have lost about 10 pounds in these few weeks. I still have the pain in my abdomen but it has lessened. 

Until tomorrow...