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Jun. 29th, 2010 11:07 pm
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falastaFirst:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
freakyfrian! Okay, so technically it was two weeks ago. Siobhan, I had a card for you written out and addressed, and somehow three weeks ago it disappeared! I'm hoping my mother decided to send it (usually she picks up the mail I put on my dresser and mails them for me) but hopefully you will get *something* from me within the next few weeks. ;)
AND ... after all that whining last post I'd like to push it farther down the page with all the wonderful things that have happened this past week!
First, flying up north. I got to spend the morning with Jennifer and my doctor's appt went very well. I really like this rheumatologist, because she doesn't mess around. She took one look at my history started prescribing all the meds other doctor's kept trying NOT to. She put me on muscle relaxants, which no one has done, and they work wonders! Turns out all the inflammation around my ribs is not only causing pain, but it's the tightening of though intercostal muscles which cause the shortness of breath. Part of me is very sad because I loved my previous doctor, who has taken care of me for the past 15 years, and who is so compassionate and mild mannered and caring, but he just wasn't treating the problems I was having anymore.
After my appointment Jen took me to lunch, and then we attempted to find Mills College, where my friend was going to meet me. We (of course) managed to get lost in the worst area of Berkeley, then realized we'd gotten off about ten exits too early (the exits had the same name--whose idea was that, thanks to the manager at a local Trader Joes.
We had the loveliest time. Mills is a small women's college in Oakland on a very wooded, green campus. We tossed around the idea of going out shopping/lunch, but ultimately decided to just wander around the campus instead. We'd walk about five minutes, find a bench, talk for an hour, and then do it again. We did that for five hours until her husband came home and offered to take us to dinner in Los Gatos before dropping me off at home. We had a nice time walking in the pretty downtown there before dining at a fantastic little Italian restaurant recommended by Jennifer. So that was a wonderful time, and I am SO GLAD I finally got to see Leyla for more than 30 minutes at a time since she got married! ♥
Two days with Jennifer and John and the kids was a blast. It was summer vacation, so Jennifer made super pancakes (that woman can *bake*) with homemade strawberry freezer jam and bacon and fresh orange juice before taking a long walk to downtown Los Gatos. We first headed to Borders, where I got the latest "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" book (I love those books), then over to Powell's Sweet Shop. Justin elected to go to the Mac store, where there was a line 5 blocks and eight hours long(!) for the new iPhone. The kids settled in to watch "Charlie and Chocolate Factory" while I hunted for my favorite strawberry candies. They used to be everywhere, and now I am relegated to finding them in a candy "nostalgia" store. I'm beginning to feel old... I looked at the chocolates and the British candies, but decided they didn't have the Cadbury bar I *really* wanted (the one with the filling that they put in the Easter eggs), and fancy chocolate is less expensive other places. So I settled for a big bag of candy strawberries. Then Jennifer took us to her favorite bakery (trust my sister to know where the sugar is), which sells exquisite and incredibly delicious baked sugary things. They sell "frosting" shots in little plastic cups! I didn't get the frosting, but picked up a cake/brownie things with cream in the middle which was insanely delicious, citrus glazed shortbread, and chocolate chip shortbread. I felt virtuous because it took us half an hour to walk back to the house ^^
The next day I babysat Emily while Jennifer swam at the YMCA. She was getting antsy, so I played the game my mother used to play with me, which was walking my fingers on her back and letting her figure out which animal it was (mouse, tiger, wolf, giraffe, elephant, etc.). We had a grand time. Later we all went down to a neighbor's house to swimming. After about an hour of water time, I climbed into their hammock and took a two hour snooze while the kids splashed around. We have GOT to get a hammock! After putting the kids to bed Jen and John and I watch "The Three Amigos" (which was funnier than I thought it would be), while snacking on all the fresh strawberries Jen's kids had picked three days before. I got conversations in with Aiden on "Lord of the Rings", which he is halfway through and *very* excited about, and the 7th graders who just discovered caves on Mars with Justin. That kid. He told me about a copy of the Silmarillion he had discovered at Borders (too expensive for his savings) illustrated by Alan Lee, and about whether a movie version would ever come out. Spencer got out of bed early just as I was leaving for home the next morning and gave me a hug and kiss with his funny gap-toothed smile. I love those kids so much it hurts.
I didn't get any homework done over the weekend, but instead reacquainted myself with the piano and the cat. I put "Up" on netflix to watch while cleaning my room, and ended up just sitting and watching it and crying. I adore that movie :-)
Monday Mrs. Pattison was in a good mood and didn't snap at anyone. I had a neat conversation with our Anatomy teacher on the bus to Union Station and like her a lot more now. She was telling me about her Dental Hygiene class at Riverside college, which is only 13 students. I can see how our whopping 40 students would throw her off--she isn't used to putting herself forward as aggressively. Apparently her students did phenomenally well on Oral Pathology (which she taught), and was so adorably proud!
I got to sleep in this morning because the instructor is in Scotland at the International Dental Hygienist Association meeting, and actually understood what we were talking about in "Research Methods". I had prepared so thoroughly for my patient in clinic this afternoon that I got to sit outside and eat my lunch with a classmate (who thoughtfully set up my chair so I could run over to Jamba Juice for my ritual pre-clinic orange juice). Clinic was so bad, either. Codes are tricky, and I had expected a worse time. What took the longest was actually just the anesthesia--the instructor got busy with other students, so even though I checked in early (I was so proud of myself), it took almost an hour before I even got to do my injections. Then the calculus turned out to be more tenacious than we had expected, and I only got three teeth done. But I learned a lot and now I'm not so afraid of hard code cases! AND I *think* I got an A :D
Tomorrow I have a class only in the morning, so I get to home early (yay!), and then Thursday is long but not stressful (no clinic) and then I have FOUR BLESSED DAYS OFF! God Bless America ;)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
freakyfrian! Okay, so technically it was two weeks ago. Siobhan, I had a card for you written out and addressed, and somehow three weeks ago it disappeared! I'm hoping my mother decided to send it (usually she picks up the mail I put on my dresser and mails them for me) but hopefully you will get *something* from me within the next few weeks. ;)AND ... after all that whining last post I'd like to push it farther down the page with all the wonderful things that have happened this past week!
First, flying up north. I got to spend the morning with Jennifer and my doctor's appt went very well. I really like this rheumatologist, because she doesn't mess around. She took one look at my history started prescribing all the meds other doctor's kept trying NOT to. She put me on muscle relaxants, which no one has done, and they work wonders! Turns out all the inflammation around my ribs is not only causing pain, but it's the tightening of though intercostal muscles which cause the shortness of breath. Part of me is very sad because I loved my previous doctor, who has taken care of me for the past 15 years, and who is so compassionate and mild mannered and caring, but he just wasn't treating the problems I was having anymore.
After my appointment Jen took me to lunch, and then we attempted to find Mills College, where my friend was going to meet me. We (of course) managed to get lost in the worst area of Berkeley, then realized we'd gotten off about ten exits too early (the exits had the same name--whose idea was that, thanks to the manager at a local Trader Joes.
We had the loveliest time. Mills is a small women's college in Oakland on a very wooded, green campus. We tossed around the idea of going out shopping/lunch, but ultimately decided to just wander around the campus instead. We'd walk about five minutes, find a bench, talk for an hour, and then do it again. We did that for five hours until her husband came home and offered to take us to dinner in Los Gatos before dropping me off at home. We had a nice time walking in the pretty downtown there before dining at a fantastic little Italian restaurant recommended by Jennifer. So that was a wonderful time, and I am SO GLAD I finally got to see Leyla for more than 30 minutes at a time since she got married! ♥
Two days with Jennifer and John and the kids was a blast. It was summer vacation, so Jennifer made super pancakes (that woman can *bake*) with homemade strawberry freezer jam and bacon and fresh orange juice before taking a long walk to downtown Los Gatos. We first headed to Borders, where I got the latest "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" book (I love those books), then over to Powell's Sweet Shop. Justin elected to go to the Mac store, where there was a line 5 blocks and eight hours long(!) for the new iPhone. The kids settled in to watch "Charlie and Chocolate Factory" while I hunted for my favorite strawberry candies. They used to be everywhere, and now I am relegated to finding them in a candy "nostalgia" store. I'm beginning to feel old... I looked at the chocolates and the British candies, but decided they didn't have the Cadbury bar I *really* wanted (the one with the filling that they put in the Easter eggs), and fancy chocolate is less expensive other places. So I settled for a big bag of candy strawberries. Then Jennifer took us to her favorite bakery (trust my sister to know where the sugar is), which sells exquisite and incredibly delicious baked sugary things. They sell "frosting" shots in little plastic cups! I didn't get the frosting, but picked up a cake/brownie things with cream in the middle which was insanely delicious, citrus glazed shortbread, and chocolate chip shortbread. I felt virtuous because it took us half an hour to walk back to the house ^^
The next day I babysat Emily while Jennifer swam at the YMCA. She was getting antsy, so I played the game my mother used to play with me, which was walking my fingers on her back and letting her figure out which animal it was (mouse, tiger, wolf, giraffe, elephant, etc.). We had a grand time. Later we all went down to a neighbor's house to swimming. After about an hour of water time, I climbed into their hammock and took a two hour snooze while the kids splashed around. We have GOT to get a hammock! After putting the kids to bed Jen and John and I watch "The Three Amigos" (which was funnier than I thought it would be), while snacking on all the fresh strawberries Jen's kids had picked three days before. I got conversations in with Aiden on "Lord of the Rings", which he is halfway through and *very* excited about, and the 7th graders who just discovered caves on Mars with Justin. That kid. He told me about a copy of the Silmarillion he had discovered at Borders (too expensive for his savings) illustrated by Alan Lee, and about whether a movie version would ever come out. Spencer got out of bed early just as I was leaving for home the next morning and gave me a hug and kiss with his funny gap-toothed smile. I love those kids so much it hurts.
I didn't get any homework done over the weekend, but instead reacquainted myself with the piano and the cat. I put "Up" on netflix to watch while cleaning my room, and ended up just sitting and watching it and crying. I adore that movie :-)
Monday Mrs. Pattison was in a good mood and didn't snap at anyone. I had a neat conversation with our Anatomy teacher on the bus to Union Station and like her a lot more now. She was telling me about her Dental Hygiene class at Riverside college, which is only 13 students. I can see how our whopping 40 students would throw her off--she isn't used to putting herself forward as aggressively. Apparently her students did phenomenally well on Oral Pathology (which she taught), and was so adorably proud!
I got to sleep in this morning because the instructor is in Scotland at the International Dental Hygienist Association meeting, and actually understood what we were talking about in "Research Methods". I had prepared so thoroughly for my patient in clinic this afternoon that I got to sit outside and eat my lunch with a classmate (who thoughtfully set up my chair so I could run over to Jamba Juice for my ritual pre-clinic orange juice). Clinic was so bad, either. Codes are tricky, and I had expected a worse time. What took the longest was actually just the anesthesia--the instructor got busy with other students, so even though I checked in early (I was so proud of myself), it took almost an hour before I even got to do my injections. Then the calculus turned out to be more tenacious than we had expected, and I only got three teeth done. But I learned a lot and now I'm not so afraid of hard code cases! AND I *think* I got an A :D
Tomorrow I have a class only in the morning, so I get to home early (yay!), and then Thursday is long but not stressful (no clinic) and then I have FOUR BLESSED DAYS OFF! God Bless America ;)
no subject
Finding a good rheumatologist is so important! I like mine. I am not THAT fond of the PA or nurse practitioner or whatever that I see sometimes, but she's alright. But the "official" rheumatologist is great. :) Hope you're feeling better still!
no subject
I am like the QUEEN (ha ha) of random months late comments :-)
I agree that getting a good MD is hugely important. Funnily enough, at this point we are actually looking at a third rheumatologist who is closer to home.