often go awry!
Tuesday, I had a doctors
appointment--(or rather a Lab appointment) The white jacketed
vampires sucked my blood (vials of it!) --and did such a good job,
there wasn't even a pinprick of blood on the gauze bandage and not a
hint of a bruise—which is pretty impressive since I get bruised
with a hard look.
It was raining Tuesday (some parts of
the area got snow, but my area of Queens didn't) and I got chilled.
Partly it was all the errands I ran while I was coming back from the
doctors. When I finally got home, (early afternoon) I was chilled to the bone.
I crawled under the covers to warm up,
and fell asleep. I woke up just in time to head out to Tuesday
knitting—which was pretty quiet—Just 2 of us. I got home early from knitting and since I had napped, stayed up late. By the time I went to bed,
I was a round short of 7 inches on my Take 2 socks.
Yesterday, it was doctors again—only
not for me. A good friend , B–who is a pig headed guy—has gotten
an infections (an ulcer) and it's drained all his strength—so he
asked for help. I drove him to the doctor, (and then parked the car
after dropping him off at the front door). Then waited with
him,(his HMO is deplorable—over a 2 hour wait—past the scheduled
time for the appointment!) Then I drove him round and helped him
fulfill his prescriptions—which involved several stops-- when the
first 2 pharmacies didn't have the drugs in stock.
B is a smart man in many respects, but
he likes to maintain he has perfect health—that his real problems
(high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and some nasty side effects
from these conditions) don't exist. Which is how a small blister
became a huge, open, infected wound.... I know, I too suffer from
wishful thinking (it's not so bad, it will get better on its
own)--but eventually I concede defeat ... I see a doctor, I get the
treatment I need, and recognize, while I do have generally good
health (knock wood)--I am not 20 anymore, and I need to take better
care of my self, and act my age. (which while I steadfastly maintain is
47—only I know it's not.)
B (10 years my senior) is a bit pig
headed. He maintains A: he is healthy (when in truth, he has some
serious health concerns), and B: he is still young (not really!)
Even if he did have perfect health, he is older, and some things are
slower (like wound healing) and letting nature take its course, isn't
going to work anymore (well not all of the time). And then there is
C: his attitude that all Doctors are all idiots (an attitude that
doesn't really help!)
Yes, some doctors are idiots—but it
seems that his doctors weren't all wrong (and his underlying heath
issue have contributed to his slow healing)—But he has fought them
tooth and nail on this—Until eventually, after a million tests, it
was pretty clear—B's self diagnosis of the problem (a hairline
fracture in his foot) wasn't really the problem. He claimed it was a
stress fracture that caused him to limp, and the slightly limp was
why he got a blister... (but really couldn't explain away why the
blister didn't heal, and why it got infected.)He refuses to use a cane--even though he is virtually unable to walk. He is convinced he doesn't need one. But other patients at the HMO thought I was his daughter... He shuffles like a much older man, and looks 90--instead of using a cane and walking like a younger 65 year old. (Me? When my arthritis is bad, I don't hesitate to use a cane! Thankfully, I only need it a few days/times a year. but when I need it, I use it.)
B has been good to me over the
years—and while right now, he is whining and whinging (with some
just cause, he is pain) just about non-stop. I try and maintain my cool and do what I can
to help him—though I didn't realize that yesterday's good Samaritan
effort was going to take the better part of 6 hours! I am not cut out to be a companion to a sick old man.
Late in the afternoon—when I might
have been writing a blog post—I got (and took!) the opportunity to
go out with a knitting friend. A light lunch, and some knitting, and
some shopping, and some how, the hours flew! I didn't get home till
9 PM! I should have been tired out, but it was refreshing to do something enjoyable.
I did get some knitting done.. My Take
2 socks have flaps (and one has a turn in the heel, but not the
other!) and my turquoise print vest has been pieced together—as
outside and lining.. but these two pieces haven't been joined-yet.
But they are pinned and ready to go.
So today was a lazy day—putzing
around doing some cleaning (well emptying the dishwasher) and
paperwork (end of the month, and some bills are do, and more are do
next week) And there will be knitting and sewing, too.
