ita, forget apocalypses. I don't understand what the fuck is the matter with your local emergency room that they won't give you the damn pain medication that has been proscribed for you! I don't understand what the matter is with your pain specialist that he can't come up with something that works at home, instead of forcing you to go to emergency room where they do not actually treat you!

Umm I assuming I understand this: you have method that can relieve your pain. It is just that those fuckers in the emergency room won't actually administer it?

The ER will often administer what's in my files, but I'm down to two hospitals because no one is going to take word for it all at once (which I get-it's a lot of opiates) but they are also reluctant to inch their way up to an effective amount.

Right now I'm actually admitted and my migraine specialist is trying to convince the pain managment people at this SAME HOSPITAL HE WORKS AT to give me meds in a peer-reviewed yadda yadda way, which means I'm basically getting ER drugs for inpatient prices, with attendant loss of dignity and comfort.

They had better let me out in time for the holiday party at krav tomorrow, or Cinderella is going to lodge these beautiful glass slippers somewhere they really don't want splinters.

Yeah, if I was in SoCal I'd give you backup on the splinters.

Am v. sleepy, but....

Bali sounds awesome, environment sounds scary, wish I could whisk ita to the magic Star Trek universe where they'd wave a light over her and boop! All fixed!

Kristin, shame you can't smack the students around.

How is it possible Em could be only a year and a half from kindergarten? Not possible.

I have a picture of me and Monk and Matisse from Pictures with Santa.

I am feeling kinda low and stressed and depressed, even though I had a good time dancing. I hate when I make stupid little embarassing mistakes and then obsess over them. Gah. But I expect I"ll feel better after a good night's sleep. Which is why I should go to bed now.

I lost my post! I can't believe it! It was all about how impressive meara is doing and how she should let up on herself. You guys know the tune, even if meara keeps forgetting the words.

Oh, and I keep meaning to say--one of my new ER nurse best friends has the same real first name you do. She's cool.

Now I go back to wondering why you're waving a stick over boobs. Or read better.

Thanks for the backup, TB. I should raise an army and lay siege to LA medicine.

I had my first mammogram today. BOOBIE SMASH!. I kept thinking of the hulk and had to try not to laugh. It wasn't early as bad as I thought it would be. I think the issue is not so much the smooshing of the breast, as the placement of the machine. When obtaining the "side view", the machine presses against the breastbone (no pun intended), and that hurt, but other than that, it was fine.

I thought of this because the receptionist reminded me of ita. She was from Ethiopia, though. Short hair (black, not blonde), with the really pretty face, and a slight accent.

Accents that can sound surprisingly Jamaican include Ethiopian, Scottish, and Belizean.

Ethiopian because we emigrated to the land od Ras Tafari, Scottish because it's one of our sources< and I have no fucking idea about Belize. Keeps freaking me out because I keep getting Belizean nurses.

Your receptionist may have sounded more Jamaican than I do.

Vortex, I will attempt to file your Boobie-Smash! report away for future reference, so as to be not freaked out when it is my turn for that first mamogram, in a couple years.

ita, it totally sucks that you are having such a crappy time getting the medication you need.

Typo Boy, thanks for trying to save the world.

I had my first boob smash 15 years ago, once 1 found my first lump. Do self exams, ladies, or get a partner that likes to wrangle the girls. My lump was so big that I found it by eye, fully dressed. At work. Sphere the diameter of a quarter, thankfully benign. Scary as fuck, though.

Oh, ugh, ita. I didn't realize you were in the hospital. I'm so sorry. I wish things would get better for you and for all of my friends with horrible chronic pain. It so sucks. I hope you get out in time to go to the Krav party.