Yup, ovary up. Those guys are not used to being challenged, and quickness is an attribute. However, it's one that should be balanced by quality, and the more you learn, the quicker you will be, even keeping up your standards. You can do it, just be firm, explain your reasoning briefly, and do what you need to do. You have skills, you just need to acquire these specifics, and ime guys like that respond to competence, so step in and do it as quickly as you can cleanly, and you'll be fine. Initial friction is worth a better working rhythm going forward.

I am known for saying "measure twice, cut once, go home earlier" at work.

Steph, what did the doc say? Or do they need to culture it?

The doctor said it's 95% likely that it's NOT a UTI. She's treating me for bacterial vaginosis (I have no idea why I whitefonted that; it's just that the name sounds...wrong) but said to call if the abdominal pressure turns into full-on pain, and/or if I have blood in my urine. Based on everything I told her w/r/t our sexytimes (we switched brands of lube in the last month or so, and that's when things started to just feel Not Right in the magical ladyparts), she said probably the different lube had something that was an irritant, and continued use of it just got overwhelmingly irritating to my ladyparts, and then some freeloading bacterium and its friends thought that would be a good place to set up shop.

The pressure in my abdomen that I thought was from a UTI is just because everything is all irritated and inflamed, and when it's inflamed, it has nowhere to go but towards the bladder. So -- pressure.

Treatment is topical, so no sexytimes (at least, no PIV sexytimes, and probably no recreational fun for my ladyparts in any way) for another 5 days at least.

Stupid internal plumbing. (Also, I hate peeing in the specimen cup. It's To Build A Fire without the freezing to death.)

Steph you might try taking AZO even though you don't have a UTI. It can sometomes help other types of bladdrer pain.

Steph, that sounds like absolutely no fun. Glad you went to the doctor! The ladyparts, they can be so delicate.

sj, Liese, javachik, thank you all. I know I need to strengthen my assertiveness. That's the positive that will come from this situation.

You can do it. It's super hard. But in your field you're going to need to, and you're badass enough the strength from it can come from your competence.

Ow. It was an exam day, and now it's a Vicodin night. Papers are heavy. Also, the exam was in one of those lecture halls where you need to walk up and down stairs to get to the seats, and the stairs had no railing, so I killed my knees and ankles going up and down to answer student questions.

Oy, Hil, that sounds tiring.

My eyebrow has been twitching since before the hockey game started. I thought you all should know. It feels like I should be making nefarious plans or something.

Wow, what a day. Aside from all the waiting for credit union stuff, today turned into quite the productive day. Tons of meetings. And my shop crew really kicking butt!! It's the first time all school year we had time to just out stuff away, and make it look pretty (vs unpack the trunks from old show and start pulling for the new show right away) Still lots to do, but oh boy, so much prettier!!

Usually when the shop hours are done, I go back to my desk and do more emails/paperwork stuff. Today decided to just head home before I got exhausted. Needing to do both groceries and laundry, I thought it best to save some spoons. Oops. Well. Driving home in traffic, I nearly fell asleep at the wheel. I pick up 2 bags of groceries. Get home, and quickly realize, no matter how much I need to do laundry, it will not be done tonight. Eat a microwave dinner while watching Hawaii 5-o, and pass out faster then I have in forever! I wake up, thinking it must be 4am, it was such a deep sleep. Nope. Just after midnight. Woa. Now, just waiting for second sleep to kick in.

On the up side, my muscles feel a lot better this evening then they did this morning. I was still feeling the aches from Sunday night/Monday.

Dear workers,

I know you are up at 6 AM every day and probably think I am terribly lazy for not doing the same. However, this is the first day I have had to sleep in since the move, and I need some notice if you're just going to show up because it rains.

No love,

sj