Happy birthday JZ!

Not for another 3 hours my time

By my time it's been your birthday for 15 hours. DOMA was overruled on your Australian birthday!

It's almost 1 am here so it's your birthday here!

I plan to spend it by either destroying or invoking the serial comma. I'm too tired right now to remember which side I'm on in that dispute.

It's good to have strong convictions. Whatever they might turn out to be.

Happy birthday, JZ! Get granular on it.

askye, I sympathize so much. Panic attacks are rough. Just keep breathing (duh, like you were planning to try not doing that) and remember you're not alone and you're gonna be okay.

askye,

you need to elevate your feet. If you have any discoloration going up your leg (like up a vein), go to the ER. If you see a marked increase in size in a short period of time, go to ER.

Otherwise, it can wait until tomorrow.

I'm feeling better. I do have some redness on my shin but it's not going up a vein. I'm calling my doctor first thing in the morning (My GP) to get in with them.

I just wish that my shrink was around becuase I know him and he knows me and I wouldn't feel like I'm just talking to strangers.

I was told to drink lots of water and if the things you mentioned happened then go to the ER. Which makes me not want to go to sleep because how will I know if I'm asleep? But I'm trying to be rational.

I'v ebeen really emotional lately and this isn't helping.

I'm going to go lie down and try to rest.

Thanks for being here for me.

I've kicked my feet up against a wall while lying on my back. My feet and ankles got crazy swollen on Dad and I's last Daytona trip. That and sleeping with my lower legs and feet elevated on pillows really helped. I also put lotion on them thinking it would help with circulation but that might have just been self soothing.

actually that makes some sense Cass, massage encourages circulation - and light massage is what you want when there might be some level of distress

So I ended up going to the ER. I just...I couldn't shut off all these thoughts of bad things happening to me. Rationally I knew the chances were slim but I had to weight my mental health against a wasted trip to the ER and mental health won out.

Benefits of living in a small town - the ER Staff apologizes for the "long wait" of 1 person in the waiting room in front of me. THere were others in the ER but not that many people.

The doctor took one look and was like "you're feet and legs are swollen". The redness in my right shin is caused by the skin stretching. My blood sugar is fine. Circulation in my feet is good.

They gave me a diuretic and a prescription to continue it. And later this morning I'll get a call to schedule an ultrasound to check out my legs.

I don't know how much sleep I'll get with the diuretic but we'll see. The nurse apologized for giving it to me at night and advised I take the next one Friday morning so I'm not up Friday night.

I don't know what I expected, but they took me seriously, took my fears seriously and never made me feel like I was wasting my time or theirs.

I have to call my GP and make a follow up appointment as well.

I hope you're getting some sleep and feel better by the time you read this, askye.

Happy birthday, JZ!