I have been dealing with doctors' offices and administrators for years. There have been the usual number of mistakes due to the fact that we're humans, but I truly believe the administration of cancer care is far more lackadaisical than other medical specialties. It's like they know their patients are desperate. The doctors and treatment staff have been wonderful. The administrators and paperpushers seem boggled at the idea that what they do is crucial to people's lives. "Oh, you mean it's *important* that your authorizations get to where they should be going?" Yes, you dumbass! This procedure has to happen before the next procedure can happen, and the next procedure has to happen within a very stringent time frame! And show some fucking courtesy to this person who's tired and scared and sick! We're so sorry that our crisis is inconveniencing you!

I may be bitter.

Congrats sj!!! Much demitasse~ma for you and your burgeoning family.

I had the most interesting, pleasant dream last night. Usually my dreams are full of anxiety but the one I woke up to was a nice vacation at a beach house with Pix, N_D, and unnamed Others (likely Buffistas, but no names or faces or voices, just the welcome presence of pleasant Others). It was near the end of the vacation chunk and there had been a full roster of planned activities. We were getting ready to spend the last full day just relaxing on the beach with big floppy sunhats either sunning ourselves or under shady beach umbrellas. I was looking for my bag and sunblock when I woke up, already feeling warm from the soon-to-be-basked-in-sunshine. What a lovely change for my subconscious!

Congratulations, SJ!(and TG)

Thanks, everyone. You're all the best. I was more excited to post here than calling my relatives.

This snow is going to kill my bank balance. If I don't get out of the house soon I will have purchased every geeky onesie the internet has to offer.

Saw the doc, lungs are sluggishly improving. I have a new, higher dosage, advair inhaler for the next week. She also gave me a scrip for anti-biotics in case I spike a fever that doesn't drop. Beyond that, rest, keep up with the meds, and call if tomorrow isn't better.

Now, who can tell me about tessalon pearls (sp?)?

Now, who can tell me about tessalon pearls (sp?)?

The only thing I know about them is that they are one of the few things that will stop my mom's cough when she gets bronchitis.

Most cough medecines make my stomach roil. Doc thinks it is the Guaifenesin that I'm sensitive to, so we are going to try the pearls.

They work like a local anesthetic, so they kind of numb your over-irritated lungs, which reduces the reflex to cough. They're MAGIC.

Thanks Teppy. I like the sound of that.

So I'm having anxiety about going to work tomorrow. I haven't really coughed today. The decongestant I took this morning worked all day.

Going outside to the store pretty much wiped me out. But I've been out of work for 5 days (2 were scheduled days off). I'm ...just generally anxious about this. I'm also worried that I'm going to catch something else or get worse. And part of me never really wants to leave the house again (this is a bad sign). I will leave the house, I just don't want to leave my comfort zone.

Tomorrow I'll get up, I'll make a sandwich, I'll clear snow off the car and shovel (if it snows tonight) and then I'll go to work and deal with it the best I can.