Word on the cat. Could be a strain, could be cancer. The vet would be happy to spend a few K of ours on tests. Yeah, sorry. That doesn't get to happen in my world.

In my world, as long as the cat is still eating (and maybe warming it's empty kitty nutsack against the heating vent), life is good.

This reasoning, sadly, does not work WRT my pain levels, as I have continued to consume quantities in spite of unacceptable pain levels. But then I also have words with which to communicate my pain to others who theoretically have means of alleviating it.

Speaking of which, i finally broke the code for getting the Pain Management dude to treat me. It was tears. Hysterical, ugly sobs after he tried for the FOURTH CONSECUTIVE VISIT to pawn me off on yet more PT with more "let's make sure this isn't working before we get invasive." Hells no. Get invasive already! PT aint working, and I think 3 months is enough to figure out that it's not the magic bullet he wants it to be. I might have also blubbered about how my savings account for replacement windows is almost all gone on PT and other office visits. Seriously, even with "good" insurance i'm shocked at how much $$$ is going down the drain on endless medical visits that just. aren't. working. So i got needles and trigger point injections. Already walking signicantly better (tho driving was just as bad) and have fingers crossed that maybe, just maybe, tonight will be the night that i don't spend tossing and turning and trying in vain to find a position that doesn't hurt. A girl can dream. (well, she can if she could just fall asleep already!)

empty kitty nutsack

I have an image of this band playing a double bill with Squirrel Nut Zippers.

Getting medical people to agree to go to the drugs and invasive procedures for pain is ridiculous. It's like the entire American medical industry has been infected with "It will make you stronger and more Godly" Puritainism.

It's seriously a problem. And then folks like me grow up not wanting to take pain meds (i really, really don't. I have a dresser top full of bottles...i didn't know there were so many different kinds of muscle relaxers last year....and bottles of pain pills that apparently are rather valuable on the black market. But the side effects suck and the valuable effects are so short lived that more often than not they just sit there, untouched.) I don't want painkillers, i want to sort out WHY? and make it stop. I don't think that's a radical viewpoint, honestly, and i get where the PMT is coming from with wanting to try every option solo time to see what works. Academically, sure, that's a great idea, testing each option independantly. But after more than half a year, i don't like the idea of giving each possibility a few months before trying something else. I wanna try ALL THE TREATMENTS as soon as possible to up the odds of something working. I really need a new PMT. My PCP is fanastic, i love her to bits, but she does know her limitations.

Treating the pain is one of the reasons I really like my podiatrist. After looking at my x-rays and talking through the last 9 months and the treatment from the previous podiatrist, he was pretty direct about how to fix things. He basically said "we could try x, y, z non-invasive things but ultimately the surgery is going to be the only long term fix". And yeah, the last few weeks have had me whining and I don't see that changing for another few weeks - but after that, I am so looking forward to being out of pain.

I remember some of us rather like pretty journals and suchlike. Here is an Etsy shop featuring some cute little fits-in-your-pocket notebooks [link] The woman who makes them lives in Chile but will ship internationally. I got to know her through the Mentalist fandom. She's working her way through art school.

Oh those are so pretty!

As I get older, my fine motor is well, less fine, and my handwriting gets larger. Those would suffice for maybe one word per page. But, for someone with finer control, pretty!

Erin, I'm sorry you're in so much pain. I hope you get some relief soon.

Connie, cat~ma.

Went to my post-op appointment today. The biopsy results were negative, which is what we expected but still a relief. I think I have a uti, so I had them run a test while I was there.

I have a dresser top full of bottles...i didn't know there were so many different kinds of muscle relaxers last year....and bottles of pain pills

I resemble that remark, although my bottles are a few years older. Comes in handy for that once in a while when my back acts up.

I have these adorable little notebooks I bought in the UK at the Jane Austen Center. They're supposed to be like the little booklets the ladies would have at the dances to keep track of their partners. They're flat enough to easily fit in my purse with plenty of room to write in. I have the Netherfield ball one in my purse right now.