reliable signal

...

Unhappy children do not sing.

***

I have spent the past 2 and a half days reading and writing obsessively about The Sopranos and to a lesser extent, 24, also a few essay-ish things on why I support the War on Terror, and generally not doing anything I really should be doing.

I finally sent out an invoice over the weekend; got the check today. I do love that. In addition, my boss has called twice to check on my availability (ie, when I turn into a pumpkin), and to let me know when to expect my assignments: Friday, and Monday. I'm not holding my breath, but it would be good if they came when he says they will. I'd like to do some more work and I'd like to do it before things get too crazy.

So, with that stuff pending, and the beginning of the month LOOMING, I really need to whip off at least one if not two MILC columns but I'm stuck in Soprano-land. How inappropriate.

Saw the g/e doctor yesterday, and told him that going off the Plaquenil has really helped a lot. He kindly ordered a bunch of tests to make sure my thyroid and adrenals have not kicked out on me (there are indications of such), agreed that much of my problem could be from stress, and suggested I take up swimming, or some sort of regular workout. I know it would help me a great deal but it's not practical at this point. So, aside from getting the lab results, I don't have to see him for another year, unless something happens.

Saw the rheumatologist today and she wrote me a script for minocycline... yay! I'm going to wean off Vioxx and see how it goes with just that, because I've been reading about Vioxx increasing the risk of heart disease by some huge scary number. Since both my parents had heart problems, I don't think I want to start courting them myself by using that drug long-term... I'm hopeful the minocycline will help because antibiotics usually do make me feel so good... oh, how wonderful it would be to feel *good* again.

The rheumatologist was funny when I brought up antibiotic treatment, initially very skeptical, but then she said there was ONE -- minocycline -- which is of course what I was about to ask for, as all my research said this is it! I did tell her, hey, they've been looking into this for 50 years and there is some research behind it -- she admitted, yeah, there is. For some reason she doesn't go this route very often, but I'm a headstrong patient and she's willing to let me try things. I've got 2 months to see if it's working for me. It either will or it won't. The Vioxx/Plaquenil didn't really help all that much.

The thing is, I could have a mycoplasma infection, and that could be the source of all these medical problems I've been dealing with forever, it seems... maybe. Maybe not. I kinda wish she had ordered a mycoplasma test but she didn't seem inclined to do so, just write the scrip and see if it works, and at that point I didn't want to argue. I don't think I'm susceptible to placebo effect here, since this is the fourth treatment protocol we're trying out here...

She also wrote me a scrip for PT for my sciatica (also neck and shoulders killing me!) so I have to schedule that somehow or other... that's always the tough part.

Tomorrow, stitches out of the leg. Hurrah!

I'm feeling very small these days. I haven't lost any weight but I just seem... smaller. Well, I actually am smaller: I actually measured and I've lost a half-inch off my hips and waist, each, and I have no idea why. The scale still says the same thing. Weird.