21 August 2009
20 August 2009
Bizarro world
Several weeks ago, my arm started hurting. It wasn't constant, but it was really painful. It was like the muscle was on fire and affected either the muscle just above my elbow or just below, but never both at the same time. On the right side. I'd had something similar not long before the whole badness with my innards started, except it was on the left side. It started and then, after several months, just stopped again, with nothing I could figure out as a cause.
When it happened before, I went to all sorts of doctors. I saw neurologists and rheumatologists and every other -ologist I could find. They gave me a whole list of things that weren't wrong with me, but not a clue as to what was wrong. I got a number of misdiagnoses -- someone said I had tennis elbow, which isn't even close to my symptoms. There was no injury or muscle strain or anything like that. It was a bit worse when I got stressed, but it didn't seem that stress caused the pain, just exacerbated it.
So when it started again, I was pretty upset. I was in some pretty severe pain and I knew there was nothing I could do about it. Some folks I talked to suggested minerals, especially potassium, so I made a point of trying to add more potassium-rich foods to my diet. I was taking a multivitamin with minerals, so I didn't think I needed to take much more.
Monday morning, just after taking my daily vitamin pill, I got to thinking about the previous bout with it. It occurred to me that I likely was taking a vitamin pill at that time, too, but ran out just as the whole intestinal thing started and I didn't bother replacing them. I had only started taking the vitamins again relatively recently. Then the strangest thought came to me. What if the vitamins were causing the pain?
I've not taken the vitamins since and the pain is almost completely gone. I've had a couple of twinges here and there and it's sort of generally sore, but not the excruciating fire that I had before. Jim thinks that maybe it's the minerals that were included so, once this is completely out of my system, I can try taking vitamins that have no minerals included. Then I can start adding things one at a time. At least if I get that pain again, I'll know to stop taking whatever I added most recently.
But how bizarre is it that a vitamin pill would cause this kind of pain? Weird!
When it happened before, I went to all sorts of doctors. I saw neurologists and rheumatologists and every other -ologist I could find. They gave me a whole list of things that weren't wrong with me, but not a clue as to what was wrong. I got a number of misdiagnoses -- someone said I had tennis elbow, which isn't even close to my symptoms. There was no injury or muscle strain or anything like that. It was a bit worse when I got stressed, but it didn't seem that stress caused the pain, just exacerbated it.
So when it started again, I was pretty upset. I was in some pretty severe pain and I knew there was nothing I could do about it. Some folks I talked to suggested minerals, especially potassium, so I made a point of trying to add more potassium-rich foods to my diet. I was taking a multivitamin with minerals, so I didn't think I needed to take much more.
Monday morning, just after taking my daily vitamin pill, I got to thinking about the previous bout with it. It occurred to me that I likely was taking a vitamin pill at that time, too, but ran out just as the whole intestinal thing started and I didn't bother replacing them. I had only started taking the vitamins again relatively recently. Then the strangest thought came to me. What if the vitamins were causing the pain?
I've not taken the vitamins since and the pain is almost completely gone. I've had a couple of twinges here and there and it's sort of generally sore, but not the excruciating fire that I had before. Jim thinks that maybe it's the minerals that were included so, once this is completely out of my system, I can try taking vitamins that have no minerals included. Then I can start adding things one at a time. At least if I get that pain again, I'll know to stop taking whatever I added most recently.
But how bizarre is it that a vitamin pill would cause this kind of pain? Weird!
14 July 2009
Counting chickens
I found a job for Jim on the 'net that looks just about perfect. It's exactly what he has experience in, working for the EPA (a government job) and minimum pay would be 170% of what he was making before. Cool, huh?
It's in the general area of where we live -- close enough that he could commute for a while, but far enough that we would eventually have to move. It's just nice to think about being able to stay where we are until the lease runs out, rather than paying a penalty. The area is absolutely gorgeous. I like where we are now, but this is even better.
I started doing some online research on housing (we could afford a lot more than what we have now and possibly even buy a place). I keep telling myself that it's a good thing to look ahead and be prepared, but I have to be really careful not to count my chickens ahead of time. I don't want to be too disappointed if it doesn't happen.
The job was just recently posted and they'll be taking applications until the beginning of August, so I have a lot of time to both worry and count. Fingers crossed, though.
It's in the general area of where we live -- close enough that he could commute for a while, but far enough that we would eventually have to move. It's just nice to think about being able to stay where we are until the lease runs out, rather than paying a penalty. The area is absolutely gorgeous. I like where we are now, but this is even better.
I started doing some online research on housing (we could afford a lot more than what we have now and possibly even buy a place). I keep telling myself that it's a good thing to look ahead and be prepared, but I have to be really careful not to count my chickens ahead of time. I don't want to be too disappointed if it doesn't happen.
The job was just recently posted and they'll be taking applications until the beginning of August, so I have a lot of time to both worry and count. Fingers crossed, though.
02 July 2009
We're now a statistic
Jim just called to tell me that he has been laid off. He knew something was up because he got a call yesterday from the lab manager, saying that he wasn't to come in early like he usually does, but to wait until a meeting that was scheduled for 8:00 this morning. The meeting must have been a little early because it's now 7:40.
We'll be all right for a while. He gets a month's severance pay, and health insurance will continue for that time. Then he will get the back vacation pay they owe him, which is almost 8 weeks, so we have income at the same level through September. I doubt that we'll have insurance after this month, though. He said he has some paperwork that he's bringing home, so maybe there will be information there.
The thing that just kills me is that he gave so much to that company. Way over and above what anybody has the right to expect from an employee. On days when he was coming home "at the normal time", that would mean that he only worked 10 hours -- with no breaks -- instead of 12 or 14 hours. Several times he went four or more weeks at a time without a day off at all. And they shaft him.
On the up side, he has referred to the lab as "the bad place" for a long time. He joked about this being his opportunity to become a professional poker player. :-) At least we should be able to spend a few days of just being together before he gets into dealing with resumes and interviews and all that goes into looking for a new job. At least it's not cold out, and we don't owe any money to anyone.
We'll be all right for a while. He gets a month's severance pay, and health insurance will continue for that time. Then he will get the back vacation pay they owe him, which is almost 8 weeks, so we have income at the same level through September. I doubt that we'll have insurance after this month, though. He said he has some paperwork that he's bringing home, so maybe there will be information there.
The thing that just kills me is that he gave so much to that company. Way over and above what anybody has the right to expect from an employee. On days when he was coming home "at the normal time", that would mean that he only worked 10 hours -- with no breaks -- instead of 12 or 14 hours. Several times he went four or more weeks at a time without a day off at all. And they shaft him.
On the up side, he has referred to the lab as "the bad place" for a long time. He joked about this being his opportunity to become a professional poker player. :-) At least we should be able to spend a few days of just being together before he gets into dealing with resumes and interviews and all that goes into looking for a new job. At least it's not cold out, and we don't owe any money to anyone.
12 June 2009
I can't tell you how much I hate this...
... but I have to agree with [choke, gasp, gag] Sarah Palin.
I don't watch David Letterman, but I think somebody would have to be living under a rock not to have heard about the comments he made about Sarah Palin's daughter earlier this week. It is completely unacceptable. The reason I'm posting this is that I expect that at a later date some of the more conservative people I know will claim that this didn't bother me and no matter how much I might protest that it did, without dated proof that I wrote it, they won't believe me. So this is a "for the record" post.
This morning, Gov. Palin made two points in an interview on the Today Show which I had to agree with. First, she talked about how, during the most recent campaign, Obama asked that people keep families off limits. Mostly that has been respected, but not in the case of the Palins. I think that families, especially children, should not be mentioned at all and, if they are, only in the most benign manner.
Back in the early '60s, I remember a joke that mentioned a president's child, which I thought was pretty cute at the time and still do. I believe it was Stan Freberg who said that Krushchev had called the White House on the red phone and every problem between the US and USSR was solved within five minutes. Then Caroline called her daddy to the phone.
That's a cute joke that doesn't in any way denigrate the child, but rather was a comment on the presidency and referred to families everywhere. Letterman's jokes were very pointed, no matter which of the Palin daughters he was referring to.
Sidenote: I do wonder about some of Palin's supporters who are up in arms now and whether they were similarly up in arms when Rush Limbaugh compared the young teenage Chelsea Clinton to a dog. (Limbaugh lamely claimed that the incident was an accident when he was called on it, rather like Letterman's lame excuse of referring to the older Bristol Palin instead of 14-year-old Willow.)
The other thing I agree with Gov. Palin about is that this kind of joke contributes to an atmosphere where the denigration and abuse of women is somehow acceptable. It is an attack on all women, and especially on younger women. As bad as the personal attack on the Palin daughter (whichever one he meant) was, I think this is more serious. But not surprising.
I don't watch David Letterman, but I think somebody would have to be living under a rock not to have heard about the comments he made about Sarah Palin's daughter earlier this week. It is completely unacceptable. The reason I'm posting this is that I expect that at a later date some of the more conservative people I know will claim that this didn't bother me and no matter how much I might protest that it did, without dated proof that I wrote it, they won't believe me. So this is a "for the record" post.
This morning, Gov. Palin made two points in an interview on the Today Show which I had to agree with. First, she talked about how, during the most recent campaign, Obama asked that people keep families off limits. Mostly that has been respected, but not in the case of the Palins. I think that families, especially children, should not be mentioned at all and, if they are, only in the most benign manner.
Back in the early '60s, I remember a joke that mentioned a president's child, which I thought was pretty cute at the time and still do. I believe it was Stan Freberg who said that Krushchev had called the White House on the red phone and every problem between the US and USSR was solved within five minutes. Then Caroline called her daddy to the phone.
That's a cute joke that doesn't in any way denigrate the child, but rather was a comment on the presidency and referred to families everywhere. Letterman's jokes were very pointed, no matter which of the Palin daughters he was referring to.
Sidenote: I do wonder about some of Palin's supporters who are up in arms now and whether they were similarly up in arms when Rush Limbaugh compared the young teenage Chelsea Clinton to a dog. (Limbaugh lamely claimed that the incident was an accident when he was called on it, rather like Letterman's lame excuse of referring to the older Bristol Palin instead of 14-year-old Willow.)
The other thing I agree with Gov. Palin about is that this kind of joke contributes to an atmosphere where the denigration and abuse of women is somehow acceptable. It is an attack on all women, and especially on younger women. As bad as the personal attack on the Palin daughter (whichever one he meant) was, I think this is more serious. But not surprising.
26 May 2009
Socks!!!!
I finished my socks! They're really nothing fancy or anything, knitting-wise, but the self-striping yarn ended up pretty cool. And they fit.
I learned a lot while I was making them, especially about getting the stripes to match. I figured that they either needed to be pretty close to matching, or completely opposite of each other.
They are definitely worthy of being Nicki socks.
23 May 2009
To Steph and Nettl
(who I think of as Kaye and Lynette)
Your anniversary is in a couple of days, but since tonight you're going out to celebrate it, I thought I'd post my wish for you today. I love this poem. I know that it's how I feel about Jim and I'm pretty darned sure it's how you feel about each other.
Your anniversary is in a couple of days, but since tonight you're going out to celebrate it, I thought I'd post my wish for you today. I love this poem. I know that it's how I feel about Jim and I'm pretty darned sure it's how you feel about each other.
Tin Wedding Whistle by Ogden Nash Though you know it anyhow Listen to me, darling, now, Proving what I need not prove How I know I love you, love. Near and far, near and far, I am happy where you are; Likewise I have never larnt How to be it where you aren't. Far and wide, far and wide, I can walk with you beside; Furthermore, I tell you what, I sit and sulk where you are not. Visitors remark my frown Where you're upstairs and I am down, Yes, and I'm afraid I pout When I'm indoors and you are out; But how contentedly I view Any room containing you. In fact I care not where you be, Just as long as it's with me. In all your absences I glimpse Fire and flood and trolls and imps. Is your train a minute slothful? I goad the stationmaster wrothful. When with friends to bridge you drive I never know if you're alive, And when you linger late in shops I long to telephone the cops. Yet how worth the waiting for, To see you coming through the door. Somehow, I can be complacent Never but with you adjacent. Near and far, near and far, I am happy where you are; Likewise I have never larnt How to be it where you aren't. Then grudge me not my fond endeavor, To hold you in my sight forever; Let none, not even you, disparage Such a valid reason for a marriage. |
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