2 for 1 Special

We left the country for a work conference for me, sight-seeing for the rest of my family.

My husband got sick.

But hid it and brushed it off.

So I thought he was okay.

He wasn't.

Kiddo got sick.

I pulled night duty two nights in a row as she was miserable with congestion.

While also trying to juggle the conference at a hotel with really uncomfortable beds.

Mostly everything was one big giant fail.

I missed most of the conference because I was so tired. Bad beds. Sick kiddo. No sleep for this mom.

But I thought at least I might not get sick. It had been a few days and I seemed to be fine.

And then I got sick.

Normally that would be the end BUT...

People came to the conference in the throes of the flu. Documented flu. Like, they had Tamiflu prescriptions and everything.

And they hung out with me All. The. Time.

I must be crazy because the flu is the point at which I just stay home, but what do I know? Maybe a temperature of 103 is more fun in a hotel.

My nurse friends say you can actually get the flu AND have a cold at the same time. I was hoping that the universe wouldn't be that cruel, but she is.

So I'm just waiting to see if that's going to happen now, too.

I wouldn't be surprised.

Oh. And tomorrow? We get a puppy.

Like a sitcom...full of suck

Just when you think you're safe, I show up again!

Hi!

Hey, guess what? I found the ONE health thing that isn't all over the internet: Where to go to get B12 shots. I decided I wanted to get a B12 shot but couldn't find any information online about where to go for one. So I made some calls and found that I can get them at Physicians Weight Loss Centers for $25.

Of course, you can also go to your closest alternative medicine clinic, fork over $200 for a new patient visit and then pay $25 for a B12 shot.

Either way.

Why am I pursuing B12 shots? I'm trying to be more proactive about my iron levels and a B12 shot can't hurt. I'll have more blood work soon, and depending on what that shows, I'll be pushing for some kind of IV iron infusion.

If low iron is my problem, I want to get it fixed. No more farting around.

Nothing has happened despite my improved ability to eat and a low dose iron regime. I'm still tired. My legs hurt so much during bike rides that I've dropped from 5 miles to 4 to 3 to 2 now.  I never get more fit no matter how much I exercise. There's never any progress.

Time to git 'r done. If primary care won't take care of it, but the blood work is still off, I'll go direct to a hematologist.

Meanwhile, we're hosting a new exchange student this coming school year and getting a new puppy (our elderly dogs went to the rainbow bridge this past winter). With our first student, I had pancreatitis off and on and the whole year. Plus various procedures.

As if importing and parenting a moody teenager for the first time wasn't difficult enough!

I got through it, but it was a tough year for me. Not something I want to repeat.

I'd like to have decent energy for our student and the puppy. And be able to eat. I am crossing fingers and toes that isn't too much to ask.

But, of course, the second I make plans, things get weird.

I have a dark, wide line in my nail bed that goes from the cuticle to the end of the nail. And it's getting darker. It's about 2 months old from what I can remember. I didn't really think much of it because it started out pretty light and is just now getting dark. But I did get curious and googled to see if it could be related to low iron which is when all the other stuff came up.

I haven't called the derm yet because we are getting ready to drive into Canada for a business conference. Then we pick up the puppy because living like I'm running a marathon in the midst of a tornado is apparently my lifestyle.

Once that's all out of my way, I'll get in touch with the derm and I imagine there will be a biopsy in my near future.

Probably it's fine. I get pigmentation in other weird places, like my palms. Just one more thing to deal with.

On top of that, I'm waiting to hear on some lung stuff. The pulmo sent me for some additional testing. I guess they didn't like the part where I coughed until I puked for several days with that flu bug.

I know it's never going to happen, but I would really like a decade (might as well be greedy, right?) where I can exercise without being interrupted by my one-star body and eat normally.