Today is a “Doctor Day”. It’s one of those days I cram in as many medical appointments as possible so that I can get them all over with at once. Only, it didn’t work.
My first visit today was to the dentist. I very much do not like going to the dentist. I very much do not like having work done on my mouth. I very much do not like sharp pointy, grindy or otherwise scary objects placed in my mouth. Today, up front, I told my dentist these dislikes of mine. Actually, they are part of yet another phobia of mine. He said “Don’t worry. We aren’t going to do any of that kind of thing today. We’re just going to clean them.”
“Whew!” I exclaimed. I was afraid you were going to want to do something more, like a new crown or something.
“Oh, I don’t do that kind of thing,” he chuckled, “I’ll be referring you to the endo <somethingorother> down the hall. You need a root canal. They’ll call you to schedule a meeting, and then while your at that meeting they’ll schedule you for the root canal.”
In spite of my new determination not to think bad things about people, I must say right about now I’m thinking “jerk!” But he’s a nice guy!
This afternoon, I have a podiatrist appointment. This is one of those appointments that become necessary once a year when one is diabetic… nerve damage can sneak up on one. In my case, in October at the last appointment, the doctor said I have capsulitis. Bottom line is, it hurts like hell for me to walk. Once I have taken a dozen steps or so, the pain recedes and then I can walk quite well, without the pain. But those first 10 paces or so… I look like a 100 year old man taking his first steps in 3 months. “oh! Ow! Eee! Aye!”
He told me to control the discomfort with Advil/Ibuprofen. Well, I’m now up to 4 doses of 3 ibuprofen daily, and sometimes 4 ibuprofen. That’s hard on the kidneys! Or is it liver? Whatever, it’s hard on the gut, too. So, it looks like this old man will get to have a cortisone shot deep into my toes. We’ll see. I just got a call “Can you come in 3 hours early?” Yah, shore ya betcha!
Our puppy Ixchel serves as my example, today. I was considering our interactions at night. After we got home last night, Scott set about preparing dinner, I went upstairs, slipped into my sweats and put on my walking shoes, and then started walking on the treadmill. Nikki disappeared to the kitchen to watch Scott… knowing eventually Scott would take notice and slip her a small piece of meat, or perhaps the drippings from the package. Ixchel ran upstairs to watch me. She’s still puppy enough that she has no problem coming UP stairs, but going back down our hardwood, slippery stairs is just a little too intimidating. So, after watching me for a long puppy time (2 minutes, max) she decided to go downstairs. And stood at the top of the stairs crying. She’s louder than Nikki who is 4 times her size! Eventually, Scott came and got her.
Later, after dinner, we were watching TV on the sofa. She was on the far side doing something, when suddenly, she turned dashed across the sofa and before I could react POUNCED on to my chest, flopped over exposing her tummy and began biting my ear. My initial response to this ALWAYS is to pick her up and toss her back on to the sofa with a stern “STOP THAT!” To which she responds by leaping on to my stomach, flopping over and biting my ear. This is Puppyese for “Hey, Pops, it’s time to go pee!!!!!! Come ONNN!!!!”
So, I take her out. I want Scott to take her out. But Scott just sits there, and waits for me to take her out. Of course, this is because if I’m home, Nikki won’t go outside for Scott! So I take out the dogs. They pee. Then we trot back inside and Ixchel takes up her post, playing with Scott.
Why do I say this rambunctious puppy is an example to me? Because I’m like her. A lot. I go off and get myself in a bind, cry out, and am constantly being rescued from said bind by a loving God. And, well, okay, when it comes to the peeing part, I got nuthin’. But I DO know that her jumping and biting my ear is a lot like my praying to God. Even though she doesn’t always get a response the first time, I do eventually answer her. And while I’m not saying that every time God answers my prayer I get what I want, I do know that when I pray, God does answer. I may have to ask several times before God gives me an answer THAT I CAN COMPREHEND. But God always answers.
I wonder what would happen if I pounced on GOD’s tummy?
UPDATE: I have returned from the podiatrist. No shots. New diagnosis. Plantar Fasciitis. The arch supports that I bought from him are insufficient, so we increased the arch (I have high arches). If this works, then I’ll need to have special orthotics made for my shoes. The good news is they supposedly last for life. The bad news is they’re $345 a pair.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Wow! I ran a test when I got home. It was just 2 hours since lunch, so I checked my BGL. 150. Not too bad, but not what I want it to be. Then I did a bit of a workout on the treadmill. Twenty minutes at varying speeds up to 3.3 mph, and varying slopes up to 7%. I just started this form of exercise again, so I’m going slow. Then I checked my BGL again… 91. WOW! That means I’m going to have to keep an eye on things… that’s a pretty significant drop, and had I kept up my walking another 10 minutes AND had the numbers continued down, I might have been treading on hypoglycemic territory. I don’t like that territory.
On The Road II 