A rainy writing day

Well, we are getting some April showers . . . in mid-June . . . and we are getting a nice soaker of a rain so that the trees and flowers and grass can actually get a drink instead of everything just washing away. We really need the moisture here, though. We just fell under Stage One Fire Restrictions yesterday because there is so much fuel for fire and it has been so dry.

I went to the see my doctor at the VA this morning. He was running ahead of schedule, which was nice for him for a change. The poor man works himself to death! He took a whole month off just to fight burnout in February, and then the pandemic hit and his hip, which he had replaced as a result of a car accident when he was younger, fell apart after he got back to work, so he had to get all of the hardware redone and get wired together. Now, it is his knee that he has to worry about, on the same side as his hip that he just had redone. His huge creaking brace almost hid the wince of pain on his face when he had to get up and down out of his chair today—almost. He is a great doctor, and very committed to his patients. He is one, though, who is as committed to helping you as you are to helping yourself. If you are going to be a jerk to him, he will be a jerk to you, as it should be, seeing as the man works 11- and 12-hour days, six days a week. It was so good to see him! We spoke frankly with each other about what was going on in our lives and it was good to see someone whom I regard as a respected friend as well as my doctor. He saw that I will be 40 years old in October, and I said I was going to pull a Jack Benny and be 39 for the rest of my life, following that up with the comment that, “It happens.” He agreed that it was inevitable. It left me wondering what horribly invasive test he would have to order for me to undergo when I turn 40, though . . .  He went over my lab results with me and my cholesterol is what we have been working on for the longest time. It is finally in the ballpark of where it needs to be. My weight would be a good factor to get under control, but that did not need to be spoken, even though I mentioned that I was trying to make changes. We agreed that it has to be a lifestyle change. He asked me if I was still going to school or anything and I told him about my online SNHU class that starts next week in the MA in English and Creative Writing program. I followed that up with the comment that I am trying to do something with my life since it is painfully evident that I am never going to be able to become a doctor or work a 9-5 job with my mental illness. He simply said that medical school with Depression is pretty impossible because medical school is brutal.  I am still trying to let go of my dream, and he realizes that. I told him that the pneumonia had left me short on lung capacity and climbing ability, and he asked me more about climbing. We talked about climbing quite a bit as he renewed my medications and wrote out the orders for medications and some compression socks for me. It was so good to see him.

From his office, I went to the other building and headed over to check in at the Physical Therapy desk so that I could get measured for some compression socks. I requested grey because the white ones just do not stay white and they look horrible after only a few washings. Those are a special order, so I may not see them for at least three weeks. That is okay. I will wait. At least I know that they should be coming, as long as they have resumed shipping all of the prosthetic stock with the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions (why it would affect that, I do not know, but it does).

Climbing. I have to get back with the program. I even dreamt of climbing last night! And one of my climbing magazines came in the mail today! The stars seem aligned, but my gut was not today. I have terrible cramps in my gut and some moderate intestinal distress going on, which is not cool to climb with. It is settling down some now, but I do not know what caused it. Once in a while, I just have a day. Today was my day for it, I guess. I do not even try to figure it out, because I normally function fine. A good day to go to the doctor. I have to get back to my climbing lifestyle, though. Both of my doctors agree and have talked to me about that point. I completely agree! Hopefully I can begin tomorrow, gut permitting . . .