Whine & Cheese

Gastrodome

Not much to blog about today as I spent most of the weekend dealing with a stomach bug.  I thought I had successfully avoided it when it made its rounds shortly after the holidays... but alas I am just fashionably late.

I won't get into graphic detail... but its been awhile since I've dealt with anything like it.  I was feeling a bit wishy-washy (fatigue and achy-ness) as early as Friday, but proceeded with the normal activities/eating until it hit big time early Sunday morning.   I swear it was like one of those melting ice glaciers crashing into the sea... and some nasty acid reflux to boot... but thankfully no throwing up.

So I was in a vegetative state all day Sunday... eating carefully and sparingly, but still didn't quite make it through overnight issue-free, but not nearly the intensity of the night/morning before... thankfully nothing urgent work-wise for me today, so can take it relatively easy.

I am just wondering now if it would be productive to take some stomach meds or if it's just one of those things that needs to run its course.

Weekend Round-Up

Random stuff from the weekend:

• Ate at two of our favorite restaurants ... and both of them hot and spicy! New Mexican on Friday night and Thai on Saturday night.  You know you go some place a wee bit too often when the wait staff starts to recognize you.  We're pretty that's now happened at this Thai place as our waiter didn't question whether we really wanted "Thai Hot" (aka hotter than "hot") for one of our dishes.


• My back is better... well kinda.  I attributed a microwaveable heating gel pack on my lower back for my speedy recovery.  But after a shower on Saturday, I felt something funny back there.  A look in the mirror... I had burns on my back... and it was blistering!  Ouch!  Now I didn't think I put the gel pack, even with its cloth wrapper, directly on my skin... but obviously I was an idiot and did something wrong.  So while preferable to seizing and spasms, it's still a bit uncomfortable back there. 


• As promised, we took the dogs back to the bark park on Sunday.  There were not nearly the amount of dogs that were there last weekend (it was a tad later and a bit hotter), but still some fun to be had... kinda.  We try to give our dogs a bit of space, let them have their fun without us looking over their shoulder ... but this other little dog got into a minor growl/scuffle with Rocky.  Before we got over there, another lady (not the owner of the dog who started it) doused Rocky with the contents of her water bottle.  It was no biggie and the lady of the testy dog did apologize... but have to admit to being a tad peeved about the water throwing.  Not that Rocky cared...


• ... since we have two very different dogs.  How so?  If the dogs go out in the yard and the sprinkler is on, Toby will pretty much want to turn around and come right back inside...while Rocky's eyes immediately light up and, if left unsupervised, will grab the sprinkler and run around the yard with it.  Likewise, when the wheels of the vacuum cleaner start rolling Toby will slink away and go to farthest room away from where it is... Rocky will attack it when it's on!


• Needing to take a break from last night's NLCS game where our Dbacks are now down 3 games to the Rockies (I think someone should have quit while he was ahead!), started researching where we might like to eat while we're in Vegas.  We have narrowed it down to three places to have a "special" dinner... Italian, Southwestern, and a Brazilian steakhouse.  I'm leaning toward the steakhouse, but the penny-pincher in me still thinks its crazy to spend $150+ on dinner (which is what we're likely looking at for any of them) ... now don't ask me about my gambling budget, but for food??

You're Only As...

...old as you feel.

If that's the case, I feel my age odometer should be rolling over to a starting digit higher than a "4" next week!

My lower back was totally out of whack this morning. Last night, I recall a twist/turn that made me think "uh, that didn't feel so good".. but slipped off to la-la land in not so typically quick fashion.  When I got up for a 3:30am bathroom trip (another not terribly positive sign of aging), I knew something was definitely awry.  I could tell my back was gone, but I managed to hobble back to bed... though there was not much more sleep to be had prior to our usual 5:30am weekday wake-up call.

This back problem has happened before (and I am sure I've blogged about it).  As usual, it comes with no warning. I go to bed feeling perfectly fine and wake up in pathetic shape.  Getting out of bed the second time proved much more difficult than the first.  I literally had to roll out of bed and once I got upright my back... oh boy!  The best way I can describe it is imagining your back is a stretched out accordion... and that it's all crunched together... and it just all seizes up causing me to uncontrollably make funny sounds and breathe like a woman in labor.  While the pain and seizing is centered in the lower back, there is also pain (more soreness) radiating down my butt and legs.  Pretty much my lower half is a mess...and, let me tell you, it's not so easy putting on a pair of shorts either!   

I am glad Todd missed the "getting up" part.  While I am sure there are amusing aspects, it was not pretty... well, okay it was pretty... pretty embarrassing!   He did witness an "episode" or two (or three) before he left and was nice enough to feed the dogs before he left for work (since Toby likes to take his time eating and is highly distract-able, I don't feed the pups until after he's left), so I wouldn't have the bend down or crouch.

Just like a head cold, where you have a renewed appreciation of breathing... these times with my back, make me realize how important those back muscles are to just about any kind of movement that you just normally take for granted.

Things have improved slightly.  I have been putting a heat pack on it and moving around is proving to be better than laying down or resting (that's probably why the second time out of bed was worse than the first, everything tightened up again).

Should be interesting tonight, we are due to go to Game 1 of the NLCS between the Dbacks and Rockies tonight.  It's our one playoff game in Todd's office group split tix, so I am determined to make it!   While I doubt I will be 100%, I am thinking it should be manageable by later this afternoon... the fun part will be sleeping and starting over again tomorrow!

On the bright side, I am glad that it happened today.  Besides being the "big day"... this time next week we'll be on our way to Vegas and I can't imagine six hours in a car would be the ideal scenario for my back.

(Note: Of course, that picture is of me... been really hitting the arms and back at the gym <g>!)

Sick and Tired

Usually that phrase means that a rant is about to begin... not quite sure why, because I am a bit of both right now and barely have the energy to type this right now.

On Sunday, I was feeling pretty out of it.  Even Todd had noticed, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it... just malaise.  If anything, I figured I had just OD'd on tennis coverage.  Thanks to some wild matches there was nearly 12 hours of tennis on and I pretty much watched it, granted on TiVo time-delay... but even if you subtract out all those commercials (particularly the 1,634 times the John McEnroe AmEx "dispute resolution" ad aired -- "You can not be serious!"), that's still a lot of television and tennis!  (Also, remind me to stop getting concerned about Roger Federer losing a match before the end of the second set).

Anyhow, by Sunday night I had a scratchy throat and on Monday the nasal issues started... not enough to knock me on my ass, but definitely ugh-worthy.  Todd offered to run out and pick up so dinner.  It was a tough choice.  To avoid aggravating my throat, I wanted to avoid anything spicy (our usual food M.O.!).. so we decided on Fazoli's (not sure how national the chain is, but it's a fast-food Italian/pasta).

I went online just to confirm that they had Alfredo sauce since I figured the acidic tomato-based would be no good... and accidentally stumbled onto nutritional information... and while my fettuccine, as expected, was a "heart attack on a plate"... allow me to warn you, my dear readers, about Rigatoni Romano -- 1090 calories and 54 grams of fat -- and that doesn't include any of their warm and buttery breadsticks!

While I am usually not quick on taking pills (despite my mom's suggestion at taking something at the first sneeze or sniffle), I did take a 12-hour decongestant prior to bedtime... and boy that did not work!   NyQuil is one of God's little miracles... knock me out, just as long as I can kind of wake up in the morning... but this was not NyQuil.  While I probably did sleep most of the night (except for those 5 trips to the bathroom!), it felt more like I was on a hallucinogenic, high-speed journey all night long.  Not a fun post-three day weekend morning... I woke up exhausted, plus no noticeable upper-respiratory improvement. 

After getting a job that had to go out first thing this morning, I went back to bed for just a bit... and that seemed to help... now it is just a matter of what or what not to take medicine-wise.  Funny enough, I do have a doctor's appointment this afternoon.  Alas, it is not with my PCP, so I can't squeeze in this "oh, while I'm here" stuff... though I wouldn't expect a doctor to be able to do much about this anyhow...my experience is it's one of those "needs to run it's course" things.

Playing Doctor

Hey you... over here... yoo hoo... over here!

I know the picture is not  one I should used when I want you to pay attention to "the words"... but ogle later and we'll get to reason why I posted the picture in the first place (and yes, I know there are newer Speedo pix of the Puerto Rican pop prince...but I have my reason for using this older one... patience, patience).

As the post title suggests, we're playing doctor today... well, not that way.  I want you to play doctor on me... oh, that's not any better, huh?  Okay, how about it's time for "You make the medical call!"

I have had this "thing" for a few weeks and since I couldn't come up with anything else to blog about this morning so I figured it was time to ask my knowledgeable readers for their expert opinion... don't you hate when you've been wracking your brain over something and then finally ask someone and they're like "oh yeah, it's just..."  So that's what I'm doing here... and no worries I won't (and can't?!) sue you for medical malpractice.

I have had this discomfort, kind of a centralized "knot" sort of thing...it's near the "belt" region on my left side or, for purely illustrative purposes, where X marks the spot on Mr. La Vida Loca. There is no pain involved... but it has been  pretty uncomfortable... it has not gone away and it varies in intensity... most noticeable when I get up/out of bed in the morning or when I bend/stretch in certain ways.

My hypochondria zeroed in on a hernia... but there is no sign (at least that I can tell) of the characteristic lump or swelling of a hernia... nothing hurts or becomes more/less uncomfortable when I press around the area... and it's fairly localized, nothing wrong or not feeling right with "the equipment"... so maybe just a muscle pull of some sort?

Any thoughts or ideas?   Over-reaction or will I die a slow painful death? 

UPDATE (response to comment):  Unfortunately Scott, my doctor of 3+ years (who I met for the first time in January) looks ready for retirement any day now (or should be retired already)! 

Baby Got Back (Pain)

More tales from the weekend...

On Saturday morning, I threw out my back... well, to be more specific my backside.

Okay, I'll pause for snickering...

Done?

I had just come back from a fairly early (pre-hellish temps) morning walk with Toby.  I had felt a little tweak while out, but nothing too bad... but when we arrived back and I stopped, something really seized up. I had these shooting pains that were fairly zoned in on the buttocks.  Now I have had my lower back go out on occasion, but this was the first time that is was so focused on the region a little farther south.

My mom has bouts with sciatica, so I don't know if that was what I was genetically experiencing... but from what I understand it's in that anatomy neighborhood. 

It wasn't pleasant... any little move or bend... made me jump, wince, and/or gasp... which was really quite the vicious cycle.  So I tried to keep moving (which I understand is the right thing to do vs. resting), but just tried to be very slow and careful.  In the afternoon, I took a dip in the pool... did some leg kicks, "bicycling," and stretching... and that seemed to help... thankfully, by the time Buckaroo arrived I was no longer in heavy spaz-mode.

It was a bit challenging getting out of bed on Sunday... things tightened up overnight... pretty much, the same thing this morning (though slightly better).  I am still having some seizing up, but I still managed to walk Toby on Sunday and this morning.  If anyone was watching, it must have been quite comical.  I'll be doing fine, then it looks like I walk over a pebble/stone and do this crazy "whoops" slip... of course, there is no pebble... just my back/back-side feeling it's crunching down like an accordian! 

I hit the pool a bit last night for "rehab" and plan to do that again today.   I am not worried, all it needs is some time... and an increasing realization that I'd better get used to this kind of stuff! 

You Give Me Fever

... and not in the good way.

Yesterday, I was just not feeling right... felt pretty tired in the morning and it seemed like I couldn't really focus on anything and certainly wasn't very motivated to do all that much.  My guess was that it was mostly psychosomatic... things just didn't feel right around the house with Mindy not around (or Lucy for that matter)... Toby was certainly in heavy "crash" mode.

But then things just got worse as the day moved on... my suspicion was that it was lack of food (I have a tendency to "forget" to eat)... and I also took Toby out for a walk and it was pretty warm... so no food and direct sun tends not to be a great combo... so started getting head-achy... but then started feeling sore/achy behind my knees (a sign for me that something is really up) and ... so felt warm all over and the ears heated up... so it was time to take the temperature... 100.6, so not bad, but still enough to feel pretty darn crappy.

I was in bed and asleep by 9:30... but didn't have a very restful night... felt pretty warm and clammy for a while... and just felt like I was hallucinating for most of the night (I did pop a couple of Tylenol before bed)... just weird repetitive dreams... fortunately I knew work was pretty light today, so I "slept in" to about 8am...

So feeling better, certainly no fever (though I haven't officially checked it)... but still feel a bit off... so I think I am off to bed for a little bit more...

Eye, Yi, Eye

I think I go to the most incompetent "vision center" in the country.

Last week, I went to the a new supply of contact lenses... but since a year had passed, I was forced into an eye exam despite having no complaints about my current lens prescription. 

I ended up being there for 1 hour and 20 minutes... of which only 10 minutes were spent with the doctor... the rest of the time was spent on them insisting I get my eyes dilated and a lot of waiting around. 

The doctor, much to my surprise, lowered the prescription in my right eye.  He warned me it might not work, but to give it a shot.  Well, surprise surprise... the right eye did end up being a bit off!  So yesterday I headed back to hopefully just return to my original prescription.

So let's meet the players, we have: Desk Receptionist #1 (DR1), Desk Receptionist #2 (DR2), Assistant, Technician, and Doctor.

I arrive and the office is pretty empty... there is only one other customer who is being helped out by the assistant.  I tell DR1 my issue, she pulls my file and says it will just be a couple of minutes. I take a seat.

DR2 is making phone calls to re-schedule appts for next week since the doctor schedule has shifted from morning to afternoon.  Customer is finished with Assistant and leaves the office, so now I am the only non-employee.

DR2 is done making phone calls and starts having conversation with Assistant across the office, while Assistant is wrapping up some stuff from the last customer on her computer... Assistant is going to Arkansas for Thanksgiving to visit her mother, her husband his not going and visiting his family instead, she is on vacation starting Tuesday of next week... she hates Arkansas and says it is really racist.

Assistant asks Doctor for what code she should put into the computer... Doctor sits down and goes over some stuff with her.

DR2 leaves the office, but on the way out asks if I have been helped... I respond "I think so"

Technician comes out and asks where DR2 is.... while waiting for her return, Technician starts having conversation with DR1.  DR1 is tired, she was out late with friends last night and thinks she might be getting a cold since she was out late last night in just a tank top and bare feet.  Technician starts explaining to her the difference between a virus and a cold.

Assistant and Doctor seem to be finished with the computer code issue and are just chatting away about something else.

DR2 returns and they are all gathered at the desk talking about something else... I don't know what about... at this point I am trying to figure out how to lift the invisibility shield that has apparently surrounded me.

Assistant gets up and comes over to the desk and says to DR1 ... "what's he here for?"  DR1 starts to inadequately recall that reason ... and that is where I pipe up and say ... with the entire office staff present "do you just want me to tell you?"

Technician pops up and says "oh you have been sitting there oh so patient"...  I can only imagine what may facial expression was at this point.

Doctor comes up to front desk and starts looking at my file... and finally brings me back to the exam room.

She puts some lenses over my eyes (you know the good 'ole... what's better "1 or 2" "2 or 3")... and ultimately changes the prescription that I received on Thursday in both my eyes!

They take my old supply of contact lenses and go to the back to get me some new boxes for this latest prescription.  It is no shock that they don't have a supply for one of my eyes... so they have to order them... they'll give me a call when they come in.

On the way home, I realize that I probably just screwed myself since I didn't get a receipt or any other physical evidence that I turned in my old supply of lenses... so I am fully prepared that when the new ones come in they are going to say... that'll be such-and-such $$s.

And even better yet,... this morning, I still don't think the vision in my right eye is as good as it was before last week's eye exam!