Gotta Take a Breath

Have you ever wondered why it is that just when you think your life is about as stressful as it can be for you, more stresses are thrown your way?

That's the way I'm feeling right now.

It seems that since some time mid-summer, I've been hanging on by my finger-nails waiting for something to give.

For that little something to just let go and give me room to breathe.

But there just seems to be one thing after another.

With never a break.

I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the fact that I need, probably, more rest time between efforts than most.  This damned fibromyalgia impacts on every aspect of everyday living and it is, I'm afraid, beginning to take a serious toll on my psyche.

Managing pain involves managing stress.

And managing stress is not easy when your soldiers are depleted.  I suspect my army is seriously in need of new troops.

I saw my eye doctor yesterday.

My vision has changed again, significantly.  (Really?  That's why I made the appointment!)

Normally, that would not be cause for concern, given my age.

Except that the prescription I'm wearing was just issued in January of this year and that was only done after six months of repeated testing to get a stabilized reading of my vision.  Why?  Because the prescription that had been written only 18 months earlier than that had already changed again.  And the changes in my vision have been happening too rapidly, even for my age.  So she did a Visual Field Test and checked me out super thoroughly to rule out any apparent eye disorder.  She will send a report to my doctor so he has it on time for my visit next week because she wants him to test me for diabetes -- that is one of the conditions that would cause this kind of rapid change in vision.  Woo hoo - more tests to book.  And she wants to see me again in six weeks to redo the Visual Field Test (if she gets the same results -- onwards for more indepth testing!) and to see if there is further change in my vision.

On a more encouraging note, by the time I returned from that visit, there was a message from my doctor's office advising me that my EEG has been booked -- for Friday, October 16th, at 9:15am.

OK, he must have called in a favour for that one!  I know he wanted this stuff done ASAP and he wants all the reports in his hot little hands when I see him next Thursday.  But I just saw him on Tuesday morning; the results of the X-ray and bloodwork that were done that morning will already have been reported to him; and I'm having an EEG tomorrow -- a mere three days after the "initial visit."

That, folks, has to be a record, unless you are actually IN THE HOSPITAL.

Obviously, my doctor knows me and he put the requisite priority level on that EEG request.

He knows that I don't like being chauffeured (I told him the brake pedal on my side is defective).

Unfortunately, between now and then, my chauffeur's duties will be many:

• Today -- 11:30am -- massage (but he then has an hour+ to kill in downtown Almonte - ouch)
• Friday -- 9:15am -- Civic Hospital in Ottawa for my EEG (sure don't want to be late for that one!)
• Saturday -- he can have the day off -- my sister and I have to go to Arnprior to perform Executrix duties on behalf of my late cousin (my sister will have to be chauffeur that day)
• Sunday -- he can have that day off too (I'm taking the day off to tend to my own personal affairs)
• Monday -- let's hope we are doing nothing during the day because we are having dinner with my former boss (and still a good friend) in the evening
• Tuesday -- probably have to go to Arnprior and/or Renfrew with respect to my late cousin's affairs
• Wednesday -- ditto  (very much unknown as to timeline on that front)
• Thursday -- back to Ottawa to see my doctor for results day.  Let's hope I can start singing, "Life is a highway, I'm gonna drive it all day long ..."  (apologies to Tom Cochrane)

My chauffuer and I have discussed this and we both hope (and believe) that he can be fired after doing his final duty next Thursday.  I promise to give him a good severance package.