Sick and Tired...

I can officially agree with the saying "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired".
It's something that I suppose has been creeping up for awhile, likely about the past 6 months, but just kind of came to a head about a week and a half ago.

Last Tuesday, I found myself exhausted to the point that simple things like walking up 13 stairs or putting a few plates away left me panting and weak as anything. I also had a headache that had lasted about 2 days, with no relief in sight, despite efforts to stop it. So I grudgingly headed off to the doctor on Wednesday morning.

Anyone who knows me knows that going to the doctor ranks right up there with an enema. I hate going and would do pretty much anything to avoid going. Especially since it seems like every time I go, they find NOTHING wrong with me.

Not this time.

I sat on the little table and told my little tale of woe. He hooked me up to the blood pressure monitor and lo and behold, I had a pressure of 152/100. Not good. At all. I knew in the back of my mind that I should have been watching it better. The last time I went for a basic check up, the doctor said it was high. But I figured I'd do it by myself, just get it down, no problem. Guess not.

So he put me on a prescription and had me go for blood and urine tests. Took the tests Wednesday night. I got a call Saturday afternoon. I needed to come back in to see him about the results. He would be there Sunday afternoon. Great. I had been told the ONLY reason I'd get that call was if they found something. So I had roughly 24 hours to stew over what on earth was wrong with me, what had they found.

Meanwhile I was still not feeling any better, despite my blood pressure decreasing nicely each day. Energy levels were at 5% at best, dizzy as all anything...not nice.

Sunday night, there I sat, back on the little table. My cholesterol is high. This is not only a problem in itself, but of course, that will help cause high blood pressure and do I want to die of a heart attack. Of course not. I'm 34. Anyway.
Also, my iron is practically non-existent. Have I been having any issues with you-know-what? Well...yes...for about 6 months, I guess.

This little meeting lands me three more prescriptions and a referral to a specialist. Meaning I am now having to take a total of 4 prescriptions...5 pills a day, at various different times. Believe me, that was the night I created a checklist chart, to help remember what to take when and to keep track of whether or not I had in fact taken them yet.

Bounce forward to Wednesday morning. I get a call from the specialist's office. Can I come in on Friday morning? You betcha. So I pencil in the appointment.

Today I check out the address on Google maps to make sure I know where I am going, and also check into this specialist's name. Now I am unhappy.

I am finally starting to get some energy back (I'd say I'm at about 25%), so that's good. My issue is with what tomorrow will bring. You see, the doctor is an ob/gyn. And the doctor is a man.

I have a slight inkling of how invasive this appointment will be. We are talking pap, we are talking taking inner flesh samples, possibly ultrasounds and/or little cameras and/or who knows what else. As it is, I am ultra-uncomfortable with the whole concept and will run screaming at every opportunity from most of the above....but the fact that it will be a man performing such personal actions makes it that much worse.

My hubby says I am being silly, that if he were in my situation, he would be just fine because the specialist is qualified and such....but I don't think he has any right to say such a thing unless he is in a similar situation. I know the specialist is qualified. I know there is nothing "wrong" in it....but I really wish it could be a woman, you know, someone who could identify personally with the whole process and all the body parts involved.

I am definitely looking forward to the end of all this...the point when all issues have been identified, everything has been treated to satisfaction, and I have recovered all my energy and well-feeling-ness. But tomorrow will be a toughie.I don't know what is wrong with that part of me.

And I am scared.

Home Renos

We have been under siege the last month or so...thanks to a very kind grandmother, we have had a pile of renovations done to our house.
It has been, to put it mildly, a nuthouse.
But we are very, very pleased with the results. We started out with the driveway looking like this:

Then we had rubber paving done, which took about a week, maybe a day or two more. So our house and driveway looked like this:


Very nice, but the siding was wood, the paint was peeling, and we needed new gutters and soffits, as well as windows. That was another week and a half. They worked very, very hard and did an amazing job, as you can see in these progressive pictures:















I really like the colour I chose for the house. :)

Isn't it beautiful?
Once that was all done, we had our living room, hallway, and one bedroom floors redone. The carpet was a medium grey, short pile. Original one, I suspect, so it would have been my age...and was FULL of stains that would not come out. The bedroom was a nice green, but a cat was accidentally shut in there and not only soiled it all over but he dug a hole right through it, trying to get out while we were away. I don't have photos yet, but it is now a beautiful dark brown wood laminate.
The poor animals don't know what to think. It's like watching curling some days, they come roaring up the stairs, hit the floor, and sliiiiiiiiiiiide all the way across the room. :-D
When we can afford it, I think our next big project will be the back fence. It needs a makeover. Badly.