It’s Monday again, and I did not want to get out of bed this morning. I slept fine, or at least I seemed to have slept well. Isabella still got me up at her usual 4 a.m., but after I fed her, I went back to bed—and, surprisingly, back to sleep. I slept for another hour and a half, which is very unusual for me.
Even after that extra sleep, I still did not want to get out of bed. Part of it, I know, is the beginning of a migraine. I have a meeting this morning that I really don’t want to put off, so I’m going to get through that and reassess how I’m feeling afterward. Hopefully, the migraine won’t amount to much and the extra sleep this morning helped rather than simply delayed the inevitable.
It’s not the most auspicious start to my work week, but hopefully things will get better as the day goes along. Sometimes Mondays just require a little more effort to get moving.
Yesterday, I had to drive down to Dartmouth for my six-month follow-up appointment with my neurologist. Everything looks good, so that was a relief.
Since I don’t like making the drive all the way down there and then having to go back to work, I took the day off. With a little extra time on my hands, I did a bit of shopping before heading over to Quechee Gorge—the so-called “Little Grand Canyon of Vermont.”
I decided to hike down to the bottom of the gorge. If I heard the gentleman in the visitor center correctly, it’s about a mile down and a mile back up. It was definitely worth the effort. Quechee Gorge is a beautiful place, and standing beside the Ottauquechee River at the bottom gives you a completely different perspective than looking down from above.
After making the climb back to the top, I walked across the bridge that spans the gorge. Looking down to where I had just been, I was amazed at just how deep the gorge really is. My thighs are a little sore this morning, but not nearly as sore as I expected them to be.
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Looking back toward the bridge from the bottom of Quechee Gorge.The view from the bridge. The arrow points to where I had been just a few minutes earlier.
My appointment with the podiatrist went well. He’s a nice guy, but he always seems like he’s in a hurry. He’s one of those doctors who wants to get patients in and out as quickly as possible. Maybe that’s just the nature of being a specialist. The only downside was his nurse. She may have been having a bad day, but she came across as snappy and impatient. She was asking me a lot of questions, which is perfectly fine, except my primary care doctor had only discussed the two main issues he wanted the podiatrist to address. He also mentioned that there were several things going on, and since I always read my clinical notes afterward, I assumed the referral and my medical records would include the additional details. After a while, I was tempted to say, “All of that should be in the referral.”
On the bright side, the appointment itself went well, and I have a better idea of what’s going on with my foot. Hopefully, we’re headed in the right direction.
We had a thunderstorm roll through last night, and with it came a major migraine. I went to bed early and ended up sleeping late this morning. That often happens after a bad migraine. I was also dealing with a lot of brain fog yesterday, which is one of the more frustrating symptoms I get when they’re at their worst. It makes it hard to think clearly or concentrate on much of anything.
I’m feeling much better today, but I’m still worn out. If I’m being honest, I’d be perfectly happy to crawl right back into bed. At least today is a work-from-home day, so I can take things a little easier than if I had to be at the museum. Hopefully, a quieter day will help me fully recover.
This morning I’m working, but I’m off this afternoon for a podiatrist appointment. That means I should have most of the afternoon free afterward, and that sounds really nice today.
I’ve seen this podiatrist before, and I have to admit he’s young, cute, and looks like he just walked out of a gym. The last time I saw him, he was wearing track pants, a T-shirt, and sneakers. I certainly didn’t mind—it made it pretty obvious that he practices what he preaches when it comes to staying in shape.
Unfortunately, the eye candy is about the only part of this appointment I’m looking forward to. I don’t like feet, and I especially don’t like anyone messing with mine.
When my primary care doctor was treating this foot issue, I actually didn’t mind the visits. While he worked on my foot, we would chat, something we rarely have time to do during a regular appointment. I’ve been seeing him for about ten years now, so our conversations feel natural and comfortable.
This podiatrist is different. He seems like a perfectly nice guy, but I’ve only seen him in person once several years ago and talked to him on the phone once. Some medical professionals have an incredible ability to put you at ease almost immediately, while with others the interaction just feels a little awkward. It really comes down to that reassuring bedside manner that helps you relax when you’re already feeling a bit vulnerable.
My gastroenterologist is a good example. He’s a genuinely nice guy, and I felt comfortable with him almost immediately. The providers I’ve seen at the headache clinic have been much the same way. Nearly all of them have a gift for making patients feel at ease. Of course, when someone is about to stick more than thirty needles into your head, neck, and shoulders for Botox injections, they probably don’t want you panicking!
So, we’ll see how this afternoon goes. Hopefully the appointment is quick, the news is good, and I can enjoy the rest of my day. Wish me luck!
When Isabella woke me up this morning, I was not ready to start the day. I got up long enough to feed her, then crawled right back into bed for a little while. Now I feel like I’m running behind and trying to catch up.
I’ve had a migraine since Wednesday night. At times it seems to ease up enough that I think it’s finally breaking, but then it comes right back. I’m heading to work today, but if I’m honest, I’d much rather turn off the alarm, pull the covers back over my head, and sleep for the rest of the morning. I’m hoping today is the day this migraine finally lets go.
This will be short because I woke up with a migraine and am heading back to bed as soon as I finish writing. I got up long enough to feed Isabella, send a text to my boss, and put together this post.
Some mornings are just like that. The best thing I can do is listen to my body, take my medication, and rest. Hopefully, a few more hours of sleep will help, and I’ll be feeling better later today. Until then, Isabella has been fed, work has been notified, and I’ve done the one thing I wanted to accomplish this morning.
I worked late last night giving tours to kids attending a camp on campus this week. It was after 9:00 p.m. by the time I got home, which meant it took me a while to wind down for the night. Even Isabella seemed to notice. She let me sleep a little later than usual this morning, a rare gift from a cat who normally believes that breakfast should be served at precisely the same time every day.
I’d really like to go back to sleep for a while, but I know that’s probably not going to happen. Once I’m awake enough to feed Isabella, my day has effectively begun. She may return to one of her favorite napping spots, but she has made it very clear that I should remain awake and available. Instead of trying to go back to sleep, I’ll make a cup of coffee and something for breakfast before it’s time for me to stop eating and drinking because of the ultrasound.
The good news is that I’m working from home today, even though I’ll be back at the museum tomorrow and again on Friday, which is usually my work-from-home day. Today will only be a half day, though, since this afternoon I’ll make the trip up to Burlington for my biannual liver ultrasound.
Fortunately, my recent bloodwork showed that my liver has remained stable and has not gotten any worse. That’s always encouraging news. Even so, my doctor continues to order an ultrasound every six months to screen for liver cancer or any other signs that my condition may be progressing. It’s one of those appointments I never particularly look forward to, but I’m grateful that we keep a close eye on things. Catching a problem early is always better than discovering it too late.
For now, though, I’m going to enjoy a quiet morning at home, get some work done, and spend a little time with Isabella before heading north. Some days are busy, some days are routine, and some days are simply about being thankful for good test results and another ordinary day.
I talked with Isabella’s veterinarian yesterday about her bloodwork results. Overall, the news was reassuring, though there are still a few things we need to investigate.
Her bloodwork showed a slightly elevated BNP, a heart enzyme that can sometimes indicate stress on the heart or other cardiac issues. It can also be elevated because of high blood pressure. Both the vet and I suspect that hypertension is the most likely explanation, but we want to be certain.
One thing that has become obvious is just how much Isabella’s asthma has been affecting her. When she has an asthma attack, I can see the fear in her eyes when she comes looking for me. On top of that, she has a pretty severe case of what we might call “white coat syndrome.” The trip to the vet was stressful for her. Strange people were handling her and taking her to unfamiliar places. Even the calmest cat would find that unsettling.
The good news is that her chest X-rays looked normal. The veterinarian reviewed them again to make sure nothing had been overlooked. I have a great deal of confidence in her judgment. She has been practicing veterinary medicine since 1983 and has decades of experience behind her. In fact, she is now semi-retired and even gave me her personal cellphone number in case Isabella’s condition worsens and I need to reach her directly.
To be thorough, we are going to schedule an echocardiogram to rule out any underlying heart disease. If there is a heart problem, we have likely caught it very early. Most cat owners do not receive that kind of warning. Often, heart disease is not discovered until it has progressed much further. The technician who performs the echocardiograms is supposed to call me today to schedule the appointment.
We have also increased Isabella’s steroid dosage because she has continued to have some coughing episodes. However, there is encouraging news on that front: this morning she did not have an asthma attack. Hopefully, that is a sign that the increased medication is already helping.
There is one other issue we are monitoring. Isabella has been licking a spot on her belly enough to create a bald patch. Excessive grooming is usually caused by either itchiness or anxiety. Since she has had no contact with other animals, fleas seem very unlikely. Both the veterinarian and I suspect that stress and anxiety related to the asthma are the more probable causes.
In other news, I am heading to Dartmouth this morning for my next round of Botox treatments for chronic migraines. I will admit that I am a little anxious because a new provider will be administering the injections this time. She is a physician rather than a physician assistant or nurse practitioner, and my past experiences with doctors giving injections have been mixed. Still, if she regularly performs Botox treatments, I am hopeful she has plenty of experience. I certainly need this treatment. I have been battling a migraine that has waxed and waned in intensity since Saturday night.
That is all I have for today. I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday.
The museum reopens today. The floor waxing was finished on Friday, and the floors needed the weekend to dry before we could return. After more than a week of working from home, I’ll be heading back into the office this morning.
Unfortunately, I’ve had a migraine since Saturday night. Despite taking all of my rescue medications, it seems to have gotten worse rather than better. At the moment, I’d much rather crawl back into bed than go anywhere. Still, after being away from the museum for over a week, I feel like I should be there when we reopen. I’m going to see how I feel after I’ve been up for an hour or so before deciding whether I need to call in sick.
It’s already shaping up to be a strange week. I have a doctor’s appointment this afternoon, Botox on Wednesday, an audiology appointment Thursday afternoon, and I’ll be working from home on Friday. Sometimes it feels like my calendar has a mind of its own.
One thing I’ve never gotten very good at is calling in sick. Even when I know it’s justified, I always seem to feel guilty about it. Perhaps that’s something I should work on. For now, I’ll finish my coffee, see how the migraine behaves, and make a decision from there.
This morning, like yesterday, I took some time to slow down before starting the day. After breakfast and coffee, I spent about thirty minutes meditating. I know today is going to be stressful because of a meeting I have later this morning, but I wanted to begin the day centered and calm rather than anxious and rushed.
The meeting will require me to strongly advocate for my point of view. That is not something that comes naturally to me. I can be outspoken when I need to be, but it is rarely comfortable. Thankfully, I know that at least one of my colleagues feels the same way I do, so I won’t be alone in making the case. My colleague is generally more outspoken than I am, and that support is reassuring.
For now, though, I feel relaxed, focused, and ready to tackle the day. My in-office workweek is already half over, and I hope the next two days pass without too much stress. One thing at a time.
I hope everyone has a wonderful day!
P.S. The photo above also reminded me of something. A few years ago, there is no way I could have comfortably sat like that. Since losing weight and becoming more active, I can. It may seem like a small thing, but sometimes the little changes are the ones that remind us how far we’ve come.
Joe
The Closet Professor 