Category Archives: Health

The Weekend 

I had a pretty laid back weekend. Not by choice but by necessity. Starting last Wednesday night, I had a bad headache. It lasted through Sunday. After working with this headache Thursday and Friday, I needed the weekend to recuperate. So Isabella and I took it easy. As most cats do, she has taken over the apartment. She knows who is the real queen around here, and she’s let me know it. Thankfully, she’s a benevolent, kind, and loving ruler. She enjoys watching TV, and mostly she seems to enjoy what I watch. 

Last night was the season finale of Game of Thrones, so we spent much of yesterday rewatching the season leading up to tonight’s finale. What a finale it was too! Next season should be very interesting. You may think that I am joking about Isabella watching TV but she sat right next to me with her eyes glued on the screen. She was sitting on a pillow and seemed to quite enjoy the season finale as much as I did. There were parts that I was disappointed about but I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t seen it, but overall, it was mostly what I expected.

I’m hoping to wake up this the morning refreshed from the weekend and ready for the week ahead. Hopefully, it will be a headache free weekend. We will see how it goes. I hope each of you have a great week too.


Blogging with a Kitten 


Blogging with a kitten on your arm is particularly difficult, but blogging with a massive headache is nearly impossible. I took yesterday off from work to be with Isabella, and we played and played until I got a headache, then we napped. I woke up to her between my legs and chasing her tail.

This is a short post because I still have a headache.


Doctor, Doctor


Yesterday, I finally broke down and called a local doctor trying to find a new doctor in my new home. So I called the doctor everyone suggested (he’s kinda cute, too) and asked about getting an appointment as a new patient. I was told that three of the four providers in this office are taking new patients. The woman took down all my information, including the drugs I’m on, what conditions I have, and who my previous doctor was. Then after all of that, she says that she will give this information to the doctor and he will decide if he will take me on as a new patient.

What…the…fuck! He’s accepting new patients but apparently there is an application process. Has anyone else run into this kind of thing? I didn’t think a doctor could refuse you as long as he’s accepting patients. I could understand if he didn’t take my insurance, but they didn’t even ask that. Apparently, this is normal procedure in Vermont.

Getting a new doctor in Alabama was so simple. You called the office and asked if they were taking new patients. If they answer was yes, the doctor’s office asked what insurance you had. If they took your insurance they made you an appointment. I have never had to wait to see if the doctor would actual take me on as a patient.

I was told that the decision should be made by the end of the day, but the office never called back. If I don’t hear by mid morning, I’m calling them. This is my health on the line. I need to know. I also need prescription refills, which is why I am calling now. I have two more refills and then I will be out of medicine.

Why can’t life be simple?

UPDATE: I was approved to be a new patient. I’m glad I don’t have to search for another doctor.


Summer Cold


Not only was the high yesterday a chilly 55 degrees here in Vermont, but I seem to have come down with a cold. I need some NyQuil or DayQuil for this because it is the sniffling, sneezing, aching, coughing, stuffy-head, fever, so you can rest medicine. Luckily, I don’t seem to have a fever. Since I wrote this last night, I am hoping that I feel better by the time this posts in the morning, or else, I’ll have to call in sick to work.


Headaches and America’s Headache 


Because of lack of sleep Monday night because I was awoken by a headache, I ended up going home from work early yesterday. I wasn’t going to write about this headache because I think I write too much about my headaches and depression. I’d hoped that as the depression seems to be easing some and I’m happier (or at least not unhappy) more so than I am sad that my headaches would ease up and get better. Sadly, that hasn’t been the case. The good thing is that this cycle of cluster headaches has not been nearly as bad as last years cycle, though this one has lasted longer. Only once (Monday night) have I been woken by a headache. Last year that was happening on a nearly weekly basis. I do think that the depression and the headaches are linked, and I also think that the daily medicine they have me on for cluster headaches has helped lessen their intensity.

And speaking of headaches, what the hell is wrong with Republicans voting for Donald Trump? He is rude, he is crass, and he is a fascist. I feel like I’m in Germany in the 1920s and early 1930s. People are supporting him because of his xenophobic rhetoric and his crassness that makes him appear to be an outsider. Yet, Trump treats this whole thing like a reality show and we all know how much America loves reality shows. With Ted Cruz out, he’s pretty much guaranteed the Republican nomination, which means we have to get behind Hillary no matter what. She is our last hope for a free America.


Montreal

  
In July, my mom is bringing my eight year old niece up to visit me. One of the things we wanted to do was to drive up to Montreal for the day. None of us have ever been to Canada and I’d love to be able to take my niece somewhere and let her see something new. I know that I have several people who read this blog that live in Montreal, and I’d like their advice. We will only really be in Montreal for the afternoon and I’d love any suggestions on a place to eat lunch and things we should see.
In other news, finally my dental appointment is today. I don’t think I’ve ever been so ready for a tooth to be fixed. I hate going to the dentist, but I’m tired of the pain and being careful what and how I eat. So, as much discomfort as I feel going to the dentist, I’m glad it will soon be taken care of. 


Homesick

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I can’t believe this but I am homesick. Well, I guess I can believe it because the main reason that I am homesick is for my kitties. When my old cat Victoria lived with my parents while I was in Mississippi, I got to see her every four months or so, but the way it is now, I won’t get to see my girls but once a year when I go home for Christmas.  They will barely know me when I go home. If they remember me at all.

Also, my tooth really has been hurting today. If I was in Alabama, it would already be taken care of. I don’t like having to wait on a dentist like a normal person.  I like getting my dental work done when I need it done and not having to wait. I have a close family member that works for a dentist, so I always got in quickly for emergencies, with very little time waiting, if any at all.

Every once in a while, I do get to be just plain old whiny. It’s the kind of mood I am in. Work has been a little awkward lately with some things going on beyond my control but it still makes it awkward at work. When it’s awkward at work, it makes me not even want to go in, and I really love my job. I hope things get back to normal soon. I also dread that one of my coworkers is going to be gone for two weeks.  She’s the other southerner at work and the one I can relate the most to.

Anyway, things will get better. To prove it, I posted the picture above. I absolutely love this picture. It came from the blog Another Country, which is one of my favorite blogs for pictures.  I use his pictures quite often. If you speak French, and I know some of you do, you’ll get even more out of many of the posts than I do.


Headache 

  

I ended up going to bed last night just past 7pm. About 4pm yesterday, I was suddenly struck by a massive headache that quickly built in intensity. I’m not sure what caused it, but I suspect that I’d eaten something with lots of MSG in it and didn’t realize it. This wasn’t one of my cluster headaches but a full blown migraine. The cluster headaches are more of a nuisance nowadays than a major pain. The medicine I am on for them keeps the intensity of them mostly to a low roar, but I still have migraines occasionally and last night was one of those. Even though my migraines are quite rare these days, I do still have some of my old migraine medicine. I took that medicine, but the problem with my migraines is that they always cause a tension headache as well and those can be as bad as the migraine and more difficult to get rid of. Usually sleep is all that helps. In this case sleep did help. Now I pray that I will be headache free for the next two days, which will be very busy days at work.


Rough Weekend

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It appears that I most likely have an abscessed tooth, which hurts really fucking bad. Of course any type of head pain leads to a bad headache, so add a massive headache on to the pain in my tooth. I’ll have to call a dentist and see if I can find one that will actually take me and then deal with a dreaded dental appointment. Overall, it’s just a pain in the ass.

UPDATE: The tooth is not abscessed but instead is a major cavity and broken tooth that was causing the pain. I go back in two weeks to get a filling.


Two Interesting Studies

  

How Do You Feel About Your Nether Regions?

A new study found that regardless of sexual orientation, people who either feel good about their genitals look or are not self-conscious about them are more likely to have good sexual self-esteem and feel sexually attractive. The study examined the relationship between perceptions of genital appearance and self-perceived sexual attractiveness. The study sample included men and women aged 18-45 who identified as heterosexual, gay or lesbian, or bisexual. Participants responded to an online survey assessing their self-perceived sexual attractiveness, genital self-image, genital self-consciousness during sexual activity, and sexual esteem. Based on previous findings, the study hypothesized a positive link between genital self-perceptions and self-perceived sexual attractiveness, with sexual esteem acting as a mediator. Analyses revealed a significant association between both genital self-image and genital self-consciousness and self-perceived sexual attractiveness. However, these relationships were at least partially mediated by sexual esteem, across both gender and sexual orientation. The findings suggest that, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, individuals who maintain a positive genital self-image or lack genital self-consciousness, are more likely to experience greater sexual esteem, and in turn, feel more sexually attractive. The findings have implications for the importance of genital appearance perceptions and improving individuals’ sexual esteem and self-perceived sexual attractiveness.

Freud would agree. I think that when someone is confident in the way their genitals look, then they are overall more confident and have greater self-esteem. The same i believe is true of people who are happy with their body image. It gives the person more confidence and self-esteem. The problem is that for some of these people who are happy with their bodies become overly conceited and obnoxious to deal with overall.
Science: Gay Dudes Like Muscly Hunks

Yeah, this is real: researchers recently counted and analyzed the photos and comments posted on Queerty.com, a blog mostly for gay men. The overwhelming majority of pics and comments celebrated hunky, muscly men with basically zero body fat. The downside: not critiquing these images might be reinforcing an unhealthy body image among blog visitors. This study conducted a content analysis of 243 photographic images of men published on the gay male-oriented blog Queerty.com. The study also analyzed 435 user-generated comments from a randomly selected one-year sample. Focusing on images’ body types, the study found that the range of body types featured on the blog was quite narrow-the vast majority of images had very low levels of body fat and very high levels of muscularity. Users’ body image-related comments typically endorsed and celebrated images; critiques of images were comparatively rare. 

First of all, Queerty is the worst place on the net to read comments. Their commenters tend to be the bitterest queens on the planet. However, if you look at this from an evolutionary standpoint, those with less body fat and nice musculature look healthier, meaning that our minds perceive them to be people who will live longer. Attraction often has to do with having a male partner who will love a long time. When it comes to women, heterosexual men tend to find a woman with large breasts and nice hips to be seen as more fertile, just as healthy men are seen as more virile. So when we look at what we find attractive, it comes down to who the evolution of the human species will take the best care of us and who will be the best at procreation. While this may seem to exclude homosexuals, it does not. We still want virility. Whatever sex we are attracted to, we still have the evolutionary genes that tell us the same things about the same sex we are attracted to as it does when opposite sexes are attracted.