brightone

2 weeks ago yesterday I ended up in the ER for sudden allergic reaction to SOMETHING. My lips went numb, then swelled up, and then my whole face puffed up like a pufferfish and I lost my voice. Excitement abounded. I took a lot of benadryl and pepcid and prednisone and things were fine. The ER doctor and the nurse practitioner I saw said it could have just been a fluke but if it happened again to get things checked out.

Last night my lips went a little numb and swelled up and then I was covered in hives on my face, neck, my entire torso, and a few on my arms. Took 3 benadryl and 2 pepcid and hoped for the best and didn't end up needing to go to the ER but it was a near thing.

Today I called my doctor's office to let them know and they made me an appointment in about an hour. Which was super impressive and a nice change from their fuckery of the recent past ("it's definitely not your kidney," they said, when I had a giant kidney stone that required 2 surgeries).

Saw my primary, we chatted about hockey, I said the only common factor I could think of between the two nights/attacks was that I'd had a headache and had taken sudafed and advil for it. I also pointed out that maybe the headache was a symptom as well though, and he agreed, but recommended no ibuprofen or psuedoephedrine until we figure it out. Taking more prednisone just in case and he switched me from claritin to allegra in addition to taking more pepcid.

Then they made me an appointment with a local allergist for next Wednesday. A referral to a specialist for an appointment in a week? THAT IS UNHEARD OF. What is even happening here. So next week I see an allergy guy to discuss my mystery allergy. I can only hope mine is easier to diagnose than poor Jenna's.

I also saw my urologist today. He was not appallingly patronizing this time, so at least there's that. However, my appointment was originally scheduled for September 30. They called me yesterday while I was at the dentist (I need to get my sole wisdom tooth removed) and rescheduled my appointment for today. Less than 24 hours notice and they gave ZERO explanation about it. Now, since my appointment was supposed to be in 3 weeks I hadn't gotten any of my labwork they wanted done. Also I was told that this newly rescheduled appointment was only for an ultrasound and they'd set up an appointment for me to see the doctor at a later date. Except then they made me wait around for 45 minutes for the doctor so he could get information wrong (he had the dosage of the gross horse pills he put me on wrong even though he changed at my last visit when he was appallingly patronizing) and say basically nothing. An awesome use of my time.

At least the dentist visit yesterday was good. I passed inspection, I got a sticker, we talked hockey (there's a theme here for my preferred medical professionals), and I made an appointment to get my wisdom tooth removed.

Basically I am falling apart in my old age here.

For any who might be interested but might have missed it other places.

Saturday morning I woke up around 7:30 with a backache. Tried to get back to sleep for a while but could not get comfortable and eventually I called my doctor's office because this was not normal and I was really uncomfortable. Went in to the doctor and was told I was having a muscle spasm. They gave me flexeril and some ibuprofen and sent me home. I took some meds and tried to sleep.

I failed to sleep the rest of the day and couldn't keep anything down, not even a few sips of water or ginger ale. Talked to the healthcare professionals in the family and eventually around 11:30 that night decided I had had enough and mom took me to the ER. My aunt the nurse was concerned that there was something really wrong.

We got to the ER around midnight and I spent the next 2 hours whimpering and trying to find a position to sit in that wasn't causing excruciating pain. There wasn't one. A little after 2 AM I finally got a bed and some IV drugs. The ER nurse is my new best friend.

After more drugs and some blood work they did an ultrasound and then a catscan and determined I had a fucking huge kidney stone. 7-8 mm across, which is pretty huge for something that is stuck inside one of my internal organs, yeah?

So basically that is the worst pain I have ever felt. I have been told kidney stones can be more painful than childbirth. I can believe it.

I have spent most of the past few days asleep. I have also been reading and watching TV. good times. Also vicodin is my friend. Vicodin and my microwaveable stuffed duck heating pad. I have been watching Elementary and The Newsroom and reading A Memory of Light.

I have completely lost my train of thought.

Tomorrow I go back to the hospital and they will zap the stone with sorcery and take out the stent and my traitorous kidney will be back to normal. We hope.

In case anyone missed it, I put out a call for addresses for holiday cards over here. This is a last call for addresses. Although honestly if you randomly give me your address some other time I will still send you a card of some kind because mail is fun.

I bought holiday cards.
They are excessively glittery, as always.
So who wants one?

Leave your address below. Comments are screened. You know the drill.

Of course, so have people.

I realized recently (well, before I left for SDCC) that I had very few checks left and probably ought to order more. They're only occasionally useful but still. Sometimes they're necessary. I can't pay my health insurance online or by credit card, at least, so I need at least one a month.

So I tried to order them online via the link from the Trust Company website. That didn't work at all. The site kept telling me my information didn't match their records. So I went through my desk and found the re-order form from my original box of checks from 10 years ago or so. Filled that out and took it to the bank and expected to receive some checks in the mail. After a month or so I realized that the checks never appeared. I checked my account balance and I was never charged for them. Since Dad already had to do some banking I sent him to investigate the matter and possibly have them order some checks since that apparently never got done. He came home with a brochure from the check company and a note from the Trust Company to use the link on their website. They claimed they have no record of my ever ordering checks before (where did mine come from then? I remember ordering them at the bank!). I facepalmed repeatedly but tried the website link again. It still didn't work because my information still doesn't match their records for some reason. So I tried the phone number on the brochure and got essentially the same error message only from a phone robot instead of a webpage. They can only order checks for me if I've previously ordered checks with them. Now, the person at the bank thought maybe it was a different company when I got mine. But no, it wasn't. It was Deluxe then and is Deluxe now. The checks even have a little ©Deluxe on them.

So that's really annoying. There's no reason for this to be so difficult.
Need to make another trip to the bank, I guess.

I keep meaning to post more often and then I am overcome with laziness and I forget. Oops.

Comic-Con this year was its usual fabulous, fun, and exhausting self. I saw some fun panels, got a bunch of free books (though nowhere near my record for that) and buttons (again, nowhere near as many as I've gotten some years). I didn't get to see as much of some of my friends as I'd like, but that always happens. Too many things to see and places to be and lines to stand in. And there were panels I would love to have gotten into that I missed out on. But overall another sucessful SDCC experience. It's kind of crazy that I've been making the annual pilgrimage to San Diego for 9 years now. I was just a wee little Mandy the first year I went and now I'm old. Or something like that.

Need to finish going through my photos at some point and see if there's any really worth posting. Or if there's any particularly goofy ones because sometimes those are the best sort.

Seeing my Other Mandy was also fabulous as it always is. Mandys are better in pairs. Except for that time her cat peed on me while I slept. That was not fabulous at all.


Work this summer has been pretty good. Kids have been awful so far this week but there haven't been too many of them and the current crop of parents continues to be the least infuriating of any we've ever had. Such a nice change!


This weekend I spent a lot of time stalking the Stanley Cup and not quite getting a photo with it. I did get a photo with Phil Pritchard the Cup Keeper though, which is pretty awesome all by itself. (He's the guy with the Stanley Cup trying to get to Chicago in the Discover commercial with"Peggy").

I did get to pat the Cup lovingly as Dustin Brown walked by with it at the football field too. I just never quite managed a photo with it. I still have my photo from when Nieuwendyk brought it in 2003 so it's okay.


I got out of the running habit while in San Diego so I need to start again.


If anyone wants to throw us a few dollars, there's only a week left in our fundraiser and we're still short of our goal. http://www.indiegogo.com/HomecomingPlayers8

Started week 3 of Couch to 5k tonight.
New insoles and running on the shoulder and not at all on the road itself seem to have helped with my shin issues. We shall see if this continues.
I almost made it through the 3 minute long runs. The first time I was interrupted by a car pulling over so the driver could tell me he'd spotted a sick-looking raccoon on the road a little ways up and I should keep an eye out.
Faith in humanity: increased.


I am distressed that hockey season is going to be over within the next few days and possibly even tonight. What am I going to do with myself with no hockey to watch? I won't have any hockey until September 26th (preseason game, here I come)! HOW WILL I LIVE.
Look, I have a hockey problem. It's okay. I admit it. I've accepted it.
That said, GO KINGS GO.


Mandymas and Comic Con will help fill the hockey void at least and will be generally awesome because Mandymas is the most wonderful time of the year. It is known.

Jenna is giving me grief about not updating again. Since she is a million miles away until the end of June I have decided to humor her.


I take hockey too personally.
I know it's only a game. But, as the commercial says, it's a great game.
I've been a bit heartbroken over Cornell seasons before and over Ranger seasons before but last night just hurt. I really thought this was the Rangers year. There were tears.
At least Dustin Brown and the Kings are still in it and how can I not be hoping for Dustin to win it now that the Rangers are out?


Long, long week at work this week.
Is it time for Mandymas yet? No. 41 days. Or possibly 40 since it's tomorrow already.
So looking forward to my vacation and my buddies and Comic-Con and Disneyland and all the wonderful things that come with my yearly pilgrimage to San Diego.
Also looking forward to the summer with fewer kids at work and no obnoxious new lady. I feel bad for disliking her as much as I do but I just can't help it.


Trying to restart Couch to 5K. I call it "Operation: Get Less Squishy."
Except it's hard to breathe and my shins ache. I am a mess, apparently.


Better, Jenna?

On August 10, 2012 the Homecoming Players will present a staged reading of 8 by Dustin Lance Black.

Help us stage our production and contribute to the promotion of marriage equality at the same time. You know you want to.

http://www.indiegogo.com/homecomingplayers8

Last night my mom watched Seven for the first time. She was somewhat traumatized by the film. Because I am a loving and devoted daughter I wanted to make her feel better so I got her a present. For some reason she did not appreciate the LEGO head I put in an earring box.