Accomplishing nearly nothing

217.0 (who knows? I ate crap all weekend)

Thank you for the comments and support on my last post. I think it's important for me to remember that we all go through funks at times, and they usually don't last all that long.

My weekend was so-so. It didn't help that it was kicked off by a 5+ hour wait in the ER on Friday afternoon/evening--at one of our firm's client hospitals, no less--that resulted in no answers about my arm. Starting your weekend by driving home 30 minutes while sobbing with anger and frustration and b1tching to friends, family and husband is not something I'd recommend if you're looking to relax.

Needless to say, I basically did nothing on Friday night. (I was too over-wrought to even eat until I'd been home nearly an hour.) Happily, however, a book I have been greatly anticipating from my paperback swapping site arrived in the mail that evening and I started reading it. I continued to read the book throughout the weekend and am now over 500 pages into it. (It is close to 700 pages long, so I have a ways to go.)

Saturday I helped MM with some housework--vacuuming and dusting, neglecting the bathrooms and laundry--and read. MM and I went to see The Taking of Pelham 123, which we enjoyed. I cooked tacos on Saturday night. (Whoopee, right? Hey, any time I cook a meal at all, it is noteworthy. Not so much with the domestic skills, this one.)

Sunday was more of the same: reading, petting dogs, and basically doing nothing. Sunday evening, we did meet MM's parents for dinner at Famous Dave's and watch new episodes of True Blood and Hung on HBO. That was fun.

So today it was back to the ol' grind. My most dreaded task of the day was entering my billable time in our time keeping system. Ugh. (I'd intended to do it Friday after my doctor's appointment, but never came back to the office 'cause my PCP sent me to the ER.) Entering my time took me over two hours. Other than that, I worked on a variety of other projects. One good thing about the day: my favorite partner (he's the one who hired me and with whom I most enjoy working) returned from his three-week vacation. It was nice to have him back in the office.

About my right arm: at least my PCP ("Dr H") is taking my problem seriously, even if the ER staff did not. I called his office right after it opened this morning to recap my Friday visit to the ER and let him know that my arm has not improved (or gotten worse, for that matter). His nurse called me shortly after 1:30 to have me come in today to get bloodwork to check for infection, and they are in the process of getting approval for a MRI of my arm. If it is approved, Dr H will await the results before deciding what to do next. If the MRI is denied, he will refer me to an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hands/arms for further work-up.

I am relieved that I will soon be getting some further testing. It does not seem at all normal to me that I should still be having pain with movement and lumps under my skin after 2+ weeks, when my bruise and swelling have basically gone away. There has been no real change--for better or for worse--in my lumps and pain since the day after the initial injury. I (and my nurse friends, at work and otherwise) have speculated about possible causes, but the truth is, I have no idea what is wrong with my arm. (Hell, even Dr H is perplexed by my symptoms.)

I went back to the gym two days last week (Friday night was supposed to be my third day, but that didn't happen, thanks to my unplanned ER visit). It felt good to work out, but it also bothered my arm some. And I haven't even tried to lift weights for fear of pain. Can't wait to have this resolved and healed.

MM and I have become convinced over the weekend that Hunter can feel at least parts of his tail. We have agreed that, without clear and convincing evidence that he indeed lacks all sensation and has stopped using his tail, we will not amputate it. Hunter still won't lift his tail but does continue to move it vigorously from side to side.

I can't think that the vet is 100% convinced that he has no sensation either because when MM brought Hunter home on Friday, he also brought home more pain killers that she'd prescribed. If the dog has no feeling in his tail, he would have no need for pain killers, no? He is going back on July 31 for another follow-up visit.

So that's what's going on here. I can feel my funk wanting to recede. Perhaps once I get some answers about my arm, I will be able to get back into a better frame of mind.