Joy of Children and Frustration of Doctors

Today was a lazy day; I didn't have to be anywhere or do much of anything. Harry watered the plants and I emptied the kitty litter--one day early. I cleaned the wood floors on the first floor and the steps. That's all of it. Yesterday, I told my little neighbor friends if I didn't answer my front door to come around the back, to the sunroom. Today, two of them did; they told me all about school. I think they're absolutely great and having six little girl neighbors is the bestest ever. I'm sending in an application to read aloud to itty bitties at a daycare center. I saw an ad in the Sunday paper and called. I offered to volunteer for hospice patients but they didn't seem to want to work around my time schedule and the only one they called me for was in Wilmington and she had to be convinced. No thanks. I had told them at first, I didn't want to go out of Newark--my town. Oh, well, what could be better than reading to children? Other than hanging out with my kids, painting or reading?

I'm pretty conventional in what I like, progressive(?) in my politics and such, and totally nuts about animals. I love staying up late forever reacting to the strictures of childhood. And I revel in Jerry's dictum of all I need to do is be.

Next week my being will be getting shots in my back to perhaps kill the pain. After packing and unpacking to move here, I had back pain every day and it only got worse. I'm glad there is such a thing as pain specialists who have tricks to deal with pain. My right shoulder became excruciatingly painful a few months ago. Gradually it improved, and when I got shots in it, the pain was almost gone. Except it didn't all go. The ortho said my rota tor cuff tear was/is the problem and I'm having surgery on that Sept. 25. I'm nervous about the pain afterward and looking forward to sitting around watching TV. I could work it out to do that some days, but I don't. Not getting my shoulder wet sounds like a real nasty, uncomfortable, dirty challenge. I don't know if the surgery is worth it. I'm just careening toward it blindly. Not good.

Yesterday, a different doctor basically told me I was a nut case, although maybe he didn't mean that. When he said my shortness of breath and chest pain was not caused by my heart, that was good, but then when I asked him, he said reflux couldn't cause it either. He was wrong. I knew before reflux could have been the problem, and last night, I researched it, and I was right. Jerk! Arrogant piss-ant, overpriced, dressed up special bean. Boy, do I resent doctors! Medical school confers sainthood, left hand of God hood on smartass know-it-all jerks. Having a chronic disease confers the knowledge of doctors' lack of knowledge on the poor suffering patient.