What a pain.

First, thanks for your well-wishes regarding my shoulder. It's really not too bad. If I could just get a full night's sleep, I think I'd be fine. :)

So I went to the doctor today. Nice front-desk gal, nice nurse, nice doctor, nice office. They didn't even keep me waiting long enough to read my knitting book or pull out the 'traveling shawl' to work on.

But as for solving the problem. . .well, we're not there yet. Basically I'm told I have either bursitis or a rotator cuff problem or a combination of the two. Yeah, that's what I figured. What to do for it? Take 800 mg of ibuprophen three times a day and go to physical therapy. If that doesn't help, then cortisone shots.

Oh, and then we had the obligatory talk about my body mass index being high and had I considered weight-loss surgery. Yeah, I've heard it before. I've been fat since I was a kid. Been on diets and pills and you name it since I was around seven. All that's ever happened is that I lost weight and then gained it all back plus more. "Oh, but you could do the gastric band and lose half your body weight," she says. Yeah, and I could have complications or I could gain it all back again, plus more. And let's be real here. If I had the discipline to eat the way you have to after having this surgery, I'd lose weight.

I mean, really! Here's a list of things "that may never be well tolerated" after such a surgery (from About.com):

• Meats that are especially tough such as steak and pork chops. Some Lap-Band patients have difficulty digesting other meats that contain gristle such as hamburger.
  
• Oranges and grapefruits may not be tolerated unless the membrane is removed before eating.
  
• The seeds and/or skins of all fruits and vegetables.
  
• High fiber vegetables such as celery and sweet potatoes.
  
• Spicy foods.
  
• Fried foods.
  
• Certain spices including cinnamon, pepper, or onion or garlic salt.
  
• If you are unable to tolerate milk, it’s important to add other calcium and protein rich foods such as cottage cheese. Dry milk can be added to foods for added protein.

And this is after around six weeks of no coffee, no bread, everything in a blender, and so forth. Sorry, but to me, being skinny isn't worth living this way.


Hey, doc, since my blood pressure is perfectly normal (128/65 today), my glucose levels are perfectly normal, and my cholesterol ratio is perfectly normal, do we really need to discuss this? Can we just focus on my aching shoulder, please???? Something's going to kill me eventually. And when it does, I'll be smiling knowing that I had a cup of good coffee and some nice whole-grain toast for breakfast.


Anyway, I'm sure I'll get a whopping bill and I need to check to see if my insurance will pay for the physical therapy and bone scan she wants me to get done.

See why I hate going to the doctor?


Anyway. . .


In knitting news, I finished my first test knit project and sent it in. I was concerned because although I thought I had gotten gauge, the finished garment came out a bit smaller in measurements than the pattern indicated. It was hard to see the gauge because it was a ladder yarn worked double strand in a 2x2 rib. It was drapey and stretchy and difficult to see the individual stitches. It did end up being a cute piece that a teenager would probably look great in.


In any case, the folks who hired me seemed pleased when they got it, so that's what counts, right? And I hope my feedback to them on the pattern/yarn combination will be helpful as well. They're sending me a new project, so I guess it's all good. :)


Progress on the two shawls continues as do my high hopes that I'll have them both done in time for my cruise.


Now 'scuse me while I go pop some ibuprophen.