But first I do have some thoughts on the Obamas being in the White House. I think its a great idea that Mrs. Obama is going to continue to make her girls make their beds and clean their rooms but there's lots more to childhood that needs to be included. Do the girls get to go to the kitchen and make a batch of cookies with their mother or grandmother or is the White House chef the only one allowed there? What about home made food - not made by the chef? I think a chef would be great but it would be like eating in a restaurant three meals a day which gets old fast. What if you just want a cup of tea, can you get it yourself? Doesn't everyone want to have something weird for dinner once in a while - what about cheese and crackers or a bowl of cereal or just a salad? Do the Obamas get to cook their own food ever? This would clearly drive me insane if I couldn't cook and poke around the kitchen when I wanted. Not that I would want to be president, or a politician, either but the food thing would drive me up a wall.
Yes I did watch the inauguration yesterday. I watched it on a live feed on my computer. Very cool. But I also had the tv on downstairs and it was between 20 and 30 seconds ahead of computer feed. Sort of an echo. But I did watch it. I also got to go for a nice walk outside yesterday. I'm feeling flabby and needed the exercise.
Anyway, yesterday I learned a new big word from the doctor. You know my theory - you can't have an ailment unless you can spell and pronounce it. Actually I learned two new big words: spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis. The first one means a stress fracture in your spine. I probably got it as a teenager while figure skating. You know when you fall a lot on hard surfaces - like a skating rink which is made of ice. It is also common for gymnasts and foot ball players. Its not a big deal in itself until your body starts aging and the vertebrae slips out of alignment and you end up with spondylolisthesis. (This medical business is really expanding my vocabulary.)
The next step is an MRI on Monday night to confirm this. The doctor showed me the x-ray and said the radiologist who read the films originally missed this which is why I was erroneously given the all clean reading a few weeks ago. I could even see it on the x-ray but now we need an MRI to confirm? I am not sure I like this. One test shows this but then more tests are needed to confirm? Hmmm... Are there more tests afterwards to confirm the confirmation? This could get redundant. Anyway, I will go for the MRI and then a follow up on Tuesday with the doctor for more information.
In the interim, I get to take lots of advil. I was told take 3-4 advil, 3 times daily with meals for its anti-inflammatory effects. I'll just add 9 more pills to my little daily pile. In addition, I will start some physical therapy. If that doesn't work to relieve the pain we get to move onto even more fun with cortisone injections and/or surgery. However, I get to do any activities I want unless it makes my back hurt. The doctor said 'if it hurts, stop doing it and do something else'. Well, what if it hurts while I'm sleeping? Should I get up in the middle of the night or lie there in pain? Sometimes it doesn't help if I move around... I'll work on suffering in silence. (But as I think about it can I leverage this to my advantage: I pretty much have the shoveling snow and lawn mowing thing taken care of - I have cancer, sorry, can't do those. But now I can add 'sorry, I can't mop the kitchen floor, it makes my back hurt' or 'sorry, I can't paint the bathroom, it makes my back hurt', or 'sorry, I can't pump gas, it makes my back hurt'... This could be very useful if I were to be at all devious.)
Now it has been some time since I have been to Lahey but the OMWAHs are still there. The first one was unable to land their giant car close enough to press the button to get a ticket to enter the garage. When I arrived he was standing next to his car getting his ticket. Then there was another who was trying to back out of the parking space but I don't think she realized that she had mirrors and should look behind her before backing up. No crunchings were involved but it was a very long, slow process to enter the parking garage and get into a parking space.
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