WHOOHOO!

Okay, nothing truly fantastic has really happened like me losing weight or winning the lottery.  I’m just feeling much more optimistic and hopeful today than I have in a really long time.

First, I got my oil changed yesterday and since they topped off the air in my tires, they don’t squeal anymore.  They still need to be replaced, and fairly soon, but at least it’s not as immediate as I was thinking.  If only everything was such a quick fix!  Guess I should check my tire pressure a bit more often, huh? 

Unfortunately, my computer hasn’t been such a quick and easy fix.  I cleaned out the cooling fan on it – even opened up the bottom and really got inside (crazy how much dust was in there) – and it’s still shutting down.  My next step is to actually take the unit out and make sure all of the dust is out of there.  Then on to a couple of other options.

We have also been having major issues with our Internet connection from our provider.  It’s been so sporadic over the past couple of weeks that we’ve about had it.

Now the good part – well, kind of.  I had my doctor’s appointment this morning, and as I said yesterday, it was with a doctor that I’d never seen before.  I LOVE HIM!  Okay, that may be a bit strong, but I like him a WHOLE lot more than my primary care doctor.  So I think I will go to him again on my next visit.

First, his nurse was fantastic.  So nice and welcoming.  I’m always nervous at doctor’s visits, especially if it’s the first time I’ve seen them, but she put me almost totally at ease.  She asked if I’d ever met him before and when I said no, she told me not to worry and that I’d like him.  She was right.

I had looked up his picture online and was expecting this big, tall guy.  Um, I was a bit surprised when he walked in.  I think I’m twice his size in height and twice his size around.  Okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea.

I first told him about the sinus issues and he checked me out.  I definitely have a sinus infection, so he has put me on an antibiotic that I will start with dinner tonight.  A friend of mine also suggested making a tea with fresh ginger root and I might try that this weekend, too.  Until then, I’m a bundle of pitiful agony.

Then that is where the BEST part happened.  I started to tell him that I needed a refill on my prescription (the one I’ve mentioned to you guys before), but that I was having some concerns.  As soon as I said crazy hunger and insane weight gain, and before I could even finish, he says, “yup, I absolutely guarantee to you that’s the medication you’re on.”  So I’m not crazy!  I was right!  It’s not just a total lack of willpower on my part!  Now, I’m not saying that it hasn’t had something to do with it, but it’s nice to know and have it verified that there were some alternative forces at work here.

I went on to explain some of the other symptoms/problems I’ve been having and he just nodded and said, “yup.  That’s all possible with that medication.”  Thank you, Jesus, a doctor who gets it.  And he had an immediate alternative to suggest for the problem, unlike my other doctor!  My other doctor pretty much just threw his hands up in the air and made it seem like this current medication was my last resort since the others hadn’t worked for me and that I would just need to learn to live with the side effects if I wanted any relief.  This doctor told me about the things he would normally prescribe and then explained why he wouldn’t prescribe them for me (such as the possibility for weight gain, etc.).

The drug I’ve been taking is for anxiety, but is also an antidepressant.  It has helped my anxiety a bit, but it’s really still there, and it has also actually brought me down a bit (a lot).  I haven’t been enjoying some of the things that I used to enjoy.  The best thing about the new medication he is putting me on is that it isn’t a mood stabilizer or antidepressant and shouldn’t have any of the side effects that I’ve been experiencing such as hunger, fatigue, weight gain, etc.  He said while not originally created for this purpose, it is often used to help people in the short term with performance anxiety (not that kind – if you have a dirty mind like me – but of the stage fright variety) and in the long term to help people with general panic/anxiety problems (which is me).

He immediately recognized that I seem to be really sensitive to medications and it is one of the reasons he picked this particular drug.  He also said that if it it doesn’t work, then he has several other alternatives (see! not giving up on me!).

I just liked that he seemed to actually be listening to what I was saying – not just saying “uh-huh” like my other doctor.  He had immediate suggestions and conclusions as to the problems I was having and seemed familiar with what I was talking about.   He was willing to explore other options and didn’t just give up like my other doctor.  Overall, he was knowledgeable and confident, yet friendly and attentive.  Exactly what a doctor should be.  And he likes and has read all of the Harry Potter books.  I mean, seriously, how can I go wrong? 

So I’m really optimistic/hopeful right now.  I just need to get myself weaned off this other med – hopefully without too many withdrawal issues.  He’s taking me down off of it slowly over a couple of weeks, but I begin the new stuff tonight.  Keep your fingers crossed, and hopefully I’ll be back to my old self within a couple of months (and yes, I think that’s a good thing!). 

Not much planned for this weekend.  If I’m feeling okay in the morning, I might go see the Transformers movie.  Hope you all have a spectacular weekend!

PS – check out this crazy grape stem!