Avoidance mode

Yesterday at work was the monthly sales meeting day which means it was chaotic from time to time. I was feeling relatively antisocial for some reason. I couldn't decide why. Then I realized its because of my stupid medical appointments tomorrow which are putting me in avoidance mode.

Nothing like one bad mammogram to make you dread them for the rest of your life. But that is tomorrow. This is today. I will go to work today and then the gym and continue to avoid it all day and all of tomorrow as well.

Stressed? Not me. Ha!

Tis the season

No not the December holidays. The other season - Pinktober followed by Electionovember. I can't wait. Actually I can wait. Maybe I'll leave the country for a few months. I wish. Then I would have to reschedule a whole bunch of doctor appointments.

So during Pinktober, I pledge:

• I will not purchase anything pink
• I will not donate to anything pink
• I will not raise any awareness for breast cancer

Pinkotober and pinkification has actually turned me off from the whole cause. It has become a money making  bonanza preying on the emotions of the public. There are so many products that are pinked that actually send only pennies for each item purchased to any kind of cause.

A product may sell for $20 and a portion of the manufacturer's profits go to breast cancer research. So the whole sale price is $10. The manufacturing costs are $7 which leaves $3 in profit and if 10% is donated, that is $0.30. You are better off sending the $20 directly to an established non profit.

And never mind pink lights on building, pink sports teams, pink garbage cans, pink fried chicken buckets, pink hats, and more.

As far as Electionovember, I pledge:

• I will vote on election day
• I will not dominate conversations with political rants
• I will not allow myself to be subject to anyone else's political rants
• I will make up my own mind on my votes

I am so sick of the political ads and bashing, mudslinging, and polarizing that makes up politics these days. They don't talk about their issues, they talk about how the others are wrong and lie about each other.

I think all politicians should be required to talk about their stance on issues and not be allowed to bash the other one. I mean they should be free to say things like 'my opponent disagrees with my position but I believe it is correct because...' but they should not be allowed to say things like 'my opponent is a liar and will contribute to the end of the world because they are wrong about everything'.

What if politicians had to take lie detector tests? Would that help?

In the meantime, feel free to join me in an unpinked and politic-free season.

Somewhere out there...

Over the rainbow, far far away. There are all sorts of politics, elections, unrest in the Middle East and more. I don't care. I learned at the last presidential election that I had to go into avoidance mode to keep politics out of my life.

I do understand politics are important and I vote. But frankly I am not interested in negative ads where the candidates slam each other but never say what they are going to do. Or the candidates who fall from grace because they were set up by an opponent as a drug dealer. Or the former candidate in MA who said he has an addiction for $500/hour hookers but not for sex - only dinner and a movie. (Thats a lie if I've ever heard one.)

At this point in my life, I have plenty going on and will never run for politics. Maybe I'm selfish but I'm happy in my own little world with with work, my cat, my husband, our little house with its garden. I don't need to deal with the rest of that crap. I don't have enough time or energy to do much more these days. I do have a social life.

But I also visit doctors regularly. One appointment this week, another in ten days. Then a bunch in October and a couple in November. Then presto! we are done with the big elections for another four years. And I won't have to worry that I might be missing anything on the elections, politics, and all that...

Once again I am in avoidance mode

I am not the brave patient all the time. Well not even most of the time. I have an inner wimp that comes out when faced with large crawly things, big growling dogs, and medical adventures that do not promise to be fun.

I have had tennis elbow for over a year and a half. More than 20 years ago I was told I have ulnar tunnel issues in my elbow. I also have tingling in my hand which is getting worse regardless of how much I wear my brace- all of this is in my right arm. (Which is a good thing if it was in my left arm they would not be able to do much of anything because of lymphedema.) Its not getting better after lots of watchful waiting (I hate that term) and brace wearing and exercises. Monday morning I am going to have an EMG to decide if its tennis elbow, ulnar tunnel, or carpal tunnel and basically decide how to fix this.

Have you ever had an EMG? Its not a fun test. They stick lots of needles in you and then put little electric jolts to see how your  nerves react. You don't feel the electricity - maybe a little tingling. But you do feel all the needle pricks.

I had an EMG five years ago when I was diagnosed with bursitis in my hip I got tingling in my lower left leg and foot. I had an EMG to see if there was anything bad going on and there wasn't and we weren't sure how to proceed. Then I was diagnosed with breast cancer and that was put aside for now. I still have tingling in my lower leg and foot and bursitis.

I was told to allow 1-3 hours for my EMG. I can't wait. Three hours of needles in my arm? How fun! Not. I'll suck it up and whine a bit.

Then in August I have another fun test that I am not ready to discuss yet. I am focusing on Monday's fun in an effort to avoid thinking about the next one.