Day 270 - wasting PTO on doctor visit

 Today is the 4th day of the 39th week, the 27th day of the 9th month, the 270th day of this babbling experiment, and:

• Ancestor Appreciation Day
• Google's Birthday
• Independence Day - Turkmenistan from the USSR in 1991
• Meskei - commemorating the discovery of the True Cross 
• Morning Show Hosts Day
• National Chocolate Milk Day
• National Corned Beef Hash Day
• National Crush a Can Day
• National Day of Forgiveness
• National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
• National Scarf Day
• National Women's Health and Fitness Day
• See You at the Pole
• World Dense Breast Day
• World School Milk Day
• World Tourism Day
• and Voyager 1 is 22h 22m 37s of light travel time, or 24,150,000,000 km / 15,006,000,000 miles / 161.44 AU,  from Earth

Quote of the day:
"Oh, I just want what we all want: a comfortable couch, a nice beverage, a weekend of no distractions and a book that will stop time, lift me out of my quotidian existence and alter my thinking forever."

~  Elizabeth Gilbert, American journalist and author 

Aunt Mary was actually my great aunt and was the youngest of Grandmom Riley's [my maternal grandmother] four sisters.   She and Uncle Rob lived in Rosedale, had a series of yapping little dogs that they coddled outrageously and overfed consistently so the little things actually waddled about the house.   They never had kids.  Aunt Mary's claim to fame in the family was the number of doctors she would visit, seeking [so Grandmom would grumble] to get the diagnosis that she wanted.  We labeled her a hypochondriac and laughed at her tales of woe behind her back.  

I have been thinking about Aunt Mary a lot lately.  First it was to wonder who remembers her?  My kids never met her, and I'm not sure if it was because she was gone before they were older or I just never took them.  I don't even remember when she died, for all I know she survived my grandmother.  And second, because now I wonder as I go my round of doctors, if we were being unduly harsh.  Maybe she was searching for answers just as I am

The conclusion of today's visit with the nephrologist?

• more blood work and an ultrasound ordered for kidney and bladder just in case they are missing something.  
• low sodium and magnesium is caused by too much water.  Drink less
• edema is caused by aging valves in my legs and 15 years of blood sugar issues.  Wear compression socks at least 12 hours a day
• shortness of breath and fatigue is caused by a sedentary lifestyle.  Move more.  Go to a pool [where?] and walk the length of the pool three times a week.  
• come back in seven weeks [and I see no reason to go back - I probably will cancel - they can contact me if the test results show anything]

What I heard:  you're old, fat, and out of shape or you would've bounced back from the issues with the Ozempic last year without seeing a slew of specialists.  That was in response to my pointing out that I was all three before the Ozempic and wasn't this short winded or exhausted 

I know I prefer being a couch potato, altho I don't snack while doing it.  I sit and work on a laptop for work.  My leisure is spent reading, watching shows occasionally, and playing on a computer at home, which only exercises the mind and imagination.  

I give up

And I'm sorry I wasn't more sympathetic, Aunt Mary.