Jasper

This cutie showed up at Mom and Dad's house last week and adopted them. The only bad thing was that Mom and Dad were getting ready to leave on a week-long camping trip. I volunteered to come take care of the little guy while they were gone.

So, Daddy made him a bed in his storage building, gave him a bowl for food and a plastic bucket for water, and I went down each evening after work to let him out to play for awhile and made sure he had everything he needed.

So, the pup needed a name. Mom suggested "Trouble" because that's what he causes. *LOL* Daddy said that was too hard to yell if you need to get his attention. He suggested something short, like "Bob" or "Rex". When Mom told me this, I remarked, "He looks like a 'Jasper' to me." And so, he's been Jasper ever since.

Everything went well until Monday afternoon; when I arrived, a teenager who lives next door came through her yard with Jasper hopping along beside her! HE'D TUNNELED OUT OF THE STORAGE BUILDING!! It was hard to be stern with him, because he was so very proud of the beautiful tunnel he'd dug. I called Daddy, and he said to just move Jasper into the garage, which has a concrete floor. Even Jasper can't dig out of there. *LOL*

Everything's gone well since then. He's a really bright dog; yesterday for the first time I held up a small treat and said "Sit". And he SAT. No hesitation whatsover. He also knows "Down". If you say that and point to the ground, he lays on his tummy and stretches his front legs out in front of him. Really sharp.

It seems that someone just set him out....I've never been able to understand how anyone can do that. People never cease to amaze me.

But at least Jasper happened to find himself a good home.

Ever Have an EMG?

I had a new experience this morning....an EMG. Ever have one? It's an electromyography; here's a link to the Wikipedia entry that explains it: Click Here It wasn't painful, really, just...odd. It was like getting a shock while plugging in a lamp with your finger touching the prong, but not quite that extreme. I told the technician that it was more startling than painful.

End result was that I have lost the reflex in my right ankle, but otherwise the nerves in my legs and feet seem to be healthy. Now I'm waiting for my appointment with the doctor to find out exactly what we're going to be doing about that cyst in my back.

Doctors, Doctors, Doctors

The good news is that I really, really like my new primary care physician. He's attentive, intelligent, and has wonderful communication skills. We discussed my health issues at great length, and he put my mind at rest about several issues. I'll have lots of diagnostic tests to catch up on, of course, but I expected that.

He was able to tell me exactly the size of the cyst in my back. When I remarked that it's hard to believe something that small can cause this much grief, he said that it's just like real estate: "Location, location, location". *LOL*

Monday I saw the PA at the surgeon's office about the cyst and what we're going to do about it. She, also, was very intelligent and communicated very well. I was presented with several options for treatment and opted to try the simplest route first. I was put on a new medication which should help relieve the nerve pain. That will be a lovely change!

I started the medication Monday night; the initial reaction was that it allowed me to have a very restful night, which was just wonderful. I slept well again last night as well. I found that the medication doesn't make me groggy in the morning as I feared it might. In fact, both yesterday and today I woke before my alarm went off at 5:20.

That was especially amazing this morning, since I was awake until after midnight trying to finish up a knitted baby blanket. I'm not used to keeping those kinds of hours anymore! *L*

I didn't quite finish the blanket, but it's close enough that I can finish it quickly after work this evening and get it washed and dried and wrapped up and ready to go. It's turning out quite nicely, thank goodness.

Well, time to get ready for work. This is the last week of "flex time"; I've been working four 10-hour days Monday - Thursday since back in May. I'll really miss having my Fridays free. *sigh* Oh, well, it'll be back next May.

A New Doctor

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. This isn't usually a big deal, but this is a little different. Tomorrow I'll be going to a new primary care physician (PCP) for the first time. That always makes me a little edgy. Someone new will have to be told all about my health issues through the years. Someone new will have to hear the details of my family medical history. Someone new will have to be told which drugs I'm allergic to, which ones work better for me, and which ones I choose not to take because of the huge, depressing, and frightening list of possible side effects involved. Someone new will have to be told that even though I'm currently overweight, I'm not as overweight as I was a year ago. Yuck, yuck, YUCK.

I don't like talking about my health. It's not as good as it was 10 years ago, so I find it boring as a topic of conversation. I especially hate to deal with it at the moment, as I'm still battling leg pain. (I'm seeing another doctor, an orthopedic surgeon, about that on Monday.)

But, I must go see this new doctor tomorrow. You see, I haven't had a PCP in several years; I came to a parting of the ways with my old PCP and just quit going to see him. I'd been seeing an endocrinologist for my diabetes and actually hadn't needed a PCP until this problem with my leg (actually a problem with my back that makes my leg hurt) came up. So over the past few days I've been compiling a list of information and questions for my new doctor. I'll be relieved to get this initial visit out of the way.

I'm so relieved that I've felt well enough lately to get some knitting done. I wore my newly-finished sweater to work Monday and received many compliments. Now I'm working on a couple of gifts, then I want to work on the cushion cover I promised Mom. Then I need to start my holiday knitting. Can you believe it? HOLIDAY KNITTING? But if I don't get started soon, I won't get it finished in time.

I'm working on a baby blanket right now, and I expect to get a lot of work done on it while sitting in waiting rooms tomorrow and Monday. I used to resent the time I spent in waiting rooms; now I look on it as a chance to knit a few rows. *LOL*

I Finished My Sweater!

I finished my sweater yesterday and couldn't be more pleased. I was even happier when it still fit after I washed it! *LOL* I'm going to wear it to work today. I'll try to post a photo of it in the next few days.

I have a few other projects I MUST finish first (not the least of which is a cushion cover for Mom), but hope to cast on a winter-weight sweater soon. I just love this stuff.