Blood

Blood is kind of amazing... what it does for our bodies, how it reacts when it's outside our bodies (the whole clotting/coagulating thing), that we can give others our blood, that it is the thing that is essential to life, yet can also be what kills us. Blood is kind of amazing.

I had to go get a routine blood draw last week. I am notorious for being a hard "stick", and I never know if I should divulge this information. Am I being courteous in forewarning them that I'm difficult, or am I already defeating them and their abilities by giving them this information. I never know and usually don't say anything until they start searching... then they move to the other arm and continue searching... then I tell them. Then I end up getting poked on average 3 times. I think I maxed out at 6 once and then after that was told to go somewhere else. I've been turned away and told to find "other ways to contribute" when trying to donate at the blood bank. I couldn't even make $30 in college selling my plasma!

I was not super excited for my most recent blood draw: I was their last patient of the day and they were hot to trot... so as I'm waiting I'm vigorously rubbing my arms trying to get the blood flow going (luckily I drink water like I'm dying of thirst(remember the movie Big Fish? I'm the Dad/Big Fish), so hydration isn't the issue), and head back. The first tech looked at both arms, and used all her tricks to get a vein to rise. NOPE. But she didn't want to poke me at all. I even told her it was OK, I even offered her my hands (and hands hurt like a sumbitch, but at least it's only one time), but instead she called over the big guns and though she had to search high and low, and once she poked me had to poke around about 1/2 inch to find where the vein jumped to, she got it in one shot. Very impressed. I told her so too.

So anyway, those of you that have hung on and are still reading will now know that I got my results back from the 7 vials or so that doc likes to order.

1. My thyroid is on the fritz again. Now I'm over medicated again, and I always hate it when he lowers my dosage. I used to be at 225 and now a few months later he's dropping me once again, now to 150. I feel fine now, I don't wanna go lower, don't want to risk getting tired, getting sluggish, getting fat again. Not happy about the new dosage, I'm not going to start it until my current rx runs out, don't tell.

2. My Vitamin D level is now at a all time low. 14.6 Isn't that terrific? Seriously? A long weekend in Mazatlan really can't be prescribed? Because I could turn that number around real quick, I promise. According to the literature I got with my results that normal VitD range is 32-100, optimal is 50-80. And me, the pale underachiever is a 14.6. I am a sun worshiper, there just hasn't been any of the damn stuff to sustain me! So now I get to chug my sunshine.

Tonight I took the kids to the Ferndale High Schools production of Oliver! It was cute, the kids loved it, but they were starving so I ended up letting them raid the cookie tray at intermission and made a $3 donation, then promised them Sonic afterwards (gag). I'm thankful that they both seem to love musicals, the band geek in me can live on and I don't have mommy-guilt for dragging them along! They're geeks too!

Food! Glorious Food!

This is what I mean by my big mouth: I can't just do my workouts and enjoy them and my accomplishments. I have to snap a picture as sweat pours off of me and send it to my fellow alumni that I'll be climbing with. I have to let them know I'm coming after 'em (I did slow down a couple of times because I almost dropped my iphone again and to chat up a co-worker, I think I could shave another 20 seconds off). Watch me now have Karma kick me in the butt next Sunday and I'll be on the weekend news "A woman had to be hauled down in a stretcher Sunday while she foolishly tried to climb 1311 stairs. Apparently none of her teammates would help her as she started hyperventilating, but one of them did eventually call 911" And then there will be video of me being loaded into the ambulance and I'll flash my sequined glove at the camera letting you all know I'll be alright... somebody has to dvr the news for me that night.