Yeah, I made it.

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I had to pull out all of the stops, but that wasn't as rough as it can be.  I tried to sleep earlier, but that just is not working.  I ended up not getting to bed until after 3:00.  I kept the alarm at 8:00, but didn't rise until 9:42 give or take.  Whatever happened between those times I have no clue.  I remember hearing the alarm at 8:00, but I don't remember what happened with it.  The goal was to be out by 10:00, given that the appointment was at 13:00 and I hoped to have lunch before the appointment, or at least extra time in case traffic was snotty.  At first, given that I was, essentially, just waking at 10:00, I thought to call it off.  I wanted to call it off.  Too tired.  Or, it seemed like it.  I tussled with the notion for ten minutes.  Then decided to just do it.  So, in to the shower...  ah but the girls should be fed first, oh, and water.  Then the shower.  I didn't have time to air dry so I toweled down extra extra extra dry.  Air drying is SO much better.  The towel just can't get everything.  I must leak shower water back out in some places or something!  I dressed rather quickly, set up a few items I wanted to be sure to take.  I even turned on the porch lights, in case I was away longer than the sun was up.

Actually, it was much easier, all told, than what the decision process might have suggested.  It was a little rocky, but just a very little on that rough side.  And with music, life is easier.  When we cleaned the house, one of the things that went missing was the recharge cord for the shuffle.  It's a little, but vital, thing.  When I was shopping last time, I remembered to pick one up.  Actually two.  They only sold them in a package of two at the first store that had them and I wasn't willing, or able, to be picky.  I even remembered, since then, to get the shuffle in, and charged, and remembered to grab it on my way out this morning.  Wait, I think I actually had to come back in to get it.  But music is worth a little hassle. 

I made it to SLC by noon 30, my time.  Which means I was in town by 12:15, driving right by the hospital.  On the way, somewhere, I checked the schedule.  The appointment was set for 14:00, actually, so I had plenty of time.  McDonalds?  Nah.  I get that often enough.  But, just a bit past the hospital, is a Red Robins.  Now, they have some fancy burgers.  A double "hot spiced" burger, fries, and a coke.  Chipotle mayo for the fries.  I really thought about a shot of Crown Royal in one of the sodas but skipped it.  Didn't want to through off the first visit with the new doc.  Docs are already sensitive little mice.  Make em' female and they get real nervy sometimes.  Doubling down, gotta watch it.  And... I'm already just a wee fresh, choir boy seeming nature only makes my man-psych odor seem worse when it finally hits.  Fresh, baby, real new.

That all done, I drove to the appointment.  First b.p. reading hit at a decent 132/94.  They didn't even bother with a second reading, though my guess is some quiet time and I would have been down to 120s/70s, or lower.  Though, if needed or wanted, I can still jack that to 170/130, easily and quickly.  I've checked.  Just give me a reason, punk.  :p  Weight was up.  But I just ate, and I have been eating a bit more and sitting a bit more, just recently.  I figure, as I flush out getting used to being on an even keel with medicine, and start to do more, this will... handle itself.  I'm think I will have an excellent year this year, maybe two years.  Ups and downs, sure, but...  It's getting time to play hardball with my corpse.  It's time to get busy.  In a lot of ways.

So, I meet my new doc.  She isn't hard on the eyes or ears, mostly.  Oh, I can taste that bitter.  Yeah, ol' Doom has a bit of a reputation.  *grin*  But she isn't quite so tired and broken down that she is all bitter, yet, either.  I did a bit of sniffing around her professional style and intentions, and I think they will do.  She is staff, so may be around a bit longer.  A little bitter is fine, actually that's part of my plan... always.  So... don't think you are anything special, ladies, if I give you heartburn and you want to share it back.  You are playing my game.  Just... letting you know.  Anyway, I think she will do fine.  She seems straight and competent.  Though time does tell more clearly.  I did ask about my hand.  She gave it a number of checks and wonders, but it being more mild, still having strength enough, and such, she suggests a minor form of arthritis.  A bit of tylenol, minimal, adding as might be necessary to check the pain on rough days.  Sounds reasonable to me.  And it isn't a problem very often.  Further, my guess is one dose, whatever that happens to be, will probably suffice, a few times a week at worst, a few times a month at best, to deal with the problem.  I asked about crossing aspirin with tylenol (acetaminophen, I think, and probably, really).  Yeah, I know they work differently, but on higher doses they can be a problem.  Too small of dosages, and infrequency with the tylenol (tylenol is easier to write and say, true), she suggested.  So... that's that.  I'll give her the say until or unless she fails, then fails to correct.  So far she is doing just fine.  She doesn't have to like me, or be sweet on me, or any such, so long as she doesn't... go off the rails.  I am a bit relieved, for now.

The ride home was nice.  The drive up was pretty good.  Traffic and idiots on the road, as usual.  But I was rather reasonable, I think.  I don't even think I yelled, mostly, probably.  GAH!  I had one woman who kept altering her speed to ride my butt though.  I... did fix that.  The first 20 miles of me didn't get her to not do it again.  I can't swear if it was the second or third time I did it that she finally decided that riding on Doom's bumper was not a good choice.  He has a tenacity to educate that is unnerving.  I don't know what it was about my bumper, and her.  But I am pretty sure she will completely avoid vehicles like mine for... a day.  *le sighe*

Sam is begging for attention.  Or food?  Nope, just attention.  If I keep up on their litter, and feed them well, Sam becomes all lovey dovy.  And I changed their litter recently, and have been keeping up on it very well since.  Food has been coming down like a dream, hard food is always on tap, and I have even letting them sleep or nap with me fairly often.  Yeah, she loves poppo, and misses him hard when he is gone for a bit.  Oh, and they have been getting treats at least every other day.  Treat em' right and they bow to the king, baby.

I did get an order in for more medicines.  With my medicine sets holding two weeks, and having two of them, I have a bit more of a heads up when I am about to run out.  Still, I need all of the warning I can get.  While in, and since she asked, and being that I had just filled my medicine and knew, I got on that train easily.  Further, I asked if she could ensure I get 3 vials of insulin at a time.  That just means that I can use a fresh vial each month and have between a month and a half and two months to reorder without too much worry.  Trying to do things with only a month or two between reordering can get tight.  Damn but I try, boys and girls.  I do.

If we get that heart working, and diabetes managed I might just start pulling miracles out of my butt.  The last a1c was 6.8, which I think is pretty decent, for me, October, and I think, so...  Odd that my home testing is so high then?  Whatever!  I wouldn't mind seeing a1c drop into the 5s, and it is possible, the way I natively eat, home cooking, and such.  But I think it will take more regular meals.  I have the right foods down, it's just getting enough of it to not cause some of the weird stuff.  I believe.

Later.