9/26/2008

Ramblings of an Old Woman

It's really sad, but the past few weeks, especially this week, all I can think about during the day is going to bed at night. I have been so tired! 

And I have been walking around in public minus my wedding rings because I stained them with that stupid betadine solution (the red stuff) I have been washing myself with (doctor's orders) every day. I put the rings in some warm water with dish soap, but I don't think it helped too much. Any ideas? I guess I could buy jewelry cleaner. Nevermind, I'll call my neighbor. She knows everything. I would still welcome advice though. I am not a jewelry person. I do need to get this fixed though because the kids are afraid I am not married to the Professor anymore.

I went to the doctor for my cold intolerance issue the other day. Apparently I have Raynaud's or something like it. If any of you follow this blog at all you know that during the winter my fingers and toes go numb. Not all of them, just some random one. 

"This medicine would lower the blood pressure enough to get the blood to those extremities."

"What is my blood pressure now?"

She spouted off some number from my chart. I had no idea what it meant. 

"Is that low already?"

"Well, it is normal. " She rolled her eyes in a sort of non-committal way like a typical doctor.

"Is it on the high side, or the low side of normal?"

"The low side."

"That is what I thought. I am a runner."

"Yes, that is common for runners to have lower blood pressure."

"Um, I don't want my blood pressure so low from the medicine I will die or something."

"Yes, that is what I am afraid of. We will try low doses at first. But---I need to see a picture of a cold attack on your feet before I am comfortable prescribing you medication for this. When do you start getting really cold?"

"When it gets cold outside." Duh

"How about we schedule an appointment for the middle of winter?"

"You don't understand. This ruins my life. All I can think about is staying warm."

"When you have an attack, take a picture, and we will bump your appointment up."

There are lots of things that I think could possibly be in my mind. Crazy is one of them. But this I know is real. I used to panic when a toe went numb and I could not feel it for hours, but now I know what to do. Forget playing guitar or doing any task that requires fine motor skills. My digits are constantly cold. The second the thermostat hits seventy I am toast. There are times in the middle of the day when I am so cold I have to sit in bed fully clothed and the Professor has to come and hold me until I stop shaking from head to foot. 

I dread winter.


4 comments:

Jen - Queen of Poo said...

I'm pretty sure my son has Raynauds too, although we have never gone to the doctor about it. I remember googling like crazy a couple years ago about cold numb toes. His attacks are not too frequent or severe at this point, so we haven't done anything about it.

Anonymous said...

You don't know me. I'm a friend of Aimee's.

I just got my wedding ring tattooed on. No more worries.

R said...

dftf---That's too bad. I wouldn't wish Raynaud's on anyone!

Mandi--That is nice. I don't even write on my skin under any circumstance, so that is not an option for me. But glad you won't "lose your ring!"

Doozie said...

Lowering already low blood pressure makes absolutely no sense. None.

If the blood is pumping slower, the heart is working less, then there will be less volume of blood circulating. That is backwards?

Don't you need to INCREASE circulation to keep warm?

NO SENSE IS MADE OF IT

As for your rings, use old dutch cleanser, or barkeepers friend. cheap solutions.

Also I heard through the grapevine that if you take cayanne pepper pills from the health food store, it will warm you right up