Phoning it in
Dec. 11th, 2025 14:40![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bill_schubertI've had right much pain in my right hand mostly when I play pickleball and it usually goes away in a day or so, but sometimes it is extremely painful. And it is always a little bit painful. So I made an appointment with the hand doctor long time ago and it finally came up today. Turns out he's a pickleball player too so he understands. My thought was that I just had arthritis and there wasn't much I could do about it. But he is tracked down to what he thinks it might be more likely which is the ulnar nerve in my elbow. So he gave me a shot. If the shot works then we've identified what the issue is and if not we've also identified what the issue is. So my right hand and my right arm from my oboe down is almost useless. I'm dictating this on my phone because I tried to type it in my right end. Fingers just do not operate correctly.
The doctor was a great one and we had good conversation and among other things he said oh you have a little bit of arthritis. But turns out I don't have all that much. Interesting.
Other things going on. I got it in email from Jennifer Alex's, new wife and she asked if we wanted to have the two granddaughters, Lillian and Laurana(AKA Juliette) to come out to Texas to visit us in April. So they're going to come out and we got a few things in order to make that happen. Dana has what will be their bedroom completely full of Dana stuff as in in the floor is completely covered and there is no way to walk into the room. So she has a ton of work to do before we can get a bed to go in there. And then we need to find a suitable bed. They're only going to be here for 3 days I guess four nights so it's not a huge commitment but it should be really fun.
Laurana is going to college next year. Not sure where she's going. We've actually never had too much of a relationship with him because neither of us talk on the phone. Either Dana or I don't much on the phone and it's pretty hard to establish any kind of relationship by texting. So this is a real opportunity to create a relationship with both of them. And it's very nice of Jennifer to think of doing that. But there's lots of things to think about. We do not normally do things like that. We are so sedentary and set in our ways but it should be interesting and it is after all only 3 days.
Other than that, things are fairly quiet here. Beaux is entirely well and Toby is nearly well. They have both been sick for nearly 2 months now. Coughing and sneezing and trying to clear their post nasal drip out. It's actually been fairly dramatic but I think they are both nearly over all of it and back to just being normal dogs. It's very nice. Beaux is just as perky as he could be. It's hilarious. And we have a great time going on walks. He loves his walks.
Dana is doing fairly well and I have not yet killed her cardiologist. There is still potential for that. He still thinks he should be running the world and it would be easy if it was just me, but of course Dana wants to let him do more than I think he should be doing so if I get overly involved, I'm really being too controlling. The whole thing is just very difficult. He wants to run all kinds of tests and put her on drugs and I think less is better. But I can't direct it. I have to form a coalition and that does not appear to be happening very well so I just have to stand by and pick up the pieces later on. That part is more than a little frustrating, but at least at the moment she's doing well.
The doctor was a great one and we had good conversation and among other things he said oh you have a little bit of arthritis. But turns out I don't have all that much. Interesting.
Other things going on. I got it in email from Jennifer Alex's, new wife and she asked if we wanted to have the two granddaughters, Lillian and Laurana(AKA Juliette) to come out to Texas to visit us in April. So they're going to come out and we got a few things in order to make that happen. Dana has what will be their bedroom completely full of Dana stuff as in in the floor is completely covered and there is no way to walk into the room. So she has a ton of work to do before we can get a bed to go in there. And then we need to find a suitable bed. They're only going to be here for 3 days I guess four nights so it's not a huge commitment but it should be really fun.
Laurana is going to college next year. Not sure where she's going. We've actually never had too much of a relationship with him because neither of us talk on the phone. Either Dana or I don't much on the phone and it's pretty hard to establish any kind of relationship by texting. So this is a real opportunity to create a relationship with both of them. And it's very nice of Jennifer to think of doing that. But there's lots of things to think about. We do not normally do things like that. We are so sedentary and set in our ways but it should be interesting and it is after all only 3 days.
Other than that, things are fairly quiet here. Beaux is entirely well and Toby is nearly well. They have both been sick for nearly 2 months now. Coughing and sneezing and trying to clear their post nasal drip out. It's actually been fairly dramatic but I think they are both nearly over all of it and back to just being normal dogs. It's very nice. Beaux is just as perky as he could be. It's hilarious. And we have a great time going on walks. He loves his walks.
Dana is doing fairly well and I have not yet killed her cardiologist. There is still potential for that. He still thinks he should be running the world and it would be easy if it was just me, but of course Dana wants to let him do more than I think he should be doing so if I get overly involved, I'm really being too controlling. The whole thing is just very difficult. He wants to run all kinds of tests and put her on drugs and I think less is better. But I can't direct it. I have to form a coalition and that does not appear to be happening very well so I just have to stand by and pick up the pieces later on. That part is more than a little frustrating, but at least at the moment she's doing well.
no subject
Date: 2025-12-12 21:49 (UTC)One of the uncles in my family was an old-line M.D. and he advised: if you want to stay healthy, avoid doctors.
And, like you, he felt that "less is better," until and unless more is clearly indicated.
Now, clearly there are times and situations in which a doctor, especially one with the patient's best interest/s at heart, is absolutely necessary.
But I'm always leery of two groups of M.D.'s: those who want to cut right away (known as "knife happy," even if they're oral surgeons) and seldom think of anything else; and those who want to order tests, tests and more tests, letting test results direct their thinking or make the diagnosis instead of the physician working his or her way through making the diagnosis. As if an error is then not their fault. Or something.
So, I empathize with you.
Glad to know Beaux and Toby are doing well, and that you're looking forward to your young visitors-to-be.
BTW, we, too, have a room like that. We generally keep its door closed, but it's where we stash boxes of those things not currently in use but which we do use even if infrequently, so we don't discard them. Himself thinks we need a bigger house, I think we need better organization
no subject
Date: 2025-12-12 21:52 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-12 22:17 (UTC)We probably could do with a bit less stuff, but in our case the problem---as I see it---is very definitely that we tend just to shove boxes or large bags in there, and close the door and you know the expression: out of sight, out of mind.
no subject
Date: 2025-12-12 22:34 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-13 00:06 (UTC)"Work expands to fill the time available," and "Stuff or clutter will expand to fill the space available."