Let's see, where shall we begin?
The most exciting news on the health front is that my thyroid has been consistently on good behavior since March. And and and and! My cholesterol is finally on the way down! It's still far from ideal, but it's getting a lot better. I still have the flushing reaction to the niacin, but I got smart and now take it just as I'm about to fall asleep, so most nights I'm already asleep before the reaction happens so I don't notice it.
I had a successful trip to Florida in mid-May. Lauren and Keith got married, so I took Thursday-Monday for myself. Of course, I'm still paying for all my expenses but it was so good for my mental health. I got to catch up with my former co-workers, visit with friends, work on my tan, cheer on my Bruins with plenty of Boston fans and transplants, and of course, see one of my favorite girls tie to the knot. Proof I was there:
I missed Rags a LOT, and it was the longest we'd been apart since 2008. I kissed him goodbye before I went to work on Wednesday morning and didn't see him again until I got home from work on Tuesday evening. Now, he look like an ewok and spent all week and weekend sweating and panting because I'm a horrible dog mother and haven't had him groomed in months. In my defense, his haircuts cost three times what mine do, so I do try to get as much mileage out of each one as I can. Then, when I finally returned from Florida and realized how badly he needed a haircut, the mobile grooming van we use crashed and was out of service for several weeks. We finally have an appointment this evening, so he will be recognizable again in about nine hours.
While in Florida, I noticed a giant bruise on my foot. I've noticed the same bruises on both feet before, maybe about six weeks earlier. I had gone out the night before and assumed I tripped or danced too hard or something. But this same exact bruise was back, but only on one foot. When I touched it, it was excruciating but also not really a bruise. It was some sort of mass that moved when I pushed on it. I got it in my head that it was a blood clot, and spent the next few days worrying about it. When it came time to fly home on Monday, I was in pure panic mode. I knew flying with a blood clot could turn into DVT which could kill me. Normally a cool, calm, collected traveler, I took my window seat at the last possible second before they closed the cabin door, and kept my foot/leg in motion for the entire three-hour flight to JFK. My chest was tight and painful, my heart was racing, and I was shivering yet sweating. I now understand what it's like to have a panic attack. I had a quick layover then a puddle jumper to Logan, where Juls picked me up and I could finally relax with a glass of wine.
I went to the doctor the next day, and she confirmed it was in fact a blood clot–actually a superficial thrombophlebitis. She said to take ibuprofen three times a day for a week (normally longer but with my ulcer history, that's the last thing I need) and keep it elevated when at rest but to stay active. That sounds like great advice, except it became so painful and swollen that I could no longer wear a shoe that touched the top of my foot. I was walking Rags two days later in the rain, and my foot hurt so dang bad that I had to take off my sneaker and walk the rest of the way barefoot in the rain, on pavement. The pain comes in waves and spurts, so I finally got an ultrasound on it Friday to ensure it wasn't moving or enlarging. Not at all shocking given my health history, the tech could not find the clot at all. She could clearly see how dark and swollen that part of foot was, and noticed how I flinched when she touched it, but it was now 4:30 p.m. on a Friday and I was told the doctor would review the report and call me Monday. It's Tuesday. Time to figure this foot out. Because my workout routine has taken a serious hit due to fact and cannot wear a shoe.
In other news, I am officially the 2013-2014 Junior League of Greater Springfield, MA Vice President of Membership. I'm busy planning summer socials, recruitment events, and trying to form our new member class for the fall.
I'm also busy planning Julia's bridal shower. I've been a maid of honor in a wedding before, but it was my cousin's wedding while I was in grad school at University of Florida, so I literally came up the day before the wedding and left right after the reception. My cousin and I haven't been close since we were little, so it was a nice honor but I told her up front I couldn't afford to throw her a shower or do any of the traditional bridesmaid things since I was busy with grad school 1,500 miles away. Now I get to redeem myself! I've received compliments on the invitations, and have been spending a lot of time talking to Julia's mom about ideas, since she's co-hosting with me. We're having it at a family friend's new home in a few weeks, and I just can't wait for everyone to RSVP so we can start really getting down to the nitty gritty details. The theme is a garden party, and we're using the three colors of our bridesmaid dresses–mint, pale blue, and, depending on who you ask or what you're buying, rosemary/aqua/teal, as seen below.
I'll do a full post of everything we make for the shower afterward, but the large pots will be for utensils, and the small ones will have a tiny foam ball that a wood skewer will stick into. I'll then affix food placards to the skewer. It'll look like a doily or flower, keeping with the garden shower and antique wedding theme.
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