You know, Michelle’s not happy. A few weeks ago I was talking to a friend who recently went through divorce. She mentioned that in the course of her separation process, someone we both know, pointed to me and my situation and said THAT. First, WTF. How does someone in another state who I talk to…
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I’m sitting on my couch listening to R do his howling cry of bedtime loneliness interspersed with plunking on the alligator xylophone. It’s 9:32pm. He’s normally in bed an hour earlier but we are coming off of a travel weekend which included strange sleep schedules and a long nap on the car ride home—on top…
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I got through my last day of tests today! First thing, I had a third IV placed, this time in my right antecubital space (inside of the elbow). This is radiology’s favorite place to put IVs and my least favorite because every time you bend your elbow it hurts, which is really annoying! I had…
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PREFACE: This week I’ve decided to chronicle my NIH visit in detail. My friends and family have been observing my NIH pilgrimages from a distance for years and are interested to know what it’s like. I realize this may not be of interest to everyone and my entries will resume their regular flavor (whatever that…
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I’m on my way to DC today. This is the trip that I have normally approached with, at best, resignation, and at worst, dread. It’s always difficult to describe the NIH experience to others. I’ll do my best here. It starts with a cross-country flight. I like flying into Reagan International Airport because I can get…
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Tonight I’m feeling strong. It feels like a noticeable shift from just yesterday and dramatically so from the weekend. This is what I keep finding—if I just feel my feelings and let them be what they need to be, then I bounce back. I keep thinking of this quote from Wild by Cheryl Strayed: “Fear,…
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I am a psychiatric PA. A lot of people get confused by that title. I am a physician assistant specialized in psychiatry. I do the same job as a psychiatrist for much less money, and I’d like to think with a little more style! I diagnose and treat mental illness, primarily with medication. I have…
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People who know me know that I don’t swear often but there is a reason these words exist and I try to reserve them for such times. Shit is one of those words. Today I’m working on potty training my two year old and this seems like an appropriate time to share a few of…
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Each Sunday I pick Cora up and take her to church. I’ve gotten to know Cora in little ten minute segments because that’s about how long it takes to get from her house to the church. So I’m not going to pretend that I know a lot about Cora’s life, but sometimes you don’t need…
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Remember that time when you told me something hard was coming? That it wasn’t necessarily bad, but hard? I tucked that warning away. I waited. But how does one prepare for hard? So I went about my business. And then the first hard thing happened. It was hard but not hard enough for me to…
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