Monday, April 20, 2009

living healthy

so today . . . it was HOT!!!! i left the top up and turned on the a/c! that's how hot it was . . .

it would have been a good day to stay inside, but i had a doctor appointment scheduled for today. and i have waited two months for this appointment, so i took off school early, braved the heat, hit the freeway, and landed at kaiser.

today was a follow up visit to talk about some blood test results. i have been feeling fatigued lately, and i thought the answer to the problem might be in those tests. i got good news and bad news. the good news is that according to all my tests, i am perfectly healthy! the bad news is, uh, i feel fatigued. so those blood tests may say i am fine, but i am not. i'm tired. i just wanted her to give me a pill to fix it!! i mean, i already take vitamins and calcium and iron and intestinal medication, so what is one more pill?!?

apparently, not an option.

she said i probably need more sleep (like i have time for THAT.) she said i need to keep walking the dogs and wait for the endorphins to kick in (apparently i have lazy endorphins!!) she said cut down the amount of caffeine i ingest (which means cut way back on the pepsi one and tea--what am i going to drink?!?!?) she said it's possible that i have sleep apnea and she will order that test for me (my question is, if i have sleep apnea, is there a pill for that?) and THEN she finally said, "or we could probably treat your symptoms with an anti-depressant." YESSS!! FINALLY!! A PILL!!!

but first, i have to jump through all these other hoops. increase the amount of time i sleep, keep exercising, stop drinking caffeine, sleep with some sort of apparatus attached to see if i breathe while i sleep . . . i think she thinks if i do all of that stuff, i will feel better. i think i will be exhausted! and cranky!!!

but ok, if that is what i have to do, i will do it. i guess.

now i AM depressed! do you think if i told her that, it would make a difference?

probably not. she is a pretty good doctor . . .

maybe i will just go to target with diandra--i'm never too tired for that!

this living healthy stuff is going to kill me!

6 comments:

Al said...

oh it sucks. and if you are a hypocondriac its worse. btw, as i grow older i have less and less faith in family doctors. jack of all trades, master of none.

Jewelielyn said...

as you grow older?!?!? give me a break! and i'm pretty sure i am not a hypochondriac, but i DO have a whole roster of specialists at my beck and call . . .

Wendy said...

News flash!!! Antidepressants DON'T give you more energy! I would know! :) I take them because my brain doesn't make enough of the chemicals I need to feel happy. The ONE thing that I have found to work is the dreaded exercise! I know- I hate it too! You really should sleep more though! You are old now!

Jewelielyn said...

i thought you were supposed to need LESS sleep as you got older! and i just don't get how exercising (which makes you tired) can give you more energy . . . but i guess i will find out. i hope.

Mom said...

Less sleep when you get older, not true. The reason people say this, is because they nap in the afternoon and then forget they napped. Also, did you know, every hour of sleep you get before midnight is worth 2 hours? After midnight, worth is l hour. I know, I should be talking. Us night owls fight a constant battle of getting to bed early.

Jewelielyn said...

yeah mom--you should talk! how often do you read until the wee hours only to fall asleep on the couch with your book?!?!

but i HAVE heard that sleeping before midnight is worth more--oh wait, i heard that from YOU!! i just thought you made it up to get me to go to bed at a reasonable time . . .

(of course, i tried to use it on diandra too--she is just as resistant as we are . . . )