Start with a stick of buttah...

Yesterday Chris kindly went with me for my first appointment with Dr. A. since the transplant. I explained to her that I'm working on a New Attitude with Dr. A. The Old Aunt Crankypants would have sulked long and loud over the fact that the only time I've heard from him in over 8 weeks was when he called the day I got the blood clot, and seemed to chastise me for making an issue of it at the hospital. (Or could it be that I was completely exhausted from the day, and the pain, and over-reacted? ...it's possible.) He never contacted me the whole time I was in the hospital. Not once.

The New Aunt Crankypants finally sees that this is not a personal relationship. It is NOT. I can wish that it were, I can believe that it should be, but it is NOT. His "inner circle" is family and friends. Beyond that, maybe a few research associates. And far beyond that are his 250-300 patients, of which I am one. The problem has not been in his behavior, but in my perception. So I'm working on Getting Over It, and accepting that our relationship is more mechanic-to-engine than traditional doctor-to-patient.

The appointment itself was very brief, as expected, and I was told I am doing quite well, overall. I didn't get any direct answers to my two big questions. One was, how long will this wretched nausea continue ("could be awhile") and the other was about some troubling bone pain I'm having; the answer was basically the same.

After a brief chat with Supernurse G, Chris & I head over to Infusion to get my monthly hit of a bone-strengthening drug. The appointment starts with an argument with the nurse over where the I.V. will go. Why are we arguing about this? I start out with "here's where I want the I.V., and here's why," and as far as I'm concerned, that should be the end of it. I have valid reasons, I'm not just being contrary... but it takes five minutes for her to begrudgingly concede. The I.V. goes in and I turn the TV on. Chris has pulled up a chair next to me and we are going to enjoy some Food Network! (Neither of us has full service cable at home.) We watch a little Giada De Laurentis and some Barefoot Contessa...mmmm! The I.V. should be done by now... shouldn't it?

Well, oopsy, turns out Nurse I Know Everything has forgotten to "open" the line and I have been sitting there for 30+ minutes getting absolutely nothing. She was very apologetic, but I was pissed. Thank you, Chris, for coming with me, for being so patient, and especially for being nice and kind and forgiving to the nurse when I was incapable of it.

So we got to watch the rest of the Barefoot Contessa and most of Paula Deen. And if you've ever seen Paula Deen, you know that everything starts with a stick of buttah. She has the most charming southern accent, and, I think, the prettiest, sexiest silver hair. I was a little wrung out, but almost civil, by the time the I.V. was finally done.

The other news here is that my wonderful friends Kerry & Mary Ann have been helping me out with some much-needed pet therapy. They drop Molly off in the morning and pick her up each afternoon, so we have lots of snuggle time. But they take her back for meals, a nice long walk, and some playtime with her buddy Gracie. I am really enjoying having her; probably next week, she'll be here full time. Until then, it's the best of both worlds, and she still gets some exercise.

I'm trying to increase my daily walks, too. Just watching Paula Deen for a half hour can pack on a couple of pounds.