Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Reboot!

     Let's try it again, shall we?  Oh, wait, I guess it's just me so very late off the blocks.  Feeling much better this morning, though every little twinge from my back triggers a chain reaction of thoughts: ohheavensno, is that another one?  How bad was that? Izzit on the right side this time?  Upper or lower?  Ow.  Do they happen four inna row?  --Four at a time?  Will it keep happening and happening...? And so on.

     Well, that's life.  We are indeed temporary structures, simultaneously tougher than we expect and more fragile than we might think, a marvelous self-repairing biological mechanism until some invisible internal process throws the wrong switch and we've got gout or RA or, yeah, kidney stones.

     Third paragraph -- right here's a good place to thank all of the people who have been concerned, made caring comments, remembered me in their thoughts and prayers.  You compassion has made it easier to deal with this little surprise.

     My friends and I are a hopeful lot, many with an engineering bent, and so first thoughts are that if only the right grade of bolt, or a fast-enough op-amp or better-written code could be applied, all would be well.  It doesn't work that way and while medicine has indeed become big business, doctoring hasn't quite: listen to me well when I tell you that if an onion half could draw out fevers or an inexpensive suspension of silver did even half as well as sulfa drugs (which themselves aren't as widely or powerfully effective as antibiotics), the smalltime, independent M.D.s would be using them, with a line of patients out the door and SchmidtClineAstoZydecoBeechnut would be working up a branded version quicker than you could say Joe Lister.

     I'm telling you there aren't any "miracle cures," and as for "secrets the doctors don't want you know," bullshit. The only people who say that are people who either a) don't know any doctors and/or b) want to separate you from your money.  Most physicians are overworked, or at least under considerable pressure, much of it from patient's expectations, and even with all their wonderful medicines, imaging devices and surgical advancements, they know they have not really got that much on the practitioner who took care of Julius Ceasar's ingrown eyelashes.  You want doctor's secrets?  Don't smoke.  Don't drink to excess.  Keep your weight down.  Watch your blood pressure, which is affected by salt intake.  And, listen good to this, it takes time to heal; your body does most of the work; pills and surgery just clear the path.  Doctors aren't hurting for patients, not now or ever; few of us -- heck, few enough of them -- take their advice and even those who do are eventually tripped up by time.

     I'm dealin' with the doctors and learning what I need to learn.  Illness isn't amateur hour for anyone but the sufferer. And, whine in public though I do -- and have to face up to it afterwards -- healing it is not really a spectator sport.

      Your good wishes helped a lot.  They are the very best medicine any person who's not a doctor or nurse can share.  Thank you.

12 comments:

Tango Juliet said...

Sounds like you're on the mend.

Good. :)

The Old Man said...

The world hasn't got enough smart blondes with a technical bent that we can afford to lose them willy-nilly. Both I and the Bosslady have had stones - I still take allopurinol daily to ward them off.

Take care of yourself - the Bosslady had the painful variety while I had the same reaction you did - and be prepared to fight a rearguard action against it.

Blackwing1 said...

I've had three (3, count 'em, III) of those things, and not a single one of them was any fun at all. I had no idea what the first one was (hit me while on the motorcycle, had to lie down next to the side of the road until I could semi-function), figured it out by the second one, and the third one consisted of me asking my wife to just grab the big bowie knife and do a quick kidney removal.

Knock wood, I haven't had one for several years. Here's hoping that your bout of them is also short, and that you return to feeling much better as soon as possible. The cats need you up and around in any case, and so do your readers.

chuck w said...

May your pain fade as quickly as a light dawn fog and your body return to full and strong health by the time you roll out of bed.

Alien said...

Haven't chimed in because nothing I could offer would be of benefit. Sometimes there's no remedy but time, and that's very small comfort.

"Temporary structures," indeed; I know several MDs, and none are so ****ing enchanted with themselves they consider what they do as more than extremely advanced witchcraft. Someday we'll know enough about how mammals work to actually do real good, but until then, it's best efforts and perseverance, and those best efforts are often just very well educated experiments.

One day at a time, kiddo. Put enough days together and you have a lifetime. No guarantee of consistency for those days, either.

MAJMike said...

Sorry you're ailing. Hope things get better soonest.

Comrade Misfit said...

"Advanced technical witchcraft" does seem to describe a lot of medicine these days.

Hope you're back to 100% soon.

Dave in Indiana said...

Joe Lister? Is he the guy from "Red Dwarf"?

Drang said...

Sounds like you're starting to feel better. Good. When I saw the post title I thought "Oh, crap, she feels like someone kicked her int he kidneys again!"

If half an onion worked we'd have figured out what it was that was doing the work and distilled it as a pill or potion, like essence of ground willow bark, AKA aspirin...

Strabger said...

I am glad you are recovering, and that you have access to doctors. Mine seem to last about six months before they go to work for a major hospital ER, and let the hospital take care of HIPPA. Which amounts to close to 70 percent of the cost of medical bills these days.

The Nurse Practitioner at the local pediatric clinic is pretty good if you are cold blooded enough to diagnose yourself, and will see seasoned citizens. Before and after the kids are taken care of.

Old NFO said...

Good news, and keep healing!

John in Philly said...

Or maybe just WorldDrugCo? Take care and get well.

John in Philly