another boring post

 Where to start…

My mom had the Doppler ultrasound done, and they told her everything looked good. We still don’t know whether she had a small stroke that caused the temporary vision loss in her left eye or whether it was related to healing from cataract surgery, but there is no concerning buildup beyond what they would normally expect. She seems to be doing well, although she still looks a little off to me without glasses. I’m not sure how long it will take me to get used to her new face.

Dennis got a job offer as a part-time substitute in the small engine repair program at the vo-tech. Honestly, I think it is the perfect job for him. He has always said that if he could do it over again, he would want to teach gas engines at a vo-tech or secondary school. Well, here ya go. He is waiting for his background check and drug screen to clear, which should not be a problem. The drug screen usually takes a little longer because of the controlled pain medication he takes through a pain management doctor, and that is always when Dennis starts to get nervous. I keep reminding him that it is prescribed and they just have to verify it. He should start training sometime next month.

As for me, I’m not sure whether I had a virus last week or the parasite that has been all over the news. I went home early from work Monday and called out Tuesday and Wednesday. I have also been going to physical therapy and a massage therapist to try to get my jaw functioning correctly. It does not hurt the way it did, but the constant popping and catching make eating extremely difficult. I finally called my dentist, and he referred me to a TMJ and sleep specialist who, naturally, is not on my insurance. In fact, I could not find a single in-network TMJ specialist, even in Oklahoma City.

My next step will probably be calling an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and crossing my fingers that they treat it. What I have been doing has helped with the pain, but it seems like it may be time to focus more on the joint itself. At my last massage, he got it to pop “back into place” and declared me cured. That was very short-lived, but at least I was able to eat that night.

Because eating has been so difficult, my weight is at an all-time low. My home scale said 84-something, which I hoped was wrong. I weighed myself at the gym Wednesday afternoon, fully dressed, and it said 86, so unfortunately the first number was probably not far off. Between being sick, the jaw problems and the weight loss, going to the gym has felt nearly impossible. Wednesday was my first workout in two weeks. I redid my strength test, which helped, but the number of repetitions was locked and could not be changed. I finished the workout, but it was not easy.

I am probably going to put my YMCA membership on hold for a while. The sauna is broken, which, honestly, just go outside, and they have been closing the adults-only women’s locker room off and on. There is a family dressing room, but I really do not want to use it. The Y also has a nice pool, a big slide and lots of kid-friendly features, which means there are approximately 700 children there at all times. There have even been kids under 13 using the treadmills and bikes while yelling across the room at their parents or friends. It is just a lot.

I started looking at fitness options available through my insurance and found a small private gym that uses Exerbotics machines. They work somewhat like the EGYM equipment, but the machines adjust to your ability throughout each repetition and focus more on higher effort, heavier weight and fewer reps. As much as I did not want to fall into the personal-training trap, I think it might be good for me to try it for three to six months and then possibly return to the Y. The drawback, of course, is the cost. Through my insurance, four sessions a month would be $114, and I would have to pay extra to add a second workout each week. I cannot imagine that one workout a week would be especially beneficial, but since this month is almost over, the four included sessions should be enough while I figure out the additional day.

Last weekend, Heather had an open house at the studio she shares with a few other photographers. It is part of an artist collective in an old warehouse, and the space is really nice. About 10 minutes after I got there, a storm rolled in with torrential rain. I had just read Jay’s comment about missing thunderstorms and briefly thought about hitting record so he could hear the thunder echoing through the warehouse. Heather had coordinated the open house with an offline vintage market, so even with the weather, the place was packed and she had a great turnout. It is a monthly event, and Laura and I are planning to go back next month.

Speaking of vintage, here is a picture of the dress I bought a few weeks ago. I took it in to be altered and holy schnikes. I have not paid for alterations in a very long time, and I was floored by the price. Granted, the dress has a lot of silk fabric and needed to be taken in on both sides, but I may never again buy something that requires alterations, lest I pay more for the alterations than I did for the dress.

Other than that, life has mostly consisted of the usual work, home and mom duties. I am nothing if not predictable.

Saturday, I bought a ticket to see Hadestown at the movies. Dennis said he might want to go, so I told him to watch the trailer before committing. It held his attention for approximately 45 seconds. I explained that the show is two and a half hours long and mostly sung through, so if he could not make it through the trailer, it might be best for him to sit this one out.

I do not mind going to the movies alone, and I cannot think of any friends who would particularly enjoy it. I also did not feel like doing the whole, “What time do you want to go?” “I don’t care, what time do you want to go?” routine. The real tragedy is that I am not sure popcorn will be doable with my jaw. And since it is not a sing-along, I will have to keep my terrible singing voice to myself.

Okay, lunch is over. Time to get back at it.