Must be something in the drinking water lately. I went to my naturopath yesterday then decided to walk home. LONG way but I needed the excersise. I decided to stop into a shop and buy my Chateaux du Cardboard Rouge. 5 litres and wonderfully refreshing! The lady said, "Is that all sir?" I let it slide, she wasn't looking directly at me. I said, "Yes, thanks" She then asked, "Would you like a bag, sir?" Hmmmm, now I am miffed....."Yes, please." She bags the vino and hands it to me now looking at me, "Thanks, sir, have a great day" I stare at her in the eyes for a full 10 seconds. She gets uncomfortable.....I say, "I know I will have a great day, thank you" She then says, "Ok then sir, see you later'
  What the F#5@%4%$5887656%$##$@23#@#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR! I got a little upset walking home and very nearly cracked open the cask to suck down maybe a litre or two of red wine, but thought better of it. We are a tourist town and not allowed open anything of alcohol, plus I really don't need the tag of  "There goes the alcho-lady!"   So I sobbed a bit, darn near tripped over, so thought about it for a minute and thought...Hmmm this is not the first time I have been mistaken for a man.... My close friend's ex-girlfriend, whom I have never met saw a photo of me one day which my friend showed her, said, and I quote...."She looks like a bloke in drag" Sigh.......I know I am a little masculine in my ways, and this whole thyroid thing has aged me a little, but do I really look like a bloke? Maybe that's why my now ex-boyfriend doesn't want to be with me, worrying men think he is gay, when I am with him....who knows!
   On a different note;---My teenage son this morning. Grrrrrrr...I was sooooooo dead tired from the walk yesterday I couldn't wake up. He growled that he had slept in! It was all my fault and why didn't I just get up and do the Mum thing? My friend who lives with me, told Child-who-is-now-out-of-the-will, that at one month of turning 15 is good enough to get himself up. Friend saying to not wake me, son saying I want her up! Verbal abuse ensued between two testosterone persons, I wake up and say,."Well, I am awake, happy now, both of you!" I explain to darling numbr 3 child that I am still not 100% well, and although I wanted to walk it knocks me out for a day or so.  Friend says, "Your mum is still not well you know" Now child from hecks response...(oh you guys are gonna love this!)....
   "She had the operation last year! She should be better now!"
Sigh....yes indeed, I should be better now...I must flagellate myself and push harder to be a better mother....NOT! Good grief Charlie Brown, if my own son can't figure it out, no wonder my family and friends can't either!
  So, that cask of wine is calling me right now....not too early is it?

Ah, yet again the incompetantness of Australian doctors....No, that probably isn't fair to Aussie doctors...it's just that I haven't met one yet who isn't either brain dead, bored, or just plain stupid. I am sure there must be a good doctor in this big old sunburnt country, but I reckon they are hiding on a yacht in the Whitsunday Islands.
  I digress! I am leaving to go to good old USA on 26th August. Poor old left knee has been playing up alot this year. First time in 9 years! My GP, lovely guy that he is, is a  little timid and does everything by the book. Xray, wait two weeks, ultrasound, wait two weeks....Mind you to make an appointment to DO these things takes months! So the Xray was back in March, the ultrasound back in May, and finally my knee says...HEY! I am outta here...and promptly fell sideways, taking me with it, and a bag of groceries, and the dog, and the little old lady next to me.......
   So, he says, Oh ok I will make a referral to an orthopeadic surgeon.. HOO-bloody-ray! I rang them... "Sorry he is away till late July" Grrrrrrr...but there is another guy you can see...Ok book me in...Oh we don't do that, here's a number to call.....bleeeping heck! Ok, got an appointment in less than 2 weeks...woohoo...but it is an hour and half drive away....grrrrrr...
Saw this ortho on Tuesday. Got there at 8.30am...8.40am being the appointment. 8.50am no sign of doctor....ask receptionist, Oh no we haven't seen him either...sit....wait....get water to drink.....tap good foot.....look at fish in tank....9.05am...Any word from the doc? Oh no, we haven't heard either....He better be dead or I will kill him!  9.15am...Excuse me where the bleep is this doctor? Oh you are supposed to be in Waiting room 2...Oh Like I am super psychic today and knew this? Well, he will see you there....That's if he didn't see me there and now cancelled me, I mutter under my breath, picking up newspapers, cups and my handbag.
   Another 10 minutes goes by with no movement...I grab nearest woman who wears a uniform of some hospital type...Can you tell me where Dr. Blankbrains is?  She wanders off....comes back....He said he's been here the whole time, take a seat and he will call you....Ok says me in gritted smile......10 more minutes go by... FINALLY Dr "I own a Mercedes and you don't" comes out and NO apology!
   After a whole 2 minutes he announces... "Just take Panadol every four hours...when you get to US they have something called Tylenol, take that."
"Yes, I am familiar with American products, I don't live under a rock you know" I am thinking...my own GP could've told me to take Panadol...what the bleeep is with this guy?
In his infinite wisdom my knee is nothing to worry about...It's been operated on twice...I say....He looks at the referral..."Oh, you never said that" Me, restraining myself....Obviously this young upstart has not bothered to READ anything yet. His Blackberry thingy goes off.. he turns and plays with some game on it for a moment...Then says,
"Well, just don't do any walking" By now I have lost my cool demeanour.....
"You know, thanks for that.. I have now mastered the art of levitation and will leave you now" His look was of a person backing away from a rabid dog.
  $132.65 later...He requests an xray and "Oh come back when you get back from USA" I was going BEFORE to see this twit to find out how to deal with it if it comes out again and who would he tell me to see over there? But no he didn't hear a word I said.....Just take Panadol....like that's going to stop it slipping out of place!
Bah humbug!!!!!!!!!! I hope his Rolex turns out to be a fake!

Ok, we talked about my gluten intolerance and how it gives me brain fog....But NO! I am wrong, says he...Oh? I am...Yes, it's because you are a Damp personality....Oh wet fish type of thing?    No..you must not eat thick stodgy foods, eat gelatinous foods, drink cold water......       HEY D#$@head...says me....You wanna come up to my house and see the mouse food I have been eating lately....I made a mistake and ate barley and I got brain fog...You ning nong mental praticioner of dumbness! Nearly 7 weeks of eating bugger all is not my idea of fun!
  He said my lack of calcium is a good thing? Being dead must be a good thing too, I suggested...he didn't think that was at all funny...can't understand why.
  Sure I can understand the herbs to drink, ginger and celery and other assorted goodies can do wonders for the old body. But NOT having calcium in my diet is a good thing? Derrrrrrrrrrrr.......
   He then suggested a nice long massage to release some tension from my back. Sure! I LOVE a good massage! My left lung feels lousy with the pneumonia, let's do it! Hmmmmm probably a fatal mistake on my part. By now you will have seen the photo of my back. Not a pretty sight. I am a poor delicate little snowflake. I asked him what the heck he was doing...he said "Bruising" I told him he had that right! "It's to release heat from your body to allow the dampness to dissipate and make your lungs work better" I sat up and said, "A punch in your nose will dissipate my pain too, you know!"  Needless to say, he charged me only for the visit, not the massage.
   I feel I am surrounded by F/wits...Maybe I ought to try a Faith Healer next...couldn't be any less exciting!

If you think I look bad in this pic...READ ON to find out why!

Well, I made myself a wonderful winter warmer soup of chicken, vegies, and pearl barley, just as the Naturopath suggested. It was soooooo yummy.... I ate bowl after bowl of this everyday....Then I started noticing I felt very bleaurgh again. Headaches, diahorrea, brain fog...oh yeah, gotta love the brain fog! Naturopath when I asked him about gluten in pearl barley told me no it was minimal....so after feeling like a wet towel left on the bathroom floor on a cold day I looked it up on the net....Adam! You lied! It has a ton of gluten...No wonder I feel so bleaurghy!
   Not only that, but I haven't had it for over a week, and I feel worse each day...my thoughts? The gluten has triggered off Mr Hashimoto again! My thyroid medication is fine.
   I asked him last week as to how I am going to get the calcium I need if he wants me off all dairy for a while, he then said about crushing and boiling the bones in the chicken soup to release the calcium Which is what lead me to make his recipe in the first place. Now nearly 6 weeks later, I am getting the tingles and the numbness and feeling positively poo-ey. I'm getting anxiety and racing heart and feeling totally jittery. I'm getting a blood test done tomorrow... I was supposed to go today, but feel so 'who gives a poo bum' kind of body weariness, that I figured I'd do it tomorrow.
   So, now I feel worse and back to where I started nearly 6 weeks ago...next thing will be the depression....I know this pattern from the past and I am doing all I can to not be a wet blanket. I was soooooooo narky and short tempered yesterday, my male friend actually quietly asked if my period is due...(he's a good friend, so I didn't eat his head off) I thought, hey yeah, I AM like I used to be pre-menstrual, but it ain't due for weeks yet.
   So forcing my eyes to stay open, forcing my body to sit up straight, forcing my brain to think what to make for dinner for myself and my teenage son...Pity we don't have a McDonalds in this town, I'd send him there with $50 and say, go crazy!
Oh well, the ups and downs of my life in the 6 months since my TT have been, if nothing else, intriguing!
Compare my pic with others I have on my MedHelp and you can see why I am not a happy girl!