Doing the Productivity Dance (Not to be confused with the Reproductivity Dance)

Yeah, so today Chris and I arrived at the VA expecting to see our favorite perpetually late doctor and of course, because we're expecting a half hour delay, that's not what happens.

Digression Alert:

This reminds me of this week's visit to counseling services.  I told Chris before we went to see our relationship counselor that I always try to catch the receptionist before she can say what she always says,

"Who've you come to see?"

She says it every time and I can never open my mouth fast enough to tell her our counselor's name before she can ask.  I think of it as a demented game.  After we answer her question she repeats the name and her pronunciation makes me giggle.

So I tell Chris all this and he tells me how messed up I am to make fun of this woman and proceeds to imitate her with me and we do it the whole way there.  We walk in and the receptionist says,

"How can I help you?"

I almost cracked up and Chris, for some reason, was swinging his water bottle when she came into the room so as soon as she asked the question she almost ducked, then laughed and asked if he would please not bean her in the head.  Talk about not the response we expected.  We sat in the waiting room and giggled like little girls.

Digression End

Where the hell was I?

Ah yes, so I'm checking in at the counter, the clerk scans my card and says,

"OH... yeah..."

Uh-oh.

"Um, Dr. Ford's on vacation and we're supposed to cancel his clinic today but I didn't know that when I scheduled you yesterday."

Another clerk interrupts Ms. Severe Pink Eyeliner and asks,

"Are you Jennifer?"

Only to people who don't know me better.  "Yep."

"Holly said she'd see you.  Take a seat and I'll call her."

Who the hell is Holly?

Holly is another apparently another orthopedic doctor who exists in an alternate universe and I like that one much better.  She showed up, whisked us into her office, and immediately sent us off for a final set of x-rays.

"The last ones said you were healING, I want to see that you are HEALED."

After Radiology we went back and didn't even get to stand in line this time.  Holly explained the game plan: occupational therapy and follow up visits.  Damn skippy.

Down in occupational therapy I agreed to meet the kind OT after lunch.  Chris and I had a nice lunch, I dropped him off for work and I headed back to the VA.

I got gifts.  Two torture instruments and two gifts.  He asked questions and took a lot of notes, measured my grip and determined that I have half the strength in my right hand as my left.  This means I actually have less than 50% strength, because my right hand is dominant- it should be stronger than my left hand.  My side pinch (ability to turn a key) and my forward pinch (ability to write) are also lacking, but he was surprised at how strong the side pinch was.  (Well, it got old turning the car on with my left hand.)

He gave me three sets of exercises to do 2-3 times a day, 10 reps each.  The first is a continuous motion exercise done slowly to work on range of motion called the six pack.

I got the obligatory ball- I squeeze it in my hand like you would expect, but also pinch it for the key and writing pinches.  I also got a really high tech instrument of torture: a pencil.  You lay it across your palm just under your fingertips and try to grip it all the way down into a fist.

The gifts... I got a new wrist brace and orders to wear it at night :) but also the most wonderful glove ever.  It looked silly tea-time small, but fit... well, you know.  It was snug and all I could do (while he was off collecting paperwork or something) was look at that glove and coo.  It felt wonderful.  I wanted one for my left hand.  I'm supposed to wear the glove under the brace to help with the swelling and, in his words, because it will make my hand feel good.  I can't wait to wear it.  I'm not kidding.  I didn't want to take it off and he knew it.  He said he gives them to his arthritic patients and they all coo.

Isn't it awesome that I FINALLY got to go get some help?  Muy kudos to Holly and my wonderfully nice OT guy.  Special thanks to Dr. F for being on vacation.

Jesus, all that and there's still more.  I have to explain the title of the blog or else I'd have to change it, and I enjoy that title way too much.

So after all that I got home around 2:30, took the dogs to pee, and caught up on phone calls while I waited for the munchkin.  I made appointments for the dogs and me, did some research and checked on my imaginary farm.  Ant begged to stay put and play rather than join me on errands so I left him with his friend's dad.  I took the dogs up to Hidden Valley and walked the loop.  It was beautiful.

I came home, Ant found a place to spend the night, and I settled in with a quiche, chocolate milk, and my book for school.  I knocked an hour off my estimate and was also able to finish homework for the proposal class in half the time I allotted.  At 8:30 I decided I had accomplished enough.

Schoolwork resumes tomorrow and I feel utterly capable of catching up and zooming ahead.  Check in to see if I blog again this weekend or if I'm busy freaking out over what's not done.

Just because it's cute and it NEVER happens, here's Riley sharing her kennel with Solo.