Upon finally getting reliable health insurance, I decided to go see my new primary care physician. He's an okay guy, but I'm not crazy about him. I wish I'd felt a little less rushed, and a little more listened to. What he told me made sense. That my plantar fasciitis was likely caused by being overweight, and that my knee and back pain (because of where the back pain was originating) was also likely due to being overweight. He gave me a list of back stretches to do morning and night, and a list of leg exercises to help my knee. He said it's not easy to get on an exercise regimen, but it's important. Well, okay, that makes sense.

However, he didn't ask many questions and later, I thought of a lot of things that I should have told him (and I wish he'd asked about), such as the fact that the joint pain I am experiencing has been part of my life since I was seven years old. I've always experienced pain with weather changes, namely when it rains (living in Washington state was a treat!). It wasn't due to weight all that time, obviously, because I was not overweight as a child. I've only been overweight for a few years. The crappy part was that I was about 25-30 lbs overweight when I developed plantar fasciitis (about a year ago). But by the time I saw someone and was diagnosed, I could barely walk. It took physical therapy and orthotics to help reduce the pain, and in the mean time, since being on my feet was so difficult, I gained even more weight. Which brings me to my current status of 50 lbs overweight.

So he recommended getting on a regular exercise program for 6 months and then coming back if I'm still having a lot of joint pain. He said this as we were talking in the hallway and he was getting ready to bolt off to another patient. And later, I wished I'd remembered to say, "But I had these pains when I was in the best shape of my life, jogging as a hobby, and exercising daily in marching band!" Plus, I TOLD him I fell on my knee in January, but he didn't even ask about those details.

I'm frustrated.

Luckily, I am going back to see him in a few weeks for a full physical, so I'll mention the knot in my knee that he forgot to address, and I'll also mention the several symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis that I experience regularly. Not only do I have that general, severe aching, it's located symmetrically down my legs, and also in my wrists and the knuckles closest to my hands. Apparently, these are classic symptoms of arthritis. I didn't realize the symmetry aspect of it counted for anything, but it's mentioned in all the sites I read.

The super crappy part is that he said the cartilage in my knee was wearing away. And I remembered later that the wearing away of cartilage was also the cause of all my TMJ problems. This could all be arthritis-related.

I'm glad I'm seeing him again soon. I'll get a chance to mention all these things and see if he takes my worries about arthritis a little more seriously. If not, I'll see someone else.

In the mean time, I have been pretty good about remembering to do the back stretches. Yesterday, I forgot completely. Today, I am back on track. And they were a lot easier this morning, too! I am already improving!

I also got a tetanus shot while I was there so that I can volunteer with the wildlife hospital again. The shot itself wasn't painful at all, but boy have I been sore the past few days! I'm happy to report my arm feels normal again today.

I am taking a once-daily dose of Celebrex that the doc gave me to control inflammation. It's only for two weeks, though.

And apparently, that weird non-spreading, tiny rash I've had on my finger for 2 months is Eczema. Yay me! I'm getting my prescription cream for it today.

When I think about it, all the weird little medical things that have happened in my life are pretty bizarre. I sprained my neck by riding a rickety roller coaster when I was seven. I've sprained both wrists (one of them twice), and my ankle. Arthritic pains since I was very small. Weird allergies (such as fireants, perfume and metal). Minor heart murmur, TMJ troubles, three oral surgeries, vasovegal syncope (which means I pass out and have convulsions if I get too dehydrated), and I'm prone to heat exhaustion. I accidentally got a pinched nerve in my shoulder in fourth grade. And I have always had iffy circulation. Then came the plantar fasciitis with tarsal tunnel syndrome, back/knee pain, and now Eczema. Okidoki.

Can you believe that when he asked if I were in good health, my first response was, "Yeah, pretty good."

Am I, though?

I then added, "I mean, I was sick a lot as a kid. I had strep throat about five times a year, every year, for a while. But I guess I'm in pretty good health now."

And I guess I am. I don't want to say I'm sickly or anything. Who wants to think that about themselves?? I have nothing terminal or scary. Just lots of little weird things spread out over the span of my lifetime, which kind of fascinate me in a strange way. I usually just say, "I have a sensitive system." And I do. But that's just euphamistic phrasing for, "My weirdo body craps out on me every so often and I just deal with it."

Sometimes I wonder if I'll always have weird bodily things to deal with, or if I'll ever reach a state where I'm just... you know, healthy. I think that'd be nice. In the mean time, I'll do what I can to get there and try not to get too frustrated by any of it. I guess it's smartest to just be kind to myself. After all, I'm stuck with this body. No refunds. I checked.