So it finally happened...

After thirty -- count 'em 30! -- years of driving, I ran out of gas for the very first (AND LAST) time. Fortunately it was in my carport... the old girl just didn't want to start up.

So as I'm waiting for AAA to bail me out of this one, why not blog?

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This week has been a week of healing, I must say. The high point -- or rather the low point, or TURNING point was Monday evening. My dear friend Nancy was in from New York and we planned a day of play -- swimmng at the Omni Hotel pool, getting our hair blown out at a swanky salon, then having the oysters at Sai Sai in the Biltmore Hotel -- my goodness, we've been craving these oysters for a year, but they got a new chef and they changed. Very good though, and we even had the Kobe beef short ribs (thank god for expense accounts ;) with potato gnocchi (all too rich for my taste -- what happened to my palate?!).

But everything that day was covered by my incredible feeling of dread and illness. I'd had a miserable cough for over a week, I wasn't sleeping at night, I hadn't worked out in awhile, I was still peri-menopausing and I was frickin' flat broke -- I WAS DEPRESSED. And I couldn't shake it.

Fortunately, dear Nance was the wise and strong one for me and broke it down to basics: I'm taking care of my emotional life (with my shrink, Norm), I'm doing well mentally, and even have gotten back to regular healthy habits (cleaning, etc.) Everything that's happening to me is ONLY PHYSICAL -- so take care of it. :)

What great words! I know that logically, but somehow the drama queen in me wants to make it very existential -- you know, WHY IS MY SOUL HERE and all that. The answer is: go to the doctor, figure out what's up, take your meds, get yourself straighted out and you're fine.

Got squeezed in to see Dr. Tilem, who I adore because she's so matter of fact and non-judgmental. I got prescriptions for bronchitis (who knew?!) and my anti-depressant. My BP was way too high and she insisted I get that under control so I got my Rx for that too. And on the way out, hey, let's get some lab work done. After the follow-up in three weeks, we'll deal with the damn hot flashes and sleep apnea...

Wow, that felt good to take care of myself -- I think I'll just read my book, The Time Traveler's Wife, here in the shade of the building for awhile -- and get a $36 parking ticket. ACK!

The next day my labs come back really sucky -- I'm anemic and my kidneys are overworked because of my high blood pressure. Now I have to fit in iron three times a day, spaced out from my antibiotic. Geez! This calls for a med chart because I'm never going to remember anything. So I make one from Excel.

Today is the first day I've taken everything, and of course the BP med gives me a headache, so I have to add Extra Strength Tylenol to my regimen today. Bleech. But at least my head doesn't hurt.

Now to get some food... after the gas man with his $7/gallon gas comes, of course.