Compostable Kate

So, I followed up with the doc about my wrists today, and I still have to just rest them. I have actually seen three doctors at my local clinic about my wrists over the past few weeks. The first one sent me for an ultrasound and suggested physio with dry needling. The second one, who is was my regular doctor until this moment, then said to stop physio and wait for a blood test. The third one, who I saw today, said that all my blood tests came back normal , and that I just have to wait until my wrists get better. When I saw my regular doctor, the one who said to stop physio, he gave me the impression – as he has on several previous occasions – that he thought I was simply an attention-seeking, time-wasting hypochondriac, and he wasn't prepared to waste any resources on treating my wrists. He can't refer me to a psychiatrist for this, as I already see one. (I have also seen shrinks in the past who have concluded that my pain isn't psychosomatic (I don't have a spec...

Yesterday evening I received a cruel-to-be-kind phone call from my history lecturer, the ultimate gist of which was to say I have to stop procrastinating and get this assignment done, because she doesn't want to see me fail this semester. It was nice of her take the time, although she made it clear that she was very busy. Although I have other issues going on at the moment, such as my wrist pain, other pain, and the difficulties I find in being an external student, the overarching issue I have with assignments is procrastination, a chronic avoidance of committing my ideas to paper. I do do lots of reading: books, articles, blogs, and, in this case, watch a lot of DVDs: documentary series and educational series on Ancient Rome (the topic of my imaginary History unit). Not only am I reading about historical content, but trying to get my head around historiography, and also reading about lesson planning and pedagogical theories for use in my lesson plans. I take a lot of notes, and ...

WARNING: This is a big whinge. Feel free to skip it. 29.01.12 I didn't sleep AT ALL last night, but it wasn't for want of trying. I went sensibly to bed at 9.30pm - not even staying up to watch the men's Australian Open final - as I had plans for today, but couldn't sleep. It wasn't that I slept intermittently; I didn't sleep at all. This is not unusual; to say that I don't sleep well would be an understatement. I very rarely sleep for more than 5 hours at a stretch, and it's more usually 3 - 4. I know that I do sleep sometimes, because I have lurid nightmares and the most bizarre dreams imaginable. But occasionally, like last night, I don't fall asleep at all. There are various reasons why I can't sleep. Last night it was predominantly pain. My hip joints were burning, and my thigh bones were aching (not the muscle, the bones ) and I had run out of Tramadol, my main pain reliever. I always have pain, but this was more and worse than usual....

This is my own, personal story of my disability and how I have chosen to manage it. My thoughts and choices are in no way a judgement on anyone else's thoughts and choices.    I acquired my painful hip condition in my mid-20s, just after I had started as an undergrad at uni (I was a “mature” student, after failing school and going out to work instead), and started using a wheelchair after about six months of increasing pain and decreasing mobility (I was trying to keep going with my studies). I went through a lot of specialists (you name it, I've probably seen one), only to have no-one able to come up with a specific diagnosis for me. I have lots of weird stuff showing up on MRIs, bone scans, blood tests and x-rays, but nothing that can be put together and conveniently labelled. I was eventually referred to a rheumatologist, someone who specialises in joint issues. I saw the Professor Rhuematologist, and in our first meeting he angered me by saying that he thought my dis...

I have up to three cats on my lap/desk/laptop and/or printer, with Miss Pepper the kitten or King Fred attacking anything that comes out of it! The dogs can't decide whether they want to be inside or out! I have foxtel (with extra channels I don't have at home), an extensive DVD collection and Wii for my entertainment. I have twitter and facebook in front of me on the laptop... I can curl up on the very comfy couch for a nap with up to 6 warm furkids. I am a world class procrastinator.... I need to go back to my place (I'm currently house-sitting for most of the aforementioned cats and dogs) to pick up paper and a book I left behind. I'm finding the avalanche of new information overwhelming, not to mention having all three of my first assignments due next week (one on Monday, two on Friday). Oh, and I'm in excrutiating pain from my right hip (the left is also painful as usual, but my right side has been extraordinarily painful for the past week or ...