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Head Shots

Guest post by the bloggohusband.

Darth Goalie returned to the ice last week (though without her specially-painted helmet), playing in a ?pre-season? game in the Evanston Tigers? Spring Mixer. The Mixer’s teams are composed of players of all skill levels, including women who have never skated before. Barb plays for the Kelly Green team, which was the home team and wearing white jerseys.

As the bloggocentrics know, Barb?s been dealing with a number of health issues lately, and hasn?t been able to play rat hockey, sub for other goalies, or work out, really since February. Additionally, she sent her regular goalie mask to a local artist for painting (to look like Darth Vader?s helmet, of course).

And so, Darth Goalie took the ice not knowing what to expect: playing with new teammates, an old helmet (her first — cheap — goalie mask from when she started in net at Ohio State), and no recent practice to rely on for confidence.

In spite of all this, she did pretty well. Her team, who should have a name and jerseys this week, lost 6 – 5, but she made a number of nice saves — including the spectacular ?header? captured by yours truly above, a remarkable display of Barb’s burgeoning Hasek-style saves! Her play was especially strong, considering that her old helmet greatly interfered with her performance, cutting into her vision because of its ill fit and small eye opening.

The Mixer goes on for the next ten weeks, with Barb (and the other goalies) each supporting two different teams. Due to absences, Barb?s actually playing two games (back to back) this Friday for both Kelly Green and her other team, tentatively called the Pink Panthers — this time with her regular (though still unpainted) helmet, which we rescued from the artist on Saturday. We?ll post results and pictures on the games next week.

To see all of the game pics, which are of much better quality than last season’s Tigers Orange photos, go to Kelly Green, 2007. The photoset title will be changed to reflect the team’s name once it’s decided upon.

I’ve been avoiding blogs (including my own) and blogging for the past several days, because I was afraid to even look at my blog, and all this craziness has caused me way too much anxiety so I figured I needed a break. Since I no longer drink, smoke, or do drugs, I self-medicated by cheating on my prescribed high-fiber diet — I ate fried foods and even had a candy bar! Ha! I am such a badass, am I not?

For the most part, it seems that my blog’s fixed, the template for sure. I believe people can actually read and leave comments. The private post user level thing is still screwed up, even though I’m now using a 2.1.x-compatible version of that plugin. I’m thinking of deactivating it altogether and using password-protected posts, instead. You’d have to be a registered user who I know, and I’d e-mail you the password once I’ve posted. There might be a few that are for my eyes only, though. Any thoughts on this idea?

My inline uploader vanished into thin air, and I’m not sure which plugin is causing this. Probably that photo album one. Well, off I go to test them out. Oh, joy.

When I hadn’t heard from the PCP by 3:00 this afternoon, I called his office. The receptionist said he was gone for the day, so I figured that the results hadn’t been faxed over from the hospital yet. About half an hour later, he called me back! Though he was off duty, he was still in his office going through his messages.

So…I have one very small, benign fibroid on the outside of my uterus. He said that it isn’t a big deal, but that I should expect heavier periods and that they’ll be unpredictable even though I’m on the Pill. That sucks big time because I’ve always had very light periods as an adult, but it could be much worse and thankfully, it isn’t!

As for the anemia, I confessed and said that I haven’t been taking a multivitamin with iron, which he recommended. However, because my anemia is really slight, and since the recent heavy bleeding I experienced was from the fibroid, he said that I don’t have to take it, especially since all that tiredness, dizziness, weakness, and nausea I’ve had for the last few weeks were due to a combination of the iron supplements, Florastor (that the GE told me to take), and Tegretol. I’ve stopped all three, with my PCP’s and pdoc’s blessings (though he was surprised at the reaction, because I’ve taken way higher dosages of Tegretol in the past). I haven’t told the GE that I stopped taking the Florastor. OK, it’s because I’m, perhaps, irrationally mad at him for telling me to take the iron and Florastor in the first place, because that’s when all this started!

And guess what? Since yesterday, I’ve felt just fine and even went to the gym before my pdoc appointment! So there! I don’t even need Brian to supervise my showers anymore because I no longer have to fear falling out of the tub, which nearly happened several times before I stopped taking all that.

Anyway, the PCP wants to see me in two months for a check-up and another blood test to check my anemia level. He’s an awesome, awesome, doctor, and he so didn’t have to call me back today and talk to me for as long as he did. I (l) my PCP! And I know Brian does, too!

So, my next ECT is in two weeks, and I have the butt test the next day. I’m in a much better mood, so I can now laugh about it, too: butt test, butt test, butt test! What? Blood test? No! BUTT test, you butthead! :d

Had a pelvic ultrasound this morning to check for fibroids due to heavy bleeding that occurred during the first two weeks of my pill pack. My mom has had fibroids for years, so genetically, this doesn’t bode well. Thought I’d have the results today, but nope — Wednesday. Butt test yet to be scheduled. No more accidents, at least; knock on wood.

Worried. Immobilized.