April 26, 2012

Annual appointment

Until last night, I had forgotten about the fact that I had an OB/GYN appointment today. It had been about 2 years since my last pap smear. I've always been meticulous about going once a year, but after breaking my jaw in November 2010, I saw a bazillion doctors and had hundreds of tests, and it just totally slipped my mind to go have my annual.

I actually don't mind the gynecologist. I much prefer going there than to the dentist! Also, I was kind of excited to see the receptionists there, because that is where I used to work. I always see the nurse practitioner for my regular annual exams, and I really like her. She'd seen me a couple of times since I lost the weight, but she was still shocked at the change.

I always think it's funny when I'm in the exam room and I lie down for the exam--there is a random panel on one of the lights right above the exam table that has some sort of scenery on it to look at while you're being prodded. Today, this was my view:
It's actually much brighter in the room, but you'll have to use your imagination since it showed up dark because of my awesome photography skills. Like looking at that scene is supposed to make us feel more relaxed while someone is putting instruments where you really don't want them? ;)

She said everything seemed normal, but she felt my thyroid (I have a history of a nodule on my thyroid) and said it felt enlarged. Awesome. So she ordered blood work for that, for which I should get the results on Monday.




This morning, while I was making breakfast, Jerry whispered to me, "Hey, look at Paolo". I looked around, and spotted Paolo in the hallway--he was sitting there, just staring at the wall. Not even staring like he saw something interesting; just staring like he was bored out of his mind. Jerry grabbed the camera and took a picture:
He must have sat like that for five minutes! We thought it was hilarious. Paolo is a very high-maintenance cat, and he always acts like he's too good for everything and everybody. I don't know why he was staring at the wall, but maybe he that was his way of telling me that he's bored? lol



By this time tomorrow, I will hopefully be getting ready to go out to a celebratory dinner with friends for completing a 20-mile run. I'm so nervous! I think I'm just as nervous about this as I am about the actual marathon.

I planned out our route; we're going to do our favorite path, the same one that we did for the 18-miler. Only this time, I'm planning ahead for where we can refill our water bottles. When Jerry and I went for a walk yesterday, I discovered a (working) drinking fountain on the path, just yards from where I felt like I was going to die of dehydration last time. So I mapped out our route to include that fountain, and I used Garmin Connect to send the map to my watch. I love that feature! I just started doing that a couple of months ago, but it's helpful to plan out a route and then send it to the watch.

We're going to park the car and then run a 9-mile out-and-back. Refill our water/Powerade at the car. Head out for an 11-mile out and back, with a water stop at mile 16 at the drinking fountain. I think one bottle plus two refills will be good for the 20 miles. I'm going to bring Gu for fuel, and eat one at miles 5, 10, and 15. We're going to do a 9:1 run/walk ratio the entire way, and I'd like to keep our pace slower than we have been for our short runs. I'd like to aim for an 11:00-11:20/mi pace, but if it's slower than that, I won't complain ;) I just really want to make it through this run feeling good and strong! And without knee pain, preferably.

And tomorrow night, I can celebrate the start of 3 weeks of tapering!!


32 comments:

  1. I'm curious about something in your training. Do you never actually run 26.2 until race day? 20 is the longest one you have talked about (unless I missed something) and then you taper right? I was wondering if most training programs are like that - it seems my c25k program has me finishing around 2.5 miles and then 3.1 on race day. Just wondering! BTW - Paolo is BEAUTIFUL - I love the goofiness of cats!

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  2. My cat has stared at the wall before, and it freaks me out thinking that he sees or hears something that I don't!

    And, I totally agree with you about rather going to the gyno than the dentist. I hate going to the dentist!!

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  3. Good luck with your run!

    my crazy cat looks off into outer space sometimes, so weird!

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  4. Hate the dentist too!!! I was telling my husband how much you like the run walk run you have been doIng (we actually have met Jeff Galloway!) glad its working so well for you remember if you start hurting to change it up. I was running a 3:1 minute and I kept zigzagging with the steady runners!

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  5. I love the dentist...give me 20 dental appts for one gyno exam...

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  6. My OB/GYN has a giant "Where's Waldo" poster on the ceiling, but it's printed in black and white. The first time I leaned back and saw it, I said, "Oh, COME ON!!!" She had to stifle a laugh.

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  7. I'm sorry but I will take that faux view over the lesbian cowgirl oil painting my gynie bought and hung in every room. I wish I were kidding. She's always late so I have more than enough time to stare at it and come up with scenarios.

    Paolo sees dead people.

    Good luck on your race tomorrow! I know you'll rock it!

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  8. My OB/GYN has the same thing on the ceiling! Too funny!

    Good luck on your 20 mile run!

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  9. Love the ceiling light art. :)
    Enjoy your 20 miler, can't wait to hear (read) all about it!

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  10. When I was a kid we had a cat that would sit stare at nothing with his tongue out and after a minute or so he would fall over backwards. Not sure if he blacked out or what.

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  11. Paolo is too funny!

    Good luck on your run and enjoy celebrating, you deserve it!

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  12. Katie, you are hilarious! Thanks for the reminder to schedule my appt - haha! We have a cat that was born in Crazyville too - and she is also our first-ever long hair (coincidence?!). Good luck on your run tomorrow - no doubt you will do great! I have to admit that even though I used Hal's training guide for my marathons also, I could never mentally do a 20-miler during training for some reason - too nervous?! I always topped out at 18 and hoped that race-day adrenaline would "carry me through" 8.2 (egads, that is not smart logic! :). Anyway, you have been so diligent and consistent with this - you are going to do SO GREAT!

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  13. Is that a rag doll cat? He looks just like mine. My Kitty stares randomly as well!

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  14. You are AMAZING! I love reading about your training plans. I'm really excited for how well you're doing.

    That pic and story about your cat totally cracked me up :)

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  15. I don't mind the dentist one bit - which is surprising considering when I was 5 years old, I bit my dentist and had to put into a straight-jacket so he could finish whatever procedure I was having done! I hate, hate, hate going to OB/GYN. Love my doctor, just hate going.

    That picture of Paolo is hilarious. Love the Friends names - my dog and cat are named after the Harry Potter books/movies Hermione and Muggle. :) Hermione, the cat, his hilarious. When she was a kitten (well, still actually), we had to keep her food up on a table or the bathroom counter because Muggle would try to eat it. She couldn't jump up to get to it, so we'd have to help her. Now, a year later, she is more than capable of jumping to get her food but whines and cries (she doesn't "meow", she whines!) for us to come over to her food so we can watch her jump up to get her food. It is the funniest thing.

    Can't wait to hear about your 20 miler tomorrow! I can't wait til I can say that someday.

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  16. Ahhh...the gyno. When I was going through my bladder issues last year, I had a CT scan and they found a cyst on my ovary. Go to the gyno for a sonogram, the sonographer thought it was a dermoid cyst (those are the ones that can contain teeth and hair!!!!!!!!!!!!). Go back for another sonogram and see the dr. and he said the cyst is gone and that the sonographer shouldn't be diagnosing whatever the hell she sees. LOVE doctors. Which reminds me, I need my pap AND another visit to the urologist...

    Can't wait to hear about your run! I ran outside AGAIN today!

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  17. The cat photo is hilarious!!!

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  18. The cat staring at the wall is AWESOME! I wish I could capture some of the crazy things my cat does.

    Good luck with the 20 miles..sending you good vibes!! :)

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  19. I always think the same thing about the Lady Doc -- mine has Anne Geddes posters on the ceilings of all the rooms. Like staring a an adorable baby dressed up like a fruit or flower is going to distract me from the down under exploratory. Ha!

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  20. My OB has those kinds of things too, except he has hot air baloons and clouds... yeah no grown woman wants to stare at hot air baloons.

    I had a dog that would sit at the bottom of the stair case and stare up at the top and growl. At the time I was home alone, Hub was deployed, and it totally freaked me out. I always wondered what he saw that I didn't.

    Good luck on your 20 miler. I can't even wrap my head around that kind of distance... I'd like to think that someday I'll do it, but I think I'll be happy when I can do a 5K. ;)

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  21. OMGosh, the cat pic is so funny! He is beautiful, no wonder he is so high maitenance lol.

    The run sounds great, good luck!

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  22. Last time I had a smear there was a newbie helping out the other nurse, it was hilarious cos it took so long for them to sort things out & there was a lot of "are you ok?"s asked! I always feel relaxed, doesn't bother me in the slighest.

    Paolo is so funny! Our cat D'Arcy is also high maintenance, she can be very aloof & only wants to be patted on her terms. Annoys me heaps!

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  23. You just reminded me I should make my appointment. Oooppsss slipped my mind. Can't. Wait to hear about your 20 and celebrate with you guys at dinner.

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  24. Pablo is hilarious! Hope the long run is going well!

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  25. I hope everything went smoothly today with your knee today!

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  26. I hope they handed you a tropical drink and had recordings of the surf crashing to make your experience more authentic..

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  27. I hope you kick ass on your run today!

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  28. My dog used to stare at walls when she got older. I then learned she was doing that because she was in pain. I'm not sure if cats do the same thing, but just something to watch for. I'm excited to read about your 20 miles!!!

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  29. My doctor's office has something similar - not quite as 'fancy' as yours (lol) - it's just a poster of a few puppies taped to the ceiling. Sometimes I feel like I'm being examined by a vet.

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  30. mannas7momApril 28, 2012

    Yep, would much rather go to the OB/GYN, if there's health ins. coverage.

    How old is Paolo? If he's older, it could be a form of dementia that cats and dogs get. When my doggie grrrl was in her last couple of years, she would stare into corners, or "get lost" in the house. The vet and the vet techs were really supportive. They said also it could be decreasing vision. A vet check-up would be a good idea.

    Try Googling "animals staring at walls." You can compare the stories with your cat's experience at home.

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  31. Oh! I do believe that I used to go to the same OB/GYN office! I remember thinking, "Yeah, because that would definitely make me forget about what is going on. Not."

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  32. We had a cat growing up and my mom read that they can see spirits/ghosts. Our cat Daisy would often stare up the stairs or at the wall. It really freaked my out after she told me that!!

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