Today is "Black Friday" - The Friday after Thanksgiving when hoards of people get up before the crack of dawn to go shopping and spend billions of dollars on Christmas gifts. For me, this year's "Black Friday" meant getting up before the crack of dawn to sit in a dialysis chair for my usual 3 hours. Someone asked me on Thanksgiving day why I couldn't just call and tell them I wanted to come in late... LOL

My mouth gets dry a lot. It makes me want to drink more, which I know I shouldn't... and sometimes I do and sometimes I don't, depending on how compliant I feel at any given time. LOL I went to Target and bought a little spray bottle from the hair products isle. The kind of bottle that is usually used to mist water or hair spray onto one's hair. I washed it in the dishwasher and then filled it with drinking water. Now whenever my mouth is dry I just mist a little out of the spray bottle into my mouth. I leave it in the fridge to stay cold - Its cool and refreshing and I actually consume next to no actual fluid while relieving my dry mouth. Has anyone else ever tried this?

I went to my first rheumatology appointment today. It seems it will probably be the first as well as the last, unless something else changes. I didn't like the doctor very much. He kept me waiting a full 45 minutes past my appointment time (and after I'd gotten there 20 minutes early as a dutiful new patient should always do) and was in a big rush when he finally saw me. He kept asking me questions and then interrupting me half-way through my answers. I hate anyone who interrupts me, but most especially a doctor. Don't ask the damn questions if you really don't want to figure out what's wrong or if you've already determined that you know what is. I almost felt like apologizing for giving detailed answers instead of the usual brainless "I-don't-know-anything-about-my-own-healthcare" patient garble. I actually had to slow down my speech and talk very quietly to get him to stop talking over me and interrupting. Then he POKED me in about two dozens spots all over my body, had me push against him with my arms, legs, hands and feet in various ways and then announced that I have Fibromyalgia. I'm not really certain if I believe his 'diagnosis', though - I've known several people who have it and they seem to be WAY worse off than I am in the pain and fatigue department. The one other thing the doctor kept saying is "I'm pretty sure you don't have Lupus" - well, doh... Doctors have been telling me that since I was originally diagnosed with kidney disease. So, that's it. Maybe I have Fibro or maybe I don't. I'm not ready to label myself as a Fibro patient as of yet. I'll keep searching for an answer or at least a confirmation.

I'm thinking about going back to work, part-time of course. I visited my 'old' work today and found out they still have a place for me. Its comforting to know that they are willing to work with me on my erratic schedule. I'm a little worried about whether or not I can "handle" working again since it seems the way I feel is still often unpredictable. But, the thought of having something to do makes me happy. Yay me :)