The Unexplained Rash

I have a rash. On my upper left arm. It was on the upper section of both arms when I originally saw it, 1 day over 5 weeks ago now, but the right arm has cleared up considerably. Except for the red dot I noticed this morning which may or may not be the same thing.

I work with medical doctors and I use their knowledge shamelessly. They can not treat me, if treatment is needed, but I use them to decide if treatment is needed, antibiotics or testing. I showed 4 of them this rash. They all said the same thing, "Hmmmm, isn't that interesting." Not helpful at all.

One said it looked like bed bugs. It isn't, but it does look like the pictures of bed bug bites on the 'net.

My rash does not itch. It is possible that I have had it for more than 5 weeks, because the only way I noticed it was looking into a mirror without a shirt on.

So 2 weeks and 3 days ago I went to see a dermatologist. Ok, a dermatologist's P.A., but it was in the dermatologist's office. She said, "Hmmmm, isn't that interesting," and took a plug out of my arm. This is called a punch biopsy, because it is like using a hole punch to remove skin. I didn't look until the 2 stitches were completed. I had no interest in seeing down to the fat layer of my arm.

The PA called me on Tuesday 19 May, 6 days after I was there to tell me the biopsy showed a "collagen vascular disorder." I wrote it down, so I could google it later. Then she dropped the bomb, "Lupus." She did explain that this was not certain and that we would need blood tests to confirm or refute this. I was still slightly hysterical, but my work doctors said not to be. They did say she should never have mentioned the word, but that blood tests would probably show this was incorrect. So off I went to give blood on the 20th, expecting the results (because that is what I was told) on the 22nd. Nothing.

I waited patiently until Thursday the 28th. Then I called. Then I played phone tag, then the PA called again and told me it was fact. I have Lupus.

Except I may not have it.

My work doctors, without access to my lab work, said the chances that one test proved Lupus was slim.

My family doctor, who finally had to send someone to the dermatologist's office to pick up my paperwork, because only 2 of the 3 pages had been faxed to them, said it was possible, but not all that likely.

So I gave more blood yesterday and I have a follow up appointment with my family doctor next Thursday, the 4th. Hopefully I will have some answers then, but it is possible that I will only have more questions.

Until then I wait.

I Wish I Could Find That 'Blog Again!**UPDATED**

On the night after President Obama gave the address to the Naval Academy graduates, I was clicking around the Web, probably bored, possibly actually looking for something, who knows? I seem to have wandered into a 'blog that I don't normally read. Or maybe it was a 'blog I do normally read and they were having an "I am a liar and I hate President Obama" moment, I am not sure.

Either way the post I read was complaining that the graduates were not allowed to wear their ceremonial swords because of security reasons, simply because the President was going to be there.

Hmmmm, I said. I googled it. I snopesed it. I searched everywhere I could find and found one vague reference (on a blog!) to the swords and the fact that they had not been worn since 9/11.

Where do I find this information? Where do I look? I am really curious now.

So I emailed the Naval Academy. And waited. And waited. And waited.

Frankly, I had forgotten about it and now, today, I receive an email back from them (THANK YOU!) with an answer.

My email:


Good evening,

I was happy to see President Obama's speech to the 2009 Naval Academy Graduates, but I have heard a lot of grumbling about the fact that the graduates were not allowed to wear their swords to the ceremony. I saw somewhere that this has been the policy since 9/11, but it was not on any official site. Has this been the policy since 9/11 or was this a new policy specifically for President Obama's address?

Thank you for your time and attention in this matter,

LeftLeaningLady*
Navy Spouse (retired)
AF Veteran

Their answer:

Ma’am,

Swords have never been worn to graduation by Midshipmen or others anytime in recent memory. They are only worn for ceremonial purposes such as parades, and then only by Brigade Officers.

Respectfully

Unfortunately I do not remember which blasted website had the original post! How annoying.

But I know the truth and will be able to pass it on to anyone else I find who does not know what they are talking about. On this subject. Because it comes up so often.

*Yes, I signed my real name in the email.

**UPDATE**
Apparently I did NOT read a 'blog whining about this. On Friday afternoons, DSD and I have drinks with friends. There are a large group of people we know who go to this same bar. I like it on the Fridays I get off work early enough to drive home first, so that DSD can drive us both to the bar. (Many Fridays I don't get off work early, then I am stuck drinking mostly soda). Apparently on the night in question, I had gotten off work early, DSD had driven us both and I had, to put it politely, over-imbibed. On the way home DSD told me about one of the guys complaining about this. "It was a great speech, but it is ridiculous that the graduates were not allowed to wear their swords." So, the result was the same. I found the answer. I will print the email and carry it around with me until I run into this man again, since he may or may not be there this Friday. I just figured I should confess my drunken state. Still the email I sent to the Academy was pretty well written for a drunk a$$.

Shame on Them

Banning gay marriage is just wrong. It is illegal and immoral and, while voters have the excuse of stupidity, the California Supreme Court should not. The Constitution gives equal protection to all.

Let's start accepting each other as we are or we are never going to move past this nightmare we are in.

Heartbreaking

I can not imagine how a person survives the death of a child. I hope I never find out.

My sympathy goes out to the Tyson family in the loss of their 7 year old daughter.

Gone too soon. Rest in Peace, little miss.

No One Is Perfect

After seeing that President Obama had made his announcement for his Supreme Court nominee, I checked several different news pages to try to form an opinion of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. There are things to like about her, of course, but I am not sure I am happy with her for this position. There seems to be several issues that I am not comfortable with, but the main one is whether or not she is going to vote based on the Constitution or based on some other criteria. Some things she has said made it sound like she would be going with the latter.

I hope not. I hope I misunderstood and she is going to do a great job.

Time will tell.

Fun On a Rainy Saturday

The weather here is atrocious. Rain. Wind. Nasty. I have to go grocery shopping shortly and I am dreading it. So it was a nice thing to find a little Saturday morning memory over at UncommonSense. I have so many favorites I can't even remember them all. But this has always been one of my favorite favorites, maybe because I remember an entire class humming this tune on an AP History test.



Have a great weekend.

He Can Crawl Back Under His Rock Now

I remember thinking, in the days and weeks post 9/11, that hadn't seen ol' Dick in a while. Honestly, I wondered at times if he had died and BushCo was afraid to announce it because they had the entire nation whipped into such a fear frenzy that it may push us over the edge.

Alas, he was there the entire time, pulling the puppet strings from behind the curtain.

I miss the days when he was MIA. Could he just go away and STFU?

Believing in the CIA

The CIA has been in the news a lot latey, claiming that the entire Congress (but especially Nancy Pelosi) knew exactly when the torture started and how it was being done and that they (she) had approved it and it just wasn't their fault. Following orders, you know.*

Ms. Pelosi is not very popular across America, although she does not seem to have a lot of trouble getting re-elected to her seat. I don't pay a lot of attention to the hoopla surrounding her. She is from a different state and I can not vote for her or for her opponent and I have a difficult enough time following the bozos.. I mean, politicians, in my own state.

But this is the same CIA who fed us information on WMDs. Non-existent WMDs. WMDs which led to a war that has cost this country far more than any dollar amount could explain.

Plus, there is old Newt screaming about her. Screaming that there should be an investigation into what she did or didn't know. Can that be proven at all, either way? Why isn't Newt screaming about those who have ADMITTEDLY authorized the torture?

And why isn't anyone other than NPR carrying this story about former FL Senator Bob Graham?

former Sen. Bob Graham of Florida, is also disputing the CIA's version of the briefings that he received at the time.
...
Graham is known as a meticulous note-taker and has maintained a daily log that fills hundreds of spiral notebooks
...
I called the CIA and asked for the dates in which I had been briefed," Graham tells Robert Siegel. "They gave me four: two in April of '02, two in September."
Graham says he consulted his logs "and determined that on three of the four dates there was no briefing held."
He adds: "On one date, Sept. 27, '02, there was a briefing held and, according to my notes, it was on the topic of detainee interrogation."

Because corroboration of her story makes her seem slight less insane? Sen Graham does go on to say that waterboarding and other torture techniques were not mentioned. At.All.

And he makes the same connection I did above about the CIA and the WMDs, but does a better job of it.

Maybe the CIA needs to rethink its approach to this issue and go back to pointing the finger at those who authorized this stain (one in a long line) on America.

* The military are required to follow orders, but only those considered "lawful" and active duty military personnel can be prosecuted for following "unlawful" orders, as can be seen by the Abu Ghraib scandal. If 18 or 19 kids are supposed to be able to tell the difference, why aren't the grown up in the CIA being held accountable?

I Like Sharing Good News!

Even when it proves that I can be wrong occassionally.

BabyBoy has been looking for work just like the rest of the country. He is 20 with very little experience outside of fast food, but he called a couple of weeks ago and asked me to help him with his resume. He and one of his roommates had created one for him. Could I look it over and print it for him? (They don't have a printer)

It sucked. I fixed it and the entire time I was thinking, "How is having a resume going to help him? Fill out an application, get a job! What a waste of time!" But I did it for him, changing things in it from "cleaning" to "ensuring area met all sanitary guidelines" because it sounds better.

I also added all of his theatre work, 2 roles and 4 times as a technician to show that he HAS been busy even when he hasn't been employed.

He called yesterday! He has a job! Full time. Ok, seasonal, but still.

And that blasted resume is what got it for him. He went to a local 'resort' (I like to call it a hotel, but whatever) and was filling out an application for a desk clerk or something and he handed his resume to the HR person. Well, I guess this particular resort has a kids camp and would BabyBoy like to spend his summer dressing up like a pirate or a parrot and entertaining the little darlings? And when he isn't doing that, would he like to arrange Rock Band competitions for the teenagers? And, since this is a brand new game, would he like to PLAY the game, ON THE CLOCK, to open up the songs which are not yet opened?

Of course he would. He starts tomorrow!

So, I was wrong about the resume. AND all those times I told him, "Playing video games is not going to help you in your future!"

I'm okay with being wrong. Just.This.Once.

I Are a Graduate!

After 24 years and four different majors (I think only 4) I have finally attained an Associates Degree from the local Community College. Due to my misspent youth, I missed cum laude by .8 of a point. Oh, well, better luck next time.

I am taking the summer off and plan to start at Troy University in the fall. That is the plan, we will see how it works!

For now, I am just basking in a job well done!

Happy Mother's Day!

My mom did not have the easiest life growing up. She was the youngest girl of many children whose parents were... well, they sucked. She was not shown love, respect or taught how to love or respect others. She wasn't really raised; she just survived.

She swore that when she had children their lives would be different. She was going to be a good mother.

And she has been. She has been the best mother that any girl could have asked for. She has been there for me every single time I have needed her or thought that I needed her and many many many times when I didn't know that I needed her. She never got beyond a high school diploma. She never made millions. But she definitely attained her goal of being a good mother.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! I love you!

Oh The Horror!

Some people in this world need to get a life.





Just for the record, I don't eat a lot of mustard.

But my husband eats his hamburgers with mustard and mayo (NO KETCHUP!) and, if we have it in the house, he prefers spicy mustard. According to him, that is the way an average guy eats his burgers. This isn't news.

H/T to Badtux

I Don't Like What She Says

Or, frankly, what she believes in. But I do believe in the Bill of Rights, so I will respect her right to believe in it and say it.

That seems to be the difference between people like me, compassionate, caring, liberal and people who are not like me, hate filled, war mongering, conservatives. Liberals believe in the Bill of Rights and a person's right to their own thoughts, feelings, beliefs. Conservatives believe in telling people they should shut up and sit down or get out of the country.

Carrie Prejean has every right to the belief that homosexuals should not be allowed to marry. She also has the right to SAY that homosexuals should not be allowed to marry. That does not give her, or the state of California (or any other state) the right to not allow homosexuals to marry.

It also does not give something called "The Dirty" the right to bad mouth her about tastefully done modeling photographs or call her a whore.

Carrie Prejean is illinformed, due to her upbringing and her inability to allow a fresh thought in her head. But that is her right.

Just as it should be the right of couples over the age of 18 to pledge their undying, forever love to each other.

One day, maybe, the Bill of Rights will cover both.

Happy Birthday Lola!

Ok, she is the dog. But she has brought so much joy to my life! She is so happy, so loving and it so great to go home to her after a long day at work.

We're not having a doggy party. And she is not getting a doggy cake (why would I feed my dog cream cheese?). But I do have a nice present for her and a can of dog food, which we save for special occassions.

I hope her birthday is wonderful and she has many, many, many more of them.