First, I need to say, I haven’t blogged in forever, because I switched VPNs, and my laptop won’t download it. Actually, my laptop needs to be overhauled, and then maybe it will work. I didn’t know I could write them on my iPad. Not as easy, but it will do.
The first thing to update, is that I am having some pretty major health problems. About a month ago, I went to the hospital with what I thought was a brain aneurysm. The pain in my head was excruciating and I couldn’t see straight. Apparently, my BP was in stroke range: 187/140 or something like that. They gave me a shot in my butt, and I was almost instantly better. They gave me an MRI, and it was fine, and they wanted me to stay in the hospital for at least a week. I told them that I couldn’t, and they looked at me like I was crazy. I told them I’m a single mother, and there was no one with my children. Then they understood. They let me go home on strict bed rest. I had two medicines to take and I had to take my blood pressure often. I didn’t have my insurance card yet, so I had to pay in cash. I will get reimbursed though.
I went back when I ran out of medicine, and my blood pressure was perfect. 87/68. I mean, my usual low. The Dr. said she wanted to be sure and she said I needed a 24-check, and that I needed to come at 9am two days in a row. When I came in the first day, what they did was put this apparatus on me that checked my blood pressure twice every 15 minutes. This honestly, could be a form of torture. There were times where the pain was unbearable.
The next day, I made an appointment for Rumi at the same time. She’s been having the this TMJ kind of problem. She had blood work and an ultrasound on her jaw and cheeks. This was her first time for anything like that. At the same time, the took the stuff off me and there were marks. My skin was bruised and there were cuts. Being Chinese, the technicians laughed. There is nothing I hate more about this culture than their instant reaction to laugh inappropriately, like when people are hurt or crying.
When the doctor said my overall reading was high and I need medication, I showed her my arm and I said maybe it’s high because I was in so much pain every time. She took that into account, but still said I need medicine. Both mine and Rumi’s doctors said we need more or better sleep. I got sleeping pills to go with everything else.
Meanwhile, my job has never been better. I have six less classes, only the highest students, and I’m the official librarian, so I really couldn’t be happier. However, I really need to sign up for the praxis and take it if we want to move. I’m not worried about taking it, but signing up, knowing it’s the right one, and getting there worries me.
Then I make strange decisions. We use a thing called WeChat here in China that’s like Facebook, Twitter, etc, put together. Everything is done on WeChat. Paying bills, work groups, second-hand shopping, crowd-sourcing. So in my neighborhood group, there was a student desperate to find a home for a one-month old puppy. I couldn’t stop staring at her. So now Sugar has a sister, Pumpkin, and they really love each other.
So the girls are doing great. Their homeschooling is going very well. Rumi’s teaching herself to play the guitar in addition the the keyboard she’s been playing for a while. Raine is wrapped up in dogs. Rumi is still the cat lady.
Smiling in Shanghai 