We Provide a Vital Service to Society

Just thinking about others can provide me a great deal of happiness.

For example, I was at the health clinic the other day. I drove myself there, and walked around the van parked in front of the entrance that was unloading people in wheelchairs. Instead of being annoyed at having to walk around, I was happy I could walk in rather than be pushed.

At the check in, the attendant asked me if my insurance had changed. I said it had not, and she informed me of the $20 co-pay. I could have been bothered by the $20 charge to have the doctor look at me and tell me I still have allergies, but I was just happy that I have insurance when others do not.

I was initially troubled that the traffic was bad on my way to work, but I reminded myself that I was there to go to my job. I'm sure there are people who would take this problem in exchange for their problems; I'll be happy having a job, thanks.

My daughter's fifth birthday party is upcoming, with a Princess Tea Party theme. I'm happy to be able to pick up a costume for her, without worrying what fabric it's made of; it won't irritate her skin. The thought of trying to track down gluten-free tea cakes does not cross my mind, 'cause it is a problem we don't have.

The logistics of a Disney World vacation are quite daunting, but it's really a problem (set of problems) I'm glad to have. The planning ahead, picking parks to go to, trying to decide where to eat (getting mealtimes that range from 4pm to 7pm for dinners), gaming the up-and-down prices on airline tickets. Then there's the stuff that happens right before the vacation, wondering what clothes to pack, how to ensure we're going to drink enough water, etc. Again, I'm sure it's a problem that many would trade me for.

When it comes down to it, looking up never makes me feel better. It's when I look around at the other people suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortunes, I see that I have plenty to be happy about.

Until another time,
Salt

I Take Their Word For It

I have a terrible sense of smell.

I didn't really figure it out how bad it was until I was in college. There was a rendering plant near college, and sometimes, when the wind was just right (or wrong), the entire campus smelled like dog food...to me. To others, it was retch-inducing. I started wondering why it didn't bother me so much, and eventually I figured out that I just didn't have a very sensitive sniffer.

Now, I like to know my boundaries and limits, so a friend of mine and I sat down, and we really analyzed how my nose treats smells. Granted, I have no basis for comparison, but we both tried to be as objective as possible. We came to the following conclusions:

1. I can smell things.
2. My nose (sense of smell) tires easily.
3. I have smell-memories.

The first one isn't that big a deal. The second one is interesting; I usually only smell things for one breath. You know how when you rub your fingertip on a piece of fabric, back and forth, until you lose sensation in the skin on your fingertip? It's like that. I can smell; then, I can't. So, we called that, "tiring".

As for the third one, I have memories that are related to smells. I can recall smelling things while doing something. I even recognize smells (usually, strong smells: skunk, roof tar, natural gas, etc.).

Now, this might not sound too bad. I mean, I've got two children that both went through diapers. Guess which parent got the stinky ones, and guess who emptied the diaper pail? Even now that they are older, I do the garbage. I get the stinky rotten food out of the back of the refrigerator. It doesn't bother me, we all just do the jobs we're best suited for.

One thing does make me wonder though. You see, not having a good sense of smell lends itself to not having a good sense of taste.

I can taste sweet, and salt, and spicy. Bitter doesn't really register (grapefruit juice is like a 'dry' orange juice to me), and sour isn't really there, either. I like a curiously strong mint. But I don't pick foods by flavor, usually, I really pick much of what I eat by texture, or how much fun it is to eat.

Now, I started talking to my mom about this, and she mentioned that my uncle (her brother) had a tasting issue also. He went and had some surgery on his nasal cavity, and voila! He can taste his food! I believe his exact quote was, "I'm going to weight 800 pounds!"

So, right now, I eat just about anything. I try to do so in moderation, or eat things that I know are good for me. I'm worried about looking into this surgery, 'cause I'm afraid I won't like some foods that are "fun" to eat, like hot wings, or spicy asian stir-fry, or grapefruit juice.

On the other hand, people tell me the difference between a still-warm, freshly-baked cookie and a cookie from the jar is amazing.

Until another time,
Salt

The Agony of De...Head

Migraines.

I have some friends who get migraines, and their sensitivities when so affected vary as widely as they do...some can't tolerate the rustling sound of the curtains moving; another can't move her facial muscles without pain shooting through her skull.

When I get a migraine, light becomes a searing, tear-inducing beam of fire. So, when I was dropping the children off at the Child Care center, and I felt like I had a needle behind my right eye, I started to feel a little apprehension. When I got back in my car to head toward work, I was hoping it'd just go away. By the time I reached the freeway, I had tears coming from my right eye. I turned around at the gas station, and drove home...squinting, blinking, and trying to drive while seeing as little as possible. It was a harrowing two miles.

I stumbled into the house, took two Excedrin, and felt my way downstairs. I lay down on the couch in the basement, trying not to look directly at my cellphone screen, so I could send a message to my wife to say I'd made it home (I had sent a message to her and my boss in the gas station parking lot). I lay there in the dark and quiet, mentally building walls to block the pain.

I have an extremely high tolerance of pain. Whenever I'm hurt, I explore the pain: probing, prodding, flexing...whatever I do that hurts, I need to know the exact thresholds of the pain. But not with a migraine. I fear this pain, so much so that when the pain spikes feel like they might be subsiding, I continue to lay still in the dark, maintaining my walls, for fear that it's not gone, only resting for another attack. I suppose it was a long four hours before I got the courage up to move..and it was going away. Tears still streaming from my eyes, but I knew it was going to get better from here. Those of you that have had migraines know: when they start, the pain comes at you like it will never stop.

I have a family history of migraines, something I was hoping that I would not inherit. I've done some research, and it seems to me that there are as many theories surrounding the onset of migraines as there are people who get them. For some people, it's a very specific triggering action. For others, it's something as generic as "when my blood pressure goes up." My trigger? I'm not sure. I've only gotten five migraines, three were close together (within a two week period), and two have been outliers. Not really very much to go on.

Anyhow, it's passed now, and I'm beyond grateful. Here's to hoping some doctors have a major breakthrough in finding the causes of these. I'll volunteer to be tested on.

Until another time,
Salt