6

The neurologist I saw on Monday (a different one from today) wants to see me again. His receptionist called me earlier and she set me up with an appointment for Tue May 9. That's a long time away. She'll call if there are any cancellations, so I can get in earlier.

5

I just got home from seeing the neurologist this morning for EMG testing. Having electricity pulsed through my nerves and then long needles stuck into my muscles is not a pleasant experience. She doesn't have a diagnosis but said it's not due to lack of exercise or an injury and at this point is likely a problem with the muscles or the connection between the muscles and the nerves. She ordered a genetic blood test for spinal muscular atrophy but told me not to read too much into it yet. The blood sample goes to the BC Children's Hospital for analysis and takes two weeks to get the results back. They may also do a muscle biopsy to analyze a sample of my muscles. I won't know anything for a while, until they call me.

I talked to my mom and told her what happened but left out what the blood test is for.. I don't want to worry her too much. She is certain that there are no muscle problems in her family history.

The benefit of having a unique last name

BC Hydro just contacted me. I worked for them back in the Fall of 2002 and I am eligible for some sort of profit sharing program with their employees. They didn't have my current information on file and apparently I never responded when they send me a letter a few years ago, so they were going to write off the payout. But my name stood out and someone from HR looked up my last name and contacted my parents who forwarded the message to me (since I'm not listed in the phone book) . There is now a cheque for me on its way in the mail.

4

I have an appointment with a neurologist for Thursday at 9am. Hopefully then I will find out what's going on.

3

I went to the doctor this afternoon. She went over my blood test results from last week and ordered some more blood tests. I couldn't wait until Wednesday to find out what's happening so I went to the emergency room at St. Paul's hospital. I saw a neurologist and he did a whole bunch of tests. Three hours later, he couldn't tell me what it was, but he ruled out my ligaments and nerves. He said it was something in the muscles but needed to do more tests. They are going to call me tomorrow and tell me when I can come in. They are going to do some sort of test where they run electrical pulses through my nerves or muscles and then they can pinpoint what's going on. The good news is that it's probably not hereditary. None of my parents or their extended family have any muscle problems, which is very good.

The doctor I saw this afternoon called me at 9:30 to see how I was doing. I gave her an update of what happened in the hospital. That was nice of her to call, especially since it's a walk-in clinic and they don't typically offer the same level of personal service as a family doctor.

2

I feel so useless right now. I went to a BBQ yesterday and couldn't even walk around because there were so many stairs on the porch. My coworkers went to Pacific Centre for lunch today but I stayed here and went to the food court in my building because I don't want to fall down on the stairs descending into the food court from the street outside (and I also have to get back up the stairs).

1

Well.. I've managed to hurt myself. I overexcerted myself in aikido and I guess I broke something in my knees. Aikido is a lot of falling down and getting back up, so it requires a lot of lower body strength. Two weeks ago, it got to the point where I was down on the mat and I couldn't get back up.. I just collapsed. I sat out the rest of the class and hoped it would get better after a few days. A week and a half later, it was just as bad, so I went to see a doctor on Wednesday. He sent me to a specialist; my appointment is for next Wednesday. This is scary, it's affecting my mobility. If I step down at the wrong angle, my knee just gives and I fall down.

I went over to my parents' place for dinner tonight and I was contemplating whether to tell my mom yet or wait until I find out the problem before telling her. I don't want her to worry, she already calls enough to see how I'm doing now that I'm out on my own. I told her about what happened and when I left the house, she stood on the porch and watched me walk with a limp to the car. She kept standing there while I sat in the car getting ready to drive away.

Personality Type

My personality from the okcupid 32-type dating test:

The Slow Dancer
Deliberate Gentle Love Dreamer (DGLDm)
Steady, reliable, and cradling her tenderly. Take a deep breath, and let it out real easy...you are The Slow Dancer.

Your focus is love, not sex, and for your age, you have average experience. But you're a great, thoughtful guy, and your love life improves every year. There's also a powerful elimination process working in your favor: most Playboy types get stuck raising unwanted kids before you even begin settling down. The women left over will be hot and yours. Your ideal woman is someone intimate, intelligent, and very supportive.

Your exact opposite:The Hornivore
Random Brutal Sex Master

While you're not exactly the life of the party, you do thrive in small groups of smart people. Your circle of friends is extra tight and it's HIGHLY likely they're just like you. You appreciate symmetry inrelationships.

ALWAYS AVOID: The Battleaxe
CONSIDER: The Maid of Honor or The Sonnet

Continuing Education

I registered for a course at VCC. They offer certificate programs in either Substance Abuse or Counselling Skills, and both programs require a basic counselling skills course as a prerequisite. I went to an information session back in January, and they said that about 50% of the people who take the prerequisite course are professionals like me who want to gain new soft skills and have no interest in pursuing their certificate programs. The class is capped at 18 students and focuses on interaction with classmates. I'm looking forward to it. It starts next Tuesday and runs for 10 sessions plus two Saturday mornings.

Basic Counselling Skills (CNSK 1101)
Attended by thousands, this course is the prerequisite for both the Substance Abuse and Counselling Skills Certificate Programs. This practical course provides relationship building and listening skills to improve communication with clients, coworkers, friends and families. Open to those who wish to take it as a stand alone course for general interest and/or professional development. Students describe “Basic” as life changing! Self disclosure, self exploration and fluency in English is necessary. 36 hours