Sick leave isn't paid out. FYI, don't rage French press. I'm working from home this morning AGAIN because I have to reshower, clean the kitchen and toss these clothes in the laundry.

Rage French Pressing sounds like it could be painful and messy.

I have triple chocolate mousse cake waiting for me because I had to get up at 4:30am.

And I'm shakey due to nerves. Watch, div boss will be working offsite. Otoh, know my boss is in. And friend is taking me to lunch. Fuck my hours.

Ugh sara, that it totally rage-inducing. I'm so sorry.

So I've had an eventful two weeks. Those of you who are on FB may have seen that I got a cat the Thursday before Thanksgiving. His name is Javier, and he's four years old, and a total sweetheart. I got him from the Wake County Animal Center, about 45 minutes from where I live, where smonster's sister volunteers. Picking him up two weeks ago set off a chain of events that I'm still in the middle of dealing with.

When I went to Raleigh the Thursday before Thanksgiving to get the cat, I was hurrying trying to avoid rush hour traffic (not actually possible), and I drove through McDonald’s and got a burger and fries (bad idea) and I ate it really fast while I was driving. It was like a bomb went off in my stomach, and I was really nauseated and in a lot of pain. But I pushed through because I had to pick up Javier. I got him home, but then I was throwing up all night (which traumatized him, after getting fixed and coming to a new house all in one day) and then I was out sick that Friday. I stopped throwing up Friday morning, but I was in a lot of pain all weekend, which made me realize that it wasn’t a stomach flu or food poisoning. So I went to my doctor Monday afternoon, and she said that she thought it was my gallbladder, and scheduled an ultrasound to confirm it Wednesday morning. I went to the ultrasound on Wednesday, and they expedited the results to my doctor, because it was the day before Thanksgiving, and she said that I did have gallstones and an inflamed gallbladder, and I should have it out, and she was going to put an order in with a surgeon, but that the surgeon’s office probably wouldn’t get back to me until after Thanksgiving. By this point, the pain wasn’t as bad, but I also wasn’t eating very much.

I saw the surgeon yesterday, and she said that I needed to have my gallbladder out ASAP, and scheduled the surgery for this coming Monday, and I would be out of work for 10-14 days. OK. Then, right after I got back to the office, the surgeon's scheduler (Shelley) called me, and said that the surgeon who was going to assist my surgeon wasn’t available on Monday, and so I had to come in for surgery tomorrow (as in today). I was like, “WHOA, WHAT????” Shelley said that the only other date that was available was Dec. 11th, and the doctor said that my condition was too acute and it was too dangerous to wait that long. Hello! NO ONE TOLD ME THAT! I’ve been putting up with this pain for two weeks! No one mentioned DANGER when their Thanksgiving holidays were at stake!

Also, I live alone and have no family, and can't arrange for one of my friends to take a day off work and stay with me with just a couple of hours’ notice, I had loose ends to tie up at work, I needed a note for the clerk of court (I had a jury summons for Tuesday), a note for my boss about when I could return to work, I needed info on the cost and insurance coverage, etc.

So Shelley was great. She gave me info right away on the likely cost and insurance coverage, typed up the two notes while we were on the phone and faxed them to me, and interrupted the doctor while she was with a patient and got permission for me to have the surgery on the 11th. Now I just have to not spike a fever or have pain that’s “too severe” to wait until then, in which case I have to go to the ER.

So, I guess, ~ma that my gallbladder holds out for another eight days? Thx.

Oh good lord, Amy, what a pain! (Uh, literally, I guess). I hope all goes well and it waits until the 11th and you're able to arrange work and help! :( you live near a bunch of friends, right? This is the time when that seems like such a good plan to me. Wish I could arrange it (anyone want to buy the townhouse next to mine? It's not for sale yet, but my neighbor does want to move...)

Wow, Amyth! Add cat remove organ!

Now I'm all worried about you.

amyth, you win the shit olympics. But I'm glad you got a cat?

Div boss is offsite. Fuck.

Retiring CSC supervisor and IT CSC supervisor just got an earful, know I have no fucks left. Haven't talked to branch boss yet, but neither has she. I'm waiting until fuck leaves every other word of my sentences.

I'm all set for the 11th. My neighbor A. is taking the day off and is taking me to the surgery and staying the whole time. Calli is taking care of Javier. My friend, C. even said I could stay with her for a few days after the surgery, which I probably won't need, but is nice! I am officially out of jury duty and I am tying up all loose ends at work as we speak. I expect to be back at work (barring complications) for a whopping two days, and then fly to NYC on the 23rd for a great 12-day vacation. Any wacky dreams I had about Hamilton tickets will be going towards the surgery, for sure, but I wasn't going to buy Hamilton tickets anyway, who am I kidding?

I probably could have made that all work in time for surgery today (except for the work stuff, but sometimes you just need to LET THAT SHIT GO), but I just couldn't wrap my head around it, you know? And now that I have almost everything sorted, NOW I'm all worried about my gallbladder, when for the past two weeks, I've been all NBD about it. Of course, I didn't have a doctor tell me it was dangerous and urgent until about 3PM yesterday, either. But I need to just put it out of my mind. It's probably FINE! I've got Buffista ~ma on my side!

Oh man, amyth! Good luck with that.

Sara, I would definitely be calling out sick a lot this month. Sick of their bullshit, for sure.

In news of regrets, but not really, I have a food hangover today! After a delicious dinner at one of my favorite restaurants with my favorite over-orderer. I have a lot of leftovers in the fridge now, too.