Now, the *really* important stuff

There's a solid reason why my fuse today finally burned out on my doctor's office staff. First of all, as I said, they do have a lengthy history of handling incoming calls and refill requests like this. Look through this blog, which goes back nine years, and you'll see I'm not kidding. The most recent iteration of this was as recent as last May.

But there are far more important things going on than my worrying about my aching head. As I posted recently, my father-in-law is back in the hospital. This morning, when I saw Mark's family at the memorial service for his uncle -- the third time since April that the family has convened because of a bereavement -- I learned that they did an MRI of my father-in-law's head today because there is some suspicion that he has had a stroke. He is having issues with swallowing, and he can't walk at all nor get out of bed without falling. Those are some huge red flags, in my book, and so I think they're right to pursue the possibility that the reason for these symptoms is a stroke.

I don't know how long it will take for them to analyze the MRI results and provide answers. But once the doctors come back with some concrete results, and offer a treatment plan, Mark and his siblings might have to sit down and discuss what the best options are for both parents. My mother-in-law uses a wheelchair already. If they BOTH can't walk, that's going to signal a need for changes in the existing routine.

We visited him in the hospital, after the memorial service for his brother. What a shame he had to miss that. :-( To my great relief, he was very placid and happy. He likes the place, he likes the food, he likes the people there. That's a great improvement over when he was first admitted and all he wanted to do was go home.

Still... multiple bereavements in the family within weeks of each other, plus my aunt's cancer going from being diagnosed to needing hospice within six weeks... this is where my headaches are coming from, and this is why I went into Rant Mode over the prescription. I finally had enough.

Now that I've gotten that steam out of my system, though, I'm going to make a point of not breathing flame on anybody else. I am staunchly determined not to turn into Dragon Lady over this.