WHY TIME FLIES

Life got a bit crazy this past week, and I haven’t felt like writing. Monday last week was a terrible day with one thing after another going wrong and all kinds of stress all the way until 5 pm when I picked up Lisel after a horrific dentist visit (just a cleaning, but AUGH), and we drove to Costco where we zoomed in and out to buy party platters, and then went to an AIC mingle in Malmö, on the loveliest evening of the summer. I’ll back up a bit though.

Monday morning, I had to be in at the hospital in Malmö at 8:30 am for my third intravenous dose of Zessly Infliximab. That meant I had to get up extra early, and I didn’t have time to eat breakfast, and was super stressed out by rush hour traffic. At one point, we were standing still on the highway, for about 10 minutes, which felt to me like an hour, because at that point, I was sure I’d be late. Once at the hospital, I had to park in the garage and then walk all the way around instead of through, due to construction, and I got there JUST on time. The nurse called me right in and then wasted about 15-20 minutes just asking me questions and chatting (new nurse again), and then when I said something about it only being a half hour, she said, “oh, it’s an hour this time, it will be a half hour next time!” Which is exactly what the last nurse said the last time. ARGH. So I had to message work and let them know I’d be even later than I had thought, and would miss our daily 10 am meeting. I hadn’t even brought my Kindle, but luckily, I was able to access my book on my phone via the Kindle app. After the drip, I had to eat something, and I rand across the street to the Espresso House to get a toastie.

Got back to work basically in time for lunch, and then had to leave early as well, for a dentist appointment (cleaning), only to discover once there that my hygeniest had left and there was a new woman. She told me I needed to have X-rays taken as it has been over a year, and when she came at me with the plastic-covered camera thing, I told her I couldn’t manage with it and she’d have to remove the plastic due to my terrible gag reflex. She told me the plastic had to be on it, and I almost barked at her, “NO IT DOESN’T. You just have to wipe it down thoroughly after with a sterile wipe. I’ve had it that way for years.” She finally gave in and we managed the X-rays. Then she started to clean my teeth and began with some sort of electric tool that I have never had used on me before. It squirted water everywhere, and after the second time in a minute that it squirted water all over my face and up my nose, I made her stop, and asked her what the hell it was. She defensively said it was a tool that’s been around for 40 years, and when I said I didn’t want her to use it, she said she could clean my teeth manually, and I said, yes please, and then she was extremely brutal and hard-handed the rest of the visit, not pausing to give me breaks and keeping the suction tube tool in my mouth for too long so that I kept gagging. SO aggravating. She was snippy with me the entire time as well, every time I had to motion for her to stop for a few seconds. I hope there is another hygienist on staff because I definitely don’t want to go to her again. I left with all my teeth aching, and am still feeling the results a week later. 🙁

The mingle in the evening, however, was really nice, and helped a lot to turn my mood around. It was at Kirstin’s new apartment, in her courtyard, and we had a good turnout and lots of yummy finger foods to share. Lisel and I had picked up cold cut salami platters and a big box of cro-nuts (donuts made of croissant dough) at Costco on our way to Malmö. We had the first board meeting of the new AIC season after up in Kirstin’s apartment, which went well, and we have a new slate of nominees for the next board that I’m quite happy with. Even though I’m very bummed that Kirstin won’t be returning as President, I totally understand the reasons why, and we have an excellent replacement for her, which is a relief.

Anders was gone all week to Wales, and I had nothing scheduled both Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, On Thursday, I left work a little early and raced to the pharmacy to pick up all of the prescriptions I could, as it was the last day before my “hogkostnadskort” (high-cost card) ended. In Sweden, you pay up to a certain amount for your medical visits/appointments, and up to a different amount for your prescriptions. Once you hit that amount, you are then paying nothing for the rest of the year. I hit the high-cost mark pretty early this year due to all the medicines I was already on, even before the new medicines I’ve been prescribed for the colitis, and I’ve basically been paying nothing for months. The amount increased this year as well, so I will now have to pay 3800 kronor ($400) before I hit the high-cost threshold again. The amount was 2900 kronor ($305) before so it’s quite a big increase. I expect i’ll probably hit it fairly quickly though, since some of meds are pretty expensive and I consume so much. I’m currently taking 10 pills daily plus 2 vitamins, and another pill will be starting in another week, plus the drip, which is now every 2 months.

Then I raced home, ate a quick dinner, and then left again to pick up Lisel in Södra Sandby, and Kacy in Lund, after which we drove 30 minutes to Höllviken for AIC bookgroup. It was a nice evening and our host, Kelly, had made caribbean-inspired appetizers and a coconut cake in honor of the book theme. (Mr. Loverman by Bernardine Evaristo. Most everyone liked the book, though I didn’t think it was all that great. The only downer of the day was how late I got home and to bed after dropping everyone off again on the way back.

Friday, I again left work a little early and went to Malmö to meet Debbie and Camilla first for dinner at the Kronprinsen food court, and then we went to Malmö Castle to see Much Ado About Nothing performed in English by a touring British theater group that comes every year. We saw Romeo and Juliet last year. The play was excellent, and the weather mostly cooperated, which was good since we were sitting outdoors in the open air of the castle courtyard.

This weekend has been all about relaxing and recharging, which I really needed. We had originally been supposed to go to Copenhagen yesterday (on Saturday) to see a Michelangelo exhibit at The Danish National Art Museum, but we moved it to next weekend instead. I’ve done a few house chores both yesterday and today, and a lot of photo editing, but have spent a several hours just lounging on the deck in the sunshine, reading, and playing iPad games. Anders was gone to a vintage car rally for a few hours yesterday and today he went and hiked around Krankesjön (Kranke Lake) with his new backpack in preparation for a 10-day hike he is doing up north in a week (with an old Scout friend).

We’ve ordered takeaway for dinner tonight and Anders is leaving now to go fetch it. We binge watched all of season 1 of The Pitt Friday night (until 2:30 am!) and last night, and now have to find something new to watch again. I have another crazy week ahead: massage on Monday, AIC lunch and meeting the kids for dinner & travel plan discussion on Tuesday, and a 2-day overnight company off-site meeting in Båstad all Thursday and Friday. Hope we will still want to go to see Michelangelo next Saturday, after all that, as it’s the last weekend it’s showing.

Crazy busy, no wonder time flies! It wouldn’t be so bad, but WORK ITSELF is also crazy busy.

Mood: up and down
Music: Pippa Crossland—Light Years