Arthur Itis

I'm not updating much, am I? I started to wonder if I should have a journal (or weblog) at all. I can't be attracting much traffic with my infrequent updates and rather dull life. But on the other hand it's nice to have a place to write things out when I need to think about them, and to keep track of my life to look back on later. A sensible person would keep a private journal, but I've never been able to maintain a journal just for myself. Even though I know hardly anyone reads this, I like the idea that anyone can. Plus sometimes people find me through Google and I have something useful for them, which is nice.

We went to the doctor on Tuesday because Delphine has had a cold, and on Sunday we noticed a rash on her torso. She had a shitty day yesterday, crying and miserable all day, but last night she slept like an angel. By the time we went to the doctor this morning the rash was all but invisible and I looked like a crazy neurotic mom. The doc said that rashes like that are pretty typical symptoms of a viral infection. She checked Del's glands, lungs and ears and she looks generally okay, although she said to look out for an ear infection in about a week.

While I was there I asked about being checked for rheumatoid arthritis. I said I'd heard that if it's treated early enough they can prevent it from getting worse, and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to treat it early. (Trying, as usual, not to sound like a hypochondriac -- I feel stupid complaining about arthritis at 28 years old.) The doctor doesn't think it's rheumatoid because it's only in my hips. She thinks it's osteo-; I think it might be rheumatoid because it started when I was in high school, it went away when I was pregnant and came back with a vengeance after Delphine was born, and because that's what my mother calls her arthritis. Actually, now that I think about it I didn't tell her the first thing, and the last thing is perhaps not so useful. Anyway, she ordered a blood test to check for rheumatoid factors (which will also apparently detect syphilis -- good to know) so I duly went to have my blood taken and soon we'll know either way.