My Lupus Awareness Month to-do list
As lupus awareness month comes to an end, it's a good time to make sure I'm doing everything I can to stay aware of and attentive to my disease. You read last week how negligent I was in finding a babysitter this past school semester. I'm going to make sure I don't make that mistake again.
Here are three, short-term items I need to tackle in an effort to keep the management of my disease in full swing, and the steps I need to make them happen:
A) Get a chest x-ray. My pulmonologist, Dr. B., ordered a routine x-ray about 3 months ago, and because I only see him every six months, I've been letting this one slide. But, I have a rheumatologist appointment in less than four weeks, and he'll want to know what Dr. B and I have been up to. So I need to get it done.
Step 1) Call insurance for update on where I can go. (It's been so long...I'm out of practice!)
Step 2) Call for x-ray appointment.
Step 3) Arrange for babysitter or Johnny-coverage during appointment.
Step 4) Go to appointment.
B) Arrange for afternoon babysitter for summer months. Okay - this one is easy, because I actually set this up several weeks ago. But I need to go back through the schedule, and arrange for my back up babysitter to come on the days my main sitter can't come. I also need to make sure any mornings when I need help are covered.
Step 1) Review schedule, identify days that aren't covered.
Step 2) Contact back up sitter for coverage. (In fact, I stopped in the middle of typing this blog, texted my back up sitter, and asked her to fill in for one day this week. Oh, how this blog keeps me in line!)
Step 3) Arrange with Johnny if no coverage is available (for doctor's appointments, speaking engagements, gift shows, etc.)
C) Make plans for moving day. That's right, I'm happy to announce that within 6 weeks or so, we should be moving back into our newly renovated house. There's plenty still to be done, but I'm hopeful that right around the Fourth of July, we'll be shooting off fireworks from our old house, and not our rental. With that move, comes days worth of packing and unpacking, and I'm determined to stay healthy throughout the process. (We also have a week's vacation planned right smack dab in the middle of the move - one that I'm looking forward to, but which will just cause a few wrinkles.) Here's my packing and moving strategy:
Step 1) Decide what comes with us, and what doesn't - pitching, donating, or selling as necessary. (Got a head start on this as a charity group just picked up a bag of clothes yesterday.)
Step 2) Begin packing the stuff we aren't using.
Step 3) Hire moving company.
Step 4) Recruit help on one end, if not both ends of the move. (My dad was a lifesaver last time, and it just so happens that he'll be in town a week or two before our supposed move date. How fabulous is THAT!)
That's it for me - I think I have plenty of work ahead to make sure I ease into the summer, disease-activity free. I'll keep you posted!
Here are three, short-term items I need to tackle in an effort to keep the management of my disease in full swing, and the steps I need to make them happen:
A) Get a chest x-ray. My pulmonologist, Dr. B., ordered a routine x-ray about 3 months ago, and because I only see him every six months, I've been letting this one slide. But, I have a rheumatologist appointment in less than four weeks, and he'll want to know what Dr. B and I have been up to. So I need to get it done.
Step 1) Call insurance for update on where I can go. (It's been so long...I'm out of practice!)
Step 2) Call for x-ray appointment.
Step 3) Arrange for babysitter or Johnny-coverage during appointment.
Step 4) Go to appointment.
B) Arrange for afternoon babysitter for summer months. Okay - this one is easy, because I actually set this up several weeks ago. But I need to go back through the schedule, and arrange for my back up babysitter to come on the days my main sitter can't come. I also need to make sure any mornings when I need help are covered.
Step 1) Review schedule, identify days that aren't covered.
Step 2) Contact back up sitter for coverage. (In fact, I stopped in the middle of typing this blog, texted my back up sitter, and asked her to fill in for one day this week. Oh, how this blog keeps me in line!)
Step 3) Arrange with Johnny if no coverage is available (for doctor's appointments, speaking engagements, gift shows, etc.)
C) Make plans for moving day. That's right, I'm happy to announce that within 6 weeks or so, we should be moving back into our newly renovated house. There's plenty still to be done, but I'm hopeful that right around the Fourth of July, we'll be shooting off fireworks from our old house, and not our rental. With that move, comes days worth of packing and unpacking, and I'm determined to stay healthy throughout the process. (We also have a week's vacation planned right smack dab in the middle of the move - one that I'm looking forward to, but which will just cause a few wrinkles.) Here's my packing and moving strategy:
Step 1) Decide what comes with us, and what doesn't - pitching, donating, or selling as necessary. (Got a head start on this as a charity group just picked up a bag of clothes yesterday.)
Step 2) Begin packing the stuff we aren't using.
Step 3) Hire moving company.
Step 4) Recruit help on one end, if not both ends of the move. (My dad was a lifesaver last time, and it just so happens that he'll be in town a week or two before our supposed move date. How fabulous is THAT!)
That's it for me - I think I have plenty of work ahead to make sure I ease into the summer, disease-activity free. I'll keep you posted!
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