Beets used to cost 49 cents a bunch!

Wheelie had his appointment today with the neurologist.
On Friday he had his cat scan.
Evidently, nothing weird showed up on that.
The doctor told him that the problems he was having were not of a neurological nature (the dizzy spell etc. on Saturday) That it might have been a drop in blood pressure (which is what we thought all along anyway) Or that it had something to do with his heart. Since he already had an echo done of his carotids, and the results are still pending, the doctor wouldn't commit to a diagnoses. He might have to go back and have his heart checked again though. We'll wait until we get the results from the echo, due tomorrow.

BUT....!!!! Surprise, surprise!!!

He was familiar with MJD! Apparently this disease and many spino cerebellar ataxias are now studied in medical school, as they are becoming more prevalent.
Usually we end up educating the doctors about this, but this fellow had done his homework. Wow!

The doctor thought it would be prudent (Geesh, where do all those big words come from?) to do genetic testing!!!

Even though Wheelie was diagnosed in 1979 by the neurologist who 'discovered' this disease, the gene was not discovered until the late 1980s, so we really never got absolute proof that it really was MJD.

In the past genetic testing was very expensive, one reason many people don't even bother. But this time Humana/Medicare will cover the whole sjebang!

We will be sent a kit, and will get a phone call to set up an appointment. The company that does the testing will come out to our house and take the blood, then ship it off to their labs in New York.
It will take 3-4 weeks to hear the results.

We were both surprised with this turn of events, I never thought Wheelie would go along with testing, but...he did!

So after I dropped him off at home, I went back to the supermarket for some "quality time alone." (I had already had a full day, since I had done four loads of laundry and babysat Boo for an hour so that Bugs could get her oil changed.)

You might think it's a little pathetic that I get my jollies from going to the grocery store, but it really calms me down. I don't have to worry about Wheelie, don't have to worry about him watching what I buy. Don't have to worry about him having to wait while I browse the greeting cards and the book section.

It's also a great opportunity for me to mingle with other adults. I kid you not! Love just bumping into people and striking up a little conversation. It's pretty much one of the only times I get to interact with adults!

So I was dawdling in the vegetable section. And I gasped at the price of beets. $3.99 for a bunch (three little beets)!!!! Beets used to be the cheapest vegetables you could buy for God's sakes!

A few other ladies agreed with me, and we all just stood there pointing at stuff and bitching about the prices.
Then one lady said: Yes, but you are still ABLE to pick from this nice array of fresh vegetables.
What a party pooper! Who cares if there is a nice frigging ARRAY of vegetables to pick from when you can't AFFORD them?

Wheelie won't let me buy corn on the cob unless it's 10 for a dollar. *LOL*
(another reason I like to shop alone, so I can buy stuff he doesn't want me to buy.)

So I enjoyed my little shopping trip. Bought some nice smelling, relaxing, SOOTHING, baby shampoo and lotion (which ain't cheap either, folks!) and some other stuff we needed.
I even bought an expensive artichoke! *grin*

All in all a pretty good day, if I may say so myself.

Gotta savor these days you know!

SGMKJ!