More physical woes

As if I didn't have enough crap going on in the last month. Now I have a mystery pain somewhere under my right ribcage (below it, not under it, does that make sense?). At first it only hurt (a stabbing pain) when I moved a certain way (bending over straight, twisting to the right, or squatting down and crunching up those non-existent abs). Naturally, I avoided moving that way. Now it hurts when I pick things up (34-pound toddler, anyone?), and my back is starting to hurt. Very strange. Otherwise, no symptoms - no nausea, at least, so that rules out appendicitis. Come to think of it, I'm not even sure what side your appendix is on, so what the hell do I know?

Thanks to our new (cough) "insurance," I had to scout around at the beginning of the week for an area (NOT Grass Lake, NOT Manchester, NOT Jackson) doctor who accepts said insurance. Since this took a few days (and finally, a personal recommendation from someone E works with), I don't have an appointment until next week (in Chelsea. Close enough).

I think not knowing what the hell it is (should your liver be sending out shooting pains? Would you feel a bleeding ulcer that far to the right and north of your belly button? Can't you feel a hernia poking through? Is it something even worse than that?!) is making it worse than it actually is. That's my hope, anyway. Yet another factor is that I haven't experienced PMS in three months, when you think about it.

I'm going to a male doctor for the first time in YEARS, and also hoping I don't come across sounding like a hysterical female when I have my appointment next week. All it takes is for me to keep my mouth shut. I tend to analyze every little ache and pain I've had in the last year, especially when seeing a new doctor. But as a patient, I also need to speak up. It's all about finding the balance. Hard to do when you're panicking.

Oh, and a final factor is my swimming. I've been trying to get in a mile (36 laps) every couple of days. Maybe my body is just saying "WHOA! EXERCISE?! What fresh hell is this?!"

Yeah, right.