Remember that Candlebox concert Mark and I went to? I was checking out some of the pictures on the radio station’s website and saw myself. Mark isn’t visible because he was behind me, but I’m right there in the front row

Mark and I are seeing Seether at Piere’s on Friday and.. Mark gets to go go-karting with the band! I’m not sure how many other people will be there, but I’ll be there to take pictures.

When you go to a dermatologist for a body exam, expect a full body exam. This was the first time I’d ever been to a dermatologist, and since I’m on Medicaid I had to get a referral from my regular doctor. The nearest dermatologist who was accepting new Medicaid patients was two hours from where we live. That isn’t a big deal to me since my oral surgeon was also pretty far away, but Mark has to drive. The difference between this trip and my first oral surgeon appointment was that something actually got done.

My first appointment with my oral surgeon, Dr. Shagholi, was a 5-minute consultation. Mark had to drive me an hour and a half for a five minute talk, where the only thing accomplished was that the surgeon now knew that I preferred low-dose pain killers. Despite sitting in the waiting room for 45 minutes because they were a half-hour behind, this trip seemed more worthwhile. The doctor, Dr. Pelligrini, looked at/for moles everywhere from my scalp to between my toes.. some places twice. It seemed very thorough.. I was asked if there were moles I was concerned about first, then I was able to show some new moles that had appeared within the last six months. I felt very comfortable asking questions and voicing concerns.

I feel much more confident about the moles my regular doctor always seems to ask about (the ones on my chest), and every other one, not to mention the mysterious spot on my forehead. Everything looked fine, though they did measure a spot on the back of my head. I’ll go back in January and if nothing has changed, we’ll do annual visits. That’s a relief. It would be more of a relief if I could get Mark to get an exam. He has some that worry me.

One thing these two offices had in common was that everybody was very nice. For someone like me, who feels “lower” than everyone else because I’m a medicaid patient, that’s important. The lady who took me into the exam room and went over my paperwork was great. She asked a few personal questions that I had no problem answering (like why I don’t drive and, after finding out that I have social anxiety disorder, if I was homeschooled) and make me feel like she genuinely cared. She told me that driving isn’t so bad and that she has a sister with S.A.D. and took little steps and is now doing things she couldn’t do before. She also told me to finish school, and that I was a very beautiful girl.

I wish all people were so nice.

It’s been over two months since my wedding so everyone who was reading the wedding blog has probably lost interest in it all. I do plan on posting more about our wedding eventually, like what our wedding cost, things that saved us money, what I learned, etc. Hopefully I’ll get around to that before everyone has forgotten that we even got married.

I noticed the other day that Mark and I have done a lot of traveling/staying in hotels in the past year. We stayed in Toledo for the weekend of my birthday, a week in Niagara Falls, Ontario.. and then the weekend in Monticello. Mark also has to drive about an hour further than where he works every two weeks for meetings (not to mention driving me to Marion and Marysville for “specialist” appointments - btw, dermatologist exam wet fine. The doctor said nothing looks serious but he’ll check me again in six months, then do annual visits. He did say that the “lovely little bump” between my eyebrows that keeps coming back is a cyst though.. nothing serious.). It’s all fun for me, but I’m not the one that’s had to drive all of these places. I bet he’s worn out! But, we’re driving to Kentucky in less than a month and staying the weekend down there. I think that’s our last trip though.. until next year.

Today is our two month anniversary - yay! It seems like our wedding was forever ago though. How strange.

I love being part of this family though. I’m so glad that Mark and I’s future children will have such a close family to grow up with. (and no, I’m not pregnant. The plan is still to wait for at least a year after we’re married.. when we have a better hold on our bills and getting the house ready for kids. I still can’t wait though I can’t even describe how exciting and beautiful I find pregnancy and parenthood.)

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