at yesterday's appointment, my neurologist said the emg confirmed what the
mri indicated was happening--- the beginnings of progressive nerve damage
and a chronic left lumbar radiculopathy because of a herniated and collapsed
disc with leakage.   i will be having an epidural/s (cortisone injections--i
think that's what they use, isn't it?) between L5-S1, mainly because i
didn't elect surgery.  i'm still so hoping to avoid it.  the surgeon who
will do the epi wanted to read my entire file first, so my neuro had to fax
that over to them.  the surgeon's office just called and my appmt. is for
7:30am tomorrow morning in tacoma, about 12-15 miles from here, as close as
i can figure the distance.  she said this will be a minimum series of 3
injections (possibly 4, but they don't like to do 4 if they don't have to,
depending on how well i do).   one tomorrow and one more for each of two
additional appointments---is that normal?  i thought it was a one time shot.
i have to drive myself----will i be ok doing that?  she said they prefer
that i have somebody drive me the first time or have a backup plan the first
time.

the rest of this is kinda long and off topic--- about whether or not i did
ok in buying a new vehicle.  so, you don't have to read any further if
you're just interested in the arthritis stuff.
i'm sorry i haven't been able to keep up on asa, you guys.  i'm just so very
tired and still trying to function cogently on so little sleep.  got only 3
hours sleep last night and 3 hours the night before, which the best i can do
lately.  i think my lack of sleep is sustaining a headache.  what a wuss,
eh.

on a lighter note---after a year and a half of thinking about it,
researching and trying out different vehicles, i bought a new vehicle.
it's a 2005 toyota rav4, got it for $89 over invoice, which i made the
salesman make a xerox copy of off the vehicle window's invoice ( i checked
that out item for item on the web at several urls---theirs was only off by
ten bucks total, so i figured i was dealing with an honest dealership on
that score).  the $89 over invoice includes lifetime oil changes/lube
jobs/car washes/vacuuming each 3000 miles, for as long as i own the car and
i got them to include an extended bumper to bumper/drivetrain 7yr/75000 mile
warrantee (instead of toyota's standard 5/60,000 drivetrain and 3/36,000
bumper to bumper), including free roadside service and free loaner car
anytime the vehicle is worked on, aside from the routine oil change
stuff---all stipulated in the contract.

i had it also stipulated in the contract that if i don't like the cloth
seats "for any reason", that they will replace the cloth seats with leather
"at anytime" during my ownership of the vehicle (this model was supposed to
have come with heated leather seats, but the cloth seats were a factory
goof.  so they couldn't charge me for leather seats and i made sure, in my
contract, that they won't, even when the time comes that i do go for
leather, which i will<smile> (when i'm more rested).

i picked up on (overheard two other salesmen talking about this vehicle) the
fact they were going to trade several trucks and this particular vehicle off
to another dealership cuz they gave up on trying to sell it in a particular
time frame.   (and, i deduced, at the time, that the dealership didn't want
to pay our state's high inventory tax on it, had it on the lot too long, as
part of the reason for the trading?).  but i saw it first--- blocked in by
and among the trucks ready to be traded off.<smile>  i almost didn't buy the
vehicle because the cloth on the seats looks like it might snag easily and
so, they allowed me to stipulate my option about the leather seats in the
contract.   the shape of the front seats are wonderfully comfortable on my
back.

i've yet to find a headrest in any make or model vehicle that i checked out,
over these months, that is comfortable for my neck.  they all cause pain
when i lean against them, no matter how i adjust them.  i'm thinking about
buying a memory foam pillow and cutting it up, until i figure out the exact
right size and thickness for the headrest and my neck.  then, thinking of
taking the memory foam piece to an upholsterer and having a removable soft
leather sleeve made to fit snugly over the headrest, to hold the foam in
place on the headrest.  i'm thinking velcro closures, to secure the sleeve
and make it removeable.  does this headrest idea sound like a dumb one?

i paid two high school boys to clean and detail my seville and now have a
for sale sign on it out front.  (i'm gonna miss my polar baby, when she
goes.)  had it out front 10 minutes and somebody stopped to see it----a
lookie-loo.  have a call about it i have to return shortly.  sooo, she might
be sold faster than i thought.  i'm using the kelly blue book web site's
private party price for just "good conditon" (but she looks beautiful,
impecable paint, clean engine and clean inside and out---even the trunk
looks like you could eat in there after the boys got through with it.LOL)
and was glad i didn't trade it in for $500, which was all the dealership
would give me for it, after they and i agreed the rest of the deal on the
rav4.  kelly blue book said my seville should fetch $2185.  dunno.  but i
figure anything over $500 is better than trading it in.

i guess i'm blathering on about all this, hoping somebody will tell me if i
did the right things in the way i went about everything and if i did right
by myself.  it's been since 1974 that i bought a brand new car for myself,
all by myself, and sure hope i remembered all the tricks my uncle taught me
about doing that.

kate