The Laundromat is my church

My washer died 2 weeks ago. This is my second Sunday of going to the local laundromat early in the a.m. The upside of the laundromat: 5 loads of laundry in 1 hour versus all day laundry at home. Also, I was forced to relax during the drying time and actually read a book!

I desperately needed the downtime of sitting for one hour and reading as the week unfolded to some scary stuff. I have a "bruise" for a lack of a better word on my breast that hasn't gone away. Someone at work asked me if I knew what IBC was. I did not. Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Apparently you don't get a lump and this is one of the symptoms. So I left work early on Friday and went to see the doctor. The minute I arrived he was heading out for an emergency at the hospital. So I had to wait until Saturday morning to get to see him.

Meanwhile, between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, as I convinced myself that I had an aggressive form of cancer, I planned my finances in my head and made provisions for my daughter's future. The mind is a tricky thing.

My doc wasn't too concerned as he said that IBC is a rare cancer. I'm already scheduled for a mammography in December and he didn't feel the urge to move the appointment up.

So I didn't really feel any better as he added the disclaimer that "he could be wrong" because "his wife tells him he's wrong all the time." I left the medical center and went to the gas station. I was so distracted that I didn't replace my gas cap after filling up and drove off. I noticed almost immediately but couldn't find my gas cap when I retraced my steps.

This drove me nuts because I don't lose things, I don't hit things with my car, etc. - you see the point - and I couldn't believe I allowed myself to become unglued enough to lose a silly little gas cap.

My stress level, which I internalize as you'll see in my "100 Things About Me", was enough that all the muscles in my neck and shoulders are screaming with tightness. I thought a good night's rest would fix that but carrying the heavy loads of laundry didn't help.

I need a massage! And I need about a month off from work to regroup.