Here I am . . .

See the brightest comet in 30 years . . ..

A blast from the past . . . .

Ok, before I get to the stuff about choosing a new psychiatrist, above are two interesting astronomy links.

Re: the comet, go out before sunset and look west. Follow the directions that link says and you may see this comet, but after a few days from now it'll be too close to the sun. Go out before sunset because just after sunset it dips below the horizon, or some such.

On the second one . . . . it really is a blast from the past! It's like our own personal view backwards through time . . . . any astronomical viewing is, really; the sunlight some of you may be seeing right now down there in Australia is 8 minutes old; that's not TOO far back, but at least if the sun is gonna shoot some killer CME our way we'll have an 8 minute warning. I'm not sure that coronal mass ejections have ever killed anybody, but then again, they probably have, due to resultant power outages.

Anyway! I spoke with my ologist today about the closest iatrist's on my insurance's provider list. I'll be checking out Dr. O first. I'm going to see if I can set up a 10-15 minute phone call with him so's I can see if it's even worth both of ours' times to meet. I should be able to tell right off if he's going to come off as . . . well, Dr. B-ish as Dr. B did, right off the bat. If Dr. O wants a face to face meeting for this preliminary feel-out (er, that doesn't sound right . . .) then that's fine, too, although I gotta see what, if any, he wants to charge for that. I think maybe docs don't, for that, because it saves them time and money in the long run if I and they see at that meeting that we just don't fit, right off the bat.

On the other hand, it's worth it to see if perhaps we might be compatible, and then also to get an idea of their style (I now gotta ask about this, because Dr. B's style was so . . . forceful.), philosophies in regards to issues that would affect my care, how we handle med issues, etc. (ie, Dr. B doesn't and wouldn't prescribe lithium), their preferences as well, like that, and stuff. Gee, that's alot for 15 minutes . . . but I'm afraid of taking too much time.

Anyway, I'll give Dr. O a call tomorrow and see what their secretary/receptionist has to say about the way they run the office, anything she can tell about how they work (emergency coverage, usual hours (i.e., does he take a particular mid-week day off, like some docs do, etc.), and other stuff). And see what I can set up in the way of a sort of prelim to having this iatrist be chosen by me as the one for me, kind of meeting.

Maybe I'm just gunshy after the last (my first) one, but I think it'll be wise and best for my health if I can ask him some questions and stuff. I guess I also feel like I have to justify my desire to ask questions, and even apologize . . .

I also gotta call my ologist tomorrow and clarify something I told him. I brought some things to light that I realized were coming up in regards to our therapeutic relationship, including feelings of hating him (lol) and stuff. Anyway, I was quite pleased to identify these feelings, bring 'em forward, and figure out WHY. This means we can, as he would put it, "work it in a way that will be beneficial to me"; ie, we can work through any issues in the therapeutic relationship, and not only will the results of working it through be good for me, the process itself is sort of an incubator of learning for me, if that makes any sense . . .

I hate my therapist, good on me! Woohooo!!!! Okay, so I'm being silly. I also know I don't hate him, but that these are feelings brought up by issues and events my psyche is getting stuck on, that I didn't realize I was getting stuck on, until I identified these feelings of resentment and (mild?) hate or whatnot, about it . . . they are the CLUE that points to a problem, a stuck area, and I'm pleased I figured all that out on my own (more fodder for therapy, but I gotta clarify on the phone tomorrow something about it, anyway).

The therapeutic relationship is like a canvas that feelings, often buried, or "belonging" (ie, transference), to other events or relationships, get splashed across in sometimes disturbing, but quite often interesting, and sometimes silly ways. Well, silly isn't the right word . . . but I find some of the things that happen on this canvas kinda humorous, anyway.

Dokey okey, that's about it for now.

Oh, I'm feeling better, although a nagging and more than lingering cough w/junk in my lungs that won't come out hanging around and making things less than fun, from this icky flu.

Wish me luck w/Dr. O.