#*&%@#!!!!

I turns out that swearing actually helps us tolerate pain. So when you stub your toe and say $%&*!, it's a normal response that helps your boo boo feel all better. Some researchers made some college students stick their hands in ice water and swear until they couldn't stand it anymore. Another group did the same, but said a non-swear while they were doing it. The swearing group lasted longer. The swearing comes from the emotional part of the brain, not the language part. Apparently, swearing triggers an aggressive flight-or-fight response or something. I mostly enjoyed reading about it because they messed with college students, which is always fun. (I'm sure they paid them to participate, but my boys would have done it for free if it meant they got to swear for a while, with an adult's permission.)

I'll keep all of that in mind tomorrow when I get some blood drawn. I have my 3 month (give or take a week) appointment with Dr. R.

I don't expect any big surprises. I feel fine -- in fact, I've been through the longest "feeling fine" stretch I've had in a while. Once I had that MRI a couple of months ago, and that miraculously ended my dizziness, I haven't had any big complaints. At least, I haven't had any complaints that I couldn't explain (like a touch of swine flu). That wasn't the case for the first half of 2009.

I always get a little tense for a few days before an appointment with Dr. R, and start to wonder if that stomach rumbling was the sushi or some other problem, or if that bump is a node popping up or just a bump. But the hot spot of nodes near my hip bone hasn't grown any, from what I can tell, and in fact might be a little smaller. Dr. R might find something on a physical exam, or my blood work might raise a flag, but my guess is that he'll pronounce me "stable."

I'll let everyone know late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

Of course, if he hits my knee too hard with that little rubber hammer, I'm swearing like a trucker.