I had a pretty good day on the work front.

I did some cold pitching to folks who engaged and who want to move forward and are doing cool things, and I’m feeling pretty proud of myself.

Not that I can talk about it just yet, but stuff that I’m pretty excited about, which is a good turn for my day, because my day started out, in my opinion, fairly crappy. Got up early because it was my day to get up early with the kids, got everybody in their cars or on the bus, fed the dog, and then it was time for me to go to this EMG.

And they had asked me to be there at 7.45 for an 8 a.m.

appointment and to wear gloves.

And then right as I was getting ready to leave the house, they sent me an email saying, please fill out this paperwork before you arrive.

And I thought, that’s weird to send just an hour beforehand, but sure.

So I filled out all the stuff online.

I wear gloves.

They want your hands warm for these tests.

I turn on my heated steering wheel, even though it was worn out, and I go there.

And I show up, and they see me in the gloves.

They’re like, oh, you wear the gloves.

I guess you’re here for an EMG.

I’m like, yes.

And they’re like, did you do that stuff online that we asked you to do?

I’m like, yes.

And they’re like, really?

And they could not believe that I’d done all the things they told me to do.

I guess most people don’t listen, but of course I freaking listen because I’m not an idiot or a monster.

So I was prepared.

And they said, don’t worry, the doctor’s always on time.

And I saw a guy walk in who was clearly a doctor and clocked my gloves right away.

I was like, that’s going to be the guy.

And then even before the set appointment time, he called me in.

And he was an older guy.

I would guess at least late 60s, probably early 70s.

And he had a lovely bedside manner.

He was very calm and patient and thorough.

And as he did his initial exam of just asking me questions and then testing some reflexes and having me push against him, he’s like, OK, you have no nerve damage.

You don’t have any pain in your back or neck?

No, I don’t have any pain in my back or neck.

I was like, at physical therapy, if they push on certain spots in my back, then that hurts.

But only if they really do a lot of pressure and it doesn’t bother me otherwise.

He’s like, oh, yeah, so you don’t have pain there.

You have tenderness there.

That’s different.

He’s like, you’re going to have no nerve damage whatsoever.

But we still got to do the tests.

Some of you dear listeners have done these tests.

You’ve done these EMG tests.

And you wrote to me, some of you, and I appreciate that.

I did not enjoy it.

I don’t think anybody enjoys it.

Some of it I really disliked.

Here was why.

First, when he was doing the shocking part where they’re giving you electric shocks in various places and measuring your body’s response or your nerves response, whatever.

I’m not a doctor.

But while he’s doing it, he’s like, I have to keep doing at higher and higher intensities on each nerve until your body’s reaction stops increasing.

And in some cases, I guess because my nerves were so not damaged, he could really dial it up quite a bit.

And he does one where my whole body jerks from the charge.

I’m like, you have to go more than that?

He’s like, yeah, I got to dial it up.

And he’s like, I’m sorry, this is not going to be pleasant.

And then it was so not pleasant.

I still am having traumatic flashbacks to how hard that last shock was on one of those.

Fine.

Then it’s time to do the needles portion where they’re going to stick needles into your muscles and then measure electric current coming out of them.

I’m not a doctor.

The first one they put in, I literally didn’t know he had put it in.

This doctor already thought I was charming and funny because I was being both charming and funny as I’m wont to be.

And I said, hey, I didn’t even feel that going.

He’s like, oh, that’s nice of you to say, but I know it’s not true.

And I’m like, no, I really didn’t feel it going.

He’s like, oh, okay.

And then he does a couple more and I feel some of them.

And he’s really having to push to get some of them in.

He’s like pounding those needles in.

And he goes, do you work out?

And I go, yeah, I do.

I was very proud.

He also asked me if I had any recent weight loss.

I was like, oh, it’s just 43 pounds.

And he said, what all doctors say, which is intentionally.

I don’t feel like you could accidentally lose 43 pounds and not think that there was a problem unless like a leg fell off.

A heavy leg.

And so then I’m like, I didn’t feel that one either.

I didn’t feel that one either.

I barely felt that one.

He’s like, well, the next two are in your hand.

You’re going to feel those.

And I was like, what?

Oh my God.

When he put those needles into the palm of my hand, it was horrendous.

And maybe you’ve done this and maybe you thought it wasn’t that bad or maybe you don’t remember.

But he does one on the pinky side of the hand and one on the thumb side of the hand.

And it was horrendous.

Then we’re all done.

He’s like, yep, as I said, all of your nerves are normal.

You’ve got no nerve damage.

The next step is I’m sure your prescribing doctor is going to ask you to do an MRI.

But he’s like, while he’s doing this, he’s also cleaning up the blood.

He’s going to wipe off the pen marks they put on you, wipe off the blood with these alcohol wipes.

And at one point he finishes with one spot and moves to the, like he finishes with the pinky spot, moves to the thumb spot.

But he sees I’m like holding myself awkwardly and putting one hand under the left hand.

And only then does he realize that while he’s talking, I don’t want to interrupt him, but I’m pouring out blood from the spot that he believes he’s clean.

He’s like, oh boy, you’re really very polite.

You didn’t say anything.

I’m like, well, you were talking.

I wouldn’t interrupt.

But like this, again, this pinky spot that he thought he had finished with was just gushing out blood everywhere.

It was kind of hilarious.

But boy, I hated those needles in my hand.

I hated it so much.

And that one hard shock.

The rest of it wasn’t like joyous, but it wasn’t horrible.

But that one giant shock and those needles in my hand, I could do without.

And it is good that they’re normal.

It’s wonderful that my nerves are not damaged.

The bummer is it means we still don’t know what the hell’s wrong.

So we got to figure that out.

His prediction, by the way, is arthritis in my neck is causing the issue.

That sounds like a very old person problem, so I’d like it to not be my problem.

That’s all I got for you.

Happy May 6th.

Lex.