Well I did it. What is it? Well I guess that depends on what your definition of "it" is. Listening to Jack FM 92.9, they just played "I Love Rock and Roll, Put another dime in the record machine." Sounds good cranked up in the headphones.

My sleeplessness on this damn spring bed is continuing. I slept through 7:00 AM breakfast this morning. Only the third time that has happened.

But I did get out and do two hours of walking this morning. I really had to push myself to get out there. I did fifty-five laps in the first hour but just barely managed forty the second hour. The second hour was also a push too. I knew if I took off a couple days, like this Saturday and Sunday, I would begin to do the old "Why bother?" thing. I will get out for the one hour tomorrow.

This afternoon I had the privilege of seeing the doctor. Actually it is almost comical; except it is my health we are talking about. I enter the little exam room and before I can even open my mouth, the nurse starts talking. The doctor, of Asian heritage, does not say a word the whole time I am in there. Think of those scenes on MASH when Hotlips does all the talking for Frank Burns.

She starts right in saying that I was originally assigned a steel bed because that was what was available when I arrived, and since I had no medical need for one, that is why it was taken away. I explained how I did not have the steel bed till about six weeks ago during some moves when one became available and that it had solved my chronic back problems.

I explained that I had slept on a hard bed for the last nine years. You would have thought she personally had to pay for each steel bed. At this point the discussion was almost over and the doctor still had not said a word nor gotten up to examine me. I further explained that I had been prescribed 400 mg. ibuprofen tablets in the Fed and I did not like taking pills if I could avoid it. The Fed records where not in the file.

The nurse goes into the other room and finds the fifty pages or so that was sent by the Feds. I explain that that represents over nine years of medical records and I am not one to constantly seek medical care. She tells me to wait out in the hall for a few minutes, and then comes out to tell me that they will be taking back X-rays to see what problems I might have.

She also told me they were going to take another set of sinus x-rays, and prescribe an antibiotic for my nose. I reminded her I just had a set of x-rays done and she said they needed to get another set once I started to take the antibiotic.

This will be the third set of nose x-rays this year. I am not happy about that. I may soon begin to glow in the dark. It would appear that their solution for any medical problem is to x-ray. If you are smarter than the average inmate and realize that one should not be exposed to too much x-ray, you then do not seek medical treatment.

I purposely told the nurse that I was not looking for a bottom bunk, so that was not a reason for her tough stance. I say my back is actually hurting now, and that does not get any physical exam. How does one prove one is in pain?

That is my day so far. It is now 8:30 PM and I have filled out my commissary sheet. I am not ordering any extra candy or cookies this week.  ¶ 5:58 AM