Jury Duty and Medical Test

I made a decision to not play with the local orchestra for this concert series. The idea of loading up the bass and having to haul into the rehearsal space along with my new heavy stool and music stand felt overwhelming. If it was fantastic music that I loved, it might be different. This will be a program presenting music I have performed many times, and none of it is a favorite or a challenge.

This has been an ongoing debate inside my brain throughout the summer and I feel better for having made a decision.

The medical test to check why acid reflux has returned went well but disappointing. It showed no acid reflux and all the functions looked normal. Now what? The acid reflux tends to come and go but now, I can't prove it. So, what next? I have a feeling that nothing is going to happen and I will have to deal with it going into my lungs causing problems. The only things I can continue to do is to not eat food that kicks up the acid levels in my stomach, sleep on my wedge, continue to eat dinner early and just to be aware.

Jury duty. Through the years, I have been tagged for jury duty. Having sat on three or four juries, I love the process. It is important for our freedoms that regular people sit on juries. Common sense. Since I am immunosuppressed, we do not go to the movies or symphony concerts or anywhere there are large groups of people. Even yoga class can be a problem. With jury duty, people have to show up on a specific date whether they are ill or not. The waiting room is usually filled with people coughing and blowing and sneezing. Then, one may have to sit next to an ill person for weeks or even months during a trial. I would have no rehab classes, no doctor appointments and no driving mom to her doctor appointments. Also, I would be exhausted.

Since I began taking prednisone in 2005, Dr. K. has written a note to excuse me from jury duty because of all those reasons. About every two to three years, I get a notice to appear. She writes a note, I mail it in and done. I always feel awful asking her to take the time to write the note to excuse me from jury duty as it feels like such a waste of her time.

Three days ago, I received a jury duty notice. That afternoon, I wrote an email to her asking for a signed letter and the followed day, it arrived in my Inbox. This morning, I will have copies made of the notice and her letter and have it sent to the County with a request for proof of delivery.

Done for another a couple of years. We will be checking the mail for a notice of jury duty for Michael. Every time I have been excused, he has received a notice to appear for jury duty within weeks.