I’m not sure what to write about today. I’m home now, and I’m happy to be here.

This morning, I had a doctor’s appointment in town to have the hearing aid dome removed from my left ear. It’s finally out, and I’m relieved. My ear never actually hurt, but I could definitely feel that dome in there for the last few days. It was one of those things that wasn’t painful but was constantly noticeable. Now that it’s gone, my ear feels normal again, and I’m glad it’s taken care of.

While I was there, I made an appointment for Alexis to have her hearing aids adjusted. She wants the wire shortened because it keeps slipping off the back of her ear. I was able to get her an appointment at the same time as Karissa’s on Sunday. What I thought was funny was that the receptionist knew exactly who I meant when I said I wanted an appointment for Alexis at the same time as her sister. I never even mentioned Karissa’s name. I just said “her sister,” and they immediately knew who I was talking about. We’ve apparently become regulars. They know us at both Costcos in the city.

Being home today feels really good. Like I wrote yesterday, being out of the house tends to make me anxious. Today wasn’t too bad, though. The appointment was close to home, and it didn’t take very long. In fact, I probably spent more time waiting for the doctor than I did actually seeing her.

The funny thing is that the doctor wasn’t completely sure she would be able to get the dome out of my ear. At one point, she started talking about referring me to my ENT doctor. The problem with that plan is that my ENT doctor retired, so I don’t actually have one right now. Fortunately, she was able to remove it herself, and everything worked out.

Even though today went smoothly, being outside the house can still be difficult for me. I have an as-needed anxiety medication that I’m supposed to take when necessary, but I rarely bring it with me. Because I don’t have it with me, I never think about taking it. It’s one of those “out of sight, out of mind” situations.

I do experience anxiety at home sometimes, too, but it’s usually different. It tends to be milder and doesn’t last very long. The anxiety I feel when I’m out in public is much more intense. There’s something about being away from home that makes it harder to manage.

I don’t have Everest here with me today. Chris wasn’t feeling well, so he stayed home. The house feels a little different without Everest around. I keep thinking that I’m forgetting something. It feels as though I need to do something.

As for the rest of the day, I did manage to wash the towels and bathing suits we used last weekend, so that’s one thing crossed off my list. Other than that, I’ve been studying. It’s been a fairly ordinary day, but after the last few days, an ordinary day at home feels pretty nice.

Oh shoot, I just realized I forgot a few things for Tommy’s work lunches. I was so focused on making sure I had everything for dinner while I was at the store that it completely slipped my mind. Ugh, that’s frustrating, especially since he needs it for tomorrow.

I’m thinking that maybe after Kel gets home, she could drive me back up to the store so I can grab what I forgot. One of the cars is here, and I have the key, but I’m a little nervous about taking someone else’s car, even if it would probably be fine. I’d rather not risk feeling stressed about it.

The house is also surprisingly quiet right now. It took me a minute to realize why, and then I noticed Alex had already left for work. Lol! It’s funny how one person leaving can make the whole house feel completely different.

Oh, Tommy said we can go to the store when he comes home. I feel better now.

I’m going to continue to study and then read a little.