“Maybe.” I definitely wasn’t, but the less Kimberly knew about the plan I was hatching, the better.
"I charge Lisa twenty-five hundred, and she pays her own electricity and cable, but you could definitely charge more."
"Twenty-five hundred? That's crazy." Lisa must spend half of her take-home pay on rent and utilities.
“For the entire floor of a brownstone in Harlem with a washer/dryer and backyard access? That’s crazy cheap.”
I started doing the calculations in my head.
"Cole?" Kimmy called to me, and I must have really been deep in thought. "What made you change your mind about the apartment?"
"I don't know. Things change." It was all I could come up with, but it was pretty close to the truth.
Something had definitely changed in the last twenty-four hours.
lisa
twelve
Dr. Douglas flippedthrough a stack of papers attached to a clipboard. “Well, all of your tests look great.” She smiled at me.
"Most days, I feel like I'm a detective more than a doctor when it comes to treating PCOS, but your body seems to be responding well to the Metformin. You've lost another eight pounds, and you've had two menstrual cycles since your last appointment. That's great."
I smiled at her.
"You're following your diet and exercise plan. Which is also great. Except for consuming alcohol, which is not so great."
"It was one time. I didn't have any sugary drinks, and I drank lots of water."
"Lisa." She put down her clipboard and leaned on the counter in the exam room. "Speaking as a person who is also divorced from the human equivalent of an anal fissure, I totally understand why you did what you did. As your doctor, I have to warn you, again, how dangerous mixing alcohol and prescription drugs can be, particularly Metformin. You were careful, but it could have been much worse."
I nodded.
“Good. You’re one of my favorite patients, and I’m not supposed to say that.” She patted my leg. “Are you experiencing any more side effects? Nausea, diarrhea, lethargy?”
“No, not after the first month. Thank God.”
“How are your periods?”
"The last one I had was about five days, heavy for the first three, then tapered off to spotting."
“Pain?”
“Excruciating.”
“Okay. I’ll write you a prescription for some pain meds to have handy. Hirsutism?”
"So much better. Not ideal, but nothing I can't handle with waxing and tweezers. And I'm noticing fewer hairs in my hairbrush."
“Great. Acne?”
“Also better. I still get little breakouts from the CPAP mask.”
“Which brings me to my next question. How are you sleeping?”
I had to decide how to answer this one. Sleep has been horrible, but it wasn't for medical reasons. I stay up late at night, hoping for an excuse to hang out with my handsome neighbor and his adorable brother in the wee hours of the morning.
"The CPAP machine has been a game-changer." I nodded.When I used it,I added to myself.
