Tuesday, December 31, 2013

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Tonight I am dedicated to making our evening a pleasant one.
Every day, week, month, year, decade; we all make assumptions that things are going to be a certain way. (And we all know what assuming means...Making an ass of you and me!)

Most mind scenarios are false, and reality and time proves that daily, weekly, monthly, yearly or what-have-you; usually it is a welcome relief, but sometimes it is a disappointment; we all must admit, hmm?

When we were young most New Year's Eves we were at parties, but as time marched on we went from house parties with neighbors or family to just Hubby and me... and so if we can stay awake to bring in the New Year...Hubby made sure it will be celebratory with hors d'oeuvres as well as Champagne for mid-night that is if we make it; our dinner consisted of Nova wild salmon on an onion bagel shared, in half, mine also had tomato and onion slices, mm mm so good,  actually Hubby did not have the Nova, just the lite cream cheese, a compromise, since I wanted fat free. We both had herring already too, mine with fat free sour cream, his without. My idea of nirvana, I'm easy. 

http://www.drinkinganddriving.org/tools/services.html

So this will be brief so you too can get on with whatever plans you have, and I hope they turn out as well as you like!
Enjoy whomever you're with or just yourself and most of all DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!
Call someone, many organizations have free services available: the above site has many to chose from.

  On that note of HAPPY NEW YEAR to all and to all a safe night, allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?!
See ya next year! 

Monday, December 30, 2013

Damp, in a good way... Finally covered; me thinks!

All furniture is back in place although we have rearranged one item to make the room appear larger.
The bookcase, which Hubby built with recycled wooden shelves found in our original laundry-room that was accessed, at one time, from our then carport, and now for years, garage, and indoor laundry-room with customized cabinets that match our raised paneled ones in our kitchen for about the last eight, or more. Interestingly enough they were two inch thick Mahogany shelves and they made a very handsome bookcase.

After Hubby completed the bookcase it was put, at that time, into the front entrance foyer, and later on moved, after we redecorated and it survived the hurricane it was moved into the guest-room. And at that time we decided to make it a multi-purpose room with a sleep sofa, it had had a bed prior to the hurricane, but that bed was under the only window that broke and had been soaked and scattered with glass shards.

It was about three years ago, after Hubby's Mom came for a visit that I thought to make the room have a bed again, a sleep sofa caused her to think that she had to close it daily, it was many of her symptoms of dementia causing her confusion, but it made me realize the inconvenience. Thus the how that we attained two sleep sofas in our sun-room; I had offered one to our number one son, but he declined.
So now, as of today the bookcase has found its way into the sunroom too!

The dampness in the title refers to the Rug Doctor machine shampoo for the carpet and even with our paddle fan and heat or air drying the floor quite evenly, I might add, it took a while and now the room is back together and looking as bright and cheerful as ever!

Well, the "finally covered" is the reference to the  fact that my check that was sent via 'bill pay' I had to have a stop payment put on it for my insurance premium payment, since it never arrived at its location; fortunately there was no charge for the stop payment through any bill pay with my bank. It will be credited to my account in two business days since the money had been already taken out of our account.
And so I called and gave my credit card number over the phone to pay for the first premium, only this first time, due to the mix up and to save time.
It is Florida Blue, which is Blue Cross and Blue Shield and it was done to expedite the situation and this time my confirmation is from them! I will be covered immediately on the first, and then I will be receiving my welcome package and card in five to seven business days, alright and yes, I do have a toll free number to call if I need my policy number prior to my card arriving, okey dokey now!

On those true notes of accomplishment, allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you all to kindly count all your blessings and share those overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?
    

Sunday, December 29, 2013

$400 plus vs. $40'ish

Hubby and the Rug Doctor made my day!
Our nearly tossed out carpeting looks as if it was just installed, minus the denting marks from where our furniture goes and will go back to!
The installation price of any decent carpet was closer to way over $400 actually and whew, $40.34 including tax is money well spent, as the saying goes for the Rug Doctor machine plus the cleaner, even that was EPA approved and the room smells fabulously CLEAN and FRESH... I suppose it was actually a few more bucks if you count the canned sprays for about ten more dollars in total for all three, added into the total, white vinegar and water were already even in a spray bottle under the kitchen sink. I had made the concoction a while ago to clean our windows and mirrors; I just added some more vinegar and warmed the water, so it was free, sort of...!

Here's a few pictures to prove how lovely it came out

... a WOW factor, sorry I forgot, on purpose to take the carpet when the water stains were there and threatening to be forever! I guess this silly concern for an inanimate object may sound ridiculous to most, but I suppose there are a few who perhaps know that trying hard to not waste money when you have an alternative, right?
And that is why I am ridiculously elated that it all worked out for a change... these last few months have been rather bad between ills and broken household items and so I think that may be the reason my reaction is somewhat over the top, like winning a small lottery prize, ha? Perhaps things are looking up?
Although, sadly, I'm the one who always waits for the other shoe to drop... fatalistic?  
As soon as we saw the results were amazingly remarkable I called and cancelled the appointment with Empire for tomorrow and told them why, since they seemed to want to reschedule, in fact a bit insistent. Oh well...such is life in the business world.
I'm sure they are a fine company, since I do believe that they have been around a very long time.
For now we do not need their services, Empire, fortunately. This just in: we now have received a robo call confirming our cancelled tomorrow appointment! We spoke to a person, goes to show you how well that works! LOL!

On that note of much relief, allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all those overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Guest-room solutions?

Contents of one tiny space, less than ten by ten foot bedroom, a full of books in our bookcase with display shelves above, small dresser with mirror above, a full-size bed with headboard, free standing lamp, wicker floor glassed shelves with a small lamp on one and other decorative items, wooden trunk with wheels used as window seat with pillows...not too much for Hubby to reconfigure with the  Rug Doctor rental cleaning machine that he's picking up for starting tomorrow morning after using three cans of Woolite, one heavy traffic and two with oxi-clean and me even looking up online how to remove water stains, and it said with white vinegar and warm water and a white cloth to blot with...Even that didn't work!
I even had Hubby out yesterday trying to match up the rest of our homes white ceramic tile, and or the possibility of those new interlocking carpet tiles in a white color, but no luck!
Thinking that either would be a good resolve if it leaked all over again, hmm?
But the last time our tiles were available was in or about 2007!
And none of the interlocking ones were sold locally in white or even a light color and online they seemed to only rent them for special convention use for displays or some such thing!

Any-who, this morning was spent online trying to find regular carpeting in a loom and color that I liked that could be installed...As always previously DIY'ers our backs now call for professionals, really!
The prices have become quite ridiculous for such a small bedroom, close to four hundred, more than we would like to spend so as a last ditch effort, thus the rental machine with the high test cleaning solution... but Monday I did make arrangements with Empire Carpet to come and give us a price, but if the cleaning works for a nominal fee of just $25 for the machine and $13 for the shampoo it is our last ditch possibility, so cross your fingers and we will see what we will see, huh?

So that's what we have been up to most of today and on that note allow me to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?

PS for those just joining me and wondering what all the fuss is about... our air-heat system resides in half of the guest-room closet and when it decided to flood the only room we still have carpet in, our guest-bedroom, all the rest of our home has white ceramic tile. The system was fixed but now the carpeted room must be too!

Friday, December 27, 2013

"This is the way the world ends not with a bang, but a whimper" T.S. Eliot

With that famous quote said, I have a question for all my friends with MS who keep saying that they are fighting hard and valiant the horrendous affects of our illness...will all that harsh and hard dogmatic stick-to-it-ness be enough?

Sure the ones who feel that they are making progress are the ones that have chosen alternative/homeopathic and unconventional methods as well as being open to the latest surgeries of CCSVI and stem cell, which are showing tremendously positive possibilities.
In truth the results I have seen are nothing short of amazing!

Although, being the skeptic has perhaps caused me not to see the forest through the trees, huh?
These individuals are sharing their findings with many others, but not as many as they could be...

Their findings are vast with many types of resolves for each one of the laundry lists of symptoms that we all suffer from, but are given hard core meds by physicians and they, these counterculture non-medicinal pushers of the all wholesome and natural world get poo pooed by the traditional medical society, but not by all... And so this quiet group of a segment of our Multiple Sclerosis world are continuing to give many hope for a real cure!

I don't know for sure and I do find myself sticking to the more conventional route, but little do many of these people of knowledge realize that in the early 2000's for about five years I devoured supplements, no medications at all and I weighed one hundred and three pounds and was going to the gym five days a week for an hour and a half each day and felt great! And so in reality, their
ideas should work, I do believe, but that was before I was diagnosed with MS. 
The reason I stopped was due to falling and dizziness and numbness, etc. and along came the dx of Multiple Sclerosis in April of 2006 after MRI's etc....   

Now if I can somehow get back to all that... then maybe my pained horrid body might have a future of health and ability and stability?
Who knows; but wouldn't that be nice?

Oh my title/quote the relevance to tonight's topic...I believe that the meek will inherit the earth and therefore our world, of Multiple Sclerosis will be solved and destroyed by a cure with a whimper due to quiet detectives who daily experiment on themselves with nature, yep softly helping us all!

On that note of all of you trying to figure me out and what I said here, but that's what counts in the end really, TRYING and NOT giving up, whether loud or softly, allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too! 

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!















Thursday, December 26, 2013

Another day...

What a difference a day makes, and yes, I mean in all scenarios.
The day after a major holiday, or a really bad day, or alone at last, not really, but just the usual suspects that reside within your abode or not... all or most of the time, but healthier than what?
Sadly, MS is forever.
Each day brings new symptoms or I should say the same ole ones in different volatility... or ones that you thought were gone but then, surprise... reappear!
Nah, I hate to make you think it is so much fun and whimsically hysterically funny with its ideas of giving you hope that each day will be different, but they really are...
Although, not in a good way.

Everyone's experience is not the same and that IS different.
I know that I can go for many days with just basically having rather benign stuff, like physical difficulty getting from point A to point B, and then I drop something or my chest tightens with those  euphemistically calling them"hugs" grabbing at my ribs, but way too strong with a bear-like vice grip extreme! If this is some type of love hold, no one needs that much acknowledgement, ha! 
But those hugs attack legs, hips, arms and even a couple of real scary times my neck!
Today I was dizzier than usual, used be funny as a young blond that was fairly healthy or so I thought, but my eyes behaved a bit better. My back is still not cooperating and it is a month today since I hurt myself.
In the next couple weeks I will be beginning my fifteenth round of physical therapy, and hopefully that will help.

Aggravation once again, although I paid my new insurance premium online from my bank on 12/13/13 and it stated that it would be done/paid by 12/18/13 and I checked today again and I did receive a confirmation number from my bank, but according to the insurance company billing department they have not received it yet! Getting down to the wire here...but they said don't worry it will not be late until January 10th, fine, but what do people like me do for ten days without an insurance card policy number?
What I think we figured out is that since I pay all my bills online many are just checks sent by the bank when you enter them and so if it was mailed snail mail on the eighteenth with the holiday it is just six days today, not counting Sunday or Christmas when we don't have any mail; breathe, calming thoughts...and yes, stress can exacerbate Multiple Sclerosis!
And sure and as right as rain each day is a new beginning and every one of them can be a BIG surprise with not knowing how it will go, and as any of us would hope is that as far as any one of us cares prayers for an uneventful day, perhaps even a little boring could be rather nice...hmm?
See that's what I am talking about, no BIG surprises or overwhelming hugs changes in the extreme of any bodily functions, bland nothingness with balance ability to handle things without incidence of dropping anything breakable...ahhhhhhh my idea of a great day, of daydom!


So on that note of some hope allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear! 

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

There is a club that I became an unwilling member of...

When people attain chronic illnesses mysteriously persons of interest come out of the woodwork with comments of trying hard to cheer you up with telling you that things will get better... These mean well doers of all that is right with the world, I call Pollyanna's. That Disney young gal with her idealism running rampant all through those early 1960's, ya know? Most would say that's wonderful!

But for me, the worst are the ones with your same ailment not giving you a break by insisting that you STAY POSITIVE! Et tu brute????Where's our outlet?


I guess in a one dimensional way, yep, no harm no foul, hmm?
Nope, I beg to differ with any or all of you!
We need time to be real and honest and complain and be unhappy!
Sadly all these forums have given up the allowance of what many would euphemistically call the, dare I say, "PITY PARTY", we need time to reflect with commonalities realized.

Personally, I don't trust those always HAPPY types, ya know what I mean?   
And any sane person will attest to that!
Being pleasant is not a crime, per se...just listen at times is better than bullying someone into feeling guilty that due to their current pain are not feeling HAPPY, get it?????

I bet all of you know what set me off, no?
Someone I don't know at all told me to be more positive!
Well, today, and last night I had to wear my cervical collar and put on hand brace and continue with my moist heat for my herniated disc and then my eye pain in both eyes caused me to need to use the heavy duty salve and my head started to hurt as well and wouldn't allow me to even lie down! Not to mention having to spend our little nest egg saved to replace our 12 year old car, on broken appliances and most recently $622 to clean the pipes of our air-conditioner, no parts! Now our soggy rug caused by the problem appears to not be cleanable and will have to be replaced!

Sure we are alive, and have a roof over our heads, and food in our bellies and for that I am grateful, but with Multiple Sclerosis and seven types of arthritis... please understand and allow for some days anyone of us telling how miserable we really are...I will lend an ear for you too! True friends take the good with the bad, so yep strangers I suppose I should let what they say go?

On that note I truly hope that you had a  wonderful Christmas and each day is better than your last, but if not, feel free to vent here where true understanding looms large!   

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

My Christmas gift to all of you! My repeat of last year's classic, enjoy!


Monday, December 24, 2012

An oldie but a goodie that I dusted off for the children.


Classic Christmas Eve! “Twas the Night before Christmas Poem
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"”

Another gift here from Tobi!
Here’s another kid friendly idea all those children out there, a Santa Tracker: http://www.noradsanta.org/en/

And let me be kind and oh so sublime…since tonight is your night and I would never ever waste any of your time…
Ho, Ho, Ho, it’s time for me to Go, Go, Go!
And so allow me to wish you all a very happy good night and to ask you to kindly count all your blessings and to share all your overages and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear? Now track the jolly ole soul: http://www.noradsanta.org/en/track.html or http://www.google.com/santatracker/

Monday, December 23, 2013

Countdown two

Sure we all know that as time marches on we grow so much closer to the day of reckoning, yes, ever so much closer to the reality of the naughty or nice challenges for those little ones. They all know who is watching them besides Mommy and Daddy, yep, the cops, kidding, but not really, since for some that could be the case, really? Of course not yours! I knew that.
Santa is watching, no question about that, and he is the final answer for all of it, and that is determining just who is coal worthy or gift able. We all know that most kids by this time/date have either behaved with tremendous goodness or devilishness, and we all know what decides getting what you want or what you truly deserve, either way could be right, hmm?

As always nothing is left for too much to chance, all is a precise decision that the jolly ole fellow has centuries of experience in making exact actual choices on, that is who gets what, true?
The only thing left to chance is whether or not you were good enough for him or broke too many parental induced rules and by doing that you made his pockets as black and as a deep, deep hole with no bottom due to being oh too bad! Now that would be awful, scary!
I have faith in all my readership though that your offspring take after you, as decent human beings, mostly, huh?

Nobody's perfect, least of all me and with that said, I'll hope all of you remember to be your best all year long, if not this past year, you have next year and we even get an extra day since it's Leap YEAR!

Moving on...
Here I sit with Hubby and Ron, yes Ron, the air-conditioning technician trying hard to repair our system that has decided to wee, wee, translation: water leaking on our only carpeted floor in our home the one in our guest-room! We might very well be cracked, not me, ha, the system, damn! You see, the unit is in half of the guest-room closet. I know, but that's the only place it could be put in this tiny house when it went from two wall units, one for heat and one for cold, air; when this home was built in 1958. And it was originally renovated in 1996, two years before we bought it, that is ONLY its heating and cooling system and we updated it again in 2004 for $600, while redoing it all, gutting the whole house then due to our roof sheathing coming off and causing rain indoors, all due to Hurricane Charley!

I guess when it rains it pours so the expression goes, but this is fixable, me not so much...still not up to par or for a party, HA!

Any-who, on that note of needing to think happy, happy thoughts allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Countdown...

Now is the beginning of making those lasting memories!
The night before, the night before, the night before Christmas...
Tread softly and live in the moments, snap them up as if they will be gone in a Nano second, because they will be, mark my words...
Brainy photogs should take over your body like body-snatchers...films should be epic, longer than the longest movie you ever saw!
Nah!
Just be in the moment and enjoy it all and love the people you are with and boldly change the topic when it appears to be causing Aunt Tillie's face to turn red or Uncle Eddie to want to leave.

Keep the peace and remember that Grandmas and Grandpas have  expiration dates that are usually sooner than later...but don't we all?

Yes, life is too short and many of our loved ones will not always be there and so with not trying to sound too maudlin, pick your fights and realize that nothing is that important and being always right is not that great when all that proves to no one around  to see it is that in the end is that you will be all alone...  true?

In closing, be happy, be well and be respectful of all your house-guests and if you are one, a house-guest that is, then be the best one of them too!
Help, be neat and clean and don't forget a lovely parting gift... oh wait that's a game show contestant's gift, or maybe a house-guest protocol, Google it, I get easily confused, but don't we all at this time of year? I'm sure it's there somewhere and if arguments do happen Google the conflict too; you will be so surprised, or perhaps not, how easily those answers will resolve family disagreements! TA DA!

On those notes of take 'em or leave 'em allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

Saturday, December 21, 2013

No PSA tonight!

Erring on the side of not assuming anything and for my international friends, a PSA is the acronym, sort of, for Public Service Announcement, which is what I did last night, sort of, with trying to help forty million take care of the hacking of their credit and debit cards due to a security breach at Target.

Okay, that's perhaps overstating what I did try to do, but I did try to help a wee bit with incorporating access to info on what individuals could do to handle this disasterous horror for so many at this time of the year especially, well really at any time of the year! 
I am deeply saddened by this situation and frustrated by not knowing specifically what I could do to help... but if you read last night's article it could become helpful.


I must truly move on...
Oh what the heck, here it is again!
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/what-to-do-if-you-shopped-at-target-during-its-data-breach-174829049.html
And you are very welcome!
Gosh, don't you just hate that sort of thing? I suppose 'hate', is a bit too harsh, 'dislike', is better, that is dislike people like that that are so full of themselves?
Tis the season with all those do-gooders, a dime a dozen, I suppose with inflation its about ten bucks a dozen, hmm, you know the type, halo wearers, always smiling, spreading good cheer? 
 Nothing worse than that right?
Of course I am doing my tongue in cheek weirdness/Scrooge/Grinch persona?
But some of them ...even you have to admit, true?

Let's just say tis the season to be happy, peaceful and loving and mostly kind to all man/womankind!
I'm game, now ask yourself if you are too?
A bit like that lucky question Clint Eastwood asked in his Dirty Harry movie, "Do you feel lucky?"
Actually, nope its nothing like that, only sometimes, feeling happy at this time of the year that is, huh? Feeling can be a slippery slope and appears more intense at this time of year, really?

On that note of way too confusing allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?

Friday, December 20, 2013

All is right with the world once again...

Target has figured out how to help its forty plus million patrons and has posted a step by step resolve for all who have been hacked! And below I have followed up with what anyone who believes their lives have been thrown away due to feeling guilty of being a too generous and too smart shopper!
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/what-to-do-if-you-shopped-at-target-during-its-data-breach-174829049.html

Hopefully, all that above info will make your world more tolerable.
Target's reputation is on the line and so if for no other reason than to prevent total devastation for the second largest discount chain store in the world they will have to make it all better for their concerns; and with a Christmas miracle thought for you too!

Moving on...
Great news... Sen. Tres Radel from south Florida after a month of court ordered rehab for alcoholism and a misdemeanor charge for cocaine possession, up in D.C., and in spite of many of his constituents feeling that he should resign from his position he today has decided to continue in his elected post.
As we all know any governmental elected official who dabbles in breaking the law that we all law abiding people do not do, we are all appalled at such behavior!
Others believe that those who have never sinned should be allowed to cast the first stone...
Alrighty now, those religious throw back statements from twisting around all biblical chapters always gets me.
Many of those same Republicans and Tea Party types cannot seem to find the sections of their versions of the bible saying to love everyone no matter how different from you they might be; I do believe it's in there somewhere, ya know?

On those quite opinionated views from yours truly allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share your overages with you know who and I will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?
 
 

Thursday, December 19, 2013

LUCKY!

Actually, more like 'dumb luck', many of you must have heard about the hacking of Target's customers credit and debit cards from purchases made there; forty million were hacked from Black Friday through December 15th!
Well, even though I purchased this laptop from them, Target, December 8th with my Visa credit card it was done online and picked up in the store that same day; online was considered safe!
And even the issue with the price being lowered and qualifying for the new price and receiving the refund again on our same credit card that was on December 16th in their store and it actually went through on December 18th!
Dumb luck, hmm?
Bit another bullet.
PS our $12.20 12V laptop charger came today that was bought on Amazon and it had nine out of ten stars and all the comments were positive online. Hubby in the end did that order and so when number one son called today and I let him know what was going on; he asked about whether or not the comments were positive about the charger, he warned to be careful on there. Hubby had been fortunately, reading all those comments and I made sure it was compatible for our laptop, our model number was listed. And today I made sure it fit the plug and it did!

Moving on ...
Today one of my many Facebook friends had listed a program to help you not get into financial trouble.
Well, the best rule of thumb, in my long experience and opinion, is not to spend more money than what you have! Especially with credit, know you have the money to pay it all off when the bill comes in!This voice of mine comes from a sincere knowledge from trial and error.
Always keep track of every penny; none of us are bottomless money bags.
More people get into financial debt due to not planning ahead, period.
Generosity is wonderful if you don't hurt your own family's needs in the process; family first and always.
There are so many ways to help with getting in there physically, if you can and spending time helping others by doing small acts of kindness...
That is my reasoning for even watching my healthcare needs being accepted by my insurance  or within our personal budget; more people lose homes and so much else due to finances having to do with illness and that is one of my many reasons for my overly cautious concerns...
And so far so good!

On that note of so much allow me to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Daydom

Nothing happening here, how about with you?
Thus my added creation of another new word, "DAYDOM", hmm ...perhaps I was wrong after all since spellcheck is not saying I misspelled anything?

Moving on...
Trying to coin new ideas, phrases, words seems to be becoming more difficult these days, ya know?
Here I had a plan to discuss the concept of "daydom", how odd when spelled in lower case, "daydom" gets underlined as being spelled incorrectly, halleluiah!
I have my BLOG about word creation!
Since time began people have been verbally/orally communicating.
With that said have you ever wondered how they decided on their utterances to take the forms that we all/mostly take for granted?

Sure all dictionaries tell you word derivations by country.
But not why they decided to assemble those letters in that order or why they have decided to make them mean what they mean, really?
And why have we recently accepted so many new concocted social, media, international, and just plain silly acceptance of these contrived ideas of words by popular demand, is their reasoning to fill so many different types of dictionaries, which makes the word creation field seem as if anyone can join in on this premise of brilliance and creativity!
But oh no! There appears to be a key that is not given out to just anybody for membership! And maybe even a secret code or handshake for us novice contenders in the mix...
I know that I have the ability and desire and even the words that make more sense than many of the most recent  candidates that were shuffled/pushed through without a second thought!
Mine have that quality too, not a second thought should be given to mine either and also should be blindly thrown in! Unfortunately, I have neither the following or support or the credentials of celebrity to make this happen sadly, but I shall continue to, without thought practice this new plausible verbal hashery of development of slithery colorful more precise expression of oneself.

On that note of who knows what allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share those overages with you who and we will too!

And next time please be here or  be square, ya hear?  

PS My definition of "daydom" is being in that moment without concern of anything exciting happening. Maybe," daydumb" would be more appropriate? But it's mine so hands off! Daydom is a bit classier though, hmm?  Hey, you say tomato, I say tomato, ya know? LOL!  

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Why does everything seem to happen in threes?

Last night our coffee maker broke!
And it was nothing fancy, but a decent one that we bought years ago, a Cuisinart 12 cup with a clock that we never could set and a timer with the same issue, the usual for its era, circa late 1990's early 2000's or so... who remembers these days?

This does make three mechanical necessities that we need to function in our household that had to be replaced and or an addition for life changing accessibility reasoning's, got that?
First our vacuum broke down, which indirectly caused our need for the second mechanical device the notebook.
Me using the new vacuum caused me to herniate my lumbar disc and caused me to not to be able to sit upright, now for the last three weeks, hmm how odd there's that 'three', again?
Yes, and that is why I have joined more the mobile world with my laptop!
Within this time frame of the Rube Goldberg cause and effect chain reaction, we now have a new vacuum cleaner, laptop computer, and as of today a new modern coffee pot that can make 12 cups or one, the Hamilton Beach The Scoop Two Way Brewer, bought at Wal-Mart, only because Bed Bath  and Beyond had none in stock even though their online site said that they did. It would be 20% cheaper there, but Hubby needs his coffee and I sort of do too. But not as much as I used to; I used to drink double digit amounts daily, but now its only one or two.
Good way to keep the A1C down, since I haven't been able to exercise these last couple of months, ya know?
First that darn respiratory infection with three dosing's of' the steroids, there's that 'three' again, and while still on that last dose I had my back injury! That's been since October 21st, that was the last day I was at the gym/rehab.

Oh well, life goes on and so should we, we were fortunate to have our holiday shopping finished and enough monies left for these somewhat emergencies, not really, but necessary.

On that note of realization, allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all those overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?

PS It's a full moon tonight, which means it's half price pizza night and Hubby picked it up on his way home!

Monday, December 16, 2013

Made over $100 this morning!

Actually, it is a credit to our account due to my search of an accessory to this new computer, a car charger for in case... we have to evacuate due to a hurricane, heaven forbid!
But we have one for our cells, so why not be prepared?
Target is the store where we purchased our Gateway LT 41PO6u laptop on December 8th; I should say Hubby did it for me mainly because of my injury and not being able to sit upright, what a guy, hmm?
The original purchase price was quite comparable to other stores, even the BIG computer ones, it  came in about thirty bucks cheaper at just $299.99, and now just $199!

Any-who, I seem to find new things about it daily.
If you Google it you too will see all it has for its reasonable price.
It is our third Gateway computer, the other two were within the last ten plus years and both desktop ones, in fact the other one is still used at our desk in the sun-room. You see, one was bought a few years before Hurricane  Charley, circa 8-13-04, a Friday. Its tower ended up in water due to our roof's damage causing rain inside and so the one we have now was purchased as part of the many thousands we received from insurance as a replacement as one of many items destroyed then. So yes that computer is nine years old, but has new parts, even a new hard drive, new monitor and new keyboard over these last several years...

Well, that's it for tonight and so let me wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be  square, ya hear?  

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Unusual

Sure we are all unique, since none of us are exactly the same as each other, ya know?
That said, my injury of the herniation was not in a usual location apparently, between L2-L3; the upper end of our lumbar region. Mine was more than likely due to that stupidity of lifting that gadget on our new Shark vacuum, which has the maneuverability, just like a Dyson, with the heppa filter et al, but the fraction of the cost and when purchased at Bed, Bath and Beyond as Hubby did 20% off with their coupon, and yep I am sadly a pining retired cleaning freak!

Now I must watch while others, Hubby really, and only, does what I feel that I should be doing, another task taken away from me, gardening went years ago and since the vacuuming incident Hubby has been doing everything!
Laundry, cooking, you name it, this bum thing is not working out for me, really!

And sadly there is no timeline for when it will be ending...!

Sorry for this why me blog tonight, but it is way too long and not even I know when things will change for the better...BUT SOMEDAY, I SURE HOPE!
Or never...sadly...

Good night folks and count those blessings and share those overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?

Saturday, December 14, 2013

MRI REPORT

There is multilevel discogenic disease in the lumbar spine and spondylic changes.

L5-S1Moderate to severe loss of disc height and mild bulging of annulus effacing the ventral thecal sac with mild facet hypertrophic changes contributing to mild bilateral foraminal narrowing. No central canal stenosis.

L4-L5Moderate loss of disc height and mild bulging disc are seen contributing to  minimal foraminal
narrowing. No central canal stenosis.

L3-L4 Mild bulging disc. No disc herniation. No significant foraminal or canal stenosis.

L2-L3 There is disc degeneration present with moderate to severe loss of disc height and bulging disc with superimposed subtle small central disc herniated which is migrated inferiorly by approximately 8mm in the anterior epidural space. No sequestered disc fragment. No associated neural impingement. There is mild bilateral foraminal narrowing. (This is where my small herniation is! How can something so small cause all my continuing pain????)

L1-L2 No disc herniation, foraminal or canal stenosis.

Modic Type II changes are noted, particularly at L-3-L4, L2-L3,  and L5- S1

No pre- paravertebral soft tissue mass.

Impression:
1. Multilevel disc degeneration and mild spondylic changes.( All a natural part of aging, so I was told years ago.) At L2-L3,there is a small central disc herniation is migrated inferiorly mm in the anterior epidural space indenting the ventral thecal sac. No sequestered disc fragment.
2.No evidence of high-grade foraminal or canal stenosis.

Well,that is good since I do have stenosis, moderate in my cervical region, my neck!

And so that is it in a nutshell.
From what I have read, trying hard to decipher most of this, I am  really not in too bad shape, after all...!
It all sounds worse than it actually is.
But it still feels just awful!
Guess I am a sissy, huh?

On that note of once again TMI, allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you all to kindly count all your blessings and share all those overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?


 

Friday, December 13, 2013

Whew!

Tonight I am one of the many who now is continuing with health insurance!
But it was not an easy last few days...
Oh no, nothing I do in life is ever easy, hmm?
I can proudly say that my injury has allowed me to be mostly reclined in the chair with the same name, although called a "recliner"! Close enough; I would say? And due to that positioning, while utilizing my new techno marvel at a level that has not caused me too much difficulty... 

Any-who, as any others who may have been in similar positions will tell you that the wait times to speak with actual people has been historically ridiculously long!
So much so that the computerized messages at the insurance company locations, toll free billing numbers asked if they could call you back in 24 to 48 hours! Folks this is NOT at the Healthcare.gov; it is at the actual insurance carriers!
And all I needed to do was to set up my own bill pay
for my bank, that is get my NEW policy number and address and phone number on that page with all my other household bills that I have paid that way for over a decade...
The biggest surprise, to me was to find out that Florida Blue billing that is Blue Cross and Blue Shield is sort of outsourced to Atlanta Georgia!
But no problem there once I gave them my name, rank and serial number, actually my name, address, DOB, date of birth, last four digits of my ss #, ya know the drill?
My insurance agent had been responsible for putting my plan into action, the system, so all I needed to do was pay my first month's premium.
The deadline has been extended until the end of the month and I was told that my payment today will be applied/mailed to Georgia by the 18th, and that is fine as long as it gets there on time; I am good. Also I was told once they receive my payment the ID cards get mailed, which is fairly typical to my long past knowledge of such things.

Moving on...

I am still homebound due to my lack of mobility and inability to sit upright but these things take time and with my meds I am not in as much pain, which is a good thing and I am smiling for that!
I know you can't see that but I am, believe me!

On that note of something noteworthy, allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and please share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?


 

Thursday, December 12, 2013

An act of kindness

Tis the season!
Sure I'm a physical mess, but so are many others.
"Give till it hurts!" is what all the organizations want you to do, that is all non-profits.
Not all of us have that ability, but as we all know there are other ways to help...
Your ability to help by doing something or monetarily, either way is wonderful, but don't forget those small courtesies in life, like saying thank you and opening doors for others etc.!
Just being patient when out doing your normal tasks this holiday season can make life for yourself and others worthwhile and not aggravating, attitude is everything, as it well should be all year round!

Moving on...
I am happy to say that it appears that I was foolish stopping  this medication previously since it appears to be helping me. That is the Gabapentin and Baclofen; I had completely weaned myself of the 1800 MG. daily of the Gabapentin over a three week period and the 70MG. of the Baclofen as well daily and also weaned off of; I suppose in my case of need I was wrong!
The neuro doc has me now on lessor doses, of 1200 MG. on the Gabapentin and 40MG. of the Baclofen and I am doing much better now! And yes, that is what I truly am grateful for in spite of my concerns of being over medicated...Who knows for sure, really?

On that note of I'm much better now, allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share those overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Tramadol NIXED!

Yes, that's right, me and Tramadol didn't see eye to eye that should be more like not having anything in common as in dealing with the pain wars!
Not a good fit at all...
And last night reminded me why years ago such drugs and me parted company...
Yep, memories but not the good kind or the even type you would want a reenactment of like I did last night!

You see, no pain was  compensated; it appeared more as if my low back herniation woke up my cervical stenosis with my basilar arthritis and ulnar impingement just for rude laughs!
Not to mention my tummy going AWOL with its sanity! That caused a volcanic reaction too!

And in conclusion after conferring with my neuro I will now be once again on 300MG., 300.MG., 600 MG. of Gabapentin daily, and 20MG., twice a day of the Baclofen, TA DA!

I am still trying to keep food down, would you believe that I have been living on green tea, club soda, soup and toast today?
Not at all what I signed up for and so on that note of the question of why, allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very  happy goodnight and kindly ask you to count all your blessings and share all those overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?
 

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Tramadol 50MG. 2X a day?

I was prescribed this morning after another sleepless night!
Due to my normal concerns about being over medicated and also about drug inter-action... and so I
Googled that possibility.
Online I found out something disturbing that medications such as Gabapentin and Baclofen which I am taking are contra-indicated with Tramadol due to a moderate suppressing of the respiratory system. All the nurse told me was to not take any Tylenol.
To verify what I read I called our local pharmacist! My neuro's office was closed already and she is the one that prescribed all of those medications!
The pharmacist confirmed my concerns.
Fortunately, I have now removed the other medications from the mix, actually Hubby did that for me...

Tomorrow I will contact my neuro to ask if my concerns were warranted, after all he stated "moderate" and perhaps I am being too cautious? The pharmacist actually thought I should get rid of the Tramadol and just take the other stuff until I explained about the reason of my sleepless painful nights and days, thus the reversal concept!

On that note of some curiosity allow me to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all those overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear! 

Monday, December 9, 2013

Here I lie...

Tonight I am being quite lazy.
And that can be attributed to this laptop's ability to repose with me; that might be recline?
Some of its functions are the ability to touch a screen or to use the cursor.
It also has this attached keyboard.
Oddly enough my pain seems to becoming worse daily!
And so even in this position I must end this now!

Sunday, December 8, 2013

NOTEBOOK!

Good evening!
I am writing to all of you via my new portable computer!
And believe it or not I am comfortably somewhat prone in my living room recliner, ya know?
He, Hubby said that this is a belated Hanukkah present.
I'll take it!
This is a Gateway notebook and was on sale at Target.
So much to learn...
Talk to you later...

Saturday, December 7, 2013

I do not believe that I have told...

...How I actually hurt myself...that is acquired the 'herniated disc'.
Being in a wheelchair out in the world I do maneuver myself within my home via a walker.
Usually short distances, from chair to chair etc.; since for the last few years especially my balance, Ataxia, and my parathesia, numbness, have been quite unpredictable, add in my perception due to being legally blind in my right eye and my right hand needing surgery... when out in the world it is always best for Hubby to drive me around, less hazards that way and less collisions as well.
I do have a mobility scooter for years, but I am a very bad driver these days with that perception thingy plus the controls being on the right side, which is where my bum hand is.

And so when I on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving wanted to try and help Hubby with our household chores, such as vacuuming, I goofed BIG TIME!
You see, we had just gotten this new heppa filtered vacuum, since ours died a few days before.
It had one of those detachable extra units that you can use to do higher up locations, ya know?
And so I thought that I could help by cleaning the louver door on the linen closet, just that one door, ya know? Hubby, said he would do it, but I couldn't wait... I know it serves me right, hmm?
But when I reached up with the little gizmo thingy that was it!
Something popped and I hurried backwards to the lowest bed in the house, the one in guest room and flopped down! The pain was excruciating and that is the true story of why I am in this idiotic position, impatience!
A tale to tell to others so as not to be so foolish too.

PS I was still on step-down steroids at the time with two more pills to go.My third dosing within a little over a month's time, but also had been on high dose IV steroids for three days in April, who knows if it weakened my internal structure, since I was told not to go back to the gym due to being more susceptible to illness with a compromised immune system, then this herniation will now not allow me to do independent exercise, since most of the equipment would be counter beneficial right now thus the PT in my near future to be evaluated and a plan put into place, it will be my fifteen visit for PT, OT, or NMT!
Maybe 15 is the charm? KIDDING!
I understand that too many doses of steroids can weaken your interior of bones and muscles, but helps them too, quite confusing actually!

Friday, December 6, 2013

HERNIATED!

And no, I do not have all the details, like location in between which vertebra etc.(Hubby will be picking up the whole report on Monday), but no stenosis there; it's bad enough I do have that in my cervical area, stenosis that is, and it is not impinging on my spinal cord, all good, which was what the nurse said that called me back, twice.
I had questions since my neuro wanted me in PT and on more pain meds.
We discussed my Gabapentin, but the need to know how many and how to go about it since it a medication that needs to be used cautiously as well as incorporated slowly into your using of the milligrams, and so as of tomorrow morning I will be taking 300MG. then and continue with the 600 MG. at bedtime, at 900MG. total for the next few weeks that won't be too difficult to wean myself off of...been there, done that.She initially said 300/300/300, but I was concerned about how well the 600MG. seemed to be working at night with giving me about 5-6 hours of sleep.
And yes, I told her NO PT, physical therapy, since the way this insurance works now, the dumb one I am almost done with, it would still not be financially cost effective, with my 2K deductible still looming large and with also a 30%/70% split on the remainder... Next month I will have for PT a whole new ballgame with the NEW insurance a $35 each visit cost with a 10%/90% spilt! And so I will be waiting, and maybe by then I won't even need it? One can only hope, can't one, hmm?

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Had a GP doc appointment today...

Not the doc for the MRI; this is the one for a check up in three months for my A1c and fortunately even with all those steroids it did not go up too much, only to 5.9 from 5.8.
My LDL or not so good cholesterol is still not where it should be, below 75, mine is 95, but my total cholesterol is 171, not that bad really! Anything under 200 is considered good.
Exercise can lower it, that is the bad cholesterol, and sadly I have NOT been able to do that since 10-21-13!
Once this back issue is resolved I do believe I will try to get back on track with that, especially if the MRI determines what course of action we will be taking next.
On that front I am trying to wait patiently for my results, albeit in still in considerable pain though...
What choice do I have, really?
I am again at the mercy of the medical professionals...not a great feeling for my nature, at all!
Sadly, I just spoke to a nurse who has reminded me about steroids and their effect on your bones, osteoporosis can be sped up by them in fact!
I just had a bone density taken within the last year and it thankfully showed, even with my past recent inactivity, prior to this April that is... that all I had was mild osteopenia!

Note: I received the CD of my MRI from the Imaging Center, and from what I saw it did scare me a lot; my bones appear to look like Swiss cheese and there are black spots all over and lots of white highlighted areas, and not by the scanner person, just kind of glowing lesions! But as we all know I am NO DOCTOR or Radiologist and only they can tell what's what... and so here I wait wondering...and a little bit frightened by what does not look right to me, and I have seen my lumbar area before and this is a dramatic difference, no kidding, SCARY! WORRIED!
Hope to hear from my neuro in a timely fashion, she should have the results by tomorrow they said just today when I DID CALL!
Wouldn't you, really?

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

A week to ten days now...

Hurry up and wait mode now.
My title is what I was told when I might get the results, huh?
Sure if it's a major problem sooner, or by some docs standards if all is well...BUT HOW COULD IT BE?????
So typical in these things with my MRI this morning.
Although, the adage: "no news is good news", could be a positive?
Who knows...something is definitely not right.
All I do know is that I am still in pain even with the medications and so my only recourse is to follow my own wisdom, Lamaze breathing, pinpoint a spot on a wall to stare at like in ballet or try to meditate it away?
Ignoring pain is not as easy as some may make you think.
Listen, I had five pregnancies, of which three sadly were miss-carriages and two of those were at four and half months and I even walked on a broken leg once, years ago, for two days, so what I am trying to say is that I do know PAIN!
And mine now is like labor pain would be at times... but at other times it is only like an achy toothache.

I suppose sitting here, at my PC, as Hubby keeps saying should be limited to short expansive periods so that is what I have been doing!
Still have my eye on a laptop or ya know the type like the Surface with the tablet and keyboard; it's just me feeling guilty about spending that money on something so questionably necessary to me, ya know?
Although, Hubby keeps telling me to order one.
It's not like we have grand-kids to spend on and just the one son and his gal to buy for, that's it!
And right now they are on a Caribbean cruise and so they don't need for much with them both doing quite well career-wise, it does make it harder to find them something just right, but we always seem to...
To Hubby it's more of a necessity with me being in bed so often this last year that he feels why I should get one. And he insists he cannot figure out this new Google format for my blog. See that's what the problem is, he used to be able to notify you all when I was out of commission. This thing still works though; we only got a new hard-drive back in, I think 2010, or there about, and yes we can financially afford it, since I saved about four times of the amount of the one that we like. As always, I have saved more than is necessary. But I always worry about emergencies; you all know me...

Gotta go too long at the fair...OUCH!

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Heavy meds in use here, MRI scheduled, and a funny joke!

Yep, I am back on the Gabapentin, but just for bedtime though, one 600 MG. I read where it's used for this kind of pain and it did seem to help with last night's sleeping a bit! As well as extra strength Tylenol 2 to 3 times a day as needed and Baclofen, I am back up to 60 MG. or less two to three sets of twenty miligrams a day...! And I did not go back to the walk-in clinic, after all...
My MRI is scheduled for tomorrow morning, finally!

Moving on...
Now here's the joke...

Hubby went over to Publix, our grocery store, to pick up the ingredients for a Caesar salad, plus a couple of other items, seven in all...and so when acquired he stood on the check-out line, for ten items or less ... but the woman in front of him had at least twenty!
And so Hubby being a gentleman when a woman behind him only had one item, a bottle of water, he offered for her to go ahead of him, and she thanked him and noticed what he would be making, a Caesar salad.
She even said that her husband was the better cook than her and felt that he would know how to make that and that he would be home later from the jail.
Hubby hearing that and being a retired deputy went into a long spiel about how he knew some people who worked at the jail and about him being retired from law enforcement and on and on he went...

Well, the young woman said that her husband didn't work there it appears that he was actually being released from there tonight! Bud, dump, bum... TRUE story! Hubby was a bit speechless with this revelation... another proof positive that no one should ever assume anything, ha!BIG SMILE HERE!
Consequently, silence then ensued as she quickly left with her paid for water bottle... and Hubby paid for our items... double HA!

Monday, December 2, 2013

Well this is another fine mess I have gotten myself into!

I may very well have to bite the bullet and go back to the walk in clinic and listen to that doctor's prescriptions.
And that is all due to my neuro not having enough info to order the MRI!
Not to mention in all my stubbornness Hubby says I now have a burn blister on my lower back where I have been repeatedly placing those microwave warmed washcloths in Ziploc bags encompassed in hand towels for moist heat pain relievers! It is only the size of a dime, the burn that is what he says... but another mistake that I have made by not listening!
The walk-in is open until seven and perhaps we may go there with me taking the doctor's medication after all, I seriously cannot continue this way, that is another painful sleepless night!
My plumbing is compromised too... without going into too many details...human plumbing, get it?
My left leg is weird from that side being the worst for the pain!
The doc originally said that I should use a heating pad, but don't lie on it, huh?
The pain is on my lower back and he also told me to stay flat in bed?
He doesn't know why I said that I did not want an MRI, but it was again due to my stupid insurance that is done this month, and that I have a 2,000 dollar deductible, thankfully as of Jan. first things will be different! Not my idea of spending our holiday cheer.
But I called and the out of pocket if I self pay is only $200 and so I called my neuro and her nurse got back to me at three today when I called there at 8 A.M. after another sleepless painful night...
Now she said that she will get back to me tomorrow with the notes from my walk-in clinic visit from the other doctor!
His notes say that I refused everything; more steroids, heavy duty pain meds, including the MRI, which is sad, but true!
Wish me luck!

PS Thanks Paula, my cousin, for your sweet comments, but if I recall correctly, you're the gutsy one!And you know exactly what I am talking about, what you went through with amazing grace while a college student! <3 br="">


 

Sunday, December 1, 2013

MS may be a factor...

But until I see my other doctor... I am convinced that a back issue due to stupidity of doing what you're too impatient to wait for someone else to do... is more than likely the reason for either a bad sprain or herniation in two locations, lower back and between my shoulders and so therefore I cannot sit for too long without too much pain...
I was told by the one doctor, at the emergency walk in, to stay in bed for a week, last Tuesday, and not get out, since I refused heavy duty pain meds, once again or more stronger steroids, and due to the pain that is why I am supposed to remain in a flat position until it has gotten to the point of being able to go through an MRI machine without this horrendous OUCH! And I do have a history of spondylosis and stenosis as well as bulges of discs and back pain that I had a back brace for a year and half and traction for, etc..., in other words, been there done that, and so I am using moist heat constantly and my Baclofen as well as periodic extra strength Tylenol, but not too often since the max is 3000MG. in a twenty-four hour period!
And so that is what is going on... sorry for my cryptic messages folks, but this is the longest that I have been able to sit since last Tuesday!
Perhaps the methodology is working a bit?
But I still can't sit much at all, so see ya!
Miss ya and thanks to those who left sweet kind messages...Kit and Lee and all else too who I may have forgotten!

Saturday, November 30, 2013

No one's to blame...

But I am still the same... in too much pain...I apologize for the constant refrain...

Friday, November 29, 2013

Same refrain...

Still in pain.
Frustrating and not so tame...
And so I must continually complain...?
Who needs this frame of reference to remain?

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Still doing what I should and don't know...

...If it's any good...hard...it's really hard to be this good listening to what I should...tired of feeling poorly, pained and unable...miss all of you and hope you miss me too! I will try harder to get better soon, since this is too much to be understood!

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Still somewhat sane...

But also still in quite a bit of pain...
And so lying flat in bed I must remain...
And yes, again, I will eventually explain!

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Monday, November 25, 2013

Got back the Radon test results today



And the test was not bad, but a little bit of a question, since it is something other than lower than what should be perfectly acceptable; it was what is shown below:


Radon level in our home was 2.3, and the average outdoor is 0.4, and average indoor is 1.3, by the time it gets to 4.0 the EPA recommends action guidelines is to FIX the home.Lower levels just mean to monitor every two to four years.

And according to this report;
Our risks are not that bad.
 


Even though it was not that high, I did call our state EPA to find out more info and asked some questions, (each state does have a toll free number to call) and Mr. Clark Eldrige, the environmental scientist there, was extremely reassuring that we do not have to retest for about four years; that is unless we have another hurricane that takes the roof off or we decide to renovate. Apparently, disturbing the building any time or anything that could cause cracks in your structure, that is when it is a good idea to test for radon.
And I asked if he had others testing where we live and he said yes, and there has been some issues with radon locally, but ours is not that bad; fortunately.
And having a crawl space is a better construction than slab for this area, ours is on a slab, without any basements here due to high aquifers. Most of Florida doesn’t have basements for that very reason. Out of the three homes we have had here none had and only one had a crawl space.

So that’s it for tonight…
I am very tired and head-achy and my eyes are sore; I am quite literally a sight for sore eyes! HA!

On that note of not too much, allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

Sunday, November 24, 2013

When most people talk online...



…They speak in short concise sentences, not long, way too long personal commentary with memories included…

Sure thing that most people realize that no one really cares if your mother’s father’s uncle knew so and so or you remembered a time when… and that your reasoning for going on and on when never really asked a question just shown something posted that they were interested in and perhaps you might be too, ya know?

Failing these social graces admittedly, while online is an extraordinary flaw in my personality, and it’s just as BAD in person, if not more so…


Who knows if it could go back to me being practically an only child, since my half brother was nineteen years older than me and was fighting in Korea when I was born and from there he spent most of his adult life in and out of VA hospitals, because of what happened to him over there…

I think it was PTSD, but I don’t believe they had that name for it yet, then.



Any-who, being the fact that my dad worked very hard with his cousins in the Eclipse on Route 17 in Hasbrouck Heights NJ, a bowling alley and cocktail lounge with entertainment, it had  a restaurant, and snack bar too that they all owned together he was gone a whole lot. Which he owned until 1965 from 1946, prior to that he had Irving's Dairy, a small grocery store from 1927, yep the heart of the depression till 1946 when he joined his cousins in the Eclipse.

But mom when she wasn’t feeling poorly was pretty good with me and my quirkiness, and loved music too. She was ten to fifteen years older than most of the other moms on the block, since I was a product of her and dad’s second marriage, he having been a widower and her a divorcee from a philandering musician and at the time had a nine year old son… She was a legal secretary for years and then dad and his cousins had mom help with the business books sometimes, so I was told.

So dad apparently felt with mom’s not feeling well, I think even at that time she was undiagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which most people didn’t discuss illnesses then for some reason, but she was in a lot of pain and had Gold Shots in those days, the fifties and nineteen sixties… Mom sort of worked from home when needed.

Although, my mom was thirty-nine when I was born and dad was forty-three at that time, I would find my mother dancing when I came home from school, to usually a rock and roll station, and she was well into her forties by then, maybe even fifty something!

Dad would send us away for the holidays to the mountains, meaning the Catskills with great hotels with all the amenities, from delicious Kosher meals to top entertainment in their nightclubs, swimming pools, indoors or out, same with ice skating rinks and I would meet kids from the city, that is New York, who were older than me and very smart, since they had what is called a two in one year program, and so most graduated around sixteen or younger, not eighteen or even seventeen like I did…

And so being from Brooklyn, Long Island, or even Manhattan they sure were a bit more worldlier than me… and so I was apt to become more sophisticated just by association, or not!

And so after the summer or fall or winter or spring that I had been there for a vacation I always felt that my at home friends were, well different than me… and most didn’t want to hear a thing about my time away from them…

That I so totally enjoyed, but I suppose sounded as if I was bragging a bit?

So I stopped trying to talk to people, since no one was interested I suspect…

And for a few years people liked me for that and told me everything, in fact more than I wanted to hear from them!

And I complained to someone, a close friend or my mom or somebody, but no one knew what to do, until… I thought long and hard…to reverse the talking to boring them and oddly enough, you know something, sadly, it has never ever stopped since then!

It got worse when I was fifteen and had the privilege of going with my parents cross country that summer of 1965 and we visited forty states and many of the major points of interest from you name it, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Squaw Valley and Sun Valley which I so enjoyed ice skating in the summer, LA and San Fran and as we crossed the country that incredible summer each major city we left had a race riot right behind us… what a harsh and horrid time for many and an education for me nightly on those hotels TV sets…

You see my dad had retired by selling the Eclipse that April 1, 1965, since he and only his one cousin Ike were alive their two other partners had passed away and they were killing themselves never taking days off.. Due to a few robberies, and oddly enough it turned out to be their own night watchman, just horrid! I can still hear dad on the phone with the police with them telling him, just after he had just gotten home that there had been another break in!



It was good idea to sell the place and so he and his cousin made that decision, since Ike was also a lawyer by profession, like his brother that he put through law school, it was all done very nicely and sold to someone who was able to pay them what they asked for it, so I was told many years later, and that is why my father who had worked from a small child and owned his own businesses from the age of nineteen, finally retired at the age of fifty-eight!

Dad did get a bit bored after about six months of trying hard to do hobbies, but he loved people more…and so after awhile dad went to that job service Snelling and Snelling and he started working part time at different jobs like when he was nine to find what he liked, but it would be years later that he would find it, after I was married woman and when we all had moved to Lakewood NJ, us first then Mom and Dad, six months later and only a mile away from us… and Dad continued doing odd jobs when not driving his neighbors hither and yon or mom too, he delivered false teeth and other things as his assignments…until he became a part-time toll taker on the Parkway right by his exit, he worked about twenty hours a week until a year and half before he died at the age of seventy-nine on Mother’s Day May 11, 1986! Four and half years after mom…



You see, this is what gets me on the “don’t engage or talk to list!”

 So many things in life create our minds to remember and so before it is all forgotten I write it down…that’s all.



I highly recommend to all of you, for when mom died it was instantaneously practically, only in eleven and half hours, from a major stroke that she never awoke from on February 15, 1982. And I never was able to ask her so many things, things that today I still want to know…film your loved ones or tape their voices, whatever you can do and get your family histories or questions or secrets answered when they are still alive and well or have time from their deaths' call and it will be something to cherish long after they are gone…Dad had five and half weeks while hospitalized from his brain stem thrombosis, highly unusual to have that long…and we talked and talked...



It is very nice to remember nice times from long ago, so write it down to share with whomever you care to…



On that note of too much notes, allow me to be the very first to wish all you a very happy good night and ask you all to kindly count all your blessings and share those overages with you know who and I will too!



And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

PS There is so many more things to tell…Ahhh memories!

Speaking My Mind: Which way will the war go?

Speaking My Mind: Which way will the war go? :   My eyesight is going again... in case you missed it... Netanyahu snaps back against growing...