Daddy's Day!

Why not?
Most children's first words are "Da, Da", and from there Daddy and later on Dad, honestly can any of you remember when you actually used the rarely ever used and somewhat pretentious moniker when speaking of  the guy that is the parental portion of your life, "Father"?
I suppose many of you Ivy League types may have, at times, when wanting something from them had used the term,"Father", hmm?
But the majority of us real folks call the male counterpart of the matrimonial duo or two of the men or living together or apart that biologically or adopted or fostered, or had a surrogate produce you that handed you over to the man or men those people would be called?

Mostly, I would think "DAD"!
Its warm its tender its regular its kind its considerate its funny its firm its loving; and I  could continue for hours in this vein of knowing that when anyone who loves/loved that special person in their lives can know how perfect a description that those simple palindrome letters spell out of, DAD!

With this claim of mine, I now proclaim forever more for this day to now be called for now and forever
Dad Day for us mature folks or Daddy's Day for the younger set, 18 and under, alrighty now?

Now go on and enjoy your festivities, go on...
So I will bid all of you lucky enough to have those Dads still with you and for us not as lucky to have them physically here, but have them always in our heads and hearts we are enjoying all those fond memories that nothing can ever steal from us and thought of those happy times are there to access whenever all year long...

Moving on...NOW!
Pray for all wars to stop... for no one, in my opinion, ever truly wins!
Stop the madness!

I don't get it!

"cognition /cog·ni·tion/ (kog-nish´un) that operation of the mind process by which we become aware of objects of thought and perception, including all aspects of perceiving, thinking, and remembering.cog´nitive

---

cog·ni·tion (kg-nshn)

n.

The mental faculty of knowing, which includes perceiving, recognizing, conceiving, judging, reasoning, and imagining."

Thank to: http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Cognitive+ability

I'm just not getting  it!

Any of you kids remember Gracie Allen from the Burns and Allen comedy team? 

"Burns and Allen, an American comedy duo consisting of George Burns and his wife, Gracie Allen, worked together as a comedy team in vaudeville, films, radio and television and achieved great success over four decades."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burns_and_Allen

Well, Gracie's shtick was her not understanding what George was saying or so us attentive audience members thought, and she would respond to his questions with off the wall answers and we would all laugh, thinking that this woman just didn't get it, but in reality she more than got it but only in a different direction of understanding! It was laughter that was side splitting and extremely brilliant, clean fun! (It was said that she was the brains of the duo and wrote most of their material, although George was just being a loving husband, I think, because he lived until a hundred and many years after Gracie had passed on and he performed nearly till the day he died just as brilliantly!)

Sadly, today many would think she had dementia or cognitive deficits and who knows if any of us have our wiring that off that we are not just coming up with different answers, but also the right ones, huh?

I guess there is more to it.

Today Hubby and I went to Fishville for an event that seemed to not materialize, any-who after Hubby and I had a bit of a spat and so he decided we wouldn't go to our second destination to get his and I quote, "nut covers", and he kept saying it to me, and for some reason I not only didn't get what the heck he was talking about; I didn't say it, but I thought it was an odd practice to have something of that nature and why would any man want such a thing, really?

He kept repeating it until I said that he was being mean not explaining to me what he actually meant!

Then he said the two magic words and I understood!

"Tucker's Grade"!

Yep,the location of the hubcap and lug nut store, further south from Fishville, he  had said we would stop by there to replace the missing one on our right rear wheel of our car the next time we were going to Fisherman's Village! 

I forgot on the way home.

Can anyone, but me understand the confusion? No?

I hate this alone feeling. 

Another issue is a sum of $340.43, a bill from Florida Blue, received today.
Previously when we discussed this amount, it was, I thought a discounted amount for this month's usual of $561.51, I argued for the higher amount being what I owed and so I paid it ten days ago and they received it on 6-11-14!
Then why this bill today?
I checked my Microsoft Money and bank that I had paid then from my previous Select, not Options, when my premium was $505.45 two times, but one had to be a stopped payment since they had said that they had not received it and so I wrote a personal check and mailed it after the other amount was put back into our account. When I switched to Options they then just charged me the difference of $112.12 that covered me now just from February on the new insurance Options, and now we were even or so I thought until this elusive $340.43 showed up earlier this month. It says that $221.08 had been paid by me by check! Never happened I said.
And to this day I cannot find anything in all my records of that amount paid to them in Microsoft or the bank even!
No one was in to discuss this with today, but after trying hard to locate my previous $505.45 check payment online at the bank and in my Microsoft Money, I had no luck, and so I paid $340.43 online today!

Did I give up, or did I seriously believe that I goofed?
Right now I don't know...
All I know is that I keep such great records that I pride myself for being to the penny with our bank always, even now!

Perhaps, I am a gonner in the cognitive ability wars... I don't know, but it does scare me more than many other things...going blind and not being able to walk at all are also on that list...

On that note of whose hope is it anyway, oh to be clever like Gracie, just wish that wishing did make it so... anyway, 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 and we will too!

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

A full moon with a Friday the thirteenth!

Whatever could this mean?
To most of the non-superstitious folks it means not a thing, but to those with fear of those two occurrences, once this day passes without any major issues, you/I can all take a deep breath until it happens again on August 13, 2049!

Interestingly that the date of August 13th 2049 will be the forty-fifth anniversary of our own personal etched in our brains, nightmare of a bad experience, of Hurricane Charley that destroyed our home with us in it, also a Friday!
The good and bad news is Hubby by then will be nearly 100 and I will be 99.

And now you know why it's bad and good, if we are lucky enough to reach those milestones we will be 100 and 99, get it and will probably have difficulty remembering to look up at the full moon and not able to get out too much to be concerned with anything on the thirteenth of any danger; the whole fearful concept will be lost on us, lacking the excitement factor; or perhaps the yawn one for most, us too by then?

So breathe friends, I know in many places the day is NOT over yet, but hold on...you and I will remain here there or wherever you/I are, okay? Time for another deep breathe, you/I can do this...
Please keep your eyes open if driving and stop the deep breathing; BUT NOT THE BREATHING!!!!

Remember I am with you in spirit and with moral support via your techno device, as a somewhat a mutual believer in this craziness that is that it could or might be or possibly could be detrimental to all of us sensitive to this baloney souls!

Ya know, writing it and seeing what I just wrote makes me realize that this unwarranted concern is by some standards just a lot of hooey, but since we mostly, that is the ones who read this... live in the land of the free and the home of the brave, you/me have the power to feel however we want that is scared or BRAVE!
  
On that note of a profound understanding of the human psyche, not really, but allow me anyway 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 your overages and we will too!

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

PS I called my Primary Doc, Dr. Nord and Cindy from her office asked her for me if she could send the ENT a referral and she did! Hopefully, by next week I should have an appointment. 

Small successes on a daily or weekly basis are uplifting!

Made it through the entire two machine workout without needing to use my scooter to leave! My walker took me home (to the car)...Hooray!
Sure it was less than fifteen minutes, but at least my legs didn't crumble under me! Hooray!

And even though Hubby wanted to eat out I suggested eating at home and so we did.
I had chicken leftover from last night's lemon pepper rotisserie one, over salad with my oil and vinegar dressing of balsamic, extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder and a dash of honey. Hubby had a chicken sandwich. 
Just between you and me though I was interestingly dizzy again, more so there than even at home, odd, hmm?
I did do diligence with using their surgical gloves and mask too this time.

The dizziness could be attributed to the exercises, I suppose.
Although, I never had it occur due to that before...mysterious, although, maybe I should keep a diary, tracking it and what I am doing when it happens.

 It could be vertigo, the hospital did dx me with it: (still no ENT appointment, damn!)

"1

a :  a sensation of motion in which the individual or the individual's surroundings seem to whirl dizzily

b :  a dizzy confused state of mind"

 

 For more info goto:

Thanks to:  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vertigo

 

Having Ataxia from Multiple Sclerosis can be similarly, confusing:

 

"  Ataxia describes a lack of
muscle control during voluntary movements, such as walking or picking up objects. A sign of an underlying condition, ataxia can affect movement, speech, eye movement and swallowing. Persistent ataxia usually results from damage to your cerebellum — the part of your brain that controls muscle coordination. Many conditions can cause ataxia, including alcohol abuse, stroke, tumor, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis. An inherited defective gene also can cause ataxia.
Treatment for ataxia depends on the cause. Adaptive devices, such as walkers or canes, might help you maintain your independence. Physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy also might help."

For more info: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ataxia/basics/definition/CON-20030428

 

I did not sleep well again last night, up for four hours from two A.M. to six  A.M., and so it seems that having some carbs do help with a good night's sleep and so dinner was no-egg noodles, it's been a while, and mine was topped with me having my clam sauce, homemade and Hubby having his red.

Moving on...
We will see what we will see.
I contacted the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to help me narrow down the new neuro doctor pool, in state.
A young woman by the name of Dawn, said many call in explaining that they do treat MS.When you look at all the neurologists names none say specifically which neurological disorder they specialize in, or are vague with many different ones listed, so it's a wee bit overwhelming!
The woman said that she would email the site that had MS neuros in Florida that should help, but it is more than two hundred!
Oh what fun, I have about a month to try to decipher through them all, in three months my MS medicine runs out without another neuro to write a script I will be in a difficult situation and that is why I have to get this done now, with time for an appointment to be set up, true?

Any-who, on that note of a wee bit of hope, or at least a plan of attack... allow me to be the very first to wish you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all those overages and we will too!

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

Care Team Call

Interestingly that I have received my EMG results and half of the report is basically more than half of it is blanked with stating that areas of me are O's for nothing and N for normal that were never ever touched during the brief, less than ten minute so-called EMG. The printed form has test results that are for 23 body parts, wrists, elbows and biceps and triceps and deltoids etc. and nope not one needle touched any of those locales on me and all I know when I was stuck that it was only five or six times, which included my right arm maybe three of those times and my left one, once, where it dripped blood and once in my neck. I suppose if he were some type of magician or specialist in Acupuncture which to my knowledge he is not...that minuscule amount of sticks would be able to tell a 43 year specialist in his neurological field what one would need to know to come up with his answers, but to be honest in my opinion I am not convinced.

This is eye opening: http://www.hss.edu/neurology-neurodiagnostic-testing.asp#.U5jWrUASHIU 
"How long does the EMG test take?
EMG testing usually takes anywhere from 40-120 minutes, depending on the condition being tested and findings of the study."

I would definitely think that twenty-three areas of my body being tapped/stuck for activity should be touched, hmm?
I GOT ripped off and so did my insurance company!
Not nice Dr. Nasir Khalidi in Port Charlotte Florida!
He did send a copy of this, in my opinion fraudulent test results to Dr. Nord, my primary, as she/I did request.

My day went pretty much in that vein or people saying things that they were either ignorant of the truth or just due to laziness never gave me the correct response.
Jennifer in Dr. Hernandez's office, the ENT, promised to call back in the afternoon, then  the next day and then I found myself doing her job of seeing if her doctor that she admittedly that all she does is answer the phone there and this was to my insurance company that called the office to let them know they indeed were still part of Florida Blue and my particular one, Options.
So I called there to speak with her or anyone to schedule an appointment and Elyse the office supervisor could not do it without speaking to Jennifer the phone answerer, huh?
So it is not ALWAYS me! Proof, since the woman from the insurance company gave Jennifer a validating reference number of their doctor still with Florida Blue Options, mine... and to the insurance woman that the whole situation seemed odd to her too!

Sadly, he is the only non-senior local ENT, that is NOT miles away!
A few were decades older than me!
This guy is still in his fifties.
No, I am not an ageist; I just want someone sharper than me!

Any-who, the Florida Blue Care Team nurse called and we spoke quite some time and we even filled out her forms and determined how and who could help me. But Gail was too nice and I over spoke, no surprise there and she will be calling monthly to follow-up...

I think I have determined my next neuro will be one hundred miles north, in Tampa, at the university there...Meanwhile I have three months supplies of those medications before I have to go, it gives me an opportunity to investigate cautiously and I did find out my insurance covers the entire state of Florida.
We do have a Mayo Clinic, but in Jacksonville, about an eight hours drive away!

I'm thinking and since my MS is sort of stable barring my Optic Neuritis I have now... again...
I must compile a list of qualities I need to feel I have a good doctor for me.

On that note of planning, planning, planning ahead, 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 and we will too!

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

Pseudo-exacerbation today!

Heat induced pseudo-exacerbation's are common this time of year, especially when one has Multiple sclerosis.
Now common sense would tell anyone that has not walked outside too much due to their medical issues that deciding to get exercise in while walking (using my walker, of course) from a parking lot to their fitness club to exercise when the thermometer reaches the low nineties is more than foolish, it's downright stupid!

Unfortunately, I was misinformed yesterday while talking to my Florida Blue, Silver Sneakers department, YOU MUST BE ON MEDICARE to have that program available to you! I did what the woman had told me yesterday to do...I went to the YouFit counter and handed the fellow Aiden from Scotland my insurance card, but he wanted my pseudo-license I.D.; given to me in lieu of my driver's license renewal, since I no longer drive, better for all really! Any-who, he said I do not qualify for the Silver Sneakers program, and so it was suggested that I call my insurance company back and I did, but with the background noise I had difficulty hearing, so Hubby took over with his phone and then for hearing purposes we went outside, yes into that 91 degree sauna!
The woman said what I have is the Florida Member 360 Plan or some such thing, which entitles me to discounts at certain clubs that are involved with the program. So I went back inside and was told that YouFit does not subscribe. Their prices are not bad, but I got another idea from my card starring up at me from my wallet when I had been getting those other ones out... my Independent Exercise card from the Rehab, it had six visits left and all paid for, and it was in the same complex just around the corner...
But we got back into our air-conditioned car, and me with my cooling vest still on and believe or not still cooling me...
Hubby parked over in their parking lot, in another handicapped spot.
He gave me my choice of the walker or the scooter, seeing that I appeared to be warm and a bit tired already; I said the walker. Little did I know that my desire to try to get slim and win, would be a mistake to do all in one day.

Of  course the facility like all here in Florida is well air cooled with a constant temp of 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the contrast of more then twenty degrees felt delightful!
Hubby showed me some pieces of equipment that I hadn't tried before and I decided to try the one where you sit and your legs lift a padded bar I started and Hubby noticed I was lifting twenty pounds, I said it felt okay and so for the first day in months I thought two sets of ten reps was a conservative beginning, since I would be using other equipment. I was a bit dizzy but not too warm and eagerly went over to the total gym that I had used for months before another leg strengthening piece of equipment.
When I left I had gotten up to one hundred reps with the two others that I had used, so I thought I would try, half that, fifty and I did.
I should have known when I got over there and started to get onto the slanted padded body board I was pretty dizzy, and I thought forget about it, don't be such a wimp!

Mission accomplish, I completed all fifty reps, but when I went to dismount my legs buckled under me and I could barely make it over to my walker seat. Hubby after I had a few sips more of my club soda, which I always have with me, in its stainless steal canister...and Hubby asked if I now needed the scooter, and yep I gave in!
He drove it right along side of me I had trouble getting my now lifeless legs on it and this after only ten-ish, maybe closer to fifteen minutes of exercise I was scooting back to the car with Hubby following behind with my walker.
Any-who, I have five more visits still available and I would like to try again in a couple of days.
I wore surgical gloves, hot and sweaty but clean, which they provide as well as masks, if need be and we did clean everything we used.
Who knows, it could be my answer...but what's the question? HA!

Seriously, I will investigate that other program more.
I do have a second opinion appointment with a Orthopedic Surgeon scheduled for August, would you believe, and an ENT office person, Jennifer, is checking to see if her doctor, Hernandez, is still with my insurance. He is the same one I went to back in 2006.

On that note of me doing the logical thing to handle it all,one day at a time...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 your overages and we will too!

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

PS Once I cooled down, in the car with the air-conditioning and with lotsa cool club soda I was ready to finish our intended plans of lunch at Subway and then grocery shopping, and I did make it through both... see determination! I got it!

"A vivid creative mind is just one of your great attributes." "You will never regret the present, you live life to its fullest."

Good news, bad news kind of day!

I had my EMG today at Dr. Khalidi's office, my now former new neuro...
He gave me the good news that my stenosis is not impinging on my spinal cord, only pinching nerves from my neck...YEAH!
Then I asked him if that is not the cause of my walking problems, what is?
He said it is my weight and that my MS is stable.
Okay, then what is causing my balance issues?
A middle ear problem.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm............
Four other neuro doctors before him and before all the meds enlarged me and I had had walking and balance problems and then they told me it was due to the MS, Multiple Sclerosis!And that after a visit to an ENT who ruled out ear problems at that time, I was then diagnosed by my first good neuro that I had Ataxia as well. He was a good guy but moved away...
Khalidi's answer: that was then this is now.

While I was getting the test he was not at all talkative and before it too.
I told him that Dr. Nord wanted a copy of the test, nothing, silence.
I then told him that Dr. Klein diagnosed me last week with Optic Neuritis again,nothing, silence.

After my questions without all answers answered, he said that I should get another doctor!
Hubby was not in with me for the test.
I do not know if he used rubbing alcohol before he stuck me with the needles during the test and when I showed him blood running down my one arm he took a cloth and wiped it I think he took the cloth off the counter...not very sanitary!

I asked for a copy of the test on my way out and Rhona said tomorrow, but Cheryl said in a day or two, and that she will call me, huh?I paid for that test and I would need it for my new doc! I didn't say that to them, but after I told Hubby what happened...

The other day while at Dr. Nord's she also mentioned the difficulty she had with getting my tests from his office and how she was basically ignored.

The worst of it all is not once did he mention what I could do to help myself, he did though, even today say that I could get an opinion from a neurosurgeon. He didn't get it, I didn't question his tests results only what was then causing my problems and what I should do about it, yes, I know I am NOW obese and my ears are fine and I still have balance issues, but I wasn't this fat when I was first diagnosed with all these problems then too, and he still didn't help me at all!
Just as well I have been dismissed from another heartless, should have retired arrogant a-hole with the nerve to call himself a doctor!
Any and all questions asked were ignored; I truly believe some doctors prefer dumb patients, I'm just saying...following what they say blindly without question or questions...

My resolve is in progress I will be going to a Silver Sneakers gym tomorrow to talk to a personal trainer.
This is mostly through my Florida Blue, yep, as well as getting a Care Team Consultant, a coordinator and logistics medical provider person also from my insurance.
Gosh didn't know about this before, the Care Team thingy, not the other...

You see, I did believe his results and now I know what I am dealing with spine wise not to be injured more; at least I do hope the trainer will be able to be cautious with my particular situation.
As far as a Care Team Consultant goes, my too many years from wanting to know things has created me the desire to always ask knowledgeable people with thinking that I would get answers, not trouble... never looking for it, really!
I should have known better with two brilliant sons and one being somewhat arrogant too; I used to warn him that it was wonderful to be confident but being over-confident can be very close to arrogance and it's best not to step over that line....,ha!

Moving on...

Hubby cheered me up with my favorite Chinese foods steamed shrimp and Chinese veggies as well as egg drop soup, thus those two fortune cookie messages.
Darn though Hubby's was the first one, but he handed it to me saying it belonged to me, what a GUY!
And yes, the second was mine...lets just say we used to and are trying hard to again!

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

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