I really thought that today I would be sitting here or in front of the TV most of the day...

But thankfully my UPS delivery of my Copaxone arrived before eleven A.M., whew! This sounds so possessive but I am the only one in the household who takes Copaxone and for that I am grateful. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone else, i.e MS!


That alone allowed me the right to go out of our back door and enjoy another swim in the pool today, hooray!
You see, even though I have had life saving and taught Aquacize for years… these days Hubby is my life guard, just in case something happens to me, so he watches me in the pool. I am not in that bad shape except when I go into spasms even after I take my Baclofen during breakfast before I go in, my first dose then is ingested for the day with other medications too. But on occasion those spasms can cause havoc with my ability to get back to the ladder or steps; so far so good.

Any-who, I felt great in the very warm water, warmer than it has been in a long time… 88 degrees!
But for some reason to me it was still refreshing, it’s gotta be that lower body temperature thing from my hypothyroid condition, hmm?

Whatever the cause, it has been giving me the daily option to go in if the weather holds or if we don’t have any other plans to go out.

Not only did I swim on and off today, I felt the energy to do some touch up painting to the trim under the sunroom window here. Hubby got the equipment for me, paint, newspaper, brush and wet towel for drips and between a little collapsible outdoor table and my rolling walker I managed to get the job done. Oh yes, we have that garden one that holds tools and rolls with a seat on it, but this worked just fine.
While in the pool I have also noticed for a while that the gutter along the back of the house looking dirty. We oddly enough only installed one gutter after the hurricane in the back of the house for it to go directly into our rain barrels. And so, Hubby was kind enough to set me up once again, this time with a bucket with commercial grade cleaner and water but all natural and an extendible handled brush that reached up very nicely to the gutters. I also used the same cleaner on the lattice on the shed where we have another Pandora vine and ground plantings too, Wandering Jews and Mother-in-law’s tongue. The white fence too got a cleaning touch up around the pretty red Hibiscus growing against it.

I felt quite accomplished and had my last dip after. During the time I was in there, the pool, Skipper joined me once again, so all in all it was a very pleasant late morning, early afternoon exercise plan…Ta da! Perhaps there is hope for me after all, hmm?

No complaining from me today, oh wait a little… the wonderful doctor apparently called me back yesterday on my ancient cell phone and left a message stating that perhaps he could give me a senior discount. I had no idea he called, I do carry that phone around in my walker seat, but for some reason it never rang. Lately it has been doing that more often than not. I called his two possible locations and left messages on both of his voice mails.
Without thinking I said yes to the offer forgetting asking about why the bill was so high! Another mistake that I will be paying dearly for I suspect… oh well…

On that fallibility blunder of stupidity of not thinking before acting…allow me to be the first to wish you a very happy good night and ask you kindly to count all your blessings and share those overages and we will too!

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

When do scientific theories become scientific fact?

I know when they, the scientists, in this case prove it to be so.
But still, as consumers counting on the FDA, here in the states, which to non Americans is our Food and Drug Administration: “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or USFDA) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety, tobacco products, dietary supplements, prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs (medications), vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, blood transfusions, medical devices, electromagnetic radiation emitting devices (ERED), veterinary products, and cosmetics.”
As per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FDA
So when dealing with possible charlatans we as citizens of these fine United States of America have the right, before purchasing from anyone, even decent reputable vendors, we are entitled to full disclosure relating to said items and all their side affects that we may consider in our needs or in our family’s needs to use.
Commonly many don’t realize that this right should be exercised not only with a car, but with doctor or with medication or even supplements that will be ingested by you or someone you love.

Now here is where the iffy part comes into effect when you interview the perspective executor of the product that you desire and hit a brick wall with not receiving any answers, RED LIGHT!
And so was my yesterday interview with a woman who has a weight loss supplement company online via Facebook.
I made the appointment for the free session to find out about her product that would help me finally to lose the weight I have discussed over and over again here too many times to recall an exact number.
I even filled out her questionnaire that was enclosed in her email to me, and yet with all my true and honest desire to do something finally, she would not answer three questions of mine that I felt were simple enough to determine if what her company had to offer me was going to be my answer.
And so I tried calling her number that had been enclosed in the email and it was nearly an hour prior to our arranged time for the free offer to begin. I only felt it fair if she could answer my three little questions then I would more than likely be willing to proceed and we would be coach and willing client to become my old thinner healthy self.
My questions were simple and concise:
1. How much do you charge?
2. Did you check to see if my medications would interact with your supplement? ( I had sent her the list)
3. Do you have FDA approval?

She chose not to call me back prior to our allotted appointment which I called her business number at 9:47 A.M. and her outgoing message stated that her business hours started at 8:A.M. When she did call it was two minutes later than our agreed upon time, stickler, you betcha! Ten forty-five, we had made the appointment for and when a professional doesn’t show on or before their time that alone is a red light to me!
Not one question was answered that gave me confidence to proceed and we terminated the conversation.
When I asked the first one, she said I determine what the price is as we go on, or some such thing; not verbatim, but close.
The second one about checking if her supplement was compatible with what I am already ingesting daily, fifteen pills and one injection, the answer was no, she had not; dangerous!
The third question about FDA approval was, no too.
Although, I do know that many supplements are not considered controlled substances many an interaction with prescribed medications has caused a persons death!
Perhaps, many think that I was too harsh and not flexible enough when dealing with someone who truly wanted to help me change me for the better…, hmm?
I found over my many years on this planet whenever it sounds too good to be true it usually is and I am more than sure that you have too.
Legitimate businesses should always have set or available price lists for products, not vague, if it goes this way or that pricing, is another red flag!
Answering other legitimate concerns when dealing with people with chronic illnesses is something that any weight loss Guru’s should be more careful with too.
Far as having affiliation with government agencies that approve or disapprove of ingested medications or foods is only a possible reliability; since we have all heard many horrors of recalls… but unregulated consumed products should always be checked out thoroughly to be safe, and that is all I am saying here…
It could be that I was too worried with being taken, since it has happened to me even with all my cautions to others. Why I am human and have been known to also be too trusting and that is when I was taken!
So think of tonight’s rant as being a cautionary tale to be used for whatever you care to do…
Don’t ever be shy about asking questions, and too bad if they don’t like them or act as if you insulted them… over the phone they aren’t likely to spit in your face, food, or shoes, and no never ever happened to me… but who knows what my future may bring, since I do have a most inquisitive inquiring mind and it appears to be all I got these days!
On that trying to help make the world a better place for all of us beings, allow me to be the first to wish you all a very good night and ask you kindly to count all your blessings and share all you overages and we will too!

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

PS in the end I felt it best to unfriend her on Facebook, but you know what she beat me to it, by this much...

Frustration is rampant!Semantics is the study of meaning in language.

Why? You may ask that I chose that title?
Mostly due to getting nowhere with that high bill, although I did get to speak with the woman who thought that she could help me.
Unfortunately, all she could tell me is that I had seven complaints and that is why it was large…
I said no that is not right, not complaints, many ills, OKAY and yes I do not like them, but ‘Complaints’?

She offered for an RN to call me back, and I countered that they were not in the room with me and do not know what actually was done or not done.
My Hubby was there and like me he is baffled; since nothing MORE than usual transpired.

Later on…I did receive a call back that the doctor will go over it once again and get back to me himself…hmmm… Doctor Wonderful, now I am wondering…
I will not say anything until I know what he has to say… I really want to know why such a large discrepancy in price from previous visits?

Moving on to the next topic of my interest…
Any-who, the semantics part is that we signed up with our rewards card from our bank that we switched, one of regular cards to way back in March, got that?
It gives you back 1% on everything, 2% on groceries, and 3% on gas, all monthly and we chose to have it deposited monthly, automatically, into our checking account also with that bank, way back when we accepted their offer.
But every month we have had to call to tell them to do it.
And every month they say we did not activate it to do it…what?
And so… you got that right I had to call once again, and this time they treated me as if I was a kept child.
Asking me MY HUSBAND’S DOB, I ask you; are we in the twenty-first century or what? And worst of all it was a woman!
After I straightened her out, I told her that I brought up our rewards account online from the bank, and it stated that we were entitled to 29.1, or in bank speak, 25 dollar increments, and that we had 19.79 pending this month with (125) already redeemed, but below that: 100 points pending…huh?
I said that I want those! And why were they pending…
She said that it referred to my one time only above, the 125, in bank speak, but actually in dollars and they were already used… but I reiterated that it stated that they were pending, not redeemed, which logically it should have said, that is if that really is what they were, right?
This so-called deal, we thought was going to give us non-taxable rebates monthly that would be worthwhile and so instead of using our bank debit card connected to our checking account, we stopped using it and decided that this was such a deal to use the rewards card all of the time, but I am very good at keeping track… I go to the site daily and use an online checking that does not connect directly to the bank, thankfully!
But I check balances and always make sure to set aside the spent money in an account in that non-online account and I pay it when it gets to a certain amount, monthly or bi-monthly or what-ever it needs to be… I am always to the penny anyway. After all I was a credit manager and pay all our bills online and I did go to school for business, so that is why I do it!
Even the women Pamela Johnson in Maine, the bank representative, of thirteen years, who said that I knew from what I speak and realized that what was there was not what she had on her page…how odd?
A fly in the ointment, hmm?
Although, she was insistent and according to her we are only entitled to the $25 bucks which doesn’t seem too bad, but not as good as we thought it would be… a nice little amount if they remember to do it!

Lastly…
This is just a pet peeve of mine as many who come to this state… but it is more annoying when a news anchor mispronounces a place or doesn’t know the geography of our great state of Florida. Today the cringe factor was when NBC in Fort Myers, again, newest anchor fresh from Arizona, reminded me of how all the on air newbies should be trained in knowing the businesses unique to our area…my cringe factor this late afternoon is when Peter Busch discussed one of our Beall’s Outlet stores in Collier County, he pronounced as BEELS, which oddly enough it is not, at first glance that does seem correct but, no it is pronounced Bells, sorry Peter… train those on-air seasoned professionals with the localisms pronouncements and to this day I can remember when one weather newbie insisted we had a Punta Gorda Beach up by Englewood, and no that was Englewood Beach not Punta Gorda which is only Punta Gorda south of Port Charlotte, PLEASE, I IMPLORE YOU!
Sadly, I don’t recall what Mr. Busch’s story was actually about since his mispronunciation, to me, was as if he screeched chalk against a blackboard… OUCH!
I do believe these anchors have to be more than talking heads, since I do not believe they have the money locally for others to write their scripts for them… but they should confer, really with ones that have been here a while, hmm?

I know I am not perfect and I prove that here nightly, but I don’t get paid the big bucks and no one really cares if I goof, since they can’t hear me mispronounce those magical localisms that we twenty-six year transplants hold near and dear, but even we had to be told, not that, this!
That is what is what here…learning to meld into the place of your chosen home.

And on that note of heaven knows what, allow me to be the first to wish you all a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count those blessings and share those overages and we will too!

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

TMI and other misconceptions of reasoning for mine and other bloggers...

Being of a certain age and disabled it is quite cathartic to express what being able to discuss what most people will cut you off from saying when talking to them in person.

I have found in all my years that people in general, are of the ilk of only wanting to hear good news…
While reality is a denial for most, I on the other hand do believe it is necessary to share my personal feelings with others who may not have the courage or ability to do so and so using this forum has been beneficial not only to me but to others as well... How do I know this? Well, I do hear back from people and that feedback is most helpful for me to continue on.

Sadly, my friendship base in the real world has diminished with the shock of my new appearance. I believe, since I am not only fatter, actually obese, more weight on me than I have ever been and that I am also usually, on my mobility scooter or using my walker… Once, not that long ago, I was doing pretty good at a mere one hundred and three pounds and going to the gym five days a week for an hour and a half each day…but sadly my life has changed dramatically in the last seven years.
No longer can I be the helper in many ways, I am the one now needing the help. I no longer drive or have the ability to carry things for others who cannot.
But alas my brain works, sort of… and I can write, sort of… and think well, sort of… but talk, thankfully, I write the same as I talk, DEFINITELY!
Seeing is iffy and walking is nearly nil, but those above assets are all I got and so why not utilize what you do have?
And the fact that some don’t like it; I say TOO BAD!
The local news program of NBC in Fort Myers just did a story on telling too much, or TMI, on the Internet, causing problems for you. I do hope they were referring to teens and children who do not realize that what they share can have negative ramifications, like certain pictures, personal phone numbers and addresses etc. and such… not from adults who want to help make others realize that they are not alone!

Yes, I do believe that employers may look at those pictures if they Google you, and so never ever put anything you wouldn’t want them to see; just common sense. Having it seems to be elusive for some these days…

Personal photos rated ‘G’ or ‘PG’ is always welcomed, others are not appreciated, and will come back to bite you where the sun don’t shine.

Euphemisms are okay too!
Be cautious and critique all that you choose.
Beating around the bush is sometimes as well as it should get in the specificity realm of discussing things.
Not being dishonest is a fine line, but I do believe we all can do it, by censoring ourselves…not too much… why the newsies never do!
They have to tell it as it is, even if they are blushing inside, hmm?
Hypocrites or just believing their venue is the only legitimate arena for telling it as it is?
While you chew on that for a while, allow me to be the first to wish you all a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and we will too!

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

PS Good luck to ABC's Good Morning America anchor, Robin Roberts with her newest challenge in the ills realm...our hearts and hopes go out to her

Storm coming in... then away... too much noise... and still not right...

Sorry folks but I am still not feeling up to par… hopefully by tomorrow; mostly in bed today.

Brief and to the point...

I over did it in the pool for hours today and ate hotdogs outside like the rest of the world might do today.
I am paying now for those indiscretions, today.
My tummy aches and I am very cold still, although my 96.7 Fahrenheit temp has gone back up and beyond at nearly one hundred degrees, today…and the house is warm…but I am still chilled, today.
My socks are on with a blanky wrapped around me, actually on and off that shawl of mine today and the thermostat in the house reads 80 degrees Fahrenheit, today.
Dizziness is prevalent, today.
And I feel weak, today.
So tonight’s offering is done for now…so I can sleep…today…
NAH, way too early for that, but sitting here is difficult and so today, I will find a way to rest for now, today…and I will now close this boring mind display.
OKAY?

Refresher course for shooting, computer course scheduled, paella and a very rainy rainy day!

Today, I thought that I would get a chance to sneak in a quick bit of pool time before the arrival of the nurse to teach me how to, refresher course, shoot the Copaxone into my delicate body, bud dump bum…ha!
Unfortunately, as soon as I got my swimming gear on, which I must admit is rather awesome and odd looking… since it consists of a black skirted bathing suit that goes down to my knees with for added loveliness the Hawaiian dress from Dr. Leonard’s that I purchased months ago and never wore out in public until… I realized it was meant for just this use, that is, oddly enough because it is in bathing suit fabric… and it is worn not just as a cover-up but as an over the bathing suit protection from observance suit…, but wait there’s more, I then put on a heavy dose of sunscreen, the very white like clown makeup type all over my self, but mostly the face area, which I then cover with two sets of glasses one is my old fashioned metal rims that are solar sensitive changing capable in the gold silver combo, and over them thick gawky black large rimmed ones that most wear after cataract surgery.
And to top the whole majestic classy gal look off, a tied on straw hat! And I am ready for the plunge! Gosh, gone are the days where I would throw on two stingy/stringy pieces of fabric one for my tiny top and another for my tiny bottom and jump in!
Sadly, after I was prepared to get wet the sky decided to cause a stream of moisture to come in, odd how no one swims in the rain, when you go in to get wet… yea, I know lightening and all, not to mention the temperature dropping to an ungodly seventy something, only in Florida can you get away with saying that! And so the day went, on and off wetness all day long…

So I took an early shower and was all done much sooner than usual and it was a good thing.
The nurse made arrangements to be here between noon and one this afternoon. And before I knew it she had arrived, about forty minutes earlier than the scheduled time.
The reasoning of me finally saying yes to their follow-up was that this nurse was only less than a half hour away and without attitude, but also I was hoping for a reprieve on the location of two of my weekly shots, that is a new location that would be easier to do without spasms and needing a mirror or asking Hubby to do it, and nope the assigned location of the hips that I hate doing is written in stone, no changes, no alternate locations, no wiggling for more room to shoot! And so, although she was a very pleasant woman, my situation has not changed with that locale. And to make it worse for the first time in years, two, since next month it will only be two that I have been on the Copaxone I shot my right hip yesterday and then again today, a big oops, but no taken backsies…!


This afternoon, I received that call that I was hoping for, but did not think I would get until next week…The woman from the clinic who trains you on the computer for their program called and we scheduled for next week to begin my training, yea, this is going to happen!

To make the day more festive and to brighten our insides, I decided to make paella, since we had all the ingredients and it was very delish!

Unfortunately, my tummy is not enjoying it as much now as it did when it was going down… but am I the only Eastern European/American Jewish woman who loves spicy Spanish food? Dexilant has been taken and the Pepcid just a little while ago, will I ever learn? But I love it!
And my tummy doesn’t… oh poo!

On that bit of foolishness of an eating habit, but good news for my volunteerism, and not on the status quo on my shots…allow me to be the first to wish you all a very happy good night and ask you to count all your blessings and share all your overages and we will too!

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

Talk about odd occurrences, well the computer has many errors showing up, but on the bright side, somehow from somewhere my pictures all seem to have come back, wild!
They were gone for nearly a month on my Facebook page, but I fortunately had them stored elsewhere… but I’m not telling!