Distractions...

  


We all know how to do it; get your minds out of the gutter!

I am referring to a coping mechanism when not needing to delve into a situation and changing its circumstance for the better since you cannot do it anyway?

My mind is one heck of way to distract me and my WORD program enjoys erasing what I wrote again #&%$#@@; 764 words had been written and it is too late tonight to write it all again or even remember it all and so I will just get my point across...

When you are a semi-retired control freak, like someone as myself... it is difficult to put your life into others hands even respected professionals such as medical people.

Due to the business of medicine for these last few decades... yes before even "Obamacare", waiting rooms with ridiculous waits are nothing new, and as we feel like cattle now and then too and mistakes were had more often than most of us would like to believe... even way back then. First we were patients then clients now we are all customers that to them are rarely right!

So it is our responsibility to know as much as we can about our own personal needs and ills and then to be assured that we can tell when something could go awry.... by self educating one's self.

Although, when there is nothing we can do we must let it go… and distract ourselves with waiting for the results of this or that…!

And no pain meds for me if I can help it; they don’t work on me anyway.

Meditation, and distraction like our busy trips yesterday, with my scooter being used, at most all of the stops, as well as my cooling vest two-fold, for the usual of keeping me cool and as a pain reliever, since its cold packs, all four doubles, seem to hit my exact painful spots! I would usually take it off when indoors, in the air-conditioning, but now I leave it on since it works for both.

All in all, keeping busy even when in pain has worked best for me dealing with this portion of my life with the MS and my spinal arthritis and many other issues…
Psychologically, it does make sense, if you think about it… mind over matter…especially if you’re like me and get too many side negative affects from nasty hard stuff, narcotics…
  
Any-who on that note of trying to make my life not too bad after all and sharing ideas along the way… 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!

 

What would you do?

As you may be able to tell today we picked up some seeds to plant. But the caveat here to these particular seed packs is that although we live in Florida in a semi-tropical climate we are in zone 10 for all plantings and according to their packaging we missed our plant date, since the different packs state from March to August at the latest to plant these specific types! We are the last on the maps for such things. And even though my idea to plant pretty colorful different types of Marigolds that actually are beneficial in the respect of preventing insects from becoming a problem, and these would be going in terra cotta planters at the end of the pool decking, against the white fence. The other issue here is the fact that the sold by date is November and December of the upcoming months of this year, 2014! Something is not quite right; is it me or do you see it too? These seed packets were in the rack at our local Home Depot in Port Charlotte Fl, our always go to home improvement store and where we bought most of the 80K of our rebuild needs for our home that had been destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in 2004, basically our whole home! Any-who, we love them and their helpful people and so I went over to the Customer Service Desk and explained the situation to the people there, and between Gwen and Carol I asked perhaps that these due to being iffy if they will come up at this time of year and will be way outdated by next season, I suggested maybe they could discount them. Bold move on my part, but if you don't ask you don't know, ya know? And after some discussion and careful consideration Gwen said to take them for free! I said thank you! Still I offered perhaps a discount would be alright, but she insisted and said no take them and so I did.

Any-who, that was our third stop for the day our first was at Sam’s Club Optical where I had ordered my contact lenses for my right eye on Thursday they had arrived, my answer to no free glasses and a cheaper way to go, even without insurance coverage for them,… a six month supply for around thirty-three dollars, used to be twenty, five years ago, if I recall correctly, next we went to TGI Fridays for our lunch.

Between the fruit and OTC medications from Sam’s I was concerned for their freshness and spoilage of them being left in that very hot car. So after we had lunch we took a couple of my ice packs from my cooling vest for those leftovers too and so we proceeded on to the Home Depot for the seeds and some seed starter soil to add into the compost as well as the components for Hubby to add on to the fence where there is a gap, on the shed side, and so the across the canal neighbors could not see me when they come back in the next few months, if I am still swimming, which for many years it has been warm enough, even then in November, really!

The man there is the one we caught using a pair of binoculars to see into our yard one time, what a way to take away our privacy and create paranoia!

Our final stop was Publix up near there by those stores nearly five miles from here; we have quite a few Publixes in county.

They were quite helpful, but not as great as our own back here in our neck of the woods, where they really do know our names and we know theirs too!

On that note of our interesting outcome, 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!

Another route to take...

  This is going to sound foolish, but let's admit it that's never stopped me before...
Yesterday, at my GP/internist office I received my blood work report and according to it, I am great!

Than why do I feel so baaaaaaaaaad?
My muscular skeletal parts are in excruciating pain most of the day; even sitting here I am pushing my own personal envelope!
So when asked about what was bothering me yesterday I spoke up/out; i.e. my mind!
I explained to the doctor that my bones were behaving badly as in causing pain in the center of my body where the xiphoid process; you know the bone in between that can break when you do CPR?

And no, I have not had any recent CPR:"Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

Using rescue breathing and chest compressions to help a person whose breathing and heartbeat have stopped" For any of you who did not know or forgot or both.

For more in info and thanks to:http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/CPR

The week before with the PA, physician assistant in the orthpedics' office Maryanna, she had poked me there and it was significantly painful but not like yesterday when Dr. Nord did it; I jumped and saw stars!

It has been blipping pain, that is blips of pain like a downbeat, ya know?

I wasn't trying to censor my use of a bad word, RE: "blipping".

Now it is an on and off constant, the step down steroids were done on Wednesday, see how well they worked.

Dr. Nord had me have a chest X-ray there and set up for a bone scan, which will be in about a week.http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/bone-scan/basics/definition/PRC-20020302

I did try a homeopathic idea last night when it caused me a very hard time trying to sleep.

The article said if it was xiphoid process syndrome: http://www.medilexicon.com/medicaldictionary.php?t=88117 to try this and so I did: turmeric with honey ingested, I put them in decaffeinated green tea, and a warm compress on the location. 

No harm no foul, and so I tried it and nope it did not help, but my other normal pain stuff, Gabapentin and Baclophen did seem to kick in.

And no, I did not up them, I took what I had been taking for bedtime, Gabapentin 300 mg. and Baclophen 20 mg. and I suppose that was why I did get some restless sleep.

I did go into the pool again this morning and stopped using those foam weights, too much pressure in that area too... I suppose it is possible that the weights could cause a muscular problem that manifested itself as bone pain, but until the tests are done I won't know.

The uneasy part of all this is the fact that the rule of thumb these days is that if you had been a smoker you were pretty much in the clear after ten years of not smoking, well for me it has been only eight years this past July 11th!

I cannot allow myself and my past forty years of stupidity cause me to worry more, yep forty!

But to my good my heart and even my lungs have in the most recent past been given a clean bill of health!

Even last week's blood-work can attest to that no variants showed any blood cancers of any kind... yea, blood cancers, not bone....

I have to stop that!

Poo poo poo poo, no jinxing!

Sadly I have reached my pain tolerance for this upright positioning and I will have to close for tonight… on that note of trying my darnedest to do this my other love…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 share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

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

 

9-11

Below is my writings from the tenth anniversary of 9-11, and since I am having my own baaaaaaaaad day today and this is appropriate, I thank you for reading it once again...

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Too much to say and not enough words to say it with...

Sadly we cry inside and out, our hearts are heavy today as every year we need to remember our sorrow of this day of infamy on its tenth anniversary not unlike another that drove us to the same decisions and emotions on December 7. 1941.
Even us, who may have not been born yet, remember the meaning of what occurred on that fateful day and of course FDR’s speech that brought us to resolution of what could be done and how to do it.
Many great and heroic people have steered our land into what we needed to feel the power of our own freedom and safety once again and none should ever be forgotten.
Much like those who lost their lives on that day 9/11/01 they have traded our fear for freedom and hope and in response they too should be regarded in high esteem and so it has been part of our repetitive history of this nation sorrowfully time after time.
But who amongst us in this world when looking in their past has not realized the same or similar fate of all nations with people not respecting others?
When will we learn to come together and stop this hate!

Now in our twenty-first century we all should now know that it gets us nowhere to behave in such ways any longer… it frustrates me of the dignified age of half a century plus eleven.
Why must we have to be taught to be nice and loving and understanding and accepting of each other?
Am I the only one who knows why this all happens?
NO!
We all do know that most wars are fought because people will not accept others for who they are!
Over and over again we must learn to accept people and love our differences.
But I am hopeful that we are going to be better at this world love thingy, because we have to try since this is the only world we got!
Never ever forget what happened but don’t let it polarize you into hate without hope!

Do any of you recognize this? What it is?
It is a

, yes a slap band on Hubby’s wrist, my model, that 80% of the purchase price goes to the non-profit!
But for all of us to think about what it represents and this one in particular is actually for Saint Jude’s Hospital for their children’s cancer research center; it was purchased today at Chili’s restaurant where they have other items available too.
They have a lovely sign inside that let’s you know that they are willing to help your organization also, now that’s a great beginning for mankind! Isn’t that what we are supposed to do? Help each other?
YES!
So use those talents where they will do the most good and help someone in respect for what today really means, our world is shrinking and that we are all our neighbors so be kind to them!
Love, peace and caring be with you and yours!

And so with something to snack on in your fertile brains allow me to be the first to wish you all a very happy good night and to ask you kindly to count all your blessings and share all those overages, since being alive is one, and we will too!

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

So you have eye surgery and after...

...All you have to do is get the new prescription of eye-glasses filled, as your policy FLORIDA BLUE states that they are included for FREE!

Easy?

I think NOT!

Well, sure if the providers are in NETWORK, but no, nope they don’t have anyone who accepts THEIR INSURANCE in NETWORK!

Oh no and so the conclusion folks is….that the Florida Blue system STINKS!

We just spent four and half hours talking to “SUPERVISORS”! Sure we did.

They just spewed more inconsistencies in their policy’s coverage according to whatever their upper echelon bosses brainwashed them to carry on and to the public they are trying hard to hoodwink, as well as !

The issue is that they tell you that Florida Blue Medical will pay in full for cataract surgery glasses, but…… the catch 22:

“Catch-22 Definition

dictionary.search.yahoo.com

n. noun

1.    A situation in which a desired outcome or solution is impossible to attain because of a set of inherently contradictory rules or conditions.

2.    A contradictory or self-defeating course of action.

3.    A tricky or disadvantageous condition; a catch.”

See this is the definition of what a catch 22 is!

Please people if you think you want to change your insurance do NOT choose this brand!

Find one with people who know the difference between medical physicians, oh I don’t know like that an Ophthalmologist, Optometrist and an Optician.

You see, and do enjoy the pun; they wanted me to go to an ophthalmologist for the eye glasses. And I kept explaining that I already have my prescription and HAD the surgery all I need is the glasses! But they insisted I had to go to an optometrist for GLASSES, they examine the eyes for nearsightedness and farsightedness and an ophthalmologist is eye diseases and surgery, what I need if any is an OPTICIAN who measures you for eyeglasses!

Oh, no we have no one in NETWORK therefore you will have to pay for your FREE glasses!

HUH????????

Any-way, this is how I spent the afternoon with Hubby and I taking turns trying to get through to these people to no avail…

As one can well imagine I am exhausted, an hour in the pool, forty-five minutes in PT, and lovely lunch at Plaza Mexican restaurant, which I will tell more about…in the future…

Then physically going to another eyeglass retailer and being told they do not accept Florida Blue!

Frustrating is an understatement.

So I will ask you all to kindly count all your blessings and share all those overages and try to have a very happy night, and we will too!

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

*Disclaimer this is totally my opinion, based on personal experience with this corporate giant!

So the weather outside is a bit iffy...

...And so I may have to hurry with tonight's addition to my blogging repertoire!
Today was a day to turn the corner of my ingestion of the mighty drug that is causing me to be able to function like many others... my step down steroids.
Sure most are not on this type of helper for their own pain issues, many, in fact are on tougher stuff than this, such as hard narcotics!
Thankfully they don’t work on me or cause negative reactions that at times have nearly killed me and so I do not have them listed on what works for me for any serious pain issues.
Injectable steroids have also proven to be a not good fit to help either, since even the best professionals in the medical field have at some time made a mistake and in my particular case caused more harm than good!
Yes, an orthopedic surgeon injected my hand years ago with cortisone and caused my arm to go numb for days after!
So nope, not for me!
And as far as those hard narcotics go, it’s like yesterday that I nearly was killed by being injected while in traction in A HOSPITAL and they coded me but brought me back, October of 1983! One doesn’t forget that took me a year and half and being in a back brace all that year to feel the ability to even take a Tylenol!
Any-who, this is old news and the storm has arrived…,
Hubby is out in the noisy weather doing the garbage and making me worry…
What wife doesn’t worry when thunder is roaring and logically you know that it means that you should be indoors! NOAA!

Power is always in question when the verbosity of the downpour can zap it in an instant and so on that possibility of it may happen allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy dry 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!

So I did what I was told...

...And I went to the rehab, rehabilitation center, for PT, physical therapy, of course Hubby drove.

When we arrived, apparently, my today's PT person, Paula, was running a wee bit late, my appointment was for 11:00 A.M. and we arrived at 10:49 A.M. and yet she picked me up from the waiting room a bit after the appointed time.

Today was to be a forty-five minute program and to my dismay she had no indication of what we were to do today.

I was insistent that the PA, physician's assistant, Maryanna from the ortho's, orthopedics office, had sent the fax over with my personal needs’ plan, by most likely Friday, I had seen her on Thursday, but none could be found.

And so we winged it; I did recall that we had discussed, due to my exacerbation of my pain symptoms and being still on the steroid pack to have the ultrasound machine used, and so that is what was done for the whole session.

My pain has slowly been diminishing as the days wear on, thankfully.

Although, an odd area of pain began last week totally unrelated to my wild-child escapades of climbing and tossing, translation, going up on two steps on a step stool and tossing a 5’X8’ throw wool rug over a four foot fence, whoa, crazy…!

Any-who, this pain is in an embarrassing spot/place, dare I say… no, not down there, yes above what I euphemistically call my remembrance of my waistline, but below my shoulders, and holding its own above my heart on my left side and to the center near that bone we press under to perform CPR, but the soft tissue to the left of that is severely in pain, even with all these medications in me, including the steroids, but just to be clear this started before I started the steroids, in fact I told the PA Maryanna about it last Thursday.

I had thought and asked her that maybe that slight bulge of mine in the thoracic region could be the culprit and she said no, and I told her my mammogram this past spring was normal and my heart was examined at the hospital when I was there the end of this past April, and that I am on GERD meds and so we were both at a loss…

Although it does meet the criteria for a muscle pull, but it’s on the wrong side of where all my other injuries were caused by my frivolity! PS If you must really know... yes it is my LEFT BREAST! I said as I blushed, this one, as so has the other, has had two lumpectomies that were benign thankfully...!

Fortunately, I have my internist appointment later this week for the results of my blood-work and my flu shot too. Maryanna suggested asking her, the M.D. internist, Dr. Nord, who also provides all my mammograms and bone density test appointment setups too.

Maybe it will be gone by then, who knows but, one would think with all the stuff in me Gabapentin 600 mg. and still Baclofen 60 mg. as well as the steroids to go along with too many other legal prescribed meds… I suppose anything is possible, but nothing is new except what I started taking after that particular pain site had established itself.

A bit of a mystery…

Even in the pool it rings louder than all the other parts that have had their screams heard earlier in this past week of joyous downfalls…

The best part though really is that no matter how badly one might feel, if it appears to be your worst; think of this way… it can go two ways, either get much, much worse and outdo itself or… get much, much better and then, no worries, true?

On that noted logic 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!