I'd known for some time that I needed new glasses, but had been putting off going to the optometrist because I thought he'd check the status of my cataracts again and I'm just not ready to undergo that surgery.
However, push finally came to shove. Two things were bothering me in particular. 1) Driving ... ... I was getting around "just fine" only because I know Houston so well. I really don't recommend fuzzy distance viewing. 2) Working at the computer ... ... My bifocals didn't work at all - neither top nor bottom portions of the lenses - and, because my eyes were receiving no help for the astigmatism (right) or floating 'stuff'* (left), they quickly became tired. I gave in and called for an appointment.
This time around I had two different types of glasses in mind, trifocals and driving glasses. The driving glasses were a no-brainer, but the trifocals idea stemmed from the three different distances I focus on most often ... a) reading or solving word puzzles/games, (b) working at the computer (2') and c) watching television (3') at the kitchen table while doing the latter part of a). Sounded like trifocals to me!
[I've had bifocals for over thirty years. I remember getting my first pair. My husband went with me, because we'd been warned by the ophthalmologist that they'd take a bit of getting used to. It's a good thing he went with me and was holding my arm. I'd have fallen on my face more than once! Took a while to get used to them.]
I really like my optometrist. Have been going to him for years! The exam is usually quite thorough, and initially done by one of his interns. He gets them on three-month rotations from one of the local schools. I haven't met a bad one yet, altho there was one I thought was a little suspect a few years back. The optometrist does the final exam ... asking questions of me, correcting and making suggestions to the intern all the while. Kind of fascinating, actually.
I was relieved when he didn't mention having a closer look to see how fast my cataracts were developing, and I wasn't about to bring up the subject, so there you have it. The only question we had was whether or not to order trifocals with demarcation lines.
The driving glasses were made while I waited, and then (By the way, I love them!) the doctor had me try on this gizmo, showing me how graduated lenses w/o lines would be. I didn't like it at all, so we ordered ones with lines.
When I got the call a week or so later, however, telling me my trifocals were in, I didn't immediately trot my body on over there to pick them up. I was really nervous about it, even though I had been assured that we could easily go another direction if I didn't like them. (He wants no unsatisfied customers!) But, I finally went - four days later and brought them home with me. I didn't even try them on. I just looked to see if they were trifocals. They were.
Well, ok. Showtime. I sat down at the kitchen table, put on my brand new trifocals, turned on the tv and began working a puzzle. So far so good. The top and bottom lenses appeared to be correct. I didn't need the middle one unless I was working at the computer, but I wasn't in any hurry to try that out. Chicken. Yes, I was!
I was due to mentor Thursday evening at the bridge studio. As I was parking the car in the lot, I thought, "Boy, this'll be a great place to try out the whole range of my new glasses!" For months, I'd been putting on my bifocals to sort and bid my hand and then placing them on the table for the play and defense. I thought this would be just a fabulous test, and couldn't believe I hadn't thought of that when the idea of trifocals first occurred to me.
The whole evening was spent in wonder and total clarity of vision. What a wonderfully pleasant surprise! Never took my new glasses off the whole time (except when I left the table to walk around). My goodness!
Since then, of course, I often wear my trifocals when working at the computer. In fact, I have them on right now. It takes a while to get used to that narrower middle lense, but eventually it does happen and you get to the point where you don't even notice the lines. One of my smarter moves in recent years.
************************************************************************************
*See this post for more info on floating 'stuff' in my left eye.
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Friday, March 5, 2010
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Is it Christmas yet?
Early Wednesday evening I posted Mannheim Steamroller's "Silent Night" as my introduction to this year's favorite Christmas music. Nothing since. What happened?
Well, we had a pretty good-sized 'norther' come in during the wee hours Thursday morning. What was kind of weird with this one is that tornado warnings started being posted shortly after I published my last entry. They think it might have been a lightning strike that knocked out a big chunk of power at Hobby Airport and camera shots showing the hundreds of people waiting in humongous lines outside the terminal to be checked in were more proof positive that traveling during the holidays is perilous and fraught with risk and made me shake my head at their frustration and concern at the distinct possibility of not being able to get to their destinations on time.
Thank goodness those that I drove to either airport experienced no such delays, but you never know about the returns. I have one scheduled to come back in to Hobby Monday evening (late, with a Chicago connection) and another next week. Hopefully, their return schedules will be as delay-free.
Thursday afternoon I decided that I had to make one more Randall's stop. I hadn't found the 'perfect' Christmas card for my granddaughter. Had one that I really liked for the whole family, but wanted one really special for her. This year my granddaughter decided to become a Christian - a 'biggie' for me, as those of you who read some of my previous posts already know - and I wanted a card that would exemplify how I felt about the combination of her new faith melding in with that of her family. Without it actually saying so, if you know what I mean. You probably don't, but it's the best I can do here. I wish I had copied down the message - I'd share it with you - but I didn't.
[I gave her three ceramic figures of the holy family that I'd had for many years, and she seemed to like them. Also, a Bible that was given to me - either when I was baptized or when I joined the church, one or the other (don't know, because the dedication page is missing) - some 60 or 65 years ago. It was in the trunk of the taxicab all the years I was driving, and is now in a very fragile state. It's the old King James version, with Jesus' words in red.]
But back to Randall's. The temperature outside was now in the very low 40's (Fahrenheit) and winds were blowing at a constant 20-30mph, gusting to 41. I didn't dress anywhere near warm enough! I was not expecting the temperature inside the store to be the same as that outside.
Initially, however, I didn't realize that fact and decided to shop for chili and fudge ingredients 'as long as I was there'. Well, it took me a whole lot longer than it should have because this particular store's layout was unfamiliar to me. I got a good chill that went right on down through my bones and - tell you the truth, have still not quite recovered from.
The rest of Christmas Eve day and all of Christmas Eve were spent with me either in bed, tossing and turning - moaning, groaning and coughing, or watching "It's a Wonderful Life" for the 89 gazillionth time. I should have sent my son-in-law an e-mail before going to bed - telling him I wasn't feeling well and to 'start without me' Christmas Day - but I didn't. Guess I didn't think I'd sleep that long.
And so, around 9am the phone rang, waking me up. I knew who it was. I lay there for a few more minutes and then got up and staggered around, trying to find the phone so I could call them back.
I did get out there eventually - early afternoon, maybe - but felt really lousy the whole day. I ached all over. I had tried to go back to bed that morning and get some more sleep, but it just didn't happen. Tossing and turning while moaning, groaning and coughing were the most I could accomplish.
All things considered, it was a nice day. Well, the best that could be expected, I should think. I tried to lay down for a nap before driving back home, but was sleepless. Just all achy. I don't want to drone on and on and on here about how I felt, but it wasn't good.
I decided to get back up after a couple of hours at the attempted nap farm - as long as I was awake, anyway - and visit with the family before starting back. My daughter was upstairs napping, my granddaughter was on her second book of the day - she skim reads, she says (probably why she couldn't tell me what the book was about when I asked her) - and my son-in-law was prowling around, having just gotten up from his nap. Thank goodness someone was getting their sleep!
When I first began writing this post, I intended to say something more about my favorite Christmas music - and possibly include another selection or two for your enjoyment, but have decided that this is enough already! [Also, I have not forgotten that I owe you another "Simon Says" for December.] And so, without further ado, I wish you and yours the very best for this Sunday, December 27, 2009.
2010 is now just around the corner. How is that possible? Later!
Well, we had a pretty good-sized 'norther' come in during the wee hours Thursday morning. What was kind of weird with this one is that tornado warnings started being posted shortly after I published my last entry. They think it might have been a lightning strike that knocked out a big chunk of power at Hobby Airport and camera shots showing the hundreds of people waiting in humongous lines outside the terminal to be checked in were more proof positive that traveling during the holidays is perilous and fraught with risk and made me shake my head at their frustration and concern at the distinct possibility of not being able to get to their destinations on time.
Thank goodness those that I drove to either airport experienced no such delays, but you never know about the returns. I have one scheduled to come back in to Hobby Monday evening (late, with a Chicago connection) and another next week. Hopefully, their return schedules will be as delay-free.
Thursday afternoon I decided that I had to make one more Randall's stop. I hadn't found the 'perfect' Christmas card for my granddaughter. Had one that I really liked for the whole family, but wanted one really special for her. This year my granddaughter decided to become a Christian - a 'biggie' for me, as those of you who read some of my previous posts already know - and I wanted a card that would exemplify how I felt about the combination of her new faith melding in with that of her family. Without it actually saying so, if you know what I mean. You probably don't, but it's the best I can do here. I wish I had copied down the message - I'd share it with you - but I didn't.
[I gave her three ceramic figures of the holy family that I'd had for many years, and she seemed to like them. Also, a Bible that was given to me - either when I was baptized or when I joined the church, one or the other (don't know, because the dedication page is missing) - some 60 or 65 years ago. It was in the trunk of the taxicab all the years I was driving, and is now in a very fragile state. It's the old King James version, with Jesus' words in red.]
But back to Randall's. The temperature outside was now in the very low 40's (Fahrenheit) and winds were blowing at a constant 20-30mph, gusting to 41. I didn't dress anywhere near warm enough! I was not expecting the temperature inside the store to be the same as that outside.
Initially, however, I didn't realize that fact and decided to shop for chili and fudge ingredients 'as long as I was there'. Well, it took me a whole lot longer than it should have because this particular store's layout was unfamiliar to me. I got a good chill that went right on down through my bones and - tell you the truth, have still not quite recovered from.
The rest of Christmas Eve day and all of Christmas Eve were spent with me either in bed, tossing and turning - moaning, groaning and coughing, or watching "It's a Wonderful Life" for the 89 gazillionth time. I should have sent my son-in-law an e-mail before going to bed - telling him I wasn't feeling well and to 'start without me' Christmas Day - but I didn't. Guess I didn't think I'd sleep that long.
And so, around 9am the phone rang, waking me up. I knew who it was. I lay there for a few more minutes and then got up and staggered around, trying to find the phone so I could call them back.
I did get out there eventually - early afternoon, maybe - but felt really lousy the whole day. I ached all over. I had tried to go back to bed that morning and get some more sleep, but it just didn't happen. Tossing and turning while moaning, groaning and coughing were the most I could accomplish.
All things considered, it was a nice day. Well, the best that could be expected, I should think. I tried to lay down for a nap before driving back home, but was sleepless. Just all achy. I don't want to drone on and on and on here about how I felt, but it wasn't good.
I decided to get back up after a couple of hours at the attempted nap farm - as long as I was awake, anyway - and visit with the family before starting back. My daughter was upstairs napping, my granddaughter was on her second book of the day - she skim reads, she says (probably why she couldn't tell me what the book was about when I asked her) - and my son-in-law was prowling around, having just gotten up from his nap. Thank goodness someone was getting their sleep!
When I first began writing this post, I intended to say something more about my favorite Christmas music - and possibly include another selection or two for your enjoyment, but have decided that this is enough already! [Also, I have not forgotten that I owe you another "Simon Says" for December.] And so, without further ado, I wish you and yours the very best for this Sunday, December 27, 2009.
2010 is now just around the corner. How is that possible? Later!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
An update
This is a post that I have been putting off, putting off and putting off until I just cannot put it off any longer.
'Tis the season for jolliness, for frivolity ... for parties, music, smiles, dancing and happy faces, right?
Well, this post has some good news in it, but also some bad. You remember my friend Jennie, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor - this after having successfully overcome breast cancer (twice!) - and underwent surgery? I wrote about her here, although there have been other posts as well.
Jennie is doing fairly well. Actually, she's doing very well, all things considered. She writes, "I have much to be thankful for. I was able to have my 6th and 7th chemo and am now down to five more. Those nurses are angels. To keep my white blood cell count up I get three shots of neuprogen three days in succession and that seems to be the trick. My regular oncologist returns to the practice the third week of January and in preparation I will have my PET scan and MRI. There are some side effects to my medicine but they are temporary. My new wig is quite comfortable and cute." (I can almost hear Jennie chuckling as she writes about her cute wig.)
Her daughter Julie, on the other hand, who is my daughter's age, discovered a tumor through self-examination on her chest wall. According to Jennie, this could not have been discovered if Julie had undergone the reconstructive surgery after her last bout with breast cancer. (Little blessings? Mixed blessings?)
She and her husband Matt flew to Houston recently to get a second opinion at MD Anderson. The last I heard they were considering the various options available and whether or not they would treat in Michigan, Texas, or a combination of the two. According to the last e-mail I received from Jennie, this latest tumor appears not to have metasticized and will involve a combination of surgery, chemo and radiation. "The fact that she is dealing with cancer again after such a short time is very worrisome," Jennie says. (Well, I guess!)
Also, this tumor appears to be "unique". Well, aren't most of them? At least, it seems that way to me. It's almost as if - as soon as a way is discovered to cure whatever initially attacks your body, the dreadful disease metamorphosizes into something equally devastating and potentially deadly.
[When I was a kid, penicillin was discovered and for a time it appeared to be the cureall for everything. Anyone remember that? You had the flu? You got a shot of penicillin. You had an infection of some sort? You got a shot of penicillin. I, perhaps among many others, developed an allergic reaction to it - went blind for a few hours, and to this day am always very careful to alert my doctor.]
Barry Fraser, on his blog, eloquently shares his innermost thoughts and feelings in dealing with his bouts with cancer. I recommend, for any of you who are interested in learning more about cancer and how it affects individuals, that you put his blog on your "Favorite" list. It is a serious read but not a "downer", as such. He sees a lot of humor and irony in some of the most banal situations. Barry is someone I would like to meet personally.
When I published this post yesterday, it had a lot of self-chastisement in it. Why was that? Well, when I heard that Julie and her husband were coming to Houston for a second opinion, my first thought was, "I wonder who will be picking them up at the airport?"
That's a taxicab driver's thought, not one a friend first thinks of, but you should remember that I was a cab driver for nearly 18 years and airport trips meant $$$. It was perfectly natural that I should have that question in my mind. However, I was so embarrassed about it that I didn't even respond to any of Jennie's e-mails.
After I publish this revised version of "An update", I will send her an e-mail of explanation for my silence and hope with all my heart that she keeps me as a friend.
I know that some of you maintain prayer lists. Please add Jennie and Julie to your list. They live in Michigan. They need your positive thoughts, especially during this holiday season.
'Tis the season for jolliness, for frivolity ... for parties, music, smiles, dancing and happy faces, right?
Well, this post has some good news in it, but also some bad. You remember my friend Jennie, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor - this after having successfully overcome breast cancer (twice!) - and underwent surgery? I wrote about her here, although there have been other posts as well.
Jennie is doing fairly well. Actually, she's doing very well, all things considered. She writes, "I have much to be thankful for. I was able to have my 6th and 7th chemo and am now down to five more. Those nurses are angels. To keep my white blood cell count up I get three shots of neuprogen three days in succession and that seems to be the trick. My regular oncologist returns to the practice the third week of January and in preparation I will have my PET scan and MRI. There are some side effects to my medicine but they are temporary. My new wig is quite comfortable and cute." (I can almost hear Jennie chuckling as she writes about her cute wig.)
Her daughter Julie, on the other hand, who is my daughter's age, discovered a tumor through self-examination on her chest wall. According to Jennie, this could not have been discovered if Julie had undergone the reconstructive surgery after her last bout with breast cancer. (Little blessings? Mixed blessings?)
She and her husband Matt flew to Houston recently to get a second opinion at MD Anderson. The last I heard they were considering the various options available and whether or not they would treat in Michigan, Texas, or a combination of the two. According to the last e-mail I received from Jennie, this latest tumor appears not to have metasticized and will involve a combination of surgery, chemo and radiation. "The fact that she is dealing with cancer again after such a short time is very worrisome," Jennie says. (Well, I guess!)
Also, this tumor appears to be "unique". Well, aren't most of them? At least, it seems that way to me. It's almost as if - as soon as a way is discovered to cure whatever initially attacks your body, the dreadful disease metamorphosizes into something equally devastating and potentially deadly.
[When I was a kid, penicillin was discovered and for a time it appeared to be the cureall for everything. Anyone remember that? You had the flu? You got a shot of penicillin. You had an infection of some sort? You got a shot of penicillin. I, perhaps among many others, developed an allergic reaction to it - went blind for a few hours, and to this day am always very careful to alert my doctor.]
Barry Fraser, on his blog, eloquently shares his innermost thoughts and feelings in dealing with his bouts with cancer. I recommend, for any of you who are interested in learning more about cancer and how it affects individuals, that you put his blog on your "Favorite" list. It is a serious read but not a "downer", as such. He sees a lot of humor and irony in some of the most banal situations. Barry is someone I would like to meet personally.
When I published this post yesterday, it had a lot of self-chastisement in it. Why was that? Well, when I heard that Julie and her husband were coming to Houston for a second opinion, my first thought was, "I wonder who will be picking them up at the airport?"
That's a taxicab driver's thought, not one a friend first thinks of, but you should remember that I was a cab driver for nearly 18 years and airport trips meant $$$. It was perfectly natural that I should have that question in my mind. However, I was so embarrassed about it that I didn't even respond to any of Jennie's e-mails.
After I publish this revised version of "An update", I will send her an e-mail of explanation for my silence and hope with all my heart that she keeps me as a friend.
I know that some of you maintain prayer lists. Please add Jennie and Julie to your list. They live in Michigan. They need your positive thoughts, especially during this holiday season.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Friday afternoon ramblings
It's going on 3pm, and I've just returned back home from a couple of hours of semi-serious grocery shopping ... I say "semi" because it's not like we're going to be snowed in for a couple of months or anything like that but, according to Polimom's "Winter Storm Warning" posted at 7:55 am this morning, we're due to receive our earliest recorded snowfall EVER with some deliriously 'out there' forecasters predicting as much as a 6 inch accumulation.
[Actually, I should have left the house earlier but was having way too much fun playing bridge online.]
I say 'semi' because I took a good bit of time last night to clean out my refrigerator. I threw away a lot of what once had been perfectly good food. I'm simply not eating - in a timely fashion - foods that I have already purchased. I threw away watermelon, strawberries, some cheese and a ton of Yogurt that I didn't think I could trust to eat!
[I have been a very bad girl. Not only am I not taking my daily Calcium requirements, but my regular diet leaves a whole lot to be desired. Good stuff, but not very nutritious.]
Anyway, Friday is one of our two garbage pickup days and - if I don't put it out the night before, it's missed. Boy, you can set your clocks by the garbage people, usually ... 8:30 am on the dot! Not today, however. When I left the house to go shopping a little after noon, all of the trash was still sitting there.
It couldn't have been the weather, not that early! Some folks might be out sick or perhaps a truck was down for repair. By the time I got back, tho, everything had been picked up. In fact, their truck was just leaving our complex when I pulled in to the drive.
I took my ice scraper with me to the store, just in case. Actually, it wasn't a 'real' ice scraper that I put in the car. It was a hard plastic spatula. Does the trick just as well, did you know that? It was snowing very heavily at that time. No wind, so nothing approaching blizzard conditions, but lots of snow coming down nonetheless.
The temperature was hovering right around the freezing mark and I thought, "Goldenrod, you idiot! You left the house too late!!" But, I continued onward. No icing conditions. Not yet, but I wasn't going to be traveling over any bridges, either! They're always the first to cause trouble.
Tonight, now, is going to be a different story. The temperature is expected to dip down into the mid-20's (Fahrenheit). The roads are all wet and will not even beGIN to dry out before ice starts to form. HISD (Houston Independent School District) dismissed early today. I think that's a very good idea. It takes those buses a long time to safely deliver all their charges home.
[My hope was that I could make it back home before one or two of those teenagers who had been dismissed from school early decided they wanted to try a spinout on a slick or possibly icy - even better! - road to impress their friends/girlfriends. And I did, thank goodness.]
It's going on 4pm now. I just took a look outside. It's not snowing, but it's continuing to precipitate. If the temperatures drop as predicted, there'll be **** to pay this evening and throughout the night on the roads in this area. Glad I'm not driving a taxicab, I'll tell you that !
Have decided that this will be a four blanket night. Doesn't that sound just delicious? And speaking of delicious, I want to assure all of you that - as I was shopping and placing foodstuffs in my cart - I paid particular attention to questions such as: How long will that last? Am I really going to eat that?
This would have been a good time to put some chili together, wouldn't it? Three things wrong with that idea, however. 1) I'm absolutely positive that I don't have all the ingredients on hand. 2) I decided I'd already wasted enough time playing bridge online to further delay my getting out of here by finding the recipe, checking to see which ingredients I had and which I didn't, adding to my list, etc. 3) Once you put it all together, it's a several hour slow cooker thingamajig (but a good thingamajig!), so it's really a morning 'do'.
That's it from here for a Friday afternoon, folks. Hope you're doing ok and are looking forward to your weekend. Stay warm!
[Actually, I should have left the house earlier but was having way too much fun playing bridge online.]
I say 'semi' because I took a good bit of time last night to clean out my refrigerator. I threw away a lot of what once had been perfectly good food. I'm simply not eating - in a timely fashion - foods that I have already purchased. I threw away watermelon, strawberries, some cheese and a ton of Yogurt that I didn't think I could trust to eat!
[I have been a very bad girl. Not only am I not taking my daily Calcium requirements, but my regular diet leaves a whole lot to be desired. Good stuff, but not very nutritious.]
Anyway, Friday is one of our two garbage pickup days and - if I don't put it out the night before, it's missed. Boy, you can set your clocks by the garbage people, usually ... 8:30 am on the dot! Not today, however. When I left the house to go shopping a little after noon, all of the trash was still sitting there.
It couldn't have been the weather, not that early! Some folks might be out sick or perhaps a truck was down for repair. By the time I got back, tho, everything had been picked up. In fact, their truck was just leaving our complex when I pulled in to the drive.
I took my ice scraper with me to the store, just in case. Actually, it wasn't a 'real' ice scraper that I put in the car. It was a hard plastic spatula. Does the trick just as well, did you know that? It was snowing very heavily at that time. No wind, so nothing approaching blizzard conditions, but lots of snow coming down nonetheless.
The temperature was hovering right around the freezing mark and I thought, "Goldenrod, you idiot! You left the house too late!!" But, I continued onward. No icing conditions. Not yet, but I wasn't going to be traveling over any bridges, either! They're always the first to cause trouble.
Tonight, now, is going to be a different story. The temperature is expected to dip down into the mid-20's (Fahrenheit). The roads are all wet and will not even beGIN to dry out before ice starts to form. HISD (Houston Independent School District) dismissed early today. I think that's a very good idea. It takes those buses a long time to safely deliver all their charges home.
[My hope was that I could make it back home before one or two of those teenagers who had been dismissed from school early decided they wanted to try a spinout on a slick or possibly icy - even better! - road to impress their friends/girlfriends. And I did, thank goodness.]
It's going on 4pm now. I just took a look outside. It's not snowing, but it's continuing to precipitate. If the temperatures drop as predicted, there'll be **** to pay this evening and throughout the night on the roads in this area. Glad I'm not driving a taxicab, I'll tell you that !
Have decided that this will be a four blanket night. Doesn't that sound just delicious? And speaking of delicious, I want to assure all of you that - as I was shopping and placing foodstuffs in my cart - I paid particular attention to questions such as: How long will that last? Am I really going to eat that?
This would have been a good time to put some chili together, wouldn't it? Three things wrong with that idea, however. 1) I'm absolutely positive that I don't have all the ingredients on hand. 2) I decided I'd already wasted enough time playing bridge online to further delay my getting out of here by finding the recipe, checking to see which ingredients I had and which I didn't, adding to my list, etc. 3) Once you put it all together, it's a several hour slow cooker thingamajig (but a good thingamajig!), so it's really a morning 'do'.
That's it from here for a Friday afternoon, folks. Hope you're doing ok and are looking forward to your weekend. Stay warm!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Trying not to get sick
Why do they keep hospitals so cold?
You know what the prep nurse told us all in pre-op? That the operating room temp is kept at 52 degrees. (I'm talking Fahrenheit here.) It's a state law, she said. ??!!?? My daughter questioned her on that statement, and she repeated it.
Well, it wasn't that much warmer ANYwhere in the hospital. Even though I had brought a wool wrap and was wearing wool socks inside my fur-lined moccasins, I was not warm enough. (I hardly ever am, but this really went beyond the pale!)
But then, to top it all off, I spent most of the night Wednesday in here at the computer playing bridge. (I wanted to be up and at 'em when my son-in-law arrived to pick me up.) Every time I lay down to try and get some sleep, my mind would insistently remind me after about an hour or so that I had no alarm set (in the car), so I would get up and play some more bridge online for a while.
The rest of that day - Thursday - was spent trying to take naps whenever I felt tired (which was most of the time), but I think I must still have been in too much of a state of continued anxiety - even though it appeared that all was going along very well, for my body to relax that much.
Yesterday, now, was a completely different story. I spent most of the day sniveling, blowing my nose and frequently napping. It had finally caught up with me! Not only that, but I could hardly walk.
Even though the hospital was quite small (by today's standards), the amount of walking it took to get from where I was to anywhere else was significant, particularly for one who - basically - does little more than sit around on her behind all day.
Much better today. Got a really good night's sleep. Thank you, Lord. No big aches anywhere and constant sniveling has almost completely disappeared. I'll keep a close watch on it today, but I think I'm over the hump.
Did you know that there are a few people running around out there with surgical masks on? For the H1N1 virus, doncha know. I read about it a lot on other blogs, particularly the eastern Ontario ones, but I'm really not anticipating much (if any) of an outbreak here.
All for now. Have a couple of other posts I'd like to do today. Let's see how awake I am after the next one!
You know what the prep nurse told us all in pre-op? That the operating room temp is kept at 52 degrees. (I'm talking Fahrenheit here.) It's a state law, she said. ??!!?? My daughter questioned her on that statement, and she repeated it.
Well, it wasn't that much warmer ANYwhere in the hospital. Even though I had brought a wool wrap and was wearing wool socks inside my fur-lined moccasins, I was not warm enough. (I hardly ever am, but this really went beyond the pale!)
But then, to top it all off, I spent most of the night Wednesday in here at the computer playing bridge. (I wanted to be up and at 'em when my son-in-law arrived to pick me up.) Every time I lay down to try and get some sleep, my mind would insistently remind me after about an hour or so that I had no alarm set (in the car), so I would get up and play some more bridge online for a while.
The rest of that day - Thursday - was spent trying to take naps whenever I felt tired (which was most of the time), but I think I must still have been in too much of a state of continued anxiety - even though it appeared that all was going along very well, for my body to relax that much.
Yesterday, now, was a completely different story. I spent most of the day sniveling, blowing my nose and frequently napping. It had finally caught up with me! Not only that, but I could hardly walk.
Even though the hospital was quite small (by today's standards), the amount of walking it took to get from where I was to anywhere else was significant, particularly for one who - basically - does little more than sit around on her behind all day.
Much better today. Got a really good night's sleep. Thank you, Lord. No big aches anywhere and constant sniveling has almost completely disappeared. I'll keep a close watch on it today, but I think I'm over the hump.
Did you know that there are a few people running around out there with surgical masks on? For the H1N1 virus, doncha know. I read about it a lot on other blogs, particularly the eastern Ontario ones, but I'm really not anticipating much (if any) of an outbreak here.
All for now. Have a couple of other posts I'd like to do today. Let's see how awake I am after the next one!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Back surgery (update)
I got back home perhaps half an hour ago. Didn't intend to be away from the house this long, but - in my haste to get inside the hospital where my daughter would shortly be undergoing surgery - I parked in a restricted zone and got towed. "Oh, no!" you cry. "Oh, yes," I embarrassingly admit.
So anyway, my son-in-law will be picking me up again tomorrow morning and taking me over to where I can retrieve my car ($191 for the privilege). Then, he will head back over to the hospital where my daughter, hopefully, will almost have finished her breakfast - having left just enough for him to scarf up in an instant - and be ready to go back home out to Katy, only this time she might be able to actually sit up in his vehicle instead of having to lie down while traveling in it.
She's doing well. No, she's not been up and walking around yet. That first big adventure will be later this evening when she has to get up to go to the bathroom. (Her IV apparatus and pole will have to go with her, so she'll have a nurse's assistance.) But, she's moving all of her toes and everything seems to be OK in that department, which is wonderfully welcome news.
She didn't go into surgery until 2:30. My son-in-law and I were with her for about 45 minutes beforehand, reassuring, talking, telling jokes and laughing, holding hands ... you know, all that kind of stuff that goes on when people who really care about each other are nervous. It was an anxious time.
Then she went into surgery and I went outside to have half a cancer stick. That's when I discovered my car had been towed. I had left my cell phone in the car (Of course!), so my son-in-law got on his to find out all the poop on where it had been taken, etc. and blah. Oh, my!
While he was doing that, I found my way to the cafeteria. Their offerings included shrimp scampi, which I ordered. I thought, "What's done is done, Goldenrod. Besides, you're hungry, so let's eat." I found a table and ate while playing some solitaire. (It had been years since I'd played solitaire. I can't believe I remembered how!)
And that's where he found me a few minutes later. After giving me the info about my towed car, he asked what I was eating. When I told him, he said, "Hmm!" And then he went to get the same thing. It wasn't bad. It was while we were still there in the cafeteria - I wasn't finished eating yet, but he was! - that his pager thingee went off.
Someone wanted to see us. We were a little nervous about the quickness of the page. After all, it hadn't been 45 minutes yet! What might have gone wrong? We quickly packed up "our" (mostly "my") stuff and went to the second floor, where Dr. Kushwaha was waiting.
He appeared calm, which was immediately reassuring. His first words were, "The surgery is over. Everything went as expected. We removed the .. ... .... and she'll be in recovery shortly." He answered a couple of questions that each of us had, and then gave us an important piece of information that we hadn't known before.
All three of us ... my daughter, my son-in-law and myself ... had heard, over and over again that day, how important it was that she restrict her physical activity for 'x' amount of time after the surgery. We all thought that it was to prevent any more extrusions from the damaged disc.
That's partly it, of course, but the surgeon told both my son-in-law and myself - we were standing there together - that the disc would, if given the uninfringed-upon space and time it needed, repair and seal itself. That sounded almost miraculous to me. I repeated this to my daughter, in my son-in-law's hearing, and he confirmed what I said. My daughter cried out in joy when she heard that. "There could be no better incentive," she said, "to do exactly what the doctor orders."
I had only a couple of bad moments today when, shortly after going into post-op to see my daughter, I thought I was going to pass out. I had to sit down quickly, a couple of different times. Very strange. This happened only once before that I can recall, in 1986, but that's a whole other story for another day.
When we first went in to see her in post-op, she looked exhausted to me ... absolutely exhausted! She was crying. She'd been so afraid she wouldn't wake up. The stress she must have been under the past couple or so weeks cannot really be understood or even imagined by you or me, I dare say.
She kept telling me how glad she was that I was there. I was glad to be there, but I know (for sure!) that I didn't add anything to the mix, except - perhaps - a mother's unequivocal love for her daughter, which she's always had.
I just finished sending her an e-mail. She has her laptop with her. I don't expect her to respond. I hope that she's in neverneversleepytimeland. I'd call my son-in-law, but my phone is in my towed car. Oh, the frustration of it all!
I'll know more tomorrow morning, of course, after he picks me up. Meanwhile, keep your fingers crossed that things are progressing as smoothly as anticipated, and I thank you all - once again - for your positive thoughts and supportive comments.
[9:05pm ... PS ... heard back from my daughter via e-mail ... she was still awake ... said she's "fixin' to" (that's a Texas expression) take another 'walk' and then go to sleep.]
So anyway, my son-in-law will be picking me up again tomorrow morning and taking me over to where I can retrieve my car ($191 for the privilege). Then, he will head back over to the hospital where my daughter, hopefully, will almost have finished her breakfast - having left just enough for him to scarf up in an instant - and be ready to go back home out to Katy, only this time she might be able to actually sit up in his vehicle instead of having to lie down while traveling in it.
She's doing well. No, she's not been up and walking around yet. That first big adventure will be later this evening when she has to get up to go to the bathroom. (Her IV apparatus and pole will have to go with her, so she'll have a nurse's assistance.) But, she's moving all of her toes and everything seems to be OK in that department, which is wonderfully welcome news.
She didn't go into surgery until 2:30. My son-in-law and I were with her for about 45 minutes beforehand, reassuring, talking, telling jokes and laughing, holding hands ... you know, all that kind of stuff that goes on when people who really care about each other are nervous. It was an anxious time.
Then she went into surgery and I went outside to have half a cancer stick. That's when I discovered my car had been towed. I had left my cell phone in the car (Of course!), so my son-in-law got on his to find out all the poop on where it had been taken, etc. and blah. Oh, my!
While he was doing that, I found my way to the cafeteria. Their offerings included shrimp scampi, which I ordered. I thought, "What's done is done, Goldenrod. Besides, you're hungry, so let's eat." I found a table and ate while playing some solitaire. (It had been years since I'd played solitaire. I can't believe I remembered how!)
And that's where he found me a few minutes later. After giving me the info about my towed car, he asked what I was eating. When I told him, he said, "Hmm!" And then he went to get the same thing. It wasn't bad. It was while we were still there in the cafeteria - I wasn't finished eating yet, but he was! - that his pager thingee went off.
Someone wanted to see us. We were a little nervous about the quickness of the page. After all, it hadn't been 45 minutes yet! What might have gone wrong? We quickly packed up "our" (mostly "my") stuff and went to the second floor, where Dr. Kushwaha was waiting.
He appeared calm, which was immediately reassuring. His first words were, "The surgery is over. Everything went as expected. We removed the .. ... .... and she'll be in recovery shortly." He answered a couple of questions that each of us had, and then gave us an important piece of information that we hadn't known before.
All three of us ... my daughter, my son-in-law and myself ... had heard, over and over again that day, how important it was that she restrict her physical activity for 'x' amount of time after the surgery. We all thought that it was to prevent any more extrusions from the damaged disc.
That's partly it, of course, but the surgeon told both my son-in-law and myself - we were standing there together - that the disc would, if given the uninfringed-upon space and time it needed, repair and seal itself. That sounded almost miraculous to me. I repeated this to my daughter, in my son-in-law's hearing, and he confirmed what I said. My daughter cried out in joy when she heard that. "There could be no better incentive," she said, "to do exactly what the doctor orders."
I had only a couple of bad moments today when, shortly after going into post-op to see my daughter, I thought I was going to pass out. I had to sit down quickly, a couple of different times. Very strange. This happened only once before that I can recall, in 1986, but that's a whole other story for another day.
When we first went in to see her in post-op, she looked exhausted to me ... absolutely exhausted! She was crying. She'd been so afraid she wouldn't wake up. The stress she must have been under the past couple or so weeks cannot really be understood or even imagined by you or me, I dare say.
She kept telling me how glad she was that I was there. I was glad to be there, but I know (for sure!) that I didn't add anything to the mix, except - perhaps - a mother's unequivocal love for her daughter, which she's always had.
I just finished sending her an e-mail. She has her laptop with her. I don't expect her to respond. I hope that she's in neverneversleepytimeland. I'd call my son-in-law, but my phone is in my towed car. Oh, the frustration of it all!
I'll know more tomorrow morning, of course, after he picks me up. Meanwhile, keep your fingers crossed that things are progressing as smoothly as anticipated, and I thank you all - once again - for your positive thoughts and supportive comments.
[9:05pm ... PS ... heard back from my daughter via e-mail ... she was still awake ... said she's "fixin' to" (that's a Texas expression) take another 'walk' and then go to sleep.]
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Back surgery
Not something one wants to contemplate, but when there is constant shooting pain up and down one's left leg 24/7, it's almost as tho that conclusion is inevitable. No, it's not for me. It's for my daughter, and it's coming up tomorrow afternoon at 1pm.
I first heard about this last weekend, when my daughter left a voice message telling me she had something important to talk to me about. It sounded serious, so I got back to her as quickly as I could.
She really didn't have much information to share with me at that point. In fact, I had many more questions than she had answers. She was due to see Dr. Kushwaha at 9:30 this morning. Dr. Kushwaha is the chief spinal surgeon at Methodist Hospital, and a partner of the orthopedic surgeon in whom my daughter has great confidence. (He is the one who recently handled her broken foot so adeptly.)
I just got off of the phone with my son-in-law and took a bunch of notes. I hope I'm relaying everything correctly. Here's the situation ... ... it seems that the lowest disc on her spine erupted - the 'when' or 'cause' are both unknown, exactly - extruding unwanted material that is pressing against a nerve and causing all of the pain.
None of her leg motor functions have been affected, nor should they be by the upcoming surgery. "Where this disc is located," the surgeon said, "no motor nerves are still attached to the spine." In other words, the frightful word "paralyzed" seems to have no place in this conversation.
Still and all, however, it is my daughter and she will be undergoing back surgery. And so, as her mother, to say that I am concerned would be no exaggeration. I'll be at the hospital tomorrow with my son-in-law. One can only hope that I will conduct myself with more decorum than I did the last time I was in a hospital, waiting for her to come out of surgery.
This would have been about 45 years ago. She'd had a terrible bout with the mumps and developed abscesses on both sides, one of which 'popped' and drained itself in the middle of the night, but the other just kept on getting bigger and bigger. It scared the bejaysus out of me! It didn't seem to be painful, but was disfiguring as all get out.
This one would have to be surgically removed. My husband and I were concerned about a lingering and very noticeable scar. The surgeon assured us that any scar would fade and almost completely disappear over the years. (And that reminds me. I'll just have to look at her neck tomorrow when I see her, won't I? We never did order any plastic surgery for her years later.)
Anyway, while she was undergoing that surgery, I paced up and down the hospital halls like a mad woman, bawling my eyes out. Remembering how I acted, I am thoroughly ashamed of myself. I mean, there were children in surgery at that very moment whose lives were at stake, and there I was bawling over an abscess. But, it is what it is, and it was what it was.
Tomorrow's surgery is described as 'non-invasive' ... a 1" incision will be made and the extruded material from the ruptured disc cleaned out* ... a 45-minute procedure, the surgeon said, and she should be up and walking around by 3pm. That last just flabbergasts me! Would that it be so.
Because the procedure is scheduled for the afternoon, they'll keep her overnight for observation. Normal-sounding kind of stuff. *The MRI showed that disc's appearance to be flat. Hopefully, that means that all material that could have been extruded has been, and no plans are in the works as of this writing to remove the disc itself.
[Had a little break there. She called me. Had just woken up from a very long nap. She was exhausted after their almost four-hour visit with the spinal surgeon this morning. Well, not all of it was with the surgeon. Blood tests were ordered and an EKG was administered, as well. All in preparation for tomorrow's surgery.]
Will fill all of you in when I know more. Meanwhile, please say a prayer to help guide the surgeon's hand.
I first heard about this last weekend, when my daughter left a voice message telling me she had something important to talk to me about. It sounded serious, so I got back to her as quickly as I could.
She really didn't have much information to share with me at that point. In fact, I had many more questions than she had answers. She was due to see Dr. Kushwaha at 9:30 this morning. Dr. Kushwaha is the chief spinal surgeon at Methodist Hospital, and a partner of the orthopedic surgeon in whom my daughter has great confidence. (He is the one who recently handled her broken foot so adeptly.)
I just got off of the phone with my son-in-law and took a bunch of notes. I hope I'm relaying everything correctly. Here's the situation ... ... it seems that the lowest disc on her spine erupted - the 'when' or 'cause' are both unknown, exactly - extruding unwanted material that is pressing against a nerve and causing all of the pain.
None of her leg motor functions have been affected, nor should they be by the upcoming surgery. "Where this disc is located," the surgeon said, "no motor nerves are still attached to the spine." In other words, the frightful word "paralyzed" seems to have no place in this conversation.
Still and all, however, it is my daughter and she will be undergoing back surgery. And so, as her mother, to say that I am concerned would be no exaggeration. I'll be at the hospital tomorrow with my son-in-law. One can only hope that I will conduct myself with more decorum than I did the last time I was in a hospital, waiting for her to come out of surgery.
This would have been about 45 years ago. She'd had a terrible bout with the mumps and developed abscesses on both sides, one of which 'popped' and drained itself in the middle of the night, but the other just kept on getting bigger and bigger. It scared the bejaysus out of me! It didn't seem to be painful, but was disfiguring as all get out.
This one would have to be surgically removed. My husband and I were concerned about a lingering and very noticeable scar. The surgeon assured us that any scar would fade and almost completely disappear over the years. (And that reminds me. I'll just have to look at her neck tomorrow when I see her, won't I? We never did order any plastic surgery for her years later.)
Anyway, while she was undergoing that surgery, I paced up and down the hospital halls like a mad woman, bawling my eyes out. Remembering how I acted, I am thoroughly ashamed of myself. I mean, there were children in surgery at that very moment whose lives were at stake, and there I was bawling over an abscess. But, it is what it is, and it was what it was.
Tomorrow's surgery is described as 'non-invasive' ... a 1" incision will be made and the extruded material from the ruptured disc cleaned out* ... a 45-minute procedure, the surgeon said, and she should be up and walking around by 3pm. That last just flabbergasts me! Would that it be so.
Because the procedure is scheduled for the afternoon, they'll keep her overnight for observation. Normal-sounding kind of stuff. *The MRI showed that disc's appearance to be flat. Hopefully, that means that all material that could have been extruded has been, and no plans are in the works as of this writing to remove the disc itself.
[Had a little break there. She called me. Had just woken up from a very long nap. She was exhausted after their almost four-hour visit with the spinal surgeon this morning. Well, not all of it was with the surgeon. Blood tests were ordered and an EKG was administered, as well. All in preparation for tomorrow's surgery.]
Will fill all of you in when I know more. Meanwhile, please say a prayer to help guide the surgeon's hand.
Friday, September 11, 2009
More than you ever wanted to know, probably,
about cancer, some of its causes and the various treatments being applied today to try and combat this dreaded disease.
Jennie, as you all know, has been bravely waging her own mighty battle against this latest attack on her body - her brain. This afternoon, she sent me an e-mail in which she talked about some of her latest discoveries. I'd like to share it with you.
Yesterday was really mindblowing. I learned so much about myself and cancer.
I learned yesterday that I have both negative and postive hormone receptors, which is unique. The drugs I have been taking for the past five years probably triggered the new cancer in the breast and in the brain, but because I acted promptly I avoided some things, too. The one in the brain had not invaded the skull, which would have been more involved ,and I had a wonderful neurosurgeon who is passionate about his work. So I am truly blessed to have it behind me. The headaches, nausea and dizziness all stopped as soon as it was removed. My care was terrific.
Now I will be taking a new drug by mouth instead of the infusions I have had for the past 5 years and I am off the drugs that caused the problem, although they did keep me alive in the interim. I am also off the list to get the rough chemo for the breast cancer recurrence, which I was dreading. And last of all, I won't lose my hair again as I would have. There is no need for a port either, so that part got better too.
The radiation for brain cancer is going to begin next week with making a mold for my head and then I think I will choose the cyper knife since it is one hour and has fewer side effects afterward. There are tests to be taken and I am still recuperating, but I am most grateful for the prayers, good wishes, cards and thoughts of everyone. Thank you, thank you and hurrah! I feel like leaping around but that wouldn't be prudent until the staples come out of my head next week.
Thank you for inquiring about me and writing me up. I'll keep you updated.
Love, Jennie
There's so much positive news there, it seems to me. Well, except for the "cyper knife" ... don't much like the sound of that one! :(
We're with you all the way, Jennie!
Jennie, as you all know, has been bravely waging her own mighty battle against this latest attack on her body - her brain. This afternoon, she sent me an e-mail in which she talked about some of her latest discoveries. I'd like to share it with you.
Yesterday was really mindblowing. I learned so much about myself and cancer.
I learned yesterday that I have both negative and postive hormone receptors, which is unique. The drugs I have been taking for the past five years probably triggered the new cancer in the breast and in the brain, but because I acted promptly I avoided some things, too. The one in the brain had not invaded the skull, which would have been more involved ,and I had a wonderful neurosurgeon who is passionate about his work. So I am truly blessed to have it behind me. The headaches, nausea and dizziness all stopped as soon as it was removed. My care was terrific.
Now I will be taking a new drug by mouth instead of the infusions I have had for the past 5 years and I am off the drugs that caused the problem, although they did keep me alive in the interim. I am also off the list to get the rough chemo for the breast cancer recurrence, which I was dreading. And last of all, I won't lose my hair again as I would have. There is no need for a port either, so that part got better too.
The radiation for brain cancer is going to begin next week with making a mold for my head and then I think I will choose the cyper knife since it is one hour and has fewer side effects afterward. There are tests to be taken and I am still recuperating, but I am most grateful for the prayers, good wishes, cards and thoughts of everyone. Thank you, thank you and hurrah! I feel like leaping around but that wouldn't be prudent until the staples come out of my head next week.
Thank you for inquiring about me and writing me up. I'll keep you updated.
Love, Jennie
There's so much positive news there, it seems to me. Well, except for the "cyper knife" ... don't much like the sound of that one! :(
We're with you all the way, Jennie!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Dizziness
Thirty-five years or so ago, I woke up one morning, sat up and discovered that I could not keep my eyes open without the room swirling around me.
I thought, "I must have sat up too quickly." I decided to lie back down and try that act again. The next time, however, I opened my eyes without sitting up. The same thing happened. The room just swirled around and around. I thought I was going to have to throw up. The dizziness stopped only when I closed my eyes again, but even so it took a few seconds to subside.
"My God!" I thought. "What's going on?" I was scared, really scared. Somehow, tho, I managed to roll off the bed onto the floor, knock the telephone receiver off its cradle and dial "0".
[This was in the good old days when, if you dialed "0", a real live person actually came on. I doubt if I would have been able to dial "911".]
I told the operator that something was really wrong, that I didn't know what it was, and asked her if she could possibly call my husband at work to have him come home and get me. She asked what the number was. I probably couldn't remember the number in my befuddled and bedraggled state of mind, but told her where he worked and his name.
Somehow or another, she was able to reach him. He came home, got me dressed and out to the car. I couldn't stand. I couldn't walk. He must have carried me. I don't remember. He would have placed a very large bath towel on my lap during our trip to the doctor's office, probably, but I don't remember. All I remember for sure was thinking every second that I was going to throw up. Oddly enough, I never did!
When we got to my doctor's office, a nurse was waiting outside with a wheelchair. I remember being wheeled in, but that's about the last thing I remember. Things happened pretty quickly after that.
Dr. Cowling's office was right next door to Sharpstown Hospital, and that's where I woke up fully a day or so later, feeling perfectly fine and ready to get the heck on out of there and go home! I don't remember any tests being run or drugs being administered, none of that stuff!!
You know, I've thought briefly about that episode maybe a time or two over the years, but it wasn't until this past week or so that it all came back full bore to the front of my memory banks.
I had called my friend, Jennie, just to see what the news was her way and how she was continuing to recuperate after her latest cancer surgery, and was distressed to hear her tell me of something 'new' going on in her life ... an episode of dizziness - she did throw up! - that was completely outside her realm of previous experience. As you might imagine, she was very interested in hearing what had happened to me years ago.
Well, the upshot of this whole story is that an MRI detected a benign tumor in the right side of her brain and she is scheduled for surgery Wednesday to have it removed. I spoke with her on the phone yesterday. She didn't really have much time to talk. Relatives are arriving from everywhere to try and give their support.
She's scared.
[I've had to pause - every so often during the creation of this post - to close my eyes and say yet another prayer for my dear friend who has undergone so much. My logical mind tells me that this tumor is benign, that this next surgery should be a 'piece of cake' - and I don't mean in the slightest way to belittle the fact that another part of her body will be bored into and an unwelcome intruder removed ... ... I guess what I really want to say is, "Get rid of it, Jennie. It's benign! It's 'nothing' in the larger scheme of things!!"
But this time it almost sounds like she's 'had it' with her body being investigated, poked at, bored into and carved up like --- sorry, I can't finish the simile w/o introducing something macabre, and that's the last place I want to go with this post!]
She's scared, yet she took the time to send me a message explaining that her e-mails might be on the wane for a while and signed it, "Love, Jennie".
One of Jennie's more recent e-mails had the subject of "Friendship" ... it's worth sharing. I'm going to copy here for you some of the (imo) more important points.
Take the time to live! Do not value the things you have in your life, but value who you have in your life.
Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Learn to write your hurts in the sand, where the winds of forgiveness can erase them away, and to carve your benefits in stone.
We all love and care about you, Jennie.
I thought, "I must have sat up too quickly." I decided to lie back down and try that act again. The next time, however, I opened my eyes without sitting up. The same thing happened. The room just swirled around and around. I thought I was going to have to throw up. The dizziness stopped only when I closed my eyes again, but even so it took a few seconds to subside.
"My God!" I thought. "What's going on?" I was scared, really scared. Somehow, tho, I managed to roll off the bed onto the floor, knock the telephone receiver off its cradle and dial "0".
[This was in the good old days when, if you dialed "0", a real live person actually came on. I doubt if I would have been able to dial "911".]
I told the operator that something was really wrong, that I didn't know what it was, and asked her if she could possibly call my husband at work to have him come home and get me. She asked what the number was. I probably couldn't remember the number in my befuddled and bedraggled state of mind, but told her where he worked and his name.
Somehow or another, she was able to reach him. He came home, got me dressed and out to the car. I couldn't stand. I couldn't walk. He must have carried me. I don't remember. He would have placed a very large bath towel on my lap during our trip to the doctor's office, probably, but I don't remember. All I remember for sure was thinking every second that I was going to throw up. Oddly enough, I never did!
When we got to my doctor's office, a nurse was waiting outside with a wheelchair. I remember being wheeled in, but that's about the last thing I remember. Things happened pretty quickly after that.
Dr. Cowling's office was right next door to Sharpstown Hospital, and that's where I woke up fully a day or so later, feeling perfectly fine and ready to get the heck on out of there and go home! I don't remember any tests being run or drugs being administered, none of that stuff!!
You know, I've thought briefly about that episode maybe a time or two over the years, but it wasn't until this past week or so that it all came back full bore to the front of my memory banks.
I had called my friend, Jennie, just to see what the news was her way and how she was continuing to recuperate after her latest cancer surgery, and was distressed to hear her tell me of something 'new' going on in her life ... an episode of dizziness - she did throw up! - that was completely outside her realm of previous experience. As you might imagine, she was very interested in hearing what had happened to me years ago.
Well, the upshot of this whole story is that an MRI detected a benign tumor in the right side of her brain and she is scheduled for surgery Wednesday to have it removed. I spoke with her on the phone yesterday. She didn't really have much time to talk. Relatives are arriving from everywhere to try and give their support.
She's scared.
[I've had to pause - every so often during the creation of this post - to close my eyes and say yet another prayer for my dear friend who has undergone so much. My logical mind tells me that this tumor is benign, that this next surgery should be a 'piece of cake' - and I don't mean in the slightest way to belittle the fact that another part of her body will be bored into and an unwelcome intruder removed ... ... I guess what I really want to say is, "Get rid of it, Jennie. It's benign! It's 'nothing' in the larger scheme of things!!"
But this time it almost sounds like she's 'had it' with her body being investigated, poked at, bored into and carved up like --- sorry, I can't finish the simile w/o introducing something macabre, and that's the last place I want to go with this post!]
She's scared, yet she took the time to send me a message explaining that her e-mails might be on the wane for a while and signed it, "Love, Jennie".
One of Jennie's more recent e-mails had the subject of "Friendship" ... it's worth sharing. I'm going to copy here for you some of the (imo) more important points.
Take the time to live! Do not value the things you have in your life, but value who you have in your life.
Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Learn to write your hurts in the sand, where the winds of forgiveness can erase them away, and to carve your benefits in stone.
We all love and care about you, Jennie.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Dibs and dabs
[Saturday afternoon - late] I'll begin this today and finish sometime tomorrow, probably.
First off, tho, I feel obliged to say
That I'll root for my Astros, come what may
Even if they appear downtrodden
I'll still be here. They're not forgotten.
I'll be watching tonight and tomorrow
Let's hope that both games do not end in sorrow.
All limericks and poor attempts at poetry aside - and it's a bit difficult to put them aside, I'm finding. Once Goldenrod gets started on a new kick, it's really difficult to stop her until she's exhausted everyone's (including her own!) patience.
[Sunday afternoon - late] Don't know if any of you read the limerick that Tammy composed for me - which was the subject of my last post - or not, but sometimes it almost seems as tho she can see me from way over there in Idaho and knows what's really going on.
I've been battling, for the past week or so, an infection that I thought was going to hospitalize me Thursday evening. Finally, tho, it seems to be getting under control, but it sure scared me!
Fortunately, the antibiotics I've been taking are in swallowable form (very similar in size and shape to Contac, which I've never had any trouble swallowing!) - which, as you might remember, is a real bugaboo for me.
Not really a whole lot going on. I've been getting a lot of sleep and am eating again ... ... lots of fruit. This is a great time of year to crave fruit!
Hope all of you are enjoying your weekend, and I'll talk atcha again real soon!
First off, tho, I feel obliged to say
That I'll root for my Astros, come what may
Even if they appear downtrodden
I'll still be here. They're not forgotten.
I'll be watching tonight and tomorrow
Let's hope that both games do not end in sorrow.
All limericks and poor attempts at poetry aside - and it's a bit difficult to put them aside, I'm finding. Once Goldenrod gets started on a new kick, it's really difficult to stop her until she's exhausted everyone's (including her own!) patience.
[Sunday afternoon - late] Don't know if any of you read the limerick that Tammy composed for me - which was the subject of my last post - or not, but sometimes it almost seems as tho she can see me from way over there in Idaho and knows what's really going on.
I've been battling, for the past week or so, an infection that I thought was going to hospitalize me Thursday evening. Finally, tho, it seems to be getting under control, but it sure scared me!
Fortunately, the antibiotics I've been taking are in swallowable form (very similar in size and shape to Contac, which I've never had any trouble swallowing!) - which, as you might remember, is a real bugaboo for me.
Not really a whole lot going on. I've been getting a lot of sleep and am eating again ... ... lots of fruit. This is a great time of year to crave fruit!
Hope all of you are enjoying your weekend, and I'll talk atcha again real soon!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Swine flu
Well, it's on every television channel, every radio station and all over the net. I received an e-mail today that I'd like to share with you ... ...
Frequently Asked Questions on Swine Flu Answers provided by an official at St. Luke's Episcopal Health System
Q: If I am healthy, do I need to worry about Swine Flu?
A: No, unless you will be traveling to Mexico. If you are healthy and you are in the United States, you do not need to worry. Just exercise caution by washing your hands frequently.
Q: What symptoms should I look for?
A: The main one is a fever. If you don’t have a fever, then you probably don’t have the flu. Other symptoms are severe body aches, chills, cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Q: Who is the most vulnerable to contracting this virus?
A: People who already have chronic problems, such as diabetes, cancer or other health problems that might weaken your immune system, may have a more severe case if they contract this virus.
Q: What if my friends/family/co-workers are sick?
A: Try to maintain distance between you and someone who is coughing or sneezing. Recommend to your co-workers and/or family members to stay home if they are not feeling well.
Q: Can I get Swine Flu from handling or eating pork or produce from Mexico?
A: No, it cannot be transmitted through food or food handling. It is communicated through direct contact with secretions from an infected person, which means someone coughing or sneezing on you.
Q: Will the flu shot I received in the fall help keep me from contracting Swine Flu?
A: Unfortunately, the information we have received suggests we should not count on it, because the strains in the vaccine are not the same as the Swine Flu strain.
Q: If I’m planning to travel to Mexico, should I get Tamiflu before going?
A: Following recommendations from our federal government, any travel to Mexico should be suspended unless there is a compelling reason to go. I think it’s just better to be on the safe side. If you do have to go and if you have underlying medical problems, then you’re at high risk and probably should be put on Tamiflu. Otherwise, simply take precautions by avoiding crowds and people who are sick.
Q: Is the United States prepared to handle a Swine Flu outbreak?
A: We are very prepared. The level of preparedness today is better than ever. We do drills for this. Our city, state and federal governments are all working together to be well prepared.
For more information on Swine Flu and government advisories, visit the following Web sites:
The City of Houston: http://www.houstontx.gov/health/swineflu.html
Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services: http://www.hcphes.org/Default.htm
The State Health Department (providing information about Texas' situation and response): http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/swineflu/default.shtm
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/
The World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html
Both the above and this next were sent out today ... ...
An Open Letter to All SLEH Employees
April 29, 2009
Today, I am writing to update you about the swine flu and to announce that I am going to be holding some live blogs, available to all employees, to answer your swine flu questions. The times for these live blogs will be posted on the Source.
First of all, let me commend all of you for your continued dedication and professionalism. St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital is a tremendous asset to this community and time after time, whether it is flooding, a hurricane, the financial markets collapse, or now a swine flu epidemic, the people of Houston look to us to be there for them and to continue to provide the high quality and compassionate care for which we are known.
I also want you to know that while there is certainly reason to be cautious, there is no reason to be scared or panicked. St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, the other TMC hospitals, the city, the state, and the federal government have been planning and training for a flu pandemic for years now. We have well thought out plans and we have plenty of supplies, including antiviral agents, to deal with this current outbreak.
As of the time of my writing, there are 91 confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States. Sixteen of those cases are in Texas. There is only one confirmed case in Houston and that patient, a 23 month old child has died and this is the only death from swine flu in the US. It is important to note that this child lived in Mexico, contracted the illness there and then was transferred to a US hospital. I mention this because, so far, the cases of swine flu that have occurred in the US appear to be much milder than those reported in Mexico. We don’t yet know why this is the case. At this time, we are not seeing unusual volumes of patients in our Emergency Department or Community Emergency Centers and that is also the case for all of the TMC hospitals except Texas Children’s Hospital and the Harris County Hospital District hospitals. We have only seen two cases suspicious for swine flu in our hospital facilities and those patients were not sick enough to warrant hospitalization.
The following are the precautions we are taking. First, I want to encourage all of you to do what you already should be doing - wash your hands (or use the hand gel) frequently, and especially each time before and after you care for a patient. To assist our visitors, we are installing hand gel dispensers in each public elevator lobby.
Second, if you are ill and have fever, communicate with your manager and stay home. If your child is ill, do not send your child to school or child care. Be sure to see your physician right away and do not use the emergency room unless you or your child is too ill to go to the doctor’s office.
For those of you who work in the Emergency Department or the Community Emergency Centers, we are trying to identify patients who have flu-like symptoms at triage, place a mask on them and isolate them. If they can be discharged, we are sending these patients home to recover. If we do end up with a patient so ill as to require hospitalization, we will place them in droplet and contact isolation.
For any of our employees returning from Mexico, we are requiring symptom and temperature screening in Occupational Health before they report to their department or unit for work. This will occur every day until a week after their return from Mexico. Anyone with a fever will be tested for influenza and sent home to follow-up with their physician.
There are a number of reasons to be optimistic about this flu outbreak. That is not to say that I don’t expect many more cases of swine flu before it is over, but the fact that the disease we have seen in the US has been much milder than what Mexico has experienced is a positive sign and the fact that this is occurring so late in the flu season suggests that this will be much less severe than had it occurred in the typical winter months.
Swine flu will be a risk for the next upcoming flu season this fall. By that time, the flu vaccine should contain the necessary protection for the swine flu. I want to encourage every employee who does not otherwise have a contraindication, to get the flu shot this fall. It will be offered to all employees free of charge.
In the meantime, please watch for updated information on the Source, including the Frequently Asked Questions already available and posted.
I encourage you to write in any questions you may have on our live blog. We will get that schedule out to you soon. Check the Source for all the latest details and information.
Thank you for all you do for St. Luke’s and our patients.
Sincerely,
David C. Pate, M.D., J.D.
Chief Executive Officer
St. Luke's Episcopal is located in what we in Houston term "The Medical Center". It is prestigious. I don't know what some of you might be hearing, seeing or reading about in the news, but above are the facts. Our governor has announced a state of emergency in his panic and some schools are closing. I have not been ill, do not feel like I'm getting ill, but have no plans to travel to Mexico or expose myself to crowds unnecessarily, either. Normal precautions ... well, maybe a little more than normal because this disease is just beginning to make its presence felt in our area.
I know it's been several days since I last posted, and thought I'd better get one out there before you all start worrying. Just real busy. I'll tell you about what's been going on soon. Take care, and I'll talk atcha later!
Frequently Asked Questions on Swine Flu Answers provided by an official at St. Luke's Episcopal Health System
Q: If I am healthy, do I need to worry about Swine Flu?
A: No, unless you will be traveling to Mexico. If you are healthy and you are in the United States, you do not need to worry. Just exercise caution by washing your hands frequently.
Q: What symptoms should I look for?
A: The main one is a fever. If you don’t have a fever, then you probably don’t have the flu. Other symptoms are severe body aches, chills, cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Q: Who is the most vulnerable to contracting this virus?
A: People who already have chronic problems, such as diabetes, cancer or other health problems that might weaken your immune system, may have a more severe case if they contract this virus.
Q: What if my friends/family/co-workers are sick?
A: Try to maintain distance between you and someone who is coughing or sneezing. Recommend to your co-workers and/or family members to stay home if they are not feeling well.
Q: Can I get Swine Flu from handling or eating pork or produce from Mexico?
A: No, it cannot be transmitted through food or food handling. It is communicated through direct contact with secretions from an infected person, which means someone coughing or sneezing on you.
Q: Will the flu shot I received in the fall help keep me from contracting Swine Flu?
A: Unfortunately, the information we have received suggests we should not count on it, because the strains in the vaccine are not the same as the Swine Flu strain.
Q: If I’m planning to travel to Mexico, should I get Tamiflu before going?
A: Following recommendations from our federal government, any travel to Mexico should be suspended unless there is a compelling reason to go. I think it’s just better to be on the safe side. If you do have to go and if you have underlying medical problems, then you’re at high risk and probably should be put on Tamiflu. Otherwise, simply take precautions by avoiding crowds and people who are sick.
Q: Is the United States prepared to handle a Swine Flu outbreak?
A: We are very prepared. The level of preparedness today is better than ever. We do drills for this. Our city, state and federal governments are all working together to be well prepared.
For more information on Swine Flu and government advisories, visit the following Web sites:
The City of Houston: http://www.houstontx.gov/health/swineflu.html
Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services: http://www.hcphes.org/Default.htm
The State Health Department (providing information about Texas' situation and response): http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/swineflu/default.shtm
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/
The World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html
Both the above and this next were sent out today ... ...
An Open Letter to All SLEH Employees
April 29, 2009
Today, I am writing to update you about the swine flu and to announce that I am going to be holding some live blogs, available to all employees, to answer your swine flu questions. The times for these live blogs will be posted on the Source.
First of all, let me commend all of you for your continued dedication and professionalism. St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital is a tremendous asset to this community and time after time, whether it is flooding, a hurricane, the financial markets collapse, or now a swine flu epidemic, the people of Houston look to us to be there for them and to continue to provide the high quality and compassionate care for which we are known.
I also want you to know that while there is certainly reason to be cautious, there is no reason to be scared or panicked. St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, the other TMC hospitals, the city, the state, and the federal government have been planning and training for a flu pandemic for years now. We have well thought out plans and we have plenty of supplies, including antiviral agents, to deal with this current outbreak.
As of the time of my writing, there are 91 confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States. Sixteen of those cases are in Texas. There is only one confirmed case in Houston and that patient, a 23 month old child has died and this is the only death from swine flu in the US. It is important to note that this child lived in Mexico, contracted the illness there and then was transferred to a US hospital. I mention this because, so far, the cases of swine flu that have occurred in the US appear to be much milder than those reported in Mexico. We don’t yet know why this is the case. At this time, we are not seeing unusual volumes of patients in our Emergency Department or Community Emergency Centers and that is also the case for all of the TMC hospitals except Texas Children’s Hospital and the Harris County Hospital District hospitals. We have only seen two cases suspicious for swine flu in our hospital facilities and those patients were not sick enough to warrant hospitalization.
The following are the precautions we are taking. First, I want to encourage all of you to do what you already should be doing - wash your hands (or use the hand gel) frequently, and especially each time before and after you care for a patient. To assist our visitors, we are installing hand gel dispensers in each public elevator lobby.
Second, if you are ill and have fever, communicate with your manager and stay home. If your child is ill, do not send your child to school or child care. Be sure to see your physician right away and do not use the emergency room unless you or your child is too ill to go to the doctor’s office.
For those of you who work in the Emergency Department or the Community Emergency Centers, we are trying to identify patients who have flu-like symptoms at triage, place a mask on them and isolate them. If they can be discharged, we are sending these patients home to recover. If we do end up with a patient so ill as to require hospitalization, we will place them in droplet and contact isolation.
For any of our employees returning from Mexico, we are requiring symptom and temperature screening in Occupational Health before they report to their department or unit for work. This will occur every day until a week after their return from Mexico. Anyone with a fever will be tested for influenza and sent home to follow-up with their physician.
There are a number of reasons to be optimistic about this flu outbreak. That is not to say that I don’t expect many more cases of swine flu before it is over, but the fact that the disease we have seen in the US has been much milder than what Mexico has experienced is a positive sign and the fact that this is occurring so late in the flu season suggests that this will be much less severe than had it occurred in the typical winter months.
Swine flu will be a risk for the next upcoming flu season this fall. By that time, the flu vaccine should contain the necessary protection for the swine flu. I want to encourage every employee who does not otherwise have a contraindication, to get the flu shot this fall. It will be offered to all employees free of charge.
In the meantime, please watch for updated information on the Source, including the Frequently Asked Questions already available and posted.
I encourage you to write in any questions you may have on our live blog. We will get that schedule out to you soon. Check the Source for all the latest details and information.
Thank you for all you do for St. Luke’s and our patients.
Sincerely,
David C. Pate, M.D., J.D.
Chief Executive Officer
St. Luke's Episcopal is located in what we in Houston term "The Medical Center". It is prestigious. I don't know what some of you might be hearing, seeing or reading about in the news, but above are the facts. Our governor has announced a state of emergency in his panic and some schools are closing. I have not been ill, do not feel like I'm getting ill, but have no plans to travel to Mexico or expose myself to crowds unnecessarily, either. Normal precautions ... well, maybe a little more than normal because this disease is just beginning to make its presence felt in our area.
I know it's been several days since I last posted, and thought I'd better get one out there before you all start worrying. Just real busy. I'll tell you about what's been going on soon. Take care, and I'll talk atcha later!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Tuesday morning
I just got back home from driving one of my old-timey customers to IAH. I mean, OLD-timey! (Not in terms of how old she is, but how long it had been since I last picked her up.) I had forgotten who she was even yesterday when she called wanting to be picked early this morning!!
Then we got to talking and pretty soon there I was, screeching my head off (I'm like that ... Chuck and Whalechaser will attest to it!) when I realized who she was.
ANYhoo, I stopped by Kroger's on the way back home to check out any grape salad activities. Sure enuf, there was grape salad on display @$7.99/lb, but you should have seen the grapes! Less than pitiful!! No one was waiting on me, not that I was interested in purchasing any. I mean, they looked awful!!!
I looked around for a familiar face and saw one close by who, unbeknownst to me, had been surreptitiously watching to see what I would do. (Everyone at that deli, just about, who has been around for any period of time knows me and how much I love their grape salad.)
She came over and asked, with a semi-twinkle in her eye, "Is no one waiting on you?" I answered, "You've got to be ******** me! Why EVER would I want to be waited on? Have you seen those grapes?!?"
"Why, yes," she said, "is something the matter?" After what I was afraid would turn out to be just an interminable period of silence while we stared each other down, we both burst out laughing. I mean, it was funny! (As in a "if you don't laugh, you'll cry" kind of way.) Then she extended our mutual hilarity by calling over a co-worker for a 'customer service consultation'.
Well, time for frivolity was over and we got down to the more serious question of what's going on with the grape crops this year. She told me they'd tried the big fat grapes with seeds, but then customers had complained so much that they had discontinued that option.
She whispered in my ear another place she wanted me to try. Well, I might try that other place tomorrow after I deliver my six-month car insurance premium, but I'm not liking that option, I'll be the first to tell you! More later.
Meanwhile, I'd like to share with you a story my customer told me. This is not a joke. You should not be preparing to laugh.
Seems she got a call a couple of weeks ago from her mother, who lives in Indiana, saying that her dad was having a stroke. (At this point, I interrupted her discourse by saying, "Your mother must have been in a panic. Otherwise, why would she be calling you?!?" "Just wait," she says, "to hear the rest of the story.")
"When will the ambulance be there?" she asked her mother. "That's the problem," said her mother, "he won't go in an ambulance. He says he doesn't need to go to the hospital. In fact, he doesn't even think he should see a doctor."
[Just me now, OK? Why are men - and I realize that not every single one is - like that? God bless their hearts. I mean, we love them dearly, but why oh why oh why are they like that? Can someone please give me even a semi-reasonable explanation?!?]
My customer got her things together in one **** of a hurry while her husband called the airlines to make sure she could be on the next flight north. Meanwhile, back in Indiana her mother was calling yet another of her children - this one living in Florida (a son) - to see if he could persuade her husband to get into an ambulance should one arrive. No luck that direction, either!
[I'm sure all y'all know that the sooner a stroke victim can be properly attended to the less likelihood there will be of permanent damage.]
So what happened?
Well, the ambulance arrived. The husband (my customer's father) refused to get in. The attendants administered such aid as he would accept (mainly Aspirin), and then followed the wife (my customer's mother) as she drove her husband to the emergency room entrance at the nearest hospital.
My customer was told that 50% of all stroke victims refuse ambulance service ... 50%! !!!
She (my customer) and I talked almost non-stop all the way to the airport and I never did get my wits together enough at the time to ask if the percentages differed between the sexes, so I have no further information to pass on in this regard.
The upshot is that her dad is actually doing pretty well. He's home from the hospital and crotchety as all get out ... not his time yet, obviously! The stroke affected the back side of his brain and his vision is affected. Cranky as ****, or so my customer said.
And so there you have it ... the story of my day so far. How are you doing?
Then we got to talking and pretty soon there I was, screeching my head off (I'm like that ... Chuck and Whalechaser will attest to it!) when I realized who she was.
ANYhoo, I stopped by Kroger's on the way back home to check out any grape salad activities. Sure enuf, there was grape salad on display @$7.99/lb, but you should have seen the grapes! Less than pitiful!! No one was waiting on me, not that I was interested in purchasing any. I mean, they looked awful!!!
I looked around for a familiar face and saw one close by who, unbeknownst to me, had been surreptitiously watching to see what I would do. (Everyone at that deli, just about, who has been around for any period of time knows me and how much I love their grape salad.)
She came over and asked, with a semi-twinkle in her eye, "Is no one waiting on you?" I answered, "You've got to be ******** me! Why EVER would I want to be waited on? Have you seen those grapes?!?"
"Why, yes," she said, "is something the matter?" After what I was afraid would turn out to be just an interminable period of silence while we stared each other down, we both burst out laughing. I mean, it was funny! (As in a "if you don't laugh, you'll cry" kind of way.) Then she extended our mutual hilarity by calling over a co-worker for a 'customer service consultation'.
Well, time for frivolity was over and we got down to the more serious question of what's going on with the grape crops this year. She told me they'd tried the big fat grapes with seeds, but then customers had complained so much that they had discontinued that option.
She whispered in my ear another place she wanted me to try. Well, I might try that other place tomorrow after I deliver my six-month car insurance premium, but I'm not liking that option, I'll be the first to tell you! More later.
Meanwhile, I'd like to share with you a story my customer told me. This is not a joke. You should not be preparing to laugh.
Seems she got a call a couple of weeks ago from her mother, who lives in Indiana, saying that her dad was having a stroke. (At this point, I interrupted her discourse by saying, "Your mother must have been in a panic. Otherwise, why would she be calling you?!?" "Just wait," she says, "to hear the rest of the story.")
"When will the ambulance be there?" she asked her mother. "That's the problem," said her mother, "he won't go in an ambulance. He says he doesn't need to go to the hospital. In fact, he doesn't even think he should see a doctor."
[Just me now, OK? Why are men - and I realize that not every single one is - like that? God bless their hearts. I mean, we love them dearly, but why oh why oh why are they like that? Can someone please give me even a semi-reasonable explanation?!?]
My customer got her things together in one **** of a hurry while her husband called the airlines to make sure she could be on the next flight north. Meanwhile, back in Indiana her mother was calling yet another of her children - this one living in Florida (a son) - to see if he could persuade her husband to get into an ambulance should one arrive. No luck that direction, either!
[I'm sure all y'all know that the sooner a stroke victim can be properly attended to the less likelihood there will be of permanent damage.]
So what happened?
Well, the ambulance arrived. The husband (my customer's father) refused to get in. The attendants administered such aid as he would accept (mainly Aspirin), and then followed the wife (my customer's mother) as she drove her husband to the emergency room entrance at the nearest hospital.
My customer was told that 50% of all stroke victims refuse ambulance service ... 50%! !!!
She (my customer) and I talked almost non-stop all the way to the airport and I never did get my wits together enough at the time to ask if the percentages differed between the sexes, so I have no further information to pass on in this regard.
The upshot is that her dad is actually doing pretty well. He's home from the hospital and crotchety as all get out ... not his time yet, obviously! The stroke affected the back side of his brain and his vision is affected. Cranky as ****, or so my customer said.
And so there you have it ... the story of my day so far. How are you doing?
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A little of this, a little of that
Thought I'd give you a little preview of what'll be going on my direction in the next couple of days in addition to sharing with you some of my very - you know me - scattered thoughts about what's happening with me, locally, and around the world. Might even include another recommendation or two, who knows?
Digital reprieve ...
It appears as tho we have a little more breathing room here. I heard a new date of June 12th. Did anyone else hear that? Now, on February 17th, if my analog television set is not receiving, I guess I'll just have to hie my body on over to WalMart, won't I?
Disney World ...
Chuck continues with his and Whalechaser's whirlwind tour through all that Disney has to offer in Florida. If you have never been there (and I never have!), check out this site. Lots of photographs and commentary. Enjoy!
Fires in Australia ...
They are all over the news here. Probably the same your way. I'm hearing terribly distressing reports about possible arsonist activities, some going so far as to say that the arsonists are going back and resetting fires that have already been put out! One town in Australia has even been declared a "crime scene".
This doesn't sound to me as tho it was 'just' a matter of a careless smoker throwing out an unextinguished cigarette from a passing car window. Altho that is serious, what appears to be happening is far more serious!
Upwards of 200 victims now ... I'm talking about people who have actually lost their lives while trying either to stay and fight to protect their homes or vainly attempting - at the last possible minute - to flee those infernos in their motor vehicles! Did I hear those figures correctly? The fires are moving at the rate of a mile every five minutes?!? Could that possibly be right??!!??
Yesterday, Melbourne recorded its highest temperature reading ever! And - just this past week - Craig, our blogger friend who hails from near Sydney, wrote that the temperature was still 100 degrees at his house at 10pm.
Folks, our neighbors 'down under' desperately need our thoughts and prayers.
Grape salad ...
I am in an extended state of withdrawal. Those very large and juicy grapes that are so essential to the making of my favorite salad are - and have been for the past three weeks or so - 'out of season'.
That Kroger's deli has my phone number. I'm their "best customer", or so they say, and they promised they would call me. The day before yesterday, however, still in a state of somewhat disbelief that they didn't have my favorite, I drove over there to check it out for myself. No large luscious grapes. No grape salad. Nothing. Nada. And so, I remain in grape salad withdrawal. More later, if and when.
The price of success ...
Michael Phelps was photographed smoking marijuana. Such a downing piece of news! Alex Rodriguez admitted that he was on steroids in the early 2000's. Now that was really not unexpected, but still!
My daughter and I had a short conversation about the former yesterday, and she said - I'll be paraphrasing here - "The lesson is, never achieve fame. Never be the 'first' in anything. The microscope will be on you from thereon out."
She's correct, of course. I guess my question to you is, "What price success/fame?" In the former case, Michael Phelps achieved his success/fame the old-fashioned way (to put it in the words of a really good commercial that I haven't heard or seen in a while) ... he earned it! In the latter case, Alex Rodriguez - altho already acknowledged as one of the best baseball players on the planet - chose to further enhance his performances with drugs.
Valentine's Day ...
All y'all know that I'm one of the world's bigger blabbermouths, don't you? Well, the other day I was looking at Valentine's Day cards - trying to find a good one for my granddaughter - and found one that I thought was perfect to send to my friend Jacky! Wouldn't you just know it?
I just have to share it with you. (BTW, I have forbade -- via e-mail -- my friend Jacky from reading this post until she receives her card in the mail. Good luck to that, huh?)
Ready? The front of the card shows a photo of these two little old ladies. One says to the other, "Let's be friends until we're old and gray." The other says, "But we are old and gray!"
You open up the card to the middle, where it shows a photo of the same two little old ladies. This time, however, the first says to the other, "OK. Then let's be friends until we lose our good looks." The other says, "You got it, gorgeous!"
The very end of the message is, "Happy Valentine's Day to a beautiful old friend". Don't you just love it?
VIACTIV ...
I have 'had it' up to here with chewing these - and I'll admit they taste "OK" -- calcium (plus Vitamins D & K) supplements! A few days back (and I always put out the night before how many I would have to dutifully chew the next day to fulfill my daily requirements), I just couldn't bring myself to put another of these in my mouth.
I thought, "Come on now, Goldenrod! You know that you have to have 'x' number of mg of these daily to keep your bones healthy, not to mention trying to regain some of the bone density your body has lost simply due to the normal process of aging. What's going on with you, mentally? What are you going to do? You can't do nothing!"
Well, I knew that purchasing some more VIACTIV was not the answer. That meant that I was going to have to go back to my old standby of pulverizing pills in a little dinky baggie with a hammer, placing remnants of same into my mouth, and then trying to swallow the vile-tasting stuff all the while pouring liquids down my throat. Sound appetizing to you?
It didn't to me, either, until last night when I eyed a humongous jar of applesauce in my refrigerator and I thought, "Hmmm! I wonder how these pulverized pills would taste with applesauce?"
Not too bad, actually. More later.
What's going on, schedule-wise? ...
Well, tonight I will be attending a local writer's group get-together. This is supposed to be a 'casual' meeting. We'll see. So much has happened since the last time I wrote about this. Am really not prepared to say anything else as of now. There will be much more later, no doubt.
Tomorrow I will be mentoring at the Bridge Studio for the second time during the day. I thoroughly enjoyed my first such last month.
Thursday, I will be taking Beth (you probably remember who she is from some of my previous posts) to IAH. She will be going to deepest darkest Africa - no, not on safari, but on business. Talked to her just a couple of hours ago, and she was scampering hither and thither trying to get everything all set for her trip.
Will talk to you all soon, no doubt. Meanwhile, hang in there, OK?
Digital reprieve ...
It appears as tho we have a little more breathing room here. I heard a new date of June 12th. Did anyone else hear that? Now, on February 17th, if my analog television set is not receiving, I guess I'll just have to hie my body on over to WalMart, won't I?
Disney World ...
Chuck continues with his and Whalechaser's whirlwind tour through all that Disney has to offer in Florida. If you have never been there (and I never have!), check out this site. Lots of photographs and commentary. Enjoy!
Fires in Australia ...
They are all over the news here. Probably the same your way. I'm hearing terribly distressing reports about possible arsonist activities, some going so far as to say that the arsonists are going back and resetting fires that have already been put out! One town in Australia has even been declared a "crime scene".
This doesn't sound to me as tho it was 'just' a matter of a careless smoker throwing out an unextinguished cigarette from a passing car window. Altho that is serious, what appears to be happening is far more serious!
Upwards of 200 victims now ... I'm talking about people who have actually lost their lives while trying either to stay and fight to protect their homes or vainly attempting - at the last possible minute - to flee those infernos in their motor vehicles! Did I hear those figures correctly? The fires are moving at the rate of a mile every five minutes?!? Could that possibly be right??!!??
Yesterday, Melbourne recorded its highest temperature reading ever! And - just this past week - Craig, our blogger friend who hails from near Sydney, wrote that the temperature was still 100 degrees at his house at 10pm.
Folks, our neighbors 'down under' desperately need our thoughts and prayers.
Grape salad ...
I am in an extended state of withdrawal. Those very large and juicy grapes that are so essential to the making of my favorite salad are - and have been for the past three weeks or so - 'out of season'.
That Kroger's deli has my phone number. I'm their "best customer", or so they say, and they promised they would call me. The day before yesterday, however, still in a state of somewhat disbelief that they didn't have my favorite, I drove over there to check it out for myself. No large luscious grapes. No grape salad. Nothing. Nada. And so, I remain in grape salad withdrawal. More later, if and when.
The price of success ...
Michael Phelps was photographed smoking marijuana. Such a downing piece of news! Alex Rodriguez admitted that he was on steroids in the early 2000's. Now that was really not unexpected, but still!
My daughter and I had a short conversation about the former yesterday, and she said - I'll be paraphrasing here - "The lesson is, never achieve fame. Never be the 'first' in anything. The microscope will be on you from thereon out."
She's correct, of course. I guess my question to you is, "What price success/fame?" In the former case, Michael Phelps achieved his success/fame the old-fashioned way (to put it in the words of a really good commercial that I haven't heard or seen in a while) ... he earned it! In the latter case, Alex Rodriguez - altho already acknowledged as one of the best baseball players on the planet - chose to further enhance his performances with drugs.
Valentine's Day ...
All y'all know that I'm one of the world's bigger blabbermouths, don't you? Well, the other day I was looking at Valentine's Day cards - trying to find a good one for my granddaughter - and found one that I thought was perfect to send to my friend Jacky! Wouldn't you just know it?
I just have to share it with you. (BTW, I have forbade -- via e-mail -- my friend Jacky from reading this post until she receives her card in the mail. Good luck to that, huh?)
Ready? The front of the card shows a photo of these two little old ladies. One says to the other, "Let's be friends until we're old and gray." The other says, "But we are old and gray!"
You open up the card to the middle, where it shows a photo of the same two little old ladies. This time, however, the first says to the other, "OK. Then let's be friends until we lose our good looks." The other says, "You got it, gorgeous!"
The very end of the message is, "Happy Valentine's Day to a beautiful old friend". Don't you just love it?
VIACTIV ...
I have 'had it' up to here with chewing these - and I'll admit they taste "OK" -- calcium (plus Vitamins D & K) supplements! A few days back (and I always put out the night before how many I would have to dutifully chew the next day to fulfill my daily requirements), I just couldn't bring myself to put another of these in my mouth.
I thought, "Come on now, Goldenrod! You know that you have to have 'x' number of mg of these daily to keep your bones healthy, not to mention trying to regain some of the bone density your body has lost simply due to the normal process of aging. What's going on with you, mentally? What are you going to do? You can't do nothing!"
Well, I knew that purchasing some more VIACTIV was not the answer. That meant that I was going to have to go back to my old standby of pulverizing pills in a little dinky baggie with a hammer, placing remnants of same into my mouth, and then trying to swallow the vile-tasting stuff all the while pouring liquids down my throat. Sound appetizing to you?
It didn't to me, either, until last night when I eyed a humongous jar of applesauce in my refrigerator and I thought, "Hmmm! I wonder how these pulverized pills would taste with applesauce?"
Not too bad, actually. More later.
What's going on, schedule-wise? ...
Well, tonight I will be attending a local writer's group get-together. This is supposed to be a 'casual' meeting. We'll see. So much has happened since the last time I wrote about this. Am really not prepared to say anything else as of now. There will be much more later, no doubt.
Tomorrow I will be mentoring at the Bridge Studio for the second time during the day. I thoroughly enjoyed my first such last month.
Thursday, I will be taking Beth (you probably remember who she is from some of my previous posts) to IAH. She will be going to deepest darkest Africa - no, not on safari, but on business. Talked to her just a couple of hours ago, and she was scampering hither and thither trying to get everything all set for her trip.
Will talk to you all soon, no doubt. Meanwhile, hang in there, OK?
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Playing catch up
It's amazing what a good night's sleep does for me - seven solid hours last night!
I've been feeling a little out of sorts lately. I haven't been able to get my naps in. There's major remodeling going on in my next door neighbor's townhouse - it's for sale - and the hammering is continuous from 8am on. Barf!
I don't like getting new neighbors - well, I should amend that by saying I like getting new neighbors only if the ones I currently have are noisy, obnoxious, rude, block your garage, and other unpleasant things I could name - Les has been my neighbor for quite a number of years now, and I really could not have asked for a better one!
But, he and his long-time girlfriend have decided to buy a house together in Clear Lake (SE, towards Galveston). "So you guys are getting married?" I asked, expecting an affirmative answer and ready to add my hearty congratulations. "No, no," he said, "Once was enough!" We both laughed and rolled our eyes at each other in complete understanding.
Anyway, after my really good night's sleep, I came in here to down my weekly pill (accompanied by lots and lots of water, as recommended). Am now drinking fresh coffee. Nice! Haven't looked at others' blogsites yet - spent about an hour and a half deleting 'junk' mail and 'unsubscribing' (where possible) to those that I had never subscribed to in the first place (!) - added a response or two to comments on my posts - I'll be ready to see what's going on with my fellow bloggers after I catch all y'all up on a couple of things.
What does "Eats fine" mean to you? DD said that she'd made chili the other day and sent me a recipe that she'd found online. "Eats fine," she said. I don't want to ask what she meant by that. Would take all the fun out of it, knowing the answer. I'd rather let my imagination run wild with possibilities.
Did she mean that, upon chewing, it didn't crack her teeth? Did she mean that it was a welcome relief from the rest of the stuff on her South Beach diet? Did she mean that it was fine to swallow - as opposed to gritty?
I don't want to know. Chili sounds good to me, however. Perfect for colder weather! And reheats very successfully. In fact, it's often better reheated. May decide to buy ingredients for that when I run over to Kroger's later. Am all out of grape salad (again!). Will check while I'm there to see if the gal really did order breakfast sausage, too, like she said she would.
Do you remember when I said I was getting really tired of the chocolate-flavored Viactiv? Thought I might even have to go back to pulverizing those enormous tablets with a hammer in a little baggie again for my daily calcium and vitamin D supplements.
Well, a few weeks ago I was in the vitamin section of a store when I noticed that they now had a caramel flavor, so I thought, "Hmmm. I'll try that. If it's gawdawful, I'll get the hammer back out." They were pretty good!
Then, day before yesterday I was in the market for a Viactiv refill and noticed that they now have a raspberry flavor. My goodness! Just expanding their product line like crazy!! Rrvit. Bought some more of the caramel for this time - will be interesting to see whatall they have come up with in another month or so.
Did you watch "Dancing with the Stars" either Monday or last night? I did. (Played hookey from the annual homeowner association's meeting to do so. Bad girl, bad girl!) Warren Sapp and his professional partner, Kim Johnson, made it to the finals. This is exciting! Three couples will be competing next week in the finals, all of whom are a real joy to watch.
I just checked next week's TV schedule - it's Thanksgiving week, so I thought perhaps the schedule would be changed. (Thanksgiving in this country is always the 4th Thursday in November, for those of you whom might not know.) It is, but only a little bit. Here it is ... Monday (24th) from 7-8:30pm CST ... Tuesday (25th) from 8-10pm CST - that's different (not the day, but the time - "Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" pushes the final results show back an hour). I'll be watching!
On Monday next I've penciled in on my calendar going over to the Museum of Natural Science. I have a coupon for $7 off the general adult admission (courtesy of Kroger's, no less!) to "Body Worlds 2", an exhibit which has been there for several months now. I figure it won't be there much longer, and I'd better get my own body over there before it leaves. Will do a post, I'm sure, after I've seen it.
That's it for this morning. Now you're all caught up. Hope you're doing OK on this fine Wednesday morning. I'll be checking your sites in just a few minutes.
I've been feeling a little out of sorts lately. I haven't been able to get my naps in. There's major remodeling going on in my next door neighbor's townhouse - it's for sale - and the hammering is continuous from 8am on. Barf!
I don't like getting new neighbors - well, I should amend that by saying I like getting new neighbors only if the ones I currently have are noisy, obnoxious, rude, block your garage, and other unpleasant things I could name - Les has been my neighbor for quite a number of years now, and I really could not have asked for a better one!
But, he and his long-time girlfriend have decided to buy a house together in Clear Lake (SE, towards Galveston). "So you guys are getting married?" I asked, expecting an affirmative answer and ready to add my hearty congratulations. "No, no," he said, "Once was enough!" We both laughed and rolled our eyes at each other in complete understanding.
Anyway, after my really good night's sleep, I came in here to down my weekly pill (accompanied by lots and lots of water, as recommended). Am now drinking fresh coffee. Nice! Haven't looked at others' blogsites yet - spent about an hour and a half deleting 'junk' mail and 'unsubscribing' (where possible) to those that I had never subscribed to in the first place (!) - added a response or two to comments on my posts - I'll be ready to see what's going on with my fellow bloggers after I catch all y'all up on a couple of things.
What does "Eats fine" mean to you? DD said that she'd made chili the other day and sent me a recipe that she'd found online. "Eats fine," she said. I don't want to ask what she meant by that. Would take all the fun out of it, knowing the answer. I'd rather let my imagination run wild with possibilities.
Did she mean that, upon chewing, it didn't crack her teeth? Did she mean that it was a welcome relief from the rest of the stuff on her South Beach diet? Did she mean that it was fine to swallow - as opposed to gritty?
I don't want to know. Chili sounds good to me, however. Perfect for colder weather! And reheats very successfully. In fact, it's often better reheated. May decide to buy ingredients for that when I run over to Kroger's later. Am all out of grape salad (again!). Will check while I'm there to see if the gal really did order breakfast sausage, too, like she said she would.
Do you remember when I said I was getting really tired of the chocolate-flavored Viactiv? Thought I might even have to go back to pulverizing those enormous tablets with a hammer in a little baggie again for my daily calcium and vitamin D supplements.
Well, a few weeks ago I was in the vitamin section of a store when I noticed that they now had a caramel flavor, so I thought, "Hmmm. I'll try that. If it's gawdawful, I'll get the hammer back out." They were pretty good!
Then, day before yesterday I was in the market for a Viactiv refill and noticed that they now have a raspberry flavor. My goodness! Just expanding their product line like crazy!! Rrvit. Bought some more of the caramel for this time - will be interesting to see whatall they have come up with in another month or so.
Did you watch "Dancing with the Stars" either Monday or last night? I did. (Played hookey from the annual homeowner association's meeting to do so. Bad girl, bad girl!) Warren Sapp and his professional partner, Kim Johnson, made it to the finals. This is exciting! Three couples will be competing next week in the finals, all of whom are a real joy to watch.
I just checked next week's TV schedule - it's Thanksgiving week, so I thought perhaps the schedule would be changed. (Thanksgiving in this country is always the 4th Thursday in November, for those of you whom might not know.) It is, but only a little bit. Here it is ... Monday (24th) from 7-8:30pm CST ... Tuesday (25th) from 8-10pm CST - that's different (not the day, but the time - "Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" pushes the final results show back an hour). I'll be watching!
On Monday next I've penciled in on my calendar going over to the Museum of Natural Science. I have a coupon for $7 off the general adult admission (courtesy of Kroger's, no less!) to "Body Worlds 2", an exhibit which has been there for several months now. I figure it won't be there much longer, and I'd better get my own body over there before it leaves. Will do a post, I'm sure, after I've seen it.
That's it for this morning. Now you're all caught up. Hope you're doing OK on this fine Wednesday morning. I'll be checking your sites in just a few minutes.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Dancing in the rain
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass ...
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
Isn't that just beautiful? I found it on Damama's site earlier this morning.
We've had a goodly share lately - a few thunderboomers and some wind gusts now and again - mainly, tho, just a nice 'soaking into the ground' rain. Wonderful!
Changing the subject, a really yukky thing happened the other night. If I'd realized what was happening when it occurred, I could have avoided a sticky situation.
What happened? Well, I accidentally stepped on a big wad of chewing gum that someone had carelessly thrown to the ground instead of properly disposing of it, that's what happened. Yuk!
But I didn't notice, and it wasn't until a couple or three hours later - after sitting at the kitchen table for a while doing some paperwork and watching TV with a space heater blowing nice warm air onto my feet and legs - when I tried to shift my feet to cross my legs the other way, one of my shoes didn't want to come off the rug. I looked down to see what the devil was going on.
There was this blue gooey-looking substance sticking to the bottom of my right moccasin and trailing down to the rug, where I saw the rest of the blob. I reached down to try and extract it from the rug itself, but it was too late. Now what to do?
Well, the first thing I did - after the failed extraction attempt - was cover the offending object with a paper napkin. Then I tried to remove the gum from the bottom of my moccasin. Got most of it. At least what's left won't be sticking to much, if anything, in the near future. When it gets colder outside I can get the rest of it, or put some ice on it and scrape and dig the rest off if I get too impatient.
Next I put on a different pair of shoes and went out to the car to see what damage had been done to the driver's side floor mat. None. One piece of good news, anyway!
Meanwhile, I'm open to any and all suggestions as to how to get the glob of ick out of my rug. Should I just place some ice cubes on the spot and hope to be able to 'lift' the now ice cold blob out, or will I have to resort to carefully cutting and risk ruining an otherwise perfectly good pair of scissors? (It's an old rug. I'm more worried about my scissors!)
As I said earlier, it's a sticky situation.
New topic. I'm losing weight. Why? I don't really know, exactly.
I certainly haven't changed any of my exercise habits ... don't now, and never have had any 'exercise habits'! Basically, I sit on my duff. Did the same thing during my many years as a taxicab driver, too! So what's different?
It has to be diet-related ... at least, I think it must be diet-related. Either that or I'm ill. I don't feel ill!
A couple of things have happened, tho, within the last few months that might be contributing to my weight loss - one of the more recent, of course, would be Ike. I had to throw out everything from my freezer, which mainly contained ice cream. Now that is fattening, but boy do I love it!
I don't keep a lot of stuff in my freezer, generally - mainly ice cubes and oj (yes, I had to throw that out, in addition to a frozen vegetable pack and maybe a meat item or two, but I live alone and don't have the need to stock up large amounts of food items like many others). When I thought about re-stocking the freezer, I said to myself, "Self, let's not buy any more ice cream. You don't 'need' it!" And so I didn't.
What's in there right now? Mainly ice cubes and orange juice.
Another thing that happened - a touch less than a couple of months ago and after Ike - was that I had a 'run in' with the general manager of the Luby's cafeteria that I frequented with a "to go" order probably twice a week. Always got freshly-made strawberry shortcake with lots of whipped cream ... yummy! (Person behind the counter would begin fixing it for me the second she saw me come in the door!) Won't be back to that location again until they get a new general manager.
Finally decided to write Luby's corporate office - located here in Houston - with my complaint late last week, and got a very nice letter (I'm sure they write the same kind of letter to every complainant, but still it was a 'feel gooder') back already, saying it would be immediately investigated and blah blah blah.
I'll call that location every so often to see if the general manager has, indeed, been replaced. If he has, I'll go back (and probably regain a few pounds in the process). If not, I won't.
Meanwhile, what am I eating? Why, I'm eating strawberries, that's what I'm eating! Fresh, no cream or milk, no sugar, no shortcake, and most certainly no whipped cream ... delicious!!
A couple of other things that I've changed in my diet. I used to be just a terrible snack food addict - a lot of things with salt in them (potato chips, for example) - have almost cut those out completely. Learned, many years ago when I was pregnant, that my body has a tendency to retain water. There's a really good story that I don't remember ever sharing with you, but I will sometime, about the day my husband came home from work early - and after giving me the obligatory peck on the mouth, kept licking his lips and looking at me questioningly. I had just finished downing I don't know how many, actually, salted peanuts ... had intended to brush, floss, and all those good things before he arrived. So there you have it. Now I don't need to publish a post on my blog about it, right? You've got the whole story! (By the way, they were delicious!!) And I was guilty as you know what!
So what do I snack on now? Well, all the fresh fruit - watermelon & Bing cherries (out of season, pretty much, what a bummer!), grapes, strawberries, stuff like that - I can get my hands on. And cheese, but I'm careful now to buy only the 'low-fat'. Same thing with milk, 'low-fat'.
I've begun stocking up and snacking on Yoplait "light and fat free" yogurt items. They taste pretty good, actually. Wouldn't call them 'delicious' - wouldn't go quite that far, and they're certainly not 'filling' - but, after I've downed one I tell myself, "Self, you've just had a nutritious snack. Get over it!"
Now all I have to do is quit drinking (Chivas) and smoking (Pall Mall non-filters) again, exercising, and I can regain ten or perhaps fifteen years of my life!
Nah!! One has to have a few indulgences, right? (Just my opinion.)
PS. Almost forgot to mention. This weight loss is presenting a potential wardrobe problem. My slacks are loose! Perhaps it's only a temporary thing? If it isn't, I'm going to have to dig through some of my stacks of older and smaller sizes of clothing to see what will fit and is still wearable! Hmmph!!
PPS. I thought you might like to know what I weighed the last time I was at the doctor's office just a couple of weeks ago. Would you? 145 pounds was the figure. (If I get below 135, I'll begin to worry - and so will the doctor, I'll betcha!)
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
Isn't that just beautiful? I found it on Damama's site earlier this morning.
We've had a goodly share lately - a few thunderboomers and some wind gusts now and again - mainly, tho, just a nice 'soaking into the ground' rain. Wonderful!
Changing the subject, a really yukky thing happened the other night. If I'd realized what was happening when it occurred, I could have avoided a sticky situation.
What happened? Well, I accidentally stepped on a big wad of chewing gum that someone had carelessly thrown to the ground instead of properly disposing of it, that's what happened. Yuk!
But I didn't notice, and it wasn't until a couple or three hours later - after sitting at the kitchen table for a while doing some paperwork and watching TV with a space heater blowing nice warm air onto my feet and legs - when I tried to shift my feet to cross my legs the other way, one of my shoes didn't want to come off the rug. I looked down to see what the devil was going on.
There was this blue gooey-looking substance sticking to the bottom of my right moccasin and trailing down to the rug, where I saw the rest of the blob. I reached down to try and extract it from the rug itself, but it was too late. Now what to do?
Well, the first thing I did - after the failed extraction attempt - was cover the offending object with a paper napkin. Then I tried to remove the gum from the bottom of my moccasin. Got most of it. At least what's left won't be sticking to much, if anything, in the near future. When it gets colder outside I can get the rest of it, or put some ice on it and scrape and dig the rest off if I get too impatient.
Next I put on a different pair of shoes and went out to the car to see what damage had been done to the driver's side floor mat. None. One piece of good news, anyway!
Meanwhile, I'm open to any and all suggestions as to how to get the glob of ick out of my rug. Should I just place some ice cubes on the spot and hope to be able to 'lift' the now ice cold blob out, or will I have to resort to carefully cutting and risk ruining an otherwise perfectly good pair of scissors? (It's an old rug. I'm more worried about my scissors!)
As I said earlier, it's a sticky situation.
New topic. I'm losing weight. Why? I don't really know, exactly.
I certainly haven't changed any of my exercise habits ... don't now, and never have had any 'exercise habits'! Basically, I sit on my duff. Did the same thing during my many years as a taxicab driver, too! So what's different?
It has to be diet-related ... at least, I think it must be diet-related. Either that or I'm ill. I don't feel ill!
A couple of things have happened, tho, within the last few months that might be contributing to my weight loss - one of the more recent, of course, would be Ike. I had to throw out everything from my freezer, which mainly contained ice cream. Now that is fattening, but boy do I love it!
I don't keep a lot of stuff in my freezer, generally - mainly ice cubes and oj (yes, I had to throw that out, in addition to a frozen vegetable pack and maybe a meat item or two, but I live alone and don't have the need to stock up large amounts of food items like many others). When I thought about re-stocking the freezer, I said to myself, "Self, let's not buy any more ice cream. You don't 'need' it!" And so I didn't.
What's in there right now? Mainly ice cubes and orange juice.
Another thing that happened - a touch less than a couple of months ago and after Ike - was that I had a 'run in' with the general manager of the Luby's cafeteria that I frequented with a "to go" order probably twice a week. Always got freshly-made strawberry shortcake with lots of whipped cream ... yummy! (Person behind the counter would begin fixing it for me the second she saw me come in the door!) Won't be back to that location again until they get a new general manager.
Finally decided to write Luby's corporate office - located here in Houston - with my complaint late last week, and got a very nice letter (I'm sure they write the same kind of letter to every complainant, but still it was a 'feel gooder') back already, saying it would be immediately investigated and blah blah blah.
I'll call that location every so often to see if the general manager has, indeed, been replaced. If he has, I'll go back (and probably regain a few pounds in the process). If not, I won't.
Meanwhile, what am I eating? Why, I'm eating strawberries, that's what I'm eating! Fresh, no cream or milk, no sugar, no shortcake, and most certainly no whipped cream ... delicious!!
A couple of other things that I've changed in my diet. I used to be just a terrible snack food addict - a lot of things with salt in them (potato chips, for example) - have almost cut those out completely. Learned, many years ago when I was pregnant, that my body has a tendency to retain water. There's a really good story that I don't remember ever sharing with you, but I will sometime, about the day my husband came home from work early - and after giving me the obligatory peck on the mouth, kept licking his lips and looking at me questioningly. I had just finished downing I don't know how many, actually, salted peanuts ... had intended to brush, floss, and all those good things before he arrived. So there you have it. Now I don't need to publish a post on my blog about it, right? You've got the whole story! (By the way, they were delicious!!) And I was guilty as you know what!
So what do I snack on now? Well, all the fresh fruit - watermelon & Bing cherries (out of season, pretty much, what a bummer!), grapes, strawberries, stuff like that - I can get my hands on. And cheese, but I'm careful now to buy only the 'low-fat'. Same thing with milk, 'low-fat'.
I've begun stocking up and snacking on Yoplait "light and fat free" yogurt items. They taste pretty good, actually. Wouldn't call them 'delicious' - wouldn't go quite that far, and they're certainly not 'filling' - but, after I've downed one I tell myself, "Self, you've just had a nutritious snack. Get over it!"
Now all I have to do is quit drinking (Chivas) and smoking (Pall Mall non-filters) again, exercising, and I can regain ten or perhaps fifteen years of my life!
Nah!! One has to have a few indulgences, right? (Just my opinion.)
PS. Almost forgot to mention. This weight loss is presenting a potential wardrobe problem. My slacks are loose! Perhaps it's only a temporary thing? If it isn't, I'm going to have to dig through some of my stacks of older and smaller sizes of clothing to see what will fit and is still wearable! Hmmph!!
PPS. I thought you might like to know what I weighed the last time I was at the doctor's office just a couple of weeks ago. Would you? 145 pounds was the figure. (If I get below 135, I'll begin to worry - and so will the doctor, I'll betcha!)
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Here & there, up & down, roundabout
A couple of things I should update all y'all on ... ...
Biopsy results ...
I received an e-mail late last night from Dr. Bauer's office that (supposedly) contained the results of the biopsy on my left cheek.
I say 'supposedly' because I was unable -- yet one more time -- to hack through 'security' clearances to read the results.
Those of you who have read any of my posts in the past know how much time has been wasted in trying to clear this matter up. As I told my daughter in an e-mail earlier this morning, I have no intention whatsoever of calling Dr. Bauer's office to try and ascertain the results. I repeat, none whatsoever!!
Doctors' offices do not send you bad news via e-mail. They call you, right? And so, I'm 'assuming' that the biopsy read 'benign'.
Passport application ...
I was told that all I needed to present was my original birth certificate, driver's license, passport photos, and proof of current place of residence. Oh, yes! And a check in the amount of $100.
SO, I went to the nearest passport office (actually, I went to a Post Office) with all in hand.
We hit a few 'snags' on the application. I'd been married 'how many' times?!? (3) My maiden name was? (OK) My mother's maiden name was? (OK) My father's date of birth? (OK) My mother's date of birth? (OK) My father's place of birth? (I didn't know) My mother's place of birth? (I didn't know) My last ex-husband's date of birth? (I didn't remember) Place of birth? (You have got to be kidding me!) The street address of my daughter? (I didn't have that with me.) My travel plans? (Whaat!?!) Date of marriage to my most recent spouse? (Give me a break here!) Divorce date? (Same comment.) Did I have the divorce decree with me? (Are you kidding??? This was over twenty years ago!!!)
Fellow who was taking my application assured me that all this really didn't matter -- that if there were any problems, they would mail my application back to me with notations of any questions that still needed to be answered. Ye Gods!
Then he asked me for $75. I thought, "Whaat! Thought it was $100!?!" I wrote the check out (I'd only brought the one). All was fine and good. Then he asked me for another $25 -- post office's fee charges, or some such.
Well, I told him that I'd have to go back home and get another check. He said he'd hold the application, no problem.
Did all that. Got a receipt.
When I arrived back home 2-3 hours later, there was a voice mail from the fellow at the Post Office saying that I'd left a copy of my birth certificate there, and could I come back and get it? They'd hold it for me. Ye Gods and little fish hooks!!
Well, yeah, I could, but meanwhile the Post Office was closed. Couldn't do it until the next day ... maybe that'll teach me to leave the house without my phone, huh?!?
Biopsy results ...
I received an e-mail late last night from Dr. Bauer's office that (supposedly) contained the results of the biopsy on my left cheek.
I say 'supposedly' because I was unable -- yet one more time -- to hack through 'security' clearances to read the results.
Those of you who have read any of my posts in the past know how much time has been wasted in trying to clear this matter up. As I told my daughter in an e-mail earlier this morning, I have no intention whatsoever of calling Dr. Bauer's office to try and ascertain the results. I repeat, none whatsoever!!
Doctors' offices do not send you bad news via e-mail. They call you, right? And so, I'm 'assuming' that the biopsy read 'benign'.
Passport application ...
I was told that all I needed to present was my original birth certificate, driver's license, passport photos, and proof of current place of residence. Oh, yes! And a check in the amount of $100.
SO, I went to the nearest passport office (actually, I went to a Post Office) with all in hand.
We hit a few 'snags' on the application. I'd been married 'how many' times?!? (3) My maiden name was? (OK) My mother's maiden name was? (OK) My father's date of birth? (OK) My mother's date of birth? (OK) My father's place of birth? (I didn't know) My mother's place of birth? (I didn't know) My last ex-husband's date of birth? (I didn't remember) Place of birth? (You have got to be kidding me!) The street address of my daughter? (I didn't have that with me.) My travel plans? (Whaat!?!) Date of marriage to my most recent spouse? (Give me a break here!) Divorce date? (Same comment.) Did I have the divorce decree with me? (Are you kidding??? This was over twenty years ago!!!)
Fellow who was taking my application assured me that all this really didn't matter -- that if there were any problems, they would mail my application back to me with notations of any questions that still needed to be answered. Ye Gods!
Then he asked me for $75. I thought, "Whaat! Thought it was $100!?!" I wrote the check out (I'd only brought the one). All was fine and good. Then he asked me for another $25 -- post office's fee charges, or some such.
Well, I told him that I'd have to go back home and get another check. He said he'd hold the application, no problem.
Did all that. Got a receipt.
When I arrived back home 2-3 hours later, there was a voice mail from the fellow at the Post Office saying that I'd left a copy of my birth certificate there, and could I come back and get it? They'd hold it for me. Ye Gods and little fish hooks!!
Well, yeah, I could, but meanwhile the Post Office was closed. Couldn't do it until the next day ... maybe that'll teach me to leave the house without my phone, huh?!?
Friday, October 24, 2008
Relativity
No, I'm not going all scientific on you. What I would like to briefly discuss this morning is age.
Are you young, middle-aged, or old? Age is relative, a state of mind (imo).
One of my blogger friends, Steven, who's in his very early 50's, described his body as 'old' the other day when he was unable to open his hands after his fingers had frozen almost solid in a bicycle grip.
What had happened? Well, he bicycles back and forth to work every day and had been caught in some fairly severe weather. His gloves had gotten wet, there were strong winds, it was cold, and by the time he finally got home all he was able to do was bang on the back door with his elbows until his son (thank goodness someone was home!) heard him and came to his rescue.
When I was 'young' and in undergraduate school -- in fact, even in graduate school, I thought 30 was old. In fact, I think I wrote in a much earlier post that my very best friend, Jacky, had sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers for that occasion. The only thing wrong with her thoughtful gift was that she didn't remember the actual date of my birthday, and sent it two months early!
Now I'm in my 70's. My perspective has drastically changed. (Well, I guess!!) I know I'm considered 'old' by many, and some of the time I actually feel old.
But I still have all my wits about me, and delight each and every day that I am able to present to you a (hopefully) somewhat logical post, albeit the subject matter could be scattered 'here there everywhere'.
When I first began teaching 1st grade (I was 21 yrs. old at the time), one of my favorite responses to a student's question about my age was, "How old do you think I am?"
Initially, their answers to my question were absolutely hilarious! I stopped asking when they started more accurately guessing.
One of my more unforgettable cab driving experiences occurred quite some time ago, when I was dispatched to a Randall's (local grocery chain) store to pick up a customer.
When I arrived, she was outside to meet me (along with the manager of the store, who was the one who had actually called for a taxi), somewhat supported by her walker.
She looked really 'old' to me. (Turns out she was 103, or some such almost unbelievable figure!)
She was a regular customer of the store and usually arrived via a city bus. She'd do her shopping and then take a bus back to the retirement home that was her current place of residence.
This time, tho, the manager -- who'd seen her many times before -- felt that she had way too many groceries to try and take with her on the bus, and called for a cab. (He paid for the trip out of his own pocket! I had to estimate the charges.)
She and I talked a lot on the way back. Seems as tho she had outlived all of her children (and even some of her grandchildren), lived in this retirement home where "all they did was play Bingo", and was bored half out of her mind.
Every once in a while I think of her.
My daughter wrote in one of her posts some months back how surprised and proud she was of her mother, who -- at the age of 70, was starting her own blogsite. I was like a little kid with a new toy, actually, and am still enjoying it very much. Thank you again, DD and DSL, for your wonderful Christmas gift!
It was only yesterday that I learned of another blogsite, where it seems that a woman ten years older than I is writing about and sharing some of her memories.
Good for her!
If you'd like to see/read it for yourself, here's the link. You might notice that my site is linked there on her side bar. Don't know how she got onto it, but I'm glad she did.
Yesterday, as I was getting ready to leave Dr. Bauer's office, he asked me if I wanted to get a flu shot. I said, "No, I never get the flu." Then he asked about a pneumonia shot. Now, that took me aback! I've never heard of a pneumonia shot. Have you? (I declined. Hope I'm not sorry later.)
I was tempted to ask him if his office was offering a shot to make one 50 or even 60 years old again!
Are you young, middle-aged, or old? Age is relative, a state of mind (imo).
One of my blogger friends, Steven, who's in his very early 50's, described his body as 'old' the other day when he was unable to open his hands after his fingers had frozen almost solid in a bicycle grip.
What had happened? Well, he bicycles back and forth to work every day and had been caught in some fairly severe weather. His gloves had gotten wet, there were strong winds, it was cold, and by the time he finally got home all he was able to do was bang on the back door with his elbows until his son (thank goodness someone was home!) heard him and came to his rescue.
When I was 'young' and in undergraduate school -- in fact, even in graduate school, I thought 30 was old. In fact, I think I wrote in a much earlier post that my very best friend, Jacky, had sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers for that occasion. The only thing wrong with her thoughtful gift was that she didn't remember the actual date of my birthday, and sent it two months early!
Now I'm in my 70's. My perspective has drastically changed. (Well, I guess!!) I know I'm considered 'old' by many, and some of the time I actually feel old.
But I still have all my wits about me, and delight each and every day that I am able to present to you a (hopefully) somewhat logical post, albeit the subject matter could be scattered 'here there everywhere'.
When I first began teaching 1st grade (I was 21 yrs. old at the time), one of my favorite responses to a student's question about my age was, "How old do you think I am?"
Initially, their answers to my question were absolutely hilarious! I stopped asking when they started more accurately guessing.
One of my more unforgettable cab driving experiences occurred quite some time ago, when I was dispatched to a Randall's (local grocery chain) store to pick up a customer.
When I arrived, she was outside to meet me (along with the manager of the store, who was the one who had actually called for a taxi), somewhat supported by her walker.
She looked really 'old' to me. (Turns out she was 103, or some such almost unbelievable figure!)
She was a regular customer of the store and usually arrived via a city bus. She'd do her shopping and then take a bus back to the retirement home that was her current place of residence.
This time, tho, the manager -- who'd seen her many times before -- felt that she had way too many groceries to try and take with her on the bus, and called for a cab. (He paid for the trip out of his own pocket! I had to estimate the charges.)
She and I talked a lot on the way back. Seems as tho she had outlived all of her children (and even some of her grandchildren), lived in this retirement home where "all they did was play Bingo", and was bored half out of her mind.
Every once in a while I think of her.
My daughter wrote in one of her posts some months back how surprised and proud she was of her mother, who -- at the age of 70, was starting her own blogsite. I was like a little kid with a new toy, actually, and am still enjoying it very much. Thank you again, DD and DSL, for your wonderful Christmas gift!
It was only yesterday that I learned of another blogsite, where it seems that a woman ten years older than I is writing about and sharing some of her memories.
Good for her!
If you'd like to see/read it for yourself, here's the link. You might notice that my site is linked there on her side bar. Don't know how she got onto it, but I'm glad she did.
Yesterday, as I was getting ready to leave Dr. Bauer's office, he asked me if I wanted to get a flu shot. I said, "No, I never get the flu." Then he asked about a pneumonia shot. Now, that took me aback! I've never heard of a pneumonia shot. Have you? (I declined. Hope I'm not sorry later.)
I was tempted to ask him if his office was offering a shot to make one 50 or even 60 years old again!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Been there done that
Spent just a touch less than an hour much earlier today with someone from Dr. Bauer's office trying to get my e-mail account straightened out.
Don't know if it is or not. I'll wait for his next e-mail to try and come through before I can report whether or not it has been!
I have a great big bandaid on my left cheek. Yes, I said 'cheek'!
What happened to the spot on my nose? Good question.
He looked at it under his splendiferous ultra lighting and magnifying glass and said, "It's nothing. Just an oil gland gone wild." (Those are not his actual words. They are mine.)
But then he asked, "What's this?" (Pointing to a spot on my left cheek that I had 'picked' within the last 24 hours. I'm a picker, what can I tell you?)
Some novocaine, incisement (for a biopsy), and a pressure bandaid later, I'm here to tell you -- after I then had him look at a couple of other 'spots' on my forehead that I've been madly picking away at -- I look like "Gorgeous Goldenrod!"
Actually, he didn't do anything with the spots on my forehead. Advised me to stop picking -- I've ALways been advised to 'stop picking' -- and see what they look like in another week or two.
Blood pressure was checked. Nurse took it twice. First time it read 160. Next time 154.
Now, I had taken it myself (with my wrist monitor, which appears to be working correctly, thank the good Lord) earlier this morning. It read 138. Shortly after I arrived at the doctor's office I took it again, and it read 143.
In between the 160 and 154 readings, it read 151. (It has NEVER read that high at home!!) Talk about going to the doctor to make your blood pressure rise, huh?
Let's see, what else?
Oh yes, he took a cursory looksee through the fairly extensive list of ophthalmologists who are currently under contract in the WellCare program, and one name in particular caught his attention. SO, we might be 'all set' for that! More later, on down the road.
Suffice it to say that I 'survived' another doctor's visit ... ... barely.
Don't know if it is or not. I'll wait for his next e-mail to try and come through before I can report whether or not it has been!
I have a great big bandaid on my left cheek. Yes, I said 'cheek'!
What happened to the spot on my nose? Good question.
He looked at it under his splendiferous ultra lighting and magnifying glass and said, "It's nothing. Just an oil gland gone wild." (Those are not his actual words. They are mine.)
But then he asked, "What's this?" (Pointing to a spot on my left cheek that I had 'picked' within the last 24 hours. I'm a picker, what can I tell you?)
Some novocaine, incisement (for a biopsy), and a pressure bandaid later, I'm here to tell you -- after I then had him look at a couple of other 'spots' on my forehead that I've been madly picking away at -- I look like "Gorgeous Goldenrod!"
Actually, he didn't do anything with the spots on my forehead. Advised me to stop picking -- I've ALways been advised to 'stop picking' -- and see what they look like in another week or two.
Blood pressure was checked. Nurse took it twice. First time it read 160. Next time 154.
Now, I had taken it myself (with my wrist monitor, which appears to be working correctly, thank the good Lord) earlier this morning. It read 138. Shortly after I arrived at the doctor's office I took it again, and it read 143.
In between the 160 and 154 readings, it read 151. (It has NEVER read that high at home!!) Talk about going to the doctor to make your blood pressure rise, huh?
Let's see, what else?
Oh yes, he took a cursory looksee through the fairly extensive list of ophthalmologists who are currently under contract in the WellCare program, and one name in particular caught his attention. SO, we might be 'all set' for that! More later, on down the road.
Suffice it to say that I 'survived' another doctor's visit ... ... barely.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Frustration
Forget all I said earlier about being able to go to a specialist without a referral from my primary doctor.
This fellow in charge of the presentation I attended didn't know what the devil he was talking about!
Let me tell you how my day went yesterday.
First, I got a call from my dermatologist's office, the one where I'm supposed to go tomorrow morning, saying that WellCare had no knowledge of me. The gal who called said she'd like to check all my information. Turns out one of the numbers had been incorrectly written down. We got that all straightened out.
She called back later, and asked if I'd be bringing a referral letter with me. (!?!) I told her that I'd been informed in the latest WellCare briefing that one was not necessary. She said they needed one.
Well, it's now afternoon. I'm trying to get out of the house. Have some errands to run before bridge at 6:30 with Bob, but I have to now call Dr. Bauer's office and see what the deal is, do they know?
I talk to three different people at his office, including his nurse. At one point, I'm 'on hold' (hate that!) for almost 20 minutes. Each one tells me something different. !!
Do I want to make an appointment? Dr. Bauer can see me sometime in November. !!!
They have a dermatologist on staff. Why do I want to go someone else? (They didn't have a dermatologist last time I was there! How was I supposed to know that?)
The third one tells me she's sure that Dr. Bauer would like to talk to me first, but she thinks he'll have his office fax a referral letter to Dr. Nelson tomorrow (today now). She gives me a number to call tomorrow (today) to double-check whether or not the referral letter has been sent.
I come out of Kroger's (last stop before bridge) with my groceries, and see that I have a voice mail message. I listen to it. It's Dr. Bauer. Says he's sent me an e-mail and will talk to me tomorrow (today).
OK. I get home from bridge. I'm exhausted, and I know it's just from stress and being upset. I delete all of my 'Spam', and then hit the pillow. I put the phone next to my pillow just in case he calls before I'm up.
I woke up about an hour and a half ago. Phone's now in here with me, right next to the computer.
First thing I did was check out his e-mail from yesterday afternoon. In order to open it up, I have to enter my password. I did. Wrong password. I entered another password. Wrong password.
I filled out a short entry form to officially change my password. Got an e-mail giving me instructions about how to make my new password permanent. Followed those. Tried to open Dr. Bauer's e-mail using my new permanent official password. Denied.
So, I'm sitting here typing up this griping blog and feeling the frustration seep out of my body little by little. Thank goodness for blogs!
Meanwhile, I'm waiting for his call. If he hasn't called within another hour or so, I'll have to call Dr. Nelson's office and cancel my appointment for tomorrow. Running out of time here.
This fellow in charge of the presentation I attended didn't know what the devil he was talking about!
Let me tell you how my day went yesterday.
First, I got a call from my dermatologist's office, the one where I'm supposed to go tomorrow morning, saying that WellCare had no knowledge of me. The gal who called said she'd like to check all my information. Turns out one of the numbers had been incorrectly written down. We got that all straightened out.
She called back later, and asked if I'd be bringing a referral letter with me. (!?!) I told her that I'd been informed in the latest WellCare briefing that one was not necessary. She said they needed one.
Well, it's now afternoon. I'm trying to get out of the house. Have some errands to run before bridge at 6:30 with Bob, but I have to now call Dr. Bauer's office and see what the deal is, do they know?
I talk to three different people at his office, including his nurse. At one point, I'm 'on hold' (hate that!) for almost 20 minutes. Each one tells me something different. !!
Do I want to make an appointment? Dr. Bauer can see me sometime in November. !!!
They have a dermatologist on staff. Why do I want to go someone else? (They didn't have a dermatologist last time I was there! How was I supposed to know that?)
The third one tells me she's sure that Dr. Bauer would like to talk to me first, but she thinks he'll have his office fax a referral letter to Dr. Nelson tomorrow (today now). She gives me a number to call tomorrow (today) to double-check whether or not the referral letter has been sent.
I come out of Kroger's (last stop before bridge) with my groceries, and see that I have a voice mail message. I listen to it. It's Dr. Bauer. Says he's sent me an e-mail and will talk to me tomorrow (today).
OK. I get home from bridge. I'm exhausted, and I know it's just from stress and being upset. I delete all of my 'Spam', and then hit the pillow. I put the phone next to my pillow just in case he calls before I'm up.
I woke up about an hour and a half ago. Phone's now in here with me, right next to the computer.
First thing I did was check out his e-mail from yesterday afternoon. In order to open it up, I have to enter my password. I did. Wrong password. I entered another password. Wrong password.
I filled out a short entry form to officially change my password. Got an e-mail giving me instructions about how to make my new password permanent. Followed those. Tried to open Dr. Bauer's e-mail using my new permanent official password. Denied.
So, I'm sitting here typing up this griping blog and feeling the frustration seep out of my body little by little. Thank goodness for blogs!
Meanwhile, I'm waiting for his call. If he hasn't called within another hour or so, I'll have to call Dr. Nelson's office and cancel my appointment for tomorrow. Running out of time here.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Welcome, Canada!
I don't know if there are any other Wheel Watchers out there or not, but this week Wheel of Fortune is featuring Canada, who is airing the show on the CBC for the first time ever!
This year, Wheel is featuring a million dollar prize ... all sorts of hoops have to be gone through before it can be won, but Tuesday night someone did it!!
It was kind of exciting! Lots of bells and whistles went off -- confetti, streamers, and balloons everywhere ... neat!!
Pat announced yesterday (tongue in cheek, of course) that they were now going to have to cut back on expenses. The budget for this year was heavily overdrawn. Vanna was going to have to start wearing t-shirts instead of all those gorgeous gowns.
It was really fun to watch.
Well, I finally got up the courage to call the dermatologist to test out what I'd heard the WellCare representative say about being able to schedule an appointment with a specialist without going through one's primary care physician.
I wasn't talking about heart surgery or cancer. I might have misled you as to what I was seeking.
No, this particular problem requires a dermatologist. I have a spot on the left side of my nose (just below the nosepiece on my eyeglasses) that doesn't look right to me.
Anyhow, I called a couple or so hours ago, and have an appointment with Dr. Nelson a week from today.
I am SO relieved! And of course, I'll want Dr. Nelson's office to send a report to Dr. Bauer (my primary physician) so that he can be aware of and coordinate all of my medical records. "No problem," said they.
I'll keep all of you informed as things develop further. I promise.
Just received another e-mail from my friend Beth, who lives in Pearland.
This one's topic is "Why pets hate Halloween." It has about 30 pix to be looked at. Haven't opened any yet.
Probably some pretty 'sick' ones in there, but I'll forward a few of those that I consider amusing -- and no doubt there will be some. How's that sound?
Had a few extra minutes this morning (after I had contacted the doctor's office) to read through some of my "Favorites" and make a comment or two. It felt good. Kind of made my day.
I wonder if Halloween isn't getting 'lost in the shuffle', what with Ike, the debates and the upcoming election, not to mention WalMart (who has the "distinction" of being the very first retailer to put out Christmas decorations this year ... boo, WalMart!)
This year, Wheel is featuring a million dollar prize ... all sorts of hoops have to be gone through before it can be won, but Tuesday night someone did it!!
It was kind of exciting! Lots of bells and whistles went off -- confetti, streamers, and balloons everywhere ... neat!!
Pat announced yesterday (tongue in cheek, of course) that they were now going to have to cut back on expenses. The budget for this year was heavily overdrawn. Vanna was going to have to start wearing t-shirts instead of all those gorgeous gowns.
It was really fun to watch.
Well, I finally got up the courage to call the dermatologist to test out what I'd heard the WellCare representative say about being able to schedule an appointment with a specialist without going through one's primary care physician.
I wasn't talking about heart surgery or cancer. I might have misled you as to what I was seeking.
No, this particular problem requires a dermatologist. I have a spot on the left side of my nose (just below the nosepiece on my eyeglasses) that doesn't look right to me.
Anyhow, I called a couple or so hours ago, and have an appointment with Dr. Nelson a week from today.
I am SO relieved! And of course, I'll want Dr. Nelson's office to send a report to Dr. Bauer (my primary physician) so that he can be aware of and coordinate all of my medical records. "No problem," said they.
I'll keep all of you informed as things develop further. I promise.
Just received another e-mail from my friend Beth, who lives in Pearland.
This one's topic is "Why pets hate Halloween." It has about 30 pix to be looked at. Haven't opened any yet.
Probably some pretty 'sick' ones in there, but I'll forward a few of those that I consider amusing -- and no doubt there will be some. How's that sound?
Had a few extra minutes this morning (after I had contacted the doctor's office) to read through some of my "Favorites" and make a comment or two. It felt good. Kind of made my day.
I wonder if Halloween isn't getting 'lost in the shuffle', what with Ike, the debates and the upcoming election, not to mention WalMart (who has the "distinction" of being the very first retailer to put out Christmas decorations this year ... boo, WalMart!)
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