You know what.... I am approximately 5 working days closer to retirement than the last time I mentioned it... I can't say it has been painless, but I guess it could have been worse... It could get worse, but I am going to do the best I can to make sure it doesn't...
So.. next week I go to the Galloway Building for training on Tuesday, and Friday is the last day in Apopka, and Monday we are in Maitland.... Will take some time off my commute... so I am happy.... Plus I think I will like working in that building.... this place is plain depressing... truly... I am sure Maitland will have it's moments, but for the most part, this place is full of people who think they are alittle bit better than the next... they also think they are alittle bit closer to royalty than others...
George just e-mailed me to let me know that our friend Leesa had 4 tickets to see the Braves vs the Mets, I think out at Disney... I feel bad for her... 1) they were expensive tickets and 2) she was denied time off
I told George if he wanted to go, he should find someone and go... if not, then he could call Tony... although he will probably not do either... I am working, and can't take off, but that is no reason why he shouldn't go...
Well, lunch I am going to Economy Heath Store, in Apopka...
Other than that... nothing else is new...
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Today is Wednesday February 27th
Today is the 27th, and it is hump day... This weekend we are supposed to go see Vantage Point, and vote for our delegate to the national convention... I do want to get out in the court yard too, and refresh my bulbs in the screen porch...
It is supposed to go down to 36 degrees tomorrow night... That is the way it is here in February and March...
Then.... next month, should be a good month... Spring Training, we are going to 3 games within the first 2 weeks of March... 2 Red Sox games and one Phillies game... and... the first Red Sox game on TV will be Friday night... (2-29) The Red Sox are going to Japan on the 21st or something like that, and will not be back (understandably) until the regular season starts...
Then Mom comes, and we go to a regular season game, that is in April... I am going to try to get off early that day, so that we get there nice and early so we can get to our seats easily for Mom.
So hopefully I will get some good pictures to post of players when we go the games. One game we are sitting on the Berm, in Vero at Dodgerland... that should be fun.... Have to look up what we can bring... you know like food...! George has to go look for stadium seats... for the games we will be sitting in the bleachers...
Ok, other than that nothing else is new...
It is supposed to go down to 36 degrees tomorrow night... That is the way it is here in February and March...
Then.... next month, should be a good month... Spring Training, we are going to 3 games within the first 2 weeks of March... 2 Red Sox games and one Phillies game... and... the first Red Sox game on TV will be Friday night... (2-29) The Red Sox are going to Japan on the 21st or something like that, and will not be back (understandably) until the regular season starts...
Then Mom comes, and we go to a regular season game, that is in April... I am going to try to get off early that day, so that we get there nice and early so we can get to our seats easily for Mom.
So hopefully I will get some good pictures to post of players when we go the games. One game we are sitting on the Berm, in Vero at Dodgerland... that should be fun.... Have to look up what we can bring... you know like food...! George has to go look for stadium seats... for the games we will be sitting in the bleachers...
Ok, other than that nothing else is new...
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Good Morning?
Well it is around 3 AM, and I can't sleep....
I woke up around 2:30 with another headache, and took Excedrin Migraine this time... even though I was told not to, because the addiction to the caffeine was not a good thing, and now the Aspirin that is in it is not a good thing as well, but the headache was not a good thing either... So you have to weigh out the pros and cons... and since non or the medical experts have decided to help me... or let's say their staffs, well you are kind of left on your own...
But I am hoping that will all change...
Speaking of medical doctors.... let me mention one that I would like to add my opinion of to the Internet...in case anybody out there happens to want to do a search on him....
His name is Dawkins, and he is from Benson, North Carolina... and if anyone is considering going to him, hope that you aren't a senior citizen, or you don't have more than the run of the mill flu or cold... My Mother and Father went to him... thankfully he is now going to a practice that has it's "limit" of Senior Citizens or Medicare patients, so lucky for the ones that haven't gotten in yet are going to see Dr. Dawkins...
The guy will not diagnose anyone with something, unless he can have a hard cold diagnostic test to back him up... and if he doesn't, well the ailment of complaint goes unaddressed..... That isn't to say that he doesn't attempt it... oh yes he does, but if he doesn't get "that" positive diagnostic test, and the patient doesn't want to look further...well, all the better for him... Let's just drop it... Now, I can say, albeit weakly, in his defense... he is in a rural, very conservative area of North Carolina... you know one of those areas that are left ignored by modern medicine, yet sings the praises of having an institution like DUKE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL at their disposal... but fails to realize that a lot of the residents don't have the means or financial fortitude to get to that hallowed institution, a mere 60 miles away, for treatment... especially if they are elderly, except for the grand old people that have the big Chevy's and some left over riches from the glory days of tobacco.... But I digress, but rest assured, I will get back to that...
Let me give you an example of maybe two or three of his habits.... My Mother was having headaches and pains in her eyes... Now my Mother suffered from migraine headaches a good portion of her life, so she could tell one headache from another....they weren't migraines.... and her eyes definitely were a part of the problem....his suggestion.... he wanted to have her get a biopsy of a blood vessel in her temple... My mother called me rather concerned about this, asked me to call him, and get more details of this procedure... so I did, got the name of it...and looked it up to do more research for her....I believe it was GCA that he was looking to diagnose this time.... I spoke to her, spoke to him, did some research, and well told her not to jump to any conclusions... I did then refer her to an opthamologist who diagnosed, shingles in her eye. Of course first he had to scare her with GCA, and I have to tell you, I spoke to the man, and he wanted her to have this biopsy done... he did not say to, that he wanted to rule out other things first... Well thankfully, because we said no way to the biopsy right now... he had no other choice... The next was when she was diagnosed with an over active thyroid... Did the very thorough and efficient Dr. Robert Dawkins find this condition with a simple blood test... no of course not, it was picked up by an oncologist, who did the prelim nary blood work because of weight loss, (mind you, my Mom was never on Chemotherapy, and her treatment from the Oncologist was not really needed, but he did take on her case, out of Duke University Hospital... Amazingly, he finished his time with Duke and went home....unfortunately rural Eastern North Carolina, in need of good doctors lost another one....But they still have Dr. Dawkins... get my drift...) Again I digress... anyway, the preliminary blood work was sent to Dr. Dawkins who didn't get it... (imagine that!) and he by way his trusty assistant Nina, proceeded to tell my Mom that she was losing weight due to stress in having to deal with my bed ridden Dad, who was suffering from dementia and loss of his left side from stroke. I might also add that Dr. Dawkins was ready at any moment to put my Dad in a nursing home, so that he wasn't such a strain on the family... but I think I went through that back at the beginning of my Blog... In fact, even after they received the lab report stating that Mom did in fact have an over active thyroid... they wanted to do their own blood work first, and made he make an appointment to come in for the blood work...!!! No mind you, my Mom had Rheumatic fever as a child, which can leave that person with a weakened heart, as can an over active thyroid... but, never fear, Nina and Dr. Dawkins are here.... Lest I remind you...there were blood tests done to confirm that she had an over active Thyroid...not to mention the 40 pound weight loss of an elderly woman in her late 70's...the next step was to refer her to an Endocrinologist, which of course she had to travel over 40 miles to go to... because in this great country of ours... people who live in rural areas such as Johnston County North Carolina, do not have access to specialists... the elderly who do not drive, have to travel a minimum of 30-40 miles to see specialists... but after all they have one of the greatest teaching, medical institutions in the world at their disposal. And not to carry on this entry too long... most recently... my sister and I have both noticed that my Mom has aged, physically very fast over the last couple of years... We look at pictures that were taken less than 3 years ago, and she is a completely different person.... She has become rigid, frail, she can't seem to make herself move, she is weak, shuffles, when she does get going, she can't always get herself to stop, and most recently I have noticed tremors... Mind you this is what I have picked up when I get to see her, since she live over 500 miles away. What does the oh so astute Dr. Dawkins tell her... that she needs to do more walking, that if she doesn't use it, she will lose it... (what a diagnosis, sounds like a sneaker or athletic drink commercial... I bet they got that from Robert Dawkins in Benson, North Carolina!!!! What a guy!!!!!) I think she has Parkinson's... now mind you, my Mom is going on 84 years old... So you say, well, she is old, come on...what can they do for her... the treatment is with medicine.... and side effects stink.. yea you are right, and surprisingly Dr. Dawkins didn't jump on this one... see then he could be pushing for admitting her to a nursing home...which I swear he must have a financial interest in...but that is another story, for another day... Remind me to tell you about Britthaven in Smithfield NC. One word... or is it two....HELL HOLE.... Ok, back to Mom... so she gets herself (with our coxing.....) a launch chair..., which she could have insurance reimburse her a substantial amount, maybe not substantial for the likes of Robert Dawkins... after all I am sure he is in a tax bracket my mother couldn't think of...and he probably doesn't have a lien against his house because of his spouse being in the HELL HOLE, I referred to earlier, but a lot of money for my Mom.... So, we ask him for an Rx for the chair, in an attempt to get some reimbursement... what does he give her an Rx for... "fatigue and weakness". This is a doctor, or so that piece of paper on his wall says he is...
So there you have it, and hopefully, if anyone does a search for Robert Dawkins, MD, they will find this.... I can only hope, because, this is the only way I have of letting others know, not to make the same mistake my family did.....
I woke up around 2:30 with another headache, and took Excedrin Migraine this time... even though I was told not to, because the addiction to the caffeine was not a good thing, and now the Aspirin that is in it is not a good thing as well, but the headache was not a good thing either... So you have to weigh out the pros and cons... and since non or the medical experts have decided to help me... or let's say their staffs, well you are kind of left on your own...
But I am hoping that will all change...
Speaking of medical doctors.... let me mention one that I would like to add my opinion of to the Internet...in case anybody out there happens to want to do a search on him....
His name is Dawkins, and he is from Benson, North Carolina... and if anyone is considering going to him, hope that you aren't a senior citizen, or you don't have more than the run of the mill flu or cold... My Mother and Father went to him... thankfully he is now going to a practice that has it's "limit" of Senior Citizens or Medicare patients, so lucky for the ones that haven't gotten in yet are going to see Dr. Dawkins...
The guy will not diagnose anyone with something, unless he can have a hard cold diagnostic test to back him up... and if he doesn't, well the ailment of complaint goes unaddressed..... That isn't to say that he doesn't attempt it... oh yes he does, but if he doesn't get "that" positive diagnostic test, and the patient doesn't want to look further...well, all the better for him... Let's just drop it... Now, I can say, albeit weakly, in his defense... he is in a rural, very conservative area of North Carolina... you know one of those areas that are left ignored by modern medicine, yet sings the praises of having an institution like DUKE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL at their disposal... but fails to realize that a lot of the residents don't have the means or financial fortitude to get to that hallowed institution, a mere 60 miles away, for treatment... especially if they are elderly, except for the grand old people that have the big Chevy's and some left over riches from the glory days of tobacco.... But I digress, but rest assured, I will get back to that...
Let me give you an example of maybe two or three of his habits.... My Mother was having headaches and pains in her eyes... Now my Mother suffered from migraine headaches a good portion of her life, so she could tell one headache from another....they weren't migraines.... and her eyes definitely were a part of the problem....his suggestion.... he wanted to have her get a biopsy of a blood vessel in her temple... My mother called me rather concerned about this, asked me to call him, and get more details of this procedure... so I did, got the name of it...and looked it up to do more research for her....I believe it was GCA that he was looking to diagnose this time.... I spoke to her, spoke to him, did some research, and well told her not to jump to any conclusions... I did then refer her to an opthamologist who diagnosed, shingles in her eye. Of course first he had to scare her with GCA, and I have to tell you, I spoke to the man, and he wanted her to have this biopsy done... he did not say to, that he wanted to rule out other things first... Well thankfully, because we said no way to the biopsy right now... he had no other choice... The next was when she was diagnosed with an over active thyroid... Did the very thorough and efficient Dr. Robert Dawkins find this condition with a simple blood test... no of course not, it was picked up by an oncologist, who did the prelim nary blood work because of weight loss, (mind you, my Mom was never on Chemotherapy, and her treatment from the Oncologist was not really needed, but he did take on her case, out of Duke University Hospital... Amazingly, he finished his time with Duke and went home....unfortunately rural Eastern North Carolina, in need of good doctors lost another one....But they still have Dr. Dawkins... get my drift...) Again I digress... anyway, the preliminary blood work was sent to Dr. Dawkins who didn't get it... (imagine that!) and he by way his trusty assistant Nina, proceeded to tell my Mom that she was losing weight due to stress in having to deal with my bed ridden Dad, who was suffering from dementia and loss of his left side from stroke. I might also add that Dr. Dawkins was ready at any moment to put my Dad in a nursing home, so that he wasn't such a strain on the family... but I think I went through that back at the beginning of my Blog... In fact, even after they received the lab report stating that Mom did in fact have an over active thyroid... they wanted to do their own blood work first, and made he make an appointment to come in for the blood work...!!! No mind you, my Mom had Rheumatic fever as a child, which can leave that person with a weakened heart, as can an over active thyroid... but, never fear, Nina and Dr. Dawkins are here.... Lest I remind you...there were blood tests done to confirm that she had an over active Thyroid...not to mention the 40 pound weight loss of an elderly woman in her late 70's...the next step was to refer her to an Endocrinologist, which of course she had to travel over 40 miles to go to... because in this great country of ours... people who live in rural areas such as Johnston County North Carolina, do not have access to specialists... the elderly who do not drive, have to travel a minimum of 30-40 miles to see specialists... but after all they have one of the greatest teaching, medical institutions in the world at their disposal. And not to carry on this entry too long... most recently... my sister and I have both noticed that my Mom has aged, physically very fast over the last couple of years... We look at pictures that were taken less than 3 years ago, and she is a completely different person.... She has become rigid, frail, she can't seem to make herself move, she is weak, shuffles, when she does get going, she can't always get herself to stop, and most recently I have noticed tremors... Mind you this is what I have picked up when I get to see her, since she live over 500 miles away. What does the oh so astute Dr. Dawkins tell her... that she needs to do more walking, that if she doesn't use it, she will lose it... (what a diagnosis, sounds like a sneaker or athletic drink commercial... I bet they got that from Robert Dawkins in Benson, North Carolina!!!! What a guy!!!!!) I think she has Parkinson's... now mind you, my Mom is going on 84 years old... So you say, well, she is old, come on...what can they do for her... the treatment is with medicine.... and side effects stink.. yea you are right, and surprisingly Dr. Dawkins didn't jump on this one... see then he could be pushing for admitting her to a nursing home...which I swear he must have a financial interest in...but that is another story, for another day... Remind me to tell you about Britthaven in Smithfield NC. One word... or is it two....HELL HOLE.... Ok, back to Mom... so she gets herself (with our coxing.....) a launch chair..., which she could have insurance reimburse her a substantial amount, maybe not substantial for the likes of Robert Dawkins... after all I am sure he is in a tax bracket my mother couldn't think of...and he probably doesn't have a lien against his house because of his spouse being in the HELL HOLE, I referred to earlier, but a lot of money for my Mom.... So, we ask him for an Rx for the chair, in an attempt to get some reimbursement... what does he give her an Rx for... "fatigue and weakness". This is a doctor, or so that piece of paper on his wall says he is...
So there you have it, and hopefully, if anyone does a search for Robert Dawkins, MD, they will find this.... I can only hope, because, this is the only way I have of letting others know, not to make the same mistake my family did.....
Friday, February 22, 2008
It is Friday
I have to tell you... it is Friday, and the way I feel today, it will be tough to make it to the end of the day...
I pretty much had a headache all night... not a bad one, but a bothersome one none the least... I woke up with it, and it was one of those things where you say... is it worth getting up to take something, and the answer was no, since, I took something before I went to bed.
I am trying to stay away from aspirin products, because from everything I have read, they aren't good for me... I have called the doctor"s" when I have been sick with a headache, only not to get any answer... Oh yes you get a response, but you get ignored when you expect an answer...
This poor guy in Tampa, will get an ear full from me if I see him in the right frame of mind... The problem is... he is a second opnion, so he really doesn't have to tell me anything...the other problem is... if he suggests surgery, and I don't go along with it... he can theoretically throw his hands up and say... I don't have anything else to offer you...
Medicine in the United States can be the best or it can be the absolute worst... When it is reacting to emergencies, start emergencies... they are good, when it comes to care and "treatment" it sucks...
Well anyway, off to a frustrating day at work, and I will try to let it slide... as best I can, but I find myself just getting frustrated and angry... God I wish I could just let all this go, and just exist here...
Anyway... George is taking care of me the best he can... and it would be enough, if I weren't so damn frustrated with this place, and dependent on it...
Example... I had to charge my phone last night... so I said it out loud to try to remind myself so that I would get up and do it.... it takes all I have to get up off the couch after I get home, and finally sit down after eatting dinner, and he is always there to make sure that I don't have to... anyway, back to my story...he got up, plugged in my cell phone, then took it and put it back in my purse when it was charged... How do I know this... when I got here today... I thought I left it at home, and he told me that he did this...
Those are the little things that make you smile... then you snap right back to reality and realize you are sitting in this place and try to get by...
You know... I am just tired...
I pretty much had a headache all night... not a bad one, but a bothersome one none the least... I woke up with it, and it was one of those things where you say... is it worth getting up to take something, and the answer was no, since, I took something before I went to bed.
I am trying to stay away from aspirin products, because from everything I have read, they aren't good for me... I have called the doctor"s" when I have been sick with a headache, only not to get any answer... Oh yes you get a response, but you get ignored when you expect an answer...
This poor guy in Tampa, will get an ear full from me if I see him in the right frame of mind... The problem is... he is a second opnion, so he really doesn't have to tell me anything...the other problem is... if he suggests surgery, and I don't go along with it... he can theoretically throw his hands up and say... I don't have anything else to offer you...
Medicine in the United States can be the best or it can be the absolute worst... When it is reacting to emergencies, start emergencies... they are good, when it comes to care and "treatment" it sucks...
Well anyway, off to a frustrating day at work, and I will try to let it slide... as best I can, but I find myself just getting frustrated and angry... God I wish I could just let all this go, and just exist here...
Anyway... George is taking care of me the best he can... and it would be enough, if I weren't so damn frustrated with this place, and dependent on it...
Example... I had to charge my phone last night... so I said it out loud to try to remind myself so that I would get up and do it.... it takes all I have to get up off the couch after I get home, and finally sit down after eatting dinner, and he is always there to make sure that I don't have to... anyway, back to my story...he got up, plugged in my cell phone, then took it and put it back in my purse when it was charged... How do I know this... when I got here today... I thought I left it at home, and he told me that he did this...
Those are the little things that make you smile... then you snap right back to reality and realize you are sitting in this place and try to get by...
You know... I am just tired...
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Another Day... Another 50 cents
Ok, here I am another day, closer to the weekend, vacation, next year, retirement... beyond that I don't want to talk about...
So the latest... since I haven't e-mailed in a while...George is recovering... it has been 10 months since his stroke. He isn't back to work, but does chores for me around the house... This is great although, the stuff that I need to do still is not getting done...
I don't have the energy... not sure what the problem is, other than it is probably a combination of alot of things...
Last year some time, I think it was in October went to the opthamologist, and told her that I was having problems with my eyes...not wanting to stay on one thing, not being able to move slowly or scan... she did a quick test, and said I was having scanning issues... she told me to go to a neurologist, so I mentioned it to my family doctor, he said he didn't see any issues, but he had no problem referring me... on 12-10, I had an appointment with the Neurologist, she said that I should see the Neurosurgeon again... That appointment was set for the end of January... He told me to see another Neurosurgeon, that appointment was set for March 18th...
See, I have a CA, or cavernous Angioma, other wise known as a hemangioma...
I have known about this since 1996, however, it gave me trouble, noticeably in 2005, I think it may have oozed or bled before that, but not with to give me any subjective complaints. In 2005, I woke up very dizzy, double vision, and numbness on the left side of my mouth (gums and tongue)
After George's stroke, I went back to work in August... approximately 1 month later, I started finding that the left side of my mouth was numb again. The dizziness came back not as bad as before, but was worse than it had been previously since I had gotten better...
So the trip on March 18th to Tampa, is to see if this doctor thinks he could do surgery... I can tell you now, that I don't think surgery is a realist option for me right now....
Oh I forgot to mention, I am suppose to have at least 3 of these things... two that seem to be stable, and the other and one they are watching is in my brainstem... Not a good place to have one of these.... Well actually, nowhere in your brain is a good place to have one of these things, but the brainstem is control central for everything, you know the body functions that you can't be trusted to do on your own, like breath...
I have decided that I am going to make this a passion of mine... used to be politics..., now it is this... See, I think this is what killed my Dad.... I think that most Doctors, because these things are not something they like to deal with, will just ignore them, as far as acting proactively... In fact when I tried to ask them about it in 1998, they ignored me, or didn't address it at all...
There is a website, that I look at daily... http://www.angiomaalliance.org/index.html
So if anyone has one of these and feels the same frustration I am, this is an outlet for you...
I am going to hold this doctor to task, the one in Tampa... I am going to ask alot of questions, and then I want too get a feel for how he feels about this stuff....
See what happens is you get blown off by one doctor, and then you are basically get grave looks from other doctors... Your family and co-workers don't want to think about it...so you are pretty much left alone to deal with it...
Well that is fine... I will deal with it however I have to, but it will be dealt with, and I will not let this kind of stuff get me upset or exacerbate my condition... or ignore it because everyone else tends to, or it is not easy to deal with....
So that is my story....
So the latest... since I haven't e-mailed in a while...George is recovering... it has been 10 months since his stroke. He isn't back to work, but does chores for me around the house... This is great although, the stuff that I need to do still is not getting done...
I don't have the energy... not sure what the problem is, other than it is probably a combination of alot of things...
Last year some time, I think it was in October went to the opthamologist, and told her that I was having problems with my eyes...not wanting to stay on one thing, not being able to move slowly or scan... she did a quick test, and said I was having scanning issues... she told me to go to a neurologist, so I mentioned it to my family doctor, he said he didn't see any issues, but he had no problem referring me... on 12-10, I had an appointment with the Neurologist, she said that I should see the Neurosurgeon again... That appointment was set for the end of January... He told me to see another Neurosurgeon, that appointment was set for March 18th...
See, I have a CA, or cavernous Angioma, other wise known as a hemangioma...
I have known about this since 1996, however, it gave me trouble, noticeably in 2005, I think it may have oozed or bled before that, but not with to give me any subjective complaints. In 2005, I woke up very dizzy, double vision, and numbness on the left side of my mouth (gums and tongue)
After George's stroke, I went back to work in August... approximately 1 month later, I started finding that the left side of my mouth was numb again. The dizziness came back not as bad as before, but was worse than it had been previously since I had gotten better...
So the trip on March 18th to Tampa, is to see if this doctor thinks he could do surgery... I can tell you now, that I don't think surgery is a realist option for me right now....
Oh I forgot to mention, I am suppose to have at least 3 of these things... two that seem to be stable, and the other and one they are watching is in my brainstem... Not a good place to have one of these.... Well actually, nowhere in your brain is a good place to have one of these things, but the brainstem is control central for everything, you know the body functions that you can't be trusted to do on your own, like breath...
I have decided that I am going to make this a passion of mine... used to be politics..., now it is this... See, I think this is what killed my Dad.... I think that most Doctors, because these things are not something they like to deal with, will just ignore them, as far as acting proactively... In fact when I tried to ask them about it in 1998, they ignored me, or didn't address it at all...
There is a website, that I look at daily... http://www.angiomaalliance.org/index.html
So if anyone has one of these and feels the same frustration I am, this is an outlet for you...
I am going to hold this doctor to task, the one in Tampa... I am going to ask alot of questions, and then I want too get a feel for how he feels about this stuff....
See what happens is you get blown off by one doctor, and then you are basically get grave looks from other doctors... Your family and co-workers don't want to think about it...so you are pretty much left alone to deal with it...
Well that is fine... I will deal with it however I have to, but it will be dealt with, and I will not let this kind of stuff get me upset or exacerbate my condition... or ignore it because everyone else tends to, or it is not easy to deal with....
So that is my story....
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