What a Week

I feel a bit ragged.  It's no wonder. Let's face it-what has happened in the last couple of weeks would make the strongest person a bit tired.

Besides the obvious of having that second accident and nearly getting blown up I also had to see a couple of doctors, have tests and of course, no week is complete without adding an infection to the mix.  

That wouldn't have been the end-of-the-world, but my new doctor gave me an anti-biotic that's seems to be way worse than what it's trying to eradicate from my body.  Let's just say that from the first pill until the last my diet has been tea and toast.

I'm posting this a tad early too.  Why?  I usually put the blog out for your hopeful enjoyment on Friday mornings-unfortunately, our little guy, Jackson, will be having surgery.  The day will start out incredibly early (I was given a 5 a.m. call) and it will probably run very late into the day.  

Sam, ever brave-is I'm sure more than nervous about this event.  Poor Jackson had a bit of a "dimple" in the wrong place and therefore had to wait to have his circumcision and the removal of said dimple done until he hit 6 months.  Evidently that's the magic age for letting a little baby have anesthesia.

If there's one thing we can be happy about is that Jackson has NO idea what he's in for and will hopefully not be in much pain when he wakes up from his forced nap.  He's such a happy and wonderful little man that we don't want this to change his view on doctors for the next few months.

When I went with Adam for the 6 month shots-that nurse was so deft and fast with the 4 shots that you couldn't help but be impressed!  Still, poor guy could hardly wait until he was let go and put into his daddy's arms.

On an up note-it's fun to watch this new father-son bond.  Jackson is far from fussy but if he gets upset, Adam has a special song that calms him down right away.  So does grandpa, but that's not the point.  Adam told me that when Sam's on her way home from work and he resents being in the back seat when mom's in the front-she calls her ever-lovin' and as soon as Jackson hears his voice and the song-away go the early evening fusses.

This blog is a bit of a mish mash-can't be helped.  Written early, written while sick, written while busy and most of all, written while worried.

Until next week-enjoy your Oscar party (should you have one), enjoy the first week of March and let's all hope that the month brings lots of improvements on all levels for everyone.

KABOOM!

The car gods hate me.  I know this to be a fact.  As you may well know I was in a pretty horrendous accident that has yet to be "behind" me almost 16 months ago.  I lost my beloved 10 year old PT cruiser.

This past weekend another truck decided to test the rules of traffic and safety laws and took off the front of my new car.  The difference is that this woman took complete responsibility for her lack of good driving decisions.  Word is still out on whether my car has suffered only cosmetic and convenience problems or if it's more serious in nature.

We were given clearance to get a rental, so Steve took me.  10 minutes after leaving-I hear a noise, on the freeway.  A guy is flailing at me to pull over.  On the freeway!  I smell something.  I pull over.  On the freeway.

Guess what???? A woman on the off ramp stops and runs at me with a fire extinguisher in her hand and screams at me to get out!!!   "Lady your car’s on fire!!!"

Smoke begins to flood the damn rental.  I get out.  She douses the flames.  A semi pulls over-sees the continuing flames and he uses his extinguisher.

This very nice woman calls 911.  I call Steve.  He saw the fire while passing me and said to himself, “I’m thinking that car looks exactly like the rental we picked up.”  Decides that it couldn’t possibly be me-until he hears the phone ring.

By the time he turned himself around-5 officers and a fire engine are hanging out with me and my fire bomb.

I’m on the phone with the rental people.  The firefighter tells Steve that it was only about 2 minutes from exploding with me in it!

Per the firefighter, it seems the electrical system burned out and took the fuel lines with it.

I decide to call it “the client killer car“.  The manager of the rental agency was only slightly amused and swore that they most certainly didn't mean to loan me a defective car.

We left the burned out Kia on the freeway to wait by itself for the tow truck.  I'm now driving a Dodge Dart.  Basically, my car in Dodge form.  I’m exhausted and so fed up I can't see straight.  

Whatever I did to the car gods-I’m willing to appease them with whatever offerings they desire.  All I can say is that I hope my own car fairs better than the Kia.  

Steve told the officers that he'd like them to ask for my license.  He said he doesn't feel comfortable having me near a motor vehicle.

I think he may be serious.

Ladies-a woman in a 22 year old dodge Dakota truck HIT ME.

Can you f***g believe it??????

Thank God this one wasn’t near what the last one was-but she took off the entire right front passenger bumper, bent my hood enough that I can’t open the door more than 6” and now I’m sore, stiff and car-less.

dd/sil/boys came right over and helped w/ the police report and waited w/ me for dh to get there.  then they took me home and “doped” me up and stayed w/ me until dh was through w/ the tow truck and agency.

She admitted that she was totally at fault and there was a couple who were witnesses.  Unlike the other idiot-she was very upset and kept saying, “I’m so sorry.  I’m a grandma and I’m the last person who you should have had hit you!”

Really then why were you speeding and decide to take a corner for a left turn when you saw me?????

I’m so disgusted.  

dh obviously made dinner last night.  he’ll make it tonight as well.  I’m so stiff from tensing up.  but at least I’m not bruised, battered, burnt and black and blue!

Proud to be "Old"
Lately, I've been quite happy to be "old".   It's been saving me a lot of money.  That is a really good thing because our health insurance is costing us a bloody fortune-that's another rant for another day.

If you've read me for any length of time, you know how much I hate all shopping except for produce.  Not my thing, hate trying stuff on, hate having to be depressed about shoe styles I'll never wear and clothes that are not compliant to my physical condition.

However, there always comes a time where I really have NO choice in the matter.  And in the last few weeks I found myself in desperate need of foundation (thank goodness that was a 3 minute fix), under garments and new walking shoes.  

Strange how I needed these things all at the same time.  But at 56 I don't want to leave the house without some make-up on, good undergarments are essential to my tee shirts looking good and without walking shoes in good condition-my RA ridden feet just plain hurt.  I'd rather avoid any added pain that can be avoided.

What does this have to do with being old?  It appears that I went shopping for my items on the right day!  Yes, many venues out here have senior days.  And many of them start the senior advantages at 55!!!  We knew the markets did this, but had no idea this great idea spread throughout the other retail establishments!

Steve had the day off last Tuesday so we started with going to the Denny's across the street for breakfast with a 20% off coupon.  Being Tuesday-they gave us an extra discount because we were over 55.
Can I get a "Woot, Woot"?

From there we took a drive to the closest mall to hit Macy's for my undergarments and foundation.  Signed up for a new card which gave us 20% off for 2 days.  Then as I was paying for my items-the saleswoman informed me that I got an extra 10% off for being a senior.

Can I get a "Woot, Woot", again?

From there we went back to the outlet mall across the street from our home-you probably guessed, senior day and we got 15% off of my shoes, which I was getting a BOGO on, so what do I want to hear from you all?

WOOT, WOOT!

We totaled up our savings on my shopping needs for the day:  $209.75.

Yep, getting old does have some advantages.  And guess what?  The bill from the doctor that we thought we had paid in full but our PPO didn't feel like paying-It was $207.68.

Go figure.  If I were paranoid, I'd swear there was a conspiracy thing going on here.  In the meantime I'll just bask in the glory of my shopping abilities AND my new items.
Before I forget-here's wishing you all a very happy Valentine's Day.  May it be filled with love, romance and togetherness.

Sometimes I Want to Sigh

There's always something odd about intelligent people not having, how can I put this-organizational skills.  

This week I went to a follow-up appointment with one of my pain management "team".  I really like my doctor and the physician's assistant but this exchange actually took place:
PA: So how's the shoulder doing?

ME:  It took 2 weeks but I finally stopped blacking out from the spasms every time I moved my arm.  Now the spasms are less, but they are of the "rolling" kind.  When I move in a certain way the familiar stab happens and then it continues to roll down my arm ending at my hand.  I have to use my Lamaze breathing techniques to get through it.  Plus the pain is still going up through my neck and up the back of my head.  No one has done anything about my left knee AND my lower back is starting to slip back into that horrible place of not being able to either sit or stand comfortably.

PA:  Let's look at that MRI report.  Okay-have you seen the surgeon?

ME: Yes he and Dr. Turley see no need for surgery.  I wasn't eligible for a study the surgeon was doing but no one has told me anything since my appointment a month ago.

PA: (in exasperated shock) What do you mean no surgery?  You have a 12 mm area of fraying, edema and besides the obvious impingement-it's encapsulated!  You need that shoulder cleaned up and the scar tissue removed!  That should have been done after 6 months-not still living with this after 15 months!

ME:  Listen, both doctors seem to agree that I didn't need surgery.  I'd love for something to be done so I could stop having spasms and chronic severe pain.

PA:  I'll talk to Turley about this-you call the surgeon and have him send the report to us.  He should see you!
I went home and did as told.  The surgeon's PA said, "Oh my, someone was supposed to call you-we dropped the ball here.  Come in tomorrow.  As for sending the report-here's our fax number, have the doctor send a requisition for release of the file."

Called the Pain Management office and she had no idea why the report wasn't just sent since they were the referring physician.  "Since you're seeing him tomorrow-please sign a release form and then they'll send it and I'll make sure the doctor and the PA see the file.  I'm so sorry-this shouldn't have happened."

It seems all I really got out of this week's appointment was half a day's worth of phone calls to make and the uneasy feeling that my shoulder is not going to be better anytime in the near future.

My trip to the surgeon only secured that uneasy thought.

Why is it?
There are people who seem to go through life without many glitches.  Then others seem to live in a constant state of upheaval.  I try to at least keep it somewhere in-between.  I know from 56 years of experience that the more I try to keep things on an even keel-the more things pop-up to throw a wrench into the smooth sounding motor that is my life.

Its things such as:
Why is it doctors order expensive tests that need to be done when you're trying not to add anything more to your credit card's monthly bill?
Why is it that while someone you know takes just as many prescriptions as you do, they seem to have hit the lottery of only needing "inexpensive" drugs-while you are sure that your list seems to have been formed by diseases that are only treatable with bottles costing over $50.

Why is it some of us pet parents seem to be lucky enough to only need to go to our family vet once a year for a check-up and booster shots.  Others-well, they spend more on keeping their beloved fur babies healthy that they do for the human members of the family.

Why is it many people amble along rarely even catching a cold while some people seem to have been born with immune systems that maybe should have seen fit to add a bubble home around them?  They've always got some ghastly thing going on in some part of their glands or have somehow hurt themselves in ways that make you wonder if they somehow missed the day of fetal formation that included strong bone structure.

Why is it while every family has to have one person that should be registered as "trouble-causer" on their government ID cards-some families and their "trouble-causer" seem to have to constantly be both reprimanding them and working with them to get them out of their latest social disaster?  

Why is it people are attracted to someone very unlike themselves?

Now, I'm not saying all men do this, but why is it important to watch as many loud and awful movies, TV shows or TV movies as humanly possible?  Why is it that watching something good is a foreign concept?
Why is it women-since I am an anomaly, love to go shopping?  I don't get it.  There is one thing I will never, ever need:  Retail Therapy.  Now, meet me at a really good coffee place or a produce market and then I understand.  I love checking out produce.  That I understand.  Coffee, I understand.

Why is it a doctor's office reminds you of an appointment with a taped message that you cannot understand anything they're saying?

And with that, I'm thinking it's time to close my rant on "Why is it?"