My Sanity Needed Vents

[kayc]

Kevin 90s/100s here all week, miserable.  No one outside. Will walk Kodie early.

Karen, this is beyond miserable, and to discover it could occur again?  Blepharitis NOT GOOD!  Huge sore on eye, still red/swollen/painful. 

I remember this picture, Marg!

[Margm]

It was an anniversary picture, I figured I had posted it before.  

[KarenK]

I'm starting to lose confidence in my PCP. Saw him on Tues. for refills and labs. Asked him if he could find a neurologist without a 7 month waiting period. He then asked me to remind him why he was sending me to a neurologist. I've been dealing with this double vision going on 2 years now. You'd think he might have a clue! Now he wants me to get an MRI. Today I get a call from a medical device company regarding the "walker" he prescribed. I don't need a damn walker! I just need to be able to see where I'm going.

[Margm]

I don't know if they teach the same things to them anymore as students, waiting to become doctors.  I do think they teach them the economics of the different insurances we have with our Medicare.  My daughter had found, what she thought was her ideal PCP.  A woman she could talk to.  Then, that woman stopped taking her supplemental insurance.  She found the first PCP I used that gave me a new antidepressant as a new widow and I woke up with high fever and joint pain.  Took my Tylenol and went back to bed.  Read the next day I should have called an ambulance immediately or gone to ER immediately.  I would not go back to her.  She is the partner of my PCP now for 6-7 years.  Kelli loved her.  A lot of people love her for their PCP, and I don't think my doc, who is the most popular in our small city would be a partner with her if she wasn't good.  It sure isn't like when Marty's dad was a doc, or our kids' pediatricians, or any of the docs I worked for.  I did work for three that two ganged up on one caring doc and nurse would set a timer for 15 minutes.  He was cutting down on their monetary intake by spending too much time with his patients.  My son gets free care from VA, but sometimes he waits weeks to see a doc.  I'm getting started on my soap box, so I will step off it.  I hope you get the care you need.  I think when they had paper charts, they were able to remember more.  I don't think they bother much with the computers.  I know in some at the last hospital I worked at the nurses had to teach the docs how to use the computer chart.  

[KarenK]

Marg, I would be right there beside you on the soapbox regarding the horrible things done to Ron, but that's a whole 'nuther story. My guy is not a new kid on the block practicing for 30+years, a member or director of several medical organizations in the valley, and my doctor for 10 years. I'll cut him some slack as his office is transitioning to a new medical group, all new staff and procedures. He is a family doctor, but now sees only us old folks over 65. Not quite sure why?They are all gung ho on moving to a larger facility, offering cooking classes,focusing on nutrition and exercise,hiring a bunch of specialists, etc.  Isn't that the kind of stuff for younger patients to be concerned with, not us old ones?

[Margm]

I just think we need to help our doctors be our doctors.  We are trying the propranolol again for my tremors.  It is having the side effects, of course, but it helps so much with the tremors and my aunt used it for her essential tremors for years.  It has a side effect of depression, and my diagnosis is chronic depression.  I'm willing to wade through that if I can use my hands to write my name where it can be read and to keep my chin from shaking.  But, after the colon rupture, it had a bad side effect.  I'm staying at home and want to work through that.  I hope I can.  I've quit it twice before and sometimes you have to take something for a while to work through the side effects.  Hope I can hold out.  

[kayc]

Oh no, Karen!  Hold your ground with them. I wouldn't get a walker either!  How aggravating that they don't listen/remember, let alone read their chart notes before seeing or talking to you!  I remember the day...I worked for doctors, I remember no AI when we ANSWERED the damned phone and listened and cared...that's all gone now that it's our turn.

Internet/phone was out all day. When I called Spectrum for credit the guy was horrid and threatened to hang up...to which I obliged him and hung up on him!  Not a day to threaten me! Called back, got credit from someone nicer.

Iris is sick, threw up, Jazzy greatly upset, then Iris realized Mike threw up before she took him to the hospital and he never came home.  Jazzy worried this will happen with Iris.  Of course that didn't stop her from leaving her alone yesterday.  We were there 1/2 hour waiting, thinking she'd taken her for a walk, before she came home and we found out Jazzy was in the house and had not come to the locked door.  It was 100 degrees.  Can't understand  what was so godawful important she left her alone feeling as she did.

Former SIL, Shari, harrassing me again, will not stop calling this week. My BS up to 120 this morning!  Fighting with Amazon, UPS, yelling at Shari to stop calling (to which she immediately calls again), on and on it goes.  Extreme stress.

Not worrying about church, pastor wants me to come yet I need to put my health first which includes doing my heat packs, expressing eye, etc.  And I notice no one calls to check on me.  Not going to leave for 5 hours!

100 degrees yesterday, had to bring the horse's apples inside the house.

[kevin]

Kay, of course stay hydrated and out of the Sun.....I'm heading out to Southern BC in ten days(temps high 90s).......Got A/C fixed on my car...All i do is lay around the Pool and go to Dog park in the morning......lots of fresh veggies from the Stands..

[kayc]

Yesterday morning the skin came off my eye where it burst, stinging and swollen, BS up today between that and the heat...100 outside, 86 inside with A/C running on high all day/night.  Right now it's early and I have the windows open and fans running, trying to cool house off.  Obviously home not built well.  Doesn't hold heat in the winter or cool in the summer.  Iris just turned on her A/C mid afternoon!  Hers is way better built.  She has a metal roof instead of composition also.

Glad you have your car's A/C fixed! Had mine checked, A/C runs but doesn't cool the car off, usually drive with windows open too.  Not going anywhere in this heat!

[KarenK]

My truck AC doesn't work real well, but it's 18 years old so can't complain too much. Will be 116 here all week. I rarely go anywhere.

[kayc]

Gosh, I wouldn't either!  Mine was 35 years old and sold it for $500 to a neighbor on time.  Got $490 of it, not bad! Also gave him 3 1/2 gal. oil, 4 spare tires, manual, floor mats, etc.

[kevin]

95 degrees F today in Edmonton, same tomorrow ,then a bit of a cool down....I see another 3 weeks of heat in the West....This is no where near the all time highs...

[kevin]

99 degrees F is the all time high..(1937)

[KarenK]

109 degrees at 8:30 pm here. Not unusual.

Finally have my MRI and neurologist appts. scheduled within next 2 weeks. Hopefully a start to figuring out my eye troubles.

[kayc]

Five days in triple digits here, supposed to cool a bit today, we'll see.  House isn't cooling off, have windows open, fans going, 3 am.

Karen, I sure am hoping the best for you with your eyes!  Thank God you don't live alone.

[Margm]

Karen, it takes VA forever to get Scott seen for necessary appointments.  They gave him antibiotics for abscessed tooth but appointment made long after antibiotics finished.  

I think I bragged about being in North Louisiana and away from the hurricanes.  Well, this Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Houston and surroundings and remnants followed close into the Ark-La-Tex area.  We had 67 tornado warnings in a day's time.  The most ever made before this week was in the 30's.  So much for being safe in North Louisiana.  

[kayc]

I heard Houston was hit hard. I have a friend in TX that is going to be w/o power for four days. Fortunately her husband got the generator going.

[KarenK]

Glad you're safe, Marg. No hurricanes or tornadoes here, just a few micro bursts and monsoon storms in summer. Fine with me.

I had my doctor change the MRI order to "no contrast dye". I have a real phobia of contrast dye of any kind. Don't plan to make my kidneys any worse than they are. Complicated story but contrast dye shut down Ron's kidneys and was the beginning of the end for him.

[Margm]

Sometimes we have to just take control Karen.  I think the old-time doctors that knew their patients and their histories, that was not when we had all the wonderful inventions, but somehow or other, they just do not make doctors like they used to.  Machines, we have plenty of machines, but machines don't have souls.  

[kayc]

Karen, good for you, you don't need any unnecessary trauma/memories or worsening of kidneys!  I have the same, years ago when I was young, they did an mri and shot dye in me, I had problems present for a year!  It was infertility issues, they didn't need to worsen anything!  I also had issue with how they did things, they undressed me and had me splayed out in an open room with curtains anyone could come in and view to their heart's content!  And did.  The things they did back then!

[Margm]

Kay, I was a 70-year-old "splayed" naked in a room, no curtains, no sheet to cover with, doctor's discussing what to do, while it was a wide-open room, people coming in and out.  None of them would have wanted their mom or grandmother to be displayed like this.  I'm sure no one was interested in the naked body except me and my feelings.  Should not have happened.  During a time, I was too ill to run to administration and voice my opinions.  And I never did.  Over 10 years ago, and I still never have.  I made them promise in the cataract surgery I could keep my clothes on.  They just laughed. 

 

[kayc]

Yep, that's what they did to me too.  I was 23.  They can be so callous.

[Margm]

Sometimes life just keeps rolling on.  Thats the way it is supposed to happen.  I will be 82 next month.  We are all on here because our mates did not reach elderhood.  This week my uncle, last of our paternal/maternal family passed away.  He was 90 years old. He and his wife were active until this spring. Less than two months ago his wife, also 90, passed away.  He was a retired high school principal, a coach, and his wife was a retired librarian and teacher.  His two children gave them many grandchildren and great grandchildren.  My aunt broke her hip and spent a few days in the hospital and they both came into a rehab/nursing home. She passed away with my uncle holding vigilance beside her.  I will miss him very much, but he hurt long enough.  They had been married 70 years.  He had a heart attack and passed away the next day.  I believe you can die of a broken heart. My grandmother was 94 when she passed. My mom was 95.  All aunts were in their late 80's and 90's.  I was the spoiled only grandchild for nearly 10 years.  A lot of memories of my dad taking me to watch him play high school football and college. Reunions every Christmas and we all lived within a 50-mile radius in later years. He had a full life, but we can understand him wanting to go too. Billy once told me one of us had to stay.  I sure didn't think or want it to be me.  I think of part of one of Robert Frost's poems:

 The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

[kevin]

Karen, that 109 F almost melts the asphalt....I bought a couple floating chairs(for the pool only)vacation in three days......looking forward to the quiet.....

[kayc]

🔥 all around, under evacuation, Kodie stung on eye by yellow jacket 6 am, 6:45 driving to Eugene all packed for evacuation , to see the vet, none open or full, ice pack helped and I gave him Benadryl. So exhausted. Up to midnight on phone or packing, woke up by skunk at 3. Hope I can sleep.