ENTITLED

What is it about some people that they feel they are so entitled? You know what I mean, those people who don't care what you are doing but only care what their needs are.

I got a work phone call while doing something personal and the person insisted I do something for her. When I tried to help her she became enraged (okay, maybe not enraged but tense and upset) and started saying that I was being difficult. When I tried to explain that it was difficult to help her because I was doing something personal and not at my office, she thought I was saying that I would not help her BECAUSE I was out of the office. She became even MORE difficult. In the end she was helped and I was thanked but it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Why do some people feel so entitled? Why did she feel so entitled to call me while I was doing something personal and insist that I drop everything for her? With no "please can I bother you" and no "so sorry for inconveniencing you". I don't want to call her the b-word.

Until tomorrow...

I CAN HEAR YOU

It wasn't until I had a friend who was deaf that I learned about how important it is to hear when women go to the bathroom. You can feel yourself pee but how do you know when it ends? I can hear it end but what if i can't hear?Plug your ears and test it. It is hard to know when you stop peeing if you can't hear.

Today I was on an airplane and it kinda happened to me. The plane was really loud and I could not tell when I was done peeing because I could not hear it. I have been told that one way to tell is to put your hand down there and See if you are done. I didn't do that but I did have to wipe twice because I had not finished the first time.

Just an interesting tidbit.

Until tomorrow...

STILL NO NEWS

I am still waiting for news from the doctor about MRI vs. ultrsound. Hopefully tomorrow.
Until tomorrow...

GREAT IDEAS

I get these great ideas for blog posts.  I actually wrote the posts in my head.  The posts are so funny and witty.  Interesting and full of facts.  The posts are usually written in the shower or in the car. 

Then I get home and the dogs need to be fed and the mail gets read.  I get changed and I eat something.  Do you think I remember one idea that I had in the shower or in the car?  Not a thing. 

I was going to get a tape recorder to use in the car because I think of great things and so many things I need to do or remember.  Then I get home and the world happens and I forget all those great ideas.

I just wish I could remember the idea I had in the car today.  It was a great blog post.  You would have loved it. 

Medical update: My potassium is low again this month.  My RA doctor is very concerned.  She wants me to talk to my Primary.  I guess low potassium is medically serious.  Who knew?  I need more bananas...

Until tomorrow...

HAIR ISSUES

Today I went to get a hair cut.  Last time I got a hair cut I was not happy because my side-burns were not cut even. Meaning one side was longer than the other.  People noticed!  I was going switch and get my hair cut by someone else but I was in a big hurry and the guy I was going to go to was no longer at the salon when I called. So I was stuck going back to her.

I showed up today and before she cut my hair I said we need to talk.  I told her I was unhappy with my hair cut last time because my side burns were not even and I thought they were cut too short.  I told her that I even took photos that I could show her.  I explained that I could not return the day of the bad hair cut because we went somewhere right after my hair cut and by the time we got back, her shop was closed.  (Oh, forgot to mention, she is the OWNER!)  I told her that I was not happy and her response?  She laughed.  Laughed.  If I was not in such a bind, I would have walked out right then.  No apology, no I am sorry.  She proceeded to cut my hair and once again my sideburns are too short!  Even after I told her once again, don't make them too short.  She did take extra time to make sure they were even. She blamed my uneven side burns on my glasses being uneven.  Whatever!

I paid and didn't leave a tip.  I will not be returning, EVER!  How hard is it to say gosh I am sorry?  I have my own business and let me tell you, even if it isn't my fault, I suck it up and say I am sorry.  I may not say I am sorry I made a mistake but I will say I am sorry you got hurt or I am sorry this didn't work out for you.  Just say you apologize.  But to laugh?  I will never return or send anyone there again. AND I will tell everyone what you did! No one will want to go there either.  Ergh!

It sucks having to find another hair dresser.  It is almost as hard as finding jeans that fit or a bathing suit.

Weight update: 179.7

Until tomorrow...

MAKING ME LAUGH

I saw this video today and it made me laugh so hard.  First, the dog looks exactly like our previous dog Taiko and a little like our current dog Happi.  Second, who puts shoes on dogs?  Aren't dogs meant to go outside and get their feet dirty?  Aren't they animals?  Our babies but still animals.

Click here to view if the video window does not show.

I just had to share.  Good animal videos are always a hoot!

MRI update: DECLINED!!  Monday my doctor has a phone peer review with The-Insurance-Company-Who-Will-Not-Be-Named and MAYBE I will get an ultrasound next week.  Then MAYBE I will get a MRI. What a Ridiculous system! 

Weight Update: 178.7 pounds

Until tomorrow...

FEELING A BIT BETTER

Thank you for all your good thoughts. I am starting to feel a bit better. I actually took the dogs for a walk today! They were so happy. They acted like crazy dogs but I can't blame them. They have been couped up for days with only little runs around the backyard.

Still no word on the MRI. Getting sick helped allay the worrying. It is all about immediate survival. The cold was more immediate!

I have one more physical therapy session. She wants to see what the MRI says before discharging me.  Good luck with that!

The rats. Well they are still there. I have a plan for them. Can't tell you yet. Those critters can move things, eat almost anything and, I hear, they can read too!  I have seen Ratatouille. Explains why my Internet speed has been slow. They have using their little rat Kindles out in the backyard and hacking my wifi. Damn them!

Weight update: 178.6

Until tomorrow...

UGH

Migraine...

Until tomorrow...

STILL NOT FEELING WELL

Today I was such an air head!  I was late to a meeting.  Forgot my power cord to my computer at a clients.  Didn't charge my computer last night after working in bed so I had a dead computer at a clients!  I was on a phone with a client and didn't make any sense at one point.  What a day!  I should have just stayed in bed.

I think my stuffed up head and fever got the better of me. Tomorrow is another day!

Weight update:  180.7

Until tomorrow...

LOSING A FRIENDSHIP

Have you ever lost a friend?  Not lost like they died but lost like the friendship ended.

Recently we had a long term friend decide to end the friendship.  We had invited him over for the holidays and he accepted.  (I am going to call him Sam.) Sam then suddenly called and said he wasn't going to be able to come and then he said "I can't tell you why because I am too angry right now."  A week went by and then we decided to call Sam and see if he would talk to us.  He didn't pick up and didn't respond.  Then a few days later he left us a note that said "Don't contact me.  Maybe I will contact you next year."

This has completely thrown us.  We have no idea what we have done to Sam. If we even did anything to him.  We both reviewed the last time we saw him and what we said.  Nothing comes to mind.

I am angry.  How dare you withdraw a long term friendship unilaterally?  Isn't a friendship two sided?  Don't we deserve an explanation? 

What do you think of this situation?  Has this happened to you?  What did you do?

Weight Update: 179.9 don't seem to be losing any weight.  Must be holding water weight from all the tea and soup.

Until tomorrow...

JUST A BIT ILL

I have officially come down with a cold. I have a fever, sore throat, stuffed head and cough. Spent the resting. Hope to stop it in its tracks.

Until tomorrow...

MRI NEWZ

Day 8: Today I made my daily phone call to the Authorization office at the hospital.  I got through to S this time and he said the authorization was "pending".  Movement!  I asked them what would make it move from pending to approved.  They replied that the insurance company needed to speak to my doctor.  What?!  I had my doctor call on Tuesday.  They said they needed to talk to my doctor.  I called my doctor and she said she did call them on Tuesday.  Now the insurance company wants my file to go through a peer review.  The insurance company thinks I have a cyst and I need to have a CT scan instead of a MRI.  My doctor says I don't have a cyst so a CT scan won't do anything. I need a MRI.  But if the insurance company wants to have me go through an extra test, well it is their money. 

So now I wait.  It is too late today for anything to happen so Monday is the next day to hear something.  This is so crazy! Now I won't be able to get the tests until earliest Wednesday or Thursday and it will probably not be a MRI.

Weight update: 179.7  got to walk more.

Until tomorrow...

MRI?? NOT YET!

We are on day seven and still no authorization for an MRI.  This is incredible!  In January I had two MRIs in less than three weeks and both authorizations took, no lie, less than one hour.  I could have had the appointment with the doctor, the authorization and the MRI all in one day.  In fact in January I had two MRIs, a CAT scan, lumbar puncture and xrays and the authorizations didn't take but a few hours.

This is starting to get a bit ridiculous.  I understand sometimes insurance companies will try to stop expensive tests but in the scheme of tests I get, an MRI is not that expensive.  I have paid for two out of pocket this year and they are not THAT expensive.  I am sure an emergency room visit and lumbar puncture is WAY more expensive!  Ankle surgery is way more expensive and they paid for that with no hitch.

FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Anyway, I am now treating this like a game.  How many people will deal with this in the authorization office at the hospital?  How many times will I call up and they tell me D is in charge of this case and she has left for the day/gone to lunch/is on break/is out today?  How many times will they pass the buck (D is out today and G is now taking care of this case but he has left for the day)?

I am also taking bets as to when the authorization will come through.  I thought the authorization would come through this Friday but now I am thinking next Tuesday. Then I won't be able to get an appointment until next Friday.  Then I will have to wait until the following Tuesday to get the results.  Then I will have to wait 3 weekends to hear if I have a bruise or a tumor. 

Keep your fingers crossed that the authorization comes through sooner than later!

Weight update: 179.5  this stress is NOT helping.

Until tomorrow...

STILL NO MRI

I called the hospital again today and got another "we are waiting for authorization" phone call.  This is getting a bit ridiculous.  Who do they need to talk to to get authorization?  Give me their phone number, I will call them.  I don't really want to go through another weekend without getting this MRI.  It has been a week.  I know that is not a long time but when someone tells you you may have something really wrong, a week is a LONG time.  I just want a clear answer.

Hopefully tomorrow I will have some more information!

The fevers are continuing.  That is not making me happy either.

Weight Update: 180.3 yes, my weight has increased.  The happy news just continues.

Until tomorrow...

BEEN A COUPLE OF DAYS

It has been a couple of days since I posted. There is a cold going around and I started getting fevers again. I have had a constant temperature of 100 degrees for three days now. I feel kinda fine but a bit tired. I am still working but not my usual crazy hours.

I am really annoyed that I still have not had the MRI or even had it authorized OR scheduled! I decided to have the MRI at the hospital this time instead of the MRI place I went to last time. I originally went to the MRI place because it was cheaper and I was paying out of pocket. Now that my deductible is paid, I decided to go to the hospital for the test because it is more convenient. Last time the MRI place got my authorization in hours. The hospital still doesn't have it four days later. I should have gone to the MRI place even though it is a little less convenient. At least I would have had the MRI by now and know the results.

Note to self: next MRI go to the MRI place!

Until tomorrow...

KEEPIN' BUSY

I tried to keep really busy this weekend.  Saturday we went to a chocolate festival. It was really fun.  The only bad part was that I didn't eat much and I was really hungry. Now you might say good!  It was good but all that sugar on an empty stomach in the hot sun kinda made me a bit ill.  I started to get a headache.  I came home and took a nap.  I have also noticed that when I am in the sun too much I begin to not feel too well.  I get sick feeling and real tired.  When I was first diagnosed I was told I had some lupus symptoms.  Sometimes I think being in the sun effects me in a negative way.  On Saturday I got so dehydrated my eyes were bothering me so much I had trouble seeing.

Today we went to see the little girl Brenda nanny'd for a few years ago.  The little girl turned five today.  She was so excited to see us.  There was no party we just stopped by.  We also met her new baby brother, Sam.  Then we went to PF Changs for some food.  Once again we were starving by the time we ate some food.  It is not good for me to skip meals.  

This week I will be getting my MRI and find out the results of my calf issue. 

Weigh In: 179.1  gain some...

Until tomorrow...

MORE NEWS

I went to see my primary doctor today. He seems to feel that my calf issue may be some rubbing left over from my cast. He says it is common for people with casts to get pain and hard spots where the cast rubbed their leg.

He said the ankle doc is doing her due diligence by crossing all the Ts and sending me for an MRI. It is good to get it checked out.

No word yet from the hospital about the MRI appointment. I need to follow-up on Monday.

Until tomorrow...

JUST A LITTLE SCAREY

Last week I went to physical therapy and the therapist touched the back of my calf and I jumped.  My calf has been tender since I had the cast on my leg.  It felt like an electric shock.  It also feels hard in a certain spot.  I just assumed for the first couple of weeks after my cast that it was a bruise sort of thing.  It has been more than six weeks now since I got the cast off and it still hurts.

I went to the doctor today and she seemed concerned.  She touched my calf and I practically jumped off the table.  She immediately ordered an MRI.  I asked her what she is looking for and she said she was looking for what was wrong.  Ha ha!  I asked her what could be wrong and she said it seemed like the tendon and muscle may have separated and that area has a web of nerves.  Not sure what the treatment would be for that.  Probably some sort of surgery. 

I asked her what would be the worst case scenario.  What was the worst thing she was looking for?  She said a tumor.  Okay.  What would happen if I had a tumor?  Amputation.  Didn't really expect that.  I go through ankle surgery, six weeks crutches, physical therapy and then find out I have a tumor in my calf and have amputation.  That would be ironic, don't you think? 

Anyway, I go for the MRI next week and then hear the results.  Whatever it is, we deal with it at that point.  This has certainly been our year! 

Tomorrow I go to see my primary doctor and see what he has to say about all this. 

Until tomorrow...

PHYSICAL THERAPY UPDATE

I have been going to physical therapy (PT) every week for a month and a half.  My ankle is better and I have been able to walk the dogs around the block.  I can also walk for a few blocks without having any pain.  I think my RA has slowed down the progress of the PT.  Most mornings I can't last the whole 45 minutes of PT.  I can't do most of the exercises that require hip movement. 

It frustrates me a bit that I can't use the whole PT time.  That I can't do more exercises at PT.  But I try to give myself a break and know that it is better for me spend less time at PT and more time without pain. 

At least my flare has subsided, not gone away but not as bad as it was. 

Today I made this great corn, zucchini, tomato salad.  It is a raw salad that tastes fabulous!  Very refreshing.  If you have extra corn laying around and you don't know what to do with it, this is a great way to use it up.

Today's weight: 179.1  Lost weight!

Until tomorrow...

WEIGHT

Okay, it is time to tell you all my little secret.  I guess if I tell you then it won't be my secret.  Then I will have to do something about it. I will be held accountable.  Do I want to tell you?  I don't know.  Ehhh...

I will.  I will tell you.  I made an agreement with my nutritionist to lose some weight by December.  Yes, this December. Three months from now.  I agreed to lose 7 pounds. 

Remember, I put some weight on because I have been motionless for the last 6 - 8 months due to my ankle surgery and injury.  This made it very difficult for me to perform any exercise.

Now, I am able to walk the dogs around the block.  I am trying to do it every day. I am not accomplishing it every day but I am trying.  I am also doing my PT exercises but they don't really make me break a sweat.

Since I made this agreement with my nutritionist, I have managed to put on weight!  Isn't that always the way?  The whole time I was in a cast, I barely put on a pound.  Now I have put on 4-5 pounds.  Of course the fact that my Crohn's is acting up doesn't help me at all.

I will have to tell you my ugly secret!  My weight!  No one wants to tell you their weight.  I think we would all rather tell you our SAT scores or our original hair color or what our driving record says than tell you our weight! 

My weight today: 180.1 lbs.  Yikes!

Now that my secret is out, I will have to check in with you.   I will tell you how it is going.  Maybe this will help me lose the weight.  It certainly seemed to help my sister-in-law in her weight loss challenge.  Of course she started running!  Not so sure that will happen for me.  Walking is in my future, lots of walking.  Luckily little Lucky loves to walk, walk, walk!

Until tomorrow...

PARALYMPICS

I spent part of the weekend watching the Paralympics. What? You weren't watching them? You didn't see them on TV? That is because NBC didn't broadcast them. The Paralympics didn't rate high enough to get television coverage. To watch them I had to go online to YouTube and if someone was nice enough in another country (usually Britain) to record and put them on YouTube, I could watch them. I watched table tennis (or ping ping as we call it), judo, cycling and swimming.

In the Paralympics each level of disability is given a code number and only other folks with that code number can compete against each other. Each sport is also given a code letter. So S7 means swimming with disability 7. Where with the Olympics there is one 200 meter race, with the Paralympics there are many 200 meter races, one for each number level, in order to keep the playing field level.

I am just sad that the games are not shown on regular TV. What is it with America? In Britain they had more than 60,000 at the opening ceremonies and it is televised. That is 2.5 weeks after the Olympics! That is pretty good! Why is America so afraid of people with challenges? It is bad enough we have sucky health care but that we are still unable to televise the Paralympics is sad. I find it inspiring to watch people overcome their physical and mental challenges. It made me want to get out and walk my dogs!

Have you been able to see the Paralympics? If not and you want to, google Paralympics and you can view them on YouTube.

Until tomorrow...

HAPPINESS

This weekend I watched a program, well part of a program, on happiness.  It was titled The Happiness Advantage with Shawn Achor on PBS and is a #1 best selling book. I don't usually watch these kind of shows but I was taking a bath and I had time to kill while the tub filled up and then I kept watching while I got dressed.  He had some interesting things to say.  Some of it, even he admitted, was common sense.   Happier people are healthier and worked harder.  Duh...  His point is that happiness actually fuels success not the other away around.  You will not be happy when you get that promotion, new house, new car, better health, or make more money.  You have to be happy first!  Then the rest will come.

Have you ever been around a really miserable person?  I have.  She always has some ailment or some problem.  A flu or cold or something.  She was just miserable to be around.

This is not to say that all ill people are miserable.  I know lots of ill people who are so upbeat. But I am off track.

It was just interesting hearing him talk about and remind me of how my attitude effects not only my health but those around me.  My toxicity effects others.  I mean who wants to be around someone who is toxic?  His whole plan is 5 steps to make you a happier person.  Of course I was taking my bath when he explained the 5 steps but he spoke of them at the end.  Things like a gratitude journal, doing nice things for others, etc.  Things that would make you realize why you should be happy. 

I found myself happy and laughing listening to him.  Sometimes it is important to be reminded to be happy and show that happiness.  If this program is on again, I will try to watch the whole program. 

He also spoke about how to imprint a routine.  I am sure you have heard it takes 21 days to make a routine. I have been struggling with a task that I hate doing but that I should do each and every day; keeping track of my time as a consultant.  If I don't, I have to do it all at the end of the month and this is a problem. I forget tasks that I did (which means that I don't bill my clients for things and that means less money in my pocket) and I have to spend hours invoicing my clients at the end of the month.  A whole weekend is wasted doing this task.  I have been really struggling with trying to figure out how to create a routine so I will do this every day.  Shawn had a great idea on how to figure out the barrier and knock down that barrier in order to imprint that task.  I am going to give it a try this week.

Happy Labor Day!!

Until tomorrow...