Health

Health

Boxes and Tubes

Yah, yah, it as been like forever since I posted – again.  This time it is just cause –

I have been plugging along going to PE and swimming classes, trying to eat more and I have finally put on a few pounds – trust me this is a good thing. Mr Catfish and I have spent a lot of time reading in the afternoons and staying cool under the air.  This week is going to be cooler YEAH and it is looking like maybe we will get some rain. If not,  the lower night time temperatures are super good on me although a nice rain shower would smell wonderful to me right now.

KRP and I went to the new Goodwill and I tried to look for books and navigator around the store. Whoa – talk about too many oblivious to there surrounds people Yikes! I got trapped in the middle of one isle and no matter what way I tied to go so huge person or someone with a cart popped up in front of me and boxed me in. I was about to go nuclear when KRP found me a shoved her way to me and rescued me. Seriously it was totally unbelievable.

In the middle of the isle on a shelf there was 6″ a poly-stone pelican. I was holding on to it at the time KRP saved me and he kind of grew on me.
So, I now own pelican statue – it cost me a whole 66cents – I think it should have been 99 but the gal rung up 66 – without a decimal point who’s to argue?

I made the mistake of telling my PCP ( I like my PCP) that my eye was still all wonky. She made a same day appointment with the eye Dr. What the heck this is not new hello? I guess the staying that way for three months since the last time I saw her umm … anyway.

The eye Dr did all the test that eye docs do and while I sat there blinded by the room light because my eyes were dilated he decided that I might do a steroid drip deal? I am like ugh why? It is not like this just happened and my understanding it is more helpful if done early on not months into the deal and doing so will not change the outcome right? Just speed up a recovery. Yes and possibly and talk it over with your neuro etc. . So I say NO.  Then he decided that I need an MRI with contrast urgently – OK??? I gave up and came home knowing what I already knew DUH optic neuritis . …

Now I am still trying to decide if I want a MRI with Contrast – don’t get me wrong the MRI only brings on slight claustrophobia, more so with the full closed tube deal but the idea of having something shot into my blood the gando something or other  while stuck in the tube – now that sort of scares me – a lot.   Ok back to train of thought . … I get a call from my neurologists office to make an appointment ASAP. WT? come on now I have not gotten into see you in over a year because the auto appointments were messed up I guess, I see I have an appointment scheduled by you all in DEC. why now?

So, after refusing to go to an appointment at 10:15 this morning because I have PE and an hour notice is not exactly spiffy for me. The office calls back and says how about Friday? So I have an appointment scheduled for Friday. Now really I am thinking what is going on surely this big drive for now now now must be based on something other than my eye?  So, I wrote my neurologist and she emailed back that yes I was correct about the steroids, that she did not get the urgency either other than the eye Doc thinks that I am having a worsening of my MS symptoms based on what is going on with my eye and that he requested she see me soon.

Ok whatevers – kind of another DUH I think – my MS symptoms getting worse that is and I might add that no one has seemed to give a diddle doo about it but me. Who ever was suppose to take my docs load when she was out on maternity leave dropped the ball and left me hanging.

So, I figure if I gotta go into a tube, get filled full of the contast chems, I want some cool pics of my spine also.  What fun are brain pics without the spine? I had a few brain lesions and a spine full of lesions last time I want the spine LOL the film pics/slices are way cooler to look at if I have the spine ones to go with em.  So, being the brat that I am I emailed back and mentioned that most of my lesions where in my spine,  that my Lhermitte electrical zaps drive me nuts and never go away, that how about doing the spine also? We shall see.

Strange how when you want an MRI no one will do one and when you could not care less . … well at least that is my experience. I am getting better at this I suppose, that part where I try not to let the doctor opinions over rule my own opinions on how I feel or what does or does not work in my own body.

Alright enough venting about docs but I rather be stuck in the isle sometimes over dealing with em.

Beam Me Up

I should know better than to let all the electrical impulses bounce around in my mind where they inevitably form thoughts, thoughts can be good, bad, or indifferent.  The what if, should-a, could-a, would- a’s, are fodder for the squirrel that runs around in his cage in my brain.  If reality is a magic trick of electrical impulses – then who is watching?

As the name of this blog states: lots of forks or paths to meander down. Somethings are consistent on the main artery but where it gets interesting is wondering off along one of the many side paths. The detours along the way run the gamut of fun to unfortunate.

Visiting friends, taking a trip, figuring out how to do something new, all can be fun and exciting.  Being diagnosed with MS would be one of the crappy paths. The balancing act for me is trying to keep the fun things on the main roadway and the less desirable stuff limited to a side path. Not always an easy thing to do.  Sometimes the squirrel in the cage reminds me has it goes around in circles getting nowhere of the old saying: “even if your on the right track you will get run over if you just sit there”.

I do not spend a lot of writing here giving reports on the latest ailment of the day , what went numb, what hurts, cog fog, etc. although I do like to b a bit. I prefer sharing the ordinary everyday stuff and maybe sometimes I succeed in doing so.  Amongst all the haphazardly written posts is my quest to fight off the sucko stuff of MS and entertain myself along the way.

I wonder if on of these days the squirrel cage is gonna break and the squirrel will just get flung out by the centrifugal forces – then what?  Is the flag moving, or is it the wind?

Beam me u p – please! (another hokey kmilyun video):


Nothings, Somethings, and In Betwen

Sometimes I have lots to write about but don’t and at other times I have nothing to write about and do. Does that make sense? Just have not been in the blogging mood lately I guess.

Catfish’s incision is almost completely healed and his fur is starting to grow back. He is back to his usual self but a tad more clingy. Annie dog must sense something is up as she is acting more maternal toward him than sisterly. I have to make the appointment with the doggy cancer specialist (you have to wait till the wound is healed). He had a few bad days where for an unknown reason he started throwing up last night dinner around 11am. This was a week after the surgery and the dogs have not clue as to why but he took some medicine for intestinal stuff and he now gets famotidine each night for awhile.

Billy, Trish, and Ryan were here.  Billy had an appointment at the VA in San Francisco and afterward we headed to Chinatown. Parking there is a nightmare! He somehow got their large four wheel F350 truck into a space with a few inches in both directions to spare. The folk along the street were actually making comments like ” God that is a big truck” and “he ain’t gonna make it”. Seriously, I did not think it would fit in the space and was totally amazed that he managed getting it in.

I took the scooter and zipped up and down the streets and alley ways. I don’t like admitting it but it allowed us all to cover more ground and I was not totally zapped the next day – so yah – I belong to the scooter crowd now LOL. We took Ryan to the little fortune cooking making store so he could watch the cookies being made.  I bought a bag of the wafers (the cookies before they are folded with the fortune inside).

Our friends gave us a solid oak china cabinet.  It is so cool having somewhere to but my stuff. We had to change from a large storage unit to a small one to save money as our roommate is moving out. Talk about boxes of crap all over the place! I dug out some of my Grandmothers china, some of my antique salt and pepper shakers, salt cellars, silver, and had fun arranging them in the cabinet.  Then I decided I needed to find out the pattern of the china. Hours of google and eye strain I finally found the pattern number. Not an easy task when there is no maker stamp or mark.

I planted lots of flowers and made sort of a rock garden along the wall where we have the little water fountain I bought last year. I also planted some lemon cucumbers, zucchini, a bell pepper, and another pepper plant (can not remember what kind right now). I think the little back yard is gonna look like a jungle if the sun ever comes out. I put my little tomato plant in one of those Topsy turvey upside down deals and placed it where the dogs can not eat any of the green parts.

The weather has been weird here. I come on it is the end of May and the rain keeps pouring, the wind keeps blowing and it is down right cool for this time of year. They are still skiing up in the Sierra’s. This has really but a damper on my goal to ride the Cool Olmstead loop. First it trying to ride to get in shape is not going so well with all the rain and wind and the trail might even have snow on it still – I know it is a muddy mess at the least.

I am enjoying that it is not hot but dang this weather is strange. Wonder if the volcano ash effected the wind patterns? Maybe all the oil covering the ocean in the gulf? No matter something has sure stirred a strange pattern. NOAA  released the combined land and ocean surface global temperature data for April 2010 and this  April was the warmest April on record going back to 1880.  I looked at  on of those global heat maps and here we are colder umm global warming and I get cooler.

Today our roommate and I went to lunch and I stuffed my face with cheese enchiladas, beans, and rice.  We hit a couple stores and I found some new red cloth napkins and bought I bought some more lavender air oil stuff for my air freshener and some new sticks for them.  We spent quit a bit of time smelling all the potpourri mixes, soaps, and candles – good grief some of  the stuff out there just down right smells gross.

A few weeks ago our dryer took a dump and then our washer started sounding like a car motor with a thrown rod – yikes! We have been doing our laundry at Mike and Michele’s but last night I had to wash my undies in the sink.  We found a new set but we have to have the old set moved out, call and get our drying vent cleaned, and then have the new set installed.  We have a tall curio cabinet on the stair landing so we have to get everything out of it and somehow get it back downstairs so the washer and dryers can all get down and up and well moving it is going to so suck.

Right now my left eye is refusing to act like a normal eye – oh yeah that optical neuritis crap that never goes away but sometimes is worse than other is being worse right now oh happy joy joy.  My bladder is in I don’t wanna go in the mornings and hee hee there she blows in the later day.  My balance is hanging in there at way better but my right lower leg is more numb and my fingers are not doing the dexterity thing well right now. My mood has been kind up and down the last few weeks bouncing between wanting seclusion and gosh I want to socialize.

An hour ago I ate a pineapple yep the whole dang thing and had a cup of mint tea.  What I am really craving is cheese fondue but we don’t have any french bread in the house and I gotta have the french bread.   Maybe liverwurst on crackers?  Now that might work but then again it is almost two a.m. to eat liverwurst or not to eat liverwurst . …  I do want to finish a book I am reading …

So, I wrote something about nothing much and nothing much about the somethings.

I am  headed downstairs to get the crackers and liverwurst and a scooby snack for Catfish.

Yah I get to Go Go

On the more positive front our my friend Mike purchased a new four wheel scooter/chair. And – here is the good news – he gave me his Go Go Traveler Elite scooter – just gave it to me!

Not only that his friend who owns a durable medical equipment store installed a new seat, cup holder, extra duty upgrade batteries,  and new tires. I even got a spare tire and wheel.  His pal then gave me the pack for the back of the chair. How cool is that!!

Now when we go to San Francisco on the Ferry I can zip along  and not end up tired and stumbling all over the place. Maybe I can motivate around the Wildlife refuge and get some photos in ummm . … I could ponder on the slap in the face multiple sclerosis reality – that I need one of these things –  but why bother.

So look out – crazy woman on scooter at large – known associates Catfish and Annie.