Nov 14
TiVo. I love that I can fast forward through commercials and have all my favorite shows waiting for me when I lie down on the sofa (and fall asleep!)
I probably wouldn’t have gotten one of these when we did but our son got us one for Christmas many years ago. He had it all set up and ready to go on Christmas morning.
At that time, I had no idea of its capabilities but now, I don’t think I could live without it!
Nov 13
A Golden Oldie –Â Â In 2017, i was sure grateful that my Growth Hormone finally arrived (L-o-n-g saga to follow)
Wednesday, October 25, 2017, 11:08 PM on Facebook
Me: My $450 monthly co-pay refrigerated medication was overnighted to me yesterday, arrived a couple miles from my house at 7:05 this morning. UPS couldn’t get it to me today so they’ll “deliver it tomorrow between 12:30-4:00” .If that ice is melted, the medication is ruined. I see angry phone calls tomorrow.
Friend 1: My Specialty pharmacy replaces it free of charge if that happens. Or at least thatâs what they tell me will happen. I asked because our UPS driver is terrible.
Me: We’re on the phone with the pharmacy right now.
Friend 2: OMG, you have one of those copays too?
đĄ (Part D? So you have the same donut hole joy we do in Jan/Feb?)
I hope the pharmacy replaces/handles it. âAt leastâ itâs tracked, so clearly documented as being en route for too many hours.
Me: Yup. People not on Medicare can get this close to free.
đ
Still on the phone.
đ I hate this, ummm, stuff.
Friend 2: Ditto. The drug companies can give it for $25/copay with private insurance, and some fâd up anti-kickback statute prevents them from doing the same for anyone on federal insurance, including Medicare, even when itâs under patent or otherwise has no
generic (which is the point of the damn statute). đĄ
The drug companies HAD (in our case, until this year) worked around it by funding independent patient copay programs to avoid the bad PR/increased regulation risks from being like Gleevec a decade ago (letâs bankrupt the cancer patients for whom this works and keeps them in remission indefinitely!), but at least with the myeloma oral chemos theyâve pulled their funding and the copay assistance programs have shut down, AND theyâre raising the prices 20% (in the US, not countries that can legally, oh, bargain with pharm companies) to cover other drug failures. (Iâm sure theyâre hardly turning any profit at all, though, and the combined actions are totally 100% necessary. And Iâm someone who *wants them* to turn a good profit so theyâre incentivized, but come on. Itâs absurd that the $$$ drugs that are a quick sub-q injections in an office building is fully covered by Part B and supplemental, whereas the âpatient convenientâ pills cost one $13k or so annually in copays.
Friend 2: But aside from my thread jacking rant (đł), I really hope youâre a) not entirely out right now, and b) itâs resolved at no additional cost to you or having to stay home again all day to sign for delivery.
đ
Me: We’re still on the phone
đ This is the 4th person.
This person on the phone can’t guarantee that it will be still cold but is hesitant to send another shipment at no cost
Friend 2:
đ Will they send at no cost if it arrives ruined? Like, you can have a time stamped photo and video of melted ice, and the tracking info with a delivery time stamp?
đ
It should really come out of their insurance or likely-contract with UPS.
Me: Don’t know yet but they’ve added a 5th person on the line. This can’t be the first time UPS messed up a temperature-sensitive medicine.
Now they’re going to call back in the morning. (HAHA)
đ€Ł
Friend 2: I *constantly* want an eyeroll reaction button on FB. Good luck, and as long as you donât run out before it comes I do have faith that youâll end up not-screwed! (Itâs just going to cost you time and frustration vs a second $450.)
Me: Still on the phone. This is nuts. I have 1 more cartridge (about 15 days worth)
Friend 2:
đđœ to enough on-hand,
đ
đ
đ to the phone mess?
Me: Phone call is over, nothing resolved. 5 reps, a couple robots and background music.To be continued in the morning…
Friend 3: I had that happen but it would have made it 3 days. I told them the cost and how long it could be in shipping. If they were to do as planned, it would be on them. They got a courier and I got it that night.
Friend 4: I would report it to whom ever you get the medication from . When I was getting a refrigerated medication they would never send them to arrive on a Sat.or around the holidays. They always made sure I got it next day Shipment !
Me: Mine is marked “next day” and they ship it by UPS Next Day Air SaverÂź
Me: I guess they saved the money but the Next Day got lost somewhere.
Friend 5: UPS explained to me that when the package is labeled “Air Saver” UPS can deliver the package anytime that day. If the package is labeled just Next Day Air, they have to deliver it in the morning. The problem is that the RXplan won’t pay the additional amount required by omitting the air saver.
Friend 6: Praying you get this mess resolved!!!
Me: Thanks!
Friend 7: This is what shipping insurance is for; it’s between the pharmacy and the shipper. ETA: only stable up to 24 hrs at room temp.
Me: Mine is only supposed to be between 2° to 8°C (36° to 46°F)
Friend 7: and starts losing potency quickly if not. Me: I know
đ
Friend 5: Mary, I had the same problem on a day Texas temperature was 104 degrees. UPS delivered my GH the correct day but after 7 pm. The medication was warm when it arrived. My specialty pharmacy gave me a hard time about it. I phoned the manufacturer and talked to a nurse on the support team who said the med needed to be replaced and to have the pharmacy contact her if needed. I called the pharmacy and argued with the pharmacist for 15 minutes. I asked him if he wanted to be responsible for my taking a medication that wasn’t safe. He finally agreed to replace it. The box with my med was only half covered by the cold packs, and the tracker didn’t show damage, so the pharmacy argued about replacement. I responded with the fact that those trackers are not always accurate. They can and do fail. If he had continued to argue, I would have insisted he talk to the nurse with whom I spoke.I called my insurance plan and complained about the pharmacy. If you call the manufacturer of your med, be sure to get the name of your contact there. Good luck. I’m sorry you have that hassle.
Friend 8: So sorry!! Hope it gets to you in good, COLD condition. What an aggravation for you.
Friend 9: Refuse it… they replace it
Me: This doesn’t require a signature so they usually just drop it and run. Luckily, we have a dog who will sound the alarm.
Friend 9: Oh and Ask for fedex delivery all of the time
Me: 4:31 PM. The “window” today was 12-4:30. It’s still not here and back on the phone.
Me: I forget to mention that itâs going to take 8 days to track this package. Egads!
Me: I had to leave. Tom sent me a text “Donna from last night Called at 5pm I told her we were now considering replacing Humana.They are declaring the package lost and sending a replacement shipment immediately.It will arrive by 10:30 am Friday”. We’ll see! Several hours of phone calls and 15 people on their side. Aarrgghh
Friend 2: I will say that FedEx has been really consistent with ours (which ironically would basically be fine if lost for a few days, aside from extreme temperature ranges), though the whole designated âmorningâ and âafternoonâ windows are a joke. (âAfternoonâ has come before 8 am, âmorningâ at 3:30pm…but always the correct day! Just irritating since itâs so regulated – next-gen thalidomide, all those birth defects – it *has* to be signed for.) In case theyâll let you request FedEx after this.
đ
Me: Today’s meds are coming UPS again but it shows as “Out for Delivery” today. Then, again, it said that on Wednesday, too. The difference is today has to be signed for and it’s supposed to be here by 10:30 so I can take my mom to a birthday lunch.
1 hour, 15 minutes and counting…
Me: Success!
Nov 12
Today I am thankful for my church choir. A few years ago the “low voice choir” formerly the Men’s Choir will be singing this:
I’ve had a long history with singing from the time I was a kid singing in the choir at my Dad’s church in Springfield, Mass.
In High School we had a great choir and it was the time before “political correctness” would have banned us from singing such wonderful classical music like Brahms’ German Requiem.
In college, as a music major, there were choirs and when we finally got to our current home, I joined Sweet Adelines.
I was a member of Sweet Adelines for 10 years, singing bass, before Cushing’s robbed me of that particular pleasure. SA takes lot of energy between rehearsals, performances, competitions, traveling. I just loved it but I couldn’t keep up.
My old chorus, but years after I left:
For a few years, I belonged to a local woman’s group but even that got to be too much after a while. There wasn’t the traveling or the competitions but rehearsals and performances cut into that energy.
A few years ago, our church choir director opened up the opportunity to sing for just the Christmas Cantata. No long-term commitment and only half the rehearsal time for about 10 weeks.
I hadn’t sung anywhere outside my car for about 10 years but, with trepidation, I signed up. Because of my bell-ringing and work with children’s choirs, I knew most of the other choir members and that made it a LOT easier on shy-me.
Christmas came and singing with the choir and orchestra was just fantastic. There was the invitation to stay, to become a part of the choir for good but I had my Cushing’s Interviews on Thursday nights and I couldn’t see how I could work all this in.
Then, the choir sang How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place from Brahms’ German Requiem and I was hooked. How could I not join?
So, I moved the interviews to Wednesday nights and Thursdays are free for choir rehearsals.
Nov 11
I’m not sure how Veterans Day turned into a Monday holiday and a day to sell stuff, but then, most every holiday has turned into a day for stores to run “sales”. Â Possibly, the original intent was to give our veterans a break but it has sure morphed away from that.
Veterans Day is supposed to be a day to thank those who have served.
From the Constitution:
Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and
Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations;…
But I digress. Â This year, today is also Remembrance Day in the UK – including Scotland where my grandfather was a soldier in the Black Watch.
I never met my grandfather. He had died in Peshawar, India, fighting for the Black Watch during World War l. Peshawar was on the northern frontier of British India, near the Khyber Pass.
In 1947, Peshawar became part of the newly independent state of Pakistan after politicians approved merger into the state that had just been carved from British India.
We have a trunk of his belongings, though, and itâs very interesting to recreate his life.
My dad was born in Scotland in 1913.
In 1914, my grandfather was involved in this:
On the outbreak of war there were seven Black Watch battalions â for in addition to the Regular 1st and 2nd Battalions and 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion there were a further four Territorial ones which had become part of the Regiment in 1908. They were the 4th Dundee [Mary OâNote: Iâm pretty sure this was his, since thatâs where my dad was born], 5th Angus, 6th Perthshire and the 7th Battalion from Fife. The 1st Battalion was in action at the very start of the war taking part in the Retreat from Mons before turning on the Germans at the River Marne and the subsequent advance to the Aisne. Trench warfare then set in and the 2nd Battalion arrived from India, both battalions taking part in the Battle of Givenchy. Meanwhile the Territorial battalions had been mobilised at the start of the war but only the 5th was in action in 1914.
I guess this is why I love the Pipes and Drums of the Black Watch so much.
Thanks, Grandpa!
The Edinburgh Tattoo had been on my bucket list for a long time since my grandfather was in the Black Watch and I just love to hear bagpipes. Even my cellphone ringtone is Scotland, the Brave.
My mom says that my Grandfatherâs name is inscribed as a war hero in Edinburgh Castle, where the Tattoo is held. Â You know, Iâll find that!
Thanks so much Tom and Frank and everyone who served the US and Europe.
Nov 10
This is going to sound really stupid but today I am thankful for my dropbox.
I have files all over the place and I work on them on different computers (PC and Mac), at home or at work, on my iPhone, iPad and other places. If I’m away from home without any files (rarely happens!) I can still access my stuff online and do with it whatever I want.
I am really lazy and it’s so nice to have my files synced everywhere. I don’t have to try to find a cable, zip drive or SD card. Sometimes I’ll find an image or a program I want to install on a different computer and I just stash it in my dropbox. When I’m done, I delete it or move it to its permanent home to save space on the dropbox.
I had the free version for many years and was always monitoring how much space is available. I finally upgraded to a paid version when I had a lot of files for work – and a friend’s entire website backed up.
This really makes my life a little easier and, for that, I’m very thankful today!
Nov 09
Yes, I know I skipped a couple days…I’ve been in a lot of (physical) pain and it’s been hard to come up with things to be thankful for, other than meds.
Today, however, I am so thankful for knowing my dear friend Alice. Â Today would have been her birthday.
Adapted from https://power-surge.co/2016/11/09/another-birthday/
Another birthday is here and I’ve definitely passed you age-wise. đ  I had always taken such delight being able to say that I was the younger one.  Not any more đ
Each year, the non-birthday-girl would be planning and plotting online, as well as real-life, surprises. Â We had hand-made wrapping paper and all sorts of exotic and non-exotic gifts. Â Right now, I’m wearing a cozy robe from a zillion years ago.
Way back in 1998, when I was learning web design, I posted a whole mini-site for that birthday. Â Unfortunately, html code no longer allows for the music to play, but I had carefully thought out tunes for each day. Â The page titles aren’t showing, either.
See that site here:Â http://www.oconnormusic.org/aliceBD/birthday.htm
The last page of that site was particularly important. Â I’d emailed all of Alice’s past guest speakers and other PS members and compiled this list of great wishes:Â http://www.oconnormusic.org/aliceBD/guests.htm
We’d be up at 12:01 am, posting wishes, decorating message boards and doing the final touches for websites.
In 2003, I’d apparently posted a picture of Flora Dora (again!) and Alice responded:
MaryO, what can I say other than that it was a wonderful and beautiful surprise to see my guest announcement area turned into a beautiful, sparkling birthday greeting — and Flora Dora, Power Surge’s mascot and RR — but especially your beautiful wishes.
I responded:
After all these years, it’s getting harder and harder to come up with new ideas for how to do an online surprise. There have been a variety of different things for different birthdays, but I have to keep you guessing  I hope that you don’t mind that I’m holding the announcement area hostage for a little longer.
I’m sure that many of the newer people don’t know who Flora Dora is, but she’s an essential part of Power Surge so she have to be included somehow – kinda like inviting your maiden aunt to Thanksgiving đ Of course, RR is welcome – anytime! I’m so glad that I could make an online surprise for you again this year – maybe I should start planning for NEXT year already.
I hope we share many more birthdays together as the close friends we’ve become over the years.
On a more serious side, you’re very welcome for the “beautiful wishes”. Â Sometimes, words fail me and I don’t do things justice, but you and Power Surge have changed my life in so many ways that go beyond “simple” menopause issues. When I first came to Power Surge on AOL, I was a confirmed lurker, reading only, never posting.
The first chat I tried to hide out until you asked me a question, encouraging me to talk. This was all so scary for me, communicating with others – online or off. I can say with confidence, that I’m no longer a lurker on the boards and in the chats like I was, and that was all your doing. Thanks so much for that!
Now I just have to work on my real life lurkership! The knowlege I got here in Power Surge, even when I was lurking, helped me so much with my menopause, my symptoms, my everyday life. Like most everyone else, I learned about the way to help my meno symptoms and I’m so thankful of that, that I could be feeling better.
When my husband was very sick, close to death, my first December in PS, I wouldn’t post, but I would come home from the hospital and read everything that other people were posting. It seemed so great to me, and it was such a comfort to me to know that everyone was out there. I recognized people’s names and enjoyed “listening” to the banter and chatter, and that gave me something other than the hospital and my own worries to think about. No matter what the time of day was, I could always read and see that things were ok with the world, and know that we were going to survive this. What a wonderful community Power Surge is!
Things have come along way since then. My husband made it, thanks to a skilled surgeon and a LOT of prayer. And I gradually changed, too. I’m obviously not afraid to post anymore, or go to chats, and I really have you to thank for that. Over the years there have been many changes, the boards have moved, been started again from scratch, updated, all kinds of things, as have the chats, but one thing remains clear and unchanged – and that Power Surge isn’t just another “website”. It is a true community for women in midlife, something we can gain daily strength from. (sorry about the preposition!)
And it’s all because of you, Dearest Alice Stamm. Thank you so much, and I hope it was a wonderful birthday – you deserve the very best!
Hugs and thanks from the bottom of my heart! Mary
From the message boards in 2004:
From 2005:
We have decided to let you accept the responsibilities of a 6 year old again.
If you want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make ripples with rocks, that’s great.
If you want to think M&Ms are better than money, because you can eat them, they are calorie-free (today only!).
If you want to lie under a big Oak tree next summer and run a lemonade stand with your friends (and fellow Surgettes) on a hot summers day, we’ll give you a voucher.
That summer-time voucher is also good for walking on the beach and thinking of the sand between your toes and the prettiest seashell you can find. Or you can spend the afternoon climbing trees and riding your bike.
We are returning you to a time when life was simple. When all you knew were colors, addition tables and simple nursery rhymes. But that didn’t bother you, because you didn’t know what you didn’t know and you didn’t care. When all you knew was to be happy because you didn’t know all the things that should make you worried and upset.
You’re going to go to school and have snack time, recess, gym and field trips.
You’ll be so happy, nothing will make you upset.
We’re going to let you think that the world is fair. That everyone in it is honest and good…that anything is possible.
For today, you’re going to be oblivious to the complexity of life and be overly excited by little things once again, returned to the days when reading was fun.
No worries about time, bills, websites that crash, guest chats where the guest can’t get in, excess email, time….No more worry about computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, aches, pains, doctor visits or illness.
We’re going to help you believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, health, dreams, the imagination, mankind and making angels in the snow.
You’re going to be 6 again, for today (and probably some of us will want to join you!). From all of us…
QUOTE (Dearest @ Nov 10 2005, 09:23 AM)
Thank you all for your warm and wonderful birthday wishes.
A very special thank you to my friend, MaryO, for the beautiful greeting, for including Power Surge’s mascot, Flora Dora at the top of the screen — and especially for allowing me to be six again even if only for a day đ
And I said:
You know, you can always apply for an extension of the day being 6. Click here to apply.
Glad you had a great birthday and much-needed vacation. If you want to extend either of those, please let me know and I’ll see if I can locate an extension for either of those.
Happy Post-Birthday!
In 2006, Alice said:
Thank you ALL for your wonderful birthday wishes and beautiful sentiments about how much Power Surge means to and has done for you. That makes all the years of work that’s gone into this “community” worthwhile (with, perhaps, the exception of dealing with HACKERSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!)Â đ
I don’t know some of you very well. Others I know well and have established lovely friendships with. You know who you are. Thank you, too, for your beautiful flowers, birthday cards, online greetings, etc.
And thank you, my dear friend, MaryO, for starting this topic and for being the sister I never had đ I’m so glad I impulsively decided to give myself a birthday present last month and called saying, “C’mon, let’s go to see Streisand!!” That was the highlight of my/our year. To be sitting so close to her, and SO close to and watching people mingle like: Bill and Hillary Clinton, Lauren Bacall, James Brolin, Katie Couric, Stephen Sondheim, Rosie O’Donnell, Sting, Hugh Jackman, Steven Spielberg, Regis and Joy Philbin, Sara Jessica Parker — and many, many others.
It was like the first time we met a few years ago and stopped into a restaurant only to find a few minutes later that Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, Peter Bogdonovich, Carol Kane and others, whose names elude me at the moment, came in and sat at the table next to us. Knowing me, I had to go over and talk to them, especially Gena Rowlands, who’s still beautiful and elegant and was so gracious.
The past few years, starting with my emergency surgery and all the ensuing complications, my mom’s fall down the stairs and subsequent need for constant care, my dad passing away only four months later and my own ongoing and confusing health issues — too much stress.
The past few months have been better — we’ve both been through a LOT this year especially!
Special thanks to those of you who’ve generously given donations (some of you even more than once) to the site to help defray some of the expenses of running it.
I’m grateful to be alive and very proud of Power Surge and all the women (and men) it’s helped over the years plus all the wonderful women who participate in it đ
Alice
And I responded:
To be sitting so close to her…
You mean me…or Barbra? LOLIt was so amazing how that trip worked out. It was the most spontaneous thing I had ever done.
My son was home from grad school for “fall break” formerly known as Columbus Day weekend. He was flying back on Wednesday, through JFK.
After Alice got the tickets for Barbra on Monday (amazing in itself), I was able to get on Michael’s flight to JFK – only one trip to the airport! The flight number was the same as Alice’s street address. Do I hear Twilight Zone music?
What a great birthday gift you got for yourself – thank you so much for sharing it with me đ
Happy post-birthday!
From 2007
The top header on the boards:
Followed by
And Alice said…
Firstly, {{{{{MaryO}}}}, my old and dear friend, thank you for starting this topic and for the beautifully creative graphic and sentiments you made for my birthday. I don’t have to tell you what your friendship has meant to me all these years (you already know). Hugs!
Thank you all for your good wishes. Someone wrote to me, “I hope you had a peaceful birthday.” That’s exactly what it was . . . peaceful.
Thank you also for your kind words about Power Surge. It’s been a labor of love for 14 years . . . about to start its 15th year Feb. 3rd, 2008. I have a pretty good idea how many women’s lives have been impacted by this “community.” In all these years, including the start-up years on America Online, I’ve probably posted in the area of 100,000 messages on the numerous PS message boards. I can’t post as much as I used to any longer for many reasons, but I’m always working in the background to maintain this site that’s become a tremendous source of information and haven of support for all the visitors who come to it every day.
What started out as a blank page in an HTML editor has grown to exactly what I’d planned. I’m very proud of every facet of Power Surge including this message board.
Finally, thank you to all those who have made donations to Power Surge. I have thanked each and every one of you individually. Your donations have been helpful in defraying some of the ever-increasing costs involved with running Power Surge.
Again, thank you.
Best,
Dearest
Then, 2008
And that’s enough for this year. Â I have to save some out đ
~~~
So, it’s 17 years since I made that first silly website. Â I’m still scrambling to get something to post by 12:01 am for your birthday.
I still can’t believe that you won’t be reading this later, calling me when UPS / amazon / FEDex arrives with gifts so we can open them “together”.
We’ve said it once, we’ve said it dozens of times. Â Even when we’re apart we’re
Nov 08
Today I am hugely thankful that the last major issue we had here was in 2013 when Tom had his heart attack. Â That event caused me to start a whole new blog to post about our experiences.
Adapted from https://maryomedical.com/category/other-medical/bees-knees/
It all started on our 40th wedding anniversary, when I fell on my knee on the way to visit DH in the hospital – he’d had a lot of nerve to have a heart attack on our anniversary.
The very first of the Beeâs Knees series was February 28, 2016. I had no idea it would go on so very long., until my knee replacement surgery on March 9, 2023.
Finally, December 21, 2022, I wrote in this post:
From the last postâŠ12/4/2022 And, there was good news and some surprising news. I got to the doctors office and right away they took x-rays. The results were âEvidence of end stage bilateral knee OA, L>R. Evidence of complete joint space narrowing. Evidence of osteophyte formation. Evidence of cyst formationâ
I had no idea that my right knee was as bad. I guess Iâve been so focused on my left that it never occurred to me that I might have other issues.
The term âend stageâ was a bit freaky. That sounds to me like I should be bedridden or something.
~~~
12/17/2022
So, Iâve scheduled the surgery but i donât have a specific time yet â I do have a date and a date for follow up and dates for physical therapy.
My dental clearance didnât go well yesterday.
The new dentist never got my multi-page form and asked me for it in several emails and texts. I had filled it out as soon as I made the appointment and emailed a copy which they never got. Fortunately, I printed it out.
The parking situation was bad, I hadnât considered that it was a mall-type place and just before Christmas. After circling the buildings a few times, I had to park in a parking garage and walk. Remember, Iâm doing this because of knee surgery.
I got to the building andâŠI was stuck in the elevator. I tried pushing any and all buttons but I never moved. Finally, I called the office and told them I was in the elevator and they sent someone out who pushed the button on the second floor and I started moving up.
The receptionist didnât know who I was or why I was there but I had that 8-page printout of their form. I was surprised to see a bowl of candy canes on the main desk â really?
I finally went back and was (very slightly) calmed by the fact that the background music was Mannheim Steamroller.
I told the dental assistant what she would have known had they seen/read my form: I have been terrified of dentists since I was thrown out of one when I was a child (Iâll share more about this later), I have a very small mouth and a bad gag reflex.
She did the preliminary xrays and finally, the real dentist came in. She never looked at me but told my back that she wouldnât approve me for surgery because there was a âlot of work she wanted to do first.â
I escaped to the front desk and the printer was broken. No receipt for my payment and no copy of a treatment plan. The person assured me that she would email them to me.
I was very leery of that elevator, so I took the stairs and walked back to my car.
Friday and Saturday and neither the treatment plan or the receipt for payment ever arrived.
I tried to log into their system to see if I could get the info that way and Iâm not listed as a patient. It did ask me to fill out the formsâŠagain.
Along about now, I decided that this wasnât the dental practice for me so I found a new dentist, located way closer, on the first floor, in my old bank. I see him Monday. For a person terrified of the dentist seeing 2 in 2.5 days is amazing. I must really want to get my knee fixed!
On Saturday night, reject-dentist asked for a review. Iâm waiting for new-dentist to be sure Iâm not going back before I fill it out but I donât think theyâll want to see what I have to say!
When getting dressed on Sunday morning, I found a small cut on my lip, possibly from Fridayâs visit and then a filling fell out. Hmmm. Was she creating some of the work she wanted to do?
Monday, new dentist. I got to the new, closer dentist and they also had candy out in the waiting room. Also, they didnât get my new patient forms and this is starting to look like a rerun.
They took me back and the receptionist was very kind and gentle and she listened to my bad dentist stories from long ago and last Friday.
More x-rays, the dentist came in and he talked to me, too. After the review and in-mouth checkup, he also wants to do a lot of work BUT he is working around my upcoming cruise and he thinks he can get this done so I can keep my surgery schedule. What a change from reject-dentist.
Unfortunately, that means I get a root canal and crown later today. But still. More after he actually does some work!
My TKR (total knee replacement) surgery is scheduled for 2/2, which is Groundhog Day. Iâve been telling people I hope it doesnât mean I have to keep repeating my surgery! Now, it seems I keep repeating dental visits, too.
Later Monday, December 19, 2022 â the afternoon wasnât as bad as I remembered partly because somehow, my root canal had closed up. The dentist said that was âgood news and bad newsâ because I had saved myself from the full treatment today AND saved a bit of money â like $1,000. I guess the bad news is if i ever get decay under my new crown, I wonât have any pain to let me know. Sounds like good news to me.
Interestingly, the beginning of the crown the muted tv was showing the same program as the tv at reject-dentist. Maybe thereâs a Dental TV station?
My next dentist thing is âjustâ a cleaning on December 28 and a tentative permanent crown on January 3.
Hopefully, no more knee related issues until then.
Meanwhile, itâs Wednesday night and Reject-Dentist still hasnât sent a treatment plan or called to discuss it yet.
This post is officially doneâŠfor now
Then, in January, 2023:
1/18/2023
Reject-Dentist still hasnât sent the receipt, a treatment plan or called to discuss it yet. They did send me an email today asking me to set up an appointment.
Also on 1/18, I went to Reston Hospital for pre-op clearance. This was the third appointment this week, all because of my knee.
1/23/2023
New, Approved-Dentist finished up everything he needed so I got Dental Clearance. This is the final piece of the clearance puzzles
When I got home yesterday I had a new insurance card in the mail. I read all the information and it said I had dental insurance. Reject-Dentist had said that I didnât so I assumed that I didnât. Now I get to collect my papers from Approved-Dentist and submit those.
I was supposed to attend a class on knee replacement but the next one isnât until next month so I got to watch a video instead. I also found this one very helpful:
This post is officially doneâŠfor now. Next stop, Total Knee Replacement.
But no, there’s a setback đ
On 1/23/2023 I said:
âNew, Approved-Dentist finished up everything he needed so I got Dental Clearance. This is the final piece of the clearance puzzlesâ
At the end of that appointment, Approved-Dentist gave me a prescription for an antibiotic, just in case.
Stupid me. I asked the intake nurse about that. She reported it to the surgeon who moved my surgery from 2/2/2023 to 3/9/2023. If someone else is rescheduled, I might be able to move mine back. Maybe.
Then, other test results came back â staph infection in my nose, maybe UTI.
Wednesday, 1/25/2023
So, I am still limping around, changing all the physical therapy appointments Iâd set up for the 2/2 surgery. One of the positives is that I get more time in water aerobics building up my leg muscles.
A very positive:
1/27/23 was our 50-year anniversary. Amazing! We celebrated early with a cruise on the Wonder of the Seas. Iâm still assembling those photos/posts but we went a little earlier in the month because it was cheaper đ I chose this cruise because I thought it would be cool to be on the current worldâs largest cruise ship. I have been on larger ships but DH has not.
We have another cruise scheduled for the Arctic Circle in July but I may not make it because of the new surgery date and recovery. I am very excited about that cruise because we tried to do something very similar and Covid changed those plans.
Someone pointed out that, since the new surgery is more than 30 days away, I may have to do all the clearances again.
And that someone was right. Another setback đ
Thursday, February 15, my heart sank when I got a call from the hospital. After being on hold forever, I talked to a person who wanted to schedule my medical clearance, again. I told her Iâd done it before in February for the rescheduled surgery. She said sheâd check with my surgeon to see what he wanted.
Friday, I heard nothing until 4:58 pm. He wants to do a medical clearance ârevisionâ whatever that means. So I go back to the hospital next Thursday (March 2) for more testing. If they find some other obscure infection, that wonât be enough time to fix it before the current surgery date Thursday May 9.
March 2, 2023
So, I had the Medical Clearance Revision today and it was exactly like the Medical Clearance I did just over 30 days ago. It looks like surgery is a go. Thursday, March 9 at 12:15.
Thereâs extra stuff for me to do to prepare, thanks to Cushingâs, the GH deficiency, the Adrenal Insufficiency, the one kidney, etc but I can do it!
March 9, 2023 – Finally!
After going through the Medical Clearances again, 5 days of antiseptic showers (plus another one this morning), drinking what seems like gallons of Gatorade (I couldnât have the hospital-offered strawberry Ensure), my surgery is scheduled for 12:30 pm today. There will be a Covid test at 10:30.
We have been watching tons of youtube videos on knee replacement, physical therapy I think that this was one of the most helpful:
From the hospitalâŠ
As your surgery date gets closer, you might feel uneasy. But the more you know about what to expect, the less nervous youâll be. Take a few minutes to learn how the day will unfold.
Youâll usually be asked to arrive about 2 hours before your operation starts. A registered nurse will greet you and help you prep. Youâll discuss with them your medical history and the medicines you take. Youâll also get a chance to talk to people on your surgical team about the operation.
Before you go to the operating room, youâll first change into a gown. The nurse will remind you to remove things like your jewelry, glasses or contact lenses, hearing aids, or a wig if you have them.
A nurse checks your heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, and pulse. The surgeon may mark the spot on your body where the procedure will be done. A nurse places an IV line in your arm so the doctor can give you fluid and medicine during your operation.
When itâs time for your surgery, youâre wheeled into the operating room on a stretcher.
A group of doctors and nurses work together to make sure everything goes smoothly. The specific people depend on the type of procedure youâre going to have. But in general, your team will have these pros:
Surgeon. This doctor leads the team and does the operation.
Surgeons have to complete 4 years of medical school, plus at least 5 years of special training. They also have to pass a national surgical board exam. The one you choose should be experienced in the type of procedure youâre having.
Anesthesiologist. This health care professional gives you medicine that makes you pain-free during surgery.
Certified registered nurse anesthetist. They assist your anesthesiologist and monitor you before, during, and after your operation to make sure you get the right amount of pain medicine.
Surgical tech. They set up the tools your surgeon will use and make sure theyâre sterile.
Operating room nurse. They help the surgeon during your procedure. For instance, they may pass instruments and supplies during the operation.
Youâll get medicine, called anesthesia, so that you wonât feel anything during surgery. The type you get depends on your health and the procedure youâre having.
Local anesthesia. It blocks pain in the part of your body where you have surgery. Youâll still be awake and alert.
Regional anesthesia. Youâre injected with medicine that numbs the whole area of your body where the surgery takes place.
General anesthesia. It puts you to sleep during your operation. You get this type of medicine through an IV in your vein or by breathing into a mask.
Once youâre in the operating room, you breathe oxygen through a mask. Your anesthesiologist gives you medicine to prevent pain.
Your surgical team will track your health during the whole procedure. Theyâll probably use:
Before the surgery starts, a nurse cleans your skin with an antiseptic to help prevent infections. They may remove hair from the area and place a sterile drape over your body. It will have an opening in the place where the surgeon will work.
Itâs rare to get an infection during surgery. Your team does everything it can to protect you. Your doctors and nurses will:
They may also give you antibiotics before your procedure to help prevent an infection.
Youâll wake up in a recovery room. A nurse checks your heart rate, breathing, and the bandaged area where your procedure was done. They might also ask you to take deep breaths and cough to clear your lungs.
Youâll stay in the recovery room until youâre fully awake and all your medical signs, like blood pressure and heart rate, are stable. How much time you spend there depends on what kind of surgery you had.
After that, depending on the type of operation you had, youâll get sent to a hospital room or back home. Either way, youâll be ready to be greeted by your loved ones and begin the road to recovery.
This post is officially doneâŠfor now. Next stop, Total Knee Replacement.
Nov 07
Today I’m thankful for Travel.
We’ve been fortunate to be able to travel to several interesting places.
Some, like Iceland, we just lucked in to. We’d wanted to go to Ireland but the travel agent couldn’t get us in at any time over that summer. She did get us a deal where, if we flew Iceland Air, they’d give us a free week in a hotel in Iceland before flying us to London. Duh! Wonderful trip.
A couple years ago we were in Costa Rica and took a day trip to Nicaragua where we stood at the rim of Masaya, a live volcano.
Masaya Volcano, Nicaragua
And a neat train in Alaska (more about this trip here:Â http://www.cushingsonline.com/Alaska/alaska.htm)
Our bus driver was a very good driver who told us all about the history of Skagway and the surrounding areas. Our first stop was Liarsville (http://www.klondiketours.com/goldcampshow.html), a tent village for gold miners. It was called Liarsville because many newspaper reporters were there publishing tales of how “easy” it was to find gold and become rich. No Way! The locals did a show for us and let us pan for gold. Of course, most everyone found some little gold flakes. A very hard way to make a living!
We made our way up the White Pass on the Klondike Highway to a 3,000 ft waterfall, Dead Horse Gulch (a lot of pack horses couldn’t make it the whole way), the Moore Bridge, Yukon Suspension Bridge at Tutshi Canyon and up over the West White Pass into Fraser British Columbia Canda, the same way that the miners had to walk or go with pack animal and 2,000 pounds of supplies. Much easier by heated bus! It was very scenic and we took lots of pictures.Â
At the summit of that, in Fraser, British Columbia, we got on the White Pass & Yukon Route (WP&YR) Railroad train.
The WP&YR was originally built to help those miners who were hauling the ton of supplies up the pass but they finished building the railroad a year after the gold rush had ended. There’s more info about this railroad at www.wpyr.com We went over trestle bridges, through tunnels, over glaciers. Definitely a worthwhile trip.
WP&YR webcam:Â http://www.whitepassrailroad.com/multimedia/webcam.html
Here’s a bit of our train trip. Tom took this from the platform between the cars:
A very scary road between Stirling and Kinlochard, Scotland:
A helicopter around Barbados (more about this trip at http://beautiful-barbados.blogspot.com/2008/08/wednesday-week-one-helicopter-day.html)
Edinburgh Tattoo – twice!
Panama Canal. In the volcano image above, I’m wearing the tshirt for the Panama Canal Railway that runs through the jungle.
Costa Rica and the Oh My God bridge. They took this down while we were there – thank goodness!
And the not so good: Fire ants in Hilton Head, Thunderstorm in the Everglades, Africanized Killer Bee in Costa Rica, …
Nov 06
From November 6, 2017:
As it turns out, I didn’t give thanks yesterday when the Roto-Rooter guy left yesterday as he did absolutely nothing. đ
Our troubles weren’t going down the drain at all.
Today, I give thanks and shed a more than a few tears for a wonderful friend, co-worker, choir buddy, special person to everyone he met.
I’m so thankful I got to sing in the choir honoring Tim – and I’m very thankful that this Celebration of Life was live-streamed on Facebook so I can watch and listen again.
At the cemetery, another of our fine tenors led us in singing Amazing Grace. When we got to the verse “When weâve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun…” the sun came out in full force – an amazing God Moment, welcoming Tim home.
Nov 05
I was so thankful for Daylight Savings time this morning.  I had gotten to bed very late last night early this morning and had to be leaving the house at 7:30 am to ring handbells at church.
Hooray for that extra hour!
Music Little Free Library