What are you up to today? This week?

[Muriel]

I am slow to check this thread some days, so sometimes it takes a few pages for me to catch up on things... Then Deb asks what we're doing this fine Saturday and I want to tell you what I've done, but it isn't Saturday anymore. Then she asks again Sunday, but it isn't Sunday any more either. So I'll ask how everyone's Monday was? and tell you about my Saturday and Sunday and Monday anyway ;)

It has been lovely warm sunny weather here for the last couple weeks. Weather is getting a bit cooler now, which is nice when I'm at work, but hoping it will stay reasonably dry as we're having a BBQ on Saturday with friends and family.

Our car has broken again, and will cost quite a bit to fix. As it is a petrol and has done 105000 miles and we spent a load on it in February we have decided it is time for a new car, not that we can afford one really! Anyway, PILs have offered to loan us the money, so we've been looking for the last couple weeks. Decided we needed a slightly bigger car as we have the two car seats in the back and regularly have to transport another adult in the back too. Found a suitable car here in town, but it sold in the hour between confirming a test drive and us arriving. A week later found a gorgeous diesel on Saturday, just on our budget limit, but husband felt the need to try out another car first. Unfortunately it is 15 miles away, not near the train station and so we decided we'd wait until his dad could drive us there Tuesday. Makes for nervous waiting, wishing the gorgeous car doesn't sell in the meantime, in case this other car isn't as gorgeously perfect. Then found a model that is a year older, and £1500 cheaper, in another town, 5 miles or so in the opposite direction, so now getting his dad to drive there first, then to the other place, and depending on how they work out, potentially back to the gorgeous car somewhere roughly in the middle, though still 9 miles from us. Plus we have our own car still, which can just about drive still (the 4th injector isn't working properly so it does't accelerate well, especially up hill, and we're surrounded by hills) and we'd like to use it as (very small) part exchange payment. So even if any of the cars suit, we'll still have to come home and I'll have to drive our car back and then buy the new car, really hoping I don't get stuck on the way somewhere! So appreciate fingers crossed for tomorrow please, hoping for minimum hassle.

So Saturday morning was spent at work, a manic place where they're 3 days behind with prescriptions, and the afternoon looking at some cars. We're also looking after Mummy's outdoor cat, so have to walk a good mile and a half down hill and half a mile uphill to get there, and then down and a good mile and a half up hill to get home with no buses running Sundays. Morning was fine, we took the kids along and stopped for breakfast after feeding her. Evening one not so good, Chris walked down (takes about 45 minutes, realised just before he got there that he'd forgotten the keys, and would be ages getting home so I could then walk down and back. Thankfully my wonderful work colleague around the corner was kind enough to drive me down, but a bit of a stressful end to an otherwise lovely day. This morning Natasha and I took the bus part of the way to feed the cat and was a nice little outing for the two of us. We were then going to go look at the cheaper car, but there wasn't much point without the money in the account from the PILs and they were out this morning and so hadn't transferred it yet. By the time they got home around 3:30 we couldn't be bothered to try and go out.

So each day has had nice bits and a bit rubbish bits, and I've really had enough time without a car! Going to work means 35 minute walk to the bus or train, then the bus or train ride, plus often a walk/taxi ride at the other end, so I reaaallllly want a new (to us) car tomorrow in time for work on Wednesday!

But on the other hand, we're all healthy and happy, so can't complain too much

Sending some healthy thoughts and energies to my Greenleaf family, don't like that many of you are going through tough times health wise at the moment. xox

[havanaholly]

Now I'm curious about your fuel prices; on this side of the pond diesel fuel usually runs about 10% higher than regular gasoline/ petrol.

I'm still gluing in the doors and windows prios to assembling Washington's shell.

[Muriel]

Here it is about 3-4% more for diesel, but you generally get quite a few more miles per gallon from the diesel and their engines theoretically last longer. They're usually a good chunk more expensive to buy, but second hand the difference isn't so big, and we do enough miles for it to be worth the bit extra. We calculated saving around $75/month in fuel, switching to a newer diesel from a petrol car.

[Deb]

I'm about ready to jump in the shower and start getting ready for my appointment with the new doctor. I've spent two days filling out their paperwork and pulling the records from my files that he'll need from previous doctors plus my MRI and ultrasound films from previous procedures on my back and hands. (I'm SO glad I keep those records because I can pull the ones a doctor needs to see which increases the likelihood of him actually finding information pertinent to what he's doing. If left to their own devices, most doctors look at my pile of records and push them away because they don't have time to dig thru them all.) I also make it a habit of giving doctors a copy of the timeline of events from the past seven years so they can see exactly how my life and body have crumbled. Most of them hand it back to me unread but maybe this guy will be different. I also take in a printed list of why I need to see that doctor and the goals that I have for him/her. Since my memory fails me so much it's helpful to have that timeline with dates plus all the current issues so I don't leave anything out. Anyway, now that I've finished all that it's about time to get a shower and start getting dressed. Fortunately this one is in Casa Grande, just 25 miles away and it's a small town (population around 30,000) so it's not hard to get around in. My appointment isn't until mid-afternoon so after we're done there we'll go out to eat at this great little diner we found there. I love Casa Grande so "going to town" there is kind of a treat.

I'm really nervous and apprehensive. This doctor is out of my insurance network so it's going to cost me a fortune just to see him but he's the only doctor I've found around here who might actually be able to do something for me. The fact that he's an osteopath and not a "special-ologist" should mean that he'll see me as a total person and not just one symptom. He specializes in facet and trigger point injections.........I've already had four rounds of the former to no avail but no one has done the trigger point injections yet and I've heard good things about them. I'm trying not to get my hopes up tho because I'd rather not spend the rest of the day in tears if he rejects me or turns out to be a quack. So on the surface I'm telling myself it's just another doctor (#59 if my running tally is still correct), but deep down inside where hope still lives, there's a tiny part of me begging and pleading for this to be "the one" who can help me get back a little bit of my life. Wish me luck!

[Selkie]

Deb, many hugs and prayers for your trip and appointment.

I'm late to the party but still want to send the best wishes.

[havanaholly]

Your appointment is over and I hope this doctor listened and read and paid attention.

[nuttiwebgal]

Antonio was released yesterday...he gained 2oz in a 24 hour period so they KNOW he can gain weight....

they had her pump after each feeding of 20 mins each side and she still had over 3oz of milk...so she producing it

SOOOO she is back to the same questions she asked the first time she tried to get him to latch....is the skin tie between his upper lip and gums to big and keeping him from forming the shape needed to nurse...she was poopooed and has been using a nipple guard all this time because he can not latch without

the 2nd lactation specialist that came in told her that doctors do not like to FIX this type of issue these days...that back in old days the midwife would set the baby to nurse...if they could not latch a quick finger around the lips and snip with scissors..problem fixed... she than told sis that he may also have the same issue on the bottom and gave her list of dr to go see.... said if this is the issue it not only will affect his eating now but his speech later....

super glad we are dealing with a fixable problem with our little angel!

[Selkie]

Whew, Nutti. Glad this is over. I used to be a La Leche League counselor (in another life) and we used to tell our moms to just go with their own gut instinct. Mom's are usually in tune with their babies true needs. These days MD's overreact to so many things just to cover their legal butts. Most of the time, the little babes will do just fine, in their own way, in their own time.

I had a chubby wubby the first time around and a skinny minnie the second time and I did everything the same way. They were just different kiddos.

Years ago, we used to tell our moms to have a glass of wine or a beer to help them with "let down" and increase milk production. I'd probably get run out of town for saying that now. It's child abuse these days. Funny how the old time remedies are not "proper" anymore. Things seem to go in and out of fashion so fast these days.

[Roxxie2]

Kat, I know we PM so I don't post much in here. Just wanted to say that you need to be selfish and give all your attention to your health right now. I know how you must hate waiting .......that's the worst part. Waiting and wondering what the outcome will be. Just a reminder that your friends around here really do care and wish only the best for you everyday. If I haven't said it today, you are awesome and you are going to come out making Kat Lemonade as always. Does this make sense?
I can't find the dang hug smilies but a big HUG from me to you!!!

As for me, I has been piddlin all day with my Buttercup and getting nowhere. I ripped off a lot of the wallpaper and made the 2 rooms into one again. Then I took a walk and met a rattlesnake face to face!!! I hate snakes of any kind and I thought I was going to faint right there. I backed away and went the other direction.

Whew!!!

[havanaholly]

Roxy, to make the hug smilie hit the colon key, then type hug and then hit the colon again

[Sable]

I'm starting the shopping and packing process for my trip to France and the Pyranees mountains. Took a night school French class for 8 wks but that wasn't enough. UPS just delivered the waterproof hiking boots. Bought some overalls to keep all the drywall mud off me as I tape, mud and sand a few rooms in my sisters 12th century RL renovation. Still need to buy dust masks. Picking out what to pack for 10 days can be such a challenge. Luckily, everything is casual. I'm really looking forward to this trip. Nope, not bringing the husband or any children with me.

[chesterfieldzoo]

Sable, if you have not bought dust masks yet, instead of getting the white cone shaped ones, consider getting the blue rectangle ones like dentists or doctors wear. They are more comfortable and fit tighter. Plus they are flat for packing.

I carry them with me as I am not allowed to breathe dust or pollen.

[havanaholly]

Do get yourself a box of disposable lates or nitrils gloves in your size, too; or a nice pair of work gloves.

[pdlnpeabody]

I have missed a lot over the past week!

Kathie- What time is dinner?

Due to my employment issues, I wasn't able to attend my 20th class reunion in Huntsville this past weekend. Although I didn't graduate from there, it's where I spent the first (and best) three years of high school. At least my $100 tickets went to a good cause. So, since I am still living in Gainesville, where I graduated, I attended my 20th down here. I wasn't too thrilled at first, since there were very few of my classmates at the last one, but the turnout was great this time around. I reconnected with classmates I shared classes with, but didn't know personally, and there were two pre-reunion get-togethers scheduled on Friday and Saturday. Oddly enough, the previous reunion banquet was fairly formal with a little music and dancing afterwards, while this one was more like a night club party. The most talked about attendee was probably Brittany Daniel. For anyone who didn't watch Dawson's Creek, Skyline or The Game, she's an actress who's been in those and several other shows and movies. She and her twin sister are still stunning, but a little more diplomatic when talking to people that might not have fit into their clique.

I also had to deal with a predatory job application website over the past few days. They tricked nearly all of the local employers into contracting with them to process all applicants online through their site. What they didn't disclose to the employers, was that their site was only for military veterans, so they were blocking ALL of the jobs in this region from civilian applicants. I'm all for vets finding work, but it should be based on their qualifications, instead of blocking potentially better applicants from the entire job market. By yesterday morning I was able to speak with the appropriate people at the Florida Employment offices and most if not all of the employers in this area are available through other, non-discriminatory sites.

I haven't gotten any call backs yet, but I'm taking the 4 day CNA certification class next week, so I will hopefully be employed shortly thereafter.

[kat57]

Good luck,Jeremy-I was just wondering about you the other day,dear boy!

Roxy thank you so much for your sweet post! You are the bestest buddy,dear lady! :wub: That rattlesnake woulda got me,because I would have fainted and fell on it!LOL

I won't rehash today's woeful saga of my cancer chronicles,but if you are interested,I posted in Bad News Kat.

Edited July 30, 2014 by kat57

[KathieB]

Kathie- What time is dinner?

Whenever you get here!

[CheckMouse]

I probably won't be on the forum much in the next few days - starting County Fair #3, which is one hour away, and I work a 12-hour day for the next 5 days. I guess Sunday is a little shorter - only 10 hours. Won't have my computer with me so can't get on the forum. The nice thing about this County Fair is that they have a room with model trains in it - my favorite place to visit

[Deb]

The appointment with the osteo went very well. He looked, listened and paid attention and when I had questions, he answered them. And when I asked him if he saw the root cause he immediately said, "Oh most definitely. This is all your auto immune system."

Can I get a hallelujah? It's. About. Time. I've been trying to tell doctors this for years and they wouldn't listen to me. I've tried to tell them that it all started when they took me off Tapazole which is NOT a thyroid medication, it's an auto-immune antibody inhibitor. This would explain why I was still testing at 49% for thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin antibodies three years after all thyroid tissue had been removed from my system. TSI is the blood marker for Graves and Hashimoto's and in theory it shouldn't be higher than two percent if there's no active thyroid tissue and that's why I had to go thru that massive and almost deadly thyroid swing last year when they took me off all thyroid replacement to prove that there wasn't any of the gland left. That left only an auto immune response to the synthetic thyroid because my a-i system can't tell the difference between it and the real thing............and they were giving me massive doses of it. And that's just one example. I have stomped, screamed, hollered and carried in clinical studies and for seven years doctors have denied that all this stuff is caused by my auto-immune system. <shaking head> They've even told me that if/when the MGUS turns to lymphoma that it'll be Waldenstrom's Macroglobulenemia.....cancer of the auto immune system. <throwing hands up in the air> And yet not a one of them would pay attention when I pointed out the obvious and told them that my auto immune system is a psychotic over achiever.

<deep breath> But Dr. M did. And then he very gently and kindly explained that we can't backtrack but there are lots of things we can do to improve my quality of life without drugs or surgery. His approach is completely homeopathic and encompasses the entire body. The first and hardest part is going to be getting my GP to get my TSH under control. Dr. M was shocked that I'm still in constant flux four years after a thyroidectomy.but I think he'll take an active part in encouraging her to help make sure that happens. He knows that it's the reason so many other systemic things are out of control. Then he went over some dietary guidelines and gave me some very gentle stretching exercises that I can start without hurting myself, including some to help my hands. After he examined by back he said that the trigger point injections can help and those are scheduled to begin on the 11th. The first round will be three consecutive Mondays and then we'll evaluate where to go from there. These are NOT cortisone shots which is good because I've had enough cortisone shot into my body already to start causing new issues by itself. He uses a totally botanical medication combined with numbing agents that I'd heard about from my back doctor a few years ago but at the time there wasn't anyone doing them in Colorado. The injections will not only be in the facet joints in my spine, but also deep into the muscles where some cysts are located. Then he's going to line up a massage therapist and an acupuncturist for me as part of the follow up and he thinks those will help my hands enough that I won't need cortisone shots in them either.

I should have known that I'd find help in a small town. Dr. M isn't part of a big practice or one of the giant pain factories.........it's just him, his PA, and the receptionist and they're all wonderful. The exam was hard on me but when it was over he patted my hand like a grandfather and told me it was all going to be okay. And I think I might just believe him.

[havanaholly]

It's about time, Deb. I expect to hear more good things in the coming days.

[KathieB]

Fantastic, Deb!

[Anna]

Soooo happay to hear that Deb! :wub: like Dr M allready!

HUGS

[chapchap73]

Deb, I'm crying tears of joy right now! I know the pain of having "smart" people tell you dumb things just makes all the other pain that much worse. Just wonderful news, dear heart

[kat57]

Oh,Deb,this is so great to read! I have just begun myself to find out how important teamwork will be in my treatment and I know how much it means to you! I am rooting for you to be able to get the GP on board now-sounds like you've got a great chance at that and a great start down a much better path-congratulations on finding this wise and wonderful man! :woohoo:

[Roxxie2]

I am so happy for you Deb!!!

[Debra from Olde Cape Cod]

Oh Deb, that is such good news!! Ask him about essential oils too---those can be very helpful in combination with what you will be doing. Praying for you my dear!