Wednesday, November 09, 2005

evening

Coinstar & Amazon Team Up To Make Our Day

We’ve had a pile of change on the kitchen counter for what seems like years.  I kept adding to it every time it seemed like my backpack was getting too heavy.  We kept meaning to take it the grocery store and zip it through the Coinstar machine, then get the voucher to use for shopping.  Sure, there was a fee, but it was worth it because where else were we going to take all that change?  Then, Leigh-Ann saw a commercial saying that Coinstar was teaming up with Amazon.com and you could turn the cash in and get an Amazon gift certificate, without paying the service charge.  So, we gather up two bags o’ change and toddled off to the store.  Oh, happy day...check out the amount of our Amazon gift certificate, just from spare change sitting on the counter.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

And was that the end of our fun evening?  No sirree, Bob, it wasn’t.  The new Smith’s grocery store opened today near us.  They had some amazing sale stuff, plus lots of items that our other neighborhood grocery stores don’t have.  And so new and pretty.  Other people go to the movies or an amusement park, we get excited about a new grocery store opening.

You’d think that was enough excitement for us, but no, the fabulousness continues.  We stopped at Starbucks on the way home.  Some of you may remember that they once made Doubleshots in the store briefly, before they came out in cans.  The ones in the can aren’t nearly as good.  Well, there’s one guy at our local Starbucks who remembers how to make the original Doubleshots and he was working tonight.  They came out perfectly.  So good that whenever he’s working, that’s all we’ll ever get.  Yum!

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

evening

Dr. FancyPants Has Some Different Ideas

First of all, I would like to thank Dr. FancyPants for his lovely zero gravity chairs (electric even, not the cheap $1500 manual version), which Leigh-Ann and I enjoyed while in his waiting room.  We may have been there for an hour or so, but I was laying back in complete comfort, watching “My Best Friend’s Wedding”.  The time flew by.  The waiting room was even full, more walkers and wheelchairs than I’ve seen in a long time.  Clearly, I haven’t been to a casino in a while. Anyway, the guy is super busy, but the office is run well. 

Finally, we were called in to a room.  After about five minutes, the doctor came in.  We chatted briefly, he looked at my MRI, he tested my reflexes and made me walk on my heels like a duck.  Either that tells them something or it just makes them laugh for a few minutes after the patient leaves.  Anyway, we decided that “yes, the herniation is BIG”, my bladder is affected and my left leg is weaker than my right.  He was a lot less gung-ho about surgery than everyone else.  So, two chiros, 4 MDs all thought surgery was inevitable.  He has a different opinion and wants to try a couple of other things first.  Also, he’s the only one who’s had a herniated disc of the doctors I’ve talked to, and he didn’t have surgery.  Ironic, no?  So, I got a prescription for Lyrica - it’s a newish drug that is supposed to help with nerve pain.  Also, as a bonus, they’ve used it on fibromyalgia patients with some success.  Perhaps this could be my total pain cure.  I got a free seven day trial, taking two 75 mg capsules a day.  I took my first one when I got home and I feel pretty good.  My pain level is decent, although I feel kinda stoned like when I took the Medrol Dosepak.  But, we don’t have to go anywhere tomorrow and I read on a message board that the stoned side effects disappear after a couple of days.  I’m cautiously optimistic.

You know that lumbar injection that I was doing everything in my power to avoid?  It’s apparently unavoidable.  I’ll be getting the injection sometime next week.  They’re even going to give me Versed, so I won’t be able to drive home.  Luckily, at least this guy’s office (unlike the aforementioned Dr. Outlaw) isn’t far from the house.  Transportation should be easy to take care of.

If the injection and meds don’t work, then they’ll schedule surgery.  He said he’s all booked up until February, but that if I really needed the surgery, he’d find a way to squeeze me in in December.  He said lots of people get sick in December and cancel their surgeries, plus mine is only a thirty minute surgery, so it’s easy to fit in.  While I liked the first surgeon that I went to, I really really like this guy.  Smart, quick, a good sense of humor, confident and a well-run office...with, of course, those awesome chairs.  Seriously, if your surgeon is going to take more than ten minutes to get you in, they should have chairs that are comfortable for people who are in pain or have recently had surgery.  It seems only natural.  Also, when I talked to the nurse from the first surgeon’s office about cancelling my appointment tomorrow, I told her about the Lyrica prescription and she’d never heard of the drug.  I want the doctor’s office to be aware of every med possible to prevent nerve pain.  Dr. FancyPants seems very cutting-edge.  Perhaps someday I’ll change these entries and put his real name in, so future patients of his doing searches will be able to read some opinions from a patient, rather than just reading about his fantastic credentials.

I’m not thrilled about getting the injection, but it seems to be a requirement before anyone will do surgery.  Intellectually, I understand that it’s best to try every conservative treatment possible before cutting me open, but I still don’t want it.  On the other hand, if it helps, I’ll attempt to take back all of my whining about it.

evening

R.I.P - Satchel, President of the Philippines

Your sage advice will be missed.

I’m sorry, Celine. :(

Monday, November 07, 2005

early evening

Tuesday - The Day It All Gets Decided

Tomorrow, I see the “fancy pants” orthopedic surgeon.  If you’d seen his CV, you know why we called him fancy pants.  He’s taught, taken seminars, studied, etc., all over the world.  Okay, all of the really fabulous places you’d want to see in the world, if you were a doctor studying or teaching:  Switzerland; Spain; Montreal; Waikoloa, Hawaii; Boston; Miami, New York; San Francisco; Holland; Santa Fe; Italy; Venezuela; Japan; South Africa, et al.  And this CV I ran across is five years old.  By now, he’s probably hit every point on the globe.  Although, come to think of it, is there any time for surgery?  So, tomorrow we hit the waiting room of zero gravity chairs and vending machines.  I imagine I’ll get an idea of how quickly this will progress.  Every single person seems to believe I need surgery, that it’s just a matter of when.  I’d like for it to happen soon.  My insurance is kinda cruddy and well, I’ve already paid my deductible for the year, just in the past three weeks.  I’d rather not put off surgery until January, just so I can pay my deductible again...and sit and wait for the pain to get worse again.  It feels like I’m living on the edge, knowing that moving slightly in the wrong direction or just sitting in my computer chair, can bring the horrible pain back.

So, tomorrow, my goal is to find out what kind of surgery he does (I want the MetRx System), how quickly he can safely get me out of the hospital, if his opinion is the same as everyone else’s.  Plus, I want to know if I’ll be required to get the lumbar injection before I’m allowed to have surgery.  To me, it seems like a waste of time and money.  Yes, I could get some relief from it, but no, no one thinks it’ll fix me.  If it won’t fix me, I don’t see the point. 

After I see Dr. Fancy Pants, then I’ll call my chiro to discuss the issue with him.  I also have an appointment with the first surgeon on Wednesday.  Oh boy, what a fun week.

Friday, November 04, 2005

late evening

I Like Chocolate Again - Thank You, MoonandSun

I received my chocolate goodie box from Kimberly yesterday, but was neglectful in thanking her right away.  My mother would be ashamed.  However, right now Leigh-Ann and I are drinking the delicious Torani Ultimate Dark Drinking Chocolate that she sent.  It’s fabulous!  It’s like a Chantico from Starbucks, only I got to read the paper while Leigh-Ann made it, instead of having to leave the house. I see it isn’t on MoonandStars website yet, but I’m guessing that she can hook you up.  The stuff is seriously amazing and easy to make.  Just mix the powder and milk, then steam.  It’s even easier if you get your partner to do it.  It comes in four flavors, so sayeth the Torani website:
Triple Chocolate is rich, velvety and perfectly balanced with tiny morsels of milk chocolate, dark chocolate and ultimate dark chocolate.
Ultimate Dark is for true dark chocolate aficionados with an intense cocoa content of 79 percent. (intense *and* very tasty sayeth Leigh-Ann & Flippy)
Dulce de Leche is inspired by the revered South American confection and is made with authentic white chocolate pieces and natural caramel; it is silky and sweet.
German Chocolate Cake lets you sip down the combination of real milk chocolate, creamy caramel and coconut.