2/28/2005
Here are the boys...
Since I often mention my sons I thought I would throw some pictures of them up.
Let me tell you about my boys...
My 2 year old has to be one of the funniest kids I know. Every day he brings another smile to my face with his antics and of course with his just being so adorable.
One of his favorite snacks is "fish" which of course is Goldfish crackers and he will walk around the house with them in his little cup munching on them. Well today we were watching TV and there was something on about fish and how goldfish like to swim. Well......he decided that he wanted to see goldfish swim and he unloaded the entire cup of them in to the dogs water.
Have you ever seen what happens to these things when they absorb water? They bloat to about the size of quarter and are just nasty. Now imagine a whole bunch of them in the dog dish just soaking up all that water. As I am standing there trying not to laugh and explain to my son that this is not what we do with our food the dog comes along, looks up at me and then proceeds to eat all the goldfish out of the waterbowl. I tried my best to not laugh as this would just provoke my son and God only knows what I might find in the bowl tomorrow but that was a worthless effort. Before I knew it I was laughing my butt off which my son found amusing so he started in too. Of course the dog was to busy eating soggy Goldfish to worry about what we were doing.
Having kids has been one of the greatest and most rewarding experiences I can think of. Watching them grow and their little minds work is amazing. I have 2 boys (2 & 11) and even my older son is still amazing me with what he knows (as well with what he pretends to forget, like the trash, his room...) and learns. They are like those Goldfish crackers, they soak up everything around them.
One thing that I am ecstatic about is that my oldest loves to be the big brother and my youngest adores him. He wants to be anywhere the older one is at, if he is doing his homework my youngest is at the table with him. If he is watching TV then he is right beside him on the couch. In the morning the first thing he does is wake up my wife and then bug her to let him go wake up his brother, and his brother loves that too. It is very cute the way they interact with each other.
One of his favorite snacks is "fish" which of course is Goldfish crackers and he will walk around the house with them in his little cup munching on them. Well today we were watching TV and there was something on about fish and how goldfish like to swim. Well......he decided that he wanted to see goldfish swim and he unloaded the entire cup of them in to the dogs water.
Have you ever seen what happens to these things when they absorb water? They bloat to about the size of quarter and are just nasty. Now imagine a whole bunch of them in the dog dish just soaking up all that water. As I am standing there trying not to laugh and explain to my son that this is not what we do with our food the dog comes along, looks up at me and then proceeds to eat all the goldfish out of the waterbowl. I tried my best to not laugh as this would just provoke my son and God only knows what I might find in the bowl tomorrow but that was a worthless effort. Before I knew it I was laughing my butt off which my son found amusing so he started in too. Of course the dog was to busy eating soggy Goldfish to worry about what we were doing.
Having kids has been one of the greatest and most rewarding experiences I can think of. Watching them grow and their little minds work is amazing. I have 2 boys (2 & 11) and even my older son is still amazing me with what he knows (as well with what he pretends to forget, like the trash, his room...) and learns. They are like those Goldfish crackers, they soak up everything around them.
One thing that I am ecstatic about is that my oldest loves to be the big brother and my youngest adores him. He wants to be anywhere the older one is at, if he is doing his homework my youngest is at the table with him. If he is watching TV then he is right beside him on the couch. In the morning the first thing he does is wake up my wife and then bug her to let him go wake up his brother, and his brother loves that too. It is very cute the way they interact with each other.
So what happens in 20 years?
It is cold outside today. I want to know what happened to the awesome mid 60's we had all weekend? This cold spell is making my shoulders, hips, knees and back hurt. The grinding pain that only arthritis can bring to someone. Who ever thought that at 34 years old I would sound and feel like someone well in to their 80's?
I always wondered what I would be like as I got older. Would I be the crazy guy who sits in the window? Or how about the nut job that for some reason always occupies the corner lot? You know, the one that chases off the kids after school so on Halloween they light the bag of dog's doo on his porch or TP his house... Would I be the guy in line at the grocery store fighting off the need for someone to help him with the groceries, even though he should probably not be out by himself?
Every day that I feel a new pain I wonder how my life will be 20 years down the road. I try not to think of it in a negative way but since I need to plan for those things now some of the thoughts can seem like it. I am looking at policies for longterm care for myself. I will not buy one yet as I want to see what Social Security decides because if I am approved they have some riders that I can add to the medical portion that will provide long term care.
It is not that I do not want to be a burden on someone, it is so that I can make sure that I can afford the proper care so my wife and I can live our own lives and not intrude on our children. I have no doubt that my children would want to help it is that I want them to be able to do their own thing and not have to worry about us. They have the right to live their lives without having us intruding, if that makes sense. A good long term care policy with the right clauses should allow for me to have space in an assisted living community or in home care if I should need it. Since there is no way to predict what might happen I figure it is just safe to have a policy like that. I want to insure that my family will be able to maintain their independence, both my children and my wife and I.
I always wondered what I would be like as I got older. Would I be the crazy guy who sits in the window? Or how about the nut job that for some reason always occupies the corner lot? You know, the one that chases off the kids after school so on Halloween they light the bag of dog's doo on his porch or TP his house... Would I be the guy in line at the grocery store fighting off the need for someone to help him with the groceries, even though he should probably not be out by himself?
Every day that I feel a new pain I wonder how my life will be 20 years down the road. I try not to think of it in a negative way but since I need to plan for those things now some of the thoughts can seem like it. I am looking at policies for longterm care for myself. I will not buy one yet as I want to see what Social Security decides because if I am approved they have some riders that I can add to the medical portion that will provide long term care.
It is not that I do not want to be a burden on someone, it is so that I can make sure that I can afford the proper care so my wife and I can live our own lives and not intrude on our children. I have no doubt that my children would want to help it is that I want them to be able to do their own thing and not have to worry about us. They have the right to live their lives without having us intruding, if that makes sense. A good long term care policy with the right clauses should allow for me to have space in an assisted living community or in home care if I should need it. Since there is no way to predict what might happen I figure it is just safe to have a policy like that. I want to insure that my family will be able to maintain their independence, both my children and my wife and I.
These freaking shoulders...
My shoulders hurt so badly last night that they woke me several times. One time I remember wincing in pain, it just hurts so much that no position is comfortable and I can find no link between this and the arachnoiditis so I am stumped.
The only way to describe the pain is like I have done before, almost like if you have slept on your side to long and your muscles become stiff from being in one position to long. It is both sides, the right more so then the left however, and the meds do not seem to have any effect on it. My wife has told me to call my primary car doc but I have held off. I am tired of having to pay the co-pay to see my doctor every third day for a new symptom, it is starting to get expensive. Since I will be seeing the pain doc in a week and change I will just wait until then and talk to him about it.
All the snow they called for turned out to be a light drizzle. You have to hand it to the meteorologists, they get paid whether they are right or wrong. My wife studied atmospheric science in College, so naturally we are glued to the weather channel quite often.
The only way to describe the pain is like I have done before, almost like if you have slept on your side to long and your muscles become stiff from being in one position to long. It is both sides, the right more so then the left however, and the meds do not seem to have any effect on it. My wife has told me to call my primary car doc but I have held off. I am tired of having to pay the co-pay to see my doctor every third day for a new symptom, it is starting to get expensive. Since I will be seeing the pain doc in a week and change I will just wait until then and talk to him about it.
All the snow they called for turned out to be a light drizzle. You have to hand it to the meteorologists, they get paid whether they are right or wrong. My wife studied atmospheric science in College, so naturally we are glued to the weather channel quite often.
2/27/2005
Bread anyone?
Well it is Sunday morning and my sons friend is still here with no idea of when or even if they plan on picking him up.
My shoulders are still quite sore and I am stumped as to what may be causing the pain. I did have 5 stellate ganglion blocks at the C-6, which would be one of the nerve roots involved in the area that hurts, but I have not found anything that links the blocks to arachnoiditis.
What I was thinking is that if there is a link to arachnoiditis is it possible to develop it at 2 separate sites in the spine. One would be at the L5/S1 and the other would be between the C5/C6 with the lumbar site causing pain in the lower back and the cervical spine location being the cause of the shoulder pain.
It has not gotten much worse over the last few days but it is enough for me to notice it and have it keep me from sleeping comfortably. I thought maybe trying to sleep in the recliner would help alleviate some of the pressure on the shoulders. It did have some effect and I was able to catch some Z's it eventually woke me up when I tried to sleep on my side.
When I see the doctor again I will ask him. I have an appointment in 3 weeks for him to go over the results from the EMG, some of which I already found out. When the doctor was running the test he did tell me that the nerves from the S1 were showing limed response. Whether that means it is damaged from the earlier spondy or from the arachnoiditis he could not say. While I am not a fan of the MRI I would guess that between his findings on the EMG and the pain in the shoulders that they will most likely want to perform another one to confirm what is going on.
Even though this morning I am a bit sore I am in a good mood. The nice weather of the last few days has ended and they are calling for some snow tomorrow but I am still feeling good. I thought that maybe later on I might bake some bread or some cookies. If I make the bread I was thinking about 4 loaves of wheat bread for sandwiches, 2 loaves of Italian bread for garlic toast and maybe a loaf of Challah Bread, just because it is so good.
It is not as much as it sounds really. I received a kitchen aide mixer for Christmas a few years ago and it has a dough hook. It makes the process so much quicker, so I can crank out a good deal of dough in about an hour. While it is something that is "fun" to do it is also much cheaper then buying it. I can make the 4 loaves of wheat or even just white bread for the cost of 1 store bought loaf. It is amazing how much they charge for it now, a loaf of Wonder Sandwich bread is $2.79 here and specialty breads? Forget about it, they can be $6 or more even from the mom and pop bakery in town. Of course there is also the fact that my bread has nothing extra in it, no preservatives or any other garbage and my son loves it. If I bake once or twice a month and freeze the extras it is enough to last us several weeks.
I have to say that there is nothing better or more satisfying then having some pasta with homemade garlic bread! The next thing I want to get and learn is an ice cream maker. I love ice cream but again, it is expensive and I am sure making it home is not only better for you but cheaper.
I guess I have always been an artisan but never knew it until I got the job in the brewery. My folks opened a bed and breakfast when dad retired from the military and they had an "industrial kitchen" where you could usual find me cooking something up. Since I was a kid I loved to cook and still do. The brewing job just made me realize that there is much more out there then what you can buy in a grocery store. After hitting all the "gourmet" food stores like Wild Oats and Whole Foods I realized that I could make all the stuff we were buying and I could make it just as tasty if not better.
I have also made my own cheeses before but that is one craft that can actually be more expensive then buying it. Some of the items that are needed to make it are quite expensive as well it can be time consuming. I do however like to make my own mozzarella, there is nothing better for pizza margarita. Of course I also grow my own herbs too so that when I make my pizza it us on a crust that I made, topped with a homemade pizza sauce, homemade cheese and homegrown basil.
My kitchen aide also has a sausage attachment so one of these days maybe I will put it and the meat grinder to use.
I guess what I am really trying to say is that being in the kitchen can be fun, healthy and save you tons of money.
My shoulders are still quite sore and I am stumped as to what may be causing the pain. I did have 5 stellate ganglion blocks at the C-6, which would be one of the nerve roots involved in the area that hurts, but I have not found anything that links the blocks to arachnoiditis.
What I was thinking is that if there is a link to arachnoiditis is it possible to develop it at 2 separate sites in the spine. One would be at the L5/S1 and the other would be between the C5/C6 with the lumbar site causing pain in the lower back and the cervical spine location being the cause of the shoulder pain.
It has not gotten much worse over the last few days but it is enough for me to notice it and have it keep me from sleeping comfortably. I thought maybe trying to sleep in the recliner would help alleviate some of the pressure on the shoulders. It did have some effect and I was able to catch some Z's it eventually woke me up when I tried to sleep on my side.
When I see the doctor again I will ask him. I have an appointment in 3 weeks for him to go over the results from the EMG, some of which I already found out. When the doctor was running the test he did tell me that the nerves from the S1 were showing limed response. Whether that means it is damaged from the earlier spondy or from the arachnoiditis he could not say. While I am not a fan of the MRI I would guess that between his findings on the EMG and the pain in the shoulders that they will most likely want to perform another one to confirm what is going on.
Even though this morning I am a bit sore I am in a good mood. The nice weather of the last few days has ended and they are calling for some snow tomorrow but I am still feeling good. I thought that maybe later on I might bake some bread or some cookies. If I make the bread I was thinking about 4 loaves of wheat bread for sandwiches, 2 loaves of Italian bread for garlic toast and maybe a loaf of Challah Bread, just because it is so good.
It is not as much as it sounds really. I received a kitchen aide mixer for Christmas a few years ago and it has a dough hook. It makes the process so much quicker, so I can crank out a good deal of dough in about an hour. While it is something that is "fun" to do it is also much cheaper then buying it. I can make the 4 loaves of wheat or even just white bread for the cost of 1 store bought loaf. It is amazing how much they charge for it now, a loaf of Wonder Sandwich bread is $2.79 here and specialty breads? Forget about it, they can be $6 or more even from the mom and pop bakery in town. Of course there is also the fact that my bread has nothing extra in it, no preservatives or any other garbage and my son loves it. If I bake once or twice a month and freeze the extras it is enough to last us several weeks.
I have to say that there is nothing better or more satisfying then having some pasta with homemade garlic bread! The next thing I want to get and learn is an ice cream maker. I love ice cream but again, it is expensive and I am sure making it home is not only better for you but cheaper.
I guess I have always been an artisan but never knew it until I got the job in the brewery. My folks opened a bed and breakfast when dad retired from the military and they had an "industrial kitchen" where you could usual find me cooking something up. Since I was a kid I loved to cook and still do. The brewing job just made me realize that there is much more out there then what you can buy in a grocery store. After hitting all the "gourmet" food stores like Wild Oats and Whole Foods I realized that I could make all the stuff we were buying and I could make it just as tasty if not better.
I have also made my own cheeses before but that is one craft that can actually be more expensive then buying it. Some of the items that are needed to make it are quite expensive as well it can be time consuming. I do however like to make my own mozzarella, there is nothing better for pizza margarita. Of course I also grow my own herbs too so that when I make my pizza it us on a crust that I made, topped with a homemade pizza sauce, homemade cheese and homegrown basil.
My kitchen aide also has a sausage attachment so one of these days maybe I will put it and the meat grinder to use.
I guess what I am really trying to say is that being in the kitchen can be fun, healthy and save you tons of money.
2/26/2005
It boggles the mind...
If you allowed your child to spend the night at someone else's house and told the parent you would be by to pick him up at about 2pm, would you be there at 2pm?
If you are going to be late do you call them and let them know what is going on?
Some people are truly amazing in their lack of concern for their children's welfare. My sons friend spent Friday night with us and was supposed to be picked up at about 2pm today. Here it is 9pm and no call, no email nothing. It boggles the mind and makes you really wonder what is going on.
I do not care how trustworthy someone might be, when my son spends the night I am there at the time we agree on as I have things to do and I am sure that they also would like to get on about their day.
Sadly this has happened with them before and no matter how many times we discuss this before the weekend, they end up doing the same thing. We just plan on it as a part of the deal now, even though we should not have to, because the boys really do enjoy hanging out together.
If you are going to be late do you call them and let them know what is going on?
Some people are truly amazing in their lack of concern for their children's welfare. My sons friend spent Friday night with us and was supposed to be picked up at about 2pm today. Here it is 9pm and no call, no email nothing. It boggles the mind and makes you really wonder what is going on.
I do not care how trustworthy someone might be, when my son spends the night I am there at the time we agree on as I have things to do and I am sure that they also would like to get on about their day.
Sadly this has happened with them before and no matter how many times we discuss this before the weekend, they end up doing the same thing. We just plan on it as a part of the deal now, even though we should not have to, because the boys really do enjoy hanging out together.
I can handle this...
This was a very nice day outside. I would say we got in to the mid-60's and sunny which of course meant we all got outside. I sat mostly on the deck and watched the boys run around as well as got some good video of all of them just playing. Then I come inside to get dinner ready for the boys and listen to the weather report, tomorrow is going to be cool and then Monday freezing rain turning in to snow. That's the Midwest for you, if you don't like the weather just wait a few minutes.
I also got a nice surprise, the new neighbors next door are proving more and more everyday to be very nice people. They have taken a house that I was worried would be bought by someone who would not fix it as it needed about $40K in repairs. It used to be a rental and it was run down over the years and then sold this summer. We had some problems with the owner after a storm left about $10K damage to my house and my other neighbor after his tree feel across both our houses. Long story short he approached us and offered to fix the damage but as soon as we both filed claims he changed his tune. In the end we got our houses fixed and he paid for it.
The new neighbor had a tree service out there all day yesterday and today cutting down dead trees and fixing the yard up. It looks good now and we will actually get some nice evening sun from that side again. He will also be able to grow some grass in his backyard that has been nothing but a giant mudfield and would attract mosquito's.
While they were cutting down the trees one of the giant pieces fell on top of his brand new roofing job and not ten minutes later they dropped one on my fence. I had to laugh, this was the same fence that was destroyed last July during the micro-burst. I was sitting in the house laughing as I had just gone out and asked the guy running the crew if they had insurance since they were actually on my side of the fence cutting down his tree. The foreman sounded offended but after they busted the garage and fence he was laughing his butt off.
He told me he would be back this morning to fix the fence and remove the tree pieces from the yard but I was skeptical. It was a nice surprise to come down stairs at a bout 8am and they were out there fixing the fence and cleaning the yard. Very cool I thought. I am not normally that skeptical but after all the problems and scams that were pulled in my neighborhood after last July's storm you have to really be careful of who is working in your area.
The neighbor and I had a good conversation as well. He knows that my back is messed up and offered to give me a hand getting some of the other stuff loaded in to the pickup truck and down to the brush yard the city runs. Very cool, not like the last neighbor who never came out, had tinfoil over the windows and played the drums at 3am. Now we are back to a normal Midwestern neighborhood where the neighbors all know each other and are cool. Not quite the Ozzie & Harriet of some places, which is fine, but close enough that you know when you are out someone is watching the area.
I also got a nice surprise, the new neighbors next door are proving more and more everyday to be very nice people. They have taken a house that I was worried would be bought by someone who would not fix it as it needed about $40K in repairs. It used to be a rental and it was run down over the years and then sold this summer. We had some problems with the owner after a storm left about $10K damage to my house and my other neighbor after his tree feel across both our houses. Long story short he approached us and offered to fix the damage but as soon as we both filed claims he changed his tune. In the end we got our houses fixed and he paid for it.
The new neighbor had a tree service out there all day yesterday and today cutting down dead trees and fixing the yard up. It looks good now and we will actually get some nice evening sun from that side again. He will also be able to grow some grass in his backyard that has been nothing but a giant mudfield and would attract mosquito's.
While they were cutting down the trees one of the giant pieces fell on top of his brand new roofing job and not ten minutes later they dropped one on my fence. I had to laugh, this was the same fence that was destroyed last July during the micro-burst. I was sitting in the house laughing as I had just gone out and asked the guy running the crew if they had insurance since they were actually on my side of the fence cutting down his tree. The foreman sounded offended but after they busted the garage and fence he was laughing his butt off.
He told me he would be back this morning to fix the fence and remove the tree pieces from the yard but I was skeptical. It was a nice surprise to come down stairs at a bout 8am and they were out there fixing the fence and cleaning the yard. Very cool I thought. I am not normally that skeptical but after all the problems and scams that were pulled in my neighborhood after last July's storm you have to really be careful of who is working in your area.
The neighbor and I had a good conversation as well. He knows that my back is messed up and offered to give me a hand getting some of the other stuff loaded in to the pickup truck and down to the brush yard the city runs. Very cool, not like the last neighbor who never came out, had tinfoil over the windows and played the drums at 3am. Now we are back to a normal Midwestern neighborhood where the neighbors all know each other and are cool. Not quite the Ozzie & Harriet of some places, which is fine, but close enough that you know when you are out someone is watching the area.
Sony brings a whole new meaning to couch potato...
OK, this is just what some of those overweight couch potatoes need. Now you can play your game and order pizza without having to get up from the computer.
This is indeed sad, as our country becomes increasingly overweight the very same people who are wondering why will be lining up to buy this and many other games. The games that have kept kids from going outside and playing will not encourage them to go ahead and order that double meat lovers pizza.
Story here
This is indeed sad, as our country becomes increasingly overweight the very same people who are wondering why will be lining up to buy this and many other games. The games that have kept kids from going outside and playing will not encourage them to go ahead and order that double meat lovers pizza.
Story here
NEW YORK - Demonstrating a deep understanding of what its computer-gaming audience, Sony has built the ability to order pizza into its latest online multiplayer game.
Type the command "/pizza" while playing Everquest II, a fantasy game with 330,000 active players, and get the Pizza Hut Web site, where you can place orders for delivery.
Chris Kramer, spokesman for Sony Online Entertainment, said he believes this is the first time a game accepts orders for real-world items.
Sony plans to integrate the pizza function more tightly into the game, so players can charge pizza to their monthly game subscription bill.
"The goal for the future is to eventually let people do more things like this," Kramer said. "They could type /harry potter and get the new Harry Potter (news - web sites) book delivered or /star wars and get the new Star Wars DVD."
Many games incorporate ads and product placements, but such opportunities are limited with fantasy games like Everquest.
Though the new pizza feature might satisfy appetites, caution is required as the game doesn't pause while you're ordering.
"You wouldn't want to order pizza in the thick of combat, but anywhere that's safe is a good place," said Kramer.
Lazy days of winter..
The lower back and legs feel good this morning, maybe just a slight burning that I notice right after I get up. My shoulders though still feel like I have been sleeping on them wrong. This morning they are so sore that I contemplated not blogging until later. Since this has been going on for more then I would think is a normal pulled muscle all I can think is that this is somehow related to the arachnoiditis.
It looks like this summer my family will be having a reunion. Since my most of my family lives on the East coast I believe they are planning to have it somewhere along the coast. In fact my family is the only one that lives West of Pennsylvania. I am looking forward to seeing everyone as it has been 6 years since we were all together and that was for my sisters wedding. Of course my brother and I were both married the following years (99 & 00) so no one came out for ours... It's ok, mine was a small ceremony at my parents Bed & Breakfast.
Not much on the agenda for today, maybe some boob tube and working on some more flash projects. I am getting the hang of it but I for some reason have problems with the size of the presentations. Even though I select the size when I am starting the project when I export the .swf and play it in the browser it takes up the whole thing and is obviously distorted. If anyone has a tip or any pointers I am open ears.
It looks like this summer my family will be having a reunion. Since my most of my family lives on the East coast I believe they are planning to have it somewhere along the coast. In fact my family is the only one that lives West of Pennsylvania. I am looking forward to seeing everyone as it has been 6 years since we were all together and that was for my sisters wedding. Of course my brother and I were both married the following years (99 & 00) so no one came out for ours... It's ok, mine was a small ceremony at my parents Bed & Breakfast.
Not much on the agenda for today, maybe some boob tube and working on some more flash projects. I am getting the hang of it but I for some reason have problems with the size of the presentations. Even though I select the size when I am starting the project when I export the .swf and play it in the browser it takes up the whole thing and is obviously distorted. If anyone has a tip or any pointers I am open ears.
2/25/2005
FDA corruption and U.S. drug racket
Following the death of as many as 60,000 Americans from COX-2 inhibitors (source: British Medical Journal, author Dr. David Graham, FDA drug safety researcher), an FDA advisory panel has now voted to allow the drugs to return to the market with full FDA safety approval. The fact that a single COX-2 drug has reportedly killed more Americans than the entire Vietnam War is apparently not sufficient for the FDA to characterize it as unsafe.
Hard to believe that they would allow a drug that has killed 60,000 people back on the market. I guess money speaks much louder then we thought.
And yet there is more...
It looks like the group that uncovered the conflicts of interest, The Center for Science in the Public Interest, found even more then the 10.
Click on the above link to see all the people on the board who have or had a connection to the companies in one way or another. While some did receive fees as consultants or speakers others received grants from these companies to conduct research.
While some of the links are deemed to be old and perhaps irrelevant, it still is bothersome that this many people have or had an interest in these companies.
Click on the above link to see all the people on the board who have or had a connection to the companies in one way or another. While some did receive fees as consultants or speakers others received grants from these companies to conduct research.
While some of the links are deemed to be old and perhaps irrelevant, it still is bothersome that this many people have or had an interest in these companies.
Who the hell is this guy?
Well this article from CNN explains it a little better.
The panel is apparently an advisory panel to the FDA, however I still believe that should not be allowed to have a monetary tie to any of the companies in which they will be recommending actions to the FDA.
Of course all this article really does is let us know that at least one of the panel members apparently think we do not understand much if anything with his quote of, "People worry about crime and then drive drunk," he said indicating they don't really understand relative risks. Amazingly this is attributed to the chairman of the panel Alistair J.J. Wood who is an Associate Dean at Vanderbilt University. Of course you have to also know that here he admits that the drugs are all known to cause heart trouble and that Vioxx is worse then the others, yet they sent a recommendation that they be allowed to return to the market place.
So basically he is calling people stupid? Do you not just love it when one of the countries educators at a top school makes an asinine comment like this? Does he really think that everyone else in the country are a bunch of uneducated drunks? That we are incapable of making important decisions for ourselves or understanding risks when it comes to medications that we take?
Then there are the extra warnings on the label. They are nice but are they really doing any good? Since this is a prescription drug will the doctors still be writing those prescriptions in the numbers they have been? You can't just walk up to the pharmacy counter and buy this stuff, so what does it matter what the warning label says? This is now a case of having to educate the doctors on the problems with this medication and getting them new alternatives for the people who can no longer take this medication.
People like the associate dean are a classic example of those who think along class lines. That only people who have a higher education or are within a certain level of society are capable of making decisions as basic as what medications may or may not be harmful for us. It is simple jackass, don't talk down to the people try talking to them. You want them to understand the possible problems that a medication may present then start with educating the doctors, you broadcast public service announcements but do not put the medications back on the market without these precautions and then call the people stupid because they do not know about the hazards.
The panel is apparently an advisory panel to the FDA, however I still believe that should not be allowed to have a monetary tie to any of the companies in which they will be recommending actions to the FDA.
Of course all this article really does is let us know that at least one of the panel members apparently think we do not understand much if anything with his quote of, "People worry about crime and then drive drunk," he said indicating they don't really understand relative risks. Amazingly this is attributed to the chairman of the panel Alistair J.J. Wood who is an Associate Dean at Vanderbilt University. Of course you have to also know that here he admits that the drugs are all known to cause heart trouble and that Vioxx is worse then the others, yet they sent a recommendation that they be allowed to return to the market place.
So basically he is calling people stupid? Do you not just love it when one of the countries educators at a top school makes an asinine comment like this? Does he really think that everyone else in the country are a bunch of uneducated drunks? That we are incapable of making important decisions for ourselves or understanding risks when it comes to medications that we take?
Then there are the extra warnings on the label. They are nice but are they really doing any good? Since this is a prescription drug will the doctors still be writing those prescriptions in the numbers they have been? You can't just walk up to the pharmacy counter and buy this stuff, so what does it matter what the warning label says? This is now a case of having to educate the doctors on the problems with this medication and getting them new alternatives for the people who can no longer take this medication.
People like the associate dean are a classic example of those who think along class lines. That only people who have a higher education or are within a certain level of society are capable of making decisions as basic as what medications may or may not be harmful for us. It is simple jackass, don't talk down to the people try talking to them. You want them to understand the possible problems that a medication may present then start with educating the doctors, you broadcast public service announcements but do not put the medications back on the market without these precautions and then call the people stupid because they do not know about the hazards.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The popular painkillers Celebrex, Bextra and Vioxx all pose a risk of heart trouble, but should be available to those who need them, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.
The panel strongly favored keeping Celebrex on the market, split over Bextra and favored Vioxx -- which is currently not on sale -- by a vote of just 17-16.
"The data is very compelling," Vioxx is substantially worse than the others, meeting chairman Alistair J.J. Wood of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine said.
The panelists voted 31-1 to keep Celebrex on sale and, after a revote, favored Bextra 17-13 with two abstaining.
The FDA is not required to follow the recommendations of the panel, but generally does so.
At the opening of the three-day meeting, FDA officials promised a prompt response to the panel's suggestions, which it requested after studies began showing problems with the drugs.
The panelists were unanimous in saying the drugs, known as Cox-2 inhibitors, pose risks of heart trouble. Studies of Bextra were limited, but showed a greater risk than Celebrex, the committee noted.
The advisers suggested restrictions on the drugs such as placing a severe "black box" warning on them, including more patient information with the drugs, restricting which patients could get the drugs and possibly banning direct-to-consumer advertising for the products.
Meeting Chairman Alistair J.J. Wood of Vanderbilt University Medical School said it is important to find some way to help the public better understand the nature of risk.
"People worry about crime and then drive drunk," he said, indicating they don't really understand relative risks.
Dr. Steven Nissen, medical director of the heart center at the Cleveland Clinic said "What we really want is to make sure it's available for patients that need it and is unavailable to patients who whom it's inappropriate."
The FDA's arthritis and drug safety advisory committees, concluding three days of meetings to assess the risks of three popular painkillers called Cox-2 inhibitors, were to address Vioxx and Bextra later in the day. All three drugs have been approved for sale by the government.
The advisers also were set to frame recommendations to the FDA about whether further testing is needed for the drugs and any special warnings or limits placed on them.
"We need to find the unique patients that will benefit from this drug and work out what they need to be told," said Wood.
The committees were asked to assess the drugs after Merck & Co. pulled Vioxx from the market last fall because of health concerns. Since then questions have been raised about Bextra and Celebrex, both made by Pfizer Inc.
The excess risk from Celebrex varied in different studies and the panel didn't seek to determine just how much more hazard a user faces than someone on another drug.
However, the panel was told that no cardiovascular problems were seen at the normal prescription dose of 200 milligrams. Heart trouble began to appear in colon polyp study patients who took 400 milligrams.
Merck stock shot up nearly 12 percent in the minutes following the announcement, increasing $3.35 to $32.20 per share in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Pfizer shares rose $1.39, or 5.6 percent, to $26.45 on the NYSE.
Earlier in the meeting, Wood said the safety problems reported in connection with Cox-2 inhibitors exceed those of products that have been withdrawn from the market.
However, since the side effect involving heart attacks, irregular heartbeat and stroke is a relatively common problem, that makes it harder to pin it to the drugs than if it were a rare side effect.
Dr. Peter S. Kim, president of Merck Research Laboratories, had told the FDA committees earlier that new studies indicated the side effects aren't unique to its product.
"There are unique benefits to Vioxx," he said. "The science has progressed and we need to take that science into consideration."
While the committees heard evidence that all drugs in the group can increase the risk of heart attacks, irregular heart beat and strokes, it noted that Vioxx seemed to have more such reports than the other drugs.
On the other hand, Kim said, Vioxx is the only one of the drugs approved for people with certain allergies and did better at preventing the stomach and intestinal problems often caused by over-the-counter painkillers.
Dr. Robert Temple, director of medical policy for the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, told the committees on Friday that "the idea of doing a large new study has weight."
"There are some data we'd all like to have, that we don't have," Temple said, including the blood pressure and other effects of the various drugs.
He said a new study might include more than just the Cox-2 drugs, possibly adding such widely used painkillers as ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac.
"My main point is that there is a very important need for more information on many of these drugs," Temple said.
Is the FDA on the take?
These kind of things piss me off. These people voted to line their own pockets, not based on how the drug might affect people or what problems it might cause. Note that the article shows that there are 10 members on the panel who have ties to the drug companies. You will also note that these 10 members swung the vote to keep the drugs on the market where without the votes it was 13-7 & 14-8 for withdrawing Bextra and Vioxx respectively. This is unacceptable!
I thought it was awfully quick as well as wrong to continue to allow these companies to manufacture and sell these drugs after the studies showing Vioxx links to strokes and heart attacks as well some of the other COX-2 inhibitors like Bextra and Celebrex were quickly allowed back on the market after the recall.
People who serve on these panels should not be allowed to have any ties like these to the industry and it would be better if they had no ties at all. How are we to expect that these people have the publics best interests in mind when they are voting on serious issues like these. Instead of asking how will these drugs affect the people that are taking them. No, instead they are worried about their speaking fees, consulting fees or whatever other fees they might be collecting from these companies. This is ridiculous.
Not only do we have to worry about the side effects of the drugs, we now have to worry if the agency set up to protect us from the greedy money grubbing pharmaceutical companies is on "the take."
Sorry, but I hate these companies and the control they seem to have over not only the price of the drugs because these companies are knee deep in congress's pocket, they know appear to have control of the regulatory agency set up to watch them.
Story Here
I thought it was awfully quick as well as wrong to continue to allow these companies to manufacture and sell these drugs after the studies showing Vioxx links to strokes and heart attacks as well some of the other COX-2 inhibitors like Bextra and Celebrex were quickly allowed back on the market after the recall.
People who serve on these panels should not be allowed to have any ties like these to the industry and it would be better if they had no ties at all. How are we to expect that these people have the publics best interests in mind when they are voting on serious issues like these. Instead of asking how will these drugs affect the people that are taking them. No, instead they are worried about their speaking fees, consulting fees or whatever other fees they might be collecting from these companies. This is ridiculous.
Not only do we have to worry about the side effects of the drugs, we now have to worry if the agency set up to protect us from the greedy money grubbing pharmaceutical companies is on "the take."
Sorry, but I hate these companies and the control they seem to have over not only the price of the drugs because these companies are knee deep in congress's pocket, they know appear to have control of the regulatory agency set up to watch them.
Story Here
WASHINGTON - Ten members of the Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) advisory panel who voted that a group of powerful pain killers should continue to be sold had ties to the drug makers, an advocacy group says.
A study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest indicates that 10 of the 32 panel members had ties to either Pfizer Inc. or Merck & Co., ranging from consulting fees and speaking honoraria to research support.
The FDA (news - web sites) issued a statement saying it screened members of the panel for conflicts of interest. "This transparent process requires the agency to carefully weigh any potential financial interest with the need for essential scientific expertise in order to protect and advance the public health," the agency said.
After three days of hearings on the drugs, known as Cox-2 inhibitors, the panel voted 31-1 to keep Pfizer's Celebrex on the market, 17-13 with 2 abstentions in favor of Pfizer's Bextra and 17-15 that Merck's Vioxx should be allowed back on sale.
Merck pulled Vioxx from the market Sept. 30 after heart problems were reported in some users. Similar questions were later raised about the other two drugs, prompting the FDA to call the advisory panel to look into the matter.
Since drug companies fund many studies it is not unusual for researchers to have ties to manufacturers, though some have questioned the practice.
The transcript, including the votes by the individual members of the panel, has not yet been posted by the FDA. However, a copy obtained by The Associated Press indicated that the 10 panel members in question voted 10-0 in favor of keeping Celebrex and Bextra available and 9-1 in favor of allowing Vioxx to be brought back onto the market.
Without those ballots the vote would have been 13-7 in favor of withdrawing Bextra and 14-8 to keep Vioxx off sale.
The industry ties of the panel members were first reported Friday by The New York Times.
Lamictal, another anti-seizure med...
While the one thing that the doctor did prescribe for me the other day was an anti-seizure medicine called Lamictal which is also used in cases like arachnoiditis.
I have taken some of the other anti-seizure meds with no luck so I am skeptical about this one as well. Especially after reading the warning labels and seeing that death from a skin infection is a side effect of this particular one. Things that make you go hmmm.
Anyway, I was not going to fill the prescription but I thought about it for a bit and realized that I needed to. While the other meds did not work before I figured that this might be the one that does. I also decided that while I would not get the epidurals, I would try some of the other methods I have not done before. For some reason it is more difficult to explain then it should be but basically I figured that if I do not try what the doctor orders then my insurance company may deny coverage if I go to a different doctor. I do not like it but we don't always get to have things our way.
Right now my back is a bit numb and the pain is definitely spreading to the right side. The burning is intense, especially on the left side but it is on the right side as well. There has also been a series of muscle spasms with the left leg that are new. They have not been to bad yet, and thankfully they have not been as frequent as the ones in the lower back.
This afternoon I received another form from the Social Security folks regarding the migraines I had last year that put me in the hospital. Thankfully I had blogged those events and was able to refer back to the entries to fill in the dates as well as what happened. The blog finally pays off, LOL!
All in all though I feel good today. My son is having a friend spend the night and my wife has returned to a normal work schedule, which means she now works all shifts so no more of this coming home at 3am after a long night of dealing with teenagers in the restaurant. I think she is happier to be back on this schedule as well it is a requirement if she would like to be promoted. She is on if not ahead of schedule to be an AGM and possibly have her own store within two or three years. It is also supposed to be nice and warm this weekend, I might be able to open the windows and air out the "winter" from the house.
I have taken some of the other anti-seizure meds with no luck so I am skeptical about this one as well. Especially after reading the warning labels and seeing that death from a skin infection is a side effect of this particular one. Things that make you go hmmm.
Anyway, I was not going to fill the prescription but I thought about it for a bit and realized that I needed to. While the other meds did not work before I figured that this might be the one that does. I also decided that while I would not get the epidurals, I would try some of the other methods I have not done before. For some reason it is more difficult to explain then it should be but basically I figured that if I do not try what the doctor orders then my insurance company may deny coverage if I go to a different doctor. I do not like it but we don't always get to have things our way.
Right now my back is a bit numb and the pain is definitely spreading to the right side. The burning is intense, especially on the left side but it is on the right side as well. There has also been a series of muscle spasms with the left leg that are new. They have not been to bad yet, and thankfully they have not been as frequent as the ones in the lower back.
This afternoon I received another form from the Social Security folks regarding the migraines I had last year that put me in the hospital. Thankfully I had blogged those events and was able to refer back to the entries to fill in the dates as well as what happened. The blog finally pays off, LOL!
All in all though I feel good today. My son is having a friend spend the night and my wife has returned to a normal work schedule, which means she now works all shifts so no more of this coming home at 3am after a long night of dealing with teenagers in the restaurant. I think she is happier to be back on this schedule as well it is a requirement if she would like to be promoted. She is on if not ahead of schedule to be an AGM and possibly have her own store within two or three years. It is also supposed to be nice and warm this weekend, I might be able to open the windows and air out the "winter" from the house.
So I have been banging my head on the wall for the last few weeks trying to get my email client to work.
Here is the story...
We use a database from Frontrange called Goldmine. Within the DB it has it's own email client which worked fine up until a few weeks ago. Out of the blue I could receive but not send email through the client. The error message we got was identical to one that is caused by a conflict with some anti-virus applications. The problem also did not happen until after I had updated the Norton Anti-Virus on both the PC and the laptop making us believe that was the problem.
We followed all the steps we have done previously when we had this problem but this time it did not work. I spent about a week scouring the net and calling tech support to no avail and finally decided that I should re-format and do a clean install of the OS and Goldmine. That turned in to a nightmare as re-formatting with XP Pro was not as easy as it should have been.
With that all done and Goldmine back in place I ran smack dab in to the same problem. This time we called a higher level of support and stumped them as well. So for the next few days I sat quietly playing keyboard commando looking for an answer.
This morning it popped up, finally. While it was not the exact problem or even the same software the port they were using was the same one I was using and having problems with. I called my ISP and asked them some questions and found the answer we had been looking for. My ISP is filtering out all emails that do not originate from their domain names. Since my email account is with a different service but going through my ISP they have been blocking me as spam.
Sad thing is the call lasted less then 3 minutes and even though I was babbling the lady knew exactly what I was talking about and had the answer instantly. No waiting on hold while she ran to get a cup of coffee, no being put on hold while she called someone else to get an answer, none of that. She gave me the URL to go to so I could opt out of the blocking and within a day or so someone will call to verify and I should be good to go.
Now that I look back at this I am laughing. I just spoke with my father (who owns the company) and he said that I offered that as a solution the second day we had this problem. D'oh! I had the answer in my hand.........
Here is the story...
We use a database from Frontrange called Goldmine. Within the DB it has it's own email client which worked fine up until a few weeks ago. Out of the blue I could receive but not send email through the client. The error message we got was identical to one that is caused by a conflict with some anti-virus applications. The problem also did not happen until after I had updated the Norton Anti-Virus on both the PC and the laptop making us believe that was the problem.
We followed all the steps we have done previously when we had this problem but this time it did not work. I spent about a week scouring the net and calling tech support to no avail and finally decided that I should re-format and do a clean install of the OS and Goldmine. That turned in to a nightmare as re-formatting with XP Pro was not as easy as it should have been.
With that all done and Goldmine back in place I ran smack dab in to the same problem. This time we called a higher level of support and stumped them as well. So for the next few days I sat quietly playing keyboard commando looking for an answer.
This morning it popped up, finally. While it was not the exact problem or even the same software the port they were using was the same one I was using and having problems with. I called my ISP and asked them some questions and found the answer we had been looking for. My ISP is filtering out all emails that do not originate from their domain names. Since my email account is with a different service but going through my ISP they have been blocking me as spam.
Sad thing is the call lasted less then 3 minutes and even though I was babbling the lady knew exactly what I was talking about and had the answer instantly. No waiting on hold while she ran to get a cup of coffee, no being put on hold while she called someone else to get an answer, none of that. She gave me the URL to go to so I could opt out of the blocking and within a day or so someone will call to verify and I should be good to go.
Now that I look back at this I am laughing. I just spoke with my father (who owns the company) and he said that I offered that as a solution the second day we had this problem. D'oh! I had the answer in my hand.........
2/24/2005
Good news!
I like it when I get the mail and there is something in there to lift your spirits.
Many of you know that the Social Security system in the U.S. can be a painful thing for someone who is applying for benefits, let alone someone who is disabled and doing this on their own.
I started this trek not to long ago and have done the whole thing so far on my own. I have filled out forms and tracked down information on my medical records and all the other little mox nix requirements they have. It is tedious and at times I wonder if they do not do this on purpose to weed out some of the people in the beginning.
I have done all they have asked and in a timely fashion and they have been more then pleasant, surprisingly. The letter I got today said that my case has been sent to a case manager who will evaluate all my information as well as my medical records and if need be make an appointment for me to see one of their doctors to verify my claims. That is all fine and dandy and I am more then willing to see their doctors to finish this process.
I would guess that it will take her a week or so to gather the rest of the medical records and then maybe a few more to get to my case and make a determination. I am hopeful that I will have an answer from them by the end of April and that it will be an approval.
Since I am younger then most I did not pay a lifetime in to the pool so if I were to collect any monetary benefits they would be at a reduced rate. I would however be able to collect a small amount for each of my sons until they are 18. What I am looking for is the medical side of the benefits as I would qualify for Medicare. With my wife's income I am certain that I would have to pay a premium, again I am willing to do that, but that also means that I will always have medical coverage. No more worrying about rate raises through the employer or being pre-existing and not having any coverage for 2 years. If I do collect any money for the boys I thought I might have that deposited in to a mutual fund in their names so they can have some money for college. Which is also another benefit for me, vocational rehab/training. While it is difficult for me to do any of my former professions (military or brewer) and I am not trained for anything else I am hoping to get in to one of their programs, preferably something on the HR side of the house. While getting a job due to my condition and meds is a stretch I figure with some new skills and the SSA behind me I should be able to get something down the road.
Anyway, I feel that the letter was good news. It brings us another step closer to getting a determination from the SSA.
Many of you know that the Social Security system in the U.S. can be a painful thing for someone who is applying for benefits, let alone someone who is disabled and doing this on their own.
I started this trek not to long ago and have done the whole thing so far on my own. I have filled out forms and tracked down information on my medical records and all the other little mox nix requirements they have. It is tedious and at times I wonder if they do not do this on purpose to weed out some of the people in the beginning.
I have done all they have asked and in a timely fashion and they have been more then pleasant, surprisingly. The letter I got today said that my case has been sent to a case manager who will evaluate all my information as well as my medical records and if need be make an appointment for me to see one of their doctors to verify my claims. That is all fine and dandy and I am more then willing to see their doctors to finish this process.
I would guess that it will take her a week or so to gather the rest of the medical records and then maybe a few more to get to my case and make a determination. I am hopeful that I will have an answer from them by the end of April and that it will be an approval.
Since I am younger then most I did not pay a lifetime in to the pool so if I were to collect any monetary benefits they would be at a reduced rate. I would however be able to collect a small amount for each of my sons until they are 18. What I am looking for is the medical side of the benefits as I would qualify for Medicare. With my wife's income I am certain that I would have to pay a premium, again I am willing to do that, but that also means that I will always have medical coverage. No more worrying about rate raises through the employer or being pre-existing and not having any coverage for 2 years. If I do collect any money for the boys I thought I might have that deposited in to a mutual fund in their names so they can have some money for college. Which is also another benefit for me, vocational rehab/training. While it is difficult for me to do any of my former professions (military or brewer) and I am not trained for anything else I am hoping to get in to one of their programs, preferably something on the HR side of the house. While getting a job due to my condition and meds is a stretch I figure with some new skills and the SSA behind me I should be able to get something down the road.
Anyway, I feel that the letter was good news. It brings us another step closer to getting a determination from the SSA.
Chronic Pain...
One of the problems with arachnoiditis or even with people understanding it can be as simple as not uderstanding the difference between acute and chronic pain.
Acute pain is often short-lived with a specific cause and purpose; generally produces no persistent psychological reaction. Acute pain can occur during soft tissue injury, and with infection and inflammation. It can be modulated and removed by treating its cause and through combined strategies using analgesics to treat the pain and antibiotics to treat the infection.
Chronic pain is distinctly different from and more complex than acute pain. Chronic pain has no time limit, often has no apparent cause and serves no apparent biological purpose. Chronic pain can trigger multiple psychological problems that confound both patient and health care provider, leading to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. The most common causes of chronic pain include low-back pain, headache, recurrent facial pain, cancer pain, and arthritic pain.
Once people have an understanding of the differences in the types of pain they can start to understand Arachnoiditis. While some people with arachnoiditis never have any pain or they have limited or acute pain, many people or perhaps most of the patients suffer from chronic pain. The problem is that the pain is always there, maybe not as strong from one day to the next, but it never goes away.
One of the effective way's to deal with this pain is through the use of opioids such as Oxycontin or Kadian both of which can be highly effective at treating the pain without having the patient in a "doped" state. Since the titration of the drug is based on several factors the doctors can help dial in an amount that will allow for effective pain management while also allowing the patient to maintain a quality of life. So far with both the medications I have been able to effectively control my pain and still be able to participate in my family life. I can go to school functions, play with the boys and perform many household chores albeit a little at a time.
In order to establish a good pain management program you will need to consult with a doctor or in some cases, several. They will help you dial in a plan that should include more then just the drug aspects such as physical therapy and if needed epidural steroid injections. I personally will no longer allow them to do ESI's as they may be the cause of the problem but for some people they do work.
When putting a pain management program in to place you should certainly talk to other people who have or are going through pain management. Listen to what they say and take it with a grain of salt. There will be some people who will insist that they have all the answers or that a certain method is worthless. It is important to remember that what works for one person may not work for another and to speak with your doctor at length before allowing them to perform any type of procedures on you. By all means, get a second opinion if you are not comfortable with just one doctors, after all it is your body and in the end you have the right to say what will and will not be done to you. If your doctor cannot or does not respect that then it is time to find a new doctor.
Acute pain is often short-lived with a specific cause and purpose; generally produces no persistent psychological reaction. Acute pain can occur during soft tissue injury, and with infection and inflammation. It can be modulated and removed by treating its cause and through combined strategies using analgesics to treat the pain and antibiotics to treat the infection.
Chronic pain is distinctly different from and more complex than acute pain. Chronic pain has no time limit, often has no apparent cause and serves no apparent biological purpose. Chronic pain can trigger multiple psychological problems that confound both patient and health care provider, leading to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. The most common causes of chronic pain include low-back pain, headache, recurrent facial pain, cancer pain, and arthritic pain.
Once people have an understanding of the differences in the types of pain they can start to understand Arachnoiditis. While some people with arachnoiditis never have any pain or they have limited or acute pain, many people or perhaps most of the patients suffer from chronic pain. The problem is that the pain is always there, maybe not as strong from one day to the next, but it never goes away.
One of the effective way's to deal with this pain is through the use of opioids such as Oxycontin or Kadian both of which can be highly effective at treating the pain without having the patient in a "doped" state. Since the titration of the drug is based on several factors the doctors can help dial in an amount that will allow for effective pain management while also allowing the patient to maintain a quality of life. So far with both the medications I have been able to effectively control my pain and still be able to participate in my family life. I can go to school functions, play with the boys and perform many household chores albeit a little at a time.
In order to establish a good pain management program you will need to consult with a doctor or in some cases, several. They will help you dial in a plan that should include more then just the drug aspects such as physical therapy and if needed epidural steroid injections. I personally will no longer allow them to do ESI's as they may be the cause of the problem but for some people they do work.
When putting a pain management program in to place you should certainly talk to other people who have or are going through pain management. Listen to what they say and take it with a grain of salt. There will be some people who will insist that they have all the answers or that a certain method is worthless. It is important to remember that what works for one person may not work for another and to speak with your doctor at length before allowing them to perform any type of procedures on you. By all means, get a second opinion if you are not comfortable with just one doctors, after all it is your body and in the end you have the right to say what will and will not be done to you. If your doctor cannot or does not respect that then it is time to find a new doctor.
Haloscan...
While I do not recieve tons of comments I decided to upgrade the Halo Scan account for the $12 so that we do not get cut off at 1000 characters. The limit is now 3000 characters per message. There are some other extra features that come with the upgrade but I doubt I will be making any "major" changes as I like things the way they are.
2/23/2005
Crackpots!!!
In all the time I have been going to doctors I do not think I have ever been treated this poorly or run in to a BIGGER scam then these people.
Prior to the visit I was told to gather all the records and films (X ray/CT/MRI) that I have regarding the pain and bring them with me. While I figured the appointment would be a bit longer then normal I was NEVER told it would be 2+ hours.
Now remember I had to drive myself since my wife had to work today. The drive was just shy of 2 hours both ways which means I could not take any of my meds so I had to deal with the pain the whole day. I arrived 20 minutes early so I could take care of any forms that might need to be done but was instead whisked away to a room where there was nothing but a hard chair to sit on. I was in there for 20 minutes or so before someone took me to another room where they did all the intake forms, which was 100% paperless and very time consuming. Again there was nothing but a hard plastic chair to sit on and even after asking for something else I was told by the cranky nurse to sit in the chair so I would be facing the LPN taking my info.
With that all done I was left to wait in the room for the doc, about 15 minutes. Everything from the moment he walked in to the room until he spoke was fine and from there it was downhill.
He NEVER bothered to read ANY reports or look at any of the information/medical reports that I brought with me. He then tortured me for a few minutes (although I did expect that) and then launched in to his deal on how he likes to treat back pain with EPIDURALS! I stopped him for a second and explained my reasons for not wanting to go that router and was somewhat shocked that he agreed and said we would not do anything I did not want. For a second there was a glimmer of hope and I thought this guy might be alright. He put a screeching halt to those thoughts though when we started discussing my meds which is also where the scam comes in to play.
He mentioned my current meds and we talked about the meds I have tried in the past, what worked and did not. He then told me that it is the policy of the pain center that they do not prescribe ANY OPIOIDS for pain! If I did not already have some I would have been screwed. What they do for patients who need opioids as part of the pain treatment plan is send them to the other clinic. Great, so I get to pay this guy to send me to someone else who I have to pay. Not only do I have to pay the second guy I have to pay him as an out of network expense since I am on a PPO. That blows!
Just when I thought the torture was over they told me they had yet another surprise. They sent me to a place that looked like a giant ER and ran a test called an EMG which basically tests the nerves in the affected areas. The test itself was not bad and the doctor was a nice guy, the only one that I ran in to there. We chatted for a bit and while I have never had an EMG before I quickly picked up on what he was doing by poking me and then measuring between the electrodes (measuring for distance to plug in to the formula) and he was happy to tell me what he was doing and kind of discussed his initial findings. He said the nerve from S1 is definitely fried and he would know more when he got the print outs. It was nice to know that it is all not in my head.
Anyway the biggest frustration is not that this place does not believe in non-opioid or that they did not read the x-rays, it is the scam that I have to see another whole doctor who ONLY deals in the meds side of this. I plan on calling my insurance company this evening and discussing this with them as this is bullshit IMHO. I have had to go through pain management before and have never had to jump through the hoops that these people set up.
I am hoping that my insurance company has another pain management facility they use in my area. I wonder if the last time I spoke with them they did not tell me to use this one based on the HQ of my wife's employer and thinking we lived close by to that, as they are blocks away from this facility. I am even ready to go back to my old pain docs even though they would be out of network, we at least have a working knowledge of each other and what to expect.
Now my meds are playing catch up since I had almost a 19 hour break between doses. A few more hours and we would have seen what it is like to detox off of morphine, what fun!!! I guess my disappointment is that I expected so much more from these people today and found out that it will not even be close.
Now the flip side of this coin is that they did make me an appointment for the doctor who does use pain meds in conjunction. While I have a problem paying to see two doctors to get the job of one done I am happy in knowing that this doctor uses a pain management method that I prefer and have done before. Luckily I have enough meds to get me to the date I see him.
Arrggh...
Top that all off with the ride home in a major city during rush hour.
Can I just go back to bed and start over?
Prior to the visit I was told to gather all the records and films (X ray/CT/MRI) that I have regarding the pain and bring them with me. While I figured the appointment would be a bit longer then normal I was NEVER told it would be 2+ hours.
Now remember I had to drive myself since my wife had to work today. The drive was just shy of 2 hours both ways which means I could not take any of my meds so I had to deal with the pain the whole day. I arrived 20 minutes early so I could take care of any forms that might need to be done but was instead whisked away to a room where there was nothing but a hard chair to sit on. I was in there for 20 minutes or so before someone took me to another room where they did all the intake forms, which was 100% paperless and very time consuming. Again there was nothing but a hard plastic chair to sit on and even after asking for something else I was told by the cranky nurse to sit in the chair so I would be facing the LPN taking my info.
With that all done I was left to wait in the room for the doc, about 15 minutes. Everything from the moment he walked in to the room until he spoke was fine and from there it was downhill.
He NEVER bothered to read ANY reports or look at any of the information/medical reports that I brought with me. He then tortured me for a few minutes (although I did expect that) and then launched in to his deal on how he likes to treat back pain with EPIDURALS! I stopped him for a second and explained my reasons for not wanting to go that router and was somewhat shocked that he agreed and said we would not do anything I did not want. For a second there was a glimmer of hope and I thought this guy might be alright. He put a screeching halt to those thoughts though when we started discussing my meds which is also where the scam comes in to play.
He mentioned my current meds and we talked about the meds I have tried in the past, what worked and did not. He then told me that it is the policy of the pain center that they do not prescribe ANY OPIOIDS for pain! If I did not already have some I would have been screwed. What they do for patients who need opioids as part of the pain treatment plan is send them to the other clinic. Great, so I get to pay this guy to send me to someone else who I have to pay. Not only do I have to pay the second guy I have to pay him as an out of network expense since I am on a PPO. That blows!
Just when I thought the torture was over they told me they had yet another surprise. They sent me to a place that looked like a giant ER and ran a test called an EMG which basically tests the nerves in the affected areas. The test itself was not bad and the doctor was a nice guy, the only one that I ran in to there. We chatted for a bit and while I have never had an EMG before I quickly picked up on what he was doing by poking me and then measuring between the electrodes (measuring for distance to plug in to the formula) and he was happy to tell me what he was doing and kind of discussed his initial findings. He said the nerve from S1 is definitely fried and he would know more when he got the print outs. It was nice to know that it is all not in my head.
Anyway the biggest frustration is not that this place does not believe in non-opioid or that they did not read the x-rays, it is the scam that I have to see another whole doctor who ONLY deals in the meds side of this. I plan on calling my insurance company this evening and discussing this with them as this is bullshit IMHO. I have had to go through pain management before and have never had to jump through the hoops that these people set up.
I am hoping that my insurance company has another pain management facility they use in my area. I wonder if the last time I spoke with them they did not tell me to use this one based on the HQ of my wife's employer and thinking we lived close by to that, as they are blocks away from this facility. I am even ready to go back to my old pain docs even though they would be out of network, we at least have a working knowledge of each other and what to expect.
Now my meds are playing catch up since I had almost a 19 hour break between doses. A few more hours and we would have seen what it is like to detox off of morphine, what fun!!! I guess my disappointment is that I expected so much more from these people today and found out that it will not even be close.
Now the flip side of this coin is that they did make me an appointment for the doctor who does use pain meds in conjunction. While I have a problem paying to see two doctors to get the job of one done I am happy in knowing that this doctor uses a pain management method that I prefer and have done before. Luckily I have enough meds to get me to the date I see him.
Arrggh...
Top that all off with the ride home in a major city during rush hour.
Can I just go back to bed and start over?
2/22/2005
Last minute jitters...
In the last 2.5 years I have been to more doctors and offices then I can remember. I have had numerous epidurals, myleograms, been jammed in to machines for hours on end while the magnets in it make ungodly amounts of noise, I have been put under for surgery that lasted 10 hours and left me with chunks of metal that I can feel when the weather is right and none of that ever made me nervous.
Tomorrow is a simple visit, albeit the first one to a pain doc for the arachnoiditis, and I am nervous. I have written down everything I can think of so that I won't forget, but something inside me still has the twang of uncertainty. This is the first meeting with this doc who will help me map out a plan for dealing with all the pain and difficulties that I have been having and will continue to have.
Worse is that I got the MRI report today and it is an interesting read. While I have seen an excerpt of the report I did not see the part that tells exactly where my arachnoiditis is affecting me, only that it was. The report that was included in the films says...
"The nerve roots of the Cauda Equina are distributed in an asymmetric pattern through the area of surgery at L4-5 through the sacral region. This would suggest a component of arachnoiditis..."
Now I am not going to be a worry wort and run around yelling "the sky is falling" but it is something that is concerning. Cauda equina syndrome can cause serious problems for people suffering from it.
More concerning to me is the actual arachnoiditis. I looked at the MRI's today and you can clearly see where the nerves are affected and to tell the truth it is very interesting to see on the film. Since the images are so small I am not sure I will be able to get a good scan of them to put on the blog but I will try to do that tomorrow when I get back from the doctors office.
My plan is to discuss the pain that I have been in and how it has progressed since last August when they diagnosed the arachnoiditis. I also plan to discuss my current meds and a lack of anything for breakthrough pain. Thankfully that is something that does not occur often but when it does there is not much I have been able to do other then to crawl in to the recliner and try to relax.
I know that everything should go well and that I am just anxious.
Tomorrow is a simple visit, albeit the first one to a pain doc for the arachnoiditis, and I am nervous. I have written down everything I can think of so that I won't forget, but something inside me still has the twang of uncertainty. This is the first meeting with this doc who will help me map out a plan for dealing with all the pain and difficulties that I have been having and will continue to have.
Worse is that I got the MRI report today and it is an interesting read. While I have seen an excerpt of the report I did not see the part that tells exactly where my arachnoiditis is affecting me, only that it was. The report that was included in the films says...
"The nerve roots of the Cauda Equina are distributed in an asymmetric pattern through the area of surgery at L4-5 through the sacral region. This would suggest a component of arachnoiditis..."
Now I am not going to be a worry wort and run around yelling "the sky is falling" but it is something that is concerning. Cauda equina syndrome can cause serious problems for people suffering from it.
More concerning to me is the actual arachnoiditis. I looked at the MRI's today and you can clearly see where the nerves are affected and to tell the truth it is very interesting to see on the film. Since the images are so small I am not sure I will be able to get a good scan of them to put on the blog but I will try to do that tomorrow when I get back from the doctors office.
My plan is to discuss the pain that I have been in and how it has progressed since last August when they diagnosed the arachnoiditis. I also plan to discuss my current meds and a lack of anything for breakthrough pain. Thankfully that is something that does not occur often but when it does there is not much I have been able to do other then to crawl in to the recliner and try to relax.
I know that everything should go well and that I am just anxious.
SHE'S BACK!
Last season on Law & Order SVU they "killed" off the ADA, Alexandra Cabot. If you did not see the show or are not a fan I say "killed" because the last minute of the show is her being escorted in to witness protection.
Apparently tonight's episode has something to do with the case she was working on and they are bringing her back. My guess is since she was replaced that this is just a one time deal but I wish they would keep her. The ADA they replaced her with is just not the same and to tell the truth most of this seasons episodes have been hit or miss, more miss though.
Apparently tonight's episode has something to do with the case she was working on and they are bringing her back. My guess is since she was replaced that this is just a one time deal but I wish they would keep her. The ADA they replaced her with is just not the same and to tell the truth most of this seasons episodes have been hit or miss, more miss though.
Act like a heterosexual you will get treated like one...
story here
This is the story of a lesbian women who adopted her "lovers" natural children in 1997. The relationship apparently did not last and when the women went their separate ways the adoptive mother tried to have the adoption vacated. This apparently was denied by the courts and at about the same time the mother of the children filed for child support from the adoptive mother. The payment of child support was upheld by the district court and that has set off a storm of public opinion from both sides of the fence. Not at all surprising is the stance taken by those in support of gay and lesbian relationships in response to this decision.
This is not a pick and choose item here. When you adopted those children you made the commitment to support them no matter what. You do not get to say well, I do not love their mother anymore so I should not have to pay, and uh oh yea I would like to void the adoption. I mean if this were a heterosexual couple, where the man adopted the women's children and then they divorced he would be legally responsible for the support owed. If he tried to file a suit to severe the adoption he would be dragged through the court system as well as the court of public opinion. His life would be turned upside down and inside out and he would be treated like a leper everywhere he went. Yet, we will treat this women different because she is a lesbian.
This is yet one more instance where a gay person wants to have all the legal rights and responsibilities of a heterosexual, but only when it is convenient for them. This is complete bullshit and I hope the appeals courts (because you know she will appeal) uphold the lower courts rulings.
I am not a homophobe by any means of the word, but I do find homosexuality morally repugnant. That said I am all about letting these people live their lives but they cannot have their cake and eat it too. I am tired of hearing about how the feel repressed and blah blah blah. Maybe if they stopped pulling stunts like this, maybe if they stopped trying to push their lifestyle on the rest of us, just maybe they would feel differently.
You can only push so far before you get pushed back. It seems like at every turn we have to hear about how we should be teaching our children about "blended families" or families where the parents are homosexual lovers and that this is "normal" behavior. No, we should not have to teach this to our children because this is far from normal. If that is the way you choose to live your life, then by all means go for it but that does not mean I have to teach my kids about your immoral and deviant behaviors. It is reasons like these that my wife and I decided to enroll our children in Catholic school. No more worrying about what the crappy public school system is cramming in their heads thanks to a minority of people pushing their agendas with court orders.
This is the story of a lesbian women who adopted her "lovers" natural children in 1997. The relationship apparently did not last and when the women went their separate ways the adoptive mother tried to have the adoption vacated. This apparently was denied by the courts and at about the same time the mother of the children filed for child support from the adoptive mother. The payment of child support was upheld by the district court and that has set off a storm of public opinion from both sides of the fence. Not at all surprising is the stance taken by those in support of gay and lesbian relationships in response to this decision.
This is not a pick and choose item here. When you adopted those children you made the commitment to support them no matter what. You do not get to say well, I do not love their mother anymore so I should not have to pay, and uh oh yea I would like to void the adoption. I mean if this were a heterosexual couple, where the man adopted the women's children and then they divorced he would be legally responsible for the support owed. If he tried to file a suit to severe the adoption he would be dragged through the court system as well as the court of public opinion. His life would be turned upside down and inside out and he would be treated like a leper everywhere he went. Yet, we will treat this women different because she is a lesbian.
This is yet one more instance where a gay person wants to have all the legal rights and responsibilities of a heterosexual, but only when it is convenient for them. This is complete bullshit and I hope the appeals courts (because you know she will appeal) uphold the lower courts rulings.
I am not a homophobe by any means of the word, but I do find homosexuality morally repugnant. That said I am all about letting these people live their lives but they cannot have their cake and eat it too. I am tired of hearing about how the feel repressed and blah blah blah. Maybe if they stopped pulling stunts like this, maybe if they stopped trying to push their lifestyle on the rest of us, just maybe they would feel differently.
You can only push so far before you get pushed back. It seems like at every turn we have to hear about how we should be teaching our children about "blended families" or families where the parents are homosexual lovers and that this is "normal" behavior. No, we should not have to teach this to our children because this is far from normal. If that is the way you choose to live your life, then by all means go for it but that does not mean I have to teach my kids about your immoral and deviant behaviors. It is reasons like these that my wife and I decided to enroll our children in Catholic school. No more worrying about what the crappy public school system is cramming in their heads thanks to a minority of people pushing their agendas with court orders.
So we have a few gates strategically placed around the house to keep the youngest from wandering off up the stairs or in to the laundry room.
This morning I was going over the gate to the front room and it caught my pant leg. Of course this put me flat on my face and the pain shot instantly from a 3 to a 9. My oldest went and woke my wife who wanted to call an ambulance for me. While I should have probably gone to the hospital I do not need an ambulance as I live less then 200' from the nearest ER.
I just lay there for a bit while the burning spread from my lower back, down my legs and in to my feet. One giant muscle spasm all at once. I decided that I should not go to the hospital because all they could do was pump me full of more meds and send me home. The ambulance ride that 200' would be billed at about $500, probably another few hundred for the ER and while insurance would cover some of it I just do not feel like having to pay a few hundred dollars for them to give me pain meds I already have.
So I crawled back to the recliner with my Uh-Oh Oreos and a soda and here I will stay for most of the afternoon. Maybe later on I will work on some of the flash animations I wanted to get done today, but we will see.
This morning I was going over the gate to the front room and it caught my pant leg. Of course this put me flat on my face and the pain shot instantly from a 3 to a 9. My oldest went and woke my wife who wanted to call an ambulance for me. While I should have probably gone to the hospital I do not need an ambulance as I live less then 200' from the nearest ER.
I just lay there for a bit while the burning spread from my lower back, down my legs and in to my feet. One giant muscle spasm all at once. I decided that I should not go to the hospital because all they could do was pump me full of more meds and send me home. The ambulance ride that 200' would be billed at about $500, probably another few hundred for the ER and while insurance would cover some of it I just do not feel like having to pay a few hundred dollars for them to give me pain meds I already have.
So I crawled back to the recliner with my Uh-Oh Oreos and a soda and here I will stay for most of the afternoon. Maybe later on I will work on some of the flash animations I wanted to get done today, but we will see.
Changed the appointment...
I got the appointment with the pain management folks changed from way to early on Friday to tomorrow afternoon. I also spoke to their billing department about how they will work with my insurance company. Since my insurance company said this is a 90/10 split I wanted to know what my 10% would be and did I have to pay it at the time of the visit. The lady was really nice and let me know that under my insurance plan they would be a specialist which means no 90/10 and that I just pay the $15 co-pay for specialist visits. I was expecting to have to shell out $50 for the visit and then whatever else it might be for meds he prescribes.
I have to run out later on and get the CT, X-Ray's and MRI films to bring with me so I will try to get them on the scanner so you can see what exactly I am always babbling about.
I have to run out later on and get the CT, X-Ray's and MRI films to bring with me so I will try to get them on the scanner so you can see what exactly I am always babbling about.
2/21/2005
Working with flash...
I spent some time today working with Macromedia Flash and while I have worked with it before I have never really known what the heck I was doing. Kind of like when you train the new guy on how to run the xerox machine. He knows how to make copies but he can't get it to collate or fix it if it breaks. If that does not make sense, take a step back, take 40mg of Oxycontin and come back to it later as it makes perfect sense to me.
Anyway, I read some of the books and it broke down really well some of the things I knew how to do but did not quite understand how the process worked. Now I know just enough to be dangerous. LOL
I did create some flash animations today, nothing fancy just using some text and pictures to create an "ad" for my blog and then I started playing around with different layers and hotspots.
Tomorrow I will work on it some more and I hope to have something that I can post on here for all to see. It won't be anything fancy like Stick Death or Odd Todd but who knows, another year of hard work and heavy pain meds and I might just be able to pull something like that off!
Anyway, I read some of the books and it broke down really well some of the things I knew how to do but did not quite understand how the process worked. Now I know just enough to be dangerous. LOL
I did create some flash animations today, nothing fancy just using some text and pictures to create an "ad" for my blog and then I started playing around with different layers and hotspots.
Tomorrow I will work on it some more and I hope to have something that I can post on here for all to see. It won't be anything fancy like Stick Death or Odd Todd but who knows, another year of hard work and heavy pain meds and I might just be able to pull something like that off!
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ankylosing Spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is known for the pain and progressive stiffness that it causes. This is basically arthritis of the spine and is believed to be hereditary. The gene that they believe is associated with this disease is HLA-B27 and onset will generally occur between the ages of 15-45 years old and effects males about 4 times more then it does women.
What are some of the warning signs
- Frequent lower back pain
- Stiffness in the back that lasts longer then 30 minutes first thing in the morning or after long periods of rest
- Pain and tenderness in the ribs, shoulder blades, hips, thighs, shins, heels and along the bony points of the spine
- In the early stages, there may be mild fever, loss of appetite and general discomfort.
- The eyes can also be affected and symptoms can include eye pain, watery eyes, red eyes, blurred vision, and feeling sensitive to bright light
The most universal symptom is chronic low back pain that seems to just come on for no apparent reason. The pain is typically worse in the morning. On rising from bed, people with AS may feel stiff and sore and this may take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours to pass off.
The back pain is usually dull and diffuse rather than sharp and localized. The most common site of pain is deep within the buttock, on one side, or on both sides. In addition to the buttock, there could be pain further up the back, perhaps between the shoulder blades or in the neck.
In a lesser number of individuals, pain does not begin in the spine but starts in a hip, knee or shoulder joint. This can be confusing when there is no back pain present and may initially look like some other form of arthritis.
The pain of AS results from inflammation of the joints. When inflammation is present, the involved area hurts. To avoid the pain there is a natural tendency to stoop forward as extending backwards is more uncomfortable. This reflex can lead to bad posture. Also in bed there is a tendency to curl up, as this may feel more comfortable.
Diagnoses
General health and family medical history is important because ankylosing spondylitis can be hereditary. Ankylosing spondylitis may or may not be associated with non-skeletal diseases such as uveitis (eye inflammation), prostatitis (prostate inflammation) and certain disorders affecting cardiac and pulmonary function. A blood workup will reveal the HLA-BA27 antigen. A physical examination often includes the following:
Schober Test: Limited motion in the lumbar spine is symptomatic of AS. The Schober test measures the degree of lumbar forward flexion as the patient bends over as though touching their toes. Progressive loss of spinal motion is correlated with x-ray findings.
Gaenslen Test: Sacroiliac pain is often found in the early stage of AS. Gaenslen's maneuver stresses the sacroiliac joints. Increased pain during this maneuver could be indicative of joint disease.
When AS affects the thoracic spine normal chest expansion may be compromised. The amount of chest expansion is measured from deep expiration to full inspiration. Measurements significantly less than one inch (normal chest expansion) could indicate AS.
General range of motion measures the degree to which a patient can perform movements of flexion, extension, lateral bending, and spinal rotation. Asymmetry may also be noted.
Neurologic Evaluation
A neurologic evaluation is mandatory for patients presenting with a spine disorder. The following symptoms are assessed: pain, numbness, paresthesias (e.g. tingling), extremity sensation and motor function, muscle spasm, weakness, and bowel/bladder changes.
Radiographic Evidence
Plain radiographs (x-rays) are standard for AS. A CT Scan or MRI may be ordered to evaluate bone and soft tissues (e.g. spinal canal) in greater detail. These tests reveal changes in the spine affected by AS.
For treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis is basically NSAID's like ibuprofen or aleve. For the pain the doctor may also prescribe a drug called Sulfasalazine which comes from a family of drugs known as disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs or they may opt for an injection of cortisone which is a steroid used to help reduce swelling in the joints. Now the injection itself is not designed to relieve pain, the patient may feel relief from the pain as the swelling of the joints is diminished.
From what I understand about this condition is that it can be very painful for the person suffering from it. There are some exercises that a physical therapist would suggest for helping reduce the effects on the joints that are effected by this condition. Like some of the other spinal conditions this one can also effect the Cauda Equina.
For this article I have used several sources which can be found here and here.
Chicken with his head cut off...
I need to run all over the place today and tomorrow to gather medical records and x-ray, CT Scans and MRI films for the pain doc. I then need to change the appointment to hopefully something earlier then Friday as well later in the morning then 7am. I do not mind the early morning but my wife's schedule at work changed which means I would have to get the baby up early as well and take him with me. There is NO FREAKING way I am waking him up at 5am if I do not have to.
My shoulders still hurt this morning. I was hoping that it was just something that would go away in a few days, but it does not appear to be that way. Since it is both shoulders I cannot help but believe that it is not from sleeping the wrong way and more and more I am thinking it is all related to my back. CRAP!!!
My shoulders still hurt this morning. I was hoping that it was just something that would go away in a few days, but it does not appear to be that way. Since it is both shoulders I cannot help but believe that it is not from sleeping the wrong way and more and more I am thinking it is all related to my back. CRAP!!!
Chicken with his head cut off...
I need to run all over the place today and tomorrow to gather medical records and x-ray, CT Scans and MRI films for the pain doc. I then need to change the appointment to hopefully something earlier then Friday as well later in the morning then 7am. I do not mind the early morning but my wife's schedule at work changed which means I would have to get the baby up early as well and take him with me. There is NO FREAKING way I am waking him up at 5am if I do not have to.
My shoulders still hurt this morning. I was hoping that it was just something that would go away in a few days, but it does not appear to be that way. Since it is both shoulders I cannot help but believe that it is not from sleeping the wrong way and more and more I am thinking it is all related to my back. CRAP!!!
My shoulders still hurt this morning. I was hoping that it was just something that would go away in a few days, but it does not appear to be that way. Since it is both shoulders I cannot help but believe that it is not from sleeping the wrong way and more and more I am thinking it is all related to my back. CRAP!!!
2/20/2005
BOOKS FOR DIRT CHEAP!
Well we hit the store today so my wife could buy some clothes and when ever we hit this particular mall we have to go to the bookstore, Foozles. They have a HUGE selection of books and they are very cheaply priced.
Down the center of the store they have some tables where all books are $1. These are new books and my according to the company page they get them from over runs on printing, out of business book stores etc...
Well I have been toying around with Flash MX and Dreamweaver MX as well as a few other tools from Macromedia but the books that come with them are a tough read when you are medicated. Well in the store today I got a nice surprise, they had some great books on Flash, Dreamweaver & Cold Fusion, not the idiots or dummies either, for $1 a piece. I grabbed 4 books that had the original prices totaling $140US and I got them for $4.30 total. I was ecstatic!
Even better is that the books came with the discs and while I have the Macromedia Studio already I did not have Adobe Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro. I know you can download the 30 day versions from the websites and that these are only trial versions on the discs (not fully functional) but they will let me know if it is something I am willing to spend the money on to get a full license.
I know it is going to take some time to get up to speed on all these products but what else do I have to do? I figure by the summer I should have a strong grasp on all of them and maybe in the fall I might register for some other classes. I do definitely know that on Wednesday I am going back to the book store to grab some more as they had some good ones on XML that I would like to grab. While I will not get to them all right away, for $1 they can sit on the shelf for a bit.
They also have books on anything you can imagine, cheap. They had the whole MCSE study guide for like $10 a book and when I saw those at Barnes & Noble they were much more then that. I am looking forward to going back as we had to leave earlier then I would have liked to because my back decided to go out while we were walking around.
If you have one of their stores near you, I highly recommend them for some great deals.
Down the center of the store they have some tables where all books are $1. These are new books and my according to the company page they get them from over runs on printing, out of business book stores etc...
Well I have been toying around with Flash MX and Dreamweaver MX as well as a few other tools from Macromedia but the books that come with them are a tough read when you are medicated. Well in the store today I got a nice surprise, they had some great books on Flash, Dreamweaver & Cold Fusion, not the idiots or dummies either, for $1 a piece. I grabbed 4 books that had the original prices totaling $140US and I got them for $4.30 total. I was ecstatic!
Even better is that the books came with the discs and while I have the Macromedia Studio already I did not have Adobe Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro. I know you can download the 30 day versions from the websites and that these are only trial versions on the discs (not fully functional) but they will let me know if it is something I am willing to spend the money on to get a full license.
I know it is going to take some time to get up to speed on all these products but what else do I have to do? I figure by the summer I should have a strong grasp on all of them and maybe in the fall I might register for some other classes. I do definitely know that on Wednesday I am going back to the book store to grab some more as they had some good ones on XML that I would like to grab. While I will not get to them all right away, for $1 they can sit on the shelf for a bit.
They also have books on anything you can imagine, cheap. They had the whole MCSE study guide for like $10 a book and when I saw those at Barnes & Noble they were much more then that. I am looking forward to going back as we had to leave earlier then I would have liked to because my back decided to go out while we were walking around.
If you have one of their stores near you, I highly recommend them for some great deals.
Odd Todd...
They say when you find something funny on the net you should share it, so here is my contribution. My wife found this while she was looking for God knows what. It is a site that some guy has put together which chronicles his unemployment and money problems. Add cheesy flash animation to a scratchy voice over and you have Odd Todd
If it isn't one thing...
My shoulders have been hurting since yesterday and seem to be a little worse today. This is not like the numbness in the leg but rather like arthritis and burning. It can't be from sleeping on them wrong as I slept in the recliner just to avoid that this afternoon and when I woke it was worse then before.
I am sure it is not much but any time there is new pain I end up scouring the web looking for more information. Of course I found plenty of reading to do and none of it was what I wanted to hear.
When I had surgery for the spondylolisthesis they put an arterial line in the left arm to monitor something or other, I believe it was blood gas they were monitoring. Anyway, when they put the line in they either nicked or came close to the left radial nerve. I remember waking up in recovery and telling the nurse that my left arm was numb. Her reply was that it was very normal after surgery, which I could not help but think was odd.
Through my whole stay in the hospital and then next few weeks at home it got worse. I saw the neuro who put me on a larger dose of neurontin thinking that would help settle it down and then on some stronger meds to ease the pain. In the end none of that worked and I wound up having 5 stellate ganglion blocks done at the C-6 to relieve the pain. Now if you read the article on the blocks you will see that they are to be done under flouroscopy, which mine were not done so there is no telling if they hit their mark.
That by itself is not a big deal until you find out that the vertebrae that corresponds with the left radial nerve is the C-6. You would then read that the C-5 is what runs to the shoulders, and can easily fall in to believing that if they did not accomplish the blocks properly they could have easily caused some problems down the road.
I know, it is a far fetched idea but after going through all the other crap I have with the back it does not seem so impossible. If it keeps up for a few more days I will let the pain doc know when I see him, but I would bet it clears up by then.
I am sure it is not much but any time there is new pain I end up scouring the web looking for more information. Of course I found plenty of reading to do and none of it was what I wanted to hear.
When I had surgery for the spondylolisthesis they put an arterial line in the left arm to monitor something or other, I believe it was blood gas they were monitoring. Anyway, when they put the line in they either nicked or came close to the left radial nerve. I remember waking up in recovery and telling the nurse that my left arm was numb. Her reply was that it was very normal after surgery, which I could not help but think was odd.
Through my whole stay in the hospital and then next few weeks at home it got worse. I saw the neuro who put me on a larger dose of neurontin thinking that would help settle it down and then on some stronger meds to ease the pain. In the end none of that worked and I wound up having 5 stellate ganglion blocks done at the C-6 to relieve the pain. Now if you read the article on the blocks you will see that they are to be done under flouroscopy, which mine were not done so there is no telling if they hit their mark.
That by itself is not a big deal until you find out that the vertebrae that corresponds with the left radial nerve is the C-6. You would then read that the C-5 is what runs to the shoulders, and can easily fall in to believing that if they did not accomplish the blocks properly they could have easily caused some problems down the road.
I know, it is a far fetched idea but after going through all the other crap I have with the back it does not seem so impossible. If it keeps up for a few more days I will let the pain doc know when I see him, but I would bet it clears up by then.
Choosing a pain management specialist
When I first started pain management back in 2002 I had no clue about selecting a specialist and basically went along with the doctor's referral. I have been lucky in that my doctor has referred me to some of the top professionals in my area and they have been covered by my insurance.
Now depending on what type of insurance coverage you have will determine how you can select your doctor. When I first went to pain management I had an HMO and had to have a referral from my doctor and then have it OK'd by the insurance company who then required that the doctors office set up the initial appointment for me. What a pain in the butt that was as you had no real say in when or who you could see, a giant crap shoot IMHO. However the amount I had to pay per visit was a cheap $20 co-pay with no limits on visits.
Now I am covered by a PPO and I can choose any doctor I want and do not need a referral from my primary doc. All I need to do is be able to prove a medical need, which I think I can do. What I did was call the insurance company and find out who they covered as "in network" and then I researched the doctors they gave me.
Basically with a PPO you have an "in" and "out" of network coverage and depending on how yours is set up there is a deductible that has to be met before they will start to pay their part which is then at a percentage. My deductible is $250 per year and once that is met I am covered at 90% of the visit cost by insurance (I pay 10%) until I have paid $2000 out of my own pocket during the year. If I should happen to hit the $2000 mark I am then covered at 100% with no co-insurance payment. I know it can be frustrating but the plus side is that I can pick and choose my doctor, any doctor and I do not need to see my primary care doctor first. If the doctor is out of network the deductibles remain the same but I am covered with an 80/20 instead of 90/10.
Now once you have selected your doctor it is time to read up on them and see what if any credentials they might have or if they have any complaints filed against them. There are several websites out there but the one that I have used in the past is Health Grades and while it is a pay service they are very detailed. You can also use your states medical licensing body which you can find through Doc Finder. Knowing more about your doctor before you see them will help you feel more at ease, or at least it does for me. If you are seeing a doctor for pain management you will most likely be seeing an anesthesiologist especially if you are going for something in regards to the spine.
Once you have determined which doctor is right for you then you should come up with a list of questions about your illness/injuries. You should also bring with you a list of all your medications both prescribed and over the counter. This will help your doctor determine any interactions if they decide to prescribe anything for you. You should also not be afraid to ask questions about the meds they prescribe to you or offer alternatives. I have had to do this with my personal doctor and some of the muscle relaxers they had me on as after almost a year on it even a max dose did nothing for me.
Now the above is not a complete idea of what you should be doing before you see a doctor but I found this and thought this would be a good addition to this post. I got it from WebMd and they have some great ideas on what you should be doing when deciding to see a doctor.
Article Here
Now depending on what type of insurance coverage you have will determine how you can select your doctor. When I first went to pain management I had an HMO and had to have a referral from my doctor and then have it OK'd by the insurance company who then required that the doctors office set up the initial appointment for me. What a pain in the butt that was as you had no real say in when or who you could see, a giant crap shoot IMHO. However the amount I had to pay per visit was a cheap $20 co-pay with no limits on visits.
Now I am covered by a PPO and I can choose any doctor I want and do not need a referral from my primary doc. All I need to do is be able to prove a medical need, which I think I can do. What I did was call the insurance company and find out who they covered as "in network" and then I researched the doctors they gave me.
Basically with a PPO you have an "in" and "out" of network coverage and depending on how yours is set up there is a deductible that has to be met before they will start to pay their part which is then at a percentage. My deductible is $250 per year and once that is met I am covered at 90% of the visit cost by insurance (I pay 10%) until I have paid $2000 out of my own pocket during the year. If I should happen to hit the $2000 mark I am then covered at 100% with no co-insurance payment. I know it can be frustrating but the plus side is that I can pick and choose my doctor, any doctor and I do not need to see my primary care doctor first. If the doctor is out of network the deductibles remain the same but I am covered with an 80/20 instead of 90/10.
Now once you have selected your doctor it is time to read up on them and see what if any credentials they might have or if they have any complaints filed against them. There are several websites out there but the one that I have used in the past is Health Grades and while it is a pay service they are very detailed. You can also use your states medical licensing body which you can find through Doc Finder. Knowing more about your doctor before you see them will help you feel more at ease, or at least it does for me. If you are seeing a doctor for pain management you will most likely be seeing an anesthesiologist especially if you are going for something in regards to the spine.
Once you have determined which doctor is right for you then you should come up with a list of questions about your illness/injuries. You should also bring with you a list of all your medications both prescribed and over the counter. This will help your doctor determine any interactions if they decide to prescribe anything for you. You should also not be afraid to ask questions about the meds they prescribe to you or offer alternatives. I have had to do this with my personal doctor and some of the muscle relaxers they had me on as after almost a year on it even a max dose did nothing for me.
Now the above is not a complete idea of what you should be doing before you see a doctor but I found this and thought this would be a good addition to this post. I got it from WebMd and they have some great ideas on what you should be doing when deciding to see a doctor.
Article Here
Pain medicine doctors are experts at diagnosing the cause of pain and then treating the pain. Anesthesiologists, neurologists, and neurosurgeons most frequently specialize in pain management. Pain treatment specialists also can be pain specialty-trained psychiatrists or physiatrists. Heres more about these specialists:
* Anesthesiologists: These doctors are often the leaders of a team of other specialists and doctors who work together to help manage pain. The team may include orthopedists (doctors who deal with the prevention or correction of injuries or disorders of the skeletal system), nurse practitioners, physician assistants, physical or rehabilitation therapists, and others.
* Neurologists: Doctors who diagnose and treat diseases of the nervous system.
* Neurosurgeons: Doctors who perform surgery on the nervous system.
* Psychiatrists: Doctors who specialize in the treatment and diagnosis of mental diseases and behavioral abnormalities.
* Physiatrists: Doctors who specialize in physical medicine, which is a branch of medicine that deals with the treatment, prevention and diagnosis of disease by physical means including manipulation, massage, and exercise.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Doctor
The following are some guidelines to consider when choosing a pain specialist. Select a doctor who:
* Is knowledgeable about pain and pain treatments
* Listens well
* Seems honest and trustworthy
* Encourages you to ask questions and allows you to disagree
What to Expect When You See a Pain Specialist
Pain medicine doctors will work closely with your primary care doctor to assess the cause of the pain and find an appropriate treatment option. Most likely, the pain specialist will perform a complete physical exam. In addition, the doctor will ask you to describe the pain you are feeling in detail, explaining where it hurts, how long it has been hurting, and what worsens or alleviates the pain.
How Is Pain Treated?
Research has led to the development of newer, more effective treatments for people who have pain. Many techniques previously used specifically to make surgery and childbirth less painful now are being used to relieve other pain symptoms. Most kinds of pain have become treatable through methods including medications, nerve blocks, physical therapy, electrical stimulations, surgery, and psychological support.
Learn more about pain treatments.
View the full table of contents for the Pain Management Guide.
2/19/2005
Another one bites the dust...
I hate spammers, I hate them with a passion. I hate the marketing calls that go on regardless of no call lists and more so I hate that jack ass company in Florida who have my cell phone number.
The cell phone is the worst as it obviously costs you either your minutes or the extra charges if you have already used your plans minutes. Since my cell phone is not used for everyday calling I have a base plan and in the year I have had it I have never come close to the minutes. I did add the friends and family plan for $5 a month which allows me to talk to any Sprint PCS user for free since my entire family is on Sprint.
It seems who ever had the number before me signed up for a lot of crap and is a deadbeat. I get at least 5 calls a week on the phone from collection agencies or tele-marketers. Neither want to hear the story that I am not the person they are looking for and the calls continue. I just don't answer the thing unless it is a number I know and I disabled the voicemail so they can no longer leave messages.
Well it appears that these spammers, phishers and whatever else they like to be called are targeting IM services and SMS services for cell phones and that police have arrested a kid who was not only a semi-major "SPIMMER" but was attempting to quasi black mail a company.
I say quasi because while he is obviously smart enough to write the code to accomplish the mission of "SPIMMING" he actually contacted the company whose IM software he was "SPIMMING" but dumb enough to tell them he would PAY THEM to continue to do so or he would release his code to others.
Now, the kid is obviously bright. Like I said, he wrote the code that not only "SPIMMED" IM users but he wrote a script that would register false screen names so he could get around the 500 IM's per day per user problems. All told they say he sent 1.5 million ads. Ok, now how does someone that smart get to be so dumb that they not only blackmail a company by offering to pay them to continue this "SPIMMING" but that he offers them the pathetic sum of $150US a day to do so???
C'mon, are we really raising our kids to be that stupid? You do not accomplish blackmail through that method. I would think he was making enough money sending these ads that he would keep doing so and do it quietly and when close to being discovered either move on or modify the code. I guess I over estimate the power of today's youth though...
Article here
The cell phone is the worst as it obviously costs you either your minutes or the extra charges if you have already used your plans minutes. Since my cell phone is not used for everyday calling I have a base plan and in the year I have had it I have never come close to the minutes. I did add the friends and family plan for $5 a month which allows me to talk to any Sprint PCS user for free since my entire family is on Sprint.
It seems who ever had the number before me signed up for a lot of crap and is a deadbeat. I get at least 5 calls a week on the phone from collection agencies or tele-marketers. Neither want to hear the story that I am not the person they are looking for and the calls continue. I just don't answer the thing unless it is a number I know and I disabled the voicemail so they can no longer leave messages.
Well it appears that these spammers, phishers and whatever else they like to be called are targeting IM services and SMS services for cell phones and that police have arrested a kid who was not only a semi-major "SPIMMER" but was attempting to quasi black mail a company.
I say quasi because while he is obviously smart enough to write the code to accomplish the mission of "SPIMMING" he actually contacted the company whose IM software he was "SPIMMING" but dumb enough to tell them he would PAY THEM to continue to do so or he would release his code to others.
Now, the kid is obviously bright. Like I said, he wrote the code that not only "SPIMMED" IM users but he wrote a script that would register false screen names so he could get around the 500 IM's per day per user problems. All told they say he sent 1.5 million ads. Ok, now how does someone that smart get to be so dumb that they not only blackmail a company by offering to pay them to continue this "SPIMMING" but that he offers them the pathetic sum of $150US a day to do so???
C'mon, are we really raising our kids to be that stupid? You do not accomplish blackmail through that method. I would think he was making enough money sending these ads that he would keep doing so and do it quietly and when close to being discovered either move on or modify the code. I guess I over estimate the power of today's youth though...
Article here
Flooding the inbox is no longer enough.
Now spammers have gone beyond e-mail and are attacking instant-message services popular with teenagers, authorities said Friday as they announced the arrest of a young man suspected of broadcasting 1.5 million ads for pornography and cheap mortgages.
Federal prosecutors said it was the first criminal case involving this new form of spam — known as "spim" because it targets so-called IM services.
"It's absolutely unsurprising that spammers would find a new way to spread their slime through any crack and crevice available," said Anne Mitchell, president of the private Institute for Spam and Internet Public Policy.
Anthony Greco, 18, was arrested Wednesday at Los Angeles International Airport, where prosecutors said they lured him from his upstate New York home for what he expected would be a meeting with the president of MySpace.com, a popular social-networking company whose users Greco allegedly spammed.
Greco had threatened to tell other spammers how he sent the unsolicited instant messages to MySpace users last fall if he wasn't given an exclusive marketing contract with the company, according to a sworn investigator's statement filed in Los Angeles federal court.
Los Angeles-based MySpace is similar to Friendster and other Web firms that connect people with shared interests or mutual friends. The service claims 9 million users and is popular with teenagers, investigators said.
MySpace spokesman Bennet Ratcliff explained that the company's messaging system is technologically more like regular e-mail than instant messaging, and users must click on a message to see its full content. The company's network has no serious spam problem, he said, and is "continuously adding deterrents to protect our users."
Nevertheless, news of Greco's arrest is "alarming," said Lawrence Orans, a Gartner Inc. analyst who follows computer security issues and this week warned companies to increase instant messaging safeguards. "He could have directed people to sites that spread spyware or other malicious code."
America Online, Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO - news) all offer instant messaging programs, in which words typed by a sender immediately appear on recipients' screens. The rapid adoption of such programs has been followed by a rise in spam and computer viruses that spread through them.
Just last week, Microsoft required users of its messaging service to install upgraded software to fix a security flaw.
As lawsuits and criminal cases against spammers increase, hawkers of everything from drugs to work-at-home schemes are moving to new technologies as they become available. Spammers are already sending text messages to cellular phones, Internet phones and the comment sections of Web logs.
Some say efforts to combat conventional spam have led to the innovation.
"We're forcing spammers to look for other avenues to get their junk in front of members' eyes," said spokesman Nicholas Graham of America Online, which in the fall filed the first suit against an instant-message spammer. "They're getting more and more desperate." Graham said about 1% of traffic on AOL Instant Messenger is spim. He said AOL expected that to rise.
"There's definitely concern," said Scott Chasin, chief technology officer at e-mail security firm MX Logic Inc. "The industry needs to respond more aggressively to address these vulnerabilities — not after the fact, but before."
Security experts said they expected spim to grow but not to become as common as conventional spam. That's because instant messaging systems — unlike the Internet — are closed loops, with central control. "It gives the provider the ability to address the issues more easily and track the offender more easily," Chasin said.
MySpace is among the companies offering their own instant messaging to customers or employees. Greco is accused of using software to automatically create tens of thousands of customer accounts and then sending the maximum of 500 messages per account per day.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Brian Hoffstadt said the arrest was the first over instant-message spam. "We're just beginning to get the tip of the iceberg. This could be a new wave as online communities start up."
MySpace users first complained about the initial deluge of messages in October. The company scrambled to delete more messages before they were read, and it made changes in the service to deter the program Greco allegedly used to create new accounts.
The next month, Greco proposed a deal to MySpace executives: He would pay the company $150 a day for the exclusive right to send advertising to MySpace users. Otherwise, "I have no choice but to just sell off my coding to other people and allow them to pick up the projects," he wrote, according to an affidavit by Los Angeles Police Det. Frank Schweitzer.
Company executives contacted law enforcement. Greco agreed to fly to Los Angeles to sign a contract and was arrested when he arrived Wednesday. He was charged with violating a federal anti-spam law, harming MySpace computers and attempting extortion. Facing 18 years in prison if convicted, he was released Thursday under a $25,000 bond.
"I'm not guilty," Greco said in a brief cellphone interview Friday. "I really can't talk about it." His lawyer declined to comment.
According to its website, Greco's company, TGCashin Inc., promotes adult photo and video sites. TGCashin promises marketers half of any income generated by visitors steered to the sites. It urges such partners to "link to us by any means that are legal. This includes pop ups, image links, text links, or anything else you can think of."
The site also recommends that e-mail marketers abide by the same spam law Greco is accused of violating.
I am looking forward to seeing the pain doctor next week. After reading up on him and what he has specialized in for the last 20 years it seems like he is the doctor I may have been looking for. While I have been to a few pain management doctors in the last few years it is apparent that they all have their opinions on what will relieve pain.
One thing I have decided and my wife agrees with me on is that there are no more epidurals and o surgery unless it is absolutely needed to prevent something like paralysis or cauda equina. Other then that I am wide open to oral steroids and opioids. I understand that some people look down on the long term use of opioids but they generally have never been in severe pain let alone chronic severe pain.
I was talking to my mother the other day and after explaining many times about my condition as well as sending her and the rest of my family tons of reading material it seems like they just do not get it.
I have explained ad nauseum that there is no cure for arachnoiditis and that all I am looking for is a method of pain management that will allow me to some quality of life. I have also told them that I do not believe in homeopathic remedies, herbal healing, acupuncture or chiropractors. It seems though that no matter how many times I tell them this they do not want to hear it.
My conversation with my mother consisted of her telling me about one of her friends who is going to pain management where they use prolotherapy which is not at all helpful to me. As I was trying to explain this to my mother she decided to be an ass and just hung up on me. It pissed me off very much as I cannot stand it when people act like that, like their opinion is the only one that matters or that I do not know what I am talking about. She tried to tell me later that I refuse to listen to anyone when it comes to my back yet it was not like that at all. I listened to her and then tried to explain that not only have I looked in to some of the methods she mentioned I had tried some of them without success. It was then that she hung up in a tiff.
I called her back and let her know that hanging up on me is not the way to show someone you care about them and that I have investigated much more then she has when it comes to my conditions. She did apologize but continued on with the babble about other remedies. I think she was just having a bad day as she is usually not like that at all.
They just do not seem to understand that arachnoiditis is not something that will go away. They also do not seem to understand that I do not buy in to the theories they do such as chiropratics, I just do not believe them to work. Both my father and my sister see a chiropracter and while they swear it works I just do not buy it. I refuse to allow someone to start twisting and pulling my body and joints, especially after having fusion and hardware installed. Just what I need, some crackpot breaking a screw or rod or worse the area where the fusion has taken.
I do not think I can even relay the frustration that I have with them when they refuse to listen. That because my sister has a PhD in psychology that I am not smart enough to decide for myself what the best course of action is or that they ask me what the latest news is and I start to tell them they either change the subject or act like they don't care.
I love my family very much and we have always been very close. However this is something that is starting to drive a stake between us and I do not like that. I try to avoid the subject all together when I am at their house but sooner or later it is time for me to either take my meds or sit and relax for a bit, and then my mother will make a comment.
I understand that they care about me and that is why they harp me like they do but I would love for it for a minute if they would just either listen to me or leave it be. The time would be less tense if we could just have a few hours together without mentioning my back.
One thing I have decided and my wife agrees with me on is that there are no more epidurals and o surgery unless it is absolutely needed to prevent something like paralysis or cauda equina. Other then that I am wide open to oral steroids and opioids. I understand that some people look down on the long term use of opioids but they generally have never been in severe pain let alone chronic severe pain.
I was talking to my mother the other day and after explaining many times about my condition as well as sending her and the rest of my family tons of reading material it seems like they just do not get it.
I have explained ad nauseum that there is no cure for arachnoiditis and that all I am looking for is a method of pain management that will allow me to some quality of life. I have also told them that I do not believe in homeopathic remedies, herbal healing, acupuncture or chiropractors. It seems though that no matter how many times I tell them this they do not want to hear it.
My conversation with my mother consisted of her telling me about one of her friends who is going to pain management where they use prolotherapy which is not at all helpful to me. As I was trying to explain this to my mother she decided to be an ass and just hung up on me. It pissed me off very much as I cannot stand it when people act like that, like their opinion is the only one that matters or that I do not know what I am talking about. She tried to tell me later that I refuse to listen to anyone when it comes to my back yet it was not like that at all. I listened to her and then tried to explain that not only have I looked in to some of the methods she mentioned I had tried some of them without success. It was then that she hung up in a tiff.
I called her back and let her know that hanging up on me is not the way to show someone you care about them and that I have investigated much more then she has when it comes to my conditions. She did apologize but continued on with the babble about other remedies. I think she was just having a bad day as she is usually not like that at all.
They just do not seem to understand that arachnoiditis is not something that will go away. They also do not seem to understand that I do not buy in to the theories they do such as chiropratics, I just do not believe them to work. Both my father and my sister see a chiropracter and while they swear it works I just do not buy it. I refuse to allow someone to start twisting and pulling my body and joints, especially after having fusion and hardware installed. Just what I need, some crackpot breaking a screw or rod or worse the area where the fusion has taken.
I do not think I can even relay the frustration that I have with them when they refuse to listen. That because my sister has a PhD in psychology that I am not smart enough to decide for myself what the best course of action is or that they ask me what the latest news is and I start to tell them they either change the subject or act like they don't care.
I love my family very much and we have always been very close. However this is something that is starting to drive a stake between us and I do not like that. I try to avoid the subject all together when I am at their house but sooner or later it is time for me to either take my meds or sit and relax for a bit, and then my mother will make a comment.
I understand that they care about me and that is why they harp me like they do but I would love for it for a minute if they would just either listen to me or leave it be. The time would be less tense if we could just have a few hours together without mentioning my back.
2/18/2005
Gmail invites...
Now either everyone has a Gmail account or no one wants one... I cannot figure it out but if you would like a gmail account please use my email link and send me the email address you would like the invite sent to as I have 100 available to give away.
Grocery shopping...
We did some monster grocery shopping last night. I was shocked when the register finally stopped on $370US. I know we seriously needed to do that much shopping but it sucks when you realize that for a small family groceries are expensive. I did find a nice beef roast and I am dying to make it. Of course my mouth is watering just thinking about the wonderful smell it will have when cooking and the roasted potatoes and carrots that go with it. Then it hit me (ok, my wife reminded me) that today is Friday, a day of fasting.
The med change has made a HUGE difference, but we were expecting that since we had suck luck with the oxycontin the last time I was on it. While it did not feel great to walk around the grocery store and push a huge cart full of food around, I was also not in monster pain after doing all that walking. I did break out in a hot flash though that lasted a good 2 hours. I felt like I had just stepped out of the shower on a Midwestern August day.
I decided that since I am going to see a specialist next week that I will bring the disabled parking forms. With the symptoms seemingly spreading I am slowly starting to think that hiking across parking lots is not so wise anymore. I am torn though as I know I qualify for the placard but at the same time I feel like I am still healthy enough to walk. It can be frustrating at times but I think I am dealing with this better now then last year.
Anyway, I got the website finished for the company and am just waiting for them to send me the changes they would like done to finish it up and then I am going to start on a new site for a property management company. I met the owner yesterday while waiting for the doctor and found that his site is seriously lacking, difficult to navigate and very cluttered. I am hoping to get a jump on that this weekend.
The med change has made a HUGE difference, but we were expecting that since we had suck luck with the oxycontin the last time I was on it. While it did not feel great to walk around the grocery store and push a huge cart full of food around, I was also not in monster pain after doing all that walking. I did break out in a hot flash though that lasted a good 2 hours. I felt like I had just stepped out of the shower on a Midwestern August day.
I decided that since I am going to see a specialist next week that I will bring the disabled parking forms. With the symptoms seemingly spreading I am slowly starting to think that hiking across parking lots is not so wise anymore. I am torn though as I know I qualify for the placard but at the same time I feel like I am still healthy enough to walk. It can be frustrating at times but I think I am dealing with this better now then last year.
Anyway, I got the website finished for the company and am just waiting for them to send me the changes they would like done to finish it up and then I am going to start on a new site for a property management company. I met the owner yesterday while waiting for the doctor and found that his site is seriously lacking, difficult to navigate and very cluttered. I am hoping to get a jump on that this weekend.
2/17/2005
Saw the doc...
I dragged myself out of the house (as well as the baby and the Mrs.) bright and early and went to see the doc. At our request he is switching me back to Oxycontin and has suggested that it is time to go see a pain management specialist.
I called the insurance company and got the name of the in network places as well as information on what my part of the payment would be. The good news is that I do not need a referral as I have a PPO and not an HMO but I have to pay 10% (90/10 PLAN) but only after the yearly deductible if met. I thought she said $2000 but after I read the policy it is $250 with a $2000 max out of pocket each year.
I called the facility and got an appointment but the earliest they had is the following Friday and very early in the morning. Lucky me, they are 1.5 hours from my house (you have to love city driving) which means I need to leave here at like 5:30 in the morning to make it on time.
I will let everyone know how it is all going when I see the new doc.
I called the insurance company and got the name of the in network places as well as information on what my part of the payment would be. The good news is that I do not need a referral as I have a PPO and not an HMO but I have to pay 10% (90/10 PLAN) but only after the yearly deductible if met. I thought she said $2000 but after I read the policy it is $250 with a $2000 max out of pocket each year.
I called the facility and got an appointment but the earliest they had is the following Friday and very early in the morning. Lucky me, they are 1.5 hours from my house (you have to love city driving) which means I need to leave here at like 5:30 in the morning to make it on time.
I will let everyone know how it is all going when I see the new doc.
2/16/2005
My leg and back have felt worse over the last few days then they have any time that I can remember. Even positions that used to be comfortable, like fully reclining in the chair, hurt. My left leg is so numb that sleeping is barely possible and even though I am so tired it keeps me awake.
My thigh is throbbing right now and it actually feels like the circulation to my entire leg has stopped. My foot is ice cold and burning at the same time and is so cold that even after wearing heavy wool socks it feels as if I had it on a block of ice all day.
I am not even going to try to make an appointment, I will just get up early (unless I am still up again) and go to the before hours care at my doctors office.
My thigh is throbbing right now and it actually feels like the circulation to my entire leg has stopped. My foot is ice cold and burning at the same time and is so cold that even after wearing heavy wool socks it feels as if I had it on a block of ice all day.
I am not even going to try to make an appointment, I will just get up early (unless I am still up again) and go to the before hours care at my doctors office.
A parents nightmare....
I truly wish this boy a speedy recovery. I am not sure what I would do or even think if something like this happened to one of my children. You cannot take the pain away for them and you are almost left not being able to help. I think the toughest job I have ever had is being a parent.
Compared to the day to day responsibilities of being a parent my time as an NCO in the army, as a bounty hunter, brewer and poker dealer were all walks in the park.
Story here.
Compared to the day to day responsibilities of being a parent my time as an NCO in the army, as a bounty hunter, brewer and poker dealer were all walks in the park.
Story here.
Senior defenseman Luke Green of Austin is in intensive care at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester after being injured Monday in the Packers' 4-3 overtime loss at New Ulm.
He has a spinal injury and paralysis below his shoulders after crashing headfirst into the boards after colliding with an opponent early in overtime.
After a 15-minute delay, Green was taken off of the ice on a stretcher and flown to Rochester.
Austin coach Troy Holtz said the hit on Green was neither cheap nor violent: "It's unfortunately just part of the game."
"We're all pulling for him," Packers goalie Jack Lynch said.
The senior class held a moment of silence for Green on Tuesday, and a room was set up in the library for grieving students.
"There's a lot of crying going on," Austin principal Joe Brown said. "There's still hope that he'll recover."
Green, 17, had slight movement in a few toes, his family said Tuesday in a statement released by Austin High School.
2/15/2005
Reality show contestant kills himself...
This is sad. Suicide is never the right answer and when someone this promising decides to take his own life the rest of us are left wondering what was so bad that they thought death was their only option?
PHILADELPHIA - A promising young boxer who got the break of a lifetime when he was selected by NBC's upcoming reality TV program, "The Contender," committed suicide.
Police said 23-year-old Najai Turpin shot himself in the head at 4 a.m. Monday while sitting with his girlfriend in a parked car outside the West Philadelphia gym where he trained. Investigators were unsure why he took his life.
An NBC spokeswoman said the producers, cast and crew of "The Contender" were shocked and saddened by Turpin's death. The program, scheduled to debut March 7, will go on as planned.
Produced by reality TV mogul Mark Burnett, "The Contender" will follow the lives of 16 boxers competing against each other for a chance at a million-dollar purse.
The episodes involving Turpin had already been taped.
Percy "Buster" Custus, a trainer who had worked with him since Turpin was 12, said the boxer had enjoyed his experiences with the show but seemed troubled in recent weeks. He said Turpin abruptly left a training camp in the Poconos and returned home to Philadelphia, saying he missed his family.
"None of us really know what brought this about," Custus said Tuesday. "You just want to see the boys come out of the neighborhood. From the time they're young kids, you really want to see them make it. And he was right there."
Turpin had a 13-1 record and had won a city Recreation Department title before he was picked for "The Contender."
A biography on the show's Web site called him an "extremely soft-spoken" but focused fighter who worked two day jobs to support his family. He had a 2-year-old daughter.
"You would never know he was a fighter," Custus said. "He was a tough guy in the ring. He was a vicious fighter. But outside the ring he was a different man."
Police said they didn't know where Turpin got the gun. He was not licensed to carry a handgun and the weapon was not registered to him.
NBC released a statement from Burnett in which he called Turpin a "great fighter with tremendous heart and courage."
"The episode in which he was most depicted will stand as a wonderful testament to who he was. It will not be changed," Burnett wrote.
A tribute to Turpin will be added to the show. Viewers will also be offered a chance to donate money to a trust fund set up to support Turpin's child.
NBC spokeswoman Rebecca Marks declined to say how Turpin had fared in the show, which is to conclude with a live championship bout between two finalists in May. She said, however, that the show will not need to be overhauled because of Turpin's death.
Every contestant was being paid $1,500 per week to stay in training pending the finale.
Turpin worked out at the James Shuler Memorial Gym, a haven for serious fighters from a rough and impoverished neighborhood.
Tybius Flowers, another boxer at the gym, was murdered last year shortly before he was to appear as a key witness in a murder trial.
Compound in urine may fight spinal cord injury...
An interesting little piece.
Story here
Story here
Compound in Urine May Fight Spinal Cord Injury
-- Robert Preidt
TUESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Uric acid, a metabolic breakdown product found in urine and blood, may help reduce damage from spinal cord injury, researchers say.
In research with mice, scientists at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, found that uric acid helped lessen some of the secondary cellular damage that occurs following spinal cord injury. This secondary damage is caused when the body's inflammatory response releases potentially harmful chemicals that exacerbate the injury.
Mice given uric acid just before and after they suffered a spinal cord injury recovered motor function quicker, and to a greater degree, than mice receiving a simple saline solution. In cell culture tests, the researchers discovered that uric acid protected spinal cord neurons from damage caused by a compound called peroxynitrite, which is linked to cell damage caused by inflammation.
The findings, reported in this week's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, might someday help in the development of new treatments for spinal cord injuries, the researchers say.
Double, double toil and trouble, back is burning...
The numbness and burning in the left foot is somewhat intense today. The whole small of my back and then down the backside of the thigh to the knee where it turns to the front of the leg and straight down in to my foot is on fire.
I am tired of this pain and the fact that we cannot seem to find something that will help control it better. I tried to call my insurance company to see what I can do about getting to a neurosurgeon but the wait time was "longer then normal" and hanging on to the handset for 45 minutes or so was not my idea of a fun time. I hung up and will try them again later on.
I am not sure what a neuro can do for me if anything, especially since there is no ay I am letting them cut on me again. I guess I cling to the hope that there is some medication out there. I know there is no cure but there has to be something better to help alleviate the pain.
Here is some information on the numbness and burning. It is intersting that they do not mention arachnoiditis as I followed a link about arachnoiditis to the page where I found this information.
I am tired of this pain and the fact that we cannot seem to find something that will help control it better. I tried to call my insurance company to see what I can do about getting to a neurosurgeon but the wait time was "longer then normal" and hanging on to the handset for 45 minutes or so was not my idea of a fun time. I hung up and will try them again later on.
I am not sure what a neuro can do for me if anything, especially since there is no ay I am letting them cut on me again. I guess I cling to the hope that there is some medication out there. I know there is no cure but there has to be something better to help alleviate the pain.
Here is some information on the numbness and burning. It is intersting that they do not mention arachnoiditis as I followed a link about arachnoiditis to the page where I found this information.
Symptom: Paresthesias
Paresthesias: Tingling, prickling, numbness or burning sensations
Introduction: Abnormal nerve sensations such as pins-and-needles, tingling, burning, prickling or similar feelings are all known as "paresthesias". They usually result from nerve damage due to pressure (such as a pinched nerve), entrapment, or diseases. Continued nerve damage can lead to numbness.
Paresthesias can affect various parts of the body. Hands, fingers, and feet are common sites but all are possibilities. Afflictions of specific nerves or spinal nerves can also cause paresthesias in particular skin areas of the body.
Parethesias with simple causes such as pressing on a nerve are usually reversible. Certain other nerve conditions such as peripheral neuropathy (often from diabetes), lupus complications, Guillain-Barre syndrome, or multiple sclerosis are also possible causes of parethesias. Because of the variety of possible causes, any abnormal sensation needs prompt professional medical investigation.
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