I have a headache this afternoon and no Relpax to take care of it. Since the headaches have been coming much less frequently and they gave me the Oxy IR I figured that I would not need the Relpax. This headache though is not responding to the Oxy or even caffeine.
Caffeine is the one thing I had to seriously cut down on when I was diagnosed with the arachnoiditis. Since caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant and arachnoiditis is a condition that affects the CNS something had to go. If I had my choice it would have been the arachnoiditis, but we don't always have a choice.
I did not, nor do I now, drink a lot of soda but I could kill 2 pots of coffee a day and sometimes 3 which was causing more pain then I cared for. When I did cut out the coffee, cold turkey mind you, it was seriously like detoxing for a few days. I was literally shaking and had bad cramps for 3 days but once that was over it was not so bad. The only problem was that I had bought 20lbs of my favorite roast just weeks before and I still had (have) half of it in the chest freezer. Opening that up is torture, that wonderful smell wofting out and inviting me to make just 1 cup. I keep it for when we have company and they might want a cup but other then that I have not had any coffee since September of last year.
I was going to ask the doctor for a prescription for Toradol for the headaches as it is just as effective as the Relpax but is $30 cheaper. With the Toradol I also get 60 pills for $10 and Relpax is $50 for 8. Relpax is a great medication but too expensive for me to keep filling twice and sometimes 3 times a month when 1 fill of Toradol can last me almost 3 months for 1/5 the cost.
4/30/2005
This is amazing...
This is an amazing piece of art when you really think about it. The colors are just so vibrant and come together to create the picture. I was shocked to find that this is not a painting, it is created using grains of sand by Buddhist Monks and then later on it is destroyed.
Story here
Story here
ST. LOUIS - Tibetan monks are spending five days at the St. Louis Art Museum meticulously positioning millions of grains of sand in a colorful pattern to form a sand painting.
On Sunday, they'll destroy it.
The process serves as a way for the Buddhists to meditate, spread blessings and show the temporary nature of things in this world, even the beautiful ones.
"It symbolizes the impermanence of all existence," noted Tenzin Phenthok, 25, a monk who wore a flowing maroon robe and served as spokesman for the group while the painting was assembled earlier in the week.
"Also, it tells us lessons of nonattachment," he said, or the importance of not becoming too attached to the things of this world.
In the Sculpture Hall at the art gallery, Buddhist monks lean over a wooden platform that resembles a table to create the work, known as a mandala.
They each hold a narrow funnel called a chakpur. It is filled with colored sand, and when they run a metal rod against the chakpur's surface, the vibrations cause the colored grains to trickle from the funnel onto an intricate, circular pattern drawn on the wooden surface.
The work they create at the gallery is known as a mandala for unshakable energy, Phenthok explained. He said monks created similar patterns in New York and Washington, D.C., after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. "The creation of the mandala can heal," he said.
To create the mandala, the monks use sand ground from white marble, colored with vegetable dyes and then blessed. It comes from their Drepung Loseling monastery in the state of Karnataka, India, near the community of Hubli.
Before they began, they held an opening ceremony with chants, music and mantra recitation. They worked on the sand painting for periods of time each day through Sunday. Then, despite all the effort, they will hold a closing ceremony where they sweep up the mandala to symbolize the impermanence of all that exists.
Part of the sand is given to the public and part is poured into a nearby body of water, in this case, the Grand Basin at Forest Park.
Phenthok said dispersing the blessed sand gives people a remembrance of the occasion and it also is intended to spread the blessing. "Then, it becomes a global healing," he said.
He explained a process that may sound abstract, but described how people are often touched by it. Phenthok said when the monks created a mandala at the Mall of America in Minnesota, some spectators began to cry because they were so disturbed at seeing all the work destroyed. Phenthok said it is not upsetting to the monks, who study and train for years before completing mandalas, and see a greater meaning in assembling and dismantling them.
A visitor to the museum, Michele Feder-Nadoff, 49, from Chicago, was among those who tried her hand at sand painting at a separate station set up for the public. She said she thought it would be an effective tool to help with meditation. "You really have to be in the moment," she said.
The monks' tour, known as The Mystical Arts of Tibet, seeks to raise money for food, education and medical help for Tibetans.
4/29/2005
Is acupuncture an appropriate treatment?
I will start by saying that I have never had acupuncture and what I do know about it is limited to what I have read. I understand the basic concept of how and what it does but I am not so sure it is the end all cure all as some people claim.
I have no doubt that many people will spend a good deal of time and money seeking out effective pain management, whether that be through modern medical means, homeopathic remedies or ancient Asian methods such as acupuncture. Finding one that works for you can be tedious and sometimes cause the stress that increases pain levels in the body and while I won't knock one method over the next I am adamant about what measures I am willing to try and which I will not consider.
It is curious to see that the World Health Organization has accepted acupuncture as a valid treatment for more then a few conditions which generally would be treated with conventional medicines.
I also did a search through the WHO site to find more on their views on acupuncture and stumbled on to a page where they show the usage of conventional treatments versus what they call "complimentary" or "alternative". I was somewhat surprised to see that in places like the U.S., Canada and Europe many people, in some cases well over 50%, are seeking out non-traditional methods for their ailments. Well I would expect some portion of the population to use those methods, the numbers they post are much higher then I could have imagined.
Article here
I have no doubt that many people will spend a good deal of time and money seeking out effective pain management, whether that be through modern medical means, homeopathic remedies or ancient Asian methods such as acupuncture. Finding one that works for you can be tedious and sometimes cause the stress that increases pain levels in the body and while I won't knock one method over the next I am adamant about what measures I am willing to try and which I will not consider.
It is curious to see that the World Health Organization has accepted acupuncture as a valid treatment for more then a few conditions which generally would be treated with conventional medicines.
I also did a search through the WHO site to find more on their views on acupuncture and stumbled on to a page where they show the usage of conventional treatments versus what they call "complimentary" or "alternative". I was somewhat surprised to see that in places like the U.S., Canada and Europe many people, in some cases well over 50%, are seeking out non-traditional methods for their ailments. Well I would expect some portion of the population to use those methods, the numbers they post are much higher then I could have imagined.
Article here
Acupuncture, as a therapeutic intervention is effective for nausea and vomiting associated with surgery, chemotherapy and pregnancy. In addition, acupuncture has a significant effect on pain and can be helpful in conditions such as low back pain, osteoarthritis, myofascial pain, menstrual cramps, headache, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome and fibromyalgia.
Acupuncture has been used much more widely in other parts of the world including both Europe and Asia. Another prestigious organization, the World Health Organization of the United Nations has also created a list of illnesses for which acupuncture is an appropriate treatment. That is:
Musculo-Skeletal, Neurological and Stress Related Conditions:
Back Pain Depression Stroke
Tendonitis Anxiety Neuralgia
Sciatica Stress Cerebral Palsy
Stiff Neck Insomnia Bell's Palsy
Bursitis Headache
Arthritis Sprains
Female Conditions:
PMS
Menstrual Cramps
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Irregular and Painful Periods
Infertility
Vaginitis
Male Conditions:
Infertility
Impotence
Infections and General Conditions:
Colds and Flu Deafness Ulcers
Hayfever Earache Indigestion
Bronchitis Dizziness Colitis
Sore Throat Tinnitus Hemorrhoids
Sinus Infections Poor Eyesight Diarrhea/Constipation
Asthma Hepatitis High Blood Pressure
Herpes Diabetes Hypoglycemia
Achne Eczema Dermatological Conditions
A Closer Look at PAIN Search
According to the National Institute of Health:
"Pain is a critical national health problem. It is the most common reason for medical appointments, nearly 40 million visits annually, and costs this country over $100 billion each year in health care and lost productivity. Pain has a profound effect on the quality of human life. In addition to possible deleterious effects on immune function, pain can cause disruptions in sleep, eating, mobility, and overall functional status. In the hospitalized patient, pain may be associated with increased length of stay, longer recovery time, and poorer patient outcomes, all of which have health care quality and cost implications."
Pain, in general, has an infinite number of possible causes and manifestations, however, muscle constriction based pain caused by chronic over-use, repetitive strain, poor posture and stress is quite common and very effectively relieved by acupuncture, and specifically, by a technique originally invented in the field of physical therapy by Janet Travell. That technique, called myofascial trigger point needling is traditionally executed using injections of local anesthetics with hypodermic needles however, trigger point releases can be effectively executed to reduce chronic muscle constriction based pain with a simple acupuncture trigger point technique.
The release of a trigger point is in fact a release in the exterior layers of the body. When generated with acupuncture needles, there is an actual physiological shift that is both visual and tactile. It is as if a ripple is generated through a tissue which has been previously frozen. Usually, for the patient, it is an experience that is quite unexpected and surprising. From a Chinese medical perspective, the surface of the body must be cleared of constriction and pain before one could effectively enter into the interior of the body and treat it thoroughly. By inspiring the surface tissue to open, acupuncture can then help to create a sustained shift in a body's habitual pain pattern and condi
Surgery for arachnoiditis?
When I was in for my visit yesterday I was explaining the pain and symptoms I have to the nurse practitioner, she had not seen me before, and we got on a quick discussion about arachnoiditis and possible treatments. She has a friend who was diagnosed with arachnoiditis and saw an orthopedic (not sure why though) surgeon who performed surgery to try and fix the arachnoiditis.
Now several things popped into my mind at once, the foremost being why would someone see an orthopedic surgeon for an obvious neurological defect? The second was how did they perform surgery to correct arachnoiditis as I have been told that in most cases it cannot be done and in the ones where it can be done, very few are successful.
I did some quick searching this morning and did find some information on surgical procedures for arachnoiditis. As I suspected there are some cases where surgery is tried but it is not so successful that I would even consider it as an option right now. I can only imagine how advanced some of those cases may have been for them to even consider an attempt at surgery.
Article here
Now several things popped into my mind at once, the foremost being why would someone see an orthopedic surgeon for an obvious neurological defect? The second was how did they perform surgery to correct arachnoiditis as I have been told that in most cases it cannot be done and in the ones where it can be done, very few are successful.
I did some quick searching this morning and did find some information on surgical procedures for arachnoiditis. As I suspected there are some cases where surgery is tried but it is not so successful that I would even consider it as an option right now. I can only imagine how advanced some of those cases may have been for them to even consider an attempt at surgery.
Article here
Arachnoiditis and Syringomyelia
Arachnoiditis
Posterior Approach
Posterior Approach is inflammation of the tissues surrounding the spinal cord or the nerve roots. Its is somewhat of a misnomer as it implies pathology of only the arachnoid mater. In reality the aura mater, the arachnoid mater, the pia mater and the surrounding vasculature are involved to varying degrees.
Scarring may then ensue to varying degrees. This scarring was originally reported as 2 types, "arachnoiditis adhesive circumscripta spinalis" the localized form and "arachnoiditis adhesive diffuse spinalis" the generalized form. Currently 3 types of arachnoiditis are recognized in the lumbar spine radiographically. Type I is focal nerve root adhesion which obliterates the nerve root sheath and may mimic a herniated disc on myelography. Type II is circumferential adhesions of the nerve roots with an open central canal. It may be localized or diffuse. Type III is complete obliteration of the subarachnoid space.
Arachnoiditis may result from infectious meningitis; subarachnoid bleeding from trauma, arteriovenous malformations, or iatrogenic puncture; intrathecally administered oil based contrast agents; intrathecal corticosteroids; surgery within or about the thecal sac and nerve roots; lumbar disc disease; spinal stenosis; segmental instability; herniated disc; as a familial disorder; or it may arise spontaneously. The exact etiology of the fibrosis is unclear, as is the explanation for its varied distribution.
Arachnoiditis was first described in the mid to late 1800's as an autopsy finding. It was seen more frequently after the advent of myelographic contrast agents. The diagnosis is made radiographically, most often on myelogram but also on MRI and occasionally on newer generation CT scanners.
Most cases of arachnoiditis are asymptomatic. Those that are symptomatic may cause burning pain in the back and or legs, altered strength and sensation in the lower extremities, limited ROM of the lumbar spine and impotence. Symptoms are probably produced by mechanical constriction or limitation of motion of the lumbar nerve roots. There may be some contribution by the altered flow of nutrients to the affected nerves due to diminished blood flow and restricted CSF flow in the affected area. Clinically the disorder develops and progresses over a course of 6 to 18 months. Wilkinson feels that progression beyond 24 months is unlikely to be due to arachnoiditis alone.
If symptoms are attributable to arachnoiditis, are progressive and occur within 1 year of the surgical procedure consideration may be given to microsurgical lysis of the subarachnoid adhesions. The results are varied and successes frequently are less than 50% in different series. Wilkinson reported a series of 17 patients treated with microsurgical lysis of adhesions. Despite an initial good outcome of 75%, less than 50% maintained their improvement at one year, and almost 20% developed new and permanent neurologic deficits after the procedure.
Other treatment options include intrathecal corticosteroid administration, selective intrathecal phenol sensory rhizotomy, dorsal column stimulator implantation and dorsal column rhizotomy. The success rates of these treatments are generally in the 50% range in different series, with some patients made worse by the treatment.
In addition to the above arachnoiditis at higher levels may lead to the development of syringomyelia.
Syringomyelia
The etiology of syringomyelia is unclear. Several theories exist, all of which may play some role in the development of the syrinx. Gardner proposed that obstruction of the outlets of the 4th ventricle led to increased pressure within the ventricles. This increased pressure, further increased by postural changes, valsalva maneuvers and the normal pulse wave associated with the heart beat cause extravasation of CSF through the obex and into the central canal of the spine, causing the syrinx.
Bering in 1955 demonstrated that the choroid plexus transmits arterial pulsations to the CSF. He showed that with systolic pulsation the pressure increases in the ventricle and the CSF is forced out of the foramina into the subarachnoid space. This has confirmed recently with sonography in humans.
Williams examined pressure differentials between the brain and the spinal canal in patients with hindbrain abnormalities (ArnoldChiari malformation). He found that valsalva maneuvers caused epidural venous engorgement which caused a rise in intraspinal pressure. This rise in intraspinal pressure sent a pressure wave cephalad and caudad. As the wave traveled cranially, it would pass the herniated hindbrain and enter the cranium. When the valsalva stopped and the pressure returned to normal the hindbrain would act as a one way valve producing postvalsalva pressure gradients of 100mm of Hg. The relative negative pressure within the spinal cord/column could "suck" CSF into the syrinxes. He also theorized that the water hammer effect of the pulsations of the epidural veins could act to enlarge the syrinxes.
Ball and Dayan, and Aboulker hypothesize that CSF may be forced into the parenchyma of the cord along perivascular channels (VirchowRobin spaces), or along nerve roots.
Pillay et al recently unified the above theories into one. They felt that some or all may play a role in the development of syringomyelia in different situations. In cases of 4th ventricle outlet obstruction both Gardner's and Williams' theories probably contribute. In syrinxes associated with trauma or focal arachnoiditis there is probably a contribution as proposed by Ball and Dayan, and Aboulker.
4/28/2005
Title goes here...
I got to see the nurse practitioner today instead of my regular doctor. She was quite nice and while she did not go through the whole bend, twist & turn routine she did get me out of there quickly.
We left the doctors and went over and saw my new nephew who looks just like my brother. Hopefully as he grows older that will change and he will have a chance at finding a date. (Hahahahaha) The baby is adorable and while he is tiny right now if he is anything like my brother he is going to be a monster. My "little" brother is about 6'2" and a former competitive body builder so he basically looks like a brick wall, with legs.
I felt bad that we could only stay for 20 minutes right now but when I got there they were getting ready to give my sister in law her bath so I wanted to clear out so she could get comfortable (they delivered by c-section) and have some time with her new son. I know when we had my sons trying to find an hour to ourselves was difficult and when we finally did get one we were so tired from all the visitors. I try to remember how we felt and 20 minutes was probably just right for now. She will be home by the weekend so I thought we would head down on Monday to see them, bring lunch with us as well as make a tray of my lasagna that my brother loves and leave it for them. That was one thing we really appreciated when we made it home and people brought food so we did not have to cook for a day or 2.
By the time we made it back home my son was snoring in the car seat so instead of running in to the pharmacy I went to the drive through only to find out that they were out of one of the meds and it would take a week. How does a pharmacy run out of medication and why does it take 1 week to get it in? I ended up having to hunt down another pharmacy and my wife will pick it up on her way home from work.
Now it is time to veg out in the recliner and watch the idiot box.
We left the doctors and went over and saw my new nephew who looks just like my brother. Hopefully as he grows older that will change and he will have a chance at finding a date. (Hahahahaha) The baby is adorable and while he is tiny right now if he is anything like my brother he is going to be a monster. My "little" brother is about 6'2" and a former competitive body builder so he basically looks like a brick wall, with legs.
I felt bad that we could only stay for 20 minutes right now but when I got there they were getting ready to give my sister in law her bath so I wanted to clear out so she could get comfortable (they delivered by c-section) and have some time with her new son. I know when we had my sons trying to find an hour to ourselves was difficult and when we finally did get one we were so tired from all the visitors. I try to remember how we felt and 20 minutes was probably just right for now. She will be home by the weekend so I thought we would head down on Monday to see them, bring lunch with us as well as make a tray of my lasagna that my brother loves and leave it for them. That was one thing we really appreciated when we made it home and people brought food so we did not have to cook for a day or 2.
By the time we made it back home my son was snoring in the car seat so instead of running in to the pharmacy I went to the drive through only to find out that they were out of one of the meds and it would take a week. How does a pharmacy run out of medication and why does it take 1 week to get it in? I ended up having to hunt down another pharmacy and my wife will pick it up on her way home from work.
Now it is time to veg out in the recliner and watch the idiot box.
4/27/2005
We got the doctors appointment issue worked out. While I am not happy about having to drive all the way down to the city, I will take that over having to wait until Friday or later to get my visit in.
I made it for first thing in the morning with the nurse practitioner which is a good thing. While the doctor I see is a great guy I believe that a patient should be familiar with all the doctors on the staff just in case of something like this. That way if something else should happen they are at least familiar with you.
It does make a small dent in the plans to get down and see my brother and sister-in-law and my new nephew. Since they had a C-section though they will be in for a few days. I will call my brother in a little while and make arrangement to come see them. From what I hear my nephew is a spitting image of his sister, who is 2 and just adorable. She is my brothers little shadow and she wants to be everywhere daddy goes. Hopefully her transition to a new brother is easy as she is my brothers only other child.
I made it for first thing in the morning with the nurse practitioner which is a good thing. While the doctor I see is a great guy I believe that a patient should be familiar with all the doctors on the staff just in case of something like this. That way if something else should happen they are at least familiar with you.
It does make a small dent in the plans to get down and see my brother and sister-in-law and my new nephew. Since they had a C-section though they will be in for a few days. I will call my brother in a little while and make arrangement to come see them. From what I hear my nephew is a spitting image of his sister, who is 2 and just adorable. She is my brothers little shadow and she wants to be everywhere daddy goes. Hopefully her transition to a new brother is easy as she is my brothers only other child.
I hate it when that happens!
My doctors appointment was for Friday but my wife's work schedule changed meaning either I needed to change it or cancel it all together. Since I would run out of meds by canceling I changed it to this afternoon. Apparently now the doctor is out of the office today and they rescheduled it for next Monday. Damnit! I called them back to let them know that I won't make it to Monday with meds and I will call again in a bit.
The bigger pain is that today would have worked out great. My wife is off and could drive me. On top of that my brother's wife had a little boy this morning at the hospital 3 miles away. We could have stopped in to see them right after the appointment.
I am hoping that the doctors office will be able to fill the prescription for me and then I can swing by and pick it up on the way to see my family.
As for my brother, they had a little boy, 7lbs 10oz's 18.25" long and doing well. He will make the 5th grandchild for my parents and the 3rd boy to carry the family name.
My doctors appointment was for Friday but my wife's work schedule changed meaning either I needed to change it or cancel it all together. Since I would run out of meds by canceling I changed it to this afternoon. Apparently now the doctor is out of the office today and they rescheduled it for next Monday. Damnit! I called them back to let them know that I won't make it to Monday with meds and I will call again in a bit.
The bigger pain is that today would have worked out great. My wife is off and could drive me. On top of that my brother's wife had a little boy this morning at the hospital 3 miles away. We could have stopped in to see them right after the appointment.
I am hoping that the doctors office will be able to fill the prescription for me and then I can swing by and pick it up on the way to see my family.
As for my brother, they had a little boy, 7lbs 10oz's 18.25" long and doing well. He will make the 5th grandchild for my parents and the 3rd boy to carry the family name.
4/25/2005
Time for the haircuts!
Boredom...
I skipped the afternoon meds so that I could take the boys to get their haircuts as we have neglected it for weeks. We all look like shag mops running around here and that is something I hate. I cannot stand unkempt hair and when I was in the service I cut it every 3 days. Of course on post it was $5 and just me and now it is $40 for the 3 of us. Outrageous prices if you ask me especially since the 3 of us can be done in 15 minutes. Oh well, the price for having a family.
We got home a few minutes ago and it has started to rain. The temperature drop has really played havoc with my back so I took my meds and flopped in to the recliner to watch the idiot box and do some blogging. There is not much on and I find myself watching I married a Princess which is about Casper Van Dien from Starship Troopers which is perhaps on of the greatest books ever written.
Anyway, the I settled on this as the remote is on the other side of the room and I am to lazy to go get it. Oddly it is not so bad, especially if you have a family. It is not the typical hollywood bullcrap that you would expect and instead reminds me of any family with kids, especially a toddler. They show them with the same concerns and fears that ordinary families have and they don't live in some super huge mansion either. A very down to earth, church going family that could be living next door to any of us. Having a very similar but not as large family I can readily identify with many of the problems they are dealing with, a toddler, a pre-teen, work issues and so on.
What's funny is that other then Starship Troopers I did not realize he had done that much acting, although I have to admit that I only recognize a few of the 48 movies he has been in and I did not watch any of the TV shows he was part of. I guess with that many movies, even if they are "B" rates, he has had a successful career.
I skipped the afternoon meds so that I could take the boys to get their haircuts as we have neglected it for weeks. We all look like shag mops running around here and that is something I hate. I cannot stand unkempt hair and when I was in the service I cut it every 3 days. Of course on post it was $5 and just me and now it is $40 for the 3 of us. Outrageous prices if you ask me especially since the 3 of us can be done in 15 minutes. Oh well, the price for having a family.
We got home a few minutes ago and it has started to rain. The temperature drop has really played havoc with my back so I took my meds and flopped in to the recliner to watch the idiot box and do some blogging. There is not much on and I find myself watching I married a Princess which is about Casper Van Dien from Starship Troopers which is perhaps on of the greatest books ever written.
Anyway, the I settled on this as the remote is on the other side of the room and I am to lazy to go get it. Oddly it is not so bad, especially if you have a family. It is not the typical hollywood bullcrap that you would expect and instead reminds me of any family with kids, especially a toddler. They show them with the same concerns and fears that ordinary families have and they don't live in some super huge mansion either. A very down to earth, church going family that could be living next door to any of us. Having a very similar but not as large family I can readily identify with many of the problems they are dealing with, a toddler, a pre-teen, work issues and so on.
What's funny is that other then Starship Troopers I did not realize he had done that much acting, although I have to admit that I only recognize a few of the 48 movies he has been in and I did not watch any of the TV shows he was part of. I guess with that many movies, even if they are "B" rates, he has had a successful career.
4/24/2005
Just how is an epidural given?
Here is a site that has broken down into segments the steps involved in administering an epidural.
The videos seem to have a few more steps then I recall occurring when I had mine but it still gives a good idea of what happens. While it might seem painful I recall mine as being more uncomfortable then painful like one might think. I would actually say that the local anesthetic they applied first was more painful then the actual epidural itself. The anesthetic had a slight burning feeling to it that was explained to me as the drugs itself and not the needle.
Now how effective are epidurals? That all depends on the person receiving them. I had several of them for the spondylolisthesis and had little relief from them. There were several people I met along the way who swore by them and were able to put off their surgery for years because the epidurals worked so well.
Prior to being administered the doctor should inform you that you may not receive any relief from the shot and should that be the case they will suggest a follow up in 2 weeks followed by another one in 2 weeks, 3 epidurals in 4 weeks total. If the epidurals work then the duration is another thing that will vary from patient to patient.
There are some side effects that you may suffer after receiving the epidural, several of which may take some time to manifest themselves such as arachnoiditis. However, you should not let the fact that there are side effects sway your decision to not receive the epidural. Most of the them are very short lived and can be treated on the spot with simple analgesic such as ibuprofen or aspirin.
The videos seem to have a few more steps then I recall occurring when I had mine but it still gives a good idea of what happens. While it might seem painful I recall mine as being more uncomfortable then painful like one might think. I would actually say that the local anesthetic they applied first was more painful then the actual epidural itself. The anesthetic had a slight burning feeling to it that was explained to me as the drugs itself and not the needle.
Now how effective are epidurals? That all depends on the person receiving them. I had several of them for the spondylolisthesis and had little relief from them. There were several people I met along the way who swore by them and were able to put off their surgery for years because the epidurals worked so well.
Prior to being administered the doctor should inform you that you may not receive any relief from the shot and should that be the case they will suggest a follow up in 2 weeks followed by another one in 2 weeks, 3 epidurals in 4 weeks total. If the epidurals work then the duration is another thing that will vary from patient to patient.
There are some side effects that you may suffer after receiving the epidural, several of which may take some time to manifest themselves such as arachnoiditis. However, you should not let the fact that there are side effects sway your decision to not receive the epidural. Most of the them are very short lived and can be treated on the spot with simple analgesic such as ibuprofen or aspirin.
4/23/2005
I woke up this morning with both my arms numb again which has not happened in awhile. I am still not sure if it is bursitis or tendonitis and I have not had the doctors really look in to it either. Since it is not something that is happening every night/day it has a low priority when I see the doctors.
Of course this next visit should put me over the out of pocket limit and then the insurance kicks in 100%. Now instead of having to pay $50 for x-rays they should be covered 100% but I will still have to pay the $15 co-pay to the doctors for regular visits. I know, I sound cheap but 3-4 doctors visits a month, 1 set of x-rays a month, countless labs being done and then the meds means I have been paying close to $400+ a month for my condition before insurance even pays anything. Maybe I will mention the shoulders after that and see what they have to say.
The pain in the lower back and legs has returned, or should I say is more noticeable over the last weeks. It has also spread to all the toes where before it was only really the big toe and then just the side of it. It is difficult to really explain the pain to the doctors as it is not like when you smack your thumb with a hammer or step on a tack.
The pain starts in the middle of the small of the back. From there is heads down the back of the left leg until it gets to the knee where it crosses over the front of the knee and then runs down the inside of the left calf and down under the foot and in to the toes. It is a mix of a somewhat intense burning pain and cramping all at the same time.
The pain meds have been great at controlling an I figure that the new feeling is a mix of an advance in the scar tissue and a tolerance to the current dose. I have been on the same dose for close to 8 months so it is probably time for an increase in this med or a change to something else. I see the doc next week so I will discuss it with him then.
Of course this next visit should put me over the out of pocket limit and then the insurance kicks in 100%. Now instead of having to pay $50 for x-rays they should be covered 100% but I will still have to pay the $15 co-pay to the doctors for regular visits. I know, I sound cheap but 3-4 doctors visits a month, 1 set of x-rays a month, countless labs being done and then the meds means I have been paying close to $400+ a month for my condition before insurance even pays anything. Maybe I will mention the shoulders after that and see what they have to say.
The pain in the lower back and legs has returned, or should I say is more noticeable over the last weeks. It has also spread to all the toes where before it was only really the big toe and then just the side of it. It is difficult to really explain the pain to the doctors as it is not like when you smack your thumb with a hammer or step on a tack.
The pain starts in the middle of the small of the back. From there is heads down the back of the left leg until it gets to the knee where it crosses over the front of the knee and then runs down the inside of the left calf and down under the foot and in to the toes. It is a mix of a somewhat intense burning pain and cramping all at the same time.
The pain meds have been great at controlling an I figure that the new feeling is a mix of an advance in the scar tissue and a tolerance to the current dose. I have been on the same dose for close to 8 months so it is probably time for an increase in this med or a change to something else. I see the doc next week so I will discuss it with him then.
4/22/2005
Well after being woken this afternoon by the sound of a little girl playing on the deck, again., I went over and had a chat with my neighbor. I let her know that she has been coming in to the yard and playing and that it really needs to stop. Her answer was, "I know we catch her climbing the fence all the time". I then let her know that she has not climb the fence in a bit and she is know using the gate and leaving it wide open which means the dog gets out. Of course she quickly came back with "tie the gate shut or put a lock on it."
I was stupified by not just her responses but what appeared to be her lack of care. Instead of me having to lock my gate perhaps she should lock hers? Or better yet maybe someone should actually watch the child? Stupid me, I should have known locking my gate would fix this problem.
The sad thing is that other then this problem they are very good neighbors. We have not had any problems with them until recently. They have a daughter who is my sons age and they play together with the rest of the kids. Even this is not really that big a problem, chasing the dog down goes with the territory of owning a pet. My concern is the welfare of this little girl.
I was also out to the grocery store this afternoon and saw this little girl, perhaps 3 years old with a huge black right eye. She was sitting in the front part of the cart and the lady pushing it had another kid in the basket, maybe 5 years old, and 3 more in tow behind her. When I walked past the cart the girl with the bruises pointed to her left arm where she had more bruises very much like someone had grabbed her arm and then backhanded her across the eye.
The way some people treat or don't treat their kids is warped. You have to have a license to fish, to drive, to hunt and own a dog but anyone can have a kid no questions asked.
I was stupified by not just her responses but what appeared to be her lack of care. Instead of me having to lock my gate perhaps she should lock hers? Or better yet maybe someone should actually watch the child? Stupid me, I should have known locking my gate would fix this problem.
The sad thing is that other then this problem they are very good neighbors. We have not had any problems with them until recently. They have a daughter who is my sons age and they play together with the rest of the kids. Even this is not really that big a problem, chasing the dog down goes with the territory of owning a pet. My concern is the welfare of this little girl.
I was also out to the grocery store this afternoon and saw this little girl, perhaps 3 years old with a huge black right eye. She was sitting in the front part of the cart and the lady pushing it had another kid in the basket, maybe 5 years old, and 3 more in tow behind her. When I walked past the cart the girl with the bruises pointed to her left arm where she had more bruises very much like someone had grabbed her arm and then backhanded her across the eye.
The way some people treat or don't treat their kids is warped. You have to have a license to fish, to drive, to hunt and own a dog but anyone can have a kid no questions asked.
Child abuse and clergy
I had a long post about the abuse scandal in the Catholic church but the more I wrote the angrier I became, at both the clergy responsible for the abuse and those who help cover it up as well as those members of society who are ready to paint the church with such broad strokes. As a member of the church it very mush pisses me off that some Priests would abuse their positions to commit such disgusting crimes. I believe that all people who abuse children, regardless of their status and position should be locked up and the key thrown away.
I also find that people who like to wag their finger at the church as a whole without knowing all the facts are despicable. They are the ones who forget that innocent until proven guilty applies to everyone, clergy included.
In their rush to jump on the bandwagon before it leaves them behind they forgot to read up on all the facts involving not just the Catholic church but all the church's. In fact abuse among all clergy, whether they are Rabbi's, Priests, Imam's and so on is about the same. And again, I do not condone these actions by anyone, abuse among clergy on average is less then that of the general population.
As a parent I find it sad that these actions occur at any level any anyone. How we put a stop to it is almost impossible but what we can do is love our children and keep our eyes out for them. Talk to them and let them know they can tell you anything, it is sometimes the only way to find out about abuse that is going on. Many times the abuse is by someone in a position of trust to the child. Priests, teachers, friends parents and so on and by making sure you know where your children are and who they are with you can minimize the risk.
Here is a great site with information on child abuse as well as some statistics that I find disturbing. It is sad to see so many children being hurt. Worse is knowing that those numbers are that high because some children are reporting more the one incident.
A quick search of google for child abuse and clergy brings up some very disturbing pages. While the Catholic church scandal certainly is still running on some of the top hits you will find pages for all denominations as well as statistics showing how sad this story really is.
As a parent I can only say that if someone were to hurt my child in that manner they would regret the day they made that choice.
I also find that people who like to wag their finger at the church as a whole without knowing all the facts are despicable. They are the ones who forget that innocent until proven guilty applies to everyone, clergy included.
In their rush to jump on the bandwagon before it leaves them behind they forgot to read up on all the facts involving not just the Catholic church but all the church's. In fact abuse among all clergy, whether they are Rabbi's, Priests, Imam's and so on is about the same. And again, I do not condone these actions by anyone, abuse among clergy on average is less then that of the general population.
As a parent I find it sad that these actions occur at any level any anyone. How we put a stop to it is almost impossible but what we can do is love our children and keep our eyes out for them. Talk to them and let them know they can tell you anything, it is sometimes the only way to find out about abuse that is going on. Many times the abuse is by someone in a position of trust to the child. Priests, teachers, friends parents and so on and by making sure you know where your children are and who they are with you can minimize the risk.
Here is a great site with information on child abuse as well as some statistics that I find disturbing. It is sad to see so many children being hurt. Worse is knowing that those numbers are that high because some children are reporting more the one incident.
A quick search of google for child abuse and clergy brings up some very disturbing pages. While the Catholic church scandal certainly is still running on some of the top hits you will find pages for all denominations as well as statistics showing how sad this story really is.
As a parent I can only say that if someone were to hurt my child in that manner they would regret the day they made that choice.
I am extremely pleased with the way my son handled himself yesterday during the tornado. We have talked about it and rehearsed the actions needing to be taken in case of tornados and other emergencies and it paid off. From the time I told him we needed to be heading downstairs until we were all down was less then 1 minute.
This morning however I am paying for that trip in and out of the basement. To being with the "basement" is not a typical basement. It is more of a slab/crawl space. Sitting down I am fine but there is no room to stand up if you are over 4 feet tall. Originally the only way in was from outside but someone installed a trap door and a set of stairs from inside the laundry room. The door is about 18" wide and maybe 2' across so it is small and then to reach the stairs is a small drop so you have to lower yourself on to them by supporting yourself with your upper body and then "dipping" down to the first stair.
Today we will go buy all the gear for the emergency kit we keep down there for the spring. We have the good lawn chairs, the kind that collapse completely and fit in a nylon bag, several cases of water, canned food as well as can openers, flashlights, candles, a ton of batteries in different sizes, a trash can with lid, a bucket with lid for a toilet, a radio that receives weather channels and short wave, a hand held DVD player and a selection of movies, the cordless and the cell phone, blankets and if there is time to get it, the laptop.
Generally a stay in the basement is less then 30 minutes but there have been some days where we might be down there for an hour or two and in the event we take a direct hit and are trapped down there we have enough stuff for 2-3 days. Since I live in town a direct hit means search and recovery might take a few days because of all the homes. I would hate to be stuck and not have the bare essentials to survive for a few days.
It all sounds funny and when I first moved here I scoffed at those who were putting together large kits like I know have. It only took once of having to be down there for several hours while we rode out a severe storm to change mine. I had nothing with me, no drinking water, food or even a light to see. I decided then that I would not let that happen again. The only thing I do not have and I am going to change that it some extra pallets. There are a few but I need more. Since we are below ground I would like to be able to have them put down and cover with some plywood and that would be able to keep us off the floor and above any water we might get in there with us.
My wife and I discussed it and should we ever move and buy another house, a full basement is a must. It does not have to be finished, although that would be nice, but big enough to set up some old twin size beds we have and be someplace that the boys could move around while we wait it out. We also looked at having a natural gas generator installed. We will lose power several times during this season as the storms blow transformers left and right and we can go for 2 or 3 days sometimes without power. Talk about going stir crazy!!!
This morning however I am paying for that trip in and out of the basement. To being with the "basement" is not a typical basement. It is more of a slab/crawl space. Sitting down I am fine but there is no room to stand up if you are over 4 feet tall. Originally the only way in was from outside but someone installed a trap door and a set of stairs from inside the laundry room. The door is about 18" wide and maybe 2' across so it is small and then to reach the stairs is a small drop so you have to lower yourself on to them by supporting yourself with your upper body and then "dipping" down to the first stair.
Today we will go buy all the gear for the emergency kit we keep down there for the spring. We have the good lawn chairs, the kind that collapse completely and fit in a nylon bag, several cases of water, canned food as well as can openers, flashlights, candles, a ton of batteries in different sizes, a trash can with lid, a bucket with lid for a toilet, a radio that receives weather channels and short wave, a hand held DVD player and a selection of movies, the cordless and the cell phone, blankets and if there is time to get it, the laptop.
Generally a stay in the basement is less then 30 minutes but there have been some days where we might be down there for an hour or two and in the event we take a direct hit and are trapped down there we have enough stuff for 2-3 days. Since I live in town a direct hit means search and recovery might take a few days because of all the homes. I would hate to be stuck and not have the bare essentials to survive for a few days.
It all sounds funny and when I first moved here I scoffed at those who were putting together large kits like I know have. It only took once of having to be down there for several hours while we rode out a severe storm to change mine. I had nothing with me, no drinking water, food or even a light to see. I decided then that I would not let that happen again. The only thing I do not have and I am going to change that it some extra pallets. There are a few but I need more. Since we are below ground I would like to be able to have them put down and cover with some plywood and that would be able to keep us off the floor and above any water we might get in there with us.
My wife and I discussed it and should we ever move and buy another house, a full basement is a must. It does not have to be finished, although that would be nice, but big enough to set up some old twin size beds we have and be someplace that the boys could move around while we wait it out. We also looked at having a natural gas generator installed. We will lose power several times during this season as the storms blow transformers left and right and we can go for 2 or 3 days sometimes without power. Talk about going stir crazy!!!
4/21/2005
TORNADO!
We just had a tornado drop on us out of nowhere. We literally made it into the basement with no time to spare. Why this time was different I do not know but generally we have some warning or at least a tornado watch before it turns in to a warning.
The sky had been grey all morning and we knew they were calling for some rain but out of the blue the wind picked up, hail started dropping and a tornado was on the ground. Not sure how big it was or if it did any damage but I am going to have to take some pain meds. Trying to get the boys down in to the basement is not an easy task in this old house (110 years old).
Living in tornado alley can be funny though. When we went downstairs the hospital parking lot across the street was full. When we came back up 10 minutes later it was empty.
Edit: this is finally being posted after getting stupid "routine maintenance" messages for 2 hours.
The sky had been grey all morning and we knew they were calling for some rain but out of the blue the wind picked up, hail started dropping and a tornado was on the ground. Not sure how big it was or if it did any damage but I am going to have to take some pain meds. Trying to get the boys down in to the basement is not an easy task in this old house (110 years old).
Living in tornado alley can be funny though. When we went downstairs the hospital parking lot across the street was full. When we came back up 10 minutes later it was empty.
Edit: this is finally being posted after getting stupid "routine maintenance" messages for 2 hours.
Who called in the 5am wakeup?
My youngest thought it would be fun to wake up at 5am and ask for his juice. Since it was early enough I figured I would trek downstairs and get him some juice, hoping he would go back to bed for at least another hour or but no luck.
So now I am bleary eyed, watching Monsters Inc., again and waiting for my water to heat up so I can have a nice cup of Earl Grey and then read my new magazines before trying to put the baby down for his nap. The good news is that he should take an early nap and then he should be ready for bed at a decent time this evening.
Lately I have had a slew of new symptoms that which may be associated with the arachnoiditis but I am not convinced of that. While there has not been a clinical diagnoses I am fairly certain that I also have Reflexive Sympathetic Dystrophy. I basically have many of the symptoms and as the website points out this can be an underlying symptom of something much larger, like a herniated disc and spinal cord disorders. Interesting indeed.
It would certainly explain many of the things happening to me that are not symptoms of the arachnoiditis. Lately I have developed thick reddish skin, not like the rash from the lamictal, and it does not respond to any kind of lotions. I also have several sores that I cannot explain. They are not big or ulcerated as the first sites pictures show, and they will not go away. It has been about 2 weeks and maybe a bit more since I first noticed them and while I have been putting neosporyn on them, they do not go away.
I also noticed they list one of the symptoms of RSD as rapid growth of nails, and once again in the last few weeks I have noticed that I am having to trim my nails more often as well I have developed an ingrown nail on both my big toes. Now the nail growth can be associated with my switching to a new vitamin as well as my consumption of milk.
Their list of the symptoms and the stages are indeed interesting and I am left wondering how a doctor might make a diagnoses in someone with spinal cord injury, especially if some of the symptoms of the RSD are the same as the spinal cord injury. As we know from other postings arachnoiditis can cause the migraines, excessive sweating (as can some of the meds), poor circulation due to nerve damage amongst others making a diagnoses that much more difficult I am sure.
Right now I am not sure what or how I want to deal with this. I figure when I see the doc next week I will mention it and see what his opinion on it might be. I am not willing to scream "the sky is falling" when there are several other explanations.
So now I am bleary eyed, watching Monsters Inc., again and waiting for my water to heat up so I can have a nice cup of Earl Grey and then read my new magazines before trying to put the baby down for his nap. The good news is that he should take an early nap and then he should be ready for bed at a decent time this evening.
Lately I have had a slew of new symptoms that which may be associated with the arachnoiditis but I am not convinced of that. While there has not been a clinical diagnoses I am fairly certain that I also have Reflexive Sympathetic Dystrophy. I basically have many of the symptoms and as the website points out this can be an underlying symptom of something much larger, like a herniated disc and spinal cord disorders. Interesting indeed.
It would certainly explain many of the things happening to me that are not symptoms of the arachnoiditis. Lately I have developed thick reddish skin, not like the rash from the lamictal, and it does not respond to any kind of lotions. I also have several sores that I cannot explain. They are not big or ulcerated as the first sites pictures show, and they will not go away. It has been about 2 weeks and maybe a bit more since I first noticed them and while I have been putting neosporyn on them, they do not go away.
I also noticed they list one of the symptoms of RSD as rapid growth of nails, and once again in the last few weeks I have noticed that I am having to trim my nails more often as well I have developed an ingrown nail on both my big toes. Now the nail growth can be associated with my switching to a new vitamin as well as my consumption of milk.
Their list of the symptoms and the stages are indeed interesting and I am left wondering how a doctor might make a diagnoses in someone with spinal cord injury, especially if some of the symptoms of the RSD are the same as the spinal cord injury. As we know from other postings arachnoiditis can cause the migraines, excessive sweating (as can some of the meds), poor circulation due to nerve damage amongst others making a diagnoses that much more difficult I am sure.
Right now I am not sure what or how I want to deal with this. I figure when I see the doc next week I will mention it and see what his opinion on it might be. I am not willing to scream "the sky is falling" when there are several other explanations.
4/20/2005
No more Incredibles?
My youngest has seem to lost his enthusiasm for The Incredibles and has not asked for it in a day or so. We have had it for about a month and I must have watched it with him a good 100 times already.
Instead he has found Monsters Inc. and we have seen it 3 times since last night. Since he is a bit under the weather I am not protesting much as it is keeping him somewhat calm where otherwise he might be a bit cantankerous.
He seems to have caught a cold and for the last 2 days he has had a very runny nose and has been almost lethargic at times. He must have caught some kind of bug from my nephew who had a cold when we were at my parents house the other day. Poor kids, I feel bad for them when they get like this. We have tried to show him how to blow his nose, but we still end up having to use the aspirator which he just loves.
The first night he developed the cold he was up all night. Since my wife was at work I just let him stay in bed with me as he seemed to sleep much better when he was lying on the bigger pillows. I can only assume that keeping him a bit more elevated kept the mucus from "choking" him awake as well he was coughing a bit less that way.
I have been giving him the childrens robitussin since yesterday morning and while he still has some congestion, he is sounding much better then he was 2 days ago. Hopefully by tomorrow this will go away as it also seems to have zapped his appetite and the only thing he is really eating right now is yogurt and giving him more dairy when he has congestion is not a great idea. Poor kiddo, he is sleeping in his moms lap right now. She put him in her lap a few minutes ago and he is out cold.
Instead he has found Monsters Inc. and we have seen it 3 times since last night. Since he is a bit under the weather I am not protesting much as it is keeping him somewhat calm where otherwise he might be a bit cantankerous.
He seems to have caught a cold and for the last 2 days he has had a very runny nose and has been almost lethargic at times. He must have caught some kind of bug from my nephew who had a cold when we were at my parents house the other day. Poor kids, I feel bad for them when they get like this. We have tried to show him how to blow his nose, but we still end up having to use the aspirator which he just loves.
The first night he developed the cold he was up all night. Since my wife was at work I just let him stay in bed with me as he seemed to sleep much better when he was lying on the bigger pillows. I can only assume that keeping him a bit more elevated kept the mucus from "choking" him awake as well he was coughing a bit less that way.
I have been giving him the childrens robitussin since yesterday morning and while he still has some congestion, he is sounding much better then he was 2 days ago. Hopefully by tomorrow this will go away as it also seems to have zapped his appetite and the only thing he is really eating right now is yogurt and giving him more dairy when he has congestion is not a great idea. Poor kiddo, he is sleeping in his moms lap right now. She put him in her lap a few minutes ago and he is out cold.
4/19/2005
Pope Benedict XVI
Well in one of the shortest conclaves in a century, the Cardinals have elected Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger from Germany the Catholic Church's new Pontiff.
I am not to pleased with the reasons behind the selection. I understand that there are some politics involved in running the church, this election seems to have been purely from political standpoint. I agree that we need a Pope who will carry on in the tradition of John Paul II but to say that a younger one could not do that job kind of bothers me, that they elected a Pope based on his age and fears of a long pontificate.
Driving back from the grocery store I was listening to NPR and they were asking some callers what they thought about the new Pope and they started in on how they need to allow women to be ordained, Priests to be able to marry and homosexuals should be openly admitted to the church. All issues that I just think are not going to happen over night and possibly do not agree with myself.
I am not to pleased with the reasons behind the selection. I understand that there are some politics involved in running the church, this election seems to have been purely from political standpoint. I agree that we need a Pope who will carry on in the tradition of John Paul II but to say that a younger one could not do that job kind of bothers me, that they elected a Pope based on his age and fears of a long pontificate.
Driving back from the grocery store I was listening to NPR and they were asking some callers what they thought about the new Pope and they started in on how they need to allow women to be ordained, Priests to be able to marry and homosexuals should be openly admitted to the church. All issues that I just think are not going to happen over night and possibly do not agree with myself.
4/18/2005
Gmail invites!
Rather then going through the hassle of sending emails back and forth and whatnot, if you want a Gmail account here are a few invites, just click on it and away you go. If these are all gone and you would like one just simply reply in the comments with the number you would like and I will post them for you or I can send them to an email address. I have more the enough to go around and for those who did not know, Google has increased the mailboxes from 1GB to 2+GB's. I say 2+ because they are still expanding the size of them and if you go to gmail.com you can see the little counter showing you how much they are adding in real time.
Invite #1
Invite #2
Invite #3
Invite #4
Invite #5
Invite #1
Invite #2
Invite #3
Invite #4
Invite #5
My back is killing me this afternoon. I have been fortunate that since I have been seeing the new doc my meds have been working great and the pain levels have been fairly low. It seems the last few days though I have been noticing that the meds are wearing off a bit sooner and I have been having to take the other meds for breakthrough. Not a big deal since I have been able to maintain a decent comfort level and that is what the meds are for.
Today however my back has been working overtime and I have had to take both the pain meds and breakthrough meds at the same time. If I start slurring my words, that's the reason! Hahahahaha...
I have an appointment with the crackpot on the 22nd, but after talking with my insurance company, the allergic reaction to the lamictal and the doctors unwillingness to listen to me I am going to cancel it and stick with the other doctor.
Today however my back has been working overtime and I have had to take both the pain meds and breakthrough meds at the same time. If I start slurring my words, that's the reason! Hahahahaha...
I have an appointment with the crackpot on the 22nd, but after talking with my insurance company, the allergic reaction to the lamictal and the doctors unwillingness to listen to me I am going to cancel it and stick with the other doctor.
4/17/2005
Nothing much going on today. It was a nice day out and my wife got to cut the grass this morning while it was still cool outside.
I think the highlight of the day was once again our neighbors who do not seem to care what the youngest is up to. I think she is about 2 but no more then 3 years old. She is constantly outside by herself, no one watching from the porch or even a window.
Today she was playing with the little red gallon of gasoline someone left out after they mowed the lawn yesterday. My wife noticed it while she was cutting our lawn and she said it took someone a good several minutes to come outside and stop her from pouring it out. I am constantly amazed at the lack of supervision this child has. This is the same child that climbed our fence last week, made her way up our deck and then could not get down. No one came out to check on her and the only way I found out was that there was something happening on the deck and the dog was in the house. It had to take her a good 5+ minutes to climb that fence and make it to our deck, and the whole time no one was watching her.
Later this afternoon my wife was looking out the window and noticed that our side gate was open. The gate we hardly ever use and was shut this morning when she was mowing the lawn. The only thing we can figure is that somehow the girl next door opened it. They have a gate adjacent to ours and she is always letting herself in to the front yard, so anything is possible.
The thing that gets me is the neighbors are nice enough people but they do not watch this girl. We live VERY close to a major street in our town. While we have a front yard, it is not what you would think since we live on "city" lots. The front is maybe 3 meters from the door to the street but we all have huge backyards which is what made it attractive for us to buy. When this poor girl is not trying to get in our backyard she is hanging out in the front of the house. How do you politely tell your neighbors to start watching their kid? I have racked my brains as has my wife but we cannot think of a single thing and our fear is that this poor girl is going to get hut someday because they were not watching.
I think the highlight of the day was once again our neighbors who do not seem to care what the youngest is up to. I think she is about 2 but no more then 3 years old. She is constantly outside by herself, no one watching from the porch or even a window.
Today she was playing with the little red gallon of gasoline someone left out after they mowed the lawn yesterday. My wife noticed it while she was cutting our lawn and she said it took someone a good several minutes to come outside and stop her from pouring it out. I am constantly amazed at the lack of supervision this child has. This is the same child that climbed our fence last week, made her way up our deck and then could not get down. No one came out to check on her and the only way I found out was that there was something happening on the deck and the dog was in the house. It had to take her a good 5+ minutes to climb that fence and make it to our deck, and the whole time no one was watching her.
Later this afternoon my wife was looking out the window and noticed that our side gate was open. The gate we hardly ever use and was shut this morning when she was mowing the lawn. The only thing we can figure is that somehow the girl next door opened it. They have a gate adjacent to ours and she is always letting herself in to the front yard, so anything is possible.
The thing that gets me is the neighbors are nice enough people but they do not watch this girl. We live VERY close to a major street in our town. While we have a front yard, it is not what you would think since we live on "city" lots. The front is maybe 3 meters from the door to the street but we all have huge backyards which is what made it attractive for us to buy. When this poor girl is not trying to get in our backyard she is hanging out in the front of the house. How do you politely tell your neighbors to start watching their kid? I have racked my brains as has my wife but we cannot think of a single thing and our fear is that this poor girl is going to get hut someday because they were not watching.
4/16/2005
Ouch! That had to hurt...
I spend some of my spare time, ok that means most of it, tooling around looking for more information on spinal cord injuries. Not just mine, all kinds of injuries. It is amazing what can happen to your spine and how it may end up effecting the rest of your body.
I watch a show called Trauma Life In The E.R. on T.L.C. and several weeks ago they had an episode on a spinal cord injury called internal decapitation. The boy in the story is the one that was also the focus of the show I saw. It is amazing at what happened to his spinal cord and what the doctors were able to do for him. While he may never be the same as before the accident, he is alive.
Many people do not realize that some spinal cord injuries can and do kill. Each vertebrae correlates to a nerve root and those nerve roots obviously control the separate functions in our bodies. Injure the right ones and your lungs will no longer work. Like I said, it is truly amazing what goes on with the spine. The spine is made up of several segments called the cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral. From those vertebrae run 31 nerve roots, the nerves that carry all the messages from the brain to the body or vice-versa. To better understand where each nerve root runs from and what can happen if their is damage to the vertebrae or disc I have found the diagram below. It can explain much better then I can what each does.
The spine is perhaps one of the strongest and at the same time most delicate areas of the human body. More interesting is that some people can go through life with some serious deformities or even injuries to the spine and never feel or suffer from the effects of it. Then there are others who have a slight injury accompanied by severe pain. You will find that even doctors who deal with spinal cord injuries all the time are very cautious about how they treat the patient and when they will actually release a patient.
While some problems with the spinal cord can be operated on with great success there are some injuries that there are just no hope for. Obviously I have dealt with both sides of the coin. Oddly the injury that caused the most damage is not the one that put me down. While it did leave me with some screws and rods as well as fusion, I was on my feet when the second one hit. Why and how we are not sure but it is basically nothing more then some scar tissue which has developed and it is kicking my ass, literally.
Like I said, it is interesting how the spine works.
I watch a show called Trauma Life In The E.R. on T.L.C. and several weeks ago they had an episode on a spinal cord injury called internal decapitation. The boy in the story is the one that was also the focus of the show I saw. It is amazing at what happened to his spinal cord and what the doctors were able to do for him. While he may never be the same as before the accident, he is alive.
Many people do not realize that some spinal cord injuries can and do kill. Each vertebrae correlates to a nerve root and those nerve roots obviously control the separate functions in our bodies. Injure the right ones and your lungs will no longer work. Like I said, it is truly amazing what goes on with the spine. The spine is made up of several segments called the cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral. From those vertebrae run 31 nerve roots, the nerves that carry all the messages from the brain to the body or vice-versa. To better understand where each nerve root runs from and what can happen if their is damage to the vertebrae or disc I have found the diagram below. It can explain much better then I can what each does.
The spine is perhaps one of the strongest and at the same time most delicate areas of the human body. More interesting is that some people can go through life with some serious deformities or even injuries to the spine and never feel or suffer from the effects of it. Then there are others who have a slight injury accompanied by severe pain. You will find that even doctors who deal with spinal cord injuries all the time are very cautious about how they treat the patient and when they will actually release a patient.
While some problems with the spinal cord can be operated on with great success there are some injuries that there are just no hope for. Obviously I have dealt with both sides of the coin. Oddly the injury that caused the most damage is not the one that put me down. While it did leave me with some screws and rods as well as fusion, I was on my feet when the second one hit. Why and how we are not sure but it is basically nothing more then some scar tissue which has developed and it is kicking my ass, literally.
Like I said, it is interesting how the spine works.
Cooking again...
I slept in a wee bit late this morning. When my wife left for work at 5am my youngest climb into bed with me and then stole my pillow. I figured I could suffer for another 2 hours like that and dozed back off. The next thing I knew it was 9:30 and he was snoring.
Sitting here watching the idiot box I keep seeing the commercial by Morgan Spurlock who did the documentary "Super Size Me" and is now working on a show called "30 days." Well the intro riff that is played during the commercial sounds so familiar that it has been bugging me for days. Then this morning it hit me! It is the intro to "The passenger" by Siouxsee and the Banshees which I believe is a remake of an Iggy Pop song. Either way both are from the punk/post-punk genre and what I grew up listening to. It reminds me of the time the listerene commercial had "Tarzan Boy" by Baltimora. The song hit the alternative charts in 85 but did not hit the mainstream charts until 93 after it was used in the commercial and then one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies.
Not much on the agenda today. The weather has cleared and the storm front blew on by late yesterday leaving me and my arthritis alone for a change. It finally seems like spring. When I rolled out of bed at 10am this morning it was to the sounds of kids and lawnmowers, the way spring should be.
I made some nice pasta dough yesterday and I am going to roll it out later on and make some ravioli for dinner. I thought just some simple cheese ravioli would be nice with a touch of fresh basil and some oil and then the foccacia bread (which I made yesterday) with some sundried tomatoes, cracked pepper and some oil to dip it in. I figured since I was already in the kitchen and in pain I would make the weeks pizza dough as well. I made it with basil and garlic then cut it down to size for 4 12" pies.
I tried to run the pasta dough through my kitchenaid pasta attachment using the lasagna attachment but it kept tearing. I figure I will just roll it out by hand and have the boys help me put the filling down. There is not much better then making your own pasta from scratch and it is so easy, especially if you have the flat beater arm for the stand mixer.
I love to spend time in the kitchen but the arachnoiditis has put a crimp on what and how long I can be in there. Making pasta dough is something I would love to do more often but even with the mixer doing some of the work you still have to kneed it by hand for a good 10 minutes. It needs to be elastic and smooth which means the gluten really needs to be worked and that means you really have to kneed it by hand to get the desired product.
Sitting here watching the idiot box I keep seeing the commercial by Morgan Spurlock who did the documentary "Super Size Me" and is now working on a show called "30 days." Well the intro riff that is played during the commercial sounds so familiar that it has been bugging me for days. Then this morning it hit me! It is the intro to "The passenger" by Siouxsee and the Banshees which I believe is a remake of an Iggy Pop song. Either way both are from the punk/post-punk genre and what I grew up listening to. It reminds me of the time the listerene commercial had "Tarzan Boy" by Baltimora. The song hit the alternative charts in 85 but did not hit the mainstream charts until 93 after it was used in the commercial and then one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies.
Not much on the agenda today. The weather has cleared and the storm front blew on by late yesterday leaving me and my arthritis alone for a change. It finally seems like spring. When I rolled out of bed at 10am this morning it was to the sounds of kids and lawnmowers, the way spring should be.
I made some nice pasta dough yesterday and I am going to roll it out later on and make some ravioli for dinner. I thought just some simple cheese ravioli would be nice with a touch of fresh basil and some oil and then the foccacia bread (which I made yesterday) with some sundried tomatoes, cracked pepper and some oil to dip it in. I figured since I was already in the kitchen and in pain I would make the weeks pizza dough as well. I made it with basil and garlic then cut it down to size for 4 12" pies.
I tried to run the pasta dough through my kitchenaid pasta attachment using the lasagna attachment but it kept tearing. I figure I will just roll it out by hand and have the boys help me put the filling down. There is not much better then making your own pasta from scratch and it is so easy, especially if you have the flat beater arm for the stand mixer.
I love to spend time in the kitchen but the arachnoiditis has put a crimp on what and how long I can be in there. Making pasta dough is something I would love to do more often but even with the mixer doing some of the work you still have to kneed it by hand for a good 10 minutes. It needs to be elastic and smooth which means the gluten really needs to be worked and that means you really have to kneed it by hand to get the desired product.
4/15/2005
Well I took a day off from doing just about anything. I sat in my chair just watching the idiot box and tooling around the web. I was not really in the mood to do much so I went with that feeling and it seems to have worked out just fine.
The arthritis was pretty bad yesterday and that might have subconsciously influenced my decision to veg out. Since my arthritis is in the lower back when it flares movement involving the lower back is difficult. Since I stopped taking the NSAID I expect that this is going to occur from time to time but the upset stomachs have also stopped. I would rather have a few days with the stiffness then every other day eating TUMS by the box.
I have run the gamut of NSAID's and am just not interested in taking them anymore. The naprosyn leave me with an upset stomach and then the others like Celebrex and Mobic are linked to heart problems as well they are very expensive. They seem to be more bad then good so I just don't see the point in taking them anymore.
The arthritis was pretty bad yesterday and that might have subconsciously influenced my decision to veg out. Since my arthritis is in the lower back when it flares movement involving the lower back is difficult. Since I stopped taking the NSAID I expect that this is going to occur from time to time but the upset stomachs have also stopped. I would rather have a few days with the stiffness then every other day eating TUMS by the box.
I have run the gamut of NSAID's and am just not interested in taking them anymore. The naprosyn leave me with an upset stomach and then the others like Celebrex and Mobic are linked to heart problems as well they are very expensive. They seem to be more bad then good so I just don't see the point in taking them anymore.
4/13/2005
Less meds, bigger t.v...
My youngest has learned "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and for the last 2 days has been running around singing it over and over again. It is too cute! My oldest decided to record him singing it on his MP3 player and now the youngest won't give him back the player.
My wife is off today and it is beautiful outside so we might take a small stroll around the block. Since the doctor has given me the green light to walk short distances and then slowly increase the distance. He did ask me to keep it short to start with, about 5 minutes once a day and then add 20% of the time each week and with that in mind I am doing a bit more walking.
I have also decided to drop some of the meds I was on. It is both a money issue and a medical issue. One of them, Naprosyn, may be the cause of the constant upset stomach as well it is know linked to some other problems associated with long term use. There are a few other meds that I will also stop but I will keep the pain meds, the patches and the elavil for sleeping. Dropping those meds will save me close to $200 a month which is much needed money.
I have been spending some of my free time on Blogshares playing their "mock" stock market game. It is pretty fun and since I have been playing so much I paid the $15 annual fee for unlimited transactions. I started in January with the B$500 they give you and as of today my net worth was a little over B$32 Billion. Not bad for a few months work. Now if I could only do that with real money all my money woes would go away forever!
We re-arranged the rec room and now it seems to have much more space then before. The room itself is about 15' X 24' but the way we had it arranged pretty much left half the room unused. We swung the couch out of the middle of the floor and put it against the wall and then put the recliner further back in the middle of the floor. Now there is flow from the front to the back and the boys have more room to play. The only thing we need to do know is buy a bigger t.v. so I can see it from where my chair has been moved.
My wife is off today and it is beautiful outside so we might take a small stroll around the block. Since the doctor has given me the green light to walk short distances and then slowly increase the distance. He did ask me to keep it short to start with, about 5 minutes once a day and then add 20% of the time each week and with that in mind I am doing a bit more walking.
I have also decided to drop some of the meds I was on. It is both a money issue and a medical issue. One of them, Naprosyn, may be the cause of the constant upset stomach as well it is know linked to some other problems associated with long term use. There are a few other meds that I will also stop but I will keep the pain meds, the patches and the elavil for sleeping. Dropping those meds will save me close to $200 a month which is much needed money.
I have been spending some of my free time on Blogshares playing their "mock" stock market game. It is pretty fun and since I have been playing so much I paid the $15 annual fee for unlimited transactions. I started in January with the B$500 they give you and as of today my net worth was a little over B$32 Billion. Not bad for a few months work. Now if I could only do that with real money all my money woes would go away forever!
We re-arranged the rec room and now it seems to have much more space then before. The room itself is about 15' X 24' but the way we had it arranged pretty much left half the room unused. We swung the couch out of the middle of the floor and put it against the wall and then put the recliner further back in the middle of the floor. Now there is flow from the front to the back and the boys have more room to play. The only thing we need to do know is buy a bigger t.v. so I can see it from where my chair has been moved.
4/12/2005
My youngest decided it would be fun to get up at 7am this morning and once again he decided to wake me up by climbing in to bed and giving me kisses while saying "downstairs papa." How could I refuse him when he is being so cute?
My ex-wife called me last night and said something very interesting to me. She reminded me that "Should I grow tired of having my oldest here she would always be glad to take him back." What? I do not think so, but at the same time it confirms something my wife and I were talking about the other day. We believe my oldest is acting up and out the way he is due to her provoking him possibly believing that if he acts bad enough, long enough we might send him back to live with her. It might seem far fetched but you really have to know my ex-wife to understand.
Brief background on her and I. We met and were married while I was on active duty in the Army. She knew what my job was and that it kept me from home for long periods at a time but as soon as we were married all of the sudden it was a big problem. While we were married she manipulate people like her grandmother and my father. She would call them and tell them that I had gone to the field for 3 weeks and left her with no money. They would both without knowing the other was doing so, send her money. Of course her mother lived only 2 hours away and she never tried that with her mother...
She then started her journey of being unfaithful, taking on multiple boyfriends whom would also spend money on her.
Now I probably could have been a bit better at being a husband but it was increasingly difficult when I found out she was screwing around (I did not know about the money until later). She refused to go to any kind of counseling and as such I left the service, moved home and filed for divorce. It was then that I found out about the money from my father. Boy was he pissed when he found out she had been lying. Worse is that she tried to deny it all but got caught in the lie. When I moved home the military packed and shipped all my goods. A diary she kept (that I did not know about) made it into one of the boxes and in it she ratted herself out. The judge was laughing when it was entered in to evidence.
She married one of the boyfriends, had a child with him and then got caught screwing around again. Divorce #2 for her and I got custody of my son from her. While I did not care for the guy she was married to he was at least a good guy. He had a great job and they lived in a modest house in the suburbs of Houston TX. He took good care of my son and made sure he had what ever he needed. When he found out what she had been up to he called and he and I had a long talk. He filed for divorce and booted her.
She started living with the kid (he was 19) that she had been cheating on her husband with and while she denies it, we believe she was married to him. When my son would go for his summer visits he would call home crying about how mean the guy was to him. He would lock him in closets as well my son said some rather disturbing things that I will not repeat here but of course his mother denied it all. Thankfully though as bad as the treatment was there was no sexual abuse as I had feared one time. It was while she was with this guy that I got a judge to modify my custody agreement. There is no longer a set visitation time and it is all up to me. I can stop a visit for any valid reason without a judge now but I have not had to do that yet.
Why she left that guy I do not know but she met and married another guy, husband #4 by our count and they have a child (3 kids all different dads). They had some problems and moved to Colorado. I am not sure what is going on but she has changed a bit since marrying this guy. It is not worse but not better if that makes sense. Anyway, since she has been married to this guy which is about 3 years now, everytime she talks to my son we have problems with him for a bit afterwards. Thankfully she only calls about once every 6 weeks. We thought at first it was because he missed her but as time went by it got worse and worse and we finally came to the conclusion that she is doing this on purpose. She apparently believes that if he is bad enough that I will get fed up and send him back to live with his mother.
Now as I said before, some people would think this is far fetched but I have some proof. The grandmother that she used to lie to about money, still keeps in contact with my son. She calls once or twice a week, she always sends him care packages, toys, presents for birthdays and Christmas as well she also does the same for my youngest with whom she has no blood relation. She is a very nice woman who has been taken advantage of for far to long. My ex-wife has apparently told her about some of what she has been doing, not knowing that I talk to her grandmother quite often. Uh-oh!!!
Add to all of this last summers fiasco. I refuse to allow my son to fly by himself. Not because he cannot take care of himself or that he might go missing but more because if something happens on the plane I would never forgive myself for not being there when my child needed me the most. My ex-wife fully understands this and agreed to abide by my request.
She told me that during my sons visit to her in Colorado he would be going to California to see her mom for a week. She told me that she had made arrangements and her mother was going to drive to Colorado to pick him up and when the trip ended her brother and some friends would drive him back. It was all a lie. She allowed him to fly both legs of the trip by himself and then made the lie up. The only way we found out is when my son came home from his summer visit all his bags had airline tickets attached to them, you know the luggage ones they make you fill out and attach to bags. When we asked him who flew he started to cry. The more we asked about it the worse he got. It turns out she told him to lie to us and say that she had used his bags. That if we found out he had flown we would ground him and then yell at her. I was livid and was ready to drag her in to court and remove all parental rights. What the hell does she think she was doing? You do not ask your kid to lie for you, especially to their other parent.
She is screwed in the head, I am thoroughly convinced of that and will do anything to try and get her son to go back to live with her. Including having him get bad grades in purpose, act out in defiance of us and all the other crap she has done in the last 7 years. Arrrgh!
What she has not realized though is that I am a pigheaded Irishmen. There is no way on God's green earth I would allow him to go back to live with her. She is in serious need of some mental health counseling, the 4 marriages should be indicative of her mental state.
She is literally a Jerry Springer episode all by herself. Sadly she has a little girl who is going to be just as bad if no worse then her.
Oh yes, we cannot forget to add that for the first 6 years she failed to pay her child support. Now when I was paying her child support, which was almost 25% of my wages, I made sure it was on time. She never paid a dime and when I would ask her about it she would make some lame excuse. We also had an arrangement that she would have him for a tax credit in odd numbered years provided she was current on her child support. That did not stop her one bit, in fact she claimed him every year which caused me many headaches with the IRS trying to sort it all out.
I finally got tired of her BS and got the state to go after her. Right after I got hurt and could no longer work we had the boys on Medicare through the state. Since we were "receiving" aid from the state they were too happy to oblige. It was funny when I was talking to the lady from SRS about the case. She told me it would be 4-6 months most likely as they would need to track her down and then find out where she worked and all that jazz. When I told her I knew all that she was elated. Apparently most of the deadbeats they go after try to hide and when they are found they switch jobs or move to another state and then the whole process starts over again. Since I had all that info for her I got my first check in about 3 weeks.
Did I mention her child support was a paltry $100 a month?
My ex-wife called me last night and said something very interesting to me. She reminded me that "Should I grow tired of having my oldest here she would always be glad to take him back." What? I do not think so, but at the same time it confirms something my wife and I were talking about the other day. We believe my oldest is acting up and out the way he is due to her provoking him possibly believing that if he acts bad enough, long enough we might send him back to live with her. It might seem far fetched but you really have to know my ex-wife to understand.
Brief background on her and I. We met and were married while I was on active duty in the Army. She knew what my job was and that it kept me from home for long periods at a time but as soon as we were married all of the sudden it was a big problem. While we were married she manipulate people like her grandmother and my father. She would call them and tell them that I had gone to the field for 3 weeks and left her with no money. They would both without knowing the other was doing so, send her money. Of course her mother lived only 2 hours away and she never tried that with her mother...
She then started her journey of being unfaithful, taking on multiple boyfriends whom would also spend money on her.
Now I probably could have been a bit better at being a husband but it was increasingly difficult when I found out she was screwing around (I did not know about the money until later). She refused to go to any kind of counseling and as such I left the service, moved home and filed for divorce. It was then that I found out about the money from my father. Boy was he pissed when he found out she had been lying. Worse is that she tried to deny it all but got caught in the lie. When I moved home the military packed and shipped all my goods. A diary she kept (that I did not know about) made it into one of the boxes and in it she ratted herself out. The judge was laughing when it was entered in to evidence.
She married one of the boyfriends, had a child with him and then got caught screwing around again. Divorce #2 for her and I got custody of my son from her. While I did not care for the guy she was married to he was at least a good guy. He had a great job and they lived in a modest house in the suburbs of Houston TX. He took good care of my son and made sure he had what ever he needed. When he found out what she had been up to he called and he and I had a long talk. He filed for divorce and booted her.
She started living with the kid (he was 19) that she had been cheating on her husband with and while she denies it, we believe she was married to him. When my son would go for his summer visits he would call home crying about how mean the guy was to him. He would lock him in closets as well my son said some rather disturbing things that I will not repeat here but of course his mother denied it all. Thankfully though as bad as the treatment was there was no sexual abuse as I had feared one time. It was while she was with this guy that I got a judge to modify my custody agreement. There is no longer a set visitation time and it is all up to me. I can stop a visit for any valid reason without a judge now but I have not had to do that yet.
Why she left that guy I do not know but she met and married another guy, husband #4 by our count and they have a child (3 kids all different dads). They had some problems and moved to Colorado. I am not sure what is going on but she has changed a bit since marrying this guy. It is not worse but not better if that makes sense. Anyway, since she has been married to this guy which is about 3 years now, everytime she talks to my son we have problems with him for a bit afterwards. Thankfully she only calls about once every 6 weeks. We thought at first it was because he missed her but as time went by it got worse and worse and we finally came to the conclusion that she is doing this on purpose. She apparently believes that if he is bad enough that I will get fed up and send him back to live with his mother.
Now as I said before, some people would think this is far fetched but I have some proof. The grandmother that she used to lie to about money, still keeps in contact with my son. She calls once or twice a week, she always sends him care packages, toys, presents for birthdays and Christmas as well she also does the same for my youngest with whom she has no blood relation. She is a very nice woman who has been taken advantage of for far to long. My ex-wife has apparently told her about some of what she has been doing, not knowing that I talk to her grandmother quite often. Uh-oh!!!
Add to all of this last summers fiasco. I refuse to allow my son to fly by himself. Not because he cannot take care of himself or that he might go missing but more because if something happens on the plane I would never forgive myself for not being there when my child needed me the most. My ex-wife fully understands this and agreed to abide by my request.
She told me that during my sons visit to her in Colorado he would be going to California to see her mom for a week. She told me that she had made arrangements and her mother was going to drive to Colorado to pick him up and when the trip ended her brother and some friends would drive him back. It was all a lie. She allowed him to fly both legs of the trip by himself and then made the lie up. The only way we found out is when my son came home from his summer visit all his bags had airline tickets attached to them, you know the luggage ones they make you fill out and attach to bags. When we asked him who flew he started to cry. The more we asked about it the worse he got. It turns out she told him to lie to us and say that she had used his bags. That if we found out he had flown we would ground him and then yell at her. I was livid and was ready to drag her in to court and remove all parental rights. What the hell does she think she was doing? You do not ask your kid to lie for you, especially to their other parent.
She is screwed in the head, I am thoroughly convinced of that and will do anything to try and get her son to go back to live with her. Including having him get bad grades in purpose, act out in defiance of us and all the other crap she has done in the last 7 years. Arrrgh!
What she has not realized though is that I am a pigheaded Irishmen. There is no way on God's green earth I would allow him to go back to live with her. She is in serious need of some mental health counseling, the 4 marriages should be indicative of her mental state.
She is literally a Jerry Springer episode all by herself. Sadly she has a little girl who is going to be just as bad if no worse then her.
Oh yes, we cannot forget to add that for the first 6 years she failed to pay her child support. Now when I was paying her child support, which was almost 25% of my wages, I made sure it was on time. She never paid a dime and when I would ask her about it she would make some lame excuse. We also had an arrangement that she would have him for a tax credit in odd numbered years provided she was current on her child support. That did not stop her one bit, in fact she claimed him every year which caused me many headaches with the IRS trying to sort it all out.
I finally got tired of her BS and got the state to go after her. Right after I got hurt and could no longer work we had the boys on Medicare through the state. Since we were "receiving" aid from the state they were too happy to oblige. It was funny when I was talking to the lady from SRS about the case. She told me it would be 4-6 months most likely as they would need to track her down and then find out where she worked and all that jazz. When I told her I knew all that she was elated. Apparently most of the deadbeats they go after try to hide and when they are found they switch jobs or move to another state and then the whole process starts over again. Since I had all that info for her I got my first check in about 3 weeks.
Did I mention her child support was a paltry $100 a month?
4/11/2005
Singing frogs?
Major front just moved in and while it died down a good deal before it hit us apparently it dropped quarter sized hail on the other side of the county and flooded out some of the low lying areas in a matter of minutes. I got some decent video about 20 minutes before it really hit us and if I have done it right you will be able to see the shelf cloud and then the difference as the two fronts come together.
It is pretty cool when on one side of the house it is pitch black from the storm and on the other side it is bright and shiny. I think in some of the video you can actually here the birds and frogs chirping and that is also cool because the frogs only chirp when it is going to rain.
It is pretty cool when on one side of the house it is pitch black from the storm and on the other side it is bright and shiny. I think in some of the video you can actually here the birds and frogs chirping and that is also cool because the frogs only chirp when it is going to rain.
Satellites, Tornados and Naps...
The youngest is still refusing to take naps. That means I either let him go and watch him melt down at 7pm or I put him down for his nap now and be up until 2am with him. Either way sucks but which is the lesser of the two evils? He did finally eat for me though. He chowed down at lunch cramming 3.5 of the 6 fish sticks, all the fruit cup and chips and then an entire jar of 3rd level pasta and veggies. We hate that he is still eating from some of the jars but it is the only way he will eat veggies right now. Heck, until 2 weeks ago he would not eat anything unless it was pureed so getting him to eat the chunky style veggies is a huge step forward.
My back is throbbing today but I am sure that is all from this weather we have been having. Apparently the storms that roared through here last night spawned several tornados just west of us. We got some pretty good thunder from the storm and a bit of rain but not at all what they predicted for the area. I am not bitching about it though, I would be happy if all the storms just passed on by. While I am enjoying the cooler weather the roller coaster ride of the pressure systems is killing it for me.
Tornados during the daytime really do not bother me as I can find my way easily It is the ones that come during the middle of the night. If you are lucky enough to hear the sirens before the sucker hits you then you generally get to find your way to the basement in the dark¹, screw that. My wife (she studied atmospheric science in college) and I love to track all the storms coming in and she has all the big wig sites that give us love Doppler feeds, which she can understand. Since Win XP can handle 2 monitors from the same computer. Since both desktops and the laptop are set up for 2 video outputs and I just happen to have the extra monitors (see pack rat thread) to run on them. They may not be huge monitors, but it should let us run several real time sites at once. When I get the TV tuner cards it will get better as I am going to run the satellite feed to the main desktop. Then she can have a live TV feed from local as well as her sites. I figure I should see her again sometime in July when the weather calms down.
¹- For most people. Being the anal retentive person that I am all rooms have a flashlight with the batteries checked every payday, since having a preteen means batteries disappear easily. We also have a battery operated lantern, weather radio and a waterproof tub in the basement. It is filled with food and all the things we would need for 48 hours if need be.
My back is throbbing today but I am sure that is all from this weather we have been having. Apparently the storms that roared through here last night spawned several tornados just west of us. We got some pretty good thunder from the storm and a bit of rain but not at all what they predicted for the area. I am not bitching about it though, I would be happy if all the storms just passed on by. While I am enjoying the cooler weather the roller coaster ride of the pressure systems is killing it for me.
Tornados during the daytime really do not bother me as I can find my way easily It is the ones that come during the middle of the night. If you are lucky enough to hear the sirens before the sucker hits you then you generally get to find your way to the basement in the dark¹, screw that. My wife (she studied atmospheric science in college) and I love to track all the storms coming in and she has all the big wig sites that give us love Doppler feeds, which she can understand. Since Win XP can handle 2 monitors from the same computer. Since both desktops and the laptop are set up for 2 video outputs and I just happen to have the extra monitors (see pack rat thread) to run on them. They may not be huge monitors, but it should let us run several real time sites at once. When I get the TV tuner cards it will get better as I am going to run the satellite feed to the main desktop. Then she can have a live TV feed from local as well as her sites. I figure I should see her again sometime in July when the weather calms down.
¹- For most people. Being the anal retentive person that I am all rooms have a flashlight with the batteries checked every payday, since having a preteen means batteries disappear easily. We also have a battery operated lantern, weather radio and a waterproof tub in the basement. It is filled with food and all the things we would need for 48 hours if need be.
4/10/2005
Well the forecast for the evening is calling for strong storms so this should make for an interesting evening.
It looks like I have developed Pink Eye in my right eye. This morning it was all swollen and crusted shut which is interesting because last night there was no problem. It is not really bothering me that much unless I blink so I am trying to avoid that. Hahaha....
The baby is in a destructive mood today, knocking down all the chairs and then running off laughing. I figure once one of them lands on his foot he will figure out that it is something he should not be doing.
The oldest is driving me up the wall. He is always loud, like he has no volume control. Whenever he talks he is extremely loud and it is annoying and it is something that every teacher has pointed out. I wonder sometimes if he does not realize that he is that loud because it is all the time. There is no way that he could be doing it on purpose as it is all the time. I finally sat him down and we had a conversation about it that I think he understands. Time will tell and I really hope he understands because I would hate for him to lose friends if they think he is being obnoxious.
I don't know what it is but for the last few days I have been in some funk that I cannot shake. Maybe it is all the crappy weather?
It looks like I have developed Pink Eye in my right eye. This morning it was all swollen and crusted shut which is interesting because last night there was no problem. It is not really bothering me that much unless I blink so I am trying to avoid that. Hahaha....
The baby is in a destructive mood today, knocking down all the chairs and then running off laughing. I figure once one of them lands on his foot he will figure out that it is something he should not be doing.
The oldest is driving me up the wall. He is always loud, like he has no volume control. Whenever he talks he is extremely loud and it is annoying and it is something that every teacher has pointed out. I wonder sometimes if he does not realize that he is that loud because it is all the time. There is no way that he could be doing it on purpose as it is all the time. I finally sat him down and we had a conversation about it that I think he understands. Time will tell and I really hope he understands because I would hate for him to lose friends if they think he is being obnoxious.
I don't know what it is but for the last few days I have been in some funk that I cannot shake. Maybe it is all the crappy weather?
4/09/2005
A nap is all it takes...
My toddler decided to fight his nap this afternoon and no matter how much we tried he was just not interested in taking one. By the time 5pm rolled around he was barely able to stay awake and sit up at the same time so I had him sit with me in the rocking chair where it took about 2 minutes and he was snoring.
Since he fell asleep in my lap I figured I would just let him nap for 45 minutes or so and then wake him for some dinner. Somewhere in there I must have dozed off myself because the next thing I know it was just after 7pm and Cops was on.
He woke up a minute or so after me, still a bit groggy and refusing to even eat yogurt, which is his favorite thing. The only thing I can think of is he must be going through a growth spurt and it is messing with his eating/sleeping schedule. This is one of those times I am actually glad I do not work. While I want him on a normal schedule and 95% of the time he is, days like this could be torture if I had to be up early for work because he is not going to go to bed until about midnight now. Yikes!
One of his favorite things to do is play upstairs in his brothers room. While I was trying to get him changed and then fed my oldest came in the room and said he was going upstairs, which just sets off the youngest. You say upstairs and he is all over it. Thankfully his brother also loves to play upstairs as well as with his little brother, so he took him up to play with his Hess Trucks.
My sons great grandmother (my oldest son is from my first marriage and I have custody) sends him Hess trucks for Christmas every year which is very cool. I grew up on the East coast and my folks always bought those for my brother and I at Christmas. While mine are long gone, my son has about 10 of them and just like my brother and I used to do, they will sit there and play with them for hours.
Since he fell asleep in my lap I figured I would just let him nap for 45 minutes or so and then wake him for some dinner. Somewhere in there I must have dozed off myself because the next thing I know it was just after 7pm and Cops was on.
He woke up a minute or so after me, still a bit groggy and refusing to even eat yogurt, which is his favorite thing. The only thing I can think of is he must be going through a growth spurt and it is messing with his eating/sleeping schedule. This is one of those times I am actually glad I do not work. While I want him on a normal schedule and 95% of the time he is, days like this could be torture if I had to be up early for work because he is not going to go to bed until about midnight now. Yikes!
One of his favorite things to do is play upstairs in his brothers room. While I was trying to get him changed and then fed my oldest came in the room and said he was going upstairs, which just sets off the youngest. You say upstairs and he is all over it. Thankfully his brother also loves to play upstairs as well as with his little brother, so he took him up to play with his Hess Trucks.
My sons great grandmother (my oldest son is from my first marriage and I have custody) sends him Hess trucks for Christmas every year which is very cool. I grew up on the East coast and my folks always bought those for my brother and I at Christmas. While mine are long gone, my son has about 10 of them and just like my brother and I used to do, they will sit there and play with them for hours.
New pain, Old meds...
For the last week or so the pain in my left foot has not really been that bad, or so it seems. I had the electrical jolts for a few days which was followed by an "electrical hum" that was vibrating the inside of my foot, and now nothing. However I realized today the reason it has not been hurting so much is because I cannot feel it at all. I can tell that my right foot is there, I can wiggle the toes and rotate the ankle but I cannot do that with the left foot. It is weird because I know it is there and my brain is telling me "find your foot" which is when the "humming" starts again. Very strange indeed.
The pain in my back is also moving again. Every now and then I notice the pain in a new spot, like right now it is moving over to the right side of the small of the back. It starts out as a knot, almost like a muscle spasm but then the slow burning starts and that is when it really sucks. What's truly sad is that I have almost become used to new pain and actually expect it.
Thankfully the pain management doc has been great in listening and discussing what meds I am on or should be trying, especially since he gave me the lidoderm patches. When I was seeing my own personal physician for pain management I only had one med and then it was only once every 12 hours. If you had breakthrough pain then I was basically sucking until the next dose.
What I really like with the new doctor is that I have several non-narcotic options for when there is new pain or breakthrough pain, options like the lidoderm. While I will be on pain meds for pretty much the rest of my life it is nice to know that there are still some alternatives that don't involve narcotics.
Sometimes it is scary to realize that at 34 years old I will have to be on medication for the rest of my life. I read somewhere that "In many instances doctors, relatives, and friends fail to realize that the pain can be as bad as terminal cancer, without the prospect of death to end the suffering" and that was pretty sobering. After reading something like that it is pretty tough to even begin to deal with what you will be facing every single morning you wake up.
Sometimes the toughest part of this all is not that I am in pain and not that I will be on medication but rather that working is out of the picture. Driving is a huge no go, obviously being on pain meds makes driving a problem. I also find that even just sitting in the car for a few minutes becomes very painful, making my legs go numb. It makes it hard to drive if you can't feel your legs. Even if I could find transportation to work finding a job that will fit within my physical abilities will be tough. I would have to be able to have something that requires no lifting, squatting or bending. I would have to be able to sit/stand as need be as the pain can get intense if I am in one position to long. Then if I could find something that would fit within the guidelines I could not pass the drug test. Even though all my meds are prescribed no company is going to hire someone who is on constant pain meds, their workers comp insurance would freak out.
I know, I sound like I am whining but I am actually not. I would love to be able to go back to work even if it is only part time, to have some company that does not require a diaper change every 2 hours or throw legos at you. I love my kids and especially love that I get to be here with them as they are growing, but taking a break here and there would not be so bad, right?
Some days it all just sits on your chest and it can get to you. I would love to climb back in to bed and sleep the day off hoping that the next one is better. Thankfully I have a great family who make the pain manageable. I mean who could think of a better way to be awakened to your toddler giving you kisses and saying "get up and play daddy!"
The pain in my back is also moving again. Every now and then I notice the pain in a new spot, like right now it is moving over to the right side of the small of the back. It starts out as a knot, almost like a muscle spasm but then the slow burning starts and that is when it really sucks. What's truly sad is that I have almost become used to new pain and actually expect it.
Thankfully the pain management doc has been great in listening and discussing what meds I am on or should be trying, especially since he gave me the lidoderm patches. When I was seeing my own personal physician for pain management I only had one med and then it was only once every 12 hours. If you had breakthrough pain then I was basically sucking until the next dose.
What I really like with the new doctor is that I have several non-narcotic options for when there is new pain or breakthrough pain, options like the lidoderm. While I will be on pain meds for pretty much the rest of my life it is nice to know that there are still some alternatives that don't involve narcotics.
Sometimes it is scary to realize that at 34 years old I will have to be on medication for the rest of my life. I read somewhere that "In many instances doctors, relatives, and friends fail to realize that the pain can be as bad as terminal cancer, without the prospect of death to end the suffering" and that was pretty sobering. After reading something like that it is pretty tough to even begin to deal with what you will be facing every single morning you wake up.
Sometimes the toughest part of this all is not that I am in pain and not that I will be on medication but rather that working is out of the picture. Driving is a huge no go, obviously being on pain meds makes driving a problem. I also find that even just sitting in the car for a few minutes becomes very painful, making my legs go numb. It makes it hard to drive if you can't feel your legs. Even if I could find transportation to work finding a job that will fit within my physical abilities will be tough. I would have to be able to have something that requires no lifting, squatting or bending. I would have to be able to sit/stand as need be as the pain can get intense if I am in one position to long. Then if I could find something that would fit within the guidelines I could not pass the drug test. Even though all my meds are prescribed no company is going to hire someone who is on constant pain meds, their workers comp insurance would freak out.
I know, I sound like I am whining but I am actually not. I would love to be able to go back to work even if it is only part time, to have some company that does not require a diaper change every 2 hours or throw legos at you. I love my kids and especially love that I get to be here with them as they are growing, but taking a break here and there would not be so bad, right?
Some days it all just sits on your chest and it can get to you. I would love to climb back in to bed and sleep the day off hoping that the next one is better. Thankfully I have a great family who make the pain manageable. I mean who could think of a better way to be awakened to your toddler giving you kisses and saying "get up and play daddy!"
Do you like oranges?
Here is a blog that is about everything oranges! Some of the posts seem to even be written from the point of view of an orange, making it that much more entertaining. Swing on by and check it out.
Cookie Monster says no to over eating...
Story Here
This is SO disappointing. What ever happened to parents being responsible for teaching their children about eating properly? How come after 35 years it is suddenly imperative that cookie monster has to sing a new song?
If it is because childhood obesity rates are on the rise then I think we should look elsewhere. Maybe we should start with mom and dad cooking meals instead of hitting the drive through and cramming french fries down the throats of their children.
I think it is indeed a sad day when we people stop accepting responsibility for their own actions. We have become a nation of disgusting fat bodies where people will do anything other then accept the blame for their own problems. We cannot forget the families that are trying to sue McDonalds for making them fat. Anyone who makes the statement that they think any fast food is healthy is a freaking moron. I am 34 years old and I have known since I was a kid that it could not be good for you. How did everyone else miss out on that class?
It truly boggles the mind at how far some people will go to pass the buck.
This is SO disappointing. What ever happened to parents being responsible for teaching their children about eating properly? How come after 35 years it is suddenly imperative that cookie monster has to sing a new song?
If it is because childhood obesity rates are on the rise then I think we should look elsewhere. Maybe we should start with mom and dad cooking meals instead of hitting the drive through and cramming french fries down the throats of their children.
I think it is indeed a sad day when we people stop accepting responsibility for their own actions. We have become a nation of disgusting fat bodies where people will do anything other then accept the blame for their own problems. We cannot forget the families that are trying to sue McDonalds for making them fat. Anyone who makes the statement that they think any fast food is healthy is a freaking moron. I am 34 years old and I have known since I was a kid that it could not be good for you. How did everyone else miss out on that class?
It truly boggles the mind at how far some people will go to pass the buck.
4/08/2005
Should a pharmacist be able to deny your prescriptions?
Should a pharmacist have the ability to deny you medications based on their personal or religious beliefs? Even if that might mean your being denied critical care and quite possibly meaning your life?
While it might sound extreme that is in fact what is happening in some pharmacies across the nation and the pharmacists are within their rights in a few of those states to do so.
While I do not agree with birth control it is a fine line when the person who does is refused that medication. Especially in cases where the person who is on them is doing so not for the birth control itself but to control the pain that may come with menstruation, like premenstrual dysmorphic disorder.
What happens when that pharmacist decides that he is not going to dispense certain pain medications based on his/her beliefs? After all the states allowing them to refuse to fill a prescription are not distinguishing between a religious or a moral belief, they may refuse simply because of their beliefs. Who knows, maybe his brother died from being addicted to that medication, after a doctor prescribed it for a legitimate problem?
Pharmacists looking for the same protection as a doctor should look elsewhere or they should change their chosen profession. How difficult would it be for a specific group to flood the pharmacy schools in a given state with students who will someday be running a pharmacy? While it might be far fetched, it is not impossible.
If states so choose to allow pharmacists to make this kind of decision then they MUST include a clause that requires a pharmacist to transfer the prescription to a pharmacy that will and that pharmacy must be within a reasonable distance to the patient. Without a clause like that they could transfer the prescription to a pharmacy 3 hours away and be within the confines of the law.
This is without a doubt one of the worst things that could happen to the pharmacy system in this country. So now instead of wondering how much our medications will set us back we also have to worry about if we will be able to get it from our pharmacist.
Story Here
While it might sound extreme that is in fact what is happening in some pharmacies across the nation and the pharmacists are within their rights in a few of those states to do so.
While I do not agree with birth control it is a fine line when the person who does is refused that medication. Especially in cases where the person who is on them is doing so not for the birth control itself but to control the pain that may come with menstruation, like premenstrual dysmorphic disorder.
What happens when that pharmacist decides that he is not going to dispense certain pain medications based on his/her beliefs? After all the states allowing them to refuse to fill a prescription are not distinguishing between a religious or a moral belief, they may refuse simply because of their beliefs. Who knows, maybe his brother died from being addicted to that medication, after a doctor prescribed it for a legitimate problem?
Pharmacists looking for the same protection as a doctor should look elsewhere or they should change their chosen profession. How difficult would it be for a specific group to flood the pharmacy schools in a given state with students who will someday be running a pharmacy? While it might be far fetched, it is not impossible.
If states so choose to allow pharmacists to make this kind of decision then they MUST include a clause that requires a pharmacist to transfer the prescription to a pharmacy that will and that pharmacy must be within a reasonable distance to the patient. Without a clause like that they could transfer the prescription to a pharmacy 3 hours away and be within the confines of the law.
This is without a doubt one of the worst things that could happen to the pharmacy system in this country. So now instead of wondering how much our medications will set us back we also have to worry about if we will be able to get it from our pharmacist.
Story Here
CHICAGO - The culture wars have already seeped into hospices, movie theaters, and the Super Bowl. Now, even the corner drugstore has become a battleground.
From rural Texas to Chicago, more instances are cropping up of pharmacists refusing to fill prescriptions for oral contraceptives and the morning-after pill. As a result, politicians around the country are stepping into the fray.
It's a debate that weighs personal morals against professional responsibility. It pits religious rights against patients' rights and raises the question of just where pharmacists stand on the spectrum of health-care professionals.
Many pharmacists point to the "conscience-clause" exceptions that nearly every state has in place for doctors, allowing them to recuse themselves from performing abortions or other procedures they object to. They believe they should have similar protection.
Critics point out that filling a prescription is a very different job from writing one, and question whether pharmacists can deny a legal drug on moral grounds. And the patients who have been denied are simply angry to see their prescriptions become fodder for a public debate - especially when the prescriptions they wanted filled were for something as time-sensitive as emergency contraceptives, often known as the morning-after pill.
"Most observers seem to say it [refusing to give out contraceptives] is picking up, and there seems to be a more organized campaign to allow pharmacists to refuse," says Adam Sonfeild, an analyst with the Alan Guttmacher Institute, which tracks reproductive health issues.
And as the issue gets more attention, politicians are weighing in - on both sides:
• In Illinois, Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) last week issued an executive rule clarifying his view of state law: Any pharmacy that sells contraceptives must promptly fill a woman's prescription for them.
• Four states, including California and New Jersey, are considering laws that would require pharmacists to fill prescriptions despite any religious or moral objections, unless they could find an alternative that doesn't inconvenience the patient.
• Thirteen states are considering giving pharmacists the kind of conscience-clause outs that doctors have, allowing them to refuse to fill some prescriptions that go against their personal beliefs. (Four already have such laws on the books.)
• In a related issue, Colorado Gov. Bill Owens (R) exercised a rare veto this week, for a bill that would have required all hospitals - including Catholic ones - to inform rape victims about the availability of emergency contraceptives. Among other concerns, he questioned the constitutionality of forcing religious institutions to engage in speech counter to their principles.
With the pharmacist battles, it's principles of individuals, rather than institutions, that come into play. While no hard numbers are available, anecdotes have cropped up with increasing frequency.
Two pharmacists at a drugstore in Texas refused to fill a prescription for an emergency contraceptive for a woman said to be a rape victim. They were later fired. In Wisconsin, a judge reprimanded Neil Noesen this year for not only refusing to fill a college student's prescription for birth-control pills, but for balking at transferring the prescription to a pharmacist who would fill it.
Governor Blagojevich's ruling was prompted by a pharmacist at a downtown drugstore who refused to give emergency contraceptives to two women. "The governor said that there seems to be a pattern here, and it was important to take action quickly to make sure pharmacies in Illinois know they have an obligation to ensure a woman's access to health care," says Abby Ottenhoff, an aide to the governor.
Public opinion tends to come down in favor of the patient. In a November New York Times poll, just 16 percent of respondents said they believed a pharmacist should be able to refuse to dispense birth-control pills for religious reasons. Among white evangelical Christians, that number grew to just 24 percent.
But many pharmacists believe it's possible to accommodate their consciences and still ensure a patient gets her prescription. "We support the pharmacist stepping away, but we don't support them stepping in the way," explains Susan Winckler of the American Pharmacists Association, which adopted a policy calling for conscience protections, as long as the pharmacy had an alternative system in place - another pharmacist on duty, for instance, or an agreement with a neighboring pharmacy. The issue first arose not because of contraceptives, she says, but over pharmacists in Oregon concerned about taking part in assisted suicide.
Ms. Winckler is concerned about the order in Illinois, which she says has caused many drugstores to reverse their policies and doesn't take into account that pharmacists may refuse to fill a prescription due to health concerns as well as moral objections. She's also worried about proposed laws that give too much weight to either the pharmacist's rights or the patient's rights, instead of considering them both.
Still, in a conflict, the patient's rights should win, say some medical ethicists. "For the past few years now, pharmacists have wanted to model their relationship with the patient on the physician-patient relationship, which is not really appropriate," says Evelyne Shuster, a medical ethicist at the University of Pennsylvania.
Others wonder about the implications down the road: A pharmacist only agreeing to give contraceptives to married clients, for instance. Defenders of the conscience clause dismiss such fears as ridiculous, and contend that pharmacists - who have an obligation to look out for their clients' interests when it comes to, say, adverse side effects or potential allergies - are healthcare professionals who should have the same protections as doctors do.
"We intervene and stop prescriptions and make doctors change prescriptions," says Karen Brauer, a pharmacist in Lawrenceburg, Ind. The pharmacy she works at refuses to stock contraceptives - a fact she explains if people come in looking for them - but she feels that workers at any pharmacy need to be able to follow their conscience.
Ms. Brauer, along with some other pharmacists, has a particular problem with emergency contraceptives because they work by inhibiting ovulation, fertilization, or implantation. While most medical professionals define pregnancy as beginning with implantation in the uterus, she and some others consider a fertilized egg, even before implantation, to be human. "We should be free to opt out of killing humans at any stage of development," she says. "If women really want this drug, they are going to have to find a willing provider."
Others voice more tempered views, but still feel that allowing a right of conscience shouldn't have to keep a patient from being serviced. "We don't force doctors to perform abortions, and we shouldn't force pharmacists to dispense contraceptives," says Steven Aden of the Center for Law and Religious Freedom.
He doesn't buy the argument that referring a client elsewhere can be too burdensome or cause delays that threaten the effectiveness of the morning-after pill. "You don't force somebody to do something they think is morally wrong because somebody can't get into a car or a bus and access healthcare."
Reproductive-rights advocates note that keeping a woman from the morning-after pill can cause more unwanted pregnancies - and potentially abortions - than making it available. But above all, they say the issue comes down to discrimination that no woman should have to face at the pharmacy. "A pharmacist's job is to dispense medication," says Steve Trombley, president of Planned Parenthood Chicago. "Not moral judgment."
Freedom!
Well I have most of the day to myself and I am not going to do a thing!
My wife took the baby to the petting zoo for the morning where she is going to meet up with my brother in law and nephew, who is also 2. The walking around is a bit much for me so I decided to stay home and have some quiet time. The oldest is out of school for the day and while he is home with me he is spending some time cleaning his room and then he can use the desktop for a bit. That should keep him busy and give me some quiet time. In fact I think I am going to throw a movie in the DVD player and fall asleep!
I thought about going with them and just hanging out at the Panera down the road from the zoo as they have a WiFi hot spot and I love their Asiago Cheese bagels. I decided though that even 2 hours there might be a bit much as the chairs they have would not be comfortable for that long and I don't think the management would be to happy about me stretching out and taking a nap on the floor. I decided to hang out at home and have some quiet time.
My wife took the baby to the petting zoo for the morning where she is going to meet up with my brother in law and nephew, who is also 2. The walking around is a bit much for me so I decided to stay home and have some quiet time. The oldest is out of school for the day and while he is home with me he is spending some time cleaning his room and then he can use the desktop for a bit. That should keep him busy and give me some quiet time. In fact I think I am going to throw a movie in the DVD player and fall asleep!
I thought about going with them and just hanging out at the Panera down the road from the zoo as they have a WiFi hot spot and I love their Asiago Cheese bagels. I decided though that even 2 hours there might be a bit much as the chairs they have would not be comfortable for that long and I don't think the management would be to happy about me stretching out and taking a nap on the floor. I decided to hang out at home and have some quiet time.
4/07/2005
Pfizer pulls Bextra from the market...
I am glad to see Bextra be pulled and look forward to them pulling the rest of the COX-2 drugs like Celebrex and Vioxx. It is painfully obvious that the risk far outweighs the benefit.
What is truly concerning is that it is not just one companies drug that is problematic. You have several companies who market a COX-2 inhibitor and not one of them showed in their studies the risks that we now know exist? How does that happen? If it were one company making the drug I could see that it might be missed in a trial study, but 5 or 6 companies and not one of them caught it? What is going on at the FDA?
It seems to me that a good many medications are allowed on to the market without a decent label warning or if they do have a warning it is crammed in to a small spot. The Lamictal I was on is a good example. Since these all come as prescriptions there is no label per se, there is a sheet attached to the bag from the pharmacy. The warning about a fatal skin rash was in the same type and color font as the rest of the sheet. I would like to think when a medication has the potential to be fatal when even being used properly, as Lamictal can, the FDA would require a warning that is easy to see/find and read. Why are they not required to put it in a different color, font or even at the very top of the label.
What is truly concerning is that it is not just one companies drug that is problematic. You have several companies who market a COX-2 inhibitor and not one of them showed in their studies the risks that we now know exist? How does that happen? If it were one company making the drug I could see that it might be missed in a trial study, but 5 or 6 companies and not one of them caught it? What is going on at the FDA?
It seems to me that a good many medications are allowed on to the market without a decent label warning or if they do have a warning it is crammed in to a small spot. The Lamictal I was on is a good example. Since these all come as prescriptions there is no label per se, there is a sheet attached to the bag from the pharmacy. The warning about a fatal skin rash was in the same type and color font as the rest of the sheet. I would like to think when a medication has the potential to be fatal when even being used properly, as Lamictal can, the FDA would require a warning that is easy to see/find and read. Why are they not required to put it in a different color, font or even at the very top of the label.
WASHINGTON - The painkiller Bextra was taken off the market Thursday, and the government wants other drugs in the same class to carry the strongest possible warnings about increased risk of heart attack and stroke among the millions of people who rely on them.
Pfizer Inc. suspended sales of Bextra in the United States and the European Union at the request of the Food and Drug Administration and European regulators. The company said that the FDA, in seeking Bextra's withdrawal, cited a risk of serious skin reactions to Bextra on top of the risks shared by other similar drugs.
The boxed warning recommended for the other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory prescription drugs is the strongest available to the FDA.
In addition to the prescription drugs, the FDA asked manufacturers of related over-the-counter painkillers such as Advil and Motrin to revise their labels to include information about the risks of cardiovascular incidents and gastrointestinal bleeding.
"Today's actions protect and advance the health of the millions of Americans who rely on these drugs every day," said Dr. Steven K. Galson, acting director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
The risks posed by Bextra outweigh its benefits, the FDA said.
The FDA has been studying the safety of the so-called Cox-2 inhibiters since Merck & Co. voluntarily pulled Vioxx from the market Sept. 30 after heart problems were reported in some users. Once blockbuster sellers, the painkillers were particularly popular among arthritis sufferers.
"For now, patients should stop taking Bextra and contact their physicians about appropriate treatment options," Pfizer said in a statement Thursday.
Pfizer said it planned further discussions with the FDA about the possibility of returning Bextra to the market.
"Pfizer respectfully disagrees with FDA's position regarding the overall risk-benefit profile of Bextra," the company said.
Pfizer shares fell about 3 percent soon after Thursday's opening bell on the New York Stock Exchange.
In February, advisers to the FDA had recommended that people who depend on Celebrex, Bextra and Vioxx be allowed to continue to use them despite the health risks.
The panel said Vioxx posed the greatest risk and that Celebrex had the fewest side effects. It recommended that the prescription drugs carry strong warnings and that more study be done to get a better understanding about the drugs.
4/06/2005
Remedial training time?
I will be conducting remedial training and the topic will be, "toilet paper, how to properly dispose of the old tube and hang a new one" and if the demand is there I will gladly open it to others, so let me know if you would like someone to attend. Upon completion they will be given a certificate on the finest 2-Ply I can find,announcing to all that they have indeed completed the period of instruction. Of course they will probably never hang it up, I mean if they can't hang a new roll of toilet paper can we really expect them to hang a certificate?
Apparently in my house I am the only one skilled in the art of doing so. It just so happens to be a pet peeve of mine when people take a new roll out, use it but do not place it on the holder. No, instead they leave the remnants of the old roll and the tube on it and then just place the new roll on the tank behind the comode for the next person to come in and complete the task.
Apparently in my house I am the only one skilled in the art of doing so. It just so happens to be a pet peeve of mine when people take a new roll out, use it but do not place it on the holder. No, instead they leave the remnants of the old roll and the tube on it and then just place the new roll on the tank behind the comode for the next person to come in and complete the task.
I have no idea why but after I took my oldest to school this morning I sat in the recliner and fell asleep, that was about 8:15. I woke up to my watch alarm letting me know it was almost 3:00 and time to go pick him up.
The humidity and barometric pressure are wreaking havoc on all my joints today, especially my right shoulder. The pain is not so much the problem but when ever I move I can feel the joints actually grinding on each other. Perhaps it could be a subconscious reason why I slept all day. A whole spring of this should be fun as I have not gone through one yet since being diagnosed with the arachnoiditis.
The humidity and barometric pressure are wreaking havoc on all my joints today, especially my right shoulder. The pain is not so much the problem but when ever I move I can feel the joints actually grinding on each other. Perhaps it could be a subconscious reason why I slept all day. A whole spring of this should be fun as I have not gone through one yet since being diagnosed with the arachnoiditis.
4/05/2005
The clouds have moved in and the wind has picked up and they are calling for thunderstorms after midnight. Should make for an interesting night as the storms in the early spring can become quite violent.
Using the Lidoderm® patches at night has been extremely beneficial in getting a decent nights rest. Whereas I used to have to adjust my position quite frequently(once an hour or so) because of the pain I am now only having to do so every 2 hours or so through the night. That in turn means better rest which helps with the pain during the day. Since I can only wear the patches for a 12 hour period before I have to do without them for 12 hours.
If they came out with one for 24 hour wear I think I might be able to maybe do some part time work in a clerical setting. Sitting for 2 hours before having to stand for a small bit (20 minutes or so) would not be so bad but without the patch the longest I can go sitting is about 30 minutes and then I would have to be able to stand for a like period.
I also am finally done reducing the dosage of Lamictal® and have not had to take it for the last few nights. Since the final dose was taken the rash has completely gone away. That obviously brings relief not just from the itching but the possible side effects of the Lamictal®.
Using the Lidoderm® patches at night has been extremely beneficial in getting a decent nights rest. Whereas I used to have to adjust my position quite frequently(once an hour or so) because of the pain I am now only having to do so every 2 hours or so through the night. That in turn means better rest which helps with the pain during the day. Since I can only wear the patches for a 12 hour period before I have to do without them for 12 hours.
If they came out with one for 24 hour wear I think I might be able to maybe do some part time work in a clerical setting. Sitting for 2 hours before having to stand for a small bit (20 minutes or so) would not be so bad but without the patch the longest I can go sitting is about 30 minutes and then I would have to be able to stand for a like period.
I also am finally done reducing the dosage of Lamictal® and have not had to take it for the last few nights. Since the final dose was taken the rash has completely gone away. That obviously brings relief not just from the itching but the possible side effects of the Lamictal®.
Weather & Pain...
It is interesting to see that many of the studies they have done show to be inconclusive in respects to weather and it's effects on the body. I have noticed in the past few years that my symptoms seem to increase dramatically in the spring and fall which in the plains states of the U.S. are accompanied by severe and very sudden swings in atmospheric conditions.
I do however like how the article discusses, albeit briefly, the effects that ones mood may have on their pain levels. While I have not kept track of my mood versus my pain levels I think I would agree that when I am not in a good mood, which is very rare, that my pain levels seem to be slightly elevated. But then again they are also elevated when I am not feeling well so who knows what effect a mood can have on the pain.
While they may have conducted a ton of studies I have never been one to buy in to the whole scientific method. I believe more in what the people have to say and this poll shows more of what I would think to be the truth, more people feel the effects of weather changes then the scientists would like you to believe.
Here is an article from USA Today where they even try to tell you that scientists know more about you, even tough they cannot conclusively prove what they believe. And even then it seems like they only believe weather may effect your health if you over exercise and go down to heatstroke.
Story Here
I do however like how the article discusses, albeit briefly, the effects that ones mood may have on their pain levels. While I have not kept track of my mood versus my pain levels I think I would agree that when I am not in a good mood, which is very rare, that my pain levels seem to be slightly elevated. But then again they are also elevated when I am not feeling well so who knows what effect a mood can have on the pain.
While they may have conducted a ton of studies I have never been one to buy in to the whole scientific method. I believe more in what the people have to say and this poll shows more of what I would think to be the truth, more people feel the effects of weather changes then the scientists would like you to believe.
Here is an article from USA Today where they even try to tell you that scientists know more about you, even tough they cannot conclusively prove what they believe. And even then it seems like they only believe weather may effect your health if you over exercise and go down to heatstroke.
Story Here
The perceived link between illness and the weather dates back to 400BC when it was noted by Hippocrates. Since that time, there have been conflicting opinions on the matter, and there is still no universal agreement as to whether the weather has an effect on conditions such as arthritis.
Medical conditions that have been reported as being sensitive to changes in the weather include: rheumatoid arthritis; osteoarthritis; low back pain; gout; fibromyalgia; phantom limb pain; scar pain; headaches; trigeminal neuralgia; and pain influenced by mood disorder.
However, most investigations examining the relationship between weather and pain have studied people with arthritis. The joints most commonly believed to be affected are the knees, shoulders, hips and fingers.
Scientific studies
While some studies of the link between arthritis pain and the weather have been inconclusive, others seem to have found an association.
One US study of 359 people with gout found that gout attacks were significantly more common in the spring than at other times of the year, and an Israeli study of 82 people found that weather changes which occurred 4 to 5 days before an attack of gout might have played a significant role in precipitating the attack.
It is very difficult to get a definitive cause and effect relationship in studies because of the variety of meteorological variables involved, such as temperature, barometric pressure, rainfall, humidity, thunderstorm activity, sunshine, and the level of ionisation of the air.
Climate
As arthritis occurs in all sorts of climates all over the world, it seems unlikely that living in a cold, damp environment predisposes a person to get arthritis. Nevertheless, it does appear that certain people are weather-sensitive and say they suffer from more intense pain and greater difficulty performing tasks in particular weather conditions. Some studies appear to have shown that women are more sensitive than men to weather changes affecting their arthritis.
Temperature
Different reasons have been put forward to explain the effects of weather changes on pain. One of these is that changes in temperature may have an impact on body tissues. Tendons, muscles, bones and scar tissue all have different densities, and cold and damp may expand or contract them in different ways. Warmth, such as a hot bath, can often help to ease the pain.
Barometric pressure
Another explanation for weather changes affecting arthritis is that changes in barometric pressure may increase stiffness in the joints and trigger subtle movements that heighten pain response in already sensitised joints. Alternatively, the change in barometric pressure may temporarily unbalance body pressure and sensitise nerve endings. In rheumatoid arthritis, joints are inflamed and under pressure because of increased joint fluid. If the barometric pressure drops, tissues can become more inflamed, causing more pain.
Mood
A third explanation is that seasonal weather patterns may influence mood in some people, indirectly affecting their pain perception.
Some researchers are not convinced of the link between weather and pain, and think that people tend to look for patterns where none exist. For example, a person might have an experience when intense pain was coincidentally accompanied by bad weather, and this may be enough for them to believe the 2 are always linked.
Moving to a warmer climate
Moving to a warmer climate is not always the answer to improve arthritis as the body is said to establish an equilibrium with the local climate, so that relative changes in weather may trigger an increase in pain regardless of the actual weather. Also, there are so many factors involved in arthritis that moving house is not likely to solve the problem.
The scientific evidence for the effect of weather changes on arthritis pain is still ambiguous, but the high number of people who report a link may point towards a relationship. However, no matter how good or bad the weather might be, it will still not change the long-term outlook for people with arthritis.
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