Read /HeardThis One ?

Thanks to my friend Suzanne for sending me this:


The phone rings and the lady of the house answers, 'Hello.'


'Mrs. Sanders, please.'


'Speaking.'


'Mrs. Sanders, this is Doctor Jones at Saint Agnes Laboratory. When yourhusband's doctor sent his biopsy to the lab last week, a biopsy from another Mr. Sanders arrived as well. We are now uncertain which one belongs to your husband. Frankly, either way the results are not too good.'


'What do you mean?' Mrs. Sanders asks nervously.


'Well, one of the specimens tested positive for Alzheimer's and the otherone tested positive for HIV. We can't tell which is which.'


'That's dreadful! Can you do the test again?' questioned Mrs. Sanders


'Normally we can, but Medicare will only pay for these expensive tests one time.'


'Well, what am I supposed to do now?'


'The folks at Medicare recommend that you drop your husband off somewhere in the middle of town. If he finds his way home, don't sleep with him.'

Green Therapy

Aha ! I knew there was a good reason for going on all those nature walks . More later,have to get back to the office

OK I'm back home .My plan to connect the computer has changed. The cable I need costs
$130.00 !! I called the internet company and it's only $30.00 for a techie to come over and move the modem downstairs. Naturally the customer service rep tried to sell me something while booking the appointment. Every time I call for any kind of service ,whether it's the gas company or the phone they try to get me to buy an extra service or product. I stopped going in the bank and only use the ATM now, because they were constantly trying to give me more credit cards or boost my line of credit.
If I added up all the credit offers given me in the past couple of years I could easily be $100,000. in debt. All because of the housing bubble. That nonsense is going to come to a screeching halt with the credit crunch, which I think is a good thing. I have an average income and a modest home, so it was insane for them to offer me all that money. I confess I did have a fantasy for awhile that if my MS got really bad, I would go on a mad spending spree and then go bankrupt.
Not feeling too bad tonight, not nearly as tired. perhaps my pills are finally doing the job ?
No word from the doctor yet regarding all the test results.

Here's a follow up story on the Debbie Purdy case. She's the woman in Britain with progressive MS, who's requesting a ruling on assissted suicide.Seems the courts may come down hard on anyone who helps a person who want s to die.

Up, Down, All Around

Like the financial markets and the weather, it's been an up and down sort of week for me. The Amantadine, I will say once again, works, yet the effect is very uneven. I can have a good morning followed by a not so great afternoon. The evenings are slightly better allowing me to stay up later. Instead of wanting desperately to go to bed by 8:00 p.m. I'm feeling that way at 10:00. I still took a sick day off work on Tuesday, and went in late on Thursday, which I'm not happy about. Not much I can do when my body simple refuses to cooperate so that even walking down the stairs is an effort. Fortunately I have some money in the bank. The unpaid leave is really starting to hit my paycheck . When I go for my health assessment next week I'm going to push hard to get tele work. I think it's the answer to allow me to keep working.

It's hard to explain to people how tiring it is to go into the office everyday. There's never a moment of peace and even breaks aren't restful. Everywhere I go there are people milling about. I try to close my eyes for a few moments and sure enough that's when somebody will pop up at my desk wanting something. I'm told I can use the "quiet room" to rest, but Oh! what a hassle that is. It's like trying to get admitted to the hospital and I really don't want a fuss around me when I'm tired and I don't really want to lie down in a dark room either.

Then there's the getting ready for work and the getting there part. Hey I'd like to go to work in my robe and slippers, with my hair in a ponytail, and no make up, only my vanity won't allow it.
I do dress much more casual these days, don't bother with accessories, don't fuss with my hair, and have toned down my shoes, which is as much as I'm willing to let go for now. I'm already having to give up so much with MS, can't I at least still have my mascara? Silly Libra vanity I know. Can't help it.

They do have a job lined up at work for me that would be ideal for tele work. I'm so superstitious even just writing about it makes me think I'm jinxing myself. That's Catholic /Italian/French Canadian , brainwashing from years go that's still in me. Yes Italians and French Canadians are a very superstitious lot. I remember when I was pregnant, my mother, who is a very intelligent lady, covered my eyes when we passed by a person in a wheelchair. She believed that if I looked at the person it would be bad luck and harm the baby. On both sides of the family they always talk about good luck, bad luck, omens, signs, curses, spirits, fate, etc. etc. I try to tell myself it's all nonsense,
still....

Got a letter from the doctor today about more tests on October 16th, which I have no clue what that's about. Have to wait and check on Monday as the office closes early on Friday. Maybe over the weekend I'll remember exactly what the doctor wants to probe next. Once I get my assessment done I think that's going to be it for me with the tests. What the heck good do they do ?

Test Day

Beautiful weather today, mild and partly cloudy, perfect for a walk. Here's a scene from the harbour

Right now I'm watching an old Billy Joel concert from 1978. Songs from his first album "The Stranger". It's pretty good. Where is PBS digging up all these old concerts ?


Another test out of the way! I didn't even get my foot massage, as they didn't do the leg test. I got the impression the technician wasn't quite sure what she was doing, the way she fiddled around with the nobs and kept checking the computer screen. Same thing happened last time I had this test. Maybe they don't it that often ? If weren't for my employer nagging me, I doubt I would bother to go for more tests. What do they prove ? I still have MS and when they do find something wrong, it's not like they can fix it.

Because the test was shorter than planned, it gave me some time to go buy birthday gifts for my son and order a cake. Don't know why they can't do black trim icing or a skull decoration like the last cake. Have to settle for dark blue and no skull. I think the cake lady enjoyed being be the fun police. My son will be 19 and of legal drinking age. Sure hope he doesn't pick up the drinking habit, what with all the stories about binge drinking in the news. They really do like to push booze on young people. Seems like every event at the university features drinking or is sponsored by a beer company. I've never been much of a drinker. With my MS I find I can't drink at all, one glass of wine or a beer is my limit. There is much alcoholism on both sides of his family so it worries me.

Worrying, something I'm good at. My Dad says that I come by it honestly as the Lanno's
(my family name) are expert worriers and could teach a course on it.

Not much in the news except all the financial woes. I wonder how America feels now that they are officially a socialist country ?

Prescription Data and Insurance Coverage

Interesting article in the Washington Post . Now Insurance companies can find out your prescription and lab test history, to increase or deny you insurance. It's like a health credit rating.
Consumers should be wary of this. It's fast and cheap to do and you can be denied insurance based simply on what drugs you take and how often. It can also be used to limit the amount of tests you have done.
This applies to U.S. residents however, anyone in Canada who has additional insurance for costs not covered under the health care plan of your province, should be concerned as well.

If insurance companies thinks it's a great idea, it's because it benefits them , not you.

Got an email back from the sleep clinic. Have to be referred by my family doctor and appointments are made based on that referral . I'll be taking him the form next week.