When It Starts With A Coffee ....

 ... you know it is going to be a day. It is barely 9am and I have downed my cup of coffee this morning. Not that it is totally weird, but I don't drink coffee often, and my mug is one of those ones big enough to be 2. ...And now I see it is *really* going to be a weird day. I just did my numbers for the morning, and they are: BP 97/54, pulse 58, glucose 128. What do the numbers mean? Well, that's the lowest BP I think I have EVER had, and this one was after 4 readings. It kept coming up lower, so, even though it showed I had battery power, I replaced the batteries, and got this reading. and the glucose is about my normal range.

So the BP is a little lower than my average of 105-110/ 65'ish. Am I just that relaxed and lethargic this morning? Or is something going on? I don't know....

Things have finally slowed down a bit in the medical area of my life. With Mayo Clinic involved, and the doctors all  'stepping back', my appointments have almost disappeared. Seemed like a had a blood draw and a paracentesis and an appointment somewhere every week (I'm sure I'm exaggerating a bit). Either way, now I am doing the paracentesis once a week (this month on Wednesdays at 11am) and that's about it. Mayo has nothing for me until the 17th, when I do an online 'Zoom-type' education class about the preliminary procedures for transplant, etc. that Mayo does. After that, I'm just waiting on the list of places I need to go, and doctors I need to see, on the week of the 23rd. Liver, Kidney and PCP all backed off and I have those appointments in April (2 with bloodwork - always taking blood...). Kind of nice, but leaves quite a bit of time to think about things - and that is  sometimes a bad thing. My imagination can get pretty wild.

Got some reading done! Having forced myself to try again, I found I am able to read without the comprehension issues I was having before. I thin it may have been part of the encephalophagy, so good sign that the meds are improving that? I hope so... Either way, I got onto Goodreads last night and updated my  reading goals for the year. I thin k I mentioned I dropped it from 250 to 100 this year, since I was having the reading issue. I think it may still be hard to hit 100, as I can read and comprehend better, but still "tire" the mind fairly quick in a short time span. Gotta build up the endurance again! I know RM is happy about it, as I Am her "Reader Child", and enjoy books as she does. On a side note, RM, I found out this last week that one of my Riders is a published author! He actually came to me and was talking about it, versus me searching him out. He said he has like nine books, and gave me a list of six of them for now. So, I have a mission this weekend to locate one of the books and check it out. It'd be cool to know him, and enjoy his books! Plus, the author signatures!

I need to work on the meeting notes from this past Tuesday's House & Entertainment meeting. Shouldn't be too bad, as the House part was short, and the Entertainment was mostly confirming event issues for the upcoming 100th Birthday of the VFW Post at the end of the month. This Tuesday is our regular general meetings. Friday (3/13) is the Rider's Dinner night, and we are bringing back our Soup Night! Have several sign-ups (finally) and it is happening.

Welp, late last week, and early this week, the registration department at Banner Hospital has called me several times. The first was the usual every week call, to re-verify all my information for me, billing insurance, etc. Then they called back saying that I have reached my out of pocket with my insurance (I knew this) but still had a balance to pay at the hospital (of course I do, and I plan to pay it). They practically were demanding I do a payment plan with them, and not just a random figure, it has to be broken down over a 12- or 24-month period, so if I said $100/month, they were like no, and we arrived at a final figure of about $259/month for the time being. Their loss. Before, they were "requiring" a patient payment of $342 for each para I got (4 per month) so now they get $259/mo, instead of a $342 payment every two weeks. Huh, 250 instead of 684...hospital math?

Sigh. Seems that is all I think about nowadays is medical crap, and payments. Such has become my life at this time. It is even starting to interfere with my VFW work. And let's not even start about the job searching....

Think I covered most of what's happening around here. The Wife and I have our 35th Anniversary coming up the end of this month, and have pretty much decided that I would make plans. We are going to do a weekend in southern AZ, as I have not travelled that part of the state much. I haven't really been checking hotels in some of the larger towns like Bisbee, Tombstone, and Sierra Vista (near Ft Huachuca Army base) but need to work on it more. mostly looking at events going on at that location, or regular daily activities. Something new for the Wife and I to do. It has become sort of our goal after the Youngest graduated HS, and that is to try to get out more to social events/happenings not just in our area, but the Valley, or where we are travelling to/from. We've had some good ones, and some bad ones, but it was something we did together, and had not done before (some of them).

Welp, I need to close this off and shoot RM a text letting her know I posted something. Then I will get my stuff together and get out of the house. Have a prescription to pick up. Should run the car through the car wash. Then head to the VFW, where I will bring up my laptop and do the meeting minutes, and probably end of searching for our anniversary stuff as well.

PeacE

Resigned

 I think I have come to grips with many things over the past handful of months. There was all that uncertainty of health when all of this started. Then it was if my "affairs" were in order, and was I ready to die (yeah, that extreme). I struggled through those, and came to terms with it, no I just have to accept the transplant issue.

The two or so conversations I have had by phone with Mayo, I get the impression that I may not qualify for the transplant list, therefore, would just be treated the rest of my life for symptoms. Either that, or they sound jubilant to have another one under the knife... I jest. I know itis in their job to sound positive and upbeat about everything, including the dead horse.

Liver Doc said he is "stepping back" and letting Mayo Clinic take lead on my treatment and medications. I'm guessing they are much more trained for this than he is. I have an online 'Educational Meet' Mayo has for me on the 17th, and I am waiting them to contact me regarding dates, times, locations for the tests the week of the 23rd. I did have to designate 2 caregivers in my interview, so I picked the Wife and the Youngest, as they already live here. Youngest will have to attend a caregiver class at some point prior to the transplant (if I am getting one). He will then be in charge of driving me to all appointments, labs, etc. Hoping they have facilities/doctors affiliated on this side of town so I don't have to go to Scottsdale, but will do what I need to do.

Saw the Kidney Doc yesterday. He left it for regular three months lab workup and visit, to be sure the kidneys stay in good shape (they are now). He sounded like the transplant was already considered being done, so now I have no clue if I will qualify through my preliminary tests. So for now, Paras each week until I do the Mayo testing. Trust me, I wanted faster movement on this, too.

Still haven't heard from Disability, but it has not been 60 days min. yet. It could take longer, though my friend gave the impression it shouldn't.

Think I am off to get some hairs cut and hang at the Post. I did my Agenda today, so I accomplished something at least.

PeacE

Dive Right In

 It's Thursday. I am up early today - on purpose. I have the Liver Doc today at an early hour. Hopefully will find out if there is a game plan we are going to use, or if we are winging it.

Mayo Clinic had their phone interview on Tuesday. I will be doing some tests/appointments starting the week of 3/23 and be done within that one week. Gave me much more I am working over in my head.

With that said, you can imagine where my thoughts are this morning...

PeacE

Just Got Home ....

 ...from all the errands/appointments I had today. Well, the important ones. I still have a couple errands I could do, but I was tired and just didn't feel like being out in public. Went to the Kidney Dr's office, as I was scheduled for a blood draw at 8:30am. I was a bit concerned, as I had booked my Para today at 9a, though luckily, the hospital is literally right across the street from this doctor. But I went in early (7:40am) to see if I could get in and out faster - after all, it is just a blood draw. Well, as usual in my life, there has to be drama, or a snafu, or who knows what (I shouldn't tempt fate). The office had me for 8am instead (bonus!) so I was on time. However, the lab tech that comes in doesn't arrive until 8am, and then she has to prep her items for the day. Final verdict, I was first draw, and out the door by 8:20am and headed across the street.

Last week I had mentioned the standing doctors orders regarding my paracentesis. Ultrasound wanted clarification, as one line said drain max possible amount, followed by a line that said 10L max. So last week I took a copy to the Liver Dr's, explained what was going on, and the Doc called me late in the week. After conferring with another doctor there, they felt it best to do a 10L max drain from now on at this time. Albumin treatment to follow, based on amount drained. So the first thoughts were from the Wife and I both that the extra fluid left, would it accumulate faster, resulting in having to go more often, and possibly through the ER instead of a weekly appointment? One of the questions we have for the Liver Doc when I see him Thursday. The Wife will be going with to help me out with all the medical jargon, and to remember what to ask (if I didn't write it down somewhere). So they only drained 10L today, and I received three bottles of the albumin.

My PCP's office had called last week as well about some lab work. When at my last appointment in January, I had done one, and when my PCP called and went over the results, she asked for me to go back in and do one more, as there was one other thing she wanted to check. I wrote it as doing it like a week before my next appointment (in April) and explained that to the office. They went back to the PCP and no, she wants it sooner. So since I was fasting already, gave blood, got drained, I debated going to the PCP office, where I can just walk in for blood work. No. Not happening. I was nauseous as I needed some food. So I went to Jimmy Johns and had a regular tuna. Then off to the pub. I had a small pitcher of cola, and decided I needed to force reading back into my regime. 

Since September, I just have not been able to keep my concentration while trying to read. I found myself re-reading lines, sometimes pages, because I forgot what was going on. This from a guy that has like three books going on at a time... forgetting is not an option! But over the last week, I saw (and got) quite a few ebooks of series I have been reading, and I want to know what happens next, so I hunkered down today. I actually read about 4 chapters without any issues, before I put the book away. Only because I decided I was going to head home. I didn't feel like sitting there drinking soda for a three more hours before heading to the Post. So I just went home. But now I know I don't seem to have the same reading issues as before, it time to get back on track!

Oh! And even though they didn't drain ALL the fluid, so there is still some of that fluid weight, but I lost another pound over all....

PeacE

No Rest For The Wicked ....

 ... since I am not getting any sleep tonight. Sigh.

Here it is Thursday and I feel like I have a full day on my plate. Monday I had 13.8 liters drained, my Albumin treatment, did the bloodwork at the Liver Dr.'s office, and still made it to the Post for the Riders meeting - that only 5 of us were in attendance. Sigh. RM, so you know, 3/13 we are doing the soup night again.

Tuesday I woke (after a long night of not sleeping much) to just feeling miserable. Seems the day following a paracentesis, I always feel this way. Adjustment of the organs causes some of the discomfort and mild pain. They have to slide back into their original places since being displaced by all the fluid. So I slept a good part of the day, which I needed to catch up on. Nausea came and went throughout the day. Hardly ate. Monday I had weighed myself and I am down to 256 lbs. now. That's overall good, just not how I got there. Would love to drop another 20, and then hold fairly steady....

Wednesday, I spent the afternoon up at the pub, working on the minutes from the Riders meeting. I was already a day late getting it done (I had said I would have them the next day but didn't feel well). Got that sent to the Int. Dir. to review, he approved, and out they went to Riders tonight once I got home around 8pm. Then I started in on a project to collect Rider stats for meetings, rides, events, etc. They count as monthly activity to the District and State, and I presume Nat'l level as well. Our previous director was a Google Docs lover. Why? Does anyone really know why? I don't care for it. I have become more and more for Office, so I fixed/created our Roster/Attendance workbook into my OneDrive. Working on the sharing bit. Then we had a link that would take us into a Google Doc to answer questions about an event we are signing in for. This data is them collected and dumped into a spreadsheet, so we can easily track who does what, etc. etc. That is turning into a chore. Even using CoPilot, right now it requires much more typing and time than I want to spend on it. However, I may find another way to do it, so that is still in progress.

Thursday plans: Yesterday I set up with Kars4Kids to come get the Middle Son's car, finally. It took months to get him over here to sign the title at the DMV so we could have it notarized. Then I gave Youngest a couple weeks to get the remaining personal stuff, and mostly all the trash, out of said car. They reached out wanting to pick it up this evening, but I was not home, and the title/keys were not in the car. I'll put them in there first thing this morning and leave it unlocked for the tow. 

I have a feeling the better part of the day is going to be waiting on CVS. They are supposed to get that special prescription in at the store location near me today. The office said that the stores do not always call the people when the 'scripts come in, so I will wait until after 1pm, then head up there and see if it came in.

No other plans from that for today. I did my readings this morning (BP and Glucose) and all are in the good range. Time to take what meds I do have here. Then grab a bite of something for breakfast. I forgot to pick up milk, so I have a sticky here with that note taped to my phone, so I don't forget.

....and I am outta here!

PeacE

I'm Already Tired ...

 Today is a little more busier than most days for me. Got yet another paracentesis scheduled for this morning at 11a, The way I am feeling right now is that they are going to get quite a bit today. The pressure just feels worse than normal, or at least how it has felt that past few weeks. Will be making sure I get my albumin treatment as well. Then off to the Liver Doc's to have blood drawn for labs - appointment is the 26th. Then I have some off time before my Riders meeting at 6:30p. Yeah, I actually had calendar events today!

I just don't feel like writing today.

PeacE

Running Around

 Saturday. That's the day most people that work 9-5 jobs start in on catching up on rest, household chores, shopping, and all that. Not much different than a regular day for me, but <shrug> whatever. 

Got up about 9 - sleep at least 4 hours - and headed out solo to run "errands". Went by the car wash I have the monthly through, and they have been closed all this last week, and still today. I noticed their sign is down. Closed? Well, I went over to the only other location they have (it wasn't one of the large chains) at 5St & Union Hills and they verified that the one I go to was now closed. So I cancelled the monthly account I had with them. Then I headed back over to Cobblestone @ 35th Ave & T-bird and signed up for their basic wash monthly deal. I had to wait awhile to get assistance there, so today I got a free Platinum wash (their highest) for free, as I had to wait. No different than a regular one, but I'll take it.

Hit p the Walgreens as the Wife and I both had at least one prescription ready each. I did get an OTC anti-nausea medication that the Pharmacist should not interact with my meds, and it is aspirin-free, so should be okay for the liver. I'll check with my Liver Doc when I see him to verify 100%, but either way, right now I am using it. The last three days have been hell with the bouts of sickness, not being able to throw up but still dry heave, the discomfort of it all. I popped 4 of this OTC and within 20 minutes was feeling fine again. It says I can take up to 24 tablets a day... I'll carry some extras with me for now, but need to figure how long it lasts, or did the nausea go away?

Then it was home to drop the drugs off. That, and I really had to go pee. I set up a Home Depot account (will do one for Lowes sometime soon I am sure as well - we shop at both). The front bathroom needs a new flapper. I don't feel like walking around the store, so I made the account so I can do pick-up. Waiting now for the email saying it is ready, then I will head there to pick up. Then it will be off to Sprouts, as they have the Grillo's pickle de Gallo there. I'll get a couple tubs, and see if they have some regular salsa, non-chunky style for the Youngest. Need that to finish off the leftover eggs ol'e. BTW, RM, I forgot to actually cut up the sausage links, or to even get them out for when I made the Ol'e. So I will have to try that next time when I have more of the properly needed ingredients (read: baking powder). Then I will probably head down to the Post like most Saturdays. Not sure just yet.

Going to try to replace our hall light unit this weekend. The old one was a 'stand-alone', and the switch was a turn one on the bottom of this wall sconce-type light. No, no light switch for this one. I have the old one dangling from the wall right now, and the new one is here, I just need to unhook the old, hook up the new one, and secure to the wall. Then be done with it.

Fun Day...

PeacE