July 19, 2013

Today, for the first time in two weeks, the ache in my always-painful left leg was greater than it was in my jaw. Perhaps antibiotics are doing their job and the infection in my abscessed tooth is being reduced. I still have bunches of antibiotics which, of course, I shall continue to take.

Not only was my leg throbbing, it was also extraordinarily puny. I had serious difficulty moving around the apartment, so when I noticed the kittens wandering into the living room I thought it a great opportunity to get some kitten-movement photographs. Actually, I only got one:

I even attempted to shoot a video; however, the kittens scampering around were much too quick for me to keep them in the frames. Considering that I was also hampered by my bum leg I gave up on the video but shall try again when I am not putting so much effort into keeping my balance.

With my mobility hampered, I spent most of the morning making telephone calls attempting to locate a dentist to extract my number 12 tooth at a reasonable price. I have three possibilities, but no appointments established. (This is damned frustrating!)

When the woman who brought my Meals-on-Wheels left my apartment just before noon, Alex ran out the door. Knowing how much he loves the outside, I ate my lunch. But then I fell asleep. About an hour later, when I wakened, I looked around for Alex and couldn’t find him. Then I remembered that my dear furball was outside. I open the patio door and Alex slinked in.

I picked up my kitty kid, placed him on his dining table, and stood by until he drank quite a bit of water. Then I cuddled my old friend and we ended up taking a two hour nap together.

Yesterday I took the last of my diabetes medication, Metformin HCL. I had ordered a refill using the Veterans Administration interactive website, My Health Vet, last month. Not trusting myself, I logged into the site and checked my pharmacy records. The pharmacy indicated that prescription had been refill and mailed to me on the 12^th of July. Since it was after the time that the mail carrier usually makes her delivery, I telephoned the apartment complex office and ask if I had any packages.

With an affirmative answer, I realized that no matter how weak my leg felt or how hot (91 F) it was outside, I had to go up to the office. Although the drive is only about 90 seconds long, getting their exhausted me. I picked up the package and return to my apartment is fast as I could, The package was from the VA pharmacy but it contained three boxes of Foradil and no Metformin HCL. I telephoned the pharmacy to check on the refill; it was after 4:30, so I was connected with the answering machine. I left my inquiry as voicemail and, realizing today is Friday, I gave up hope of obtaining the refill until next week.

A bit of background information: recently, because of my physical difficulty in getting to the mailboxes, the post office as agreed to leave all of my mail at the apartment complex’s office. Click HERE for the details.

Then, later, I suddenly realized that only a box was at the apartment complex office. Yet, the post office had agreed to leave all of my mail there. When I saw a neighbor going down to the mail boxes, I gave her my keys and asked her to check my box. Besides the normal junk mail, there was a plastic mailing envelop from VA containing 5 medications, one of which was the Metformin HCL. Hurray! 

I have more to write about today; however, I have already gone well beyond my intended length of this post. Besides, it is past 1:30 a.m. and I am tired! Therefore, I shall end, have Blogger put this on the net, and join the kitty kids in slumber. 

Good night, World!

July 9, 1023

PAIN! That word sums up my life since last Friday. Pain! Lots of pain.

Jaw ache! Headache! Ear ache! Leg ache! 

I have done everything I can find (and afford) to stop the pain. Some of the treatments work. None of the treatments work well. Some cause other problems: for example, the pain prescribed medications I have been taking have caused stomach aches and nausea.

At 10 PM last night, after the temperature was down to the mid-80s, I drove myself to the Veterans Administration emergency room. The drive was difficult because my left leg is weaker and more painful than it has been a very long time. As I expected, I had a three-hour wait before I was allowed into the emergency room. I was finally seen by a physician around 1:30 AM; her English was poor and I had difficulty expressing the problem.

New-style ID now used by VA Hospital with color photo of patient

About 45 minutes after the decision talk to me, I and my bed were wheeled to the radiology department where I underwent my first- ever CAT Scan. This was of my head and did not take very long. Then I returned to my room in the ER where I was injected with a pain shot that was very effective. A couple of hours later, my dad and I were again wheeled from the emergency room and my chest was x-rayed. I was rather concerned about this x-ray because, having been a 50 year plus smoker, I feared that the blood work that was done on me may have indicated something like cancer. I need not have been worried; as it turned out, the chest x-ray was to determine if some of the excess mucus with which I am plagued each day was entering my lungs. It isn’t.

Nothing else took place until after 8 AM when the shifts changed and a new doctor was assigned my case. It was a real go-getter and much easier for me to understand. After reviewing the status of my case this new position had me go to the eye department to have my eyes checked because he was concerned that I might have infection in them that could cause blindness. I was less than impressed with the services I received at the eye clinic. The physician in charge did not understand why the consultation was made to have my eyes checked. He was the same physician who had supervised my cataract removal when the intern surgeon allowed the cataract to break up in my left eye. Although the physician did examine my eyes, he spent most of the time complaining that it was unnecessary.

When I returned to the emergency room, the ER physician explained that he determined my problem is an abscessed tooth or perhaps even more than one. Since the Veterans Administration now provides dental care only two vats who are 100% disabled due to combat. There will be no dental treatment for Nick by the Veterans Administration! I was prescribed three medications:  an antibiotic, an antihistamine nasal spray, and an analgesic gum. Unfortunately, the analgesic gum was not in stock at the VA hospital; I was told that it will be mailed to me and should arrive next Monday or Tuesday. 

My drive home was difficult. With the heat index over 90°F and not having air-conditioning in my car, I was nauseous and having difficulty breathing. My eyes were also unable to focus because they had been dilated at that I clinic. The sunlight was painful and I had difficulty seeing. However, I did make it home safely.

When I came inside the apartment, I was met by three very excited Kitty Kids. Food, water, and treats pleased to cats immensely. The rest of the day I spent trying to stop the pain and attempting to sleep. In other words, this afternoon has been much like every day since the pain began last Friday.

This evening I did manage to obtain some new photographs of LG’s kittens:

At the moment I am feeling a lot of pain and nausea. The best means of pain relief that I have is the rice filled bag that is heated in the microwave, a gift from one of the parishioners at the last church I pastored. 

Now that this post is written and soon to be published, I plan to spend the rest of this Tuesday trying to control the pain and attempting to sleep.

My sincere thanks to everyone who has expressed their concern, made suggestions for my healing, sent virtual hugs, and offered prayers on my behalf. My love and blessings to all.

PLEASE...

July 3, 2013

Usually the third day of the month has me feeling great; however, today I find myself in really deep shit!

First, I checked my bank account and found that the deposit of my Social Security check is $177.00 short. I know where the money went: the Veterans Administration had the Treasury Department withhold $157.00 because I'm not paying the copay for my prescription medications fast enough. THe additional $20.00 is what the Treasury Department charges me for the privilege of withholding my money. 

SHIT!

OK, let me try to explain. When I first signed up for VA benefits I had no copay because I had no income. If you've followed my Nick's Bytes blog through the years, you may remember that there was a time back in 2007 when I was homeless and penniless. Encouraged by my eldest son, Nick III, I enrolled in VA benefits, which obtained for me much needed medical services. Since I had no income (and no money in the bank), there was no copay for services/ medications.

At the same time that I enrolled in VA services, again at the suggestion of Nick III, I applied for Social Security disability. I really did not think that I was disabled. Call that denial on my past, for I was immediately approved as "totally and permanently disabled" and within three months received my first Social Security benefit check. I have since turned 65-years-old and now receive regular Social Security.

Back to the VA: once I reported an income, I was required to pay the Veterans Administration a $6.00 copay for each prescribed medication per month. That was not financially difficult because back then I was prescribed only three medications: 2 for genetic depression  and one for diabetes plus the diabetes testing supplies. Since all VA prescriptions are provided in 90-day increments, I was paying a copay of only $24.00 every three months, which was very affordable.

However, the VA increased the copay to $8.00/month and, as you probably are probably aware, my health has declined greatly since 2007.  Now I take 16 prescribed medications so that the VA copay is  $128.00 per month which, since each medication is provided in 90 increments, comes to a billing of $384.00 t one time. I set up a schedule with VA that I would pay $100.00 per month, which is difficult on my limited income, but affordable. (I usually run out of money by the middle of each month).

All went well until about a year ago when my car broke down and I was forced to have it repaired  Therefore,  I was unable to pay the full $100.00. Since then, the VA periodically (like every two months) has the Treasury Department withhold anywhere from $150.00 to $200.00 from my Social Security. I never know when that will happen because I am not informed of it until after it is done.

Since January of this year, I have had $452.00 withhold from the Social Security checks. The $177.00 withheld this month is the largest ever. I have Medicare Rx supplemental insurance that can pay for medications, but the Veterans Administration refuses to accept it since Medicare in a federal program and some idiot regulation refuses to allow one federal agency to accept payment from another even though the insurance is through AARP, which is not a government agency.

If none of this makes sense to you, please understand that it makes no sense to me either. 

Sooooooo, baseline is that I begin this month with $177.00 less money than I expected. [sigh]

Please understand me: I am not bitching about the VA. The agency has saved my life. I am concerned that no matter how I try to make ends meet, no matter how much of my property I sell, I find that my "retirement" is far from comfortable. 

On a happier note, the kitty kids and Little Girl's kitten bring great joy into my life! Here are a few of the most recent photographs I have taken of Alex, Sugar, Little Girl and her 3 beautiful kittens:

Little Girl and a newborn kitten

Alex meets the newborn

A pile of kittens

Kittens' dinner

Aunt Sugar kitten-sits

This morning's first kitten pic



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26 December, 2012

It is the day after Christmas and all through the house all three kitties are running because there is no mouse. In other words, the Kitty kids are looking for treats and have been hassling me for more and more treats for the past hour.

Christmas day was again a sad one for me; alone here with my Kitty kids was okay, but I know that I need to be with human beings. I must get out to do some shopping today – primarily Kitty cat treats – so I will at least have human contact with a sales clerk.

The first winter storm of the season is forecast to begin early this evening. The forecasters indicate that the heaviest snowfall will take place north of the Ohio River. Supposedly, I can expect no more than an inch or two of snow. That is not enough to even waste time reporting here in my journal.

It's bedtime for all 4 of us. Sugar is already asleep. I have renewed pain in my left leg and hope the prescribed medication reduces it so I can get some sleep.

Many blessings to you, my dear friends.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

I don't understand why, no matter what time I go to sleep, I awaken around 3:00 a.m. I think that my biological clock is screwed up.

This morning I published a new, all KATZ graphics, Silly Sunday on Nick's Bytes.

Kitty Kid update:

Little Girl and Sugar found something of interest outside:

See the square treats on my desk? Alex picks through them to find another kind and leavest he square ones on my desk.

I still have a cold; I have felt worse today than yesterday.

My watching Green Bay defeat Detroit on Sunday Night Football was interrupted by a huge thunderstorm that interfered with my Direct-TV reception. I spent the downtime completing tomorrow's Too Bad It's Monday post for Nick's Bytes. I'll post it in 18 minutes (midnight). Here's a sample:

Day Ninety-eight

Thus far, today has been a mishmash of events. The kitty Kids awakened me at 5:00 a.m. because they didn't look at the clock and see that D.S.T. is over and it wasn't 6:00 a.m., when they normally get their breakfast.

An hour later I needed to pick up some non-prescription medications, so I drove to Walmart, going through a McDonald's drive-through and breakfasting in the car in the Walmart parking lot. Four metro police cars were gathered in front of the far entrance of the store; I think the officers were also breakfasting. My paranoia had me avoid them: I don't like being around people carrying guns, especially when society has licensed them to kill. 

By the time I returned from my adventure, I was exhausted. I napped from about 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Then I tried to do some  housework, but found I was having trouble breathing. I did what I could and then played with Alex a bit, followed my Little Girl, and finally Sugar.

In the early afternoon I tried watching pro football, but even the Colts and Giants respective games could not interest me. I felt the need to studying and pray. So I did.

Then I realized that I'd not posted the Peace Globe I created and today is Blogblast for Peace. So I wrote a new blog-post to follow the one I'd posted early this morning before I went to sleep which contains videos expressing my view on Tuesday's election.

Now I need to make my daily call to my mother and then rest a bit.

I ended the day watch pro-football and completing tomorrow's Nick's Bytes post. Now I am reading to retire for the night. (The kitty kids are already sleeping).

Day Eighty-four

Again today, I have been a little ill and a lot tired. Even now (5:00 PM) after napping most of the day, I am almost too tired to write this. (Also a bit depressed, but that has become normal for me).

The kitty kids have been sleeping, too. Alex is again by the window; Sugar is on a chair, and Little Girl is on the printer.

Perhaps our tiredness comes from today being cool and rainy. The temperature hasn't gotten much over 50 F. 

I believe I shall now join the kitty kids in another nap.

I ended up sleeping most of the day; I developed a painful backache that kept waking me up so the quality of my naps wasn't great. I think that my weariness, back ache, and slight depression are somehow related to how active I was yesterday. At least I can suggest that throwing the grabage bags up and into the dumpster may have been what cause the back ache.

When I talked with Mom this afternoon, she described how she was feeling as being exactly s I am, even to the sore back. I don't make anything of the coincidence; except, I think the dark and colder day does affect the maternal side of my family (and me) psychologically. 

At the moment Alex is sitting on my desk. He even allowed me to brush him and wipe the sleepers from his eyes.

2

He is still scared of/intimidated by Little Girl. He was on my desk earlier this evening eating kitty cat treats when Little Girl climbed up on the desk. Even though I kept her away from Alex, he jumped down from the desk and returned to his window cave, leaving his treats on the desk. (I picked them up and placed in front of him). 

Alex eating his treats at the entrance of his "cave."

As I have written, Alex is no longer living in the laundry room or the bathroom; now he is living in a cave between the Venetian blinds and the window. He doesn't always hide behind the blinds, I took this following photo of Alex napping about half an hour before he joined me on the desk: