More results, less answers

Last week Frances did the testing for her Psych Eval. Yesterday Frances and I went back to get those results.

There were no surprises there. Frances is a perfectionist. She is shy, a little self-conscious, and introverted. She is emotionally stable, not depressed, and unlikely to become depressed, and she has good family relationships. She is also very responsible.

I could have told them all of that.

The one paragraph in the followup letter that I needed...that I WILL be taking back to the neurologist when we followup on Thursday...."The results of the psychological test indicate that Frances medical team should re-evaluate if she has a physical cause to her numbness, shaking, adn neurological complaints. " YES!

All I can say is THANK YOU.

Next step, going back into the lion's den, to try to get some more answers...

Updates on me....

So I saw the doctor this morning, and he didn't even LOOK at me....he talked to me, skimmed the paperwork that the ER gave me, and said that he is going to refer me to the Physical Therapy department for a Nerve Conduction Study (NCS) and Electromagnetogram (EMG), or some other nonsense...so, I call tomorrow to make THAT appointment. He thinks that because I work on the computer, I may have some pinched nerve, or something like that in my shoulder. So, that's that....

But, I don't NEED to see a pediatrician!

I called yesterday to schedule my follow-up, had an appointment, and set about planning my day to accomodate the change of plans. About an hour later, I got a phone call...it seems that they scheduled me to see one of the pediatricians in the clinic...hmmm....don't think THAT is going to work! I love the pediatricians there, but, not for ME! So, we got that straightened out, and I have an appointment this morning.... I'll update when I get back!

Life with the Icky-Sickies

It seems like the kids have been sick forever.

Today, the eldest is home with (probably) the flu. She is feeling better...but her skin is still "crawly" and she's weak and tired.

I probably should have kept #4 home, too...he was up at 4:00 this morning, attempting to cough up a lung or two...I worry about him, because this is a cough that has been around for something like 2 years...it just gets WAY worse when he's sick.

At least #5 is done with impetigo...

#6 is starting in on the coughing and runny nose....

AND....

MOM is the one with the doctor's appointment....gotta go, or I'll be late!!

I survived....

...to go crazy another day. Last night's activities turned out much better than I expected...the baseball practice was only for 45 minutes, we got in a little bit of grocery shopping, and had a great visit with the people who showed up last night for Brew Group.

This morning, I woke up to see that it had rained during the night, and there was a nice little puddle inside my back door....now I wait more to try to get this door fixed. I have been trying, since we moved in here in November, to get them to replace the door. The door is messed up...it is warped, and I used to get a breeze around the door, so they put foam-rubber stuff around the door, which pretty much stopped the breeze, but made it almost impossible to lock the door. Mind you, this has taken something like 10 visits to get it to this point. I was looking around the door last week, and realized that it looked like water had dried around the door....and then this morning I found actual puddles there....looks like I was right.

So, more....tonight is AWANA...we want our kids to stay in AWANA, but #4 child has HIS first baseball practice tonight, and there is a family meeting afterwards...I am guessing that one of us will take him, and the other will be taking the rest of the kids to AWANA.

In the mean time, I have work to do...and I need to get the phone number to set an appointment...I hurt my toe over the weekend, and am about to run out of medicine for my GERD...must see the doctor to get the prescription filled again. Don't know how long it will take them to get me in to see a doctor...last time I tried to set an appointment, it took a month. I can't wait that long.

Irritated rant coming

I spent WAY too much time last night at the clinic on base. I got a call yesterday from the nurse at the elementary school...this is one of the things I hate most about having children in public school. It seems that the rash on the 5-year-old's face is impetigo, and that she (the nurse) would have to have a note from the doctor before the kindergartener would be allowed back in school. GRR.... NOT something I've ever had to deal with before....

So, in order to get to see a doctor, you show up at the base clinic when their "open" hours start...here, it is 16:00, or in terms that regular people understand, 4:00 pm. I left the house a little early, so we'd get there right AT 4:00....despite doing that, there was already a HUGE line ahead of us. We were triaged within about 20 minutes....and then sat there for about another 2 hours and 40 minutes before being taken back to see the doctor. All he did was look at her, and say, yes, that is impetigo, and I am going to give her an antibiotic and cream.

WHY?!? Why did it have to take so FREAKING LONG...they KNEW it was just a rash, and that was all he'd have to do. We had plans last night...2 different things. It NEVER should have taken 3 hours to get her back to see the ONE doctor they had on call. It was ridiculous. It took a total of *4* hours to get back to the house. For impetigo. My Doctor in Montana would have called in a prescription from my description over the phone....or, if I DID have to bring her in, we'd have been in and out the door in less than 1 hour.

Almost every contact with the clinic here has been horrible. No wonder there are so many openings for patients there. They chase people away with the way they treat us. I SO want to change us all to having our Primary Care Provider being a civilian....will have to look into it...

Random Dribbles from my Caffiene Deprived Brain

I'm only on my first cup of coffee for the day. I fear I am going to have to make a second pot, though. I woke up this morning, rather reluctantly, when my alarm went off at 6:30...My body does not want to be up. I hurt all over. At least I don't have a headache...small blessings. Our Brew Group last night was at the church offices. The brand new church offices. With STINKY plug-ins all over the place. THAT is why I hurt all over. Why my body refuses to respond to commands from my head. I do NOT understand why people insist on having those things. They are terrible, horrible, no good, very bad....they make every joint and muscle hurt, they cause my brain to go fuzzy on me, they usually give me migraines. They also affect me for at least the next day....I am ultra-sensitive to touch, I can't wear my contacts, I can't put on purfume, my ability to tolerate noise goes WAY down (very important in a small townhouse with 6 other people!). Adding to my list of pet peeves (see here) are DOCTOR'S offices that use those things. How STUPID can you get? There is this thing called olefactory fatigue....it's the phenomenon that happens when you walk into a place, say, a bar with cigarette smoke, and it really bothers you, but you stay. And, say 10 to 30 minutes later, you can't even smell the cigarette smoke. THAT is olefactory fatigue. Now, back to the doctor's office with the stinkies plugged/stuck around the place. Doctors and nurses depend on their noses...as well as the rest of their senses....to tell them things about their patients. When those stinky things are in their offices, covering up other smells, how can we trust that doctor's nose to not be "fatigued"? Okay, end of rant. I can tell I am going to have to go on crusade to get rid of the stinkies in yet another church office. I have found another business I would like to try from home. I still haven't heard anything back from the girl I had applied with to do transcription. Hopefully soon. I really want to do that! However, in the mean time, I have found a franchise opportunity that I can do from home! All I am doing is selling advertising...for a site for Moms! How exciting is that? Need more info, though....going to try calling today. In the mean time, I am still trying my hand at one other business...though I am not so sure it is something I want to keep doing....I don't like doing phone calls to people about a business opportunity....it's one thing to call a place of business. It's a whole 'nother ball of wax to be calling people at home. NOT something I enjoy...but I am determined to give it a good shot, anyway. I like the business....I LOVE their products. I just hate calling people. Tonight, the oldest starts a class at our church offices. This is a class on comparing religions. Should be interesting. I'd love to take it....but 5 other children won't let me. I'm hoping to get the others into AWANA starting tonight. It's been long enough...and I need a reason to not be home at that time of night (see the above paragraph). When I talked to hubby last night, he said that he's pretty much finished with turn-over....he'll be in the background today, if the new guy has any questions, but he's done. Tomorrow he has off. Friday is his Hail and Farewell. Saturday and Sunday are drill....unless they let him leave early...then maybe he can drive out of Montana on Sunday! Yippee!!! I am SO ready for him to be HERE!!! Before he arrives here, though, he has to drive thru the snowy mid-west. Pray for safety for him on the roads, please!