The Pit And The Peak Of Your Day

The Peak: The tumor is benign and actually a cyst. It is infected so antibiotics will be applied and hopefully it will shrink and reabsorb. If not, it will be removed since a cyst in this area is prone to infection which is not good. No signs of cancer were noted in that area where cancer had previously been removed. The forest fire smoke is getting lighter and I am able to walk without getting a raw throat. I got my disabled parking tag renewed. The pit of this process will be addressed below.

The Pit: I didn't get to bed till midnight due to sitting with a friend in the emergency room after she had a fall. My normal sweetheart personality is a bit sour today. My DMV wait was an hour and 45 minutes. They have blue seats for walk-ins that take a number and red seats for those with online appointments. My failure to read the sign had me seating myself in the red MAGA seats. The blue seats were mostly full and over 90% were Spanish speakers. I was amazed how many spoke good English when they got to a help window since they did away with the Spanish-speaking line years ago due to public outcry. Now they will be further delayed waiting for the floating translator so English is the main language spoken at the windows.

Anyhow after I was told to move to the blue seats that had just a few empty seats (there are 100 blue seats), I took one next to a Latino lady that said something to me in Spanish. By her hand gestures, I translated it to be about the wait. Without thought, I said, "poco a poco." I hadn't said that since grade school Spanish class. She said, "si poco a poco, no?" Another lady eavesdropper asked me if I understood Spanish. I said very little. She then said to me that poco a poco meant very slowly so my Spanish was very good. Then we all had a laugh, jajaja! That passed a few minutes before both ladies' numbers came up. I was too rummy from lack of sleep to attempt posting to SOC from my cell, so I sat there staring at the empty red seats until number 63 came up.

Next time I will make an online appointment for the MAGA seats but that will be 2030. But wait that happy thought was dashed when the mail today included a form for renewing my driver's license and since I am over 50 requires a DMV eye test every 8 years. I fear my glaucoma is going to cost me my license. I am taking a break now to make that possibly devastating appointment. I refuse to sit in the democrats' blue seating, waiting just to get bad news.

 

My daughter came over to get her dehydrator and could not find it. That is because I threw it out when it stopped working last year and just use her trays. So I looked on craigslist and found one nearby. Only $15. Unfortunately, the woman was setting up a rummage sale. Cost me a lot more.
My car is in the shop for a new muffler. It has been sounding like James Bond's sexy sports car careening about the European country side. I wonder if the people in hubby's subdivision notice how sexy I sound.
The last muffler I had installed long ago was about $300. This time, I almost swallowed my tongue. I needed a cat back replacement because the front pipe also had pin holes.
I should have just stayed sexy. But told them to fix it. NOw it is still not done, going on three days, cuz one of the parts was not the right one. I could drive it until they get it in but then I have to have someone pick me up and drop me off some more. I'll just take hubby's car, or use the truck which I can now drive because I got a new battery. The battery for this 1996 truck at Walmart cost $198 now. My handiman got one there for me for $99 and said it would work. That guy saves my butt a lot. The people in the service area said they did not know what battery to give me when I went in because 'the book' does not go back that far.
In Six Days, Seven Nights, the blond says to Harrison Ford, "Aren't you one of those guys?' he says "Guys?"
"Guys! You know, you give them a pocket knife and a Q-tip and they go out and build you a shopping mall?'
My handiman is one of those guys.
Some of those are pits and some of them are peaks. I guess we'll just have to figure which is which.

 

Pit: Drove to medical center and waited over an hour and a half to see the doctor. At which point, the receptionist hung out a sign indicating that the wait would be an additional hour and a half. The young woman seated across from me had an appointment an hour before mine and was still waiting. So I marched up to the desk and told the receptionist that I was leaving and not to charge me for the office visit. It cost about $10 in gas, $5 for parking, and a wasted day for nothing. (This appointment was for a "consultation" about possible additional surgical intervention of lymphedema, which can certainly wait.)

Peak: On the drive home I told my husband that I'd love to have some fried oysters. He pulled in to Pappadeaux's Restaurant where we had margaritas, shrimp, oysters, and stuffed crab. Cost us $140 and worth every penny. Sweet little waitress got over-tipped and away we go. That's the first time I have been inside a restaurant in at least 2 years.

 

Here in La where I live they have a renew drivers license program for online. Unfortunately they are targeting seniors and breaking the written laws governing online renewal by not giving us a chance to do that renewal without subjecting ourselves to crowds and long waits and making the DMVs appointment telephone number available, they simply do not answer the number if we call. My idiot representative made the mistake of sending a monthly news letter to me and ask why he hasn't heard from me. He heard from me this time and he has not replied to the question of why are we being targeted as seniors. Typical idiot that is a liar and a phony. I told him if the state can't follow their own laws then I am not in any hurry to renew that drivers license since you don't need our money and I drive about 1 mile per month. He is still sending those news letters, we have no representation by these con artist in Baton Rouge. That's alright, they shouldn't wait on me when elections roll around because they are useless. I can't stand that Kennedy because he acts like he is 20 years old and attempting to do standup comedy, no subject he is ask about is answered without a standup attempt.

 

They all love this charging for their time, you missed an appointment is one of their favorite excuses to steal.

 

I told them in no uncertain terms to NOT charge me for the "missed" visit. I didn't miss it, the damn doctor did. I looked at MyChart when I got home and the appointment had been deleted so I assume that's the end of it.

 

So I was sitting in the bathtub earlier and thinking about that doctor appointment today. MD Anderson is a CANCER TREATMENT FACILITY. Women in that warehouse of a waiting area HAVE CANCER and are in various stages of treatment. What a damn shame that as patients, "we" were shown no respect today. The young woman sitting across from us said she has been to see that surgeon for the past three weeks and EVERY TIME had to wait 3 hours or more. Every. Single. Time. With her little bald head and dark circles under her eyes. She was probably about 30 years old. Just infuriating.

If I had been there for treatment I probably would have behaved badly. There is NO EXCUSE for treating people with so little respect, and I have to say that in my entire time of going to MDA I have never seen such disregard for patients. I guess the plastic surgeons think they are gods or something, but I'm going to write a letter to MDA and blast them.

 

Cancer is an industry, a money making machine growing every day. The insurance industry complicates it and the pharma. It is nuts!

 

Peak from yesterday. We went and met for lunch one of my BF's husband for lunch. I have seen him in at least 3 years,and she died 2 years ago. Also have a recommended moving company, from someone we trust. They should call today. Pit- at lunch friend was late due to bad instruactions from me -actaully the GPS on my phone was wrong. Very nosiey with music being right over your head. Doubt we will go there again.
Several pitty things, but sounds too much like whinning.

 

Pit: Stopped at a pizza place that does pizza "by the slice". Had never been there before and my wife loves pizza. Loud music playing what sounded like Heavy Metal music. The pizza wasn't nearly as good as wife thought it would be, so, no return to this place.

Peak: Talked to a lady at the pizza place and told her what we thought of the city (Loveland). She totally agreed and her and her husband are moving out of Loveland and out of Colorado. Made us feel good that we aren't the only ones that feel the way we do about living here.

 

Whenever my wife sees her PCP, I do all of the require info online in her account, so it doesn't have to be done at the appointment. Whether it's her PCP or my VA doctor, very/very little wait time.

 

Well, that is one good aspect of where you live.

 

Oh, there is no doubt about that, Mary. The Texas Medical Center in Houston is a high-rise metropolis on its own... with dozens of buildings housing the MD Anderson conglomerate. This is the medical center in the front of the photo, with the downtown Houston skyline in the distance...

 

Well, not really, being the fact that we got very good doctor appointment service in North Carolina and Florida as well. It's just that, when my wife has a PCP appointment, like I've already stated, I will go on her Account with the hospital and fill out the requested information each time. That way, don't have to do it when we get there. I always go with her to her doctors appointment and even sit in the exam room when she is talking with him. I will tell the nurse, "I'm her bodyguard and husband, so....". They think it's funny, but do let me be with her.