As usual around 5 one of the cats jumped onto my chest and woke me up, I put it back over on his box he sleeps on next to my bed and I was sleeping good so I turned over on my left side and slept another 30 minutes before getting up. I stood up and I was pretty shaky and my legs were a bit wobbly. I figured it would go away soon because I never have a problem with being dizzy this early in the morning. My neck problems are terrible now and a lot of pain so I must have slept with my neck in a bad position for that but then also I was probably sleeping on my right side most of the night which does have a hand in giving me a dose of vertigo especially in the change of seasons this time of year. It always goes away if I am on my left side. I thought I should go ahead and try and stay on my feet long enough to feed cats and get coffee so I done that and will see if I can stabilize a bit more. I have to go to the DMV end of month and get my drivers license renewed and it is only a couple blocks from the hospital in my area. I will go in and have them check my blood pressure and blood work. It might be I need to get back on my blood pressure medicine but for now I really don't feel too bad except to be a bit light headed and there are many reasons that might be. My eyes are weak now and strained so that alone is enough to contribute to how I feel this morning. If it lingers I will get to the ER soon as I can. I am in a position of being old without any family here to drive me or pick me up at the ER, in the past I have gone and spent the entire night sitting on a bench outside waiting for day break so I could call an old friend to come and bring me home. I knew he wouldn't want to drive in the dark as old as he was. So he died several years ago and that pretty much lost my ability to get a ride. This state has nothing to help a senior, there was a time you could get a ride with one of the sheriffs deputies that were going my way but the state stopped allowing that because of the ambulance chasers suing there way to great riches. Funny thing is I slept very well last night and the night before and I even took my afternoon naps altho short ones but still restful. This neck is very painful and sore all the time, it never let's up. The only thing that helped was using a nerve blocker which was not a prescription drug and along with my heart meds the one local doctor also did not renew my med . I still feel the same way, they can all kiss my back side. They had no right to stop my meds to force me to take an 80 mile road trip so some Indian could use my insurance for 3 minutes of nothing. I hate this state and I hate the non functional government that runs it. It has always been corrupt here no matter if it were a liberal or a conservative governor. There is 0 care for seniors that every state in the Union has had for over 60 years. As a matter of fact it was probably better 60 years ago than it is today. My one worst mistake in the past 15 years was to move back here. I wasn't here but two years and my family that did live here at that time all packed up and moved to Arizona. If I had known 5 years earlier that all of them were moving west I would have never left Nevada, I would have at least been close to all of my immediate family and would have some time with them before they all died.
Are you certain of this? I thought most areas of the country had services for the elderly that would provide, at least, transportation for medical visits. Here, we have a couple of programs, one of which will even provide transportation to the grocery store and back. People can schedule regular visits or on a need basis, the only stipulations being that they require a 3-day notice, and they are pretty strict about no-shows. So, if someone has a scheduled pick up and they decide they don't want to go that day, and didn't give notice of that, they are cut from the program for, I think, six months. You might check some of the links that I have on the bottom of the page, particularly the National Council for on Aging, because the program I am talking about is affiliated with them. Otherwise, look for any non-profit organizations serving seniors in a wide area around your house. The program I am referring to is based 70 miles from here but they have drivers in our area, including rural areas. Through that same program, we have had our house insulated for free, a heat pump installed, and I know they also give vouchers for heating oil, but that last part is income-specific. When I owned an ambulance service in Texas, we had non-emergency transport vehicles that were used to transport people for medical visits, but they were paid for through either Medicaid, Medicare, or insurance, but generally only non-ambulatory people, although there were several who qualified despite the fact that they could walk. One of them would start walking home if we were late picking him up.
No, it's like a war zone in the big city here. I recently had hernia surgery about a year ago and I had to pay someone 200 dollars to make two trips to see I get checked in and out after surgery. The state has nothing, the VA has nothing. This entire state is mostly considered a rural state with farming as the number one product. The large population centers are all killing fields today with some really bad people. If I were able to move I would move to Galveston to spend my final years. That won't happen simply because I really don't have any family left from there or Houston. I have one close family member living in Arizona and she is in a home because she can't walk. So really my best bet is to stay where I am and try and reorganize a bit. I have a few things to do to the old truck before I consider it dependable again due to the yo yo I paid to do that lying about what he did and taking the money. I did get a lot done but in the end I had to do my own engine repair and I have an oil leak due to what the yo you did to my engine. He didn't repair the problem, a flat camshaft but he put a stupid chrome oil pan on the engine, must have had it in his closet and figured it was a good way to get rid of it. In my attempt to replace my valve train I did it the old way of leaving the oil pan on but lowering the front just enough to force the timing cover back on using the front arc seal that was already on the timing cover. The yo yo had used a new one piece oil pan gasket instead of the old style from the factory. I wasn't able to get the timing cover back on without cutting a small section on each corner out so it would allow it to be shoved back in and down. It leaks and there is no repair other than a new timing cover and a new oil pan / Not real expensive to buy but the labor leaning over that truck radiator frame is not fun when your 74. I have to do it so I plan on buying the new cover and oil pan and gaskets then pay someone that is capable of doing the labor. Until that is repaired the truck is not fit to drive any distance. I keep oil and fluids on the truck at all times but I do want to get it normal. When that time comes I will be able to access if I can drive any distance to make a move back to normal living or not. I don't own a lot of personal stuff but then I have the 3 cats now so I have more planning because I have no intentions of deserting them if I do make a move. I will go to the dmv around the first of the month and get my license renewal then stop by the emergency room and have my blood work and pressure checked then make an appointment to go to the VA and get my meds back online, they will mail them to my post office box which would really help. What these doctors did shutting off my meds was criminal but it don't surprise me any more what happens in this country. It's all about money now and not what is best for me as a patient.
Sorry you have to deal with this transportation problem. We need more centers for the elderly in most states. Any churches that may help close by?
We have a Senior van service but that does not have people to check you in or out of any procedure. As a matter of fact they always ask what your appointment is for because even if it is out patient procedures they don't allow that due to risk of being sued for something happening. Only doctor appointments that does no surgery of any kind or sedation. The state itself has no service to see a senior gets to a surgery appointment that requires a signatory or to sign you out after surgery. I am about 50 miles from the area that I would need a ride for hospitalization so that don't help when needing someone to sign you in or give you a ride. I would never drive my Truck and park it while having any surgery because it would not be there when I was finally able to walk out. They love an older vehicle that you can switch on using a simple pair of pliers, like every GM built for the past 55 years.
In this new society many options are gone or risky for all of us at all ages. I hope you can get this worked out soon Thomas. I wish now we didn't move away from family and didn't live out in rural area. Isolation is not good for anyone.
No, people are not the same today as years gone by. No one wants to get involved with anything that requires being a cab driver. I have one cousin in the immediate area and she has her hands full taking care of two sons both born autistic. Things are a lot different in the country today than 30 years ago when I was living in my own home just 4 miles down the highway from where I live now. For one everyone I could call a friend then has since died while I have been back for the past 14 years. You just have to learn to cope with things today and there is not always a simple answer. I wouldn't hesitate to call an ambulance if I felt I was in danger because it don't cost me anything. I have SSI that pays for it and also the VA will pay a one way fee if needed. It tickles me when they tell you to be sure and call and get permission to have the VA pay for the ambulance, my reply to them is who to hell answers the phone while I'm having a heart attack. I never get an answer so I don't worry about it, I know more about VA laws than the people working for the VA. So this morning it is probably a small touch of vertigo and tonight our temperature is dropping very suddenly and that always brings on my pre winter sinus attack. The dust where I live is terrible also so there are many things to make me feel a little lightheaded at my age. My health is not wonderful but then I always figure it is better than a lot people the same age. The truth in that is looking at all the recent deaths of family and people I cared about and me being older than some of those people.
I live in Louisiana. Thanks for the thought '0)........ I could get an ambulance within 10 to 15 minutes and our local EMS is always 5 minutes before arriving. It is the simple things like making appointments that are 50 miles one way most of the time. I kept one VA appointment several years ago that required me to go to New Orleans, so I would never drive that far to go to an appointment especially when it was for a consultation for stress testing results which were handled in Baton Rouge. Shows how stupid the VA is but no one believes me. I had to get up around 4am that morning because I drove my old Truck to the Baton Rouge VA clinic so I could take their van running to New Orleans and back. I was told the van left Baton Rouge at 6am. It was so foggy out that time of year I couldn't see my hand in front of my face but I made it alright. I parked and found out the silly van didn't even go to New Orleans until 10am. So I sat there and waited for the van to leave and he drove like a maniac making several errand stops then onto New Orleans. Sat there in the hallway heart section for an hour and a half and the doctor finally came out and shook my hand and I followed him down the hall and sat down and he told me that we wouldn't be covering anything today. Yep that was what I got up at 4am and drove thru 50 miles of fog so as to be on time to go another 100 miles to be told we weren't going to do anything today ! I told myself them I would never ever do that again and I haven't and I won't do it again in the future. They have never had a good staffing for the VA in this state, I can tell of another sad story about the VA not scheduling my hernia surgery and completely forgot I was on the list. That would have me going all the way to Shreveport La because they had no hernia surgeon in New Orleans. Yet the VA here had received 400 million dollars in that same year. Just plain sad ... I am going back but for one reason, I know the meds I was taking were helping me and going back will help me with the meds but better is the fact they are mailed to my PO box which is only two blocks from me and I would only have to make one appointment to see primary care to keep the meds being sent per year. I have several things I need today and new glasses is one thing, the other is bracing for both my knees, I don't plan on allowing any knee replacements because it recently killed my Mother after having the last repair 20 years ago with her body rejecting one knee after two decades then getting so infected they had to remove it and she lay there for a month with no knee waiting for the infection to get under control and it never did so she told them to stop all care. They did of course and she passed away peacefully with my sisters and grandchildren at her bedside. Now this was not the VA I'm only saying having knee replacements by one family member go wrong after decades is not something I want to do. I am a firm believer in family genetics that we share between one another are pretty much the same overall. I doubt I make it to 90 but who knows.
Ok I thought you lived in Virginia, but Louisiana at least you can get help fairly quick if need be. Right now I'm dealing with some kind of depression so I'm going to see if I can go for a walk, my chest is still really congested from whatever hubby and I got 2 weeks ago. Thomas this old age stuff can be really trying at times,huh?
@Thomas Stillhere do you know what is causing your vertigo? I could be meds, inner ear issues, or other things, but THIS is one of the most common causes in us old folks and can usually be remedied with "exercises". BPPV can cause all kinds of issues. This is a drug that is available over the counter that can help in a pinch if you are away from home and get dizzy.
In the past it has always cleared after a couple hours and I just go back to bed and sleep on my left side. I'm going to check with the VA soon as possible and have them get me to a specialist so it can be cured. I was told they had 3 different treatments that would cure it. One is being strung out on a harness and hung while they do what ever it is, I suspect it would be flushing the ear with some type of fluid. No doubt it is vertigo because the weather has made a sudden swing from super hot to cool at night and tonight is a cool front moving in for a while. I have never had a problem with this unless I already had a sinus attack and it was cooler weather, just feeling bad at the time. This morning was different because I slept well but got awakened by a hungry cat free falling onto my stomach while I was asleep. I wasn't ready to get up at 4:30 so I rolled over and put the cat back on their box that two usually sleep on. This particular cat sleeps behind my wide screen TV up higher and alone. So didn't feel bad after that and managed to rest another hour then I put my feet on the floor and stood up and that is when it hit me. My legs were wobbly and I felt light headed but nothing other than that and knowing I have this vertigo it really didn't scare me. I felt terrible as I usually do getting up. My knees hurt so bad I have to move slow until they wake up. I stayed up and fed the animals and had coffee checked email and then felt like laying down again, I did for about 2 hours then got up again and was tired once more after an hour so I turned in again and watched football until half time and then went in and got lunch for cats and myself. At this point I feel pretty good but I can tell it isn't completely gone yet but it will be by tomorrow. If it isn't I may drive to the ER 9 miles from me and have them check my blood pressure and blood work. I have had only two times in the past 14 years that I did have higher blood pressure and I was feeling pretty bad, but due to that hernia it caused all sorts of false flag aches and pains. Nothing was ever found to be wrong and they usually would just say it's fatigue. I always felt better knowing it was nothing to worry about. Most of my problems always started after eating and effecting the hernia making me think there was something serious going on when it wasn't. Over time we always can figure out things for ourselves.
Thomas, I'm sorry for your issues and I hope you can get the transportation issue worked out. I'd like to recommend that you use more paragraphs in your long posts. My old eyes can't seem to stay on the correct line with all that text. Thanks!
If you want to try the Epley maneuver to help with the vertigo, HERE is the instruction. I might be worth a try.