Friday, February 13, 2009
Met with The Man last night, at the halfway point. Dinner, karaoke, TV, etc. He didn't have to be at work until 11 am, so we had a relatively relaxed morning. He left at 9:45ish, which should have been in good time for the drive. I potted around a bit and left at 10:30, and while I was still in the parking lot my phone rang. He was sitting in a traffic jam on the NYS Thruway, no more than 15 minutes away. Overturned SUV ahead. Poor guy. Relaxation was shortlived.
I got home and discovered that I have no water. I think the well pump died, or maybe the pressure tank has blown. The circuit breaker is fine, so it's not a simple fix. I'll have to get a plumber in. Somehow I decided today was Saturday, so I didn't call anyone. Phooey.
I bought a few jugs of water to drink, and to flush, and to heat on the stove for a sponge bath in the shower stall. It works. That's what we do around here when the power is out for a few days. In the past I've even melted snow for washing and for the beasties.
Tomorrow I'll be volunteering at a tax clinic again.
.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
2266 Passing the Boob
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
I took Miss Thunderfoot to the vet's today for her yearly checkup and immunizations (three months late). She went into the carrier with no problem, objected only a little in the car, and during the 30 minutes in the waiting room she curled up in the carrier and went to sleep.
In the examining room, however, she spat and slapped (without her claws out), and bit (gently, but threateningly), and growled so much the vet couldn't hear her heart. She's usually very calm. When I happened to mention that she hates other cats, especially males, the vet laughed. He said he had four adult male shelter cats in the next room, scheduled for neutering, and she probably smelled them.
Dr. M. was also amused that Thunder was 11 lbs 11 oz on her last visit, which happened to be on 11/11/07, and as of this month, she's 11 years and 11 months old. Lottery anyone?
I was aware that she'd been losing weight. She's now down to 8 lbs 9 oz, but the vet isn't worried because that's actually a healthier weight for her size, and he's attributing it to Jasper's exercising her more. I don't know. I'm going to keep an eye on her weight.
------------------------------
I went to the doctor's office and got copies of all the breast reports. Then I went to the radiologist's and picked up my old films, and film and CD of Friday's Mammogram and ultrasound.
This is beginning to look like a game of "pass the buck".
The radiologist says there's no change from the last mammogram (2002), and no abnormalities are seen. Oddly, they still say my breasts are dense. They don't feel so dense any more.... Then after all the "no problems" comments, it says "Assessment: Incomplete; need additional imaging evaluation. Recommendation: Ultrasound..."
The ultrasound report says "No ultrasound abnormality is seen.... Assessment: Negative.... Recommendation: Surgical consultation of the left breast ... decision to aspirate/biopsy a palpable mass should be based on clinical grounds."
There IS NO PALPABLE MASS! All of this is saying there's nothing wrong! But no one wants to take the responsibility to say "There's nothing wrong." They're just passing me up the line. The surgeon gets the big bucks, so let him say there's nothing wrong. I hope he isn't scared, too, or I'll end up with needle aspiration of a perfectly healthy nipple!
I'm even more certain now that it was just an infection in a duct.
Oh, yeah, the culture results were "Normal saprophytic flora ..." which is also consistent with an infection that the immune system has stomped.
-----------------------------------
I don't know if they did something different this time, or if the technology has improved since 2002, but these scans are so very much clearer. They used to stick a bead on the tip of the nipple, and then on the films, there was a large blank area between the bead and the start of the image. Now there is no bead, and you can actually see the nipple. Amazing. You can even see the skin around the edges.
The bright spots are calcium. Not a problem when they're isolated and scattered. One of them is a star shape (second view down). I don't like that one, just on principal (actually, it's some kind of marker, and it worries me because I don't know why it's there).
If you look where the nipple is in the third one down, there's a shaded part inside that looks almost like the nipple is inverted. I'm going to ask the surgeon about that. What is it, and why doesn't it look like that on the other views? The "chicklets" at the top in that one were exactly the same in the 2002 scans, so whatever they are, they're ok.
If you click on the scans, you'll get a much larger (life sized!) more detailed view.
.
I took Miss Thunderfoot to the vet's today for her yearly checkup and immunizations (three months late). She went into the carrier with no problem, objected only a little in the car, and during the 30 minutes in the waiting room she curled up in the carrier and went to sleep.
In the examining room, however, she spat and slapped (without her claws out), and bit (gently, but threateningly), and growled so much the vet couldn't hear her heart. She's usually very calm. When I happened to mention that she hates other cats, especially males, the vet laughed. He said he had four adult male shelter cats in the next room, scheduled for neutering, and she probably smelled them.
Dr. M. was also amused that Thunder was 11 lbs 11 oz on her last visit, which happened to be on 11/11/07, and as of this month, she's 11 years and 11 months old. Lottery anyone?
I was aware that she'd been losing weight. She's now down to 8 lbs 9 oz, but the vet isn't worried because that's actually a healthier weight for her size, and he's attributing it to Jasper's exercising her more. I don't know. I'm going to keep an eye on her weight.
------------------------------
I went to the doctor's office and got copies of all the breast reports. Then I went to the radiologist's and picked up my old films, and film and CD of Friday's Mammogram and ultrasound.
This is beginning to look like a game of "pass the buck".
The radiologist says there's no change from the last mammogram (2002), and no abnormalities are seen. Oddly, they still say my breasts are dense. They don't feel so dense any more.... Then after all the "no problems" comments, it says "Assessment: Incomplete; need additional imaging evaluation. Recommendation: Ultrasound..."
The ultrasound report says "No ultrasound abnormality is seen.... Assessment: Negative.... Recommendation: Surgical consultation of the left breast ... decision to aspirate/biopsy a palpable mass should be based on clinical grounds."
There IS NO PALPABLE MASS! All of this is saying there's nothing wrong! But no one wants to take the responsibility to say "There's nothing wrong." They're just passing me up the line. The surgeon gets the big bucks, so let him say there's nothing wrong. I hope he isn't scared, too, or I'll end up with needle aspiration of a perfectly healthy nipple!
I'm even more certain now that it was just an infection in a duct.
Oh, yeah, the culture results were "Normal saprophytic flora ..." which is also consistent with an infection that the immune system has stomped.
-----------------------------------
I don't know if they did something different this time, or if the technology has improved since 2002, but these scans are so very much clearer. They used to stick a bead on the tip of the nipple, and then on the films, there was a large blank area between the bead and the start of the image. Now there is no bead, and you can actually see the nipple. Amazing. You can even see the skin around the edges.
The bright spots are calcium. Not a problem when they're isolated and scattered. One of them is a star shape (second view down). I don't like that one, just on principal (actually, it's some kind of marker, and it worries me because I don't know why it's there).
If you look where the nipple is in the third one down, there's a shaded part inside that looks almost like the nipple is inverted. I'm going to ask the surgeon about that. What is it, and why doesn't it look like that on the other views? The "chicklets" at the top in that one were exactly the same in the 2002 scans, so whatever they are, they're ok.
If you click on the scans, you'll get a much larger (life sized!) more detailed view.
.
2264 Breast Mystery
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
I called the doctor first thing this morning, and talked to one of the women at the desk. She said the mammo results were back, and it was "within normal limits". She didn't say anything about the ultrasound, or the discharge culture/microexam, but I'll be picking up the reports and the CD later today, so I'll read it myself then.
However,
Nurse: Dr. D. wants you to see Dr. W.
Me: Dr. W? Who's Dr. W?
Nurse: He's a surgeon. He specializes in the breast.
Me: Why do I need to see him?
Nurse: Well, you had another issue, with the nipple, right?
Me: Oh.
I still think that was just an infection in the duct. Since it discharged, there has been no further swelling or tenderness. It's perfectly normal now. But I guess I have to see the surgeon, because if I don't, well, that's just the way things work.
As far as I'm concerned, the scare is over.
---------------------------
Later -
I just looked over previous posts, and I guess I didn't describe what made me take my nipple to the doctor.
Here's the story.
I normally wear a sleep bra, because I sleep on my stomach or left side, and I can pinch myself easily (usually on the left), and that will hurt for days. But when I'm with The Man, I don't wear it. And he knows not to pinch. Gently gently.
When I was with him in mid-January, I figured I must have hurt me, because the left nipple was tender off and on for about three weeks. Then Wednesday of last week it got extremely tender and sore even when nothing was touching it. The nub was swollen and red. The swelling and tenderness was just in the nipple. There was no problem around or under it. I lifted it to look, and it spurted a thick milky fluid, followed by a drop of blood from a single duct. Looked like an infection to me, and I didn't want it to go deeper, so I called the doctor, and they got me in the next day.
Of course, by the time I got to the doctor, it looked a lot better. The redness and tenderness was gone, there was only a tiny difference in size, and we had a heck of a time getting a bit of discharge for the microscope. Which discharge, by the way, was clear, except for the last little bit, which was blood-tinged.
Dr. D. did a manual exam, of course, and she said the left breast was a bit "ropy" on the outer side. I'm very familiar with my breasts, and I can't feel ANY difference between the left and right, so I don't know what she's talking about.
She scheduled a mammogram and ultrasound for the next day, last Friday.
I don't think the ropiness is anything. Too much coffee will cause that. It's probably just ducts toughening up. And I think the nipple thing was just an infection.
--------------------
I've never had any pain with mammograms. Squishing doesn't seem to hurt, and before menopause my breasts were unusually dense, so they squished them hard.
Friday, the first two (horizontal and 45 degree angle) didn't hurt. But then she did a straight up-and-down one that I'd never seen before - and that one had me gritting my teeth.
Then the woman with the ultrasound went to town on me. She pushed that thing up and down my breasts like she was trying to bulldoze a hill flat.
Both the girls are now really sore. They ache all the way from under the arms to the breastbone, even when nothing's touching them.
---------------------------
Later update -
Appointment with surgeon is February 27. They put me on a cancellation wait list, so maybe sooner.
.
I called the doctor first thing this morning, and talked to one of the women at the desk. She said the mammo results were back, and it was "within normal limits". She didn't say anything about the ultrasound, or the discharge culture/microexam, but I'll be picking up the reports and the CD later today, so I'll read it myself then.
However,
Nurse: Dr. D. wants you to see Dr. W.
Me: Dr. W? Who's Dr. W?
Nurse: He's a surgeon. He specializes in the breast.
Me: Why do I need to see him?
Nurse: Well, you had another issue, with the nipple, right?
Me: Oh.
I still think that was just an infection in the duct. Since it discharged, there has been no further swelling or tenderness. It's perfectly normal now. But I guess I have to see the surgeon, because if I don't, well, that's just the way things work.
As far as I'm concerned, the scare is over.
---------------------------
Later -
I just looked over previous posts, and I guess I didn't describe what made me take my nipple to the doctor.
Here's the story.
I normally wear a sleep bra, because I sleep on my stomach or left side, and I can pinch myself easily (usually on the left), and that will hurt for days. But when I'm with The Man, I don't wear it. And he knows not to pinch. Gently gently.
When I was with him in mid-January, I figured I must have hurt me, because the left nipple was tender off and on for about three weeks. Then Wednesday of last week it got extremely tender and sore even when nothing was touching it. The nub was swollen and red. The swelling and tenderness was just in the nipple. There was no problem around or under it. I lifted it to look, and it spurted a thick milky fluid, followed by a drop of blood from a single duct. Looked like an infection to me, and I didn't want it to go deeper, so I called the doctor, and they got me in the next day.
Of course, by the time I got to the doctor, it looked a lot better. The redness and tenderness was gone, there was only a tiny difference in size, and we had a heck of a time getting a bit of discharge for the microscope. Which discharge, by the way, was clear, except for the last little bit, which was blood-tinged.
Dr. D. did a manual exam, of course, and she said the left breast was a bit "ropy" on the outer side. I'm very familiar with my breasts, and I can't feel ANY difference between the left and right, so I don't know what she's talking about.
She scheduled a mammogram and ultrasound for the next day, last Friday.
I don't think the ropiness is anything. Too much coffee will cause that. It's probably just ducts toughening up. And I think the nipple thing was just an infection.
--------------------
I've never had any pain with mammograms. Squishing doesn't seem to hurt, and before menopause my breasts were unusually dense, so they squished them hard.
Friday, the first two (horizontal and 45 degree angle) didn't hurt. But then she did a straight up-and-down one that I'd never seen before - and that one had me gritting my teeth.
Then the woman with the ultrasound went to town on me. She pushed that thing up and down my breasts like she was trying to bulldoze a hill flat.
Both the girls are now really sore. They ache all the way from under the arms to the breastbone, even when nothing's touching them.
---------------------------
Later update -
Appointment with surgeon is February 27. They put me on a cancellation wait list, so maybe sooner.
.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
2263 Estate Lawyer
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Today I saw the lawyer who worked with me to settle Jay's estate. I took her the tiny bit of paper I had been sent from Jay's father's estate lawyer, and told her the few things I knew about what was going on. She was aghast. There's a whole bunch of stuff that was supposed to have happened before other things happened, papers to be signed, accountings I should have seen, and so on. She was surprised that all I was sent of the will is the one page that had my name on it, so we don't even know what the date on that page is.
I went to her only because it's looking like the sisters are playing fast and loose, and their lawyer (who was the one complicit in the rewriting of the will when she knew his diagnosis) doesn't seem to know the rules and procedures. So my lawyer is going to make sure they follow the rules, and I'm not cheated. She is going to find a lawyer in Rochester to represent me, through her.
Um, to review - after Jay died, the father-in-law updated his will so that I got Jay's share of his (the FIL's) estate. Before he died, Jay had asked his father to not forget me in his will. Jay had been named as FIL's executor, so he changed it so that I was named as a co-executor with the eldest sister. The eldest sister lives in Virginia, and the other two sisters didn't want to be executors, so I, being in NY and closest to Rochester, was a logical choice.
Then the husband of the youngest sister found out that I was going to get the same share as his wife (in other words, twice as much as HE would "get"), and apparently he flipped out. AFTER the father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, the two younger sisters took him back to the lawyer and had the will rewritten, cutting my share in half, and naming themselves as executors. The eldest sister and I didn't find out about this later will until after the FIL died. Big surprise.
The eldest sister was furious. At that point, the younger sisters said yes, it was after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and yes, he was not competent then and everyone knew it, but if anyone fought this will, they'd spent every cent of the estate defending it and no one would get anything, so there.
Ok.
At first I was angry that they'd do something so underhanded, then I decided it didn't matter that much, and ok, as merely Jay's spouse, half a share is probably quite fair.
But then they started pulling crap. Nothing in the house was appraised or even listed. They just took the good stuff home and threw the crap away. They bought loads of new furniture (sofas, vases, lamps, dining room furniture, bed coverings, curtains, throw pillows, coffee and side tables, rugs) to show the house, charged the new furniture to the estate, and then took that home, too. The house was sold to a neighbor for about a third of its value, or at least that's the number I was told. Travel costs for them and their grown children to attend the funeral are being charged to the estate. All kinds of things are being charged to the estate. They're raiding it. I would not be at all surprised to find that they're paying themselves the maximum executor stipend, too.
So whole bunches of money is being drained from the estate and going into their pockets as "costs", and my portion, which would be out of what's left over, is getting smaller and smaller as a result.
I want to see the final accounting, and my lawyer is going to get it for me, and we're going to raise hell where necessary.
------------------------------
After my doctor's appointment last Thursday and the "emergency" mammogram and ultrasound Friday, they told me that my doctor's office would call me with the results on Wednesday. Tomorrow.
The doctor (not a nurse) called the house at 4:45 today, while I was at the lawyer's office, and I didn't get home until 5:00, after her office had closed, so I couldn't call back. Her message simply said to call her.
Is that a good or bad sign? That she called, rather than a nurse? That she called so close to closing, a day before expected? Like there was no time to waste or something?
Aaaaaaaaaaagh! I hadn't been at all worried, but now I am.
.
Today I saw the lawyer who worked with me to settle Jay's estate. I took her the tiny bit of paper I had been sent from Jay's father's estate lawyer, and told her the few things I knew about what was going on. She was aghast. There's a whole bunch of stuff that was supposed to have happened before other things happened, papers to be signed, accountings I should have seen, and so on. She was surprised that all I was sent of the will is the one page that had my name on it, so we don't even know what the date on that page is.
I went to her only because it's looking like the sisters are playing fast and loose, and their lawyer (who was the one complicit in the rewriting of the will when she knew his diagnosis) doesn't seem to know the rules and procedures. So my lawyer is going to make sure they follow the rules, and I'm not cheated. She is going to find a lawyer in Rochester to represent me, through her.
Um, to review - after Jay died, the father-in-law updated his will so that I got Jay's share of his (the FIL's) estate. Before he died, Jay had asked his father to not forget me in his will. Jay had been named as FIL's executor, so he changed it so that I was named as a co-executor with the eldest sister. The eldest sister lives in Virginia, and the other two sisters didn't want to be executors, so I, being in NY and closest to Rochester, was a logical choice.
Then the husband of the youngest sister found out that I was going to get the same share as his wife (in other words, twice as much as HE would "get"), and apparently he flipped out. AFTER the father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, the two younger sisters took him back to the lawyer and had the will rewritten, cutting my share in half, and naming themselves as executors. The eldest sister and I didn't find out about this later will until after the FIL died. Big surprise.
The eldest sister was furious. At that point, the younger sisters said yes, it was after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and yes, he was not competent then and everyone knew it, but if anyone fought this will, they'd spent every cent of the estate defending it and no one would get anything, so there.
Ok.
At first I was angry that they'd do something so underhanded, then I decided it didn't matter that much, and ok, as merely Jay's spouse, half a share is probably quite fair.
But then they started pulling crap. Nothing in the house was appraised or even listed. They just took the good stuff home and threw the crap away. They bought loads of new furniture (sofas, vases, lamps, dining room furniture, bed coverings, curtains, throw pillows, coffee and side tables, rugs) to show the house, charged the new furniture to the estate, and then took that home, too. The house was sold to a neighbor for about a third of its value, or at least that's the number I was told. Travel costs for them and their grown children to attend the funeral are being charged to the estate. All kinds of things are being charged to the estate. They're raiding it. I would not be at all surprised to find that they're paying themselves the maximum executor stipend, too.
So whole bunches of money is being drained from the estate and going into their pockets as "costs", and my portion, which would be out of what's left over, is getting smaller and smaller as a result.
I want to see the final accounting, and my lawyer is going to get it for me, and we're going to raise hell where necessary.
------------------------------
After my doctor's appointment last Thursday and the "emergency" mammogram and ultrasound Friday, they told me that my doctor's office would call me with the results on Wednesday. Tomorrow.
The doctor (not a nurse) called the house at 4:45 today, while I was at the lawyer's office, and I didn't get home until 5:00, after her office had closed, so I couldn't call back. Her message simply said to call her.
Is that a good or bad sign? That she called, rather than a nurse? That she called so close to closing, a day before expected? Like there was no time to waste or something?
Aaaaaaaaaaagh! I hadn't been at all worried, but now I am.
.
Monday, February 09, 2009
2262 Is It Monday Already?
Monday, February 9, 2009
Nothing much happening. Dropped some stuff off at Daughter's on Saturday. Hercules was on a group hike, and Daughter was in south Jersey kick-starting her father after his Thursday gall bladder surgery, so I just left the stuff on the porch. Haven't heard from her yet. Strange.
Nothing Sunday. Didn't even get dressed.
Today I picked up Jasper from his weekend at the vet's. He's still on the same medicines. They said he's piddling ok, and drinking enough water, but he's got "irritation" from the earlier infection, it hurts, and that's why he piddles small amounts, often, in unapproved places. We are now on a prescription diet. Both cats ate it for dinner, so that's not too bad, I guess.
Droopy feeling. I'll probably go to bed early.
---------------------------------
The difference between men's brains and women's brains - in case anyone wondered:
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuMZ73mT5zM]
.
Nothing much happening. Dropped some stuff off at Daughter's on Saturday. Hercules was on a group hike, and Daughter was in south Jersey kick-starting her father after his Thursday gall bladder surgery, so I just left the stuff on the porch. Haven't heard from her yet. Strange.
Nothing Sunday. Didn't even get dressed.
Today I picked up Jasper from his weekend at the vet's. He's still on the same medicines. They said he's piddling ok, and drinking enough water, but he's got "irritation" from the earlier infection, it hurts, and that's why he piddles small amounts, often, in unapproved places. We are now on a prescription diet. Both cats ate it for dinner, so that's not too bad, I guess.
Droopy feeling. I'll probably go to bed early.
---------------------------------
The difference between men's brains and women's brains - in case anyone wondered:
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuMZ73mT5zM]
.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
2261 Movie Night; Chocolate Cake for One
Saturday, February 7, 2009
The Man and I had a movie night last night. He had discovered that I'd never seen "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", and he decided that my geekiness needed some education. So he brought his DVD.
I discovered that he'd never seen "The Princess Bride". His geekhood needed some updating too. So I took my DVD.
We watched both.
It was a very nice evening. I do seem to have a very positive reaction to him every time I see him. First glance does it. It's very hard to reconcile that with my annoyance with him between times. First glance, and all is forgiven, all is forgotten. Do they call that chemistry?
--------------------------------
I found this on a Mensa group site:
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug
Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (This can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).
.
The Man and I had a movie night last night. He had discovered that I'd never seen "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", and he decided that my geekiness needed some education. So he brought his DVD.
I discovered that he'd never seen "The Princess Bride". His geekhood needed some updating too. So I took my DVD.
We watched both.
It was a very nice evening. I do seem to have a very positive reaction to him every time I see him. First glance does it. It's very hard to reconcile that with my annoyance with him between times. First glance, and all is forgiven, all is forgotten. Do they call that chemistry?
--------------------------------
I found this on a Mensa group site:
*5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE*
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug
Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (This can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).
.
Friday, February 06, 2009
2260 City folk worry about maple scent?
Friday, February 6, 2009
From "Newsdroppings", in the Shoebox blog:
"They found the source of the mysterious maple syrup smell in New York City. Turned out to be a seed-processing plant over in Jersey. So now New Yorkers can get back to the good old urine smell."
I'm having trouble imagining why people would call complaining about a maple syrup smell. I guess that's my "mountain girl" persona showing.
.
From "Newsdroppings", in the Shoebox blog:
"They found the source of the mysterious maple syrup smell in New York City. Turned out to be a seed-processing plant over in Jersey. So now New Yorkers can get back to the good old urine smell."
I'm having trouble imagining why people would call complaining about a maple syrup smell. I guess that's my "mountain girl" persona showing.
.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
2259 Ukelele
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps", by George Harrison, on a ukelele in Central Park. This guy's GOOD!
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k]
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k]
My thoughts on winter.2257 The Doctors
Thursday, February 5, 2009
I just got back from the doctor's office. I got a scolding for not having had a mammogram in like 10 years. (Correction - last one was 2004.) I am scheduled for a mammogram and ultrasound tomorrow. They seemed to consider it an emergency - they called four places to find one that could fit me in.
Isn't that interesting.
The mammo is in the morning, and the ultrasound is at 1:30 pm. Awkward. Jasper's vet appointment is at 1:30, and he really needs to go in because I think his problem is only slightly better.
So I stopped off at the vet's office. Today is the vet's day off, but the nurse is there anyway because there are animals in the back. Now I'm going to take Jasper in early in tomorrow morning, but I won't be able to pick him up tomorrow evening because I'm going to New Jersey, and I really don't want to cancel this particular trip. He'll have to stay there until Monday, but that might be best anyway, since that way they can monitor his fluid intake. He loves to play in water, but I'm not sure how much he actually drinks.
The pace is picking up around here, and I don't like it. I'd rather stay in hibernation.
-------------------
Later - the place I had my previous mammograms has gone out of business, and I have no idea what they may have done with my films. The doctor was a little concerned about that. She wanted previous exams for comparison. However, when Jay was sick, one thing we learned is that you get your own second copies of all MRIs, xrays, blood tests, everything!, so you can carry them around with you. It saves a lot of time, and nothing gets lost.
So, I have copies of my last two mammograms here, in the den, and (it surprised me!) I was able to locate them easily. So, I'm all set.
.
I just got back from the doctor's office. I got a scolding for not having had a mammogram in like 10 years. (Correction - last one was 2004.) I am scheduled for a mammogram and ultrasound tomorrow. They seemed to consider it an emergency - they called four places to find one that could fit me in.
Isn't that interesting.
The mammo is in the morning, and the ultrasound is at 1:30 pm. Awkward. Jasper's vet appointment is at 1:30, and he really needs to go in because I think his problem is only slightly better.
So I stopped off at the vet's office. Today is the vet's day off, but the nurse is there anyway because there are animals in the back. Now I'm going to take Jasper in early in tomorrow morning, but I won't be able to pick him up tomorrow evening because I'm going to New Jersey, and I really don't want to cancel this particular trip. He'll have to stay there until Monday, but that might be best anyway, since that way they can monitor his fluid intake. He loves to play in water, but I'm not sure how much he actually drinks.
The pace is picking up around here, and I don't like it. I'd rather stay in hibernation.
-------------------
Later - the place I had my previous mammograms has gone out of business, and I have no idea what they may have done with my films. The doctor was a little concerned about that. She wanted previous exams for comparison. However, when Jay was sick, one thing we learned is that you get your own second copies of all MRIs, xrays, blood tests, everything!, so you can carry them around with you. It saves a lot of time, and nothing gets lost.
So, I have copies of my last two mammograms here, in the den, and (it surprised me!) I was able to locate them easily. So, I'm all set.
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2256 Disaster Map
Thursday, February 5, 2009
I found this entirely by accident. It's a map showing all current disasters and potential disasters around the world, including storms, earthquakes, epidemics, erupting volcanos, radiation exposures, and I don't know what all else.
There's a map at the top, and hovering over a marker will give details. Then there's further info lower down on the screen. Fascinating. I haven't had time to explore fully, but plan to later this evening.
It's at http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/
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I found this entirely by accident. It's a map showing all current disasters and potential disasters around the world, including storms, earthquakes, epidemics, erupting volcanos, radiation exposures, and I don't know what all else.
There's a map at the top, and hovering over a marker will give details. Then there's further info lower down on the screen. Fascinating. I haven't had time to explore fully, but plan to later this evening.
It's at http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/
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Wednesday, February 04, 2009
2255 Nine questions
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Glenn Beck, a radio talk show host (I think, I don't know, the closest I get to talk radio is "Car Talk") has put out a list of nine questions, and has asked that if you agree with at least seven of them, that you send your photo (and those of any of your children, spouse, friends who also agree) to him. It's the February 4 post at his website, the story with "surround" in the title. The reason: "When one caller said he was ready to unplug because he was so frustrated, Glenn asked him to give him a few weeks to prove that he wasn't alone."
Ok.
I agree with at most four of them, maybe only three if I thought about them harder. My reasons for disagreement with the others might be considered picky, so let's take the most obvious one: Question #4, about the family, that ends with "I answer to God", the implication being that where the family is concerned, the parents should not have to answer to anyone else, including the government.
I cannot agree with that, because there are parents who think that they have the right and duty to beat the living crap out of their kids to keep them in line, to put fear of authority and instant obedience into them. There are parents who torture, imprison, and starve children, "for their own good", who marry off 13-year-old girls to old men. I damn well do think that "answering to God" is insufficient!
Too many people interpret God's will to fit their own beliefs.
So, ok, maybe what he is really referring to is things like schooling requirements, vaccinations, medical choices, and so on. But that's not what the statement says, and I'd have a serious problem with anyone who agrees with it blindly just because it sounds nice.
I know too much about the history NOT taught in school to agree with #1.
What's with the last phrase in #2? Read the old book - God never was all sweetness and light.
Isn't #8 in direct conflict with the first amendment? It is not un-American to disagree with anything, including the Constitution and interpretations thereof. In fact, it's almost one's patriotic duty to at least question. (Who wrote #8? Cheney?) If you agree with this one, then women should not be allowed to vote. That certainly was not in the founders' plans. Every one of those amendments, including the first 10, came from someone objecting and raising "un-American" hell.
Laws are government, so #9 conflicts with #5.
...And so on.
I don't understand.
I also find it annoying that he wants to hear only from those who agree with at least seven. Not that any of it really has any meaning. Every person who sends a photo is admitting to an inability to think critically. It's not a proof or demonstration of anything positive. It's an indictment.
.
Glenn Beck, a radio talk show host (I think, I don't know, the closest I get to talk radio is "Car Talk") has put out a list of nine questions, and has asked that if you agree with at least seven of them, that you send your photo (and those of any of your children, spouse, friends who also agree) to him. It's the February 4 post at his website, the story with "surround" in the title. The reason: "When one caller said he was ready to unplug because he was so frustrated, Glenn asked him to give him a few weeks to prove that he wasn't alone."
Ok.
I agree with at most four of them, maybe only three if I thought about them harder. My reasons for disagreement with the others might be considered picky, so let's take the most obvious one: Question #4, about the family, that ends with "I answer to God", the implication being that where the family is concerned, the parents should not have to answer to anyone else, including the government.
I cannot agree with that, because there are parents who think that they have the right and duty to beat the living crap out of their kids to keep them in line, to put fear of authority and instant obedience into them. There are parents who torture, imprison, and starve children, "for their own good", who marry off 13-year-old girls to old men. I damn well do think that "answering to God" is insufficient!
Too many people interpret God's will to fit their own beliefs.
So, ok, maybe what he is really referring to is things like schooling requirements, vaccinations, medical choices, and so on. But that's not what the statement says, and I'd have a serious problem with anyone who agrees with it blindly just because it sounds nice.
I know too much about the history NOT taught in school to agree with #1.
What's with the last phrase in #2? Read the old book - God never was all sweetness and light.
Isn't #8 in direct conflict with the first amendment? It is not un-American to disagree with anything, including the Constitution and interpretations thereof. In fact, it's almost one's patriotic duty to at least question. (Who wrote #8? Cheney?) If you agree with this one, then women should not be allowed to vote. That certainly was not in the founders' plans. Every one of those amendments, including the first 10, came from someone objecting and raising "un-American" hell.
Laws are government, so #9 conflicts with #5.
...And so on.
I don't understand.
I also find it annoying that he wants to hear only from those who agree with at least seven. Not that any of it really has any meaning. Every person who sends a photo is admitting to an inability to think critically. It's not a proof or demonstration of anything positive. It's an indictment.
.
2254 Not going well at all.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The Hunk came by this morning and showed me how to set and hook up the charger, so Suzy got her restart. Her clock now insists it's 18:88 o'clock, and the outside temperature is -188, and I don't have the faintest idea how to fix that. I drove her around a bit, and dared to actually turn her off at the post office, and she did start again, so I hope she's ok now.
Before he left, the Hunk told me that the battery may not charge to 100%, it might go to 80% and then not charge further, but that's ok. Suzy got to 72% very quickly, but then it wouldn't go any higher. I guess she's going to need a heart transplant soon.
I spent the afternoon sorting papers, trying to pull together everything I need for taxes. There's a lot of pieces of paper that I don't know what to do with. Like companies I had stock in that went under or were bought out. I have the stubs from checks they sent me, but shouldn't there be some kind of 1099? Oh, well. Unfortunately they never tell what the basis is, so I have to figure that out.
I discovered a small problem today, and called my doctor's office to make an appointment, a half-hour before they closed. I haven't been there in three years (I didn't realize that!), so they are considering me a new patient. And yet, when I told her what was wrong, she scheduled me for 3:30 tomorrow. Now I'm worried. But only a little. I don't think it's what she is thinking.
Oh, and it WAS the ceiling light left on that caused Suzy's collapse. I wasn't tall enough to see it, but the Hunk laughed at the melt dimple in the snow on her roof, right over the light.
.
The Hunk came by this morning and showed me how to set and hook up the charger, so Suzy got her restart. Her clock now insists it's 18:88 o'clock, and the outside temperature is -188, and I don't have the faintest idea how to fix that. I drove her around a bit, and dared to actually turn her off at the post office, and she did start again, so I hope she's ok now.
Before he left, the Hunk told me that the battery may not charge to 100%, it might go to 80% and then not charge further, but that's ok. Suzy got to 72% very quickly, but then it wouldn't go any higher. I guess she's going to need a heart transplant soon.
I spent the afternoon sorting papers, trying to pull together everything I need for taxes. There's a lot of pieces of paper that I don't know what to do with. Like companies I had stock in that went under or were bought out. I have the stubs from checks they sent me, but shouldn't there be some kind of 1099? Oh, well. Unfortunately they never tell what the basis is, so I have to figure that out.
I discovered a small problem today, and called my doctor's office to make an appointment, a half-hour before they closed. I haven't been there in three years (I didn't realize that!), so they are considering me a new patient. And yet, when I told her what was wrong, she scheduled me for 3:30 tomorrow. Now I'm worried. But only a little. I don't think it's what she is thinking.
Oh, and it WAS the ceiling light left on that caused Suzy's collapse. I wasn't tall enough to see it, but the Hunk laughed at the melt dimple in the snow on her roof, right over the light.
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Tuesday, February 03, 2009
2253 Not going well....
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
I guess I left the ceiling light on in Suzy yesterday morning. She wouldn't start this afternoon. The Hairless Hunk will be here tomorrow morning to teach me how to use the charger. IF he can make it up the driveway?
I didn't try the charger myself because the "dusting" of snow we were supposed to get this morning turned into a few inches, and it was still coming down at 4 pm, when Suzy crapped out, and I wasn't sure I could use the charger when it's precipitating.
So I walked two miles round trip, in the snow and wind, to take care of some business. Remember I lost my warm gloves (well, one of them)? The fancy "name" replacements left my fingers frozen. I had to buy a pair of work gloves in the deli to put on over the stupid fancy ones to walk home.
And for some reason my water isn't working right. I turn on the faucet and get a trickle. I don't know whether it's the well pump, or that the filter is clogged. I don't think it's a leak anywhere, because when I rest my ear on the faucet, I don't hear water running. I'm afraid to go down to the basement.
Jasper has been taking the medicine for a week now, and he feels better, I guess, because he's more playful, but he's still searching for piddle-places that work better, still piddling often, small amounts. I remember now this is why almost all my cats have been spayed females. The boys seem to have a lot of piddle problems. I'm running out of dry spots to sleep on my bed. Amazing how the piddle dries quickly (I discover it by the smell, and the ring) but the treated spots take forever to dry. If this doesn't stop I may have to cage him.
Today has not been a good day.
Oh, yeah, almost forgot. More language confusion from the internet professional writers:
laps/lapse
who's/whose
revel/reveal
and the ever-popular its/it's.
Not a good day at all.
.
I guess I left the ceiling light on in Suzy yesterday morning. She wouldn't start this afternoon. The Hairless Hunk will be here tomorrow morning to teach me how to use the charger. IF he can make it up the driveway?
I didn't try the charger myself because the "dusting" of snow we were supposed to get this morning turned into a few inches, and it was still coming down at 4 pm, when Suzy crapped out, and I wasn't sure I could use the charger when it's precipitating.
So I walked two miles round trip, in the snow and wind, to take care of some business. Remember I lost my warm gloves (well, one of them)? The fancy "name" replacements left my fingers frozen. I had to buy a pair of work gloves in the deli to put on over the stupid fancy ones to walk home.
And for some reason my water isn't working right. I turn on the faucet and get a trickle. I don't know whether it's the well pump, or that the filter is clogged. I don't think it's a leak anywhere, because when I rest my ear on the faucet, I don't hear water running. I'm afraid to go down to the basement.
Jasper has been taking the medicine for a week now, and he feels better, I guess, because he's more playful, but he's still searching for piddle-places that work better, still piddling often, small amounts. I remember now this is why almost all my cats have been spayed females. The boys seem to have a lot of piddle problems. I'm running out of dry spots to sleep on my bed. Amazing how the piddle dries quickly (I discover it by the smell, and the ring) but the treated spots take forever to dry. If this doesn't stop I may have to cage him.
Today has not been a good day.
Oh, yeah, almost forgot. More language confusion from the internet professional writers:
laps/lapse
who's/whose
revel/reveal
and the ever-popular its/it's.
Not a good day at all.
.
2252 I got rooked.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
You know those converters you have to buy for analog TVs? The one where the government (or somebody) offered $40 off coupons, maximum two per household?
Well, "they" were saying that a limited number of those coupons would be available. Two of my TV sets are analog, so back in May I sent away for two coupons, and when the envelope arrived I put it away, unopened, until I needed them.
Today I opened the envelope. The enclosed letter cautions that they expire 90 days after they're mailed. Mine expired on 8/13/08.
In all those TV announcements, they couldn't find 3 seconds to say there's an expiration date?
I'm out $80, and I'm angry.
.
You know those converters you have to buy for analog TVs? The one where the government (or somebody) offered $40 off coupons, maximum two per household?
Well, "they" were saying that a limited number of those coupons would be available. Two of my TV sets are analog, so back in May I sent away for two coupons, and when the envelope arrived I put it away, unopened, until I needed them.
Today I opened the envelope. The enclosed letter cautions that they expire 90 days after they're mailed. Mine expired on 8/13/08.
In all those TV announcements, they couldn't find 3 seconds to say there's an expiration date?
I'm out $80, and I'm angry.
.
Monday, February 02, 2009
2251 Blogging is a lot like sex....
Monday, February 2, 2009
From The Great Geek Manual:
“Blogging is like Sex” was written by Pipedreamergrey and originally posted to The Great Geek Manual. It may be reposted so long as this notice remains intact. Copyright 2006 Pipedreamergrey.
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From The Great Geek Manual:
- 13. At first, you’re just blogging once every week or two, but it’s not long before you’re doing it a couple of times a day.
12. A lot of kids fool around with blogs in high school but the serious blogging doesn’t start until college.
11. People really only have one good entry at a time, but will often fake multiple entries because they think it makes their readers happy.
10. It hurts when you’ve blogged and the next day your readers pretend like it never happened.
09. You know better than to blog when you’re drunk, but it’s just more fun, even if you do it with topics you wouldn’t have touched when you were sober.
08. The day after you’ve blogged drunk, you’ve got a lot of explaining to do to your regular readers.
07. Men blog like they’ve got an audience, but women like to keep it intimate.
06. You have to vary your technique once in a while, otherwise your readers will loose [sic] [And if you know me it was "sic" enough to make me want to throw up. ~~Silk] interest and you’ll drift apart.
05. When you first start to blog, you don’t ever have any long term readers but all you can ever think about is blogging. After a while, you do find some regular readers, but then blogging becomes a chore and you start to feel guilty if it’s been a while.
04. Most people blog at night, in the privacy of their own homes, but there’s always some jackass strutting around bragging that he prefers to blog in the office at lunch or at the local park…
03. Everyone knows that if he ever did in fact blog in his office or in the park, he was alone and just blogging into his palm.
02. If you haven’t blogged in a while, you reeeaaally start to miss it.
01. And finally, blogging is like sex because it’s incredibly embarrassing when you get caught.
“Blogging is like Sex” was written by Pipedreamergrey and originally posted to The Great Geek Manual. It may be reposted so long as this notice remains intact. Copyright 2006 Pipedreamergrey.
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2250 Has "black" become the new n-word?
Monday, February 2, 2009
Catch this: http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=1860&year=
Officials at Cuba-Rushford Central School, in Cuba, N.Y., have told a senior that she cannot refer to herself as "black" in the personal memories of her yearbook page because some people might find it offensive. Note that they are not objecting to what she had to say about being black, only the use of that word itself. The principal has suggested that she use the word "unique" instead.
Unique?
Offensive?
I don't understand.
.
Catch this: http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=1860&year=
Officials at Cuba-Rushford Central School, in Cuba, N.Y., have told a senior that she cannot refer to herself as "black" in the personal memories of her yearbook page because some people might find it offensive. Note that they are not objecting to what she had to say about being black, only the use of that word itself. The principal has suggested that she use the word "unique" instead.
Unique?
Offensive?
I don't understand.
.
2249 Something New
Monday, February 2, 2009
I suppose if I had thought about the subject at all, I'd wouldn't be surprised by this. We all know that drug companies run clinical trials. Jay was in several for his brain cancer. I didn't realize that American pharmaceutical companies ran clinical trials in other countries - especially what are considered "third world" countries. Of course, if I'd thought about it....
In the U.S., patients and families get a lot of detailed information on the medication or treatment on trial, including possible side effects, no matter how rare. If a new, unexpected, side effect shows up, the entire trial is halted because it can run only under the original terms that the patients had agreed to. And if it becomes apparent that the new treatment is not as least as effective as the current standard treatment for this phase of the illness, the trial is halted (which is why for many trials, a patient is not accepted if the standard treatment is working).
I can't help wondering if the above requirements are upheld in the other countries that the pharmaceutical companies select for clinical trials.
This synopsis from the Wall Street Journal outlines a complaint filed by 88 Nigerian families against Pfizer, that the company had tested a new drug on their children without their knowledge or permission.
That "any deaths or injuries ... direct result of the illness" bit bothers me. If the new antibiotic didn't work, then the children died of the meningitis. Yeah. But if they would not have died had they gotten the standard treatment, then maybe they didn't die from the new meds, but they certainly died of the trial.
I need to know what Pfizer considers informed consent, and whether such consent takes into consideration issues of the consenting parties' sophistication and willingness to accept the dictates of authority figures.
Or maybe I just have an overdeveloped suspicion of authority figures.
.
I suppose if I had thought about the subject at all, I'd wouldn't be surprised by this. We all know that drug companies run clinical trials. Jay was in several for his brain cancer. I didn't realize that American pharmaceutical companies ran clinical trials in other countries - especially what are considered "third world" countries. Of course, if I'd thought about it....
In the U.S., patients and families get a lot of detailed information on the medication or treatment on trial, including possible side effects, no matter how rare. If a new, unexpected, side effect shows up, the entire trial is halted because it can run only under the original terms that the patients had agreed to. And if it becomes apparent that the new treatment is not as least as effective as the current standard treatment for this phase of the illness, the trial is halted (which is why for many trials, a patient is not accepted if the standard treatment is working).
I can't help wondering if the above requirements are upheld in the other countries that the pharmaceutical companies select for clinical trials.
This synopsis from the Wall Street Journal outlines a complaint filed by 88 Nigerian families against Pfizer, that the company had tested a new drug on their children without their knowledge or permission.
...
In the ruling, the majority and dissent, notes the NYLJ, differed over whether the families’ claims that their children had been subjected to medical experimentation without their consent fell within the Alien Tort Statute, the 1789 law that gives foreigners the right to raise tort claims in federal court to vindicate violations of “the laws of nations.”
In a statement, Pfizer said its 1996 clinical study was conducted with the consent of the children’s parents and “was consistent with both international and Nigerian laws.” Any deaths or injuries were “the direct result of the illness, and not the treatment provided to patients in the Pfizer study,” the company stated.
...
That "any deaths or injuries ... direct result of the illness" bit bothers me. If the new antibiotic didn't work, then the children died of the meningitis. Yeah. But if they would not have died had they gotten the standard treatment, then maybe they didn't die from the new meds, but they certainly died of the trial.
I need to know what Pfizer considers informed consent, and whether such consent takes into consideration issues of the consenting parties' sophistication and willingness to accept the dictates of authority figures.
Or maybe I just have an overdeveloped suspicion of authority figures.
.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
2248 More eBay Seller Advice
Sunday, February 1, 2009
As we all know, S-M-L as sizing doesn't have a lot of meaning unless you already know the brand well, or unless it's very stretchy fabric. Most eBay sellers know that they have to actually measure clothing (bust, waist, hips, length) and put those numbers in the description. I won't buy anything without the measurements.
However, there's one thing many people seem to forget - or maybe they're not aware of it.
The distance from the shoulder to under the bust (down the front) is a LOT longer on a 40" than on a 32". If it's like 10" for a 32 then it would be like 14" for a 40, because the 40 sticks out more. Common geometry. So when you measure a fitted top, and you get 41" around, that does NOT necessarily mean it will fit a 40" bust! You need that shoulder to underbust measurement, too.
I've been lengthening the straps and shoulder pieces on a lot of fitted-top nighties lately, to drop that underseam. The sellers claimed things would fit me, but the bottom bust seam comes right across the middle, not under the bottom. Yeah, I can button the front buttons, but only if I boost the girls up until they're bumping my chin. They're too old for that kind of foolishness. Blech!
Well, at least I know what additional question to ask now.
.
As we all know, S-M-L as sizing doesn't have a lot of meaning unless you already know the brand well, or unless it's very stretchy fabric. Most eBay sellers know that they have to actually measure clothing (bust, waist, hips, length) and put those numbers in the description. I won't buy anything without the measurements.
However, there's one thing many people seem to forget - or maybe they're not aware of it.
The distance from the shoulder to under the bust (down the front) is a LOT longer on a 40" than on a 32". If it's like 10" for a 32 then it would be like 14" for a 40, because the 40 sticks out more. Common geometry. So when you measure a fitted top, and you get 41" around, that does NOT necessarily mean it will fit a 40" bust! You need that shoulder to underbust measurement, too.
I've been lengthening the straps and shoulder pieces on a lot of fitted-top nighties lately, to drop that underseam. The sellers claimed things would fit me, but the bottom bust seam comes right across the middle, not under the bottom. Yeah, I can button the front buttons, but only if I boost the girls up until they're bumping my chin. They're too old for that kind of foolishness. Blech!
Well, at least I know what additional question to ask now.
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