What can we do to help? Ummm… hope things look better on the Alkali Flat, I guess. Beats living at the bottom of the Avalanches of Acid.
YAY!!
My IV meds Monday have done a number on me. I’m hoping today I’ll brighten up. Not looking great, so far. But, no matter I have to go get them again tomorrow. Unless I pitch a bitch-fit and they change or reduce the amount. This is no way to live.
Other than that life is wonderful:smack:
Fuck the VA. My older brother died of a massive stroke two years ago while riding his bike. He was dead before he hit the pavement. Our grandmother and grandfather died of a series of massive strokes. My mom’s younger sister had a series of strokes—starting at about the age I am now----which left her paralyzed and finally died after a massive stroke a few years later. At least one of Mom’s older sisters also died of a stroke, as did one of that aunt’s kids—he was 20 years younger than me, but he was also massively overweight.
I’ve always had very low blood pressure, so I’ve had fainting spells all my life. They tend to show up only when I’m sick or have forgotten to eat again. Ever since Iraq, where I got knocked unconscious at least four times by either IEDs or a dude who was trying to steal classified materials, I’ve had headaches that somehow make me blind, but also cause flashing streaks of light to appear in front of me. These headaches are preceded by intense dizziness and are so painful I sometimes can’t even crawl to a daybed to lie down and pull a pillow over my head. Sometimes I just lie down right where I am on the floor. (I’m shocked the VA hasn’t blamed it on “arthritis of the head” or something yet.)
I started getting dizzy in May, and I have not had a NON-dizzy day since then. The headaches are constant now, but less bad. I keep falling down from being so dizzy, if not outright pass out. I’m covered with bruises, and I don’t bruise easily.
So the VA tells me to go to ER in my little town. I do. They do a CT scan but can’t really find anything definative except a kind of “weird” vein.
The VA decides that not finding a cause means it wasn’t emergent, so they’re demanding $6,700.
I will burn my fucking house down before I pay these assholes. My dad was a Ranger during WWII, and when he got very sick at the end of his life, the VA tried to take the house, which my mom bought and owned, because Dad’s credit was bad. (This was when women couldn’t have credit without their husbands, so Mom had to write the bank president a letter, full of details about the family after they initially turned her down, and they STILL put Dad on the deed and gave him credit for payments MOM made. Bastards).
Yes, I called my reps. The Republican was fucking useless. The Dem is much harder working and has nicer staff.
I’m still dizzy and my head is pounding right now. Since May.
Oh, and I just had some REMF who never left the wire call me, who was in combat, “a crazy cat lady.”
Fuck you, VA. Fuck you, REMF.
So for years my office has used a system to report minor physical plant issues: a dedicated e-mail group that goes to a select few people responsible for noting issues and contacting the building management. Things like temp too high or low, leaking bathroom fixtures, carpet coming loose, that sort of thing.
I am in that group, probably because it was my suggestion all those years ago, along with 2-3 other people.
Recently we had issues being ignored, and after considerable frustration, eventually were told that our computer security folks determined that the existence of the group constituted a security risk, so the group was deactivated – but no one was informed.
I must stress that this e-mail group included ONLY authorized in-house people with need-to-know – no outsiders. Furthermore, in not telling anyone the group was disabled, they left us wondering why no issues were being addressed/fixed.
After some discussion, a new solution has now been given to us: we are to e-mail all the people who need to know using a regular e-mail.
So all that has happened is they have replaced an e-mail group with a list of the same names. It goes to the same people; the only difference is we have to enter each name individually instead of using a convenient group.
Such is the collective wisdom of our computer experts.
New puppy? Wha?!?? NEW puppy?
Did I hear you right? NEW PUPPY!!!
Yay!!!
PUPPY!
PUPPY!
Wait a minute. You were knocked unconscious by someone trying to steal classified material? Is this a story you can tell, because it sounds intriguing as hell.
In other news, I am so, so sorry the VA is being fuckers to you. I also suggest you find a different hospital and get an MRI, since that can show things not visible on a CT. Something is wrong and the VA should make sure you are checked out six ways from Sunday until they find it. Their response is pure bullshit.
Glad at least one of your Congresscritters is helping you. Somehow, I’m not surprised it’s the Democrat. Republicans always tout how behind the military they are, right up until it costs money or you’re a veteran but not active, or both.
Any chance you can take your story to the press? Unfavorable publicity can often persuade elected personnel and organizations like the VA that they need to do right.
The VA did more damage than the insurgents did. I was told flat out, “Women aren’t in combat.” I tore a rotator cuff when a defective IED went off under my humvee and nearly tossed me out of the gun turret.
As for the thief, I didn’t know anything about it till a couple years AFTER Iraq.
My CO emailed me. “Hey, guess where I am?”
“Beats me, where?”
“New York Federal Court!” (He’s an immigrant who’s now the sheriff of a small western town. Hell of a great guy.)
“Okay, why?”
“Remember So-and-So, that terp you caught trying to get into the (classified material office.)?”
Had no clue what he was talking about. Didn’t remember a damned thing. If S&S was a terp for another squad I’d have limited contact with the guy, period.
“No----?”
“That guy that disappeared? You had a fight?”
“Um…no?”
He said I had been stuck at the office one day, calling in air strikes for a team, when apparently this interpreter came swanning in and tried to get in the office, where there were things that I can’t even describe. There was apparently a struggle. When the company came back I was groggy and apparently had a bloody nose. Medics said I had a lump on my head or something and wasn’t sure why they were telling me it was Wednesday when the last thing I remembeted was Tuesday.
S&S disappeared. They caught him two weeks later, or else I’m thinking of somebody else. He’d taken the plates out of his body armor and the pockets were filled with classified material. He had been working with actual Al-Qaeda members, and used a fake name to get a job with a contractor. As far as I know, he was never identitified with any certainty.
I think between us, my CO and I might have gotten two days mixed up, because I do remember bits and pieces of calling in air strikes to grid coordinates, but I don’t remember ANY of that stuff about the office. I don’t remember the guy at all, but my CO says I had to have had lots of doings with him.
He might even be out of jail by now.
Sorry for the bland retelling. I just don’t know much of it because I seem to have slept through it, in effect.
I’ve got an abscessed molar that hurts like a sonofabitch and is making me look like an elderly hamster. I’v got about 6000 balls in the air and I do NOT have time for this.
My 90 year old mother-in-law has been diagnosed with both renal cancer and metastasized ovarian cancer, which has spread throughout her abdomen. She doesn’t want to be miserable for the extra year that chemo might give her. Docs can’t use radiation because the cancer is diffused, giving them no focal point for treatment. She’s in a home now, and doing quite well. She’s eating again and going to physical therapy. But my brother-in-law thinks she’s playing up doing better so she can go home to die.
None of us really knows what to do at this point. It’s a waiting game and every time the phone rings, I jump. My husband is going to go tharn if this keeps up. Fuck cancer right in the ear.
My Granny. Same thing. She got where she couldn’t eat much. We had her at ER one time for IV nutrition because she was weak from hunger and dehydration. An ancient Doctor was on call. He was patient and kind to her. Ordered the IV. He sent us out. He came out and found us and sat in the waiting area(no Doc now would do that)
He said he talked to her and she promised she would try harder and eat white bread soaked in milk and drink a small glass of buttermilk everyday. And keep it down. She did as he said and lived 2 more years. I can’t say, for sure her life was extended, but she never had to go back for IV nutrition the rest of her life. YMMV, of course. Just thought I’d share.
Thank you. That gives me some hope. She’s a tough old bird but she’s also tired and she may be ready to go.
margin, that’s awful. Keep fighting - old soldiers never die.
It’s a small thing, but it’s all I have: most of your posts bring me joy. KBO.
[quote=“Jeep_s_Phoenix, post:60, topic:842811”]
I
[li]He showed me the nail polish he’s going to have applied during the pedicure… red for the intact toenail, and blue for the half-nail, as an indicator of the amount of intellect he believes to be possessed by the respective political parties. [/li][/QUOTE]
That is… all sorts of things. I mean, the whole post, but this bit in particular. I can’t even… - you should get hazard pay for sharing oxygen with such fools.
Ouch. Can you take this as an opportunity to start putting some balls down, then making time for yourself? Why yes, I am an idealist/fantasist, why do you ask?
Yup, she’ll go when she’s ready. Tough on everyone in the meantime - nothing more you can do than what you’re doing, by the looks of it.
We have a Dead Cat trying to brighten up the day of a Fished Cat. I am imagining Dead Cat as an actual (and live) black cat, licking the face of a very wet white-and-red striped, morose cat.
Maybe this post should go in the “random thoughts” thread…
Damn, I always forget my username isn’t appropriate when expressing sympathy - especially when pet-related. Maybe I should change it, but I’ve barely registered a presence here in 14 years under this name, so I’m not going to ‘ruin’ that now.
For the avoidance of doubt, my username does not refer to roadkill (as one poster once suggested) - it is a play on the phrase “curiosity killed the cat”, curiosity being what led me to this site in the first place. At the time I was new to the internet and hadn’t yet realised its second most important function (after porn).
Maybe you should buy a title, something I Haz Curiosity?
And general warm fuzzy hugs to anybody that needs one, or even if you don’t need one.
And as someone currently in the 5 year countdown for colorectal cancer, I heartily agree - fuck cancer.
[and my oncology nutritionist approved recipe for medsludge - 12 oz whole milk, 4 oz homemade or as close as possible greek yogurt, 1 to 1.5 packets carnation instant breakfast, 2 tbsp ground oatmeal as flour, 1 tbsp ground flax seed, with or without ice blenderize and drink. it is about one third of your daily nutrition, and they have a heavier protein version of carnation now, or you can add protein powder if you want more protein. I usually managed at least one a day at my worst and drank a ton of ginger/lemon/peppermint tea. Yup, I know exactly how much sugar to add to water to make 1800 calories sigh and towards the end I was doing over 4000 calories a day, almost 2 gallons of liquids and still ended up hospitalized. Extra hugs for anybody currently fighting cancer in any form.]
I think a custom title about curiosity is a perfect idea, Aruvqan.
BTW what does “5 year countdown” mean? I hope it means you are five years cancer free.
That’s an anagram our number when I was growing up; different area code, though.
Got (legitimate) emails to two races next summer; both are at the same location (over an hour from my house) & include “free” registration if completed w/in 36 hours. One is a 5k OCR (Obstacle Course Race, like a Spartan or a Tough Mudder & the other being a glow-in-the-dark 5k. Both fun runs; nothing serious but fun. I don’t know my schedule for next summer yet but WTH, I’ll do it, it’s “free” right? Nope! Go to signup, there’s a mandatory $9.95 insurance fee, a $5 get your bib on race day fee (remember, it’s over an hour away, each way, plus a $5 toll to pick it up in advance), & a $20 parking fee, or $34.95 for a “free” race.
I’ll tell you what’s free, a hearty Eff Ewe!
Can I shoot whomever decided that it is an “issue” to use “similar to” in a document, we must always use “like” instead?
Preferably from Big Bertha :mad:
I PAID for my vocabulary, you bloody Seattle IMBECILIC SLUGS!
Great idea. This is why I come here, for things that I wouldn’t have thought of myself. I’m not big on the whole lolcats meme, so I’ve gone for something similar but more staid. Thanks!