Hey everyone!
Happy Wednesday! How is your week going?
Here are the polls for this week!
In the first poll, my choice is going to have to be “Porn Boy 2”.
So, Who Would YOU Do?
In the second poll, it is an easy decision for me… I am going with “All of the Above”!
So, Who Would YOU Do?
What’s Cooking Goodlooking?
Well, THAT week went by fast! It seems like only 7 days ago it was Saturday! 🤣 I hope the week treated you well!
For those of you who might be interested in my ongoing medical drama, boy have I got a post for you!
If you are not one of those who are interested, just go ahead and scroll down to the pictures! lol.
Below is a snippet of my week…
My wrist pain has not been getting any better. So, I thought I would message my doctor to have her change my pain medication.
I sent her a message saying I would like to make the change, but it took over 3 days and I still had not heard anything. Then at 11:59pm on what was going to be day 4, I finally get a message from her saying she sent in the prescription to the pharmacy. Well, the next morning – which was yesterday – I called my local pharmacy (it is a Walgreen’s)… They said that the prescription was sent to the WRONG Walgreen’s. It was sent to a Walgreen’s in downtown Chicago. So, I called THAT Walgreen’s and, because the pain medication is considered a “controlled substance”, it was not possible to transfer the prescription to my local pharmacy. The doctor would have to write a new prescription and send it to the CORRECT pharmacy (WHICH – by the way – I gave her the information for in my first message to her). THEN the pharmacy in Chicago told me that there was a problem with my insurance approving it… it would require the doctor to do a “prior authorization”, which I was told could take anywhere from 1 to 3 days to get the approval for. It was going to be the weekend, and I knew NOTHING would happen over the weekend.
Now, the remaining part of this story kind of makes me look like a pain medication addicted person – who knows – I don’t BELIEVE I am, I am just sick of being in pain.
Like I said (many, MANY times) I was in pain and desperate. I called her “office” and unfortunately it ISN’T REALLY her office – it is the call center for the health network she is in. There is NO WAY to actually call her office directly – which I think is stupid and I hate it! Anyway, the person at the call center took my information and said they would send a message to the office. Well, I had ALREADY done that through the online portal. AND my wrist was REALLY, REALLY hurting! Three days is an eternity when you are in pain… So, I got in the car and DROVE to her office, and I told myself “You are NOT leaving that office until you get this resolved!” Her office is only about 3 miles away from my apartment, but, in my opinion, I should NOT have to wait that long for a response. I explained my situation to the receptionist at her office and told her that I NEEDED to speak to the doctor or the doctor’s nurse. The receptionist looked at my record and I heard “click, click, click”; she said she had just sent the prescription to the correct pharmacy. Tell me… If a few clicks of a receptionist’s keyboard were all it took, WHY was I still waiting??? Then the receptionist said, the prescription STILL required a prior authorization… which remember, could take 1 to 3 days.
I never felt such a sense of accomplishment AND a sense of DEFEAT at the same time! I left her office and then after about an hour, I called my local pharmacy to check to make sure they had the prescription AND that they sent the prior authorization request over to the doctor’s office. The pharmacy technician that I spoke to told me they DID have the prescription, and the prior authorization WAS sent, but I think she heard the desperation in my voice and asked me to hold while she spoke to the pharmacist. I waited on hold for a couple of minutes. Then the pharmacy technician came back on the line and told me “The pharmacist overrode the prior authorization request.” I had NO idea that a pharmacist had that kind of power, and I wasn’t about to question it. The pharmacy tech told me the medication would be ready within the hour! YAY!
So, that afternoon I picked up my new pain medication. I took 1 pill and waited about 90 minutes and felt no change in my pain, so I took another one. I THINK it may have helped a little. The direction on the prescription says to take one or two pills every six hours as needed, but not to exceed 8 pills in a day. And she only wrote the prescription for 30 pills, which I honestly don’t think is going to be enough, but hell, I will take my victories where I can and cross the bridge for more pills, if needed, later. I am scheduled to have my next MRI on Tuesday, so I am hoping that by the end of next week I will at LEAST have some idea of a plan of what the next steps will be on my journey to relief.
The moral of this story is one that I wholeheartedly believe: “YOU MUST BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR HEALTHCARE!” No one knows your body and your pain(s) like YOU do! Nobody is going to do it for you and doctors are not mind readers, and increasingly, most (but not all), healthcare providers do not have the same empathy and intuition and bedside manner the way doctors used to. I know, I know, you are all laughing because it sounds like some old man saying, “Back in MY day, we had…”. And maybe I am, I am certainly getting older! lol. But it is true. In my entire life, I have had some BAD doctors, and I have had some AMAZING doctors. Sadly, the majority of them, at least for me, have been falling into the “BAD” category. Jason thinks I am WAY TOO picky and demanding about my doctors. I don’t think he is picky enough about his. I think “normal” people are probably somewhere in the middle of where we are.
I apologize for the “book” I just laid out there for you to read. I guess I needed to get it off my chest and I think Jason is getting sick of hearing me talk about it! 🤣
Anyway, please enjoy some Saturday Selfies and have a great weekend!
Jason
Happy Saturday Everyone!
Just an update… I was able to not only make an appointment with the neurosurgery office, but I actually went to my appointment already! She ordered a DIFFERENT MRI and some X-rays of my neck to check for compressed disks. I was able to get the X-rays today, but the first available appointment for the MRI was not until February 25th. So, I have to wait a little longer than I would like, but at least the appointment is on the books! Luckily, I also just received my prescription for pain pills, which actually NEED to be about 3 times stronger, honestly. I am supposed to “only” take one every 4 hours or so as needed. Through trial and error, I have found that I need to take at LEAST 2 at a time to get any relief. I can hear some of you already… “YOU SHOULD’T TAKE THAT MANY!” I know, I hear it from Jason too. But in my defense, I am actually a natural redhead and sometimes they need increased anesthesia and higher dosages of pain medications to feel the same effect as “normal” people due to a genetic mutation. I am one of those people. ANYWAY, just like I tell Jason, I PROMISE to becareful so I don’t overdose. In the unlikely event that I do, I have some Narcan in the house to reverse the effect. Not that I want to test it. But I REALLY NEED some kind of relief from this pain. I hate wincing in pain every time I use my right arm.
So, on to the Saturday Selfies! I promised someone that I would try to post more couples/more than one photos and I have posted some below. Now, to this person, I KNOW they are probably NOT EXACTLY what you wanted, but I wanted at least give you a few. I hope they are OK.
Enjoy your Saturday!
Jason
Hey everyone!
I am sitting here on hold for what seems like forever trying to schedule an appointment with a neurosurgeon for the pain in my wrist and I thought I would use the time to make a Wednesday Who Would You Do post. The first person I spoke to at scheduling said the FIRST available appointment what SEPTEMBER 22!!!! WTF?!? I can NOT be in this much pain for THAT long! I am waiting to see if there is another doctor and/or another location that could get me in sooner!
Does my wrist hurt? Yes! But it would hurt no matter what I was doing so why not put up a post, right?! It’s called “multi-tasking” apparently… lol.🤣
Anyway, I also thought that since I had SOOOOO much time to sit here on hold, I might as well give you all an EXTRA poll too!
So, in the first poll, I am going to pick “Shy Boy 2 – Dante”.
Who Would YOU Do?
The second poll is a tough one for me… I think I am going to limit myself to “Butt Boy 2” but could EASILY go with “All of the Above”!
So, Who Would YOU Do?
In the third and final poll for this week, my choice is going to be “Trophy Boy 1”, but again, I could EASILY go with “All of the Above” as there is something I like about each of them.
So, Who Would YOU Do?
Hey everyone!
I’m so sorry for the late in the day post! I have been in major pain with my wrist, and it makes it hard to do stuff. Just opening my water bottle or shampooing or brushing my teeth… you get the idea. I met with the wrist doctor this week and he went over my MRI and said that all the plates and screws are in the right place, nothing is loose and there are no screws poking through the bone. He went over my pain symptoms again and said that it is probably due to a compressed disk in my neck. YEARS ago, I had the C6/C7 vertebrae in my neck fused together with another titanium plate and screws. He said that sometimes the disks around it start to degenerate and will compress on nerves that run to my hand. I get that… That is why I had the neck surgery all those years ago, because my left hand was numb. But, while I do agree that there probably is some nerve compression in my neck causing SOME of the pain in my wrist, I don’t think it is the ONLY thing causing the pain.
Anyway, he said that basically he could not really do anything to help as he did not see anything that warranted surgery, and I have maxed out on the number of cortisone injections that I can have. He suggested that I see a neurologist. YAY! Another doctor! I am currently in the process of trying to find one near me. He said he did not know anyone to refer me to, which I just feel is odd. He is an orthopedic surgeon – he works with bones all day. He does not know ANY neurologists??? Apparently not.
SO, I apologize if some days the posts are late or missed. I am at the mercy of my wrist at the moment.
ANYWHO… I hope your weekend is going well! Here are the selfies for this week!
Enjoy!
Jason
Hey everyone!
I hope your weekend is going well. I am feeling good… one day… then like crap the next. This cough is deep in my chest and it kind of hurts. My doctors don’t think it is anything to be too concerned about and that I should continue taking the guaifenesin like I am doing. I know this is nowhere NEAR the degree of other people’s experience with COVID and I am grateful that it is not worse, and I am not in the hospital. Like everyone, I just get sick of being sick sometimes.
ANYWAY! That is not the reason you are here today!!! Below are all the selfies you have been looking for!
Enjoy!
Well, I am still here… You can’t get rid of me that easily! lol.
Actually, I am still feeling kind of crappy. No energy, a cough that won’t go away and I have lost ALL sense of taste and smell. Everything I put in my mouth (no pun intended) tastes like air. I hope that little quirk doesn’t stick around too long… The other Jason is doing well. He seemed to get over his much faster than I am. Oh well. In the words of Gloria Gaynor “I Will Survive!”. 😁
Here are a couple of pictures of Bonnie helping me recuperate 🐾❤️
Anyway, THANK YOU ALL so much for the kind well wishes! I appreciate each and every one of them!
I hope your Saturday is going well! ENJOY IT! That’s an order!
Here are this week’s selfies!!!
HEY YOU! YES, YOU!
Guess what? It is SATURDAY!!! Time for some selfies!
BUT FIRST…
I felt creative again and thought I would write a little limerick. Let me know what you think!
Kinda lame but I felt it was appropriate for Self Portrait Saturday post! 🤣
Enjoy!
Happy Saturday!
We made it through another week. Yay! I hope you are all enjoying the start of your weekend.
Enjoy your Saturday Selfies!
Jason
Welcome to the first Self Portrait Saturday of 2025!
I added a few extra pics just for good measure!
Enjoy!
