Vestibular therapy sucks...

I have had a few therapy sessions to address my vertigo. The exercises they perform with me is to train my brain to get used to the dizziness. Whatever! The therapy is training my brain to worsen the headaches and dizziness. By the time I leave the vitality center, I am sick to my stomach and can hardly see. Some of the exercises are simply moving your eyes either side to side or up and down without moving your head, or focusing on a fixed object and moving your head about. Those are the less troubling ones. Another is focusing on an ink pen while holding my head steady whilst the pen is moving towards or away and side to side diagonally. This is the worst one. I immediately feel sick and have almost cried at the unsettling feeling I get during therapy. As soon as the dizziness subsides, the headache starts. sometimes lasting only a few minutes, but compounded with the number of exercises. By the end of my session, I feel rough. My whole day then is ruined because of the headaches and eyestrain along with nausea. My therapist said he will refer me back to my physician if my condition shows no improvement after this week. He also mentioned seeing a neurologist if this continues. I reminded him of the MRI on my brain, however, he thinks someone specializing in neuroscience should look at it. We'll see. My leg is much better, even with continued soreness in my knee. My foot still has a bit of pain. I have about a week and a half left with my boot. Hopefully, it will be healed by then. Oh, yeah. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder sucks too. When I went for a follow up with the family doc, she said PTSD is why I feel like kicking puppies. And why I don't sleep. And why I'm a hateful jerk that flies of at the handle. God help me.

The joy of being a child

We made it to Columbus, Ohio and back.  COSI was a great visit.  Both the kids were as happy as I had hoped. 

The museum had changed a bit since I was a kid, but it still holds the attention of even my 4 year old.

Maybe just COSI

I'm not sure where we'll go now that I have this boot to wear for a month.  It is very uncomfortable and prohibits a normal gait.  Perhaps this is how it's design keeps the foot immobile, you can't walk in it.

One way or  the other, I'm getting these kids out of the house, even if i have to use a wheelchair!

I told them so!

Well, the results of my MRI are back, I've seen the doctor...My foot has "a severe bone contusion/non-displaced fracture..." The reason they can't say which it is definitively is because the injury is 8 weeks old and started to heal.  The doc said it would have to be immobilized for a month and asked if I wanted a cast or a boot.

I chose the more uncomfortable boot since it can be removed for bathing.  This thing SUCKS!  It rubs the side of my lower leg and puts pressure on the bone that was broken.  The Mrs. and I wrapped my leg with an ACE bandage in the area of the most pressure.  It has helped more than the Velcro pads that came with it do.  Hopefully this will make the next 4 weeks more bearable.

My family physician called with the results of my head and neck MRI.  My brain was 'normal" (insert haha!) and one disc in my neck was slightly protruding.  She didn't show allot of concern with that, but, she said the crystals in my ears are misaligned.  I am not making this up.  It is an actual condition that is called 'benign paroxysmal positional vertigo' BPPV.  

Here it is in a nut shell, as found here, http://www.doctorhoffman.com/wwbppv.htmThe medical term for "ear crystal" is otolith (also known as otoconia). Everyone has otoliths. They are found in two inner ear organs, the utricle and the saccule, collectively known as the otolithic organs. These organs are responsible for our ability to sense a gravitational field. In other words, even if you are in a pitch dark room, floating in a swimming pool (thus deprived of visual cues and musculoskeletal cues), you will still know which way is up, thanks to your otolithic organs. The nerve endings in the otolithic organs are embedded in a gelatinous goo known as the otolithic membrane. Embedded in this gelatinous membrane, like grapes in fruit jello, are the otoconia. They are tiny calcium carbonate/calcite crystals. Their whole purpose in life is to make that jello as heavy as possible. That way, when you tilt your head in a gravitational field, the otolithic membrane moves accordingly, thus stimulating the nerve endings underneath.  Current dogma states that otoliths may become liberated from the otolithic membranes, and are then free to float through the inner ear fluid. These free agents are capable of stimulating other parts of the inner ear. In particular, with regard to BPPV, they are thought to most commonly stimulate a structure known as the posterior semicircular canal. The semicircular canals are responsible for our sense of rotational motion. If a semicircular canal is stimulated by errant otoliths, the result is a sense of rotational vertigo.

Neat stuff, huh?  I actually start a therapy on April 6th to help alleviate the effects.  I'll post my progress...

Spring break!

It is Spring Break here.  The kids are out of school for the week.  We have been brainstorming for ideas on things to do while they are home.  My Emmy has already asked twice, "When are we going camping?".  Chip Has been pretty busy with baseball practice, but still wants to do something fun.

So, what then?  The Mrs. will take Thursday and Friday off for a long weekend.  I think we are going to surprise the clones with a couple of day trips.  One to Columbus, Ohio to visit COSI, and one to Lexington and Berea, Kentucky for a couple historic house museums and some antiquing (our kids love it, Chip always finds an old toy or book and Emmy wants to play with everything).  When we were first married, we spent allot of time in the towns around Richmond,  Kentucky visiting friends in school at Berea college (my mother's Alma mater) or University of Kentucky.  There are several point of interest in the area around there, beautiful old houses to tour, excellent restaurants, museums, antique stores and shops.  I'm getting excited thinking about it. We may have to get a room down there and make it two days!

But the first thing is to appease the kids and go to COSI.  It is an interactive science museum that is kid oriented.  I remember going on a couple of field trips as a kid in grade school and LOVED it.  There are exhibits on electricity, energy, motion, biology, space...  My Chip will be thrilled, and Emmy loves anything that Chip loves.  I expect I will be very popular around the house after this trip!

A day with the family

I spent most of the day with the family shopping.  Emm needed an Easter dress and Chip wanted a video game (which he did not get because of rating of M for mature).  My Mrs. looked in every store in two separate malls for a dress for herself, with no luck.  I received a new white button down for my birthday earlier this month...so, with a fresh shine on my brogues, I'll be good to go for Easter.  Chip has many dress shirts that he has never worn ( he's too cool to dress preppy at school)- hey that rhymes!   So, he and Dana will have to sport some old threads.

We really had a nice day together.  We ate a late lunch/early dinner...3pm.  Since we would be in Huntington, West Virginia, we decided on Red Lobster.  It is one of our favorite national chains.  One wouldn't think there would be a 20 minute wait for a table at that time of the day, but there was.  When we went in, there was nearly 30 diners already waiting and about 50 when we left.  I was amazed at the money I seen spent today.  The malls were packed.  Traffic and parking were both bad.  Consumers were out consuming.

At this rate, the economy, at least local, should be doing well.  

After all the hours we spent trying to spend, we came home with only a doggy bag and an Easter dress.  But, that is OK with me...it was a cheap date.

A bad case of the blues

I'm in the kind of mood where I could almost kick puppies.  I don't care about anything. I don't want to do anything. I don't want to go anywhere. I don't want to see anyone. 

I think I'm depressed.

The toll that this wreck has had on me is overwhelming.  My whole body hurts, the kind of hurt that medicine doesn't help, heating pads don't work, I can't even sleep ( which at least I would not be focused on how bad it hurts).  Speaking of sleep, the most I've had in 5 days is about 4 hours.  I really am fatigued.

I had three MRI's today. One was for my foot, which I have been told it was just a bad sprain, even though I could swear to you it is broken. the next was on my cervical spine.  The last was my brain.

I have had an MRI before, for sinus surgery.  It was a few years back.  I don't recall having any real issue with it.  However, today was a totally different experience.  When I was place into the machine, head first with my neck immobilized, I began to panic.  

You see, I am claustrophobic.  It took two tries before they could get me in there and even then I hit the panic button three times more.  

Now that it is over, I feel foolish about it.  But the anxiety was real while I was going through the tests.

I'll speak to my family doctor on Monday and the orthopedic will see me Tuesday morning.  I sure pray they can give me treatment to correct whatever is found. 

I just can't seem to get better.

I have been away from the desk for a while.  It seems that the headaches and dizziness from my injuries in the auto accident are getting worse.  Last week in therapy, I bragged that the stiffness in my neck and the headaches seem to be easing up a bit.  Man, did I ever jinx myself! 

Later that day, I started getting what I think was a tension headache.  The base of my skull was hurting so badly that even my vision and ability to reason was affected.

The next day it threw in an increased amount of vertigo...WOW.  That, ultimately made me sick to my stomach.  Family tried to get me to go to the hospital to be checked out, but it started to ease a bit and I convinced everyone I was OK.

Then it started again, same symptoms... 

This time my wife telephoned our family physician to update her on my condition.  The doc scheduled an MRI of my head and neck for tomorrow morning.

The orthopedic surgeon that is caring for my leg has given me a little good news.  My leg fracture is doing well despite continued swelling and tenderness.  I certainly am happy about that.  She did show concern about the fact that my ankle and Achilles are not showing much improvement even after 7+ weeks of healing.  She, too, has ordered an MRI.  It looks like I'll be scanned from head to toe, literally.

My wife still has stiffness in her neck and has daily headaches, also, both knees are still giving her trouble.  One is numb and the other has a sore knot that will not go away.  Neither of us can stoop or kneel.  I guess we'll continue to pray on our feet.

Play ball!

It is time again for Little League Baseball.  

Once the weather has changed just enough for the grass to green up and the cherry blossoms to bud out, another sign of spring shows up.  Baseball.

Chip is 11 and starting his 7th year of ball.  He is on a team with some of his fifth grade classmates and a few sixth graders as well.  It seems the older kids are quite a bit more mature.  I was told this evening after practice how "all the 6th graders cuss and talk about their 'you know', their naughty bits" (so funny).  

I have to say, Chip is very aware of his friends' vocabularies and actions, and how they differ from what he has been taught.  In the presence of an adult, he will nearly always be well behaved, in the company of 11 year olds, he is an 11 year old.  He gets called down by his teachers and his coaches for being raucous and loud, just like any 11 year old that is socially accepted by his peers.  Boys will be boys, after all.

Chip is a good kid, a bright student, a funny friend and a wonderful son.  I hope he can hold on to the values his mother and I have tried to instill in him.  This is a trying age and he is certain to be tested.  So will I.

At least it wasn't the Sniffleshitz...

Poor little Emmy did in fact end up in the E. R. yesterday.  Her temperature wouldn't stay down and and neither would anything else.  I'm glad she wasn't dehydrated, though.  Chest X-Rays were negative for pneumonia, however, she has a good case of bronchitis and pharyngitis.  So, more medicines, including steroids and breathing treatments.  She is already feeling better.

The weather was quite welcoming today, 73 and sunny.  Back to the 50's  and rain tomorrow.  I wish Emmy was well, this was a good day for the park.  We did set on the front porch and have a 'picnic' of cheeses and crackers while we admired the daffodils and hyacinth blooming yellow and blue.  She remembered a time my sister was in town a couple years ago and had a picnic in my mother's driveway.  We laughed at how silly that was.  She is starting to miss her preschool classmates.  Hopefully, she'll be back to school Monday.

I think it's the Hakkenpuke...

My little one has missed school for the second day in a row.  A slight fever, some congestion with cough and vomiting once in a while has taken its toll on her.  Poor thing hasn't rested for more than a couple hours at a time, even overnight.  

Her preschool teacher is out along with all but seven other students.  The schools director said yesterday, they are having a tough time locating substitute teachers.  It seems everything from stomach viruses and colds to the flu and even German measles are going around.  

Emmy has an upper respiratory infection and bi-lateral ear infection.  The doctor prescribed an antibiotic and over-the-counter cough medicine plus Tylenol and ibuprofen for the fever.  Like a trooper, she has taken her medicine without a fight.  It is frustrating to see her suffer, then do better when the fever drops and appetite come back, only to get sick again as the medicine wears off.  If she isn't better by morning, it'll be back to the doc.

To cure our ills

I will now step onto my proverbial soap box and begin to preach.  

This is a topic of great debate in America and has been since Bill and Hillary were president years ago.

Universal Health Care.

There is a problem in America's health care system...if you don't have health insurance, you face insurmountable obstacles if you become very ill.

There is coverage for most of the poor, it is called  The Medicaid Program.  The Federal Government oversees the program, but it is up to the states to carry it out.  States may also make some changes and add their own rules regarding eligibility.  It is a complex system.

Most people feel that as a world super power and one of the richest countries in the world, America should have no uninsured citizens.  America is one of the few countries that does not have a universal health care system in place.  Why? 

Cost.

We allow capitalism to dictate the basic cost of health care.  However, costs do have an artificial ceiling.  Most health care facilities and providers will accept a predetermined amount from insurance companies and government agencies.  This amount is considered the customary or 'going rate' (a sort of average).  For those without insurance, the cost can actually be quite a bit lower, IF they can pay their bill on demand.  If not, they may be forced to sell assets to cover the cost of their care.  Or make payments if allowed.  Hence, the possibility of bankruptcy.

I have personally never been without insurance.  As a child and student, I was covered by my father's.  As an adult, either my wife or I have always been employed by companies that either provide a discounted plan or pay for our premiums.  We have accepted positions before, based on the insurance plans offered.

Although I have always had coverage, the deductibles (my out of pocket share), co-pays at office visits and prescription amounts have certainly varied from plan to plan.  We average (once deductibles and discount premiums are met), about $2,000 per year in medical expenses.  The attention we get is first rate.  I hope it continues.  I am willing to pay what I do for the coverage we have.  I also pray I can continue to afford it.

Now, what about every one else, like two of my sisters that are self employed and cant afford insurance?  One of them had thyroid cancer.  She went to a teaching hospital for surgery and treatment.  There, she was given about $60,000 (1992) worth of care...at no cost to her.

I don't know if this is the norm, but, it seems that there is help out there.

With that said, I do believe more should be done to help control the ever raising costs of medicine.  We can't wait for the medical providers to lower their fees or insurance companies to give deep discounts.  The government seems to be where every one is turning to for answers.  I find that very unsettling.  If the changes that will surely come cause my care to go down, even a tad, then I hope they leave it alone.

If the government does take charge, I have an idea how to pay for it.

Taxes.  Novel idea, I know.  But what to tax?  Smokers, they already pay about $3 for every pack smoked in some areas.  "Tax 'em cause they increase the burden on the health system", they say.  That hasn't done it yet.  The drinkers pay allot too.  So the Clinton's idea of a 'Sin Tax' was kicked around years ago.  The problem was it had too narrow a field of vision.  Had they taken off their blinders, it would be very clear where the most 'sin' is.  

Gluttony.

In the U. S., the fastest growing disease is Type 2 Diabetes.  It is most commonly caused by obesity.  This is discussed as an epidemic among all age groups of Americans.  As outlined by the Federal Government, the daily caloric intake for an adult male is about 2500 calories and 2000 for women.  Anything more can easily turn to unwanted weight on an under active person.  Along with these guidelines is that only 3 grams of fat per 100 calories is acceptable, any more is considered excess.  If you want to fund a National Health Care Program, tax all consumables that are considered unhealthy.  If it has more than 30% of it's calories from fat or over 45%-60% of calories from carbs, then tax the daylights out of it.  By consuming excess amounts of these foods, one will eventually become unhealthy.  Overeating causes obesity, heart disease, diabetes, it aggravates gastric problems, arthritis and even mental health.  This is not an opinion, it is fact.  This is exactly the way to pay for health care and charge those who are a burden on the health care system.  

I hope this post can help stir an interest in a grass roots movement in enlightening people in ways to spend less on health care, either through a healthy lifestyle or by spending more for unhealthy appetites.

If you find any mistakes in numbers or claims, please let me know.  I want only to make a positive statement.

Flu season.

Over the last couple of weeks, our area has had a horrible outbreak of the flu.  Several of the local schools have close because of the dwindling attendance, the hospitals are filling up fast, especially pediatrics and to find a doctor that has an opening is difficult.

I hope the schools take this time to disinfect the classrooms and restrooms.  My concern is the continuing spread of the illness that may affect my children.

The unseen ramifications of an auto accident

If you have never been in a serious auto accident, be grateful.  Not only because you have your health but also your sanity.

In the six weeks since our wreck, my wife and I have compiled a journal consisting of every medical appointment, each therapy visit, court dates for the other driver, eager lawyers who call and want to "help" and every conversation and meeting with one of the three insurance companies involved. Not to mention the hours upon hours on line and 'umpteen' miles driven to find a suitable replacement for our beloved Tahoe, a vehicle that was a three month search when it was purchased.

If you need to file for "Loss of Wages" in the state of Kentucky on an insurance claim, be prepared to go broke.  The law only requires compensation of $5.00 per hour.  That's right, no typo...5 bucks!  It doesn't matter how much you actually earn.  You have the option to purchase additional coverage prior to a claim through your auto policy (which I have now added).  So for all of you with poor math skills, that is $200 per week in compensation, MAX.  To get this windfall of cash, it is as easy as filling out a form supplied by the paying insurance company, oh, and a form from your doctor to prove you are under their care and for how long, oh yeah, and a form from your employer proving you are employed and for what amount.  Then send them via snail mail to some far off state where it will be reviewed.  "Your compensation will arrive soon, thank you."

Another note to this story, if you have never heard of "Gap Insurance", check into it.  Especially if you owe on your car or if it is a late model.  Gap insurance would have paid the additional $2,100 difference in what my loan was for and what the insurance company legally gave me for my total loss.

Total loss, hmmm.  Plus $2,100 I still owe on the Tahoe that I will never see again and the difference of $200 that I will be recieving for loss of wages each and the money I actually make.

To say this is frustrating is a gross understatement.

I'm going to take a pill and go to bed, my head hurts.

Time on my hands

On the evening of 31st of January, around 6:30, my wife, children and I were on our way to a birthday dinner for a brother-in-law.  We had travelled about a mile south from home, when, a car pulled out in front of us at a high rate of speed.  

I have a habit of using the cruise control feature, which I typically set at 56-58 MPH.  That night was no different. 

We hit a little Ford Contour with such force that it was knocked about 400+ feet south as we were sent east about the same distance.  Our Chevy Tahoe was totalled.  The other car was shaped like a boomerang afterwards.

  The impact was so great that my right leg was broken, along with a sprained ankle and knee.  I also had a few bumps, scrapes and bruises that were minor.  The Mrs. had banged both knees into the dash as she 'submarined'.  Both of us began having neck an shoulder pain about a week later (muscle strain and dislocated cervical vertebrae).

The kids were both in the 3rd row seats and were unharmed...Thank God!  

Just imagine had we not been wearing our seat belts!

The other driver had merely sprained his shoulder...AMAZING!  Considering his driver door was two feet inside the car!

We later found out that the driver had been smoking marijuana and crushing and snorting Lortabs (a prescription pain killer).  Needless to say, he is in jail waiting for the Grand Jury to hear his case.

I am off work for 8 weeks minimum.  I have started physical therapy to address the neck pain, dizziness, headaches and muscle strain.  My wife has just ended her therapy.  She was told there is nothing more they can do, it will just take time to heal.  The pain she still has in her neck is from soft tissue damage, I hope.  And her knees are still sore to the touch.  One is even numb.  An MRI has revealed nothing obvious as to the cause of the numbness.  Worst yet, our family physician has now found a previously unheard heart murmur.  She said it could be a contusion caused by the wreck.  A battery of tests and the opinion of a cardiologist is that is probably the case.

I do have a cold place in my heart for the guy that caused the wreck and all of the pain that followed.  However, the Christian side of me hopes he finds spirituality while confined.  God has given him yet another chance at life, see, this is his second offense in the last year.  He had just gotten his license back shortly before this accident.  I hope he never puts another family in harms way the way he did us.

I wonder what life would be like if...

I wonder what life would be like if I could move to another city, state or even another country.  

I grew up in the house that my wife and I are raising our children in.  I have lived here most of my life with the exception of the time she and I spent at Eastern Kentucky University and in a couple of houses we lived in while we "flipped" them.  

As a young man, I considered joining the US Army as a Linguist.  I had studied German for 3 years in high school and thought it would be neat to use my education for work.  

This didn't come about for many reasons, some of which I may elaborate on at a later time. 

After trying that, I considered moving to Kennebunkport, Maine, to study naval architecture at The Landing School. That was shot down by economics.

I finally left home to attend college in Richmond, KY.  It wasn't the move I dreamt of.  It was only two hours from home.  But still, I was on my way!  I could only be stopped by myself!  

After two years there, we came home.  

I fell short of getting my degree and found it much harder than expected to find a job, no, a career.  My only interests were designing houses and remodeling.  But, as a young man with no degree and limited experience, my only prospect for work was sales in a hardware store and later in a couple of national home improvement retailers, one of which I worked my way to Customer Service Manager and later became Administrative Manager (Assistant Manager).  

All the while, I honed my skills in design and remodeling until I felt secure enough to branch out on my own.  People who knew me and my abilities were constantly asking me to work for them.  Jobs I accepted ranged from the remedial tasks of painting and plumbing repair to the more exciting and challenging tasks of designing custom additions and whole house remodels.  I had finally found my niche.  I left my position at Lowe's and became my own boss.

For 3 1/2 years.

Until the economy tanked.

And the money ran out.

Then once again, I looked around and thought about moving to a new city or state.  A place that could provide more opportunity for my wife and me to offer our children a good upbringing like we both knew.  We were both raised by railroaders.    My dad was a locomotive engineer for C&O (CSX).  Her dad was in management and was my dad's boss.  

As fate would have it, the railroad was hiring conductors just as I was re-entering the work force.  So I applied, thinking about how a relocation to another division was surely the only way I would get this sought after job.  Wouldn't you know it...they hired me to work right here at home.  I still didn't get to move out of here.  But, I guess, that's O.K.  Our children are 11 & 4 and are close to their grand parents and cousins.  A move would be hardest on them.

  

Sometimes i think about how life would have been different if I had joined the Army and moved away...but, I'm sure my wife of nearly 17 years would have met someone else and I would have never known her.  Chip and Emmy would never have graced this earth to make me such a happy father.  

I don't regret my decisions at all.  I just wander what it's like out there. Perhaps even life as an expat...living somewhere in europe.