Sunday, June 25, 2006
Selling, buying, doctoring, pup patrol.....
Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Have been trying to stay off the computer (at least for things that require dial-up) until later at night, and then when that time comes, I'm usually too exhausted to type much. I want to stay off the phone so I can be reached if someone wants a tour of the house. I turn on the cell phone when I leave the house, but I have to turn it back off again when I'm in a doctor's office, so I don't know if it's very effective as a backup number.
Last Saturday, I went to my stepbrother's house for an early Father's Day celebration/barbecue. We had steaks. I was careful to eat just half of one, enough to enjoy but not so much that my stomach would have trouble (more trouble than usual, I mean). I also had a little salad (both the pasta salad I brought and the regular kind), half a baked potato, and a bit of cantaloupe. And then I found out there was ice cream for dessert! I was probably already past my carb limit, but I had a few bites with some chocolate syrup on it. The entertainment for the day was my niece. She has her very own small plastic swimming pool and a Winnie the Pooh swimsuit! She's quite the mermaid. She also has a miniature Mickey Mouse captain's chair with a place on the armrest to hold a sippie cup. One of her favorite activities is to make faces to see if anyone laughs. Makes me wonder if she will be either a comedienne or an Olympic swimmer.
On Sunday, the furniture was moved back onto first floor of the house from the garage. Now, it actually takes a week for the finish on the hardwood floor to completely cure, and I'd only had it done on Friday, but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to round up enough people to move things if I waited, so I cheated a little: I put felt pads on every single item, every chair, table, speaker stand, etc. Everyone wore white cotton socks under their tennis shoes and took off their shoes before walking on the hardwood floor. And everything that was moved was picked up and set down exactly in the spot it needed to be....no sliding stuff around on the floor. The entertainment center was a challenge because even though it has wheels, the floor wasn't dry enough to just roll it into the living room. So I bought castor pads with felt on the bottom, and those were put under the wheels. And my sister had a silk tree that she didn't want anymore; we put it in the corner of the living room for decoration. I admit it isn't really my taste, but it does go with the silk flowers and gives the place some much-needed color. My sister, her husband, my stepbrother and his father-in-law were all there to move stuff. And my aunt came by and mowed the lawn and trimmed the bushes in the back yard, which was very much needed.
On Monday, Chip got a walk thanks to my neighbor/friend, I did aquacise and then went to the physiatrist for my final visit. The good news is that my muscles are now symmetrical and are holding the SI joint in place. The bad news is that the arthritis in my spine from the Sjogren's seems to be getting worse. Ideally, I'd be repeating the lidcocaine/cortisone injections in my SI joint sometime in the next week or two, but the old insurance is running out, so I'll have to wait until I get to Sioux Falls under the new insurance to have it done. So I was told to continue my stretches, aquacise and Gazelle workouts until then.
Tuesday, I had my final visit with the gastroenterologist. I'm just going to continue what I'm already doing for my gastroparesis and reflux as all the reasonable alternatives have been tried. She did suggest trying to sneak more easy to digest fiber in my diet, like maybe cooked carrots. I bought a few cans of gluten-free soup at the grocery and will see how well I tolerate them.
The house is now in the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) real estate system. The realtor put the sign in the front yard on Wednesday along with 100 brochures! In addition, she gave me some packets for anyone who wants to make an offer. It basically includes a disclosure statement as well as earnest money requirements and such. She took some still photos of the front of the house that will go in future brochures as well as online. As for the virtual tour guys, they are a little backed up right now but should be setting up a time to do the video in another day or two. I hope they call and get set up soon because if my house were any shinier, it would be radioactive, heh heh.
While I was holding down the fort, Dan was car shopping in South Dakota. Since we have so little money to spend, I'd thought he was going to get something that would get good gas mileage. But he decided upon a sport edition V6 Pontiac Grand Am even though the insurance would cost more (it's still about half as much as we're paying here). The good thing is that it is only 10 years old with 100,000 miles on it, and it has anti-lock brakes, airbags and traction control.
Found out something interesting while reading a Social Security Disability blog. I will actually qualify for Medicare next February! The two year waiting period begins with the last day you were able to work, which in my case was January 31, 2005. At least I THINK that's how it goes. Anyway, I will sign up for it even if Dan has medical insurance, just in case something happens to his coverage (Medicare is considered secondary insurance if your spouse already has a policy). That way, I won't get stuck with the "pre-existing condition" dilemma. Also, it might take up some of the slack if Dan's insurance won't cover some of my meds. I really don't know much about it yet or understand it, but it's something to think about.
Here's something absolutely hilarious: I got a "Ticket to Work" packet in the mail from Social Security a few days ago! I haven't even started getting my regular monthly benefits yet, and they're already trying to give me incentives to go back to work! Talk about putting the cart before the horse! I don't know what sorts of jobs I could train for if I couldn't even handle the one at the Agency. But I put the packet in the fireproof box as it doesn't expire, and maybe I'll feel better enough to use it....in a few YEARS!
Am still keeping Chip upstairs most of the time. The floor is probably finished curing by now, but I want to keep the downstairs as clean as possible until the virtual tour is done. I do put blankets down for him to walk on when he heads outside for potty and play breaks (you should see him rolling on his back in the grass....it's hilarious!) And since the house can be shown at any time now, I put Chip in the garage when I have to go to an appointment. His kennel is out there, and I block out a little extra space for him with baby gates and put his water dish in front of the kennel. I feel guilty keeping him upstairs, so I'm still eating my meals on a TV tray in front of the computer chair over the plastic mat so I won't spill anything on the carpet. Chip is getting groomed next week, so after his toenails are properly trimmed, I'll start letting him roam the downstairs more but might encourage him to keep watching videotape movies with me upstairs. So far, we've watched "The Green Mile", "Il Postino" (Italian), "Dead Poet's Society", "The Wedding Singer", "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", "Titanic", "Amadeus" and "Casablanca". Unfortunately, my copy of "Amadeus" is quite poor: the video kept flipping around, and the audio cut out in places. I wonder if that movie is available on DVD??
Went to the chiropractor's on Thursday and got my neck and upper back adjusted. The neck only popped a little, but right between my shoulder blades, it sounded like lots of gunshots! I guess the accident mis-aligned me there more than i realized. I also got a full hour massage. I am going back in three weeks to make sure I have stayed aligned.
I also went to the rheumatologist on Thursday. I am doubling the amount of anti-inflammatories I had been taking since it helped me so much after the accident (don't worry.....I'm not taking an unsafe amount). Believe me, I'll need the extra relief once I get to South Dakota. He suggested I make an appointment with a new rheumatologist as soon as I get a card for the new insurance, even if the house hasn't sold yet. The idea is that with the wait for an appointment being so long, I'll probably have plenty of time to get moved before I can see the doc. The rheumatologist was kinda bummed I was leaving; it feels weird that I won't be seeing him anymore since I've been his patient for six and a half years.
Yesterday, I had my final appointment at the endocrinologist's. Actually, I saw her assistant. Basically, I was just there to get refills on my meds to make sure I don't run out before I get situated in Sioux Falls. I've been doing that with nearly all of my medications; I've gotten either refills or new scripts for 11 medications this past week. I hope I'll get the house sold before the refills run out because I don't know what my new insurance will do in that situation with my docs being in a state they don't cover.
Today, I had intended to just rest, but the weather was cool for once, not the usual 90 plus degrees, so I decided I would get rid of some of the weeds in the back yard. Unfortunately, I discovered that Dan had put the dandelion digger in storage, so I ended up going to the hardware store to get another. I also found one with an extended handle so you can use it standing up, so I bought that one too. Then, since i was already out, I hit Wally World. Note to self: do NOT buy three six packs of Boost and 500 sheets of printer paper on the same shopping trip! It fits into the electric cart ok, but at Wal-Mart, they do not help you put stuff in the car, and you can't drive the cart out of the store, so you've gotta haul whatever you bought by yourself! I was staggering out to my car and just barely made it. My arms are sore now from trying to carry that much weight at once. Duh. I did manage to pull weeds for about 20 minutes or so until a thunderstorm came rolling in; that's ok because 20 minutes is about all I can do without being sore the next day. So I will save the rest for tomorrow/future days as necessary.
Need sleep. Will report again from the command center if/when anything develops house-wise.
Last Saturday, I went to my stepbrother's house for an early Father's Day celebration/barbecue. We had steaks. I was careful to eat just half of one, enough to enjoy but not so much that my stomach would have trouble (more trouble than usual, I mean). I also had a little salad (both the pasta salad I brought and the regular kind), half a baked potato, and a bit of cantaloupe. And then I found out there was ice cream for dessert! I was probably already past my carb limit, but I had a few bites with some chocolate syrup on it. The entertainment for the day was my niece. She has her very own small plastic swimming pool and a Winnie the Pooh swimsuit! She's quite the mermaid. She also has a miniature Mickey Mouse captain's chair with a place on the armrest to hold a sippie cup. One of her favorite activities is to make faces to see if anyone laughs. Makes me wonder if she will be either a comedienne or an Olympic swimmer.
On Sunday, the furniture was moved back onto first floor of the house from the garage. Now, it actually takes a week for the finish on the hardwood floor to completely cure, and I'd only had it done on Friday, but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to round up enough people to move things if I waited, so I cheated a little: I put felt pads on every single item, every chair, table, speaker stand, etc. Everyone wore white cotton socks under their tennis shoes and took off their shoes before walking on the hardwood floor. And everything that was moved was picked up and set down exactly in the spot it needed to be....no sliding stuff around on the floor. The entertainment center was a challenge because even though it has wheels, the floor wasn't dry enough to just roll it into the living room. So I bought castor pads with felt on the bottom, and those were put under the wheels. And my sister had a silk tree that she didn't want anymore; we put it in the corner of the living room for decoration. I admit it isn't really my taste, but it does go with the silk flowers and gives the place some much-needed color. My sister, her husband, my stepbrother and his father-in-law were all there to move stuff. And my aunt came by and mowed the lawn and trimmed the bushes in the back yard, which was very much needed.
On Monday, Chip got a walk thanks to my neighbor/friend, I did aquacise and then went to the physiatrist for my final visit. The good news is that my muscles are now symmetrical and are holding the SI joint in place. The bad news is that the arthritis in my spine from the Sjogren's seems to be getting worse. Ideally, I'd be repeating the lidcocaine/cortisone injections in my SI joint sometime in the next week or two, but the old insurance is running out, so I'll have to wait until I get to Sioux Falls under the new insurance to have it done. So I was told to continue my stretches, aquacise and Gazelle workouts until then.
Tuesday, I had my final visit with the gastroenterologist. I'm just going to continue what I'm already doing for my gastroparesis and reflux as all the reasonable alternatives have been tried. She did suggest trying to sneak more easy to digest fiber in my diet, like maybe cooked carrots. I bought a few cans of gluten-free soup at the grocery and will see how well I tolerate them.
The house is now in the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) real estate system. The realtor put the sign in the front yard on Wednesday along with 100 brochures! In addition, she gave me some packets for anyone who wants to make an offer. It basically includes a disclosure statement as well as earnest money requirements and such. She took some still photos of the front of the house that will go in future brochures as well as online. As for the virtual tour guys, they are a little backed up right now but should be setting up a time to do the video in another day or two. I hope they call and get set up soon because if my house were any shinier, it would be radioactive, heh heh.
While I was holding down the fort, Dan was car shopping in South Dakota. Since we have so little money to spend, I'd thought he was going to get something that would get good gas mileage. But he decided upon a sport edition V6 Pontiac Grand Am even though the insurance would cost more (it's still about half as much as we're paying here). The good thing is that it is only 10 years old with 100,000 miles on it, and it has anti-lock brakes, airbags and traction control.
Found out something interesting while reading a Social Security Disability blog. I will actually qualify for Medicare next February! The two year waiting period begins with the last day you were able to work, which in my case was January 31, 2005. At least I THINK that's how it goes. Anyway, I will sign up for it even if Dan has medical insurance, just in case something happens to his coverage (Medicare is considered secondary insurance if your spouse already has a policy). That way, I won't get stuck with the "pre-existing condition" dilemma. Also, it might take up some of the slack if Dan's insurance won't cover some of my meds. I really don't know much about it yet or understand it, but it's something to think about.
Here's something absolutely hilarious: I got a "Ticket to Work" packet in the mail from Social Security a few days ago! I haven't even started getting my regular monthly benefits yet, and they're already trying to give me incentives to go back to work! Talk about putting the cart before the horse! I don't know what sorts of jobs I could train for if I couldn't even handle the one at the Agency. But I put the packet in the fireproof box as it doesn't expire, and maybe I'll feel better enough to use it....in a few YEARS!
Am still keeping Chip upstairs most of the time. The floor is probably finished curing by now, but I want to keep the downstairs as clean as possible until the virtual tour is done. I do put blankets down for him to walk on when he heads outside for potty and play breaks (you should see him rolling on his back in the grass....it's hilarious!) And since the house can be shown at any time now, I put Chip in the garage when I have to go to an appointment. His kennel is out there, and I block out a little extra space for him with baby gates and put his water dish in front of the kennel. I feel guilty keeping him upstairs, so I'm still eating my meals on a TV tray in front of the computer chair over the plastic mat so I won't spill anything on the carpet. Chip is getting groomed next week, so after his toenails are properly trimmed, I'll start letting him roam the downstairs more but might encourage him to keep watching videotape movies with me upstairs. So far, we've watched "The Green Mile", "Il Postino" (Italian), "Dead Poet's Society", "The Wedding Singer", "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", "Titanic", "Amadeus" and "Casablanca". Unfortunately, my copy of "Amadeus" is quite poor: the video kept flipping around, and the audio cut out in places. I wonder if that movie is available on DVD??
Went to the chiropractor's on Thursday and got my neck and upper back adjusted. The neck only popped a little, but right between my shoulder blades, it sounded like lots of gunshots! I guess the accident mis-aligned me there more than i realized. I also got a full hour massage. I am going back in three weeks to make sure I have stayed aligned.
I also went to the rheumatologist on Thursday. I am doubling the amount of anti-inflammatories I had been taking since it helped me so much after the accident (don't worry.....I'm not taking an unsafe amount). Believe me, I'll need the extra relief once I get to South Dakota. He suggested I make an appointment with a new rheumatologist as soon as I get a card for the new insurance, even if the house hasn't sold yet. The idea is that with the wait for an appointment being so long, I'll probably have plenty of time to get moved before I can see the doc. The rheumatologist was kinda bummed I was leaving; it feels weird that I won't be seeing him anymore since I've been his patient for six and a half years.
Yesterday, I had my final appointment at the endocrinologist's. Actually, I saw her assistant. Basically, I was just there to get refills on my meds to make sure I don't run out before I get situated in Sioux Falls. I've been doing that with nearly all of my medications; I've gotten either refills or new scripts for 11 medications this past week. I hope I'll get the house sold before the refills run out because I don't know what my new insurance will do in that situation with my docs being in a state they don't cover.
Today, I had intended to just rest, but the weather was cool for once, not the usual 90 plus degrees, so I decided I would get rid of some of the weeds in the back yard. Unfortunately, I discovered that Dan had put the dandelion digger in storage, so I ended up going to the hardware store to get another. I also found one with an extended handle so you can use it standing up, so I bought that one too. Then, since i was already out, I hit Wally World. Note to self: do NOT buy three six packs of Boost and 500 sheets of printer paper on the same shopping trip! It fits into the electric cart ok, but at Wal-Mart, they do not help you put stuff in the car, and you can't drive the cart out of the store, so you've gotta haul whatever you bought by yourself! I was staggering out to my car and just barely made it. My arms are sore now from trying to carry that much weight at once. Duh. I did manage to pull weeds for about 20 minutes or so until a thunderstorm came rolling in; that's ok because 20 minutes is about all I can do without being sore the next day. So I will save the rest for tomorrow/future days as necessary.
Need sleep. Will report again from the command center if/when anything develops house-wise.
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