Flu? or NOT the flu?

This past week (Oct 5-10th) I thought I had the Flu. Much to my pain, suffering and embarrassment, I Did NOT! I had a Very bad Kidney infection known in the medical field as Pyelonephritis.

Some of the more common symptoms were mimicking the flu symptoms:
• chills with shaking,
• fatique
• fever higher than 102 that persists for more than 2 days.
• Chills with shaking
•Mental Changes or Confusion - This was the kicker. I was REALLY disoriented with this.. Very bizarre.
• did I mention Chills with shaking?

But even I knew that after 6 days of very high fever that It was more than just a bug.
So, off to the clinic I went. After examination and a cup filling- Tada! Antibiotics to the rescue! And boy were they big ones.
Glad to let you know that Today, about 2 weeks after onset and 1 week after med start... I'm feeling better. Almost back to normal.
So... If you THINK you have the flu... But it lasts more than 3-4 days Don't delay. Visit your Dr. Today.

Off bike riding- haiku

Jim's been off to Bloomington area since Friday night riding the Hilly Hundred. I am starting to miss him.

He calls often enough,
to be sure that I haven't left for parts unknown.
I am always here,
to answer the phone.

I just decided that it could be a Haiku with a little work on the second line... I think.. I can never remember the sentence structure. I think it's 7,5,7,7?
whatever. It was something to do for a while.

I start back to work in the morning. Stopped by the JR on Friday afternoon to see what was up with my paycheck as there was nothing deposited. You see, before short term disability starts, I am to use up all available vacation time and sick time. So, last check had a full week of worked ours, a full week of vaction time, hence a full paycheck.

This one should have had at least my remaining 3 days of paid sick time.
NO such thing. My visit with Betty was unproductive as usual- this was my 3rd trip in to get answers about insurance. I asked about the sick days. She refered to some huge hand written manual that said I indeed had 3 days coming to me. And since she didn't submit that sick pay on pay roll for that pay period, It would be 2 weeks, (the next pay period) before I would see the money. (a Month later!!!) So, does that mean I will never get that 2 weeks of short term disablity pay that was coming to me since I 'never' used my paid sick time due to our payroll/HR/Insurance guru not doing her job?

I asked about the short term disability pay, when it would start, what percentage of my wage it would be, etc.... She was clueless. I mean really CLUE-LESS! She asked where I had sent the paperwork to. DUH I gave it to HER! She is my insurance/ HR representative with this company. I am now starting to question if my insurance paperwork was even submitted to the mysterious insurance company.

I asked if there was a phone number, address for the company to contact them to be sure the claim was filed... She looked at me as if i were an addict demanding crack. (oh my, question her ability??? so sorry)
I asked where she sent the paper work for the claim... she says, 'I sent it to the disablity benefits place.' and I asked if we could call them. She says, 'I have a call in to Debbie, (Debbie- mysterious insurance question answer giver) about another matter, I'll ask her about it then.'

ACCKK! I'm just giving up on the JR, those INCOMPETENT BUNCH OF SILLY PEOPLE!

It's little wonder I have updated my resume on Monster, and on Journalism Jobs.com.

I have already accepted some freelance work to get the ball rolling, not to mention to get a start on the payment of THOUSANDS of dollars in medical bills that need a serious cash influx. (which the JR will never accomplish)
I will start the freelance after Monday, so my 'disablity' will be officially discharged- so I won't be committing insurance fraud by working while disabled. I could have started before the surgery, but I wanted to be sure it was a done deal first.

But if my short term disability claim was never filed, I might not have to worry about it anyway.

Ack. Thanks for listening.

recuperation

I'm home now, recuperating from my surgery. I got home yesterday around 5pm. spent most of the evening on the couch just going 'wow' i'm home and life is still moving on around me. I really don't have that much pain from the surgury site, just tiredness. My face is so puffy from water retention. I'm not sure why really. The naps have been nice. I go Monday to have my catheter removed and to experience the joys of 'voiding trials' I wonder if I'll be judged innocent or guilty during my trial. I don't believe I have ever been on trial in the past. I'll let you know how it goes.
I tried updating my blog via cell phone during my experience by just sending text messages, but for some reason my blog will only accept multi media picture posts. I will have to report the problem to blogger and see if it is my sending device, or a global issue. I'll try to keep you updated via the very slow 21.6k dial up connection I have here and through those random trips to town with my cell phone connection. Have a great weekend in the meantime.

a Death to angry beavers

Angry beavers be gone!
UPDATE!-------------
The nurses all thought my angry beaver was funny. The resident doctor thought I was crazy, or rather an Oregon sports fan of some sort. You could tell he was trying to be politically correct.

Angry Beavers update

I get to visit with the Super Specialist tomorrow at 8 a.m.
We will discuss surgery options for my Urethral Diverticulum and when/where we will go from here.
At my last visit, She had finally discovered the mystery diverticulum. She had her hands, a long curved blunt surgical probe and a cytoscope involved in the discovery. I would hope that she would find it. I know it felt like she discovered a missing bowling ball when she was finished.
She was a little concerned as the diverticulum seemed to be located beyond the pubic bone and she would not be able to operate vaginally. She speculated that we would operate abdominally, similar to a c-section which I have had twice before.

She would need to consult with her partners in the fellowship and gather sage advice from her mentor and teacher from the university of North Carolina to discuss options on how to proceed from here.
I will know the results of that information gathering in the a.m.
I will try to update here tomorrow with more information as I get it.

Wish me luck

The road most traveled

On the way to my specialist appointment.

Just plain tired of angry beavers

I am so damn tired of being sick.
I am tired of just waiting for the next infection. It's a given than every damn month I will have an infection, possibly two, and in recent months, three. I am just 'holding on' for my 2nd specialist appointment in Indianapolis on the 19th. I was tempted to just call in today, (Saturday) Sick, due to unexcusable self pity. Visit: http://www.femalepatient.com/html/arc/sig/advan/articles/030_07_017.asp for more information about why I am so damn *pissed* and frustrated and tired. But I didn't let the pity in until after dinner and just now. Thanks for Listening.

I have had chronic infections for the past 4 years and have been to the doctor (several, in fact) more times than I care to count when finally I stood in the exam room and said "I'M TIRED!" "Fix it!"
This of course didn't make the doctor(s) comfortable, but who cares. I am paying them to listen and treat me.... ME! Not the next freaking patient scheduled that they are anxious to get on the payment books of insurance scam extrodinaire.

Regardless, I am still patiently - (not) - waiting for Wednesday.
Etta James on the I-tunes and a bottle of Great Red Wine, organic, are taking the edge off for now...... So all of you out there with Angry Beavers--- Unite! Drink with me a toast to the death of that Angry Beaver!