Catching Up on Doctor Bills, talking about my surgeries, my hip "complications" with sudden pain in that thigh, my RA, Lupus, and all acting up due to the weather, and more...

Well, Peanut is much better. He is back to himself just about. I've been very, very careful as to what he eats, so he has been getting plain rice, potatoes, a bit of turkey and this morning he wanted "Cheerios" so I fed him a few at a time. I think it may have been some dog food I gave him early last week so it's going in the trash, and I am going to keep a close eye on him... fortunately he kept drinking water the entire time, so he didn't get dehydrated, but now is just hungry, so he is getting a little at a time.... gosh he had me so worried, we were going to the Vet Friday morning, but he had stopped being sick Thursday afternoon, and was kind of much better Friday morning, did not get sick, ate just a bit and was back to wanting to play some. 

So, I waited, and as the day went on he felt much much better, so I decided to give him the weekend, and so far, other than being tired, he didn't sleep much those couple of nights he was sick and neither did I... so both of us are warn out, then I had a horrible dream that I woke myself up, hollering and mad in the dream, but I was also actually loudly talking out loud, so I got up about 5AM and decided to just stay up and have coffee... I've been so damned "out of it" though ... I guess the weather being rainy and thunderstorms, then my body hurting all over., and almost was having an upset stomach also and feeling lousy, kind of like Peanut, but out Vet has posted that the dogs have also been coming down with the flu. Which is actually the same type of flu that humans can have. So, I was concerned that he may have had that, although he had not been anywhere to come in contact with it, but I could have came in contact with it, and possibly had it on me, and he got it. But, since he is well, and not showing any signs of being ill anymore, I think it was more something in one of the dog foods I gave him,.. bless his heart, he saw me crying and came up, got in my lap, and was licking the tears from my face... I was so scared... after losing Tazzy suddenly, then Bub's passing away while I was in the hospital with my broken hip, I was terrified I could lose him, and I would not survive I don't think if something happened to him.... the nurse from my insurance who comes every week once a week to check on me, her "weenie dog" will be having puppies in a couple of weeks. 

So, I am going to try possibly and get one of those. I think she would either let me have him, or won't charge me very much, and I will just take the puppy, get his or her shots and have it neutered or spayed myself.... Peanut needs his shots, but with my neck like it is, I can't really take him by myself, and get him in and out of the car etc... I've driven a couple of times, down the street to my grocery store, which is just about 5 blocks away, but I wear my soft collar driving, then put the hard collar on to go in, and I won't go alone if i need anything very heavy or if I need a larger amount.... if it is just a few items, then I go myself and just be extra cautious, and take a back route, where there is not a great deal of traffic....I've got to go this coming week and have my hip X-rayed... since my thigh and hip on that side where I fractured it has been hurting now for several weeks, my PCP gave me an order last week to go and get it X-rayed to rule out that one of the screws or something is out of place and causing the pain...

I can barely stand to walk on it some days... then it will get better, then get bad again.... I don't want to go over to my surgeon until I know whether something is wrong or not... he charges me a fortune, and the X-rays there are 5 times as expensive, so I can go even to Urgent Care to have the Xray done, much less expensive, and find out before going and spending a fortune when I am still paying for the surgeries. I thought I was about done paying his bill, then I get another one for the 2nd surgery with the hematoma... I thought it had already been in with my bill, and I've paid at least 700.00 or more to the surgeon alone, then find out i may owe another 240.00 or more dammit.... And the neck surgeon, I owe him 1,600.00!!!! and that is just the doctor, the hospital was less, 

I paid my outpatient co-payment, but my surgeon is "out of network" so I have to pay more for his bill, than if He was "in network"... but I don't trust anyone else, so I bite the bullet and pay more.... go figure... I dread to see what the hell the government does with Medicare...I hope leave it the hell alone.... I already pay more than I can afford for any type of surgery especially.....

That 5 days in the hospital in December for my fractured hip was over 1,600.00 and then another 325.00 for the outpatient hematoma surgery, which I should have not had to pay for, since it was a damned complication of the initial surgery, that should have been "caught" weeks before when I first said it was "developing" I noticed the lump getting larger on my leg, like 3 weeks BEFORE MY FOLLOW UP VISIT, and he still just asked the nurses to "take a photo" and email it to him.... well it only got worse over those two next weeks, and I kept complaining but he still did not see me until it was the size of a SOFTBALL!!! It should have been looked at and dealt with as soon as I began noticing it..... goes to prove sometimes our doctors "ignore" what is right in front of their faces....

Polka Festival Pics, Kids visit was awesome, and sad to see them go, have to begin this "bone stim" tomorrow, holidays, and family... lingering fear over neck surgery & pain in my thigh from the hip fracture

Here finally is some of my pics from the parade for the Polka Festival on Saturday. The kids started home this morning a couple of hours ago. It gets more difficult to see them go every time. It seems like they get here and it's time for them to turn around and leave. I enjoyed having them, and was happy I got to celebrate Logan's birthday, although a bit early, it was the first time in a very long time that I was where I could be with one of them for their birthday's. I think Heather's would have been the last and that was when she was very little... but I got to be with them yesterday for awhile, and Saturday at the parade. I didn't get to go to the Zoo due to my neck still being in the hard brace, it was so hot and humid, in fact the whole time they were here it was hot and humid, but they enjoyed the zoo... and sometimes we will have to go back when they come up. I just hope we get to see each other much sooner...

since Mom is gone, it is much harder for me to be here .... of course Jason is here and we see each other a couple of times a week for the most part, but I truly miss not being able to watch the kids growing up. And I so wished I could be with Amanda more. We talk almost daily, but being with her is always so much better. We did get a bit of time together, but it seems we are always rushed, because there are so many people to see, and things to do while they are here... As they drove away, I felt the tears in my eyes, and I got choked up, life sometimes is not easy. After all the hell with my neck surgery, and it still does not seem "right" ... plus my thigh where the hip fracture was is really giving me hell, and I know I probably face more surgery soon on my lower back...

I just wished it would all go away so I could have my life back.... but we all have a path to follow, and sometimes it is just not easy... but we must do, what we have to... then Peanut bless his heart has not been feeling well, I noticed him scratching, and sure enough, even with keeping the lawn treated, and keeping him with drops monthly, he had a flea on him, so I've been trying to use "natural things" to get rid of them...

so between trying to mop with lemongrass oil, apple cider vinegar, and I put a little bit on him with some coconut oil, that seemed to also help the itching, he is a bit better this morning, and I am already exhausted from trying to be careful not to hurt my neck, yet vacuum with my small vacuum cleaner, and mop the hardwood floors... and wash everything in dry it as hot as I can.... a pain in the butt, yet with all of the rain, and now more headed our way, it will be a pain all summer probably. I've got to start the "bone stimulator"... but I think I will begin tomorrow. I want to get over everything else, get my clothes washed and get a bit settled before I began having to wear it a total of 4 hours a day, 2 at a time I can split it if I want... and I pray next week, a week from this Wednesday, the hard brace can come off, and I can drive then, and wear a soft brace.... Wishing everyone a wonderful Holiday!

And Kids at the Zoo!!!!!