All Sorts of Tidbits II

Ah, yes, the compendium type post. Sure to be of interest to no-one, except, guess what? You're here reading it. So it must interest someone at least little on some level. That or your RSS reader has let you down in a spectacular fashion.

1. First, the blog is approaching 200,000 posts and I expect we'll hit that number this summer. Though recent traffic has dropped off a bit. I cannot believe how many hits I get, though about 70% of them are what I deem a "worthless" hit. To me, that's someone who reads the one post they came across and never comes back to the blog again.
2. Secondly the mix of visitors has slowly started to change. Search engine referrals are down to 73.5% while website referrals are up to 26% -- Google still provides most of our traffic (75% of that 73%).
3. My post on Led Zeppelin still remains the single most popular post and it generates people who linger and read the 300+ comments. Following that is the post about Daniel Radcliffe's Penis which generates more worthless hits than anything -- apparently people think they're getting the goods from my website. I think not. In third place is the Dell Sucks post which generates traffic as well as getting me lots of sympathetic e-mails. In fourth place is the Crazy Frog post, which like the Penis post, is worthless for valuable traffic. All other posts generate insignificant traffic when measured over time. Short-term some posts like mine on Wolfgang Van Halen and Terry Brooks generate short-terms bursts but then people move on to whatever else is news.
4. A special shout-out goes to Maury Wilkinson. She's the one who challenged me to make a blog. So I should thank her for that. But that's not why she's getting the shout-out here. She's been bugging me forever to get a TiVo. I broke down and got a DVR today (which she calls a Ti-Faux because it's a generic one) so I don't have to miss House, Heroes, and Lost any more. We'll see how I like it.
5. I love being a grammar Nazi. No, really. I'm not perfect but I am better than most people. And I certainly know the difference between your/you're and it's/its -- which about 80% of the people who write me obviously don't. I started a thread on my Panthers Hockey Message Board (which actually tracks back to another thread on a different board). I am only mentioning this because the thread is awesome. And better yet, the spiteful bitch on the original thread, who apparently runs the LED board, made an ass out of herself, engaged in petty-name calling, and then used RED on the matrix board to make the error worse.
The thread got locked and the entire ad was gone from the last game. Victory is mine! (Okay, it's got nothing to do with me or anything I said, but still.)
6. My guest room is now wired for HDTV for the benefit of my guests. And I've installed a new flat-screen LCD TV. Isn't that great? Except I don't like guests. Damn -- I think that may be ironic. That's why I'm in the process of finding a new home for my Sony KV27EXR10.
7. I saw Horton Hears a Who. It is surprisingly good. Really. Except when they break into song at the end -- a clear Shrek rip-odd. Everyone knows the story, has read the book, etcetera so there's no point in me going over it. You will like it. Visually appealing, very entertaining, and just a good film. Really. Saw previews for Ice Age 3, Narnia: Caspian, Wall-E and Speed Racer. I can't wait to see the first three. I was looking forward to Speed Racer but the preview has me reconsidering.
8. My neck still hurts (see accident report) and though it was getting better, it's acting up again. Not sure why. But my C4 vertebrae is in the wrong place according to the x-ray the chiropractor took. I definitely have whiplash. Progressive Insurance are being serious poopy-heads about it, and I've written a letter to their CEO and the State of Florida Insurance Commissioner. They lied to me, and I caught them in the lie. They also tried to get me to sign a waiver of rights including all future rights. I'm not even cured yet and they want to buy me off for a small pittance. I was very up-front. I want them to pay my medical bills. Nothing more and nothing less. Apparently they think this is unfair. State Law entitles to me reimbursement for missed work and other benefits. I wasn't really excited about the paperwork, but I suppose I have to do it now. It's clear they are lying scum and do not have my best interests at heart. Ultimately, I will be better so I'm not worried about long term issues, but if they think I'm signing a waiver for something down the road, they're nuts. What if something was missed on the x-ray? Too many things could go wrong. Woe be the person who gets rear-ended by a Progressive policy holder. Progressive Sucks. They must use Dell laptops :)
9. I am opposed to bio-fuels. Why? Food should not be used to operate cars when people are starving to death all over the planet. I can't imagine why anyone thinks this is a good idea.

Why Sharper Image Went Bust (Plus Bonus Medical Update)

First, a few words on The Sharper Image. It was for many years a very cool store. I went to their original store in San Francisco way back in the 1980s when I was a student at Cal (GO BEARS!) I frequented their store on Market Street right near the Powell and Montgomery BART stations and a short walk to either the California or Powell Street cable cars.

What made the store so attractive to me and my geek friends were the gadgets. Cool gadgets that you couldn't find anywhere. Granted these gadgets didn't do anything, but that wasn't the point. They had a cool replica of the Walther PPK James Bond carried, life-size Darth Vader statues, full size pinball machines, and all sorts of useless but very neat electronics.

When I came back to Miami and they opened their first store in Florida at Bayside there were waiting lines to get in. A store at Dadeland Mall followed and it was the same thing. People were banging their doors down to get in. Then, slowly over time, they changed. More useful, practical things. They lost their cool factor. Basically they turned into Brookstone. I love Brookstone. If I want Brookstone, I go there. Sharper Image lost their caché. All my friends, and me, stopped going there. They forgot who their customer was. The most important thing in business is to know your customer and what they want. Sharper Image decided we wanted pillows, massage chairs, luggage, and air purifiers. They just didn't ask us, their customers. And the sad part is they're blaming all sorts of factors on their failures, but that isn't why they failed. Bad Management because they lost sight of their goals.

Medical Update (1): More on the car accident from previous psots. My upper back and shoulders and neck are killing me. The x-rays are negative but something is wrong. My chiropractor thinks it's whiplash but that's got nothing to do with my mid-back. And now I'm getting these random pains in my kidney -- short, sharp pain that lasts a few seconds and vanishes. (On the plus side my hip isn't hurting any more...)

Medical Update (2): I went to the eye doctor yesterday. I got the worst diagnosis possible. I was there because my eyesight is deteriorating at a noticeable rate. The diagnosis: I'm getting old. He said there's nothing wrong that wasn't wrong before. My left eye is shot and always has been. My right eye is no longer perfect. It will continue to get worse and there's nothing I can do. He gave me a new prescription but told me not to fill it until I can't stand this one anymore. I'm going to try and go until my birthday if I can. I still try and not use them to read books and such -- plain black on white and it's not too bad.

Pain in the Neck (Literal)

Ouch. Today hurts much worse than yesterday. I am sore in my shoulders, my entire neck, upper back, and a little in my lower back. I have this burning sensation that goes from one shoulder blade to the other. And the weird random pain in my right hip. The insurance people told me that this is normal -- a few days after is when it hits. Well, it hit.

I am going to hospital first thing in the morning for x-rays to see if there's anything obvious. After that it's up to the doctor, but perhaps an MRI or two. Joy. Joy. Joy.

In other related news, Progressive is not being cooperative (they're the insurers of records of the lady who hit us). Per state law, I've contacted my insurance company who is going to have to deal with it now. I am displeased.

Randomness Part Eight

What a weekend. The Panthers won Friday and Sunday giving us a total of four wins in a row. Yay, Panthers.

Next up, I'm sitting in Thomas' car on Sunday and he's driving. We're both wearing seat belts. Though I often give him crap for his driving, he's a pretty good (ie: very cautious) driver. So Saturday afternoon at around 310pm, we're leaving Office Depot, and he stops at a stop sign. He starts to go, but someone comes flying by at warp 30 in a car, so he stops again. They pass. He's in the process of looking both ways when some lady in a Black Honda Accord rear ends us at a high rate of speed causing us to lurch forward about 6 to 10 feet. We both get out and survey the damage -- most of which is to Thomas' car. They trade insurance info, though Timmy fails to get her driver's license number, and I got down her tag number. They decide not to call the cops. Thomas is fine, me not so much. As they're wrapping up I notice my neck is unusually sore on the left side where it joins the shoulder.

Thomas goes home (a five minute drive) and calls his insurance agent and their insurance agent. They want to talk to me since I'm injured. They ask me for my auto insurance details. Really. I refuse to provide it since I was not driving and my car was not present. I hate this already. In other news, gets worse as the hours tick by. I try to ignore it because that's how I am. Today it hurts more, sore to the touch. My back hurts a little and my right hip a lot.

Adrian cancelled skating on me today, which is probably for the best anyway. I went grocery shopping and then to Walgreens for some drugs. Yay, drugs. Doing laundry now.

Watched some of the Pens vs Capitals game on TV and some stuff on the science channel. I did a great deal of work my tax packet. I hate taxes. HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE. So much work.

Had dinner with Jason last week. That was fun to see him, Jenny, and Erica again. We really have to do that more often.

UK newspapers such as the Daily Mail and the Telegraph are reporting yesterday and today on an expected deal between Sir Paul McCartney and Apple, Inc. to bring the Beatles catalog to iTunes. According to the Telegraph, the deal could be worth as much as £300 million. An Apple Corps label spokesperson said that the date "has not yet been set." The deal has been much delayed. But industry insiders say that by the end of the year fans using iTunes will be able to buy songs from albums such as Help! and Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Former hits from albums such as Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the White Album, and Help are expected to top the download charts for several months on release. I envision the long rumoured Yellow Submarine iPod which I will purchase on opening day because I must own one.

Randomness Part Cinq

All sorts of stuff:

1. I am listening to "Hooterization: A Retrospective" which is a really fantastic album -- basically the Hooters greatest hits album. Highly recommended.
2. I have updated my Amazon wish list.
3. I returned a number of improperly fitting gifts today for the appropriate size.
4. I bought cat food today
5. I went to BJ's Wholesale today. They now stock Blu-Ray DVDs. Blockbuster stocks only Blu-Ray now. Warner Brothers has announced it will discontinue HD-DVD sales on 18 March 2008 leaving 6 of the 8 major studios now Blu-Ray only. Most analysts are predicting a slow death of HD-DVD by late 2008. Paramount and Universal are the two remaining HD-DVD players. Apple, Dell, Sony, and HP have all embraced the technology for their computers. I think Sony's won this battle and probably the war. That's a good thing because Blu-Ray is a far superior format in almost every way. Usually the consumer picks the cheaper format and not the better one. I guess in this case, it worked out. See previous blog post.
6. I am still sick. A bit of a stuffed, runny nose and a dry, hacking cough from hell.
7. Your 1040-ES 4th quarter payment is due 15 January 2008, if appropriate.
8. The US dollar continues to slide. I think I should transfer all my money to my UK bank account.
9. I went skating yesterday with Adrian (YAY) and we saw National Treasure: Book of Secrets. I rather enjoyed the film. It was not as a good as the first one. Though it was entirely predictable, it was still enjoyable and a rollicking good time. See a few sentences I wrote about the first one here.
10. Last night I made a huge Pork Chop with orange sauce. It was way too tough. Tonight, I'm going to make Kraft Organic Dinner and mix in a 1/2 pound of ground beef and some peas.
11. Home hockey games resume 8 January and I'm psyched.
12. The idiot light on my car came on. I have an appointment 14 January.
13. Austri is back from her mud bath in Calistoga. I got an e-mail from her. I thought she was ignoring me but she was just out of town.
14. Spoke to Erin and we might do dinner before the game on the 8th.
15. The Panthers are sucking ass.
16. To all my readers I wish you a very happy new year

A Very Near Brush With Death

Right. Step one is a special super thank-you to my bud Ernie Reardon, without whom I would probably not be talking to you all. I’m going to do something really nice for him. Of course he probably won't let me.

Earlier this month on 7 November, I went back to the Gastrointestinologist because my acid reflux was acting up again. He suggested I resume Nexium 2x per day instead of 1x per day. I had, as instructed dropped back to 1x per day after 90 days. His assistant, also an MD, suggested Claritin-D/24hr and he agreed. Not a big deal, especially since we know I’ve got allergies to dust and such. (See previous blog posts). I resumed the 2x Nexium 8 November.

I began taking the Claritin-D on 9 November before bed. It kept me from sleeping making me restless, so I started taking it in the morning instead, starting 11 November. Since it was a 24hr pill, this shouldn't matter. I also had left, on 10 November, for my trade show in Las Vegas (also a previous blog post). The Claritin-D worked remarkably well and my severe morning reflux issues almost entirely vanished after a few days.

Over the course of that week in Las Vegas, I noticed my heart seemed to be beating faster, but I thought it might be my imagination. After all, I was at a trade show in Las Vegas, where there are rumours people drink a bit more than they normally do, you're surrounded by smokers, there's a lot going on that might cause more excitement than you would normally get in a given day. That and all the wonderful food. The rapid heartbeet kept up even after I returned home. It slowly worsened -- coming and going both fast and slow -- and I wasn’t sure what it was. I didn’t connect it to the Claritin-D. A possibly nearly fatal mistake.

By 22 November, Thanksgiving Day, it felt like my heart was beating really fast, then really slow, and then back to normal for a few hours, but when it started going I thought it was going to burst right out of my chest. I had no way to confirm my feelings except putting my hand on my chest and feeling it – admittedly not very scientific. It was, indeed, very noticeable. I did not have the "heart attack symptoms" such as pain in the arm, blue coloured fingers and toes, chest pain, shortness of breath, and so on. So I didn't panic and think I was having a heart attack.

During this time, I became extremely fatigued, falling asleep often even mid-day, sometimes getting light-headed. As the week progressed my heart got louder and louder, so I could hear the pounding in my ears, and even see spots in front of my eyes in time with each beat. I realized something was amiss, but I didn't know what. I decided, perhaps, on Monday if it wasn't better I might get around to calling the doctor. As a guy, I wish to report that it's true: we hate going to the doctor.

It so happened the evening of Friday, 23 November, I ran into my friend Ernie on-line (AIM). We chit-chatted and he asked how I was. So, I told him. He said it sounded like an Arrhythmia. Ernie has a medical background and uses big medical words I don't know. So, I peeked at Google – Google knows everything, trust me. It so happened that several of the matches specifically mentioned Claritin-D. I followed the link and saw a mention very rare side-effect of which is not listed on the box.

So I stopped taking it, to see if I would get better. At that time, I also sent a fax to the doctor’s office letting him know what I discovered. I figured if it got worse, I’d call emergency. I exercised on Saturday morning for 45 straight minutes (ice skating) with no problem, though that’s about 1 hour less than normal. It didn’t kill me though.

The GI doctor called me first thing Monday morning and told me to see my primary care doctor and then have my doctor call him. I saw my doctor today (Tuesday) as soon as he got back in town. I decided I’d rather wait until today and see my doctor rather than some random doctor in the hospital.

He spent quite some time with me. We did x-rays, EKG, and all sorts of other tests. All these results were compared with the base-line tests we did after my 40th birthday when I had a complete physical. Happily, it appears I have suffered no serious damage and that all of this was a reaction to the Claritin as it built up in my system. We are awaiting (Friday) results of my blood spectrum and toxicology reports. He's checking my thyroid as well, but based on my weight we're pretty sure that's not it.

Irregular heart rhythms can also occur in "normal, healthy" hearts. But I first got mine a few days after starting the Claritin-D. According to WebMD, although arrhythmias may be normal in certain settings, they can be life threatening in other situations. This is because certain abnormal heartbeats that result from electrical dysfunction in the heart make the heart unable to pump enough blood to keep a person alive. In other cases, irregular heartbeats can lead to blood clots, which can cause a stroke or brain damage and other tissue damage.

This really sucks, too. You know why? The Claritin worked very well and reduced my Acid Reflux to negligible levels indicating it is indeed at least partially allergen related. However, both doctors insist under no circumstances may I take any allergy drugs of any type for at least one month and then, only after a full consultation.

Randomness Part Four

1. I have removed SnapShots from my blog because their login procedure pissed me off. It had nothing to do with the fact they have advertising. Just a stupid login problem. If they contact me, I'll put it back. They won't, though. Too bad. I liked it.
2. I am back from Las Vegas. I left Vegas at 1220pm for Miami via Atlanta, arriving in Miami at near midnight. My luggage took considerably longer. I didn't get home until after 1am.
3. If you hear anything about the Mandalay Bay building a new multi-billion dollar tower, I just want everyone to know I paid for the damned thing. Buy stock in MGM/Mirage -- they're going to have a GREAT quarter. It was not a good week from a financial standpoint.
4. Business? I don't discuss business on my blog, but the convention was sad. Over 5,000 grown men all crying about the economy: how bad it is, how much worse it's going to get, and how clueless the American Public is abut it.
5. I've gotten invited to the new Hulu beta. Interesting. Am playing with it. Will report later.
6. In the past six nights (Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs) I have gotten about 16 hours of total sleep. I am in pretty damned bad shape. There are other details, but I won't bore you.
7. I probably gained 20 pounds on the trip.
8. I am writing a new novel. I am not planning on sharing this one with anyone. But it's rather good, if I do say so myself. I refuse to share any new works until I get the last one published which probably won't ever happen. No self-publishing or POD for me, dammit.

Today's Medical Reports

Lots of health news today. I'll be self-centred and go first.

I am relieved as all hell to report that I do not currently have Barrett's esophagus which I was afraid I might have. Barrett's esophagus is a relatively uncommon side effect of Acid Reflux (see multiple previous blog entries) that often leads to esophageal cancer, which is generally fatal. Anyway, I don't have it so enough of that. However, my Acid Reflux is acting up strongly again because a new granuloma has recurred (if you remember, I had a previous pair) and is also located on my vocal cords. As such, I'm going on a new regimen of drugs and dtronger dosages and frequencies thereof and expect more arguments from my shit-ass insurance company. I am confident in Dr. Arin H. Newman, the doctor in question, so we'll see what happens. I go back in six months unless I feel my granuloma is getting worse in which case I go back immediately. Those of you who have talked to me recently know how bad my voice has sounded.

My dad is not-cancer free, but he's almost cancer free and it has retreated to negligible levels. There's no such thing as "almost" or "negligible" in the cancer world, but he is no longer in any immediate danger of dying from his lung cancer (second hand smoke is bad which is what caused it). All good news has some bad news with it, and this is no exception. His bronchial passageways, which were already a mess because of his chronic and severe asthma, are in very, very bad shape due to damage caused by the cancer treatment, so he is going to a pulmonary specialist soon to see what, if anything, can be done.

And, for those concerned, Scooter has stopped gaining weight but she is at a relatively healthy weight for her advanced (20+) years -- having recovered from the 5-1/2 or so pounds she sunk to at the bottom of her illness. She's happy. She's not so playful any more -- probably because of the ligament that's torn which they can't operate on due to her age -- but she's happy to be petted. She's even jumping small distances again, though getting down still challenges her. Her hearing is definitely shot for good (cry) and she has dental issues which they also can't fix due to her age.

Return of Wherefore art thou Eric J. Hedlund?

It's been a busy week. Let's see, I'm sick. I have a cold. My throat problem appears to be back, but I've been ignoring it for weeks -- it's pretty bad now so I'm off to the doctor tomorrow. Dad gets his one year oncologists report tomorrow.

Last night, I saw the Trans-Siberian Orchestra with Evan and Brenda, their kids, and Adrian. Actually enjoyed it. For their second year running, they opened the show in Sunrise, Florida. It's a bit early for a Christmas show. WHAT? CHRISTMAS? Yeah. But that's not why I go, though I truly don't mind it. I love the second half where they do rock-based classical music. That's how I discovered TSO.

Codey, a 17 year old kid, who I never, but knew on-line, died this past Sunday. I won't go into all the details but it's not fair. Life isn't fair. A great kid and we need more people like him. I'm remarkably sad considering I never spoke to him, only had a few IMs, and basically knew him via email and/or forum posts. Friendships aren't defined like they used to be.

In a previous post I wrote about Unca Eric which was actually a follow up to a 2004 post I made. A few months ago, I decided to track him down a few months ago. I found out he left his job in Taos (see that previous post). I knew some of his friends names -- met them once so many moons ago -- and through the power of Google and my persistence I contacted PL and EW -- who both had no idea how to get in touch with him. E-mails to all known addresses bounced. I had given up.

Then, suddenly, there were new posts in his blog. Yay. YAY! I wrote him through the LiveJournal internal mail system for its members, figuring there was no chance of contact whatsoever. He wrote me back! I felt some really nice, sincere, deep joy. I realize none of my blog readers will care, but I do. Eric meant a lot to me -- in a world of mental midgets he was a rare mental giant I could talk to. I respect him.

Random Tidbits

SCOOTER UPDATE: She's feeling a bit better after we saw Dr. Child -- Dr. Child has a much better bedside manner than the other two doctors in the office. Plus she's a cat owner. Cat owners make better cat vets than dog owners (and vice versa).

She changed Scooter's medicine levels to 1-1/2 pills per day, down from her original 2 but up from the 1 that the other doctor recommended. She's still got all sorts of symptoms -- but most have lessened except the thyroid stuff -- but she seems happy and doesn't seem to be in any pain. I have to make the appointment to take her back in late September. At some point I also have to take her to see Dr. Diaz (my regular vet). I'm just reluctant to get two doctors involved if the first one seems to be doing a good job and knows what she's doing. [This has nothing to do with the fact the vet is very cute. I promise.]

SHOULDER UPDATE: I saw Dr. Levitt today -- my orthopaedic surgeon. My shoulder saga -- on and off again -- being painful and unpleasant. I figured I best check and see what the hell was wrong. His assistant made an initial assessment before the doctor saw me. Then sent me to a brand new x-ray machine that is digital (no film, film cartridges, or any of that). They take it and it's done -- and if they don't like it, they take another one. They can zoom it in/out and rotate it all from their control box. It looks like an MRI room actually only it's full of gantries so the machine can move around on its own or with their help.

A few moments later, I was back in the doc's office with the results. I kid you not -- under five minutes for the answer. The good news is: absolutely, positively, no serious damage and no surgery required. I am to continue to see my chiropractor. I was told what to tell him. But basically the muscle is knotted up and not in the wrong place and that's causing pinching and it just needs to be re-aligned. He asked me a lot of questions about my chiropractor -- because he feels most are quacks (as do I) -- but my answers satisfied him. And he gave Dr. Yoham the a-ok.

REST OF ME UPDATE: I also asked Dr. Levitt about a number of my other joint aches and pains. Sadly, his answer was the one I feared. I'm getting old and all those aches, pains, pops, and noises are part of the process. He said to do nothing out of the ordinary and hopefully it won't get much worse. I have mild arthritis in my knees, but that's not a surprise. It happens if you have surgery on your joints. Nothing life-altering. Yay.

RANDOM NEWS: In unrelated health news, I have an uncomfortable itch. You don't want to know where. I had to tell someone, and that someone is you. Aren't you lucky? In even more unrelated news, London is still not looking very good and I've thrown out a last ditch plan before I throw in the towel and try to combat the resultant depression.

SITE NEWS: I will have some soon. If you're clever and have been around http://www.panthershockey.net or my other pages http://www.darsys.com and http://www.darsys.net you may have already figured out what the announcement will be. But no formal announcement for 5 to 10 days. It's all related to the fact that the site authority level has been creeping up. We hit 3 earlier this year, and 4 a few months ago, 5 recently, and 6 yesterday. That's good because it means people are pay attention. That means more eyeballs. And those eyeballs (insert your own conclusion here).

Cat Thyroid Disease Causes

This link was sent to me first by Evan followed by several other friends over the next few hours:

The article starts: An epidemic of thyroid disease among pet cats could be caused by toxic flame retardants that are widely found in household dust and some pet food, government scientists reported Wednesday. And goes on from there. I found it very interesting, though at this point it's probably too late.

I keep wondering, after reading the article, if it might have been something I bought and brought into the house. Maybe some sheets, a mattress, or something else. My carpet is the original stuff and over 10 years old, so we can probably rule that out. There's no fabric in my blinds. Or maybe it's not even this. But it's still interesting.

More Tidbits. Everyone loves a tidbit.

1. I went to the Chiropractor today. My shoulder feels noticeably better right now, but overall it will return to crap in a few hours. I hate that. The pain has slowly been moving further towards the top.
2. My AC at home is still not behaving properly and it's got me pissed off. I'll revisit this with the AC people next week. I am far too drained to deal with it right now.
3. In my unending quest to find out the mysterious source of my rash, I went to an allergist previously. Since my last post I had the patch test (wearing a few dozen chemical patches on your back for 48 hours) -- all of which were negatives. Then I came back today and the rest of the injections. Over the two visits, I received a total of nearly 200 injections. I look like a druggie. Each battery you have to sit for 15 minutes for a reaction. I am not allergic to most moulds (odd) and barely allergic to cats. I am violently allergic to dust mites. On a scale of 1 to 4, I rated a 4++++. I am also allergic to dust (duh), parakeets, and horses. That's it. I passed all other allergen tests. All that would be fascinating except based on the rash, these aren't the causes. All done and no practical results except to try Claritin/D for a few weeks and see if that helps.
4. Scooter is seeming even more lethargic today. ::sigh::

Scooter Update 2.0

Scooter went in for a follow-up visit today.

Here's what I had given to the vet. (This refers to her original condition):
I just want to reiterate a few points: The morning Scooter had her incident she was fine. She was jumping up on tables, playing, being her usual rambunctious self. When I came home, she couldn’t move. When she tried to stand up, she would fall over and was unable to maintain any motion at all. She was lying in an unusual spot on the floor in an unusual position. I do not dispute the Thyroid diagnosis, but that is not a sudden onset condition with all these symptoms. I think that there is/was something else at work, and the Thyroid condition was certainly there but is probably unrelated to what actually happened.

Then I listed all of Scooter's current symptoms:
NONE OF THESE SYMPTOMS WERE EVIDENT PRIOR and all were sudden onset:
1. She doesn’t walk with a normal gait. She lists to the left like a poorly loaded ship as she moves. And on stairs especially, she walks near the wall so she doesn’t fall. (I bought her stairs so she can get in and out of my bed easily.)
2. The faster she moves, the harder it is for her to keep balance. If she runs, she falls over, especially if it’s on the stairs.
3. She can jump UP onto objects with no trouble (my bed, the counter, the table) so her muscle strength appears to be pretty good. But if she jumps down she lands and the falls forward, hitting her head and often rolling head over heels.
4. She has trouble climbing though. For example her litter box (4” tall) is an enormous challenge for her and she sometimes gives up and uses the floor next to it. She tries, but watching her try to balance and crouch isn’t fun.
5. She’s far more lethargic now – she just lies in her bed most of the day. I know that may sound normal for a cat, but it isn’t normal for Scooter. She used to run around with her bizzy-balls and drop them all over the house and scream at the top of her lungs for me to come throw them so she could chase them. When I used to come home, the house was a mess. This was true right up to and including the morning she fell ill (because the house was a mess when I got home and she had eaten that day as well).
6. She’s lost a lot of her hearing. I can actually sneak up on her if she’s not looking my way. Nobody should ever be able to sneak up on a cat. Especially my cat.
7. She is grooming approximately normally and seems happy if somewhat bored because she doesn’t want to move around much.
8. She also can’t talk except a quiet squeak.

So that's what's up with Scooter as of today. The Vet agrees there's something else going on. They currently have a cat there with the same exact condition (symptoms 1-4) but that cat has been there for months and they are unable to determine what's wrong. I suggested an equilibrium problem or a stroke. I was told cats don't have strokes in the sense humans do, so that wasn't it. The Vet agreed an equilibrium problem was possible.

Scooter had a new batch of blood work and thyroid tests. All pretty much normal. They are very concerned about her kidney results. In cats with thyroid conditions once the condition is controlled sometimes a kidney condition becomes evident. They're going to check her again next week.

They checked her (always nasty and gummed up) left ear and were sure she had ear mites. I told them it's always full of gunk which I generally clean every few weeks and that Scooter's regular vet has tested. Another test later, and it isn't ear mites. They've never seen so much ear gunk before considering they cleaned her out last visit too.

They've had me get non-drowsy Dramamine and suggest I give her a 1/4 tablet per day until next Tuesday and then I will bring her in again for more tests. After that the emergency vet is on vacation for 2 weeks.

Also, my condolences go out to Tom O'Drain whose mother passed away this morning.

Shout Out to Tom O'Drain

This is just so Tom knows I'm thinking of him. I've e-mailed him already.

Tom's mother is dying despite everything they've done. I'm not going to go into it here, but you can read his blog here: http://ducky72.livejournal.com/ Being involved with a parent with cancer is draining beyond all measure. As you know I'm there now. My friends Kris and Thomas just went through that and now Tom. Life isn't always happy.

My sympathies go out to Tom, his brother Trent, and his father and the rest of his family as well. And of course prayers to his mother in her last moments.

All Sorts of Tidbits

1. Yesterday my roofers met me at my house after I complained about a leak in my new roof they have fixed *5* times. I said perhaps they should send a small guy up in the attic to see where the problem really is. They met me, and stuck their head in the attic, insisting they didn't want to go in. After looking at the actual roof and seeing no obvious leak, I pointed them in the general direction, and they sent the smallest guy up. All that and it isn't a roof leak. The AC duct has a crack (no idea why) and the 50 degree AC air reacts with the 120 degree attic air and produces condensation. In short, it's raining INSIDE my roof over the hallway ceiling. Tomorrow, Xelor is coming to try and fix it. I hope.

2. My left shoulder muscle popped out again last night, so hurt when I woke up. I thought it would get better as it sometimes does. It didn't and got worse, so I called Dr. Yoham at 4pm and asked if he could see me. He said he was leaving but if I came over fast he'd work on it. I made it there at 4:35pm and he spent some time on it, but it still hurts. Damn it to hell. It really hurts to move it.

3. In my unending quest to find out the mysterious source of my rash, I went to an allergist today. At first he was a bit cool until we inadvertantly found out we had a mutual friend. He became much more friendly after that. Today, I got a two battery of tests. First, I got pricked with 30 blue plastic needles to see if I had any obvious allergies. (They mark your skin with a pen and then nick over each mark in order to see which ones swell.). I am allergic to horses, parakeets, and dust mites. They did the second test where an actual needle is used (like a shot) and I received 24 injections in the left arm and 30 injections in the right arm for a total of 54 injections -- imagine getting 54 shots in 10 minutes. Each battery you have to sit for 15 minutes for a reaction. I am not allergic to most moulds (odd) and barely allergic to cats. I am violently allergic to dust mites. On a scale of 1 to 4, I rated a 4++++. All that would be fascinating except based on the rash, these aren't the causes. Next week I go back on Tuesday to get the patch test installed (which I must wear for 48 hours) and then Thursday to have it removed and read. Then Friday I go in for another battery of tests (more injections, Yay), and a consultation with the doctor.

4. Did I mention how much my shoulder hurts? I want to cry.

5. Happy Birthday, Adrian.

Update on Dad III (Good News)

PET Scan: Lymph Nodes didn’t even show any cancer at all -- it's gone. That’s excellent news, of course. That's right: there is no trace of any cancer in the Lymph nodes. The tumour itself still has some activity, though. The doctor can’t be 100% sure it’s still cancerous due to residual radiation and scar tissue, though he's pretty certain it still is cancerous because he has no reason to believe otherwise.

The CT (cat) scan was still difficult to interpret due to lingering radiation. Different people dissipate radiation at different rates. There is still some lung collapse (hence his continued difficulty in breathing). The tumour is not well defined and the shadow is less solid. It is still possible that live cells could escape and go elsewhere, so we must be vigilant and he must be tested regularly.

Despite all of this, Dad has shown significant improvement and he is out of any immediate danger. However new spots of cancer are always bad because that means it’s spreading and we have to hope and pray that is never the case. We will retest in three months --- first week of November -- and see what’s happened then.

There will be no surgery, period. The doctor is confident no reputable doctor will perform any operation on Dad. With his lung partially collapsed, and the surgical risks he has due to his other conditions, the risks far outweigh any possible minor benefit and Dad’s chance of surviving the operation is very low.

His continued coughing is caused by radiation damage. It will eventually lessen and may even disappear, but it may just be a permanent, chronic cough. His tiredness is a combination of age and effects from his diminished lung capacity. There will be absolutely no radiation injections or even further radiation treatments at this time.

So, all in all, this was a very good day at the doctor. This was also significant for me, because this is the first time I've actually met the attending physician and talked to him in person. Dad's done his best to keep me out of the loop and given me his "sanitized" report so I don't worry -- apparently he thinks that will stop the worry process. So while I've been to the doctor's office with him before (see previous posts), it's been with the many other doctors involved in the process and not The Doctor.

It was a draining day, but generally a good day for Dad.

PS: No new news on Scooter. Several severe issues remain and spoke to the vet and she said to give it another week and bring Scooter in next week. If there is any noticeable change, of course, she said to rush her over. Scooter is not getting worse but she's not getting better either. I think a big problem is she isn't drinking enough.

First, a Scooter Update

Scooter is home. I picked her up from the vet earlier today. I'd love to tell you she's feeling fine, but she isn't. However, she is thrilled to be home. I spent some time with her, then left her alone for a short time to do a few errands. She cannot walk all that well, but she can walk. She made it to her litter box (and used it), she made it to her food bowl (and ate barely any), and she managed to jump into my chair where she was fast asleep when I came home. She doesn't smell too good, but I think that's because they weren't expecting her to come home today. She's also got a shaved leg where the IV was located. (See previous post if interested).

It still hurts me to watch her try and walk. On the one hand she is walking, on the other hand I use the term walking very loosely. It's more like staggering you'd see on a drunkard. But she seems happy, and is grooming herself. I brushed her repeatedly because she's shedding like mad. She sat in my lap for hours.

I spoke with Dr. Child who informed me that she was eating and has regained an entire pound. However I suspect it's mostly fluid from the IV. I will continue to monitor her carefully. She's also going to be on a wet food diet for a little while so she'll eat more and I'm going to increase her rations. I have the pills which I have to give her twice a day for the next month before they decide what the future dosage will be. I also got pill pockets to try to see if she'll eat them without a fight that way. My regular vet would like to examine her, but I will wait a few days rather than traumatize her with another vet's visit -- she also has to go back to the ER vet in 3 weeks for a follow up there.

I spent most of the day at home with her reading Harry Potter, and a review will be coming shortly.

Even More Scooter News :(

First, see previous post from yesterday. I had an appointment today at 4pm to pick up Scooter and take her home. This appointment was made yesterday because Dr. Child was confident Scooter would be in better shape and able to go home. Friday afternoon is not the time to go to a vet's office.

After a 15 minute wait, the vet came out to answer all my questions. It was Dr. Child's day off so it was one of the other two vets. She was a bit frazzled having finished some surgery on another critter of some sort. She patiently answered all my questions though not what I wanted to hear. They hadn't notified my regular vet Dr. Diaz who has many years of Scooter's medical history. They hadn't made sure she was able to walk. They were just going to send her home and have me bring her in every day for a week for a hydration. Fortunately, I have far more sense than they do, apparently.

Scooter was brought to me and she wasn't struggling with the assistant which was a bad sign. They put her down and she didn't make it two steps. I picked her up and held her. I explained to the vet how unsuitable it would be for Scooter to come home (two stories is bad if you can't walk -- too much risk of falling and getting seriously hurt trying to move around). She agreed and said they would hook Scooter up to an IV and try to rehydrate her and give her more food.

I told them I want time alone with Scooter before she went back to her cage. So I spent a half-hour with Scooter petting her and talking to her and trying to keep her happy -- all while trying not to cry. It was so pitiful I couldn't stand it. When it was time for her to go back to the holding pens, I took her myself and wouldn't turn her over. I am going to visit her again Sunday when Dr. Child is on duty -- and I might go Saturday afternoon as well.

Things just aren't looking too good right now. This vet has a totally different demeanour and outlook than the first vet. I left and went to my regular vet and demanded an immediate audience, and he graciously spoke to me. I explained what had happened and he agreed moving her to his office (or home) right now would just be a Really Bad idea. He also promised to check up with the doctor there. He feels much of this is due to Scooter's age and not the thyroid issue because the symptoms are still not fully matching. Cats with thyroid problems eat a lot and Scooter does not eat a lot any more. I won't likely hear from him again until Monday.

So I am going to have a bad weekend. I didn't sleep last night because Scooter wasn't beside me. I woke up, saw her bed, her dish, her toys and was reminded of her. Then I came home today and saw the same things. A few minutes ago, I caught myself checking her litter box even though she wasn't even home to use it.

Scooter News :(

Scooter has been losing a little bit of weight -- mostly eating a bit less. But otherwise she has been behaving normally. Just this morning she jumped up on the table and had a try at my breakfast -- something she normally does. She still jumps all over, and is generally active and cantankerous. Her only unusual behaviour change was about three months ago, she decided she wouldn't drink water from her bowl -- only the guest bathroom toilet. I have no idea about that, don't ask.

I came home today a little early, at around 515pm and I was not greeted at the door. I called for Scooter and got a meow in reply. This is unusual because she always greets me at the door and demands fresh food. She was laying next to her bed (not in it) and looked at me plaintively. I said hello and went over to pet her. She stood up, and fell back over. She tried to walk, but listed heavily to one side and fell over again. She tried to run and didn't get two feet before collapsing. I picked her up, grabbed the phone and called the vet's office immediately. My dumb luck that his day off is Thursday and Sunday. I swear violently and stuff Scooter into her carrier and she doesn't resist -- a bad sign to be sure.

I drive like a maniac to the 24hour emergency vet in my neighbourhood. I get there in under 3 minutes, narrowly missing several cars and bicyclists and using the sidewalk as a passing lane. I park illegally and run into the emergency vet's office. I notice Scooter had pissed in her cage, something she's never, ever done before -- meaning she really has no control over her muscles. (I talked to her the whole time so she wouldn't be afraid.)

The Vet's name is Doctor Jill Child, and she sees Scooter (but not me) almost immediately after I answer a few basic questions of the "what's wrong" variety for the receptionist. They put me in the holding cell for distraught parents, which describes me perfectly.

Scooter's been to the vet. She's even been to the emergency vet when she had blood in her pee. But I've never been in fear for her life until today. After about fifteen minutes the Vet comes and talks to me and says there's nothing obviously wrong and she doesn't feel her life is in immediate danger. She said she'll run blood tests and such and call me later and I should go home. She asks me lots of questions and observes that Scooter is a quirky but intelligent cat.

I come home and notice a few things (a) she ate about half her breakfast, (b) there's a relatively fresh log in her litter box, and (c) her toys are strewn about upstairs and downstairs. So clearly this is a recent development. A matter of hours, at most. I prepare to call the Vet to give her more details and just as I do, my phone rings. It's the Vet. She says all of her tests indicate Scooter's organs are in good shape but her weight is critically low and she's got an absurd amount of crud in her ear (an ongoing problem for nearly 7 years). Her cell counts are all very good. She believes it's a thyroid problem even though she has passed several previous tests. She will consult with Doctor Diaz tomorrow.

Scooter must spend the night at the clinic and be force feed via syringe. They are also going to medicate her with Thyroid pills twice a day -- good luck to them with that -- which she will have to take twice per day for the rest of her life. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage that since I have to travel and such, and she's a very bad patient, too. Feeding her antibiotics for an occasional urinary tract infection has always been a challenge.

I will have more news tomorrow and update then.

I am sad, upset, and terribly anxious.

Update on Dad II

A number of you have written asking for the latest update on dad. On the plus side, he's definitely doing better. There is no question of that. He is also definitely not cured. I'd love to tell you he's in remission, but he isn't.

However the news he got was good news. Only one mass is left and it's shrunk from 6cm to 4cm. He is no longer undergoing any treatment, and hasn't for about a month. In about four weeks he will have another series of PET and CAT scans to determine how much of the tumor is actually still alive, and what the next course of treatment is. It might be more radiation, or chemotherapy. It might be arthroscopic surgery, if possible. We just don't know.

I have no further available news at this time. Thank you for your continued support and concern.

Medical Update: The Final Word

After yet another 1+ hour wait, I have my results. I am not going to die prematurely, at least not from this. Yay. When you're all done dancing, I'll continue typing. (Insert Pause Here)

I'm going to be brief because my detailed medical history is boring and probably not for publication on the web, though if anyone wants more than I've posted here, I'll share. The final diagnosis is Gastrointestinal Neuropathy -- which is most commonly associated with diabetes, but I do not have diabetes.

What does this mean: Nexium twice a day for the next 3 months, then once a day for one month. If the problem doesn't get worse, once a day forever. On top of that Flora-Q which is a probiotic. Other than that I can resume much of my normal activity with some exceptions. Doctor V. Alin Botoman believes that over the next year or so the damage will slowly repair and I will get back to normal or at least as normal as I ever was. BTW, I didn't know it until today but Dr. Botoman is chairman of the Department of Gastroenterology at Cleveland Clinic locally and also at the University of Miami where he is Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine -- and he's got impressive credentials.

No tomato-based products, nothing carbonated, and no citrus products. I can have very limited amounts of coffee (a few cups a week) if I want and even the occasional orange juice or lemonade (US kind not UK kind) if I so desire. I need to keep my stress down a bit -- which means I probably should never drive in Miami again :)

There's more and it's not quite as easy as I made it sound, but it's certainly not as bad as I expected. I can now go to Publix and get a proper grocery order.

(Please note I am not a doctor and am not guaranteeing I am explaining my condition fully or properly so you shouldn't base something you have based on something I've written here.)

Eric with Tube In Nose

Eric with Tube In Nose
Originally uploaded by darsys.

This morning I had an esophageal manometry, and then that was followed with the hook-up for the 24 hour pH test. So, here I am with the ever-so-exciting medical device. This is yet another step in the research to prevent my hopefully unlikely and untimely demise. It was done this morning, and I didn't enjoy the procedure, though it didn't really hurt. It just tormented my gag-reflex. It doesn't hurt but it's terribly uncomfortable. Like the idiot I am, I went from the doctor's office straight to work. I have to wear this device for 24 hours (no showering allowed) then return to the doctor to have this removed.

As the day goes on this is becoming increasingly more uncomfortable. I can tell my throat will be a mess tomorrow because it's hurting in places it didn't hurt before. The damn tube is rubbing everywhere and I hates it. (Please say the last bit like Gollum).

Post 299: More on Aetna and other unrelated stuff

Let's see, this is the 299th post in my blog so the next post will be a milestone of sorts. I will be sure and either commemorate it or perhaps entirely ignore it.


Aetna Sucks Worse Than A Two-Bit Whore

Today, I sent a formal complaint to the State of Florida department of insurance regulation about the crap Aetna has put me through. More importantly, I sent a copy of that complaint to Ronald A. Williams, Aetna's CEO. I doubt I'll get an answer, because as you've seen in my previous posts (especially this one) you have by now realized Aetna cares not one whit and not one iota about its clients and would prefer they all drop dead rather than actually try and help them -- think of all the money they'd save!

I realize some Aetna employees may be reading this, and I believe some of you may actually care about your clients, but I maintain that your company as a whole and your company's policies are grossly negligent towards the care and well-being of your patients. When you become so arrogant that you feel your policies are more important than those of a licensed medical practitioner, then there is something horribly wrong with your company. I deeply resent a computer and a clerk telling me they want to question my doctor over my prescription, and as much as I resent, I can assure you my doctor resents it more, because he told me so. You have forgotten that your patients are human beings, if you haven't forgotten then you just don't care. I'm not sure which is worse. Repulsively disgusting.


Product Recalls

In other news, there has been yet another product recall (today: mouthwash) which has been contaminated. In recent months there's been cat food, dog food, mouthwash, spinach, lettuce, peanut butter, and so forth. A slew of recalls in recent months. There are forces at work here, mostly the government letting companies get away with murder, perhaps? I almost am ready to agree with conspiracy theorists on this one and we all know how much I loathe conspiracy theory. But there's just too many in too short a time. And what's worse, if it's as easy as a farm worker crapping in a field to cause massive outbreak of e-coli, just think how easy it would be for a terrorist to drop something far, far, far worse into the food supply. Or, perhaps, it's best if you don't think about it -- especially if you have Aetna because you'll probably die.


My Photo & Home Movie Library

I've also decided to digitize my entire photo library. I should thank Rangeek for this because he and I were talking (ie: e-mail) and I thought it would be cool to see old photos but I bemoaned the lack of patience to do the job and thought it would be a good business idea. Of course, with Google, you can find anything. And, indeed a search found any number of companies that do this -- not all of them reputable.

I plan to have my entire photo collection (photos, negatives, slides, everything) put on CDs and my home movies including the infamous New Year's Eve parties put on DVD. I will make them available to my friends who attended. I will slowly post some of the photos to my Flikr page. This project will cost me at least a grand and take two months, but it's worth it. I have photos of some good memories that are irreplaceable (such as this one). And I'd like to have a set of CDs to put in a safe-deposit box somewhere after I make copies to share. I can also clean up some of the older, grimy photos with Photoshop. I plan to ship off three cases of material to the company within two weeks.

I have photos from my Boy Scout days, college days, childhood, and such. I have photos of relatives, pets, places, vacations. There's so much there. 90% of it is meaningless to anyone but me. But people are funny about photos. Survey after survey asks people what they would save first if their house would burn down (excluding people and pets) and the answer is overwhelmingly photos.

I may post some of the videos on a secure password protected web-page on my site one day for your download amusement. But it's really boring if you weren't there in many cases. Parties, trips to the zoo, a road trip. Then again there are some very interesting things on there that, perhaps, I may not want to share. I'll watch 'em first. But the video of Paul counting shoes on the bridge to Tomorrow land is pretty damned priceless. Maybe I'll charge him $50,000 not to post it. Of course on that same tape I'm terribly hung-over the next morning, so I won't win any prizes either. Heh. Seriously, once it's done (updates posted here) I will report what is and isn't available.

Today's Medical Report

Today was my appoint with Dr. V. Alin Bottoman, who I saw because a friend highly recommended him. If you haven’t read my insurance saga, it might be appropriate reading. You may read that at: April 2007. My previous medical update is at March 2007 – and lastly if you don’t remember when it started there’s this blog post September 2006 and this post August 2006. That will get you up to date. Done reading? Good. Now, I can start where we left off. This bit will take you from the March 2007 post to today.

As you’ve seen, I spoke with Doctor Newman a few days later and he said the results were excellent. There were no tumours, ulcers, or any sign of any problem whatsoever. He said I had a very small hiatal hernia, which is normal in people my age and it was nothing to worry about and wouldn’t be the cause of the reflux. As you can also see, as evidenced by my anti-insurance posts, I went back to Doctor for my follow up visit. He used the camera through the nose device, said nothing was wrong, and referred me back to Doctor Newman who he said was my doctor for everything except the granuloma. Not overly happy with being shunted off, I called Doctor Newman who said to continue the twice per day Nexium and add a Zantac mid-day. I’m doing that, but I don’t want to take drugs long-term. Something caused this, and if we can find the cause we can fix it.

The simple fact is my acid reflux is not getting better despite all these medications. I can taste it in my mouth on-and-off on some days – a sour taste in the mouth. I have embarrassing large quantities of gas all day and all night. My throat is very sore, especially on my left side near the top and swallowing is a chore -- if I press the spot with my finger, I can swallow with almost no pain. I find that odd. My voice sounds terrible. The problem is worse in the morning, especially when I first wake up.

My stomach has a constant dull ache that has only started since the Endoscopy (though I don’t think that it’s related) – I suspect it’s the gas build-up. I am also getting sharp-stabby pains in a few very specific spots of my stomach, also which started since the Endoscopy. They don’t last long (2 or 3 seconds) but I sure as hell can notice them. One spot is worse than the other two. It happens 3 or 4 times per day, randomly and in varying degrees. And now, you’re up to today before Doctor Botoman. Aren’t you glad I had all this free time to type this for your reading pleasure?

The doctor’s office gave me a ream of paperwork to fill out: questionnaires, surveys, and the usual health crap. Then, of course, I waited. There’s nothing like a doctor’s office to wait in for the sheer boredom effect. Then they called me in and the nurse came in with a laptop and asked me many detailed questions, and typed them into the computer. Prior to my visit, I had faxed a two-page report on everything that happened to date (which, happily, was already in my folder). I also vented about my Aetna problem and she laughed (friendly) and said they’re all bad so I shouldn’t be too mad. Then she said the doctor would be with me shortly. She also informed me I look like him (I disagree) and I’d see when he came in.

A good 35 minutes later, he appeared. And he immediately apologized for the delay. I liked him already. No doctor has ever apologized for the wait. He explained the network went down and he needed all the stuff the nurse typed in so he had to wait for it to come up. He asked me lots more questions.

First, he agreed that there’s obviously something wrong despite the fact there was nothing on the Endoscopy. Second, he believes Nexium doesn’t always work in some cases and I may be one of them. He is postulating that my body is metabolizing the Nexium faster than it’s released from the capsules though he recommends I continue to take it 2x per day for at least 3 more months. He also said the morning dose is far more important than the evening dose which is against conventional wisdom.

(The part from here to the end of the post is heavily edited for on-line viewing. I've left most of it out; lots of gory details, and the bulk of the results. The report is available to friends and family by inquiring via e-mail.)

First up for me is a poop test. Once I pass that I get my first pH test which is done by inserting several electrodes into my nose and down into my esophagus which stay there for 24 hours. I then wear what looks like a purse for 24 hours (it contains the recording devices and such).

He feels there are several outcomes. If I do nothing, I have an extraordinarily high-risk of esophageal cancer, and can die from it. Associated with that, I run