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Author
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Topic: update
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted July 11, 2026 08:08 PM
I’m really sick, folks. I’m back in the hospital. Last ight was brutal.
All night I could not sleep because of the pain coughing.
Today I am slightly better. I am getting pain meds, which might allow me to sleep. WE will see?
My daughter has extended her stay for a few days. When she leaves, her husband is coming down to help.
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 33320 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted July 11, 2026 08:30 PM
Well, I found out why it’s screwing with me, I wasn’t logged in!
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 33320 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Kokopelli
SENIOR DISCOUNT & Dispenser of Sage Advice
Member # 633
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posted July 12, 2026 02:07 AM
Well ............ This is not good news.
Are the Drs. finding anything that they can fix or are they just 'running more tests' ????
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And lo, the Light of the Trump shown upon the Darkness and the Darkness could not comprehend it.
Posts: 8897 | From: Under a wandering star | Registered: Apr 2005
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Semp
GOLD STAR MEMBER
Member # 3074
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posted July 12, 2026 12:32 PM
Damn! I didn't realize the seriousness of the situation. Hang in there LB. Prayers sent.
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Always remember: That court appointed psychiatrist is not your friend.
Posts: 440 | From: Kentucky | Registered: Aug 2008
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted July 12, 2026 05:19 PM
Well I don’t know? Somehow, in my opinion, the problem is communication.
I have an accumulation of phlegm in my throat that I can’t cough up, but it hurts to try! There is the pain. They ask how much and I say 7-8. But the impulse to take the deep breath causes a cough that induces the pain, hence can’t get comfortable enough to sleep and I’m a zombi until 2-3 AM, and maybe I get sleep. I have to fight for anti anxiety medication, I got one yesterday morning but was denied last night for 12 hours. Since thenI haven’t slept at all.
Nurse said she would talk to the Dr. I think they intend to release me tomorrow?
Well last time two weeks ago, they sent me home and I was mizzerable.
Anyway, I’m back and this is Sunday evening and I’m told that they will release me tomorrow.
They play these games on medication. Can’t be too close to your last injection of something else, or some other reason I don’t understand. And I don’t understand most of the rules. The bed has sensors that notify the front if I get out of bed to pee. They insist on helping, but they take their time responding. I mean coming to your aid. Responding to getting out of bed without asking for assistance first is always immediate, and a little notty boy thrown in for good measure.
What I dread every night about midnight or 1 a.m. is that’s when my pain is the worst and I have apparently exhausted all my pain meds. And the say next when you can get it is anywhere between 3 more and 9 more hours. Hate to hear that whenI can’t sleep because the chest pain from breathing is keeping me awake. No solution, either? Buck up, Bucko!
Today I had an echo ultra sound. Takes video of my heart working. Interesting, claims it’s more information than MRI or CT scan. I had X-ray and CT scan last week. Main bitch is the fucking shell game with pain meds. No no, too close to something else you had hours ago, and I can’t see the screen they are referencing.
Anyway, I do want out. but last time was too soon and forced me back to ER. I do not want to go back, so I hope that sending me home this time is not. too soon!
TTYL / El Bee 🐝
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 33320 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Kokopelli
SENIOR DISCOUNT & Dispenser of Sage Advice
Member # 633
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posted July 12, 2026 08:16 PM
This getting old shit ain't for sissies........
Hang in there !!!! ![[Cool]](cool.gif)
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And lo, the Light of the Trump shown upon the Darkness and the Darkness could not comprehend it.
Posts: 8897 | From: Under a wandering star | Registered: Apr 2005
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NVWalt
Does not claim to be overly bright!
Member # 375
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posted July 13, 2026 02:20 AM
We old timers have a way of downplaying any sickness or problems of any kind. What I'm saying is reading between the lines things don't look so good Leonard. I pray you come through this ordeal and it comes to a happy ending. This is the only site I go to just to hear us old farts babble on about our good ol days and occasionally somethings really of interest. Hang in there and may God be with you on this one as it doesn't sound very encouraging and you need some backing.You are indeed blessed in that your family is still family. Including all of us here. Get well.
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I support LGBT 100%. Liberty, Guns, Beer, Tits.
Posts: 835 | From: Tellico Plains, TN | Registered: Aug 2004
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted July 13, 2026 05:40 PM
I’m busted out today. Armed with A LOT of drugs and a Nebulizer that was waiting for me parked out front and the guy showed me, (actually, my daughter) how to use the little machine. It actually works exactly like when I had an aquarium, you know to make the bubbles? Anyway We have a medical supply company that provides the oxygen generating machine, and the O2 cylinders, wit the cute little golf cart. I have 4 extra cylinders. Then, I have a portable unit with a shoulder strap that does the same thing as the big roll around oxygen generator, only ar a much smaller scale.
I used the shoulder strap machine when I went to Emergency 4 days ago and during the ride, I used up 52 % of, (I guess) the battery, and depending on the setting,I need to be careful and not run out. I might have to figure that out, because I have a Doctor appointment coming up, and I’ve already decided to pack along the golf cart gear, just in case.
So, at least for the immediate future, I have to take oxygen 24 hours a day. Mostly and primarily the 02 generating machine with a long tubing all over the floor from the kitchen to my recliner in the living room and then to my bathroom in the bedroom.
When we bought in this community 50 years ago they only had 4 models to choose from; and4 models that were the same floor plan, but reversed. Luckily for me, we bought the only two story model that has the master bed room on the ground floor. I’d have to pay for a second machine upstairs if I had bought any other floor plan! Talk about planning a head! lol
I have a very elaborate, complicated schedule for everything even laxatives. But, for sure, I will run out of pain medications very soon. As we all know, the medical community is so paranoid about prescribing narcotics, or as we call it, pain medication. They would, very seriously, let me suffer, and they did, rather that over medicate a patient. That’s one of the things I need to take up with this new doctor. See, my regular doctor I have had for about 20 years, and consider a friend,,,,well, he hit 65 and retired.
The system assigned me to some guy named ABUDABBI or Mobutu or something I never bothered to actually write down or remember. Anyways, when I started having trouble breathing, and went to reorder my morphine pills, the Pharmacy informed me that Dr what’s his name canceled my reorder! I cannot be out of morphine. I’m not a junkie, but I have been on long term pain therapy for all this time, close to 20 years. So, I had to get creative and they have a same day appointment, and it might not be with me regular doctor and it almost never is. So I had to see another doctor in Chino and she authorized the refill and I was able to go down to the 24 hour pharmacy and get my desperately needed medication.
So I need to have a face to face with him finally and find out what he will do because now, I need 4 times the pain killers that before were just for my back condition. Now I have these blood clots on my lungs and don’t ask me why, but it is seriously painful. One byproduct is that I can’t sleep at all when it hurts to breathe. So to dull the pain associated with breathing and coughing, I need the drugs, and believe me, they have a stringed regimen. I have ton follow it, religiously. Or rather my daughter has to. This is no fun.
Basically, I can’t live alone any more. I may have mentioned that my daughter is here and her husband has FED Xed her medication down here twice because she has stayed much longer than she planned. But when she flies home, her husband, Corey is renting a car because it is cheaper than the $400 that a last minute flight would cost. Then he will stay with me for(I think) ten days, and take care of me. After that my grandson in Colorado, Aaron is coming to watch me. He is a wounded warrior, he caught to lung disease riding the 50 BMG it the Hummv, and breathing that desert dust. Anyway, after that. My son is moving back home with his wife and 4 coon hounds, and will take care of me long term.
All of this we think is cheaper and more desirable than putting me in a home.
So, now you are up to speed. I just don’t know what the future holds but you might be right or wrong. This condition is incurable, short of a lung transplant, and you know that won’t waste a healthy set of lungs on an 83 years old man. Let’s be realistic. Quality of life might not be as good as one would hope, but I will take what I can get. They tell me that some people manage for quite a while.
Wish me luck and I will be around, Please use the board, make friends, be kind to each other.
LB 🐝
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 33320 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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UTcaller
NEVADA NIGHT FIGHTER
Member # 8
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posted July 14, 2026 08:03 AM
I’m really sorry to hear you have to go through all this medical stuff Leonard. Like you guys have said before getting old ain’t for sissies. I saw my dad go through a lot before his passing 3 years ago.And I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Really hope you start feeling better you will be in my prayers.
Chad
Posts: 1795 | From: Utah | Registered: Jan 2003
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted July 14, 2026 11:11 AM
Thanks Chad
I have a Physical Therapy person coming from the hospital today, in about an hour. I’’m multi tasking on the nebulizer, my morning coffee and my morning pills and the anti cough medication.
The good news is that I slept through the night!. I went to bed about midnight, apprehensive about the first night on my own.
I did ok which is only the third night that I have got a sorta full night’s sleep. This is in the past 2 weeks, three times!
The problem is that breathing is painful. When breathing is painful, it’s impossible to sleep, I spend all my effort on the breathing process. This sounds basic, easy to express but apparently, it is difficult to comprehend, because all I get is blank looks. What’s the problem, gramps? Breathing is easy, it’s automatic and you don’t have to even think about it. Well, maybe not when you have blood clots on both lungs and more accumulating especially on my left leg. That’s another thing, I have not had the leg swelling too much, I take the lasix, I think it’s called, as needed. Anyway, I do have noticeable swelling in both legs and I don’t think they have been giving me that drug, but maybe I missed it?
Another thing was that yesterday, for some reason, I tested at 160 blood pressure 3 times. That’s weird because I have never had high blood pressure, it rarely exceeds 125 over whatever, but mostly under 120. This morning it was back to 125 over, I forget?
So, I know this is boring fellas, but I have nothing better to do. I’m taking it easy, and trying to cooperate with all the required demands and I am seriously worried about my daughter. She seems fragile andI’m not sure she can take it? She feels all of this responsibility and seems stressed and sensitive.
For instance, she brings me my coffee, a nebulizer and my morning pills and sets these things on my side tray. I don’t know if that’s multi tasking but I need to stick the damned nebulizer in my mouth and forget about that coffee….and the same with the pills. I normally take these things one at a time, but when I point that out to her, she does get a bit of attitude like I’m being critical. She is kinda letting this responsibility overwhelm her and all I am trying to do is HELP HER! I can’t drink coffee with a fucking nebulizer in my mouth! What’s so hard to understand? Same with the pills. I don’t care about the order, but can we do them one at a time? This is received as criticism on her part; so why didn’t I keep my mouth shut?
She said, the pool needs water. Oh, okay that’s easy. So she goes upstairs and I go out the slider and down the stairs and turn on the pool water. When she comes down stairs, I said I turned on the water/and she said what are you doing down the stairs? I said, Shelley, don’t you know that the pool water valve is right next to the stairs, and she freaks out about me up and down the stairs! Talk about cross connecting! Al I wanted to do was let her monitor the water level and turn it off before it overflows, maybe in 2-3 hours because nobody has been paying any attention to it since I’ve been in the hospital. Talk about MINOR DETAIL, but she mini-freaks out about me going down the stairs, dragging this stupid 02 tubing with me that did actually get stuck between my toes while I was on the stairs, but I didn’t share that part.
Then she left and the social worker from the hospital called and wanted to come a little early, and Shelley had just left for the pharmacy! So, she wanted to know if she could come a little early? I didn’t know what to tell her because Shelley was trying to squeeze her errand into a free space before the appointment.
OK I know, boring stupid shit. Sorry, it’s just therapy for me.
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 33320 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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UTcaller
NEVADA NIGHT FIGHTER
Member # 8
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posted July 14, 2026 11:38 AM
I’m sure she understands. When I was helping take care of my dad, he would get frustrated with things and get alittle snappy and that would get me on edge too. It’s just as the care givers we feel helpless and responsible for your care and want to help and sometimes go alittle extreme. It’s really great that you have a daughter to help you out, with us it was just me and my two brothers. And men just don’t get it when it comes to bedside manner. Hang in there Leonard.
Chad
Posts: 1795 | From: Utah | Registered: Jan 2003
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Kokopelli
SENIOR DISCOUNT & Dispenser of Sage Advice
Member # 633
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posted July 14, 2026 12:08 PM
Ok ......... In your long suffering daughter's defense, bringing you all three things at once would be more efficient than making three separate trips. Give her a break, she's probably got a lot on her mind.
And don't give the Physical Therapy people too much grief. They mean well.
Now .............. Shut the pool water off. ![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
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And lo, the Light of the Trump shown upon the Darkness and the Darkness could not comprehend it.
Posts: 8897 | From: Under a wandering star | Registered: Apr 2005
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted July 14, 2026 12:51 PM
ko ko, you have been here. You know this is an olympic size pool, at least that’s what they call it. With the diving board, the deep end is 9 1/2 feet deep, and the shallow is still 4 1/2. Little kids that can’t swim should probably stay in the spa. But the thing is, this holds about 36,000 gallons and filling a couple inches below the level of the spa requires a few hours and I just looked and we ain’t there yet. It’s a half inch water line and I forget how many gallons per minute at city water pressure, but it’s going to be probably 2-3 more hours to get to the level of the spa tile. It got pretty low while I’m been gone. No big deal besides disrupting the chemical balance. But pool man comes tomorrow and he will get it sorted out. You know that chlorine prices have been through the roof the past couple of years and the arrangement I have with this guy, a wounded warrior, by the way. So, because of the fluctuations in cost of chlorine tablets, I pay for the buckets and he uses them.
Before the problems with the fires or what ever it was that doubled the price of chlorine 3” tablets, apparently there is a plant that is on line and a bucket of tabs has gone down from almost $200 and the last bucket I bought was (I forgot) but closer to $120 and that’s significant savings. It’s the same with all the environmental considerations, according to the Greenies. They want to shut down any sort of chemical plant, or oil refineries. Anyway, I think maybe one plant is back on line after a fire or something? It’s been years where the cost of chlorine has been sky high because of the reduced production capacity. It’s amazing that we have had a little relief recently, and for this much water, it takes a lot of Chlorine to treat it.
TTYL,
El Bee 🐝
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 33320 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Kokopelli
SENIOR DISCOUNT & Dispenser of Sage Advice
Member # 633
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posted July 14, 2026 01:09 PM
I don't know all of the details but I believe that the guy down the road from me treats his pool with salt. Seems to be the 'new' thing.
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And lo, the Light of the Trump shown upon the Darkness and the Darkness could not comprehend it.
Posts: 8897 | From: Under a wandering star | Registered: Apr 2005
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted July 14, 2026 05:16 PM
Yeah, I know that is a recent fad. But otherwise, I do not know if all the gear is different and if a salt water pool can be instantly converted?In other words I don’t know anything about it? For instance, does it mean that you don’t use chlorine and muriatic acid to control the pH, etc.? Just use salt instead? Ans maybe it’s for different kinds of pools. The lady behind me has a fiberglass pool. They used a huge long crane to lift it over her roof from the street and drop it where it is. Impervious, to all chemicals, I suppose?
The guy next door has a Plastic liner pool. THey use some soft pellets on the back side to cushion the plastic. You have a hard time finding a pool service that will clean plastic liner pools because they tear easily and now you have a big mess of soggy pellets and a ripped liner and the pool guy will not risk being responsible so they do not service these pools, the owner should probably buy a robot sweeper or just clean it himself.
I have a durable concrete pool with white plaster that needs to be replaced occasionally and actually it should be done anytime, it’s actually overdue. In fifty years, I have had one acid bath and one replaster, the whole kit and kaboodle draining that water, actually pumping out to the street and afterwards, it will need probably $800-$1,000 cost of water to fill it up again. So a replaster is lengthy and expensive, and if you take care of your pool, the plaster will last a long time. But a concrete Gunite pool is the best, or at least regarded as a Cadillac or quality pool. But the fiberglass has a lot of advantages, until they pop out of the ground! I don’t know the conditions that causes that to happen, but it does happen.
Anyway, there are. a number of possibilities and the price get’s ridiculous. My pool cost $8,000 when we bought the house. My daughter and husband got a concrete pool, fancy waterfall spa and decking with gutters, etc for $75,000 approx. 18 years ago. You know, inflation! But, her pool is about half the size of mine. It had to be shoehorned into an existing space.
And, while all of my plant and fixtures is all stainless steel, for her setup, the tanks are all a type of fiberglass and plastic ABS? Just saying, I couldn’t guess what it would cost in today’s dollars to duplicate this pool today. Just off the wall guess, and I have never considered it before, but maybe $100,000 might buy you a 20X40 foot pool in a rectangle shape so you have all the surface area that you don’t get if you have the graceful curves, and lose the actual surface area. Just saying that you get a lot more room with a rectangular pool versus curved artistic designs that are priced on the cost figuring the perimiter. That’s what you are paying for, the perimeter of the coping and those graceful shapes cost you surface area and the pool will be much smaller because they price pools by perimeter, and those fancy curves actually rob you of swimming area. Other than that, it’s hard to explain.
All this blabber and just now, we have finally brought the level up even with the Spa tile and shut it off. In the heat of June and July, with predictions today of 96. the evaporation can be as much as one inch per day and water is getting more expensive every day.
All this is good reason for buying modest sized pools. Cost of electricity, cost of water and cost of chemicals encourages people to be conservative with their designs. Just get something to splash in and forget about laps. As you know, I was an Olympic grade freestyler in my day. MY teammate, Lance Larson won a silver medal at the Rome Olympics in 1960 while I was in the Army in Germany. Lance just died about a year ago. He was a dentist in Orange County. One of the most gifted swimmers in history, and one Olympic silver medal does not begin to tell the whole story. Huge controversy as to why he wound up with a silver medal instead of the gold medal that he deserved. There is information out there that explains how he got a raw deal. Anyway, he died happy knowing what he did and what he deserved. He was every bit a Michael Phelps of his day.
Yeah, anyway. More blog. Hey look, I’m just sitting here with my Nebulizer and my cuff for the blood pressure and I’m in pajamas all freakin day. I’m feeling a little better, but damn, I tire very easily! Yet they want me to get up at least every 2 hours. And I can manage that just by going to the bathroom where I can sit down a pee like a girl because standing up takes too long to get results. I don’t care. They wouldn’t give me Pizza in the hospital but that’s what I had for dinner last night.
The only condimint they gave me that was worth a shit was the tiniest packet of pepper you have ever seen! they have a way of preparing pot roast that makes it dry and tasteless. Always bring lunch and dinner when they need to do something to me while the food gets cold. Chamell ? tea is a poor substrate for Peet’s coffee.
I was scraping the salt off of the soda crackers to sprinkle on my beef or whatever tasteless crap they gave me? My daughter got the crackers from the vending machines.
I finally have a face to face with my new doctor who I perceive to be very very reluctant to prescribe sufficient pain medications. This bothers me to no end!
I am extremely careful with NORCO and morphine, but I need it, I have been on pain management for 15 years. I know what I need and I have twice went into withdrawal because I had run out of refills, like the time I went to visit Karen in Oklahoma City and forgot my pills. You know the pill caddy with different days?
I got some relief at the Walmart pharmacy, and I was so grateful! If you have ever been there, you know what I mean, Anyway, it happened another time that I had prepared all my pill caddies ahead of time but somehow when I got the morphine, I didn’t go back and add it to all the chambers that were already fill with everything I needed except the morphine….and then I didn’t go back and drop the morphine into two whole weeks of prepared medications. Therefore I was taking my pills just fine but that morphine was not getting to me and I got all fucked up. It was an over site on my part, I fucked up. But I got very sick and screwed up and couldn’t figure out what the hell was wrong? I have learned to be very observant of that purple pill.
Just do not miss you doses and everything is fine. It’s a small detail that keeps my back pain free. Works great! Just do not forget to take it for any reason or I’m in deep shit.
I am feeling better, over all. I’m learning what I need and wwhat’s critical.. Boy how have things changed. I need to buy a little thing that clamps down on my finger and measures my oxygen saturation. Like over 90% is good. And speaking of which, this plastic tubing on my nose and behind my ears is sore. Not comfortable.
I finally have an appt with this new doctor that I have not seen in person but I have had 6 or 8 appts canceled because I was in the hospital and he is at the Upland clinic. I do really need to see him and have a heart to heart talk about pain medications and why he cancels my refills without any reservations. I can and will switch doctors very easily if we cannot reach agreement on what I need versus him covering his ass about prescribing too much narcotics. Safer for him to keep me under medicated that to give me enough to dull the pain. All I want is to be able to sleep. I’m not interested in a buzz. I never realized that blood clots on the lungs could be so painful!
It’s not like smashing you finger with a ball peain hammer, but a cough that hurts in your ches. And I get a blank stare. Huh?
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 33320 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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