2009icq w/a

 

 

 

Mar. 10, 2004

 

 

evile: So I went to the Dr. this a.m. and it's Official: I'm
sterile!!
SkyeDS: :) I thought that was already official but cool
SkyeDS: it may rain Fri btw
evile: yuck. I guess we'll just have to watch the weather & see what
happens.
evile: The radiation tech showed me the Xrays, and said the Essure
worked. But I still had to go see Dr. D and have HIM tell me that.
Silly. But Ok. I got my last depo shot & should have my endometrial
ablation by end of May at the latest
SkyeDS: so there are more procedures?
SkyeDS: /me looks confused but that's sit norm
evile: one more and then my uterus will be unable to try & kill me
anymore! huzzah!
evile: I had to be sterile before the ablation, but the ablation is
the primary goal, so to speak.
SkyeDS: so long as you got what you wanted the way you wanted it,
good :)
evile: yup. I have to chat with the surgical nurse & schedule a date,
and then I have to arrange a ride to/from the appointment.
evile: Lynn took me to get my Essure. It's nice having her retired :)
SkyeDS: /me nods
evile: hopefully they'll give me a Thursday or Friday so I can have a
weekend to recover & not miss too much work. 3 people out on FMLA, we
are super-behind
SkyeDS: staff cutbacks too recently no?
SkyeDS: I thought I heard that TX was laying off 10% or something to
that effect
evile: not in my department, but the agency has.
SkyeDS: found my unused new pair of sneakers in the closet, so I will
walk to the Capital today
evile: awesome :) It's another gorgeous day. I was so tempted to just
call in 'sick' after my appointment.
SkyeDS: I count two blocks up an d five blocks over, but Hugh noted
that these are shorter blocks than we walked yesterday
evile: downtown blocks are longer n-s than they are e-w, I think.
SkyeDS: I think s o too (I drive down 15th from 35 to Nueces)
evile: I'm glad you're getting a walking habit :)
SkyeDS: not a hard habit while i'ts pretty out, don't know how
disciplined I'll be when it's cold and/or wet out
evile: The Capitol has underground areas where state employees can
walk in bad weather, but we have to use access cards now after 9/11,
they're not open to everyone. :(
SkyeDS: I want to get in the habit of walking the entire property too
(all 11 acres) no fewer than every 3 days if not more often
SkyeDS: I'd still have to drive to the Capital and park to be able to
use them.
evile: That's a good idea, both for your health & keeping an eye on
the property.
SkyeDS: I have a creek as well as a pond
evile: nice :)
SkyeDS: but I can't see anyway to set them up to drink from the creek
which is considerably cleaner than the pond because it is the
boundary of the property
SkyeDS: the whole fence thing
evile: yeah.
SkyeDS: it was my intent to set the fence back from the creek at
least five feet and preferably 7, to create a lane between t he creek
and the fence
evile: yeah.
evile: but it might be too marshy at certain times of year to hold up
a fence?
SkyeDS: another reason to set the fence that far back
SkyeDS: parts of my existing structure are marshy during wet weather,
and we have to keep an eye on the fence posts that are smack in the
middle of the wet weather creek, but no problems yet
evile: walking the property frequently throughout a rainy season/dry
season would definitely help decide where the fence would do best.
SkyeDS: every once in a while a post will lean, and we pull it back
up and that tends to be that
evile: cool.
SkyeDS: I have a water meter and faucet on the new land but I haven't
called to see about getting it consolidated yet
SkyeDS: be my luck t hat they want us to pay for it separately, and
I'm not going to do that
evile: That's kind of a hassle.
SkyeDS: so if they won't consolidate it, then we will either link t
he pipes ourselves or flat not use it at all
evile: yeah.
SkyeDS: paying for it separately would mean another $20 month flat
fee in addition to the water usage. no thanks.
evile: wow, that sucks!!
SkyeDS: sineater says that running pvc to and from faucets is not as
complicated as I tend to think it is.
evile: sineater's very handy :)
SkyeDS: the service constitutes $20 mo just to have the meter and
then the usage
SkyeDS: I don't see any point in paying for two separate meters
evile: especially if you don't need it or don't use it.
SkyeDS: although minus the monthly fee, our usage is no more and some
times less than it was at the old house, and that's including
watering the horses
SkyeDS: I have two faucets on the current meter
evile: Still, why pay more than you need to?
SkyeDS: I could ostensibly run a hose from the on eI'm not already
using to a trough that would serve the big pasture
SkyeDS: it would just be nice to be able to use the water faucet
that's in t he middle of the pasture where the electricity and phone
are
evile: yeah.
SkyeDS: since you pay for it (it is part of development, which you
pay for)
SkyeDS: but sineater says we don't even have to buy more pipe.
SkyeDS: if they're tacky about it, he says he can take the pipe that
runs from their meter to the faucet, and connect it to the faucets on
our meter.
evile: true.
SkyeDS: something else that bemuses me is that the electric company
just calls sineater and asks him how much we used in a month
SkyeDS: they don't ever read the meter, they use an honor system
evile: heh
SkyeDS: but the phone bill is outrageous and we keep having to tell
them to boost the signal strength. It should be 20+ amp and half the
time it falls below 8.
evile: yuck
SkyeDS: and I don't see why we pay $80 mo for one phone line with no
other perks than call waiting and one way metro.
evile: yuck!!!! That is awful!
SkyeDS: we tried different local service many years ago
SkyeDS: and found that when there were problems with the lines (not
ours but theirs) that they had to call SBC to get them fixed
SkyeDS: and so it seemed easier to stay with SBC
SkyeDS: but since SBC is so damn slow even when we call them directly
SkyeDS: I wonder now why we shouldn't have different local service
and at least pay less if we're going to get shit anyway
evile: Very true!
evile: brb-potty break.
evile: much better!
SkyeDS: wb
evile: I'm regretting that I gave up drinking for March. I feel like
a nice glass of champagne to celebrate my barren state :)
SkyeDS: hm
SkyeDS: I like Heather that I talked to t he first time better than
Becky
SkyeDS: and I don't get the option of putting in extensions either
evile: that sucks.
SkyeDS: she wasn't rude, just officious and pedantic
SkyeDS: listen, lady, I understand escrow and taxes probably better
than you do so can it.
evile: heh.
SkyeDS: and why does it take more than three business days to find
out if a check that was allegedly issued nearly a year ago has been
cashed or not
SkyeDS: I can log into my bank's website and find that out in a
matter of minutes.
evile: wierd.
SkyeDS: lol @ people
evile: sometimes you have to laugh or you'd smack somebody :)
SkyeDS: May I speak to Dr so and so? Please leave a msg for her to
call her attorney, Hugh B-------
SkyeDS: then I get transferred to her son the ofc manager
SkyeDS: who wants to know why I want to leave a msg
SkyeDS: it's confidential, sonny boy
SkyeDS: I happen to know he's the reason we don't get paid on time
(90 days or later)
evile: it's generally a bad idea to mix business & family.
SkyeDS: look, her attorney would like to speak with her. So mr.
office manager, do you think you could see your way clear to simply
leave her a message to call her lawyer? hm?
SkyeDS: "well why didnt you just say her lawyer wanted her to call
him in the first place"
SkyeDS: ...I did.
SkyeDS: and don't "office manager" me either.
evile: gah.
SkyeDS: because I hold the titles of Legal Secretary, Paralegal and
Office Manager under my contract.
SkyeDS: so then she gets on the phone and she talks more than I do,
believe it or not
SkyeDS: and the fanciful bullshit she shovels would make any gemini
proud
SkyeDS: adn says, make sure the invoices go to the attention of the
office manager
SkyeDS: and I told her, well, I don't know how else to put this, so
here goes
SkyeDS: I have notes here from previous correspondence that indicates
to me that Mr. Ofc Mgr likes to debate over what you owe and why
SkyeDS: now, I'm neither authorized nor inclined to enter into such a
debate
SkyeDS: so if you would kindly just instruct him to pay this we would
appreciate it
SkyeDS: I even went so far in your bhealf to ask Hugh to do
installments, and I went to t he mat for you on it
SkyeDS: so please, just send us money, now.
SkyeDS: Hugh looked very chagrined, he came in half way through this
conversation
SkyeDS: and I said, well, that's what I'm here to do, so you don't
have to.
evile: yup
SkyeDS: I will be sweet as honey, but I'm not playing games
SkyeDS: I've got better things to do with my time
evile: exactly.
SkyeDS: and I'm damned if I'm not going to teach Hugh to manage his
time better too, and not waste it on deadbeats
evile: heh.
SkyeDS: I just told him I would like to be in charge of when we send
out "stop work" letters.
evile: seems like a good OM type job :)
SkyeDS: plan is to make myself invaluable and then ask for a raise ;)
evile: good plan.
SkyeDS: oh look, you have more time, you can take in more clients, we
do more work, people are sending money i n better than they did
before, and you aren't doing work for deadbeats anymore, I save you
lots of money lots of ways
evile: cooll--that's a total win win
SkyeDS: used to be, I could just call clients (whom were all in town)
and say let's go have lunch, and say hey, can you just write me a
check for however little today? And I will do installments just for
you
SkyeDS: and almost always get paid that way, slowly, but which is
better than not at all and never
SkyeDS: but our clients are all over the state of Texas here.
evile: yeah, this is true
SkyeDS: and that method doesn't seem to work as well over the phone.
evile: nope.
evile: it's a lot easier to blow people off over the phone than in
person
SkyeDS: I like going to lunch and asking face to face, it's
friendlier.
SkyeDS: and I hate collections, but someone's got to do it
evile: yeah.
SkyeDS: because if money don't come in, we don't get paid. and I am
part of that we.
SkyeDS: I hate filing too, with a purple passion and that's why I
stay on top of it religiously.
evile: I hear ya.
evile: My workroom floor is entirely covered by all the filing I
didn't do in 2003. I'm tempted to just shred it and start over. I
could probably do that OK with everything but car & Magpies stuff.
SkyeDS: /me signs her missive with "A------- D---------- S--------, Office
Manager" and smirks.
evile: hee.
evile: I have a tentative date for my next procedure--April 8. :)
SkyeDS: :) brb
SkyeDS: bk
evile: nice walk?
SkyeDS: [Auto Response] I am currently away from the computer.
SkyeDS: haven't taken it yet :/
SkyeDS: trying to get all the aggravating peoples taken care of
evile: oh, okay then
evile: I'm outta here at 4:30, want me to walk over & get you for a
walky-break?
SkyeDS: you want to walk all the way over here, and THEN take a walk
break???
SkyeDS: that's a lot of walking :( but I would be more than happy to
drive you home afterwards? (although I don't leave here till 6 pm)
evile: *shrug* It's a nice day, I don't have anything urgent to do,
why not take a nice long walk.
SkyeDS: are you positive?
evile: Plus I'm wearing my super-comfy new earthshoes :)
SkyeDS: we are at the corner of 13th and Nueces
SkyeDS: which is between the lights at 12th and 15th, and Nueces is
five blocks over from Congress.
evile: I should be able to find it :)
SkyeDS: it goes Congress, Colorado, Lavaca, Guadalupe, San Antonio
and then Nueces (I think)
evile: That sounds right.
SkyeDS: I haven't even eaten yet *sigh*
evile: wow, busy day!!
SkyeDS: collections, new clients, accountant (tax time, wants us to
use software Hugh is reluctant to use, etc), phones ringing off wall
evile: helps the time pass when you're busy,though.
SkyeDS: when it became obvious that I wasn't getting to any stopping
points I should have just stopped midproject and eaten, like two
hours ago, or at least one.
evile: yeah. I do that too sometimes. Get too busy to eat and then
make myself sick & grouchy
SkyeDS: good thing I ate a big breakfast unlike usual
evile: breakfast is a fine thing.
evile: I have an official surgery date: April 8. Same day as my next
Tina appointment. Oh well. The next avail' wasn't until May, and I
have too much going on in May to be down for 3-4 days.
SkyeDS: if you have multiples why not just take the whole day off
SkyeDS: and then maybe it will be pretty like today :)
SkyeDS: I'm going to take half an hour and eat now. And tell Hugh
that I will take the other half hour when you get here.
evile: Sounds good.
evile: should I phone when I get there, or come in or??
SkyeDS: come on in :)
SkyeDS: 2nd floor
evile: okeydoke.
SkyeDS: now that my work comp is approved they keep nagging me to go
back to pro med
evile: I guess they have a window of time they have to operate in.
SkyeDS: they're open till 7, guess I could go after work, I'm just so
tired after work, I have an hour drive home and I don't like doing
things after work
evile: yeah...
SkyeDS: if I take you home, tonight is out. I'll go tomorrow night.
evile: You don't need to take me home. I know where the buses go :)
SkyeDS: or, I offered to bring sineater into town with me Friday to do
his movie making thing while I work, as long as he gets the rent from
Maria and gets back here in time when I get off work
SkyeDS: I damn well too am g oing to take you home :P
SkyeDS: although I'm in the black truck (which is his truck, and I
don't remedy his truckkeeping)
evile: Friday might be better, then sineater can drive and you can rest
after the Dr app't
SkyeDS: was what I was thinking
SkyeDS: not like I'll need rest, but I do want to know why I can't
work or drive without this damn thing on
SkyeDS: and how long that will last
evile: yeah.
SkyeDS: the insurance company keeps saying, you have to go until you
are well enough not to need treatment anymore
SkyeDS: and I'm like, but suppose that's never?
SkyeDS: we'll deal with that when we get there
evile: ugh.
SkyeDS: /me sighs
SkyeDS: and I still haven't seen my money although the claim is
approved. And I need that money right at the moment.
evile: it's a hassle. *fingers crossed* Everything will work out
soon I hope :)
SkyeDS: you know what sucks
evile: ?
SkyeDS: if I had done my research on worker comp claims before I went
to the doctor
SkyeDS: I would have filed it that way in the first place
SkyeDS: never been out of pocket in the first place now waiting 30 -
45 days from today to get paid back
evile: Live & learn, I guess :(
SkyeDS: AND I would have known that I don't get reimbursed for the
first seven days missed from work unless I miss 28
SkyeDS: I would have loved to have taken off a week from work
evile: yeah.
SkyeDS: then they would have had to have made the move without me,
wouldn't have had teh chance to get upset with me, and maybe I'd
still have a job
SkyeDS: without all the bullshit.
SkyeDS: but who knows, if I'd called off a week, they may have
decided to replace me then (which would have been stupid but they
weren't bright in the first place)
evile: yeah...hindsight being 20/20 and all. But, OTOH, everything
happens for a reason, even if it sucks at the time.
SkyeDS: it would be stupid to replace a paralegal because she's not
there during a move to assist with the manual labor, but they might
well have done it
evile: yup
evile: Usually, though, big companies check with HR before they do
anything, just to cover their butts
evile: I need to take a potty break, and then it'll probably be time
to make the rounds...so I'll sign off & see ya after I get off work :)
evile: *hugs* see ya soon!

•  

2010More reasons to walk!

Mar. 10, 2004

 

 

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?
id=1&display=rednews/2004/03/10/build/health/50-nutritionnews.inc

Nutrition news: Walking boosts brain power, promotes weight loss
Dayle Hayes
NUTRITION NEWS

I am a nutritionist - a registered dietitian by training - and this
is a nutrition column. However, if you are a regular reader of this
column, you know that I also frequently write about physical
activity.

That's because, in terms of health, I believe that nutrition and
fitness go hand-in-hand. If you want to maintain a healthy weight and
reduce your risk of disease, the best approach is to eat smart and
move more.

Walking benefits

In fact, if you only have the energy to make one change, I suggest
starting with physical activity. That's not to say that nutrition
isn't important - it's just that you probably get more benefits more
quickly from becoming more active.

Fitness experts are fond of saying that "if exercise were a pill, it
would be the most prescribed medication in the world."

Just consider a few recent research tidbits on the power of walking
to improve both the body and the mind:

Walking boosts brainpower. Sedentary adults (58 to 78 years) were put
on a program to gradually increase their activity levels to a 45-
minute walk three times a week. After three months of walking, MRIs
showed increased brain activity and significant improvement on tests
measuring decision-making. The same research group had previously
shown that older adults do better on mental tasks if they are fit.
Studies on children and animals have also confirmed the fitness-
brainpower connection.

Walking helps prevent breast cancer. Women (50 to 79 years old) were
18 percent less likely to get breast cancer if they walked anywhere
between 75 to 150 minutes per week. Previous research showed that
young women can reduce their cancer risk by being active, and this
study confirmed that changes later in life can also exert a
protective effect. Interestingly, women who were not overweight
benefited the most from increasing their activity levels in these
breast cancer studies.

Walking promotes weight loss. According to a recent study, the more
you walk, the more weight you are likely to lose. Obese, sedentary
women reduced their calories and started a year-long walking program.
In this case, the intensity of their walking did not affect their
weight loss, but the amount of time they walked did. Those who walked
less than 150 minutes per week lost five percent of their body
weight; 150 to 200 minutes per week lost 10 percent; and 200-plus
minutes lost 14 percent or more. Small increases in walking time made
a big difference in weight loss.

Adding value to your walk

OK, OK, you know that a daily walk is one of the best ways to
maintain a healthy weight. You also know that a 30- to 45-minute
brisk walk can boost your immune system, reduce your risk of disease
and lower your stress level.

So, what's keeping you from walking? No time? Too many other things
to do? If those benefits aren't enough to get you off the couch, here
are twelve easy ways to make your walking time do double duty.

Take a friend. Walking and talking with a friend is good for your
body, good for your heart and good for your soul.

Take a child. See the world through the eyes of a child in a
stroller, in a wagon, in a backpack or just hand-in-hand.

Take a pet. America's pets are facing their own weight crisis. Do
your dog a favor and take a long walk together.

Take a song on CD or tape. Music lightens every step and makes the
time go faster. Pick your favorite tunes and pick up the pace.

Take a book on tape. If you need to do two things at once, walking
and listening to books on tape is the perfect solution.

Take a camera. Want to be a better photographer? Make every walk a
photo expedition and you'll be a pro in no time.

Learn about birds. Wherever you walk outdoors, there are birds to
watch and hear. Perhaps it's time to start your lifetime list.

Learn about plants. City parks, country roads and wilderness trails
all have flowers and trees waiting to be enjoyed.

Learn about geology. With a little reading and a lot of observation,
you can learn about the forces that shape our land.

Learn about history. History is all around us. Use a map or guidebook
to learn what happened before your time.

Learn about your community. Become more informed and more involved by
walking around your neighborhood and your town.

Learn a language. Language tapes or CDs make ideal walking
companions, and you can even practice out loud.


Registered dietitian Dayle Hayes is a nutritionist and consultant to
Deaconess Billings Clinic and Eat Right Montana. You can contact her
at 655-9082 or EatRightMT2000@aol.com. Hayes' past Gazette columns
are available at: www.billingsclinic.com/nutrition.

2008I'm Officially Sterilized!

 

 

 

Mar. 10, 2004

 

 

The best words I've ever heard a doctor say:

"Consider yourself steril[ized?]"

Whee!!!

And instead of asking *if* he still would do the Ablation, I asked
WHEN we should schedule it.

I kick ass.

I got my last depo shot this a.m. Just to keep things empty-ish until
the ablation surgery.

Dr. Davis is a little concerned about the cyst. It is a benign polyp.
There will probably be a D&C before the ablation is done to scrape
the cyst off. He wanted to give the cyst a while to settle down after
the essure & HSG (I guess--it's possible that I've been spotting &
such due to bothering it in Nov.) and wants to be able to see what
he's doing so he doesn't catch the Essure springs, which apparently
hang out of the tubes and into the uterus a bit.

Talked to Anne, the surgical nurse, and we're scheduled for the
morning of April 8.

I will have this all finished by my 34th birthday. Won't that be a
kick in the pants!? After 9 years of Depo Provera flowing through my
veins & messing with my body & brain, to be plain ol' me with my very
own normal body chemistry and a uterus that can no longer kill me?

wow.

I am so happy I want to cry. God/dess bless America. Thank him/her
for this wonderful freedom to make my own choices and live my life
and take care of my body and my health in the best way for ME. Okay,
and now I am crying. A burden I've been carrying since I was 22 years
old is about to be gone forever.