I heard from my doctor yesterday, just before leaving for my appointment with Medicaid. He said that he had heard from a specialist in the field and IV treatment is my only option and for now due to money we will just do nothing.
I head to my appointment with Medicaid and when I talked with the case worker discovered I had filled out the wrong app. I filled one out for women with small children. The worker acted as though she wanted to be a *itch, but I stayed humble and meek and didn't give her opportunity to act on that want.
She gave me another app to fill out, so I sit in the office and fill it out. I turned it in and was told someone would be with me shortly.
Finally another lady called me and as I talked with her I realized she was one of my customers. She gave me a lot of paperwork to fill out and a list of things to bring to her before the 11th. The papers I have are for medicaid and disability.
After I got home, all of us picked and shelled 18 quarts of butter beans. This morning we got up, TA and James off to the Farmer's Market and me to work. Stacie took the girls to the dentist in McComb.
I called Lois Weeks at Sunshine Valley Health Food Store this morning. I haven't talked with her in years. I wanted some herbs to make a drawing salve. As luck would have, she answered the phone. She had been closed for a while, but was/is in the process of re-opening and is selling her herbs at cost. I mentioned my lung issue with her and she said if I could bring her a copy of my blood work she could help me fight this infection. I think I will give it a try.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday's moves
Before coming to work TA and I put about 3 trays of sliced tomatoes on the dehydrator. I sprinkled them with salt and fresh herbs and intend to seek out a method of preserving them in oil like the sun dried tomatoes we buy in the store.
Then it was TA to work and I went with Stacie to the doctor. We had a productive visit with Dr. Speed, Stacie getting some much needed medication. Then a bite of breakfast at the local McDonalds where the girl checking us out knew her stuff when I ordered a sausage McGriddle/sub bacon. As we discussed that a lady came around the corner from the back and informed my waitress that unless I was 62 I didn't qualify for senior citizen discount. The waitress and I both looked at her like she had lost her mind and informed her that was not what we were discussing. Needless to say, I got my coke at the discount and now I want to be 62; a coke is .35 with the senior citizen discount.
Then we went to the dollar store to fill Stacie's meds and shopped a bit, home, watering and such. When Shandi came in from summer school she brought a letter stating she had live lice, so treat her before sending her back. We began to check all the heads of all the girls--Ana, Anna D, Casey, Shandi, Stacie, TA and myself...all young girls had them; no over 18 had them. I had two bottles of RID and TA went to the house and began treating heads while Stacie went to town to get more...guess what, T-town had none. I had her pick up some cat shampoo with pyrethrim in it and some spray of the same and the rest of us used that last night until I get into Walmart tonight to get the real stuff.
My doctor's office called yesterday to let me know they were waiting on a call from another doctor to advise on medication for my particular bacteria.
Today, James & TA took potatoes to the Farmer's Market and Stacie rode with them to take the bed clothes to the laundry mat to wash them up in the larger washers. Lordy, there is always something going on here.
Then it was TA to work and I went with Stacie to the doctor. We had a productive visit with Dr. Speed, Stacie getting some much needed medication. Then a bite of breakfast at the local McDonalds where the girl checking us out knew her stuff when I ordered a sausage McGriddle/sub bacon. As we discussed that a lady came around the corner from the back and informed my waitress that unless I was 62 I didn't qualify for senior citizen discount. The waitress and I both looked at her like she had lost her mind and informed her that was not what we were discussing. Needless to say, I got my coke at the discount and now I want to be 62; a coke is .35 with the senior citizen discount.
Then we went to the dollar store to fill Stacie's meds and shopped a bit, home, watering and such. When Shandi came in from summer school she brought a letter stating she had live lice, so treat her before sending her back. We began to check all the heads of all the girls--Ana, Anna D, Casey, Shandi, Stacie, TA and myself...all young girls had them; no over 18 had them. I had two bottles of RID and TA went to the house and began treating heads while Stacie went to town to get more...guess what, T-town had none. I had her pick up some cat shampoo with pyrethrim in it and some spray of the same and the rest of us used that last night until I get into Walmart tonight to get the real stuff.
My doctor's office called yesterday to let me know they were waiting on a call from another doctor to advise on medication for my particular bacteria.
Today, James & TA took potatoes to the Farmer's Market and Stacie rode with them to take the bed clothes to the laundry mat to wash them up in the larger washers. Lordy, there is always something going on here.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
supper
Cream corn--we grow G-90 brand corn which is a sweet corn. We shuck, silk and wash it. Then we cream it. Somewhere on this hill I have a corn creamer but can't find it; so--I take a small knife and cut just the tip of the corn kernals. I do this with upward strokes since I can control the knife better that way. Then I take the knife and scrape down the cob, creaming the corn. Shandi used a hand held cheese grater, pushing the corn down the largerst grate area. CJ's daughter, Casey used my salad master cheese grater and that was the creamiest.
Then I blanch it by putting it in a large corning ware bowl and microwaving it 15-20 minutes. I do this is 10 minute increments stirring in between. Then I pour that cooking into a large shallow stainless steel pan so it will cook quickly and start the next batch.
For boiling I simply toss an ear here and there to the side--usually the ears I call scrappy, or those that aren't quite old enough to have lots of milk for creaming. I call scrappy ears those the kernals didn't develop evenly and fully around the cob...I toss this in a large container, cover with water and put it on the outside burner. I bring it to a boil, and boil about 10 minutes, then pour it up and cool it down for putting in bags to freeze. We put about 12 ears to the bag since that is about the amount of mouths we feed around here.
For supper last night we had.........
are you ready???????
Drum roll please..........
Fresh speckled butterbeans
Fresh cream corn
Fresh fried okra
Fresh squash pattys
Fresh tomato
Pork Chop and
Corn bread.
Oh the squash pattys/fritters are so good. You take squash and grate them along with an onion. Season with salt and pepper--I added a few pepper flakes. Add an egg or two, depending on how many squash you use, enough flour to bind it together and spoon into grease like you would salmon pattys. Fry until golden brown on each side--they were sooooooo good.
Then I blanch it by putting it in a large corning ware bowl and microwaving it 15-20 minutes. I do this is 10 minute increments stirring in between. Then I pour that cooking into a large shallow stainless steel pan so it will cook quickly and start the next batch.
For boiling I simply toss an ear here and there to the side--usually the ears I call scrappy, or those that aren't quite old enough to have lots of milk for creaming. I call scrappy ears those the kernals didn't develop evenly and fully around the cob...I toss this in a large container, cover with water and put it on the outside burner. I bring it to a boil, and boil about 10 minutes, then pour it up and cool it down for putting in bags to freeze. We put about 12 ears to the bag since that is about the amount of mouths we feed around here.
For supper last night we had.........
are you ready???????
Drum roll please..........
Fresh speckled butterbeans
Fresh cream corn
Fresh fried okra
Fresh squash pattys
Fresh tomato
Pork Chop and
Corn bread.
Oh the squash pattys/fritters are so good. You take squash and grate them along with an onion. Season with salt and pepper--I added a few pepper flakes. Add an egg or two, depending on how many squash you use, enough flour to bind it together and spoon into grease like you would salmon pattys. Fry until golden brown on each side--they were sooooooo good.
Friday, June 24, 2011
What would you think?
This is how the hospital bill came addressed to me two months in a row. Would you rush to open this? Would you think it was important mail or would you think, like I did, that this was either junk or unimportant?
beanie dog & other things
Yesterday the crew and I hit the butter bean patch. We took turns picking and tending the nursery and ended up with about 15 full quart bags of shelled beans. It was an all day job but in many ways a fun job. Those of us picking laughed and talked, just as we did as we shelled. My best church friend, Sandy came over and shelled a large pan of beans. While she was there another lady from church, Pat, dropped by to give us some squash and she stayed and shelled some beans. We really enjoyed visiting and getting to know Pat better as she is a new member to the church and community.
We saw some unusual sights while in the garden. One was Cookie, Stacie's dog. He thought he was too good to stay down on the ground amongst the wet grass and plants, so he climbs on Stacie's back for a free ride. When Stacie would shoo him off her back, he would climb on mine. Riding wasn't good enough for him though, he would also give you sugar and take your cap off. He was so funny.
Stacie also found this odd colored frog...awesome what we find when we are one with nature and our surroundings.
Today TA, James and I have gathered about 400 ears of corn. The crew is shucking and silking it now while I pay some bills and write this.
We saw some unusual sights while in the garden. One was Cookie, Stacie's dog. He thought he was too good to stay down on the ground amongst the wet grass and plants, so he climbs on Stacie's back for a free ride. When Stacie would shoo him off her back, he would climb on mine. Riding wasn't good enough for him though, he would also give you sugar and take your cap off. He was so funny.
Stacie also found this odd colored frog...awesome what we find when we are one with nature and our surroundings.
Today TA, James and I have gathered about 400 ears of corn. The crew is shucking and silking it now while I pay some bills and write this.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
sainthood
I am not a saint just a stubborn old woman who believes in fulfilling my obligations. I want my spot here on earth too, I want to live, to feel like living, to be able to pick peas, can tomatoes, apply for a job other than nursery business, laugh, cry, raise hell, apologize, live life not muddle through it.
My lung condition
I now have medicine, Biaxin. It is making me so sick I can hardly hold my head up.
I will return when I feel better. I am waiting on a call back from the doctor who told me that if I can't take this one meds, then unless the sensitivity tests show up something else that will work, it's iv antibiotics and nebulizer antibiotics.
I cannot be desensitized to this med because that would allow the bacteria to build up a resistance.
I am in a mess.
He got so excited when I balked at taking the med...accused me of having a negative attitude, not wanting to try it, (he's not american so here is where he lost me as he was talking fast) he says, I think--if you don't take this the only other option is IV antibiotic and nebulizer treatment and you are self pay and that is out of the question unless we can find someone to help you. What he meant by someone I haven't a clue--by now I was crying--my brain immediately went to people who have fund raisers and I guess pride says I don't want to do that and besides I may not be that well thought of here to raise enough money to do that. So here is where I barked through my tears...then I will just die from this stuff because I cannot take emycins, they make me deathly ill; I don't know enough people who have enough money to help me do IV treatment and besides I wouldn't ask them if I did. At this point I am not sure if I understood him correctly because then he blathers out something that went totally over my head so I held up my hand and through my tears said--whoa, I don't have a clue what you just said, you must slow down. ( I actually was proud of myself for standing up to him) But anyway, he slowed down and repeated the IV story and said--Klara, if you refuse to at least give this med a try, then we cannot get you the help needed to pursue any other course of treatment. He said he was still awaiting the results of the sensitivity tests on my bacteria to see if anything else would work better. He said he would contact physicians in larger hospitals and ask them what to use in cases such as mine. He said we were a team, but I had to work with him and if the med made me sick then all I had to do was call him, he was only a phone call away, and he would take care of me. So at this point, still bawling my eyes out, I gave up, agreed to take the stuff.
I feel sure he thinks my 'this will make me sick attitude' is the issue, but only me and God knows that isn't the case. I talked to myself for the 60 miles from Hattiesburg to the drug store in Tylertown. I told myself maybe this one would be different, I could handle a little nausea if it meant getting well, maybe after a few days it would be better, blah, blah, blah. I came home, went to VBS, ate good, took my pill when I got home. By the time I went to bed it was backing up in my throat and my heart was pounding and my chest/lungs felt like they would explode. I think, ok, the stuff is working already???? or what? But I went to sleep, woke up every hour with a nasty taste in my mouth, nibbled crackers, drank water. Tuesday got up, ate breakfast, took my pill, came to work, worked about 30 minutes and it hit me........chest exploding, breathless, heart beating fast, just let me curl up sick feeling, so I sat down up here under a fan and rested for 2 hours. Then I got up and although I was weak, I watered, slowly, taking lots of breaks. All this time I am thinking, ok, my body will adjust and this will get better...but with the Tuesday night pill my night was worse and I woke up feeling like I had the flu or something--just out of it I was so sick feeling. Still I ate and took the 4th pill and ended up having to go home and rest in the recliner all day.
I will return when I feel better. I am waiting on a call back from the doctor who told me that if I can't take this one meds, then unless the sensitivity tests show up something else that will work, it's iv antibiotics and nebulizer antibiotics.
I cannot be desensitized to this med because that would allow the bacteria to build up a resistance.
I am in a mess.
He got so excited when I balked at taking the med...accused me of having a negative attitude, not wanting to try it, (he's not american so here is where he lost me as he was talking fast) he says, I think--if you don't take this the only other option is IV antibiotic and nebulizer treatment and you are self pay and that is out of the question unless we can find someone to help you. What he meant by someone I haven't a clue--by now I was crying--my brain immediately went to people who have fund raisers and I guess pride says I don't want to do that and besides I may not be that well thought of here to raise enough money to do that. So here is where I barked through my tears...then I will just die from this stuff because I cannot take emycins, they make me deathly ill; I don't know enough people who have enough money to help me do IV treatment and besides I wouldn't ask them if I did. At this point I am not sure if I understood him correctly because then he blathers out something that went totally over my head so I held up my hand and through my tears said--whoa, I don't have a clue what you just said, you must slow down. ( I actually was proud of myself for standing up to him) But anyway, he slowed down and repeated the IV story and said--Klara, if you refuse to at least give this med a try, then we cannot get you the help needed to pursue any other course of treatment. He said he was still awaiting the results of the sensitivity tests on my bacteria to see if anything else would work better. He said he would contact physicians in larger hospitals and ask them what to use in cases such as mine. He said we were a team, but I had to work with him and if the med made me sick then all I had to do was call him, he was only a phone call away, and he would take care of me. So at this point, still bawling my eyes out, I gave up, agreed to take the stuff.
I feel sure he thinks my 'this will make me sick attitude' is the issue, but only me and God knows that isn't the case. I talked to myself for the 60 miles from Hattiesburg to the drug store in Tylertown. I told myself maybe this one would be different, I could handle a little nausea if it meant getting well, maybe after a few days it would be better, blah, blah, blah. I came home, went to VBS, ate good, took my pill when I got home. By the time I went to bed it was backing up in my throat and my heart was pounding and my chest/lungs felt like they would explode. I think, ok, the stuff is working already???? or what? But I went to sleep, woke up every hour with a nasty taste in my mouth, nibbled crackers, drank water. Tuesday got up, ate breakfast, took my pill, came to work, worked about 30 minutes and it hit me........chest exploding, breathless, heart beating fast, just let me curl up sick feeling, so I sat down up here under a fan and rested for 2 hours. Then I got up and although I was weak, I watered, slowly, taking lots of breaks. All this time I am thinking, ok, my body will adjust and this will get better...but with the Tuesday night pill my night was worse and I woke up feeling like I had the flu or something--just out of it I was so sick feeling. Still I ate and took the 4th pill and ended up having to go home and rest in the recliner all day.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
3 day rule
There is a rule that says, fish and relatives get stinky after 3 days. Our dogs found some fish in an ice check that were more than 3 days old and had them a ball...ewww...pewwww....yukkkk....GROSS.
I noticed Pepper stinking last night and bathed her, plus sprayed febreeze on all the furniture and living room rug. She got back into this morning so she will be subjected to a spraying with an odor neutralizing stuff I have for dogs. Ugggg.
I noticed Pepper stinking last night and bathed her, plus sprayed febreeze on all the furniture and living room rug. She got back into this morning so she will be subjected to a spraying with an odor neutralizing stuff I have for dogs. Ugggg.
And the truth is
What a life, what a week--the coast krew came up on Friday; the TA brought all her kids from La; the other two boys who live/work/bunk down there. They worked Saturday long enough to move an old trailer out of the way, then loaded up and went fishing; spent the night and came in late Sunday evening. TA was cooked to a crisp. She takes antibiotics on a regular basis, had sunburned the weekend before and really laid a cooking on herself this time. Huge water blisters.
They went to La on Monday to take boys back, hobbled around up here Tuesday working a bit and looking all pathetic, went to doc in NO for her pain on Wednesday and to the dentist. Dentist told her she needed to be in the hospital with that burn because she let it get infected. She was also told she drinks too many energy drinks and coffee and her kidneys are suffering which is why her ankles and feet swell. She won't eat, just drinks those liquids and takes pain pills and antibiotics.
The dentist also has to cut out some bone fragments from her gums before he can make her impressions and make her dentures, so that will be a long drawn out thing.
This is the preacher's last week at church, and we are looking toward VBS the 3rd week of June so it's a busy month again.
They went to La on Monday to take boys back, hobbled around up here Tuesday working a bit and looking all pathetic, went to doc in NO for her pain on Wednesday and to the dentist. Dentist told her she needed to be in the hospital with that burn because she let it get infected. She was also told she drinks too many energy drinks and coffee and her kidneys are suffering which is why her ankles and feet swell. She won't eat, just drinks those liquids and takes pain pills and antibiotics.
The dentist also has to cut out some bone fragments from her gums before he can make her impressions and make her dentures, so that will be a long drawn out thing.
This is the preacher's last week at church, and we are looking toward VBS the 3rd week of June so it's a busy month again.
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