spit

I asked annad yesterday morning was Friday her last day at school or would she stay to finish the semester. She said Friday was her last day; immediately got on the bus and told Ana and Casey that yesterday was her last day. Robby stopped by the greenhouse and spoke to me, then drove right to the school and picked her up. If he knew he never said a word.

So, when I come in last night and they are not home I am concerned about where she is. I walk up to Stacie's and am told she was checked out and is in La. with Robby and ms. thang.

Oh well, it can't last much longer.

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Character is what we are, not what others think we are.

News, good I think

Hmmm, Saturday morning Bob came in to break the cardinal rule he has of not passing on gossip. He came in to tell me that TA mentioned they --she, Robby and AnnaD may be moving back to Tickfaw where her home is. He wanted me to know so that when Robby came in I wouldn't jump the gun with my *she does nothing, got to do something or move* conversation.

Sunday after church, Robby and TA came in from Tickfaw, where they had spent the night, TA having picked Robby up from there the day before. He had to be in for a court date Monday on an old charge.

He mentioned that they were thinking of moving. I said I thought it was a wonderful idea and we moved on in the conversation.

Yesterday he spent the day in court and getting his license reinstated and during the day his boss called. He is to go to work on Monday in New Orleans driving a truck on the yard and will need to drive into work each day. So they are in the process of getting utilities turned on and bare necessities moved to Tickfaw.

Yes! Yes! Yes!
Doing happy dance


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Character is what we are, not what others think we are.

Reply from FGH

Copy of the letter I received on 9/19/11 in reply to my letter/email to FGH dated 9/12/11

Dear Mrs. Reid:
We are in receipt of your email of September 12, regarding the filling for services you received at our hospital on April 27, 2011. The concerns you expressed have been referred to the Director of Patient Accounts. I want to thank you for taking the time to notify us of your concerns. Our mission at FGH is to provide the very best care for each and every one of the patients we serve. This pertains to after discharge as well. We apologize for not meeting your expectations.

Please be assured that your comments have been taken very seriously. Your concerns are currently being reviewed and we anticipate that we should be able to provede you with a written response within the next 30 days.

Again, thank you for contacting us. We appreciate your patience while we investigate your concerns. If you wish to call me, I can be reached at ***-***-****

In the meantime I have received a reimbursement check for 497.00 from FGH for overpayment to my account in an envelope with FGH clearly visible on the return address. The letter I copied above also came in an envelope with FGH's return address and was written on paper with the FGH letterhead.

Sometimes even if the squeaky wheel doesn't get the grease they do get attention.

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Character is what we are, not what others think we are.

UTI, TA and other vowels

Ok, folks, I went to the ER today, got some cipro and am hopefully on the road to recovery. Mark that off the list of things to do.

Got a situation......but then don't I always these days?

Several months ago I discovered that TA allows AnnaD to smoke. TA smokes, and so she lets AnnaD smoke. I found out when the girls came back from the river one day saying that AnnaD had offered to sell one of her cigs to a kid at the river. I spoke to TA about it, she assured me she would not willingly allow AnnaD to smoke and life went on until one evening in the house TA mentioned AnnaD's smoking and I got firm about it. I told her I didn't approve of what she was allowing the child to do--she is 15, maybe 16 since she just had a birthday, yes, her sweet 16th birthday. I told TA that I knew she couldn't stop AnnaD from sneaking and smoking but she could put her foot down and not give them to her. She agreed. But the child still smokes.

Friday I learn that TA had bought AnnaD a frozen daiquiri and AnnaD had taken it up to Stacie's and left it. Then last night as I was reading FB comments AnnaD had written as her status "sitting here drinking beer and wasting bullets" to which I commented "I sure hope you are joking" and she commented back that she was.

When I came in from church I heard TA and AnnaD coming out of the truck from feeding the horse so I stopped and asked TA if she was going to town in the morning so I could send my prescrip. No, she will go tomorrow evening.
Then I asked about the daiquiri. Yes she bought it for AnnaD, yes she made a mistake, no, she won't do it again.

To which I said, You weren't going to let her smoke but I bet you do. You should know if I don't approve of the child smoking I don't approve of her drinking and you do know that you and she can get in trouble for that.....that is contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Yes, yes, she knew all that, she made a mistake, she was listening, she wouldn't do it again.

I asked why do it in the first place? Was she so concerned about her child liking living up here that she would allow her to act as an adult; was she so afraid her daughter wouldn't love her? Was she wanting to just throw her child to the wolves? The answer to those questions was no of course.

Terry is very upset about her buying AnnaD the alcohol. I am too and plan to remind her tomorrow that if she continues to do such illegal things that she will be reported and will have to move because while I can't control what adults do on property that even though it's mine, they pay their bills, I can and do have a say when a minor is involved and I won't knowingly allow any adult, parent or otherwise to buy and give beer/alcohol or cigarettes to a minor.


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Character is what we are, not what others think we are.

Friday findings 1

So the doctor said TA had a cyst or cysts on her ovary/ovaries. This is from AnnaD since TA was still asleep.

Here is what I found on ovarian cysts

The most common types of ovarian cysts are the following:

• Follicular cyst: This type of simple cyst can form when ovulation does not occur or when a mature follicle involutes (collapses on itself). A follicular cyst  usually forms at the time of ovulation and can grow to about 2.3 inches in diameter. The rupture of this type of cyst can create sharp severe pain on the side of the ovary on which the cyst appears. This sharp pain (sometimes called mittelschmerz) occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle, during ovulation. About one-fourth of women with this type of cyst experience pain. Usually, these cysts produce no symptoms and disappear by themselves within a few months.
  
  
• Corpus luteum cyst: This type of functional ovarian cyst occurs after an egg has been released from a follicle. After this happens, the follicle becomes what is known as a corpus luteum. If a pregnancy doesn't occur, the corpus luteum usually breaks down and disappears. It may, however, fill with fluid or blood and persist on the ovary. Usually, this cyst is found on only one side and produces no symptoms.
  
  
• Hemorrhagic cyst: This type of functional cyst occurs when bleeding occurs within a cyst. Symptoms such as abdominal pain on one side of the body may be present with this type of cyst.
  
  
• Dermoid cyst: This is a type of benign tumor sometimes referred to as mature cystic teratoma. It is an abnormal cyst that usually affects younger women and may grow to 6 inches in diameter. A dermoid cyst can contain other types of growths of body tissues such as fat and occasionally bone, hair, and cartilage.
  
  
  • The ultrasound image of this cyst type can vary because of the spectrum of contents, but a CT scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can show the presence of fat and dense calcifications.
    
    
  • These cysts can become inflamed. They can also twist around (a condition known as ovarian torsion), compromising their blood supply and causing severe abdominal pain.
  
  
• Endometriomas or endometrioid cysts: Part of the condition known as endometriosis, this type of cyst is formed when endometrial tissue (the lining tissue of the uterus) is present on the ovaries. It affects women during the reproductive years and may cause chronic pelvic pain associated with menstruation.
  
  
  • Endometriosis is the presence of endometrial glands and tissue outside the uterus.
    
    
  • Women with endometriosis may have problems with fertility.
    
    
  • Endometrioid cysts, often filled with dark, reddish-brown blood, may range in size from 0.75-8 inches.
  
  
• Polycystic-appearing ovary: Polycystic-appearing ovary is diagnosed based on its enlarged size - usually twice that of normal - with small cysts present around the outside of the ovary. This condition can be found in healthy women and in women with hormonal (endocrine) disorders. An ultrasound is used to view the ovary in diagnosing this condition.
  
  
  • Polycystic-appearing ovary is different from the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which includes other symptoms and physiological abnormalities in addition to the presence of ovarian cysts. Polycystic ovarian syndrome involves metabolic and cardiovascular risks linked to insulin resistance. These risks include increased glucose tolerance, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.
    
    
    • Polycystic ovarian syndrome is associated with infertility, abnormal bleeding, increased incidences of miscarriage, and pregnancy-related complications.
      
      
    • Polycystic ovarian syndrome is extremely common and is thought to occur in 4%-7% of women of reproductive age and is associated with an increased risk for endometrial cancer.
      
      
    • The tests other than an ultrasound alone are required to diagnose polycystic ovarian syndrome.


• Cystadenoma: A cystadenoma is a type of benign tumor that develops from ovarian tissue. They may be filled with a mucous-type fluid material. Cystadenomas can become very large and may measure 12 inches or more in diameter.

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Character is what we are, not what others think we are.

Thursday Totals

Been a full day, as always. Arise, pee for the hundredth time as I have a UTI, coffee, a bit of computer, kids off to school, garbage out; even when & pulled Stacie's can down the hill. She has her hands full right now with a broken foot and nursing Chantel.
Off to work; run the sprinklers an hour or so each row--that's 5 hours. Worked on the pepper plants, pruning, gathering peppers and on breaks fiddled on the computer with an ad for the paper. Got it done to my satisfaction and sent it off. Gathers a bag of peppers to send to a neighbor, and still have several pots to work on tomorrow.

Home at noon, washed and peeled a bucket of potatoes, took those up to Stacie as she and CJ were cooking supper, then on to the church to do the work over there. Back home, take a break for a while, shower and get ready to go to Stacie's for supper then back to the church for a meeting.

When I got out of the shower, Stacie was down and let me know TA had taken herself to the ER in McComb. She had been hurting in her stomach all week. She thinks her mesh is torn or she has a hernia or cancer or she's dying. Seriously, every time she mentions some new or old ache or pain, it's cancer or the worst of anything you can have.

I think that she had a victim attitude. She's been abused, used, beaten and otherwise taken advantage of; she's waited on younguns and a husband for years until he died. now she wants to be waited on for a change, she wants the attention, she wants to lay around and have people wait on her hand and foot.
Yes, she's up every day, usually, by 10 or 11 anyway. Yes she stays busy doing something, but she is always in pain, sick to the stomach, hurting somewhere, can't move, can't think, can't eat...............

On a more positive note, CJ is improving wonderfully considering she almost died. She still has limited use of her right side, but little by little she sees improvement.



--
Character is what we are, not what others think we are.

Forrest General Hospital

September 12, 2011

Concerning Forrest General Hospital

On 4/27/11 I had a biopsy done at FGH for which I paid 500.00 down payment via credit card. I had no insurance so would have to pay for this myself. I went into the hospital that morning, had the biopsy done and came home. I watched the mail religiously for the bill for the remainder of the bill for the biopsy. I received the bill from Hattiesburg Clinic for Dr. V's work and the exrays and such, but nothing from the hospital.

On Wednesday (6/24/11) I opened what I thought was a statement from my credit card processing company to find a hospital bill. It was addressed to me, with a return address of CSRECS05 PO Box 1022 Wixom, MI 48393-1022. No where on the outside of the envelope was there any indication that this correspondence was from FGH.

I call the number provided on the bill, told the woman I spoke with of what had happened, how I mistook the bill for something else and didn't open it right away. I assured her there would be a check in the mail for 50.00 that day toward the 3,300.80 that I owed them. I was informed that they could not accept less than 90.00 on a bill of that amount. I must apply for patient assistance. I was given the information to do this, and faxed the information to Cerena Johnson that day.

The following week, on Tuesday, June 28, 2011 I typed a letter stating the above, sent the letter plus a copy of the faxed information to all addresses provided on the bill. These address included the return address, along with an address to FGH in Jackson. I also looked online and found the address to the hospital in Hattiesburg and sent the same information to that address.

From this point on I watched every piece of mail that came in to be sure I had no further correspondence from FGH re: my application for patient assistance. I also received word that my application for Medicaid insurance had been approved. I never received one piece of mail from FGH until Saturday, August 20, 2011. That day I received a letter/bill demanding that I pay the balance of 1057.02 that I owed FGH. The letter stated, "this is a demand for immediate payment in full on or before 10 days from this date of notice. The letter also stated that the Customer Service Department of FGH had attempted to resolve this outstanding balance with me." They had not. They had sent no mail, they had made no phone calls.

On Monday, August 22, 2011 I called the number provided on the bill and spoke with a Ms. Burrow. I told her I had been approved for Medicaid, I gave her my number and she assured me she would apply it to my bill. I also complained about the tone of the bill/letter and the fact there was a return address that gave no indication it was from the hospital. I was told that the mail is sent with this address because if the person they are sending the bill to has moved and left no forwarding address, it won't clog up the hospital's mail system.

On Monday, September 12 I received a letter with the return address of FGH informing me I had indeed qualified for reduction of my hospital bill.

If this situation with FGH hadn't been so frustrating, it would be down right hilarious. I have been harassed and mistreated in this billing situation with FGH at a time in my life when added stress is detrimental to my health problems. I have worried that I would be turn over to a credit reporting agency for non-payment when in fact I have done all I could to pay this bill, once I realized the odd return address indicated it was a bill from the hospital. I sure am glad that I took care of this prior to awaiting this letter of approval re: my qualification for medical assistance.

It is my opinion that FGH needs to hire more competent people to do their billing and collection and come up with a means of using their own name in the return address so consumers will know when they look at the envelope they are dealing with their bill not some piece of junk mail or something of lesser importance than their hospital bill.

Klara Reid

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Character is what we are, not what others think we are.

A day from you know where

My day began with the best of intentions. I was going to water the outside stuff, this after spending 45 minutes standing up all the bushes the wind had blown over over the weekend. I know, I know, it's Thursday already, but it didn't stop raining until late Monday and I haven't taken the time to stand them up. But I did this morning.

As I had just begun watering Dan Alford drove up. Now Dan is the stand in supervisor, the Sunday School Director and an overall fairly decent man, just with a few quirks. He's hard to understand and hard headed...he didn't leave till almost. He left when a customer drove up, and the customer was a neighbor of his, and bless pat if Dan didn't back into his truck while leaving. He dented the fender, but the man said to not worry about it.

Then the phone rings and it's BJ and i talk to him then to CJ. She sounds so good, speaking more clearly every day and it looking forward to coming home. She told me that she couldn't think of any better therapy than watering plants. I could shout hallejuhah over her recovery. Prayer works, people.

I get off the phone with her and Stacie calls. She and TA are in La. picking up checks and the school had called, Dylan had a nose bleed, could I run him a Benadryl down there. So I close the front door and off I go, meeting the UPS man as I turn in to the school--he stops and I stop, I collect my phones, run on and leave the pill at school and head back home. Of course AT&T has full service all this time, after forcing me, as much as telling me I may as well change carriers, I have service. Oh, I could cuss!!!

So, on the phone I go to activate them. First I have to figure out how to get the batteries in them, then we have to do the password for the wireless account and they need a wireless account number but there isn't one, so finally after over an hour, all phones are activated except for mine. I have to call ATT and cancel the ringmaster from my land line before that number can port over to the cell phone. When I called it would be over an hour wait, I had a pastor search meeting at 1, it was 12:30 so I had to run.


I went to the meeting, returned around 3:30, called ATT again and left my number for a call back.  I had to wait an hour for that call to be returned, then the girls were all pissy with each other. Anna D and Casey were saying Ana had an attitude and was saying she was going to starve herself to death. I went up to Stacie's to see what was going on, found Ana in tears because Casey had come in and yelled at her; so down the hill we go and I found them all at TA's, probably complaining about me and I had my say to all of them, including TA. I told them that every day it was either Ana this or Casey that or AnnaD the other and I was tired of it. I was also tired of everything being laughed off if it had to do with AnnaD but if it was Ana or Casey it was a huge horrid deal to TA--she denied it of course, then I pointed out how she laughed when I told her that Shandi said James was making out with one of Casey's friends in front of Shandi and Dylan--making out as in kissing was all Shandi said. I didn't think it was right but when i told TA, she laughed, but guarantee if it had been Ana, she would have wanted to commit her to a rehab center. In other words, I threw a hissy fit and told 'em all I was tired of all the bickering and running to me. I had spent the entire day either listening to some fool talk, or answering the phone or trying to activate their stupid phones and they had phones but I didn't, then having meetings and had to come home to Ana has a bad attitude...well, you want a bad attitude, I have one so deal with it.

Then I told 'em all that as close as CJ came to dying they should all be grateful to be alive, to have mothers, grandmothers, and whatevers who cared about them and stop arguing.

Whew...I feel even better than when i said it to them. LOL...see you are the lucky one now.
TA jumped in and said she screwed up this weekend and she really hated that she did that and I didn't remind her that she says that every time she screws up but she goes right on and does what she pleases anyway...so she must enjoy feeling bad about herself.

Then a customer came by with the check for , I think, rent on 10 ferns which need to delivered tomorrow evening to Ttown, I need to do church work, figure out where the mistake is that is keeping the checkbook from balancing, start on the financial statement and pay bills. Whew, I am dizzy just typing out my day. I'm tired.

But one thing went our way this way other than CJ improving--our friend James was nominated and elected chairman of the deacons. We didn't want anyone but him in that position. Yeah!!!!!


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Character is what we are, not what others think we are.

ATT again

We have always had spotty service here. Way back with our first cell phone we went with Cellular South and had hardly any service. then we went to Cingular, which had good service but was bought out by AT&T. In the meantime, Cellular South put up a tower right down the road from us and our service dropped considerably. We would have service some, but still moments of no service and Terry and i seldom could call each other and get through. usually it was the ...wireless customer is not available...message.

Last week my friend and I went to the Public Service Commissionar site and complained about AT&T. I received an email from Drahos, Danin S and associate from the office of the AT&T President with his number. I didn't have time to call because of the situation with CJ, and the dude called me. We spoke a while about our spotty service and the assured me he would check into it. Service picked up for a few days. Then over the weekend service dropped. No service at all. I think maybe the weather took out a tower in some way, but I don't know. I gave my friend the #, she called and spoke to a lady who told her she might as well go with another carrier because it wasn't going to get any better than it was.

I plan to call the Public Service Commissioner tomorrow and see what they say. I called the Drahos fellow today and left a voice mail but of course he didn't return my call. I will call him back tomorrow also. I will call him daily until I speak with him.

I don't want to switch companys because no other company can offer me what I have at the price I pay. I would be paying at least 20-50 more a month for what I have. If I am forced to go with another company, then I will shut off my land line and use that money to pay the difference in the wireless plans. I keep the land line because of faxing and the credit card machine, but I bet I can figure how to accept cc via internet hookup if I need to--and then again, I may not need to worry about that.


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Character is what we are, not what others think we are.

ATT

What can happen to cell service in a matter of a week or two. One can have reasonable service for a number of years, then suddenly very little service...make a complaint, someone from the office of the ATT president calls and promises to check into it and then suddenly one has NO cell service. Absolutely no service.
A friend of mine talked with a lady in the Presidents office today and was told to go with another carrier.

--
Character is what we are, not what others think we are.

CJ update

CJ was resting. They say--one of her doctors says that when she got the respitory infection and started the antibiotics, instead of the body's natural antibodies attacking the infection they started attacking the immune system instead. These are the abnormal spots in her brain on the MRI...they say the nerves up there have a white coating on them and her immune system is eating the white coating off the nerves and it shouldn't be.

They are keeping her sedated, pumping her full of antibiotic, anti-viral meds and steroids. Her oxygen level had dropped some today so they put her on oxygen. She woke up a couple of times and tried to talk but her mouth was so dry she couldn't be understood except for when she said, I can't right now. We don't know what she couldn't right now, but we understood it. She also said something about Tylertown, but again, we don't know what.

She has a neurologist, a gastrologist and a regular doctor and I know they aren't spelled correctly. But I don't care. LOL They say she will get well, it will just take a while.


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Character is what we are, not what others think we are.

cj and stuff

One would think that occasionally an old couple, such as Terry and I, could make a trip away from home and have the plantation watched over. Wrong!
We had planned to go spend the Labor Day Weekend with Judy and Robert. TA was to watch the nursery. Well, CJ is sick, very sick, being transferred to Jackson and TA left for Oklahoma to visit with Robby last night.

CJ--wreck on August 8, bruised ribs, trip to La a few days later, came back covered in flea bites, a week later diagnosed with bronchitis and urinary tract infection, Wednesday admitted to hospital with limited function of right arm and leg. MRI, cat scans, spinal taps..so far all inconclusive but the MRI did show some suspicious spots. The neurologist in McComb won't be in till next week, so they send her to Jackson to be looked at.

TA, I confronted her Thursday about leaving the nursery while I was away and going to OK. She finally asked if she stayed and watered Saturday morning could she leave them. I agreed. Instead, after I left going to the coast, she talked Stacie into covering for her and she and her daughter left Friday evening. Stacie, broke foot, best friend in serious condition, left with 4 younguns to watch, horse to feed, dogs to tend and a nursery to watch. I don't think so.

And Lee, lets not forget Lee, who is dumping buckets of water all over us now.

Sigh. I am back home with a swollen throbbing nose...some sort of viral thing going on with my sinus. A sore inside my nose that hurts like hell.

--
Character is what we are, not what others think we are.

August catchup

It's been a while since I truly caught up here.
August 8, 2011 Stacie had a wreck. Seems a 19 year old, uninsured boy wanted to ride up the driver side of her car with his truck. She sustained a broken foot, Chantel had bruised ribs, Ana and Shandi were banged up and Casey had a piece of glass in her forehead. Otherwise they were ok but the car was a total.

BJ, Robby and James have gone to work in Ok. Chantel is now in the hospital. She spent the night at Troyanne's old house the week of the wreck and came home with what appeared to be flea bites. She was almost covered in them. By Saturday, August 27 she was running fever and the ER doctor diagnosed her with bronchitis, sinusitis and urinary tract infection. He gave her a shot of rocephen and some scripts. When the stores opened on Monday and she filled the antibiotic--she could only fill one as she had used up her fills for the month on medicaid so she chose the antibiotic. She took it Monday and by Tuesday was throwing up. Wednesday we took her to ER in McComb where they admitted her for dehydration. She is also having problems getting her right arm and leg to cooperate with the rest of her body.

We hope to ride to the coast and spend a day or two with Judy and Robert and shop at the outlet mall. It is supposed to rain all weekend so don't know how much shopping I will get done.

My sinus are hurting and I have a sore in the left nostril that makes me want to cry it hurts so bad. While pruning some basket material this morning I cut my left index finger instead of the plant. It hurts too. :D