Everything went well

Everything went well with mother's eye surgery.  I think I might have sweated it out more than I needed to but that darn eye tech/surgery coordinator certainly gave me cause for worry. I would like to thank all the readers that took the time to send me reassuring e-mails, it meant a lot to me. I had no idea I had so many Russian readers...thank you guys :)

We got an early start on Wednesday and once again I was thankful that it was a cloudy day.  This time around there was no traffic at the Uvalde Border Patrol Inspection station.  Had to drink a lot of coffee something I don't particularly like to do, as it is not my favorite beverage but I only had two hours of sleep.

While we arrived at 10:30 a.m. surgery was not performed until 1:00 p.m. and she was the first patient.  I was a bundle of nerves and the coffee made me even more jittery.  However, I was in good company as many of the patients there were being operated on their second eye.

You get to feel the camaraderie as you see other people going through the same thing that you are.  In some ways I am kind of glad that my parents had me late in life.  I do not think the way my health issues are shaping up, that I could take care of mother if I was in my late sixties or early seventies.

When we left the surgery center the skies looked menacing.  Found our motel in the nick of time... threw a towel over mother...and was able to get her in the room before the skies really opened up.  It rained for a good three hours, so once again my plans of going shopping were put on hold.

I am so glad I packed some fruits and snacks or we would have starved.  I was hoping to be able to sleep but mother did not feel well.  Not because of her eye surgery but because of her back problems. While we were able to get a handicap room, it wasn't totally handicap...the bed was too high and the toilet was too low, though it did have handicap rails.

The next morning we had to be at the doctor's office at 11:00 a.m. to have the eye patch removed.  It was so darn cold, I bet they had the A/C around 60 degrees!

We were there almost two and a half hours.  I am happy to report that like last time, we did not get lost.  Always good to see this sign and knowing I am headed in the right direction...

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Issues

It has been one set back after another lately.  Hate to write negative posts but as you know this blog also serves as my cyber journal and I need to document several issues while they are still fresh on my mind.

Just when I thought that eye technician/surgery coordinator could not be any more incompetent...he proves me wrong!

Before I continue to relay the facts I need to make a clarification...you will see why later.  My mother has a plain Jane landline telephone.  She has no call waiting, call forwarding or long distance service on her line.

Before I dumped Time Warner Cable, we used Magicjack to make long distance calls.  I truly loved that service and would highly recommend it to anyone.  Then I made the mistake of switching to DISH as our TV and Internet provider.  MagicJack requires a high speed line and DISH speeds...at least in my area are equivalent to dial-up...so I had to cancel my subscription.

In reality we have never needed to make many long distance calls.  Our relatives, friends and acquaintances call us.  Three years ago when my mother had back surgery in San Angelo, the need for a cell phone became evident.  At the suggestion of one of my readers I purchased a no frills Tracfone, the type that you add talking time when you run out of minutes and you are not tied to a monthly bill or a two year contract.

As nice as it is to have this little telephone for use in case of an emergency...it does not work well from home because we live outside of the city limits and there are no cell phone towers in the vicinity.  My neighbors come out into their yards to get a better signal and they have a lot of dropped calls, no matter the carrier.  Their phones work great once you enter the city limits of Del Rio.

Now back to the incompetent eye technician/surgery coordinator.  I decided to read all the fine print he had mother sign.  I did not like that it stated that the surgery could be performed by an "alternate doctor".  Her surgery is supposed to take place at 4:30 p.m. which depending on how many patients he is operating on might make the "alternate doctor" a very real possibility. I had another question regarding her arrival time, why did she have to arrive at 4:30 p.m. when her surgery is scheduled at that time...shouldn't she arrive sooner?

Now how do I contact him when we have no long distance service, the cell wont work out here in the county and he wont answer my e-mails?  Skype!

Called him on Tuesday July 19th to make sure he had received the medical clearance from her doctor that was faxed to him on Friday July 15th.  He stated that he had and while it was filled out, it was not signed. Where was he supposed to sign it, when the form is so badly designed?  It only said nurse or doctor's initials and told him so.  Contacted her former Uvalde doctor and got that taken care of.

Never heard back from him so I called him on Friday. To my surprise he answered and we could both hear each other perfectly.  That is until he told me that she was scheduled for surgery at 11:00 a.m.  I was furious...just when was he planning on letting me know?  Inexplicably...he couldn't hear me anymore!

According to him, he changed it because I had request it!  I never requested anything, I just wanted clarification of the arrival time and the possibility that the surgery would be performed by another doctor.  For the second time I asked him why he did not contact me about the change...you guess it...he again could not hear me!  This dude is an incompetent fool and needs to be fired!!!

I was very surprised to receive a call from him on Monday morning.  He was inquiring if I had started the drops that need to be administered to the eye that will be operated.  Told him I had started them on Sunday but her eye was red and irritated.  Was told to discontinue them and he would send the pharmacy a prescription for some other drops.

Yesterday the internet went down just before noon and I lost my only form of communication.  As much as I hate to, I might have to break down and actually buy me a telephone that works out here in southern Val Verde county.

Early this morning at 12:25 a.m. I was watching TV when the electricity went out.  Thank goodness for my solar lights that I place in the hallway and the bathroom.  Most people were asleep but I am sure many woke up when their air conditioners quit working.  It was 91 degrees and it was after midnight.  I woke up at 3:30 a.m. when the cold air hit me and I once again covered myself with a sheet.

Only good thing about the power outage is that it fixed the internet issues, even though I had disconnected the modem several times in my attempt to remedy the problem.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Incompetence

Tuesday after not having heard back from the surgery coordinator at the cataract center I called and left a voice message.  I also sent them another e-mail from their web page. By four o'clock I was tired of waiting so called again. Finally this incompetent coordinator answered...I have no clue how this person ever got hired.  Did not even acknowledge my prior messages or e-mails.

The only good thing was that he finally called in the prescription for the eye drops she is supposed to be applying three days prior to the surgery.  I am definitively going to let that woman eye specialist who recommended this eye doctor know of all the trouble I have had to go through. She is the type that reprimands her staff in front of everyone...something that I find totally unprofessional...so I am sure she will let him know.  For the record, I did not choose her either...the Del Rio ophthalmologist referred us to her.

Wednesday afternoon I got a call from the receptionist at that eye center as she was checking their web page and found my e-mail.  This young lady was also the one that took my message when I first called them a week ago.  She was sincerely apologetic, unlike that worthless surgery coordinator.

This heat has taken a toll on the trees and plants. I have been outside until ten o'clock nightly watering them. The ants are out of control, they have eaten so many of the tree leaves. Not just at Mom's but all the neighbors are complaining about the invasion.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Spurs Corner

San Antonio mayor Ivy Taylor proclaimed today July 21, 2016 to be Tim Duncan Day since he proudly wore that number on his jersey during his career with the Spurs.

Lots of businesses joined in with .21 cent tacos, the animal shelter adopted out pets for $21.00. Everyone was encouraged to wear their Tim Duncan jersey or Spurs colors and post pictures on social media using #TimDuncanDay.

Finally good news!

I do not know about you but I for one, have never willingly gone to a doctor unless I was dying or at least felt like I was.  When I worked in the oil industry I had great benefits that included health, dental and vision insurance.

In retrospect I wonder why I hardly ever made use of it, in particular the health insurance.  I guess when one is young, we feel like we are never going to get sick or for that matter grow old.  Sure wish someone would have snapped me out of the fantasy world that I lived in.

You are probably wondering where I am going with all this?  Don't be impatient...I'm getting there :)

For the first time in my adult life I actually had an incredibly good lab report.  The nurse practitioner was very impressed and happy with my progress.  My bad cholesterol went down, the good went up. My high glucose levels came down two points and my blood pressure in now in the normal range. Add to that that I also managed to lose a fair amount of weight (don't ask...us women do like to divulge our weight).

I was so happy!  Would have liked to no longer continue taking statins but I have to continue taking them at least for a couple more months.  She did cut the dose in half that I was taking to bring down the high sugar glucose levels.

I know that in order to keep getting good results, I have to continue to watch my diet and eat wisely. Now in my older years I realize that these changes are going to be for the rest of my life, not just for a couple of months.

If you are fortunate enough to have health insurance...take full advantage of it.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Long but productive day

Went to bed at 1:00 a.m. and even though I set the alarm for 4:00 a.m. I was up by 3:30 a.m.  It was forecasted to be in the low 100's so was glad to see clouds early this morning on the way to San Antonio.

There was a long line at the Border Patrol Check Point near Uvalde, Texas. Here they verbally ask you to confirm your nationality and then send you on your way. 

Decided to fill up at the Stripes in Uvalde at $1.98 per gallon in case I had the misfortune to get lost again.  Should of consulted the web page one of my readers had given me on another post. It was six cents cheaper at the HEB and Walmart down the road.

My mother likes the nopalitos (tender cactus) and egg tacos that are prepared at this establishment but today we were running a bit late so she passed.

Though she was his first patient of the day, he was running behind from his morning hospital rounds. We had a two hour wait, but that was OK...we managed to sneak in a nap.

The doctor cleared her to have cataract surgery, signed and faxed the form to the eye doctor. Since I have yet to receive a call back from the surgery coordinator decided to google the directions and go talk to him in person.

Unfortunately, I was not aware that they close early on Friday...just my luck!  Decided to find the surgical center instead and had no problems locating it.  I am proud to report that we had no issues getting lost today...about time!

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Idiots...that is all I can label them!

I can not believe with all the experience under my belt...that I could have actually forgotten that I needed a doctor's order to have blood work performed at our local hospital.

When does it stop being CRS ( Can't Remember Shit) and actually become stupidity on my part? Close to the hospital this small detail came to light.  Unfortunately, had to turn around and go back home to retrieve said order.

I have a doctor's appointment next week and hopefully I will have good results.  I have  been faithful to my diet and other doctor's recommendations. I hope that I can eliminate some, or a large part of the medications...we will see :-(

I have been running errands non-stop since Monday.  This morning I finally made it to the Toyota dealership to have my Corolla serviced.

Had to contact the surgery coordinator at the cataract doctor's office.  Why do I have to deal with all these incompetent idiots?  They have never sent the prescription they were supposed to, to HEB Pharmacy...nor have they returned my calls or answered the e-mail's I have sent them.

This doctor came highly recommended by another eye specialist in San Antonio.  Unfortunately, I don't think I could do the same.  Idiots...that is all I can label them!  Not the doctor himself but his staff....ultimately it reflects on his practice.

Would love to mention the name of said practice, but I can not put my mother's surgery in jeopardy but I will do a review of them later.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Thank you Timmy

Thank you Timmy for all the joy you have brought to the city of San Antonio, the State of Texas, and to fans worldwide.

There are no words to thank you for the 19 years spent with the Spurs, your dedication, the way you have conducted yourself on and off the court.  You are the type of individual who lets his actions do the talking for you.

You could have chosen to go another route...the farewell tour, tributes in different cities.  Not surprisingly you decided to bypass all that pomp and fair.  It could not have been any other way. You are a class act all the way around.

Thank you for the memories and good luck in your future endeavors.

Boerne, Texas? Dang...lost again!

We had to go to San Antonio to see yet another eye specialist.  Looked online and there were three ways from Del Rio to arrive at this location.  It is not like we were on a vacation...so was not interested in scenic routes...just the quickest way to get there.

Made more flash cards from cereal boxes so I could use large print in order to be able to successfully read the directions.  I think I needed to see this eye doctor more than mother, but I will have to wait a while until I am able to qualify for Medicare.

Clearly saw that I needed to get off on exit 17A on the flash card...but not on the overhead sign! Unfortunately, I took another exit and it is not like I could make an U-turn.  Ended up at the Shell station on Vance Jackson.

None of the customers could tell me how to get to the intended location, except for the lady clerk. Thank you, thank you, thank you!  She spoke my language by using landmarks...on the corner where there is a Valero and a Jack in the Box turn left.

Was a little disappointed that this medical practice did not provide courtesy wheelchairs for their patients. We arrived more than an hour before her appointment, so at least I was happy that they immediately ushered her in.

Since this is a new doctor and I got lost coming here...it does not come as a total surprise that I would get lost trying to get home :(

I obviously need to read my old blog post and not try to think I can find my way back to Del Rio taking I-10 West...last time I did that I ended up close to Welfare, Texas.

Boerne?  Definitively lost!

Lucky for me, I only made it to Boerne, Texas.  As soon as I saw the Ancira RV dealership, I knew I had gone too far.  Found my way to Fiesta Texas and thought I could ultimately find my way home, but that was not to be.

At another Shell station on Loop 1604, a very nice man driving a Corolla (that is what I drive) took mercy on me and pointed me in the correct direction.  Wasted a lot of time being lost but got home late, but safe.  The dogs were not amused...they ambushed me as soon as I got off the car and demanded to be fed!

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams...I think I may have being lost in San Antonio nightmares!

He is definitively a talker (Updated)

Drove into town this afternoon to run errands.  One of these was a "quick stop" at the mechanic's. Now I remember why I have not visited him in a while. Whomever said women talk a lot, has obviously never met my mechanic. After an hour and a half of non-stop talking on his part, I was finally able to get away.

His shop is on a higher elevation so even though it is not air conditioned, the strong but hot winds made it somewhat tolerable.  It was definitively hot today.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

NBA Corner

What are the Golden State Warriors trying to do?  Make sure they win every NBA title for the next decade?

Woke up to the news that David West is leaving the Spurs for a one year contract at the veteran minimum.  Same thing with the Mavericks Zaza Pachula and I am now reading that there are others interested in playing for the GSW as well.

Trip to the lake

Having run out of my blood pressure medication had to make a trip to HEB pharmacy this afternoon. Was surprised that there were very few shoppers but with a heat index of 105...I can see why.

Gasoline was going for $1.97 so I gassed up.

Waited until 7:30 p.m. to take a trip to the lake and my favorite campground Governors Landing. There were lots of people there but not as many as on Memorial Day weekend.

The sun was going down but decided to go check the 277 Campground.  I have not been here in a while.

Was happy to see campers enjoying the amenities.

Good night. May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Dog days of summer

The dog days of summer are here.  Even Pedrito had to cool down.  I originally bought him this galvanized tub for his drinking water but he has now turned it into his soaking tub.

Have been putting off trimming the mesquite branches near the clothesline but I had no choice but to tackle that chore today.  While I still had the energy decided to prune the branches on the shade trees where Pedrito is tied.  Then I took on the low mesquite branches on the adjacent lot that I could not trim while Boris was alive..that is, unless I wanted to be attacked.

Had hoped to be able to go to the pharmacy at HEB but the day just flew by...maybe tomorrow?

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.