Posts tagged VA
Are you kidding me VA?
Mar 5th
I got new meds in the mail yesterday.
They’ve replaced my open and shut purple disc (bottom) with the three dispensers at the top. It took me a half an hour last night to figure out how to use all these stupid things.
The light blue one is used twice a day. You take the cover off, twist it open, insert a capsule from the blister pack, close it up, squeeze both sides to puncture the capsule and then inhale. Then you open it back up to dump out the empty capsule.
Then the short grey one has about the same number of steps. That’s twice a day, too.
Then the pink one thankfully comes pre-loaded, but I have to remember to only do this one once a day but inhale it twice in a row.
And this is on top of the pills I have to take!
I try to schedule my meds for around 10 in the morning and at night to work around the eating/not eating requirements. When I’m out, I can slip that little purple disc and a small pill holder in my purse and voila! Quick click and inhale and I’m done. WTF am I going to do now? I’m out almost every night until well past midnight! This shit is going to put a serious cramp in my social activities. I can’t carry all this out with me!
“Excuse me loverboy whilst I take 20 minutes to fondle and suck on all these stupid inhalers before I work on you?” (That’s assuming I ever bring a loverboy home again.) Oh yeah, that’s sexy as hell.
Fuck asthma.
Shuffle
Feb 12th
Wednesday I went to the VA Medical Center for my breathing test. As directed I skipped my morning dosages, but as I’m slowly getting better anyway it wasn’t that big of a deal.
So… the really nice lady who tried to kill me was one of those constant talkers. You know those people you meet occasionally who talks over you, repeats what you say or finishes your sentences for you? Bless her little peak pickin’ heart you can tell they can’t help it. Yeah, sure, okay, yeah, oh no, Arrrrgh.
Anyway, it’s been a long time since I’ve take this particular test:
- Don the nose clamps.
- Place the plastic toilet paper tube in your mouth and wrap your lips around it tight.
- Take normal breaths until instructed to suck in as much air as you can in one big breath.
- Blow, blow, blow hard until you’re out of air, your toes curl up, you wet your pants and the room goes dark.
- Finally take in another deep breath and remove equipment.
- Rest one minute, breathing normally.
- Rinse and repeat until you have three “good” samples.
I’ve no idea what the criteria is for a “good” sample. I had to do it four times before she was satisfied. Then I did a regular breathing treatment and waited 15 minutes before starting the whole process over again. At least the second time through I did it in three. I’d forgotten about the wetting my pants part so I had to walk through the entire hospital and out to my car like that. Embarassing! That and being so dizzy I wasn’t sure I should drive home right away. Can’t wait to go back on the 18th and see the pulmonologist and find out if it was worth it. Will they change/improve my meds?
What’s Happenin’
Jan 28th
Whew, busy busy busy. Saturday I went to CenPhoCamp, learned a little, presented and helped clean up. Then went across the parking lot to Turf for the after party. The presentation went well but thankfully Jack Mangan was there to help answer the tougher questions. I’ll have to remember to give him a special thank you next time I see him.
Sunday I spent the whole say editing MADphx podcasts. Monday I went to Ikea to get new dishes so I could dump my old ones on Ginnie. They’re FINALLY moving out, into Casey’s apartment and he’s moving across the parking lot to a larger apartment over there. They’re all just waiting on Shane to come up with his share of $$$. Tuesday I went in for a 6-month follow-up on my mammogram, a pin-point mammogram (which pinches even more than a plain one) and a left breast ultrasound all for what turned out to be just an aggravated lymph node.
Yesterday I spent all day with Evo training VA regional PR and Marketing people how to make podcasts, be effective on twitter and Facebook. Then last night to his house to record Evo@11.
This morning, I thought I had labs scheduled so I fasted but when I got there I had the dates wrong – not til next May – and grabbed a crappy bagel before my appointment with the nutritionist. Now I have Kira this afternoon and I’ll drop her off before I go to the Phoenix Comic Con kickoff tonight at the Phoenix Civic Center. I can’t decide whether to drive to that or take the light rail. After that I have to drive out to fucking CHANDLER to pick up Krystal because she want to go to the airport at midnight to pick up Max. HE’S OFFICIALLY DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY.
And tomorrow night is #evfn.
I’m so tired.
Oh yeah, the nutritionist said I had a pulmonologist appointment Feb 18th and some sort of pulmonary test the 8th, so I’m assuming the notification is in the mail.