The Damn I'm Old Thread - Putting Up With Being a Geezer

**progmatist** · 2 Weeks Ago

Originally Posted by Garyhead

How about Assholes who Drive to your neighborhood to blow up shit in front of your house? I live in a cul-de-sac so that is a natural gathering place. They go home an WE have to clean up the mess!

An ongoing problem in my townhouse complex is people driving from elsewhere to drop their decrepit furniture next to our dumpsters. Junk not even Goodwill would accept. The HOA then has to pay to have the junk hauled off. Some of that cost coming out of my pocket.

Originally Posted by moecurlythanu

Yay Greg!

The benefit of living in a civilized country!

I broke my wrist 4 weeks ago. The ER splinted it, and said I'd have to make an appointment with an orthopedist to replace the splint with a cast. For two weeks I couldn't even get that appointment. My insurance requires specialist referrals from my primary. The primary's office kept "forgetting" to fax the referral to the orthopedic clinic. From which I can only conclude United Healthcare is declining to even pay for it. I find it hard to believe my primary's employees are so absent minded. After two weeks I said screw it, and went to the VA Hospital. The continuity of care has been outstanding ever since. The left hand actually informs the right hand what has been done, and what needs to be done.

**Shadow** · 2 Weeks Ago

Originally Posted by progmatist

An ongoing problem in my townhouse complex is people driving from elsewhere to drop their decrepit furniture next to our dumpsters. Junk not even Goodwill would accept. The HOA then has to pay to have the junk hauled off. Some of that cost coming out of my pocket.

Why don't they install some cameras to watch the dumpsters.

**moecurlythanu** · 2 Weeks Ago

Originally Posted by Garyhead

Sometimes when you’re slapped up on the head with a life changing malady, it’s helpful to post it…. Someone will have some firsthand knowledge and you won’t feel so alone with your troubles…… IMHO YMMV FFS! ��

I wasn't complaining about people posting about age related difficulties, far from it. The intent of the post was positive. Not sure how that went sideways.

**mozo-pg** · 2 Weeks Ago

Originally Posted by moecurlythanu

Yay Greg!

The benefit of living in a civilized country!

Thanks, Mark. I'm just very pleased there is a disability tax credit.

**Garyhead** · 2 Weeks Ago

Originally Posted by ronmac

That shit needs to go into their mailbox.

I give them a couple days to clean up their mess.....if not....I wait till Sunday when they go to church....then I get my leaf blower out and shove it all into their front yard. I know it's passive-aggressive but they Never seem to "get" what it is to be a good neighbor.

**Garyhead** · 2 Weeks Ago

Originally Posted by moecurlythanu

I wasn't complaining about people posting about age related difficulties, far from it. The intent of the post was positive. Not sure how that went sideways.

???????? I saw nothing negative about your posts......Maybe the FFS? I was attempting humor and I used to post that string of abbreviations mostly because I found that abb. funny.

I needed some humor this morning.....woke up and my left arm was a bit numb. It seems ok now but still paralyzed. I went to a PT joint today and set up my series of PT appointments.

**moecurlythanu** · 2 Weeks Ago

Originally Posted by Garyhead

???????? I saw nothing negative about your posts......Maybe the FFS? I was attempting humor and I used to post that string of abbreviations mostly because I found that abb. funny.

I needed some humor this morning.....woke up and my left arm was a bit numb. It seems ok now but still paralyzed. I went to a PT joint today and set up my series of PT appointments.

OK Gary. You quoted me and and ended with YMMV and FFS. I thought you were taking issue. Thanks for the clarification. I've always viewed you as one of the good guys, so I'm happy to see that pov continue 😊.

**moecurlythanu** · 2 Weeks Ago

Oh, and best wishes on the pt. Hopefully it will help reverse the paralysis.

**Garyhead** · 5 Days Ago

In the “Git Off My Lawn” category…..had my Botched MRI today. Five minutes from the end, they injected contrast dye and saline INTO my arm…..not the vein! Tech came in and inserted another IV into the other arm…..THEN another tech came in and said We couldn’t proceed because there would be too much contrast dye in my system. Thank you for Jabs in Both arms.

Funny, I had to wait an hour past my appt as the previous patient had a botched IV too.

**markwoll** · 5 Days Ago

I had a "Spiral CT Angiography" where the tech has to inject a very carefully timed dose of contrast to display the veins around the heart. First shot missed, had to go again. Got to taste shellfish twice. And extra radiation, yum.
This was after they had to "slow my heart rate" with some drug for prep. I passed out. No Doctors present just radiology techs.
Oh, and no problem found. And they forgot to have me pay upfront as initially described, I waited for a bill and when it showed up 6 months later threatened to put me in collections for non payment.

**Shadow** · 5 Days Ago

When I was donating platelets for cancer patients one time they went through my veins twice and had to stop. They said I could leave but I told them since I was here you may as well keep trying. They got it the third time but not in the most comfortable vein for two hours.

**SteveSly** · 5 Days Ago

When I had my recent hospital stay I found that most of the nurses were young, inexperienced or travel nurses. This was especially true on the night shift.

Just prior to my surgery I had an IV in my arm, but they had to get a blood culture from a different place. This girl stuck me 6 different places in my arm and hand before she was finally able to get what she wanted. It was like torture. I don’t know if she was just inexperienced or what, but it was a bad experience.

I know the hospitals in my area are struggling with staffing and I could tell a pretty significant difference from when I was in the same facility just 4 years ago.

**markwoll** · 4 Days Ago

I have noticed that the nurse/techs reach for the ultrasound vein finder for sticks pretty quickly if there is a 'hard stick' in progress.

Back when I was doing platelet aphearsis donations ( or whole blood, or even plasma ) they would stop after a bad stick. I got a 'tissue plug' one time and that was it for that session. I guess the cost of the kit and some protocol made them stop.
I stopped when they started having a harder time finding a vein. I figured that I might need them more in the future.

**wiz_d_kidd** · 4 Days Ago

If you know ahead of time that you're going to need an IV (i.e. not an emergency situation), start drinking plenty of water the day before. Hydration makes your veins plumper and makes it easier for the needle-stickers to find a vein. I get blood draws every 4-6 months, and after suffering several hide-and-seek episodes between my veins and the phlebotomist, I started pounding lots of water. It really helped.

That said, I couldn't do it when I had severe food poisoning. The diarrhea just blew out all the fluids I took in. I was so badly dehydrated they had to stick me 3 times in one arm, 3 times in the other arm, then finally settled on the back of my hand as a place to insert the IV needle. I felt like a pin cushion.

Inexperienced nurses/phlebotomists might bear some of the blame, but sometimes it's our own bodies fault that a plump, juicy vein isn't forthcoming.

**Garyhead** · 4 Days Ago

That botched IV was done with the ultrasound! The second one was done by a girl that just told me to make a fist and she got it the first time. Alas….couldn't use the second one due to the total amount of contrast dye in my system. Yes, hydrating the day before was essential. Unfortunately, the orders I had in My Chart stated MRI Without contrast dye. Had I known…… that excess water can be a problem when you have to lie still for 1/2 hour In the machine. Also….next time I won’t eat curry the day before.

. It was touch and go there a few times.

**progmatist** · 4 Days Ago

When the millennium turned, I worked in the IT department of a local for profit college. My supervisor's girlfriend was a student there. She had to repeat several classes because the school lost her academic records. What she hated most was repeating the phlebotomy class, where students practiced poking each other. Imagine what that was like.

On a side note: I was on call to deal with the fallout from the Y2K bug....fallout which never happened.

**Duncan Glenday** · 3 Days Ago

Progressive Ears has sent David's Wife a bouquet of flowers

**moecurlythanu** · 3 Days Ago

^

**markwoll** · 3 Days Ago

**mozo-pg** · 3 Days Ago

**mozo-pg** · 14 Hours Ago

I didn't think I'd be able to do it (3 weeks into dialysis - very very hard) but I'm taking a trip to Madrid Spain at the end of August. My wife is thrilled and I'm not going to let this control my life. Time to live.