5C's Que Pasa

I am once again behind with my post today but you have to be happy for me.  Once of my goals pre surgery was to clear my emails.  No I don’t just delete but I reply.  I am happy to report that I am down from 218 to 23 emails.  I appreciate all your emails but it takes a long time to get back to you due to my inability to sit for long periods.  If you leave me a comment, no matter how long it is I will get back to you.  You can comment with just your initial if you are concerned re privacy.  But if you look back at some of the comments you can see that no reader will ever have an idea who made that comment.  Having said that, if you still prefer to email me directly, please do so.  I love to hear from you all, no matter how you choose to communicate.

Last week I went to a management meeting here at Holiday Park where we live and at the end of the meeting a woman came up to me.  “Are you Contessa?” she asked.  She was from the Vancouver area ( and at the meeting with friends ) but recognized me.  She has been reading my blog for a long while.  It was a thrill for me to meet her but most importantly to be recognized.

I love getting a blog comment from someone who has been reading my blog for years but never commented before.  Also I love hearing from readers like Sharon, who we met a few years ago on the Isla.  She rarely comments but when she does it makes me feel better and smile.  That goes for you too, Jessie!

Then there was someone who commented yesterday for the first time ever.  It was Jon, who I have no idea where he lives or that he even was a blog reader.  Welcome Jon!  Guess what.  You won the ‘contest’.  Yes it is a door handle.  In fact it is the door handle from Colin’s car, our toad ( towed car behind our RV ).  Specifically it is the inside drivers door handle that just came right off the HHR.  Surprise.  Fortunately the door can be opened by putting the window all the way down and reaching over the sill and opening the door from the outside.  Illegal we think.  The good news is that it will be repaired Wednesday morning for about $200.00 🙁

Best news though is that new to me reader Jon has won a dinner and mucho vino.  Where would you like to claim your meal Jon, here or in Mexico?

…and folks this is my very late post….not at all what I was going to write but good enough, eh?

By the way…my Mom is doing well.  Her pulse rate had been decreased from 150 to 97. It only has taken 31 days of being hospitalized.  On the good side, they were suppose to start physio today.

For you Fathers out there, enjoy your day tomorrow.  I’ll catch up with you all later in the day.

Tags: blog readers, comments, health

Thursday started with a pre surgery class which went on and on but I did learn some new stuff.  What I came away with was the expression “motion is lotion’.  You have to keep moving to keep your joints in good shape. From there I went over the hospital which is under renovation with zip parking!  Thank goodness I have a special window sticker that allows me to park in a handicap spot till the end of November.  I got the last spot.  Then an hour wait for blood work, then x-rays ( that hurt because of the weird position I had to put my hip in ) and then to have an EKG.  The tests at the hospital took almost 3 hours, lots and lots of walking and waiting.  I never go anywhere without a book to read.  I can’t stand wasting time.  I was exhausted at the end of the day but I still managed to put together a good dinner.  I am also slowly filling the freezer and pantry with things Colin can easily prepare for me post surgery.

Today, Friday,  I was back to see the  anesthetist.

What a funny guy!  He expects me to walk into the OR and hop up on the table.  Not me.  Anyway we went back and forth on the spinal vs the general and I still was not sure and he said I could decide on the day itself.  I told him I was going to go with the spinal but I might back out.  No I don’t think so.

Then I found out they had lost my EKG and I had to go back on Monday and do it again.  Big sigh.  So off I went and did a few errands on the way home, buying soup stuff and salad stuff and all that healthy stuff.  Got home to find out that the hospital had called to bump me UP to this coming Tuesday for my surgery.  OMG!  Stress!!!  Colin told them it was going to be a no as I still have to fly back to Edmonton to see my Mom.  However if they could not find someone else I would have to take the Tuesday spot. They did find someone else.  Honestly I don’t think I could have been ready in time even without having to go to Edmonton.

So now let’s do something fun…no not a ride on a real roller coaster.

Can you guess what this is?

...yet another view of the item.

First person who guesses will be treated to a gourmet meal and much vino either here in Kelowna or at our beach site in Mazatlan.  Your choice.

Good news…they found my EKG…..

Tags: fun, health, Isla de la Piedra, Mazatlan, Mexico, Stone Island, Tres Amigos RV Park, vino

In the past few years I have decided to become pro active where my health is concerned.  In the past six months that has increased.

Here in Canada you start with a GP or General Practitioner MD.  He or she then refer you to specialists, order tests, etc.  Sadly there are not enough of these GP’s and at least here where I live in B.C. Canada, you are stuck with whomever you start, that is, if they will even take you on.  When we moved here 10 years ago it didn’t matter who we had, now it does.  The clinic where my GP practices will not let you change DR’s within the same clinic plus due to the lack of GP’s you are not allowed to change doctors unless you move out of the area, ie a new postal code or zip code.  Where am I going with this you ask?

I do not have any faith what so ever in my DR.  But I am stuck with him.  Over the past few years I have figured out how to handle him. Yes handle is a strong word but at least I get done what I want and need to.  Perhaps it helps that I am a graduated RN ( class of 73 ) and research my stuff.  As I have mentioned before, my life changed almost three years ago and this guy did nada!!  Oh he would give me any and all the drugs I wanted.  But I wanted to get at the root of my problems and bit by bit I have done so.

For instance, my current problem with skin rashes, obviously an allergic reaction……my GP just laughed and said I would never figure out the reason!!  Encouraging, yes!  I did get him to request I see an allergy specialist for testing.  That was the end of April and I do have an appointment for the end of August.  Meanwhile I keep having reactions and go back on antihistamines over and over.  I stopped blogging about this because it was getting boring.  By the way, mille gracias to Connie from PE who suggested a certain skin creme to help deal with the pealing.  It has helped so much Connie, thanks for always being there for me.

On Monday Colin went to Domino’s Pizza after his aerial photography and picked us up 2 small pizzas, mine gluten free.  A real treat and it was very tasty.  Sadly yesterday morning I started with my rash yet again.  Then I got to thinking, what if my surgery is cancelled because of a skin rash.  I have researched allergy testing with a Naturopathic  MD but the cost is $500.00.  I went back and forth and then made a call but found out that the results took up to 6 weeks.  I was running out of time.  For the heck of it I googled allergy test by blood and a website came up.

At first I thought it was a US site but it was actually here in B.C. Canada.  I was shocked to read that our health care system actually pays for 5 specific allergy tests and anything above that is a mere $20.00 per test.  I could have the results in less than two weeks, before my surgery.  So off I went to the medical clinic where  I had to wait close to 90 minutes ( no worries, I was engrossed in a great novel ) to see the MD/GP handling the walk in clinic. I couldn’t get an appointment with my own Dr. for 10 days.  Guess what?  It was my very own personal GP working the walk in clinic Tuesday afternoon.  I knew right away I could get what I wanted.  He had never heard of these ‘free’ tests.  Then he wanted me to put down hazelnuts as one of my choices.  SIGH!!!  Why, when I don’t eat them and they are not on my likely to cause problem list?  It took a while to get him to fill in cow’s milk, casein, gluten, soybean and wheat ( for free per my medical coverage ) and then add yeast, oats and cheese.  The last three at my expense of $20.00 each, total of $60.00.  I know what I eat and what I don’t and what I do not react to.  So off to the lab to get my blood drawn.  The lady at the desk knew all about this whereas my GP did not.  In fact he ran off a copy of the printed forms I had brought in.

So by taking responsibility I will soon be getting more info on these strange allergies I am dealing with.  By the way….parting comment from my GP was “you will never figure out your skin rashes”.  Oh, but I will, my dear doctor.  You wait and see.

I am responsible for my health.

Thanks everyone for your input on my post yesterday.  I am still doing more research on the subject and have a long list of questions for my meeting Friday.

Tags: health

Do you remember my June 1st post when I asked ” What would June bring?”

Well it has brought me the date of June 27th.  I only found out yesterday that my hip surgery is now scheduled.  I believe that there was a cancellation and probably because I kept calling and asking for a date they gave it to me.  Now I am running around trying to get everything done that needs to be done.  I see the surgical optimizing team on Thursday and the anesthetist on Friday.

Does anyone have any comments on having a spinal anesthetic versus general anesthetic?  I am scared to have the spinal as I don’t want to hear anything, I mean what if I wake up during surgery and can’t tell them that I can hear everything?  On the other hand if I do have the spinal I am likely to be less dopey and can get on with the healing sooner.  I have to decide by Friday morning.  I really would appreciate your input.

Thanks to Black Mountain Sunrooms our house is now leak free both from the roof and under the basement and our windows no longer smile.  They worked for four hours on Sunday to finish up.

Looking good indeed.

Tags: health, hip, repairs

Would you like to win an RV?

What are you willing to do to win?

All you have to do to enter the contest is make a 2 minute video explaining why you want to win this RV.

That doesn’t seem too difficult does it?

The contest runs from Monday, June 3 through to Monday, July 15th, so get your cameras rolling.

The grand prize RV is being provided by Camping World Inc., the presenting sponsor of the “Epic RV Giveaway Contest,” as well as the series.

Tags: RV for free, travel