Saturday, October 31, 2009

I might be living with Mr. Vogel

A long time ago there was a man in town named Mr. Vogel.  I didn't know Mr. Vogel personally but I knew him because he wrote to the local paper every week complaining about something.  And it was always something odd.  Things like:  "Why does our town have to have diagonal parking?  Can't we have parallel parking on every street?  Why when I was a young man you were only taught parallel parking, that diagonal parking is for commies!"    

Ok, yes, I made that up but thats the sort of comment the man made every week.  I imagined the newspaper people put his letters in every week because they were so entertaining to regular people.

Me and the husband used to read his letters out loud.  (should that be aloud?)     

As my husband gets older and more crotchety he notices more and more things that make him irritated.  Every time he notices spray paint tagging he says things like "Look at that!  More tagging!  I need to call the city to do something about it. Damned kids!"   or "Hey, those neighbors can't do that, I'm gonna call our city councilman and get him to do something."  He becomes outraged over things in our neighborhood.

I guess it's good, but really I don't want to hear the crotchety-ness.  He gets all riled up and wants me to get all riled up too.  Hmmmm, I don't want to get all riled up, my stress levels don't need to raise by stuff like that.  If I say, "ah huh." he gets cranky at me that I don't care.  I do but I don't want to hear the bitching.  Reminds me of Frank Vogel.

Today we had an escaped rehab person (about a block over is a rehab hospital).  Some guy walked out of there, came to our street, broke into someones house thru the window and then came out the front door.  He then proceeded to ask our neighbors for a glass of water.  The police were called and they caught him an hour later.

Tonight the hub tells me he gonna call our councilman because of it.  Why?  I asked him.  Because evidently the hospital doesn't have good enough security.

I'm thinking the hospital knows this and will take the appropriate action.  We've lived her 15 years and we've never had an escaped rehab person before.  

I told the husband that he's sounding like Mr. Vogel...that's a little out there to call the city councilman over a rehab escape.  

He laughed but I'm thinking he still might call the poor man.  

It's a good thing the paper eventually made a rule that only one letter to the editor a month would be published.  Otherwise I might end up seeing my hub's name in the paper every week.  

Friday, October 30, 2009

Is Mars in retrograde?

Remember the temperamental artist guy who screamed at me some months back?   Well, today he began screaming at someone else and was telling her to f-off and all kinds of nasty stuff.  It started because she made a comment about how he doesn't like to share the mac laptop (that happens to be a general laptop that belongs to no one person but he thinks he's the only one who can use it).  He went off on her.  Used the F word at least a dozen times and was screaming loud enough for us to hear at the front of the office.    

She asked him numerous times to get out of her office and he wouldn't.  He finally left just to come back in slam the laptop on her desk and throw the mouse on top of that.

She came out and told all of us what had happened and she was upset and crying.  Two men who work with them heard the entire thing and is backing up her story exactly as she tells it.

She called her boss who was at a lunch meeting.  And she wrote him an email outlining the encounter.  Then he came into her office again (after about 30 mins) and told her he wanted to talk to her and he kept saying "Don't be like that.".  We all know he wanted to apologize but she did not want to talk to him.   She asked him to leave and he wouldn't.  He shut the door and when she tried to open the door he took her by the shoulders and said he wanted to talk to her.  This happened repeatedly.  Finally she told him to let go and let her out otherwise she was calling me.

He let her go, she came out to me crying and practically hysterical.   Right on her heels he came carrying his bag.  He left the office without saying anything. 

There were 2 other people at my desk and they heard her retell the story.  

She left and saw her boss and the big boss in the parking lot.  She told them the story.  The big boss came in and asked to see me.  I told her the story with the caveat that I could only tell her what I saw and heard.  I also told her how he treated me months ago.  She apparently didn't remember that altercation (or claimed to not know about it) but it did show a trend).  Then the girls boss came in and asked to see me.  I told him the story.

Then they called HR.  Apparently he's being put on an administrative leave until they can investigate.   He's crossed the line too many times.   He makes really bad choices and his anger flares at the slightest thing.  It's usually with no provocation, he just takes things way over the top.  I'd hate to see him lose his job (he has a wife and 2 little kids) but you reap what you sow and he's been reaping bitter stuff all over the place.  I don't know when they will tell him (or if they already have).  I can almost imagine him quitting but maybe not because of his family.

After that all happened the hub called to tell me that a truck crashed into a building 6 houses away from us and either the driver killed someone or was killed or badly injured.  That was about 4 that he called me and the cops are still there, the street is all blocked off and it's after 9 p.m.

Oh and T's mom called me this morning and said she was trying to keep all visits and phone calls to a minimum so her son could fight the cancer.  She's finally understanding that he will not have any better days and he's pretty close to death.  She is rescinding her ban and everyone can come visit him.  She thanked me for being honest (because I kept encouraging her to let people talk to him and told her I thought he was so tired and needed her to let him to whatever he wants to do and to just make him as comfortable as she can).  Evidently she finally heard the doctors words that he doesn't have much time & I think she finally heard what me and a couple of others have very gently tried to tell her without being flat out tactless.  

What a horrible day. 


Thursday, October 29, 2009

Saying goodbye

I don't know how much longer T can hang on.  He's on oxygen and him mom says she hopes he sticks around at least for his bday on Nov.9.  I don't know if he will or can.  I told his mom to tell him to try to stay but if he can't she understands.

She asked me how come I was so smart.  Well, sadly I've been here before so I've had to learn.

There are some lessons you don't want to learn.

She tells me he's lost his voice.  He can still talk but has lost his voice so I guess he can still whisper.  The doc says it just might be part of his illness (which I think means the cancer might have done something to his vocal cords).

He told her his pain was about a 3 (with meds) so at least he's not so high on the pain scale that he has to be medicated into oblivion.  However, he's so tired he thought maybe caffeine would help wake him up.  I think he's dying and his body just cannot keep him awake.  His mom said the doc said it's normal for him to be so lethargic and bone tired.

I hope wherever he is he knows he's cared for a lot. 


Pumpkin Patch Primitives giveaway

OOooooh, this is a fun giveaway:  Click here.   Not to mention there are fun and cute folksy quilts to inspire you to play.  

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Dinner with the niece

Last night we went to dinner with Em, Mary and Em's new guy friend.  Our kidlets were also there.  Me, the hub and the BIL.  To celebrate Em's birthday. She's 22.

The youngsters were more numerous than the oldsters.  

The new guy friend is cute and he was very solicitous of Em's family members.  Hmmmm.  It was probably my first clue that he was a bit more than a friend.  hahahah.

He is a very nice young man.  

We all chatted and chatted although it was a bit difficult to hear across the table.  Instead I mostly watched the interchanges between kids.  And it was a bit telling that Em's girlfriend (who very much approves of the new relationship) was very forthcoming about the two of them while Em was shy about it.  I think this relationship might be a long one.  It just looks that way to me after watching them last night.

bwhahahaha and he's a California guy.  :-)

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

If you can't beat them...

My hair has been turning gray at my temples for a few years now.   It hasn't really bothered me.  But now I notice there are more gray hairs sprouting all over my head not just the temples.  Which isn't really a bad thing overall, the silvery gray is a nice contrast to my normally brunette hair.

What does bother me is the sticky-uppie-ness of the new gray hairs.  They stand straight up at attention even if they are 2 inches long.  Ok, ok, maybe 2 inches is an exaggeration, but it seems like they are really long.   

I can't make them lay down and I certainly don't want to pull them out.  All that does it make the problem fade for a few weeks - it'll be back for sure.  

My mom used to ask me and my sister to pluck hers out.  And we did.  She'd wash her hair and then we'd put them up in curlers for her and grab any old gray hair that was sticking up and pluck it out.  I cannot imagine asking my children to do that.  Makes me laugh.

Then she would put on some kind of curler cover, a cap that sometimes had fluttery butterflies or flowers made out of a sheer polyester material.  I need to find a picture of these oh-so-fashionable caps.

A special note: My MIL never washed her own hair.  That is weird to me.  She had her hairdresser wash her hair, but she never did her own.  When she was having difficulty getting in and out of the shower the last few years I told her we could install a handheld shower so she could wash her hair and she looked at me in horror.  Told me she didn't know how to wash her hair because she'd never done it.  Can you imagine?

I have always had sleek hair as opposed to fluffy hair.  Fluffy hair is too big for my head.  Now these gray hairs are trying to make my head fluffy by fluffing up one by one.

Maybe I ought to go back to really, really short sticky-uppie hair so I'm not noticing the gray soldiers standing at attention.  That is one way to resist: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Monday, October 26, 2009

My weekend away

I hung out in Ojai and had a wonderful time.  Low-key as compared to past years but just as quality.  

Most of the time I spent hanging out with H, we made food, we noshed, we went out to dinner, we chatted, we grooved.

I saw an ex co-worker who caught me up with all the news from my old work.  That was fun.  I haven't seen her in 5 years.  Funny, we went to Ojai together 6 years ago, repeated it 5 years ago and both went on with our lives.  

On my way home I decided to drive over and see my friend who is dying of cancer.  He's finally at home.  He does not look good, he's lost a bunch of weight and looks like he's on death's door.  

He was sitting in a wheelchair tho.  And he was fairly awake when I got there.  Another visitor was there, his mom was there and the aide.  The aide is 20 and he did a good job while I was there.  We took him for a walk around the block and when we got back he did a little physical therapy and promptly fell asleep.  Just riding around in the sun took a lot out of him.

He's always been very, very quick but yesterday no.  He could keep focus for about 2 mins and then faded into this internal place.  Then he'd pop back into conciousness (not that he was unconsciousness when he went internal, he just wasn't present).  

His mom is still keeping some people away telling them to wait til he has a better day.  I asked her to please let a couple of people talk to him, there is one guy at work that keeps trying to call but she won't let him talk to him.  I asked specifically for T to take that one phone call.  She promised me she would.  I told her she needed to let T hear the people who wanted to tell him what he meant to them.  I got teary because it's important to him that he know people care and people want him to know that.  

His mom did tell me that under no circumstances would she let his boss talk to him.  He can't stand her and they both think she is stupid.  Sadly she means well but has no connection to him or anyone else so I can't blame them.  She won't be hearing from them and they won't let her near him even by phone.  

I spent an hour there and then came home.  


Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Traveling soon

Tomorrow I go to work and when I get home I pack to drive up to Ojai.  Here are some great photos of the town and surrounding area.  I have a friend who lives up there and every year there is a yoga conference which I used to go to but now I can't afford. But I know a ton of yogis who fly in from all over the US so I get to see a great number of friends while I'm up there.

Mucho love to my friend H who invites me to stay in her little house.  We hang out drinking coffee and chat it up all weekend.  I don't do many things outside of my town so this is a real treat for me.  I am so looking forward to it.  

I am not looking forward to the drive (I really would rather have a driver take me there and come pick me up on Sunday).  I hate driving, I have a phobia about driving.

No really, a true phobia.  If it gets too bad I'll pull off the road and take a rest.  Last year I hitched a ride with 2 yogi's but they aren't here this year so I will miss them (not just for their driving either).

Just one more day of work to get thru.  

Sunday, October 18, 2009

The phone call

I knew this day was coming.  My friend from work has been deemed terminal.  They are arranging for hospice.

He's disheartened, his mom and sister are somewhat surprised.  They kept holding on t the idea that he'd walk out of there.

I haven't been so optimistic.  And I hate when I am right with this type of thing.  I guess me and the girls at work have been preparing for this very situation.  

I need to call him but the question is do I call him today?  Or wait.  Waiting might be a bad idea because he isn't going to get better.  They are stopping chemo which I don't think makes any difference at all since it never seemed to have done anything.  Too much cancer everywhere to make a dent.

I'm sad today. 

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Mostly I grind it myself

On Wed I bought some coffee beans at Starbucks.  I had them grind it at the espresso setting.  On Thurs morning I opened the bag and spooned some grinds into the espresso basket.  Ding dang it!  It was too fine, it was ground at a turkish grind. 

You cannot use a turkish grind because it sets up a vacumn inside the basket.  No coffee comes out and you run the risk of blowing the gasket.  I ground some other kinds of beans I have for this happenstance.  Why, you ask?  Because it happens all the time.  You'd think I'd learn to check it before I leave Starbucks.  I was in such a hurry to get home I didn't.

And of course I didn't package it up so I could take it back.  I was running late so when I realized I didn't have the time I thought I'd buy some regular grind and mix it with the too finely ground and I'd have a happy medium.  The larger grounds would allow enough room for the water to circulate! 

I went into Starbucks and found out they don't have pre-ground coffee.  So I told the clerk I needed regular grind because I wanted to mix it with the too fine stuff the clerk ground the day before.  She told me I could bring it back.  But since I needed it today so I'd have coffee in the a.m. I told her I'd buy another pound.  

She began to grind my coffee.  She checked it after a bit and had me look at it.  It was perfect.  She continued and then found the grind was getting finer.  Apparently the machine was off as it kept getting finer and finer til it was powder.  She wasn't giving up either.  She got more beans and set the machine to a courser setting.  Finally she got it to grind at a texture that would work for my espresso machine.

Since it took 15 mins to get the grind right she gave me the pound and my latte to me for free.  Yippee!

I love that she did that...although I sure do wish Starbucks would train their clerks better when it comes to grinding coffee for customers.  Afterall, it happens alot and it's not because every store has a grinder that needs adjusting.  

Poor dog

I hate when our big dog has an epileptic fit.  This one lasted at least 5 mins.  I heard him walking around and I thought he wanted to go outside.  I opened the door and he stiffly walked outside and I knew he was starting one.  Usually he comes to me and stands there wanting pets (reassurance?) and then begins the fit.  

I went out with him and followed him.  As we got to the front steps (I let him out out laundry room door) he began staggering over to me.  He fell over onto me and the steps (his ribs hit the edge of the steps pretty hard) and I just kept hugging him and telling him it was ok.  I don't really think he hears me when he is having the fit but it helps reassure me.

This one went on long enough that I thought he was having a stroke.  He was panting hard and his eyes were wild.  

He slowly came out of it and stood right up and took a few steps away from me.  I called to him and he came to me and then went to get a drink of water.  I was afraid he was going to have another and fall into the tub of water.  

A few mins after that he walked around the yard, peed and then went exploring the yard.

I hate that he has these.  He doesn't have them often enough to give him daily medication.  But it really worries me that they're lasting longer than they used to.  


Friday, October 16, 2009

My sock monkey fabric design

Sock monkey fabric

This is my most recent Spoonflower upload.   Clicky here.  

I love the violet one but I think I will enter a different color one for the next contest. The deadline is Monday and I don't think you can vote until Thurs. On Thurs I'll post the actual page where you can vote (although I think only 3 people look at this blog and anyone from this computer can't vote since it only counts 1 from each isp/household). 

I like my little sockmonkeys. I think they are darling.

Just a thing or two to learn from

Yesterday I saw a woman who had a full-grown iguana on a leash. She sat on a planter and tried to get people to register to vote. The iguana was a good ploy to get people to stop. The iguana climbed up the tree at one point.

Today I saw 2 men who had a shepard that looked like it was part wolf. It was HUGE and had a bristle back (maybe it was part ridgeback?) but it's legs were very long and slender. Pretty dog. Good thing it was leashed tho.

Last Sat night I found I got a new ATM card. It probably came the week before but I never saw it. I found the envelope by happenstance and opened it even tho it was unmarked. My new card was in it. I looked for an envelope that might contain the PIN but could not find it. It has to be here somewhere cuz mail does not get thrown away here very often. In any case I decided that I HAD to go to the bank and have them give me a PIN. I don't have any way to get ANY cash. I had to borrow 20 from my friend and I need to pay her back.

I left early on Wed. to go to the bank. I was there by 8:00 a.m. The bank doesn't open til 9 and it closes at 5. I work from 8:30 to 5:30. I cannot do my banking during the week. Dang it.

The big boss told me (after she overheard me telling my boss the story). She very helpfully, I say with some sarcasm, told me it was open on Saturday.

Today she spent 3 hours at her bank tranferring her accounts from one bank to another; during working hours I might add. How nice for her that she can do that.

Some hours later she casually told me and my boss that her retirement from her last job (which as a very high profile company here in town where she was the CEO) would only last 2 more years...that she would only get yearly checks from them for 2 more years. She mentioned that they are larger than her yearly pay at this job (she makes 140k a year). And when those check stop after 2 more payouts she's gonna be poor because she won't have any income. She told us she might end up being a bag lady.

Hmmmm, let me see, she owns 3 homes (one in Carmel, CA) she currently makes at least 300k a year in checks and she's been investing for decades. I told her in all seriousness, "I really, really don't think you'll be a bag lady. And if you are a bag lady it will be a very expensive bag."

The 3rd thing she did was decide she was going to not buy season tickets for a philharmonic here in town. So she called to tell them since she'd just gotten an email asking her to purchase. The person on the phone said, "Ohhhh, you're MM, the ex-CEO of XXX company? Oh, I wish you'd continue your subscription!"

She comes out of her office to tell me how embarrassing it was that the woman knew who she was.

Ah huh, yeah, I'm sure she was tickled pink that a common person working in the box office knew who she was.

Ya know why this bothers me? Because some of the workers in our office have started to go to this charity that buys food that is near it's expiration date and offers whatever they have at 20.00. You basically get 5 or 6 grocery bags of food and sundry items for that 20.00. And she walks around telling all of us who have pay cuts (she does too, just to be fair) but some people are having to cut way back due to the cuts. Why can't she keep her stuff private? She has no tact.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Change is good

The past 2 days have been cold, rainy-ish and overcast. Tomorrow it's supposed to be 88. Crazy.

This weekend is book club, just the 3 of us. And yes, we read the book that the eyeroller suggested and it was good. I really enjoyed it.

Not sure if we're doing it Fri or Sat. Sat is better I think for me and one other. We just have to figure out if the 3rd one can do it.

Terri is suggesting we change our book club name. It's a good idea although I am attached to the other one.

But change is good.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

I copy and paste for a living

Today the director at work who cannot seem to get a handle on things asked me to give her my perspective on something. I am not going to do it. She's asking my perspective on something that we've talked about for 3 years. I've asked and argued why we should be doing this one task differently. She refuses to do it the way I've said it needs to be done.

This woman has played the: "Can I get your perspective" card too many times on me. I give it to her and she uses my material to upper management and claims it to be her own. Because she can't do these things. She cannot write up a plan, can't write up a justification, cannot write up anything without help. This isn't just little memo type stuff, these are management-level decision-ables, recommendations and reports.

The new big boss came in and asked why we were doing the one task the way we are. Because we are doing it in a very repetitive and labor-intensive manner. He suggested to her we change it (to the way I have been arguing for. We BOUGHT a product to do this task legally and quickly but it doesn't work and when I told her it doesn't work and the seller of the product refuses to fix it she dropped the ball.

She can't really answer the question the new boss asked her so she is asking me what it will take to do it the new way and how will it benefit us.

I'm a low-level admin and I've been told I'm a low level admin. I do not get paid to help her do her job (other than the low level administrative work) so I am not going to do a big write up so she can forward it to the new boss. She can figure it out herself. I can't even understand why she is asking me this since we've gone over it multiple times over the last 3 years.

Too bad I can't answer and cc the new boss. I won't (even tho I think it) and it would help highlight her inability to do this and the fact she is requesting that I "give" her my perspective instead of knowing the very product she is supposed to be in charge of. For crying out loud she is asking programmer level technical stuff as well as strategic benefits for the entire company. No, she can do this without me. I wish her luck.

Mood

It's raining. In early October. Raining.

The weekend is supposed to be in the mid 90's.

The rain suits my mood these days.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Hello mortality

Went to Mike's memorial yesterday. It was nice, somewhat smaller than the last one we went to (of our group) but a lot of people couldn't get here like they could during the summer months.

It was nice to see everyone again. I hate that we all get together when someone dies but I guess we'll see this happen over and over as we get older.

I got teary-eyed while Mike's wife spoke of his last days and what his friends meant to him. I didn't think I would but listening to her broke my heart.

The fun part was looking thru a ton of pictures. PattyS brought 2 boxes that were slated for the trash bin when someone saved them. I'll post some when I get a chance to do something like scan them. Wish we had a scanner, that would make it easier.

The old guard is leaving the planet. Hello mortality.

Friday, October 9, 2009

The surprise of the day

Wow. Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. I'm figuring it's because he jump-started the country and the world back to something less war-like than the last 8 years. There was such an electrifying vibe to everything as he campaigned.

I'm always proud to be an American, but as I watched the last president go down paths I didn't want him to do down I slunk farther and farther down in the seat wishing it'd go away.

In 2003 when we went to Paris (days after Bush declared war), all 4 of us decided we'd make sure to tell anyone who asked: "I did not vote for him". None of us had and we were counseled to stay in the US and not go abroad. As an aside, we were not hassled about it but we did have conversation (with a british couple) and one comment from a taxi driver. Both exchanges were of puzzlement on why Bush was being the way he was.

I'm against war, I know, I know, support our troops, support our commander in chief. I don't have to approve of the war I can still support the guys who went there and performed their duty.

So when Obama came with messages of peace, he handed us back the hope that we could be proud of this country again. That we could sit across the table and converse with diplomacy, that he'd close Gitmo, that we'd go back to civility. Those things were the things I grasped onto.

I wasn't the only one. And I thought there was a palpable difference.

That's why Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize.

Early evening: I'm adding to this post. I'm amazed at how many people are railing against Obama getting the award. Many of them confuse the duties of the presidency with getting the award. Cries of: He hasn't done anything in the 11 days he was in office or What has he done? Tell me what wars has he stopped? Healthcare is still being rammed down our throats! Unemployment is so high!

Multiple times during the day I had to post what the NPP was and what the rules were. I even posted the video of the NPP committee member explaining what A. Nobel put down as the criteria and how Obama met all the criteria.

Why isn't any recognition of a peaceable solution applauded and given high fives by the entire country? It makes me sad.

Oh and btw, Obama is donating the 1.4 million to charity.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Oct shut in

It's cold. It's unusual to have weather this chilly this early in Oct. I associate Halloween with the weather turning from warmish to windy cold.

This year the tail end of Sept took a turn into fall weather. And I'm not very happy about that. Means I have to find all my warmer clothes and get new boots. I wish for very warm boots, one flat pair and one with heels. Seems I can't find pants that are short enough to wear flat shoes so I must resort to heels.

I shake my fist at cold weather. At the colds it's brings (I've already had my cold for winter so please, no more colds). I'd spit in the face of winter but it's likely to come back at me so forget that. Basically this weekend I stayed inside and didn't venture out because I was sick. bah.

I guess I'd better start knitting again. Keeps me warm having woolen scarves wrapped around my neck AND having a scarf project on my lap.

I still neeeeed to learn how to knit socks. I hate that I can't figure out the heel and turning the heel. For crying out loud, my brain is turning to mush that I can't figure it out on my own. Must be age. $@&*#$*&%!!

Off I go, pondering the boring-ness of my blog posts. I need to get out more so I have something to write about.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

I sold a design!

Hey, this is cool. Someone bought one of my designs on Spoonflower! Now don't get all excited I don't get anything because someone bought one of my designs...I get the satisfaction that someone liked it enough to purchase it.

And this is the one they bought, click here.

I LOVE that one.

Maybe I ought to buy some and sell fat quarters?

Friday, October 2, 2009

Dusty nose

I left work early today. I was definitely spreading germs. I kept sneezing and blowing snot everywhere and I didn't feel well so I got my work done and left.

I came home took a fitful nap, hard to nap when you can't breathe or snot is flying from your nose. I bought the Nasonex and it was, with my co-pay - $35.00. OMG.

I keep wondering if the amount of dust in this house (which is to say we have dust flying thru this 90 year old house all the time) is a factor in my turbinate tissues being so swollen. Especially since our front yard is all dirt - it makes it 100 times worse.

I don't think I have allergies, but I can see where a constant supply of fine dust could irritate the nose. Especially one that has a deviated septum since it can't clean itself out as efficiently as a nose with a straight septum.

So even tho I felt like doo-doo I vacuumed. I cannot afford 35.00 for the nasal steroids so I guess I'd better vacuum every single day.

It's either that or move to my very own apartment so there is no dogs, no furniture and no dust.

I hate having breathing problems. And snot and wet tissues.

No wonder my turbinates are swollen

Ding dang it, I knew I was getting sick. This morning sneezing, snot, headache. I guess my turbinates are working overtime.

hahaha, I like the word turbinates. A new word is always fun to learn...even if you have a deviated septum or cold to learn about them.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

It's not as straight forward as I thought - deviated septum

Yowie my head hurts.  I think I'm sick.  Coincidentally I went to the ENT doc yesterday.

I need to get my deviated septum fixed.  After my tangle with the tree that broke my nose last May I've been deviated.  And I've been having breathing problems since then.  It's mostly noticeable when I have both pain and a stuffy nose in the morning.  I guess when I lay down ooky stuff pools up in my sinuses.  But once I'm up and moving around the headache goes away.  

Yesterday I went in hoping to schedule the surgery.  I left without scheduling it.  Instead I left with a prescription for a steroid spray & antibiotics, a neti bottle and a 2 month wait.  Because insurance requires I try these things before I can have the surgery.

Not only is my septum deviated but the turbinates are swollen.  Click the link to see what the turbinates are...I had no idea I had turbinates, much less that they could be swollen.  So the spray is supposed to help calm down the turbinates and the neti pot (which is really a bottle for me) irrigates the nasal passages getting rid of all kinds of gunk.  

The ENT also thought I might have sleep apnea.  Because I wake up with headaches.  Great.  Can't I have a simple deviated septum?

In any case I have to undergo nearly 2 months  of pharmaceuticals before insurance will approve surgery.  Although I think if I didn't have the swollen turbinates it would be easier.  He said he'd remove part of the turbinates because they were so swollen.  Which means he'll remove some of the core of the turbinates.  Weird eh?

Tonight I try the neti.