Sunday, December 13, 2015

My first CT scan experience......

So I missed the American Greetings Christmas party, because I had to go to get a CT scan.

The staffperson at the gyn's office told me that I had to empty my bladder first, then drink two bottles of water before the sonogram.

The sonogram tech was really happy about that I had a nice full bladder..... I was just worried about peeing the table! Here she is pressing on my abdomen with that wand. LOL.

CT scan.... if you never had one before, they give you a dye that gets injected into a vein. They'll put a 'port' in your vein, tape it in, and then inject the dye through that. I saw the 'port', but didn't get to see the dye being injected in. They had me put my arms over my head.

They told me that the dye would give a warm feeling, which was nice as that place was cold, and I was trying not to shiver. Not sure if that would mess up the CT scan. It makes you feel as if you've peed. LOL.

There's different side effects. The staff guy (who assisted the tech) told me that if I developed hives, rash or difficulty breathing, they would shut down the CT scan. But the only reaction I had was vertigo, which my maternal Grandma used to have. Though she also got big welts from CT scan dye.

The CT technician says to me afterwards, "Wow, those are some big fibroids." Oh, joy.

She also told me that I needed to drink plenty of fluids the next few days to flush the CT scan dye out of my system.

I'm now wondering if that was what was behind a really bad vertigo attack I had last night, as yesterday I only drank about 16oz.

Anyhow, that was my experience, in case anyone had never had a CT scan, you now have some idea of what to expect. Except for me they were attempting to scan the pelvic area, so someone getting a different area scanned might not get the peeing sensation.

I asked the tech if anyone had ever peed the table, and she said only once in 20 years. It was a 90-something year old man, who wasn't very aware of his surroundings.

Saturday, September 5, 2015

I should realize that Dad doesn't listen to me....

I don't know if it's part of his hearing issue or he's just not paying attention.   Maybe it's the Lipitor? 

This happened Tuesday, but only got the chance to write it up today.  
Tuesday I was brushing my teeth when the faucet made a loud whine and knocking noise.   I quickly turned off the cold handle.  The hot was not on.   I was done brushing and needed to rinse my mouth.  So I turned the cold back on.  Loud, ear-splitting whine and knocking noise start again.  

Then the handle for the hot water shoots off the sink, and hot water is spraying everywhere.  

My mouth was filled with toothpaste and I'm not sure when I ended up swallowing the toothpaste. 

I go to the kitchen to communicate to my dad that the faucet needs to be shut off. 

Dad "What?"
Me "Where's the water shut off in the bathroom?"  

Conservation goes around and around for a bit, with me asking about shutting off the water in the bathroom, and dad not understanding what I'm asking.  

So dad decides to go to the bathroom to check things out for himself.  He sets one foot in the bathroom and falls and slides on his back.   At the time I was worried he hurt himself, but now I'm laughing at it.  

Dad finally got the water shut off, with me holding a cup over the hot water handle-less spot. 

Dad ended up having to run out and get a new faucet.  

Then my uncle reminds both me and my dad that I had mentioned that the hot water handle was hard to turn. 

See, I like to use my elbows to turn on the hot water, so the handles don't get dirty.   I'd stopped using the hot water, as I couldn't turn it on with an elbow anymore.   I kinda' got after dad for not paying attention to me.  He says, "Well, I would have had to replace the faucet anyway."   I pointed out he could have replaced it much sooner, and there wouldn't have been a mess all over the bathroom floor.  

Hope all that water didn't damage anything.  


On the plus side, I can now turn the hot water on with my elbows again.  

PS if anyone needs a dentist in Dallas, TX

I can pass you a referral card for Dr. Richard Garcia at Contemporary Family Dentistry.   Just send me a private message.  

Just curious regarding dental work

Okay, I'm curious if I set up a GoFundMe regarding my dental work, if anyone would be willing to contribute? 

Friday, August 28, 2015

Subject? Don't need no stinking subject!

Near the card section, there is an endcap with Star Wars school supplies.   Dad and son walk past.  

Dad stops and says to son, "Do you want a Star Wars binder?" 
Son; "Naw." 
Dad; "Are you sure?  Last chance." 
Son; "Yeah.  I'm sure." 
(pause)
Dad; "Should I get myself a Star Wars binder?" 
Son; "Totally." 


And I didn't even pipe up that Target has in-binder folders and separators, so he could buy it and start keeping household records in it.  See, it would be a perfectly legitimate purchase. 


I made a kid cry.   See, someone who is a foster parent (via the Lesbian Duplex) mentioned that you have to turn things around to a kid's POV.  The example she used was urging a kid to hold mom's hand crossing the street so mom won't get lost.  


I've been using a version of this at Kohl's.  When I see a kid start to wander off, I tell them that parents get lost when you wander too far.   They usually turn around and go back.  
This one tyke had gone a bit farther than usual, but I remember the parent she came in with.  (Mom was white, but the kids were mixed-race.  That's why I remembered. :P )  

Anyway, when I told her "You shouldn't wander away from mom.  Moms get lost when you wander too far.  Did you know that?"  She had to stop and think over what I said. 
I swear you could see the wheels in her brain turning. Then she figured it out and started the sad eyes and turned down lip, "Mama!"  Sniffle.  "MAMA!"  

So I pointed out mama to her and she ran back and cried at mama a bit.   Really didn't mean to make her cry.  LOL.  

Another time, I told this to a pretty young tot.  She was maybe two.  While I tell her this, I'm looking around to see if I see any frantic adults.  But after a few minutes of me talking to her, her older brother(?) comes out of the lingerie section and freezes on seeing me.  I ask, "Is she with you?"  He nods, grabs sister by one hand, and hurries off with a backward look to make sure I haven't turned into Baba Yaga and started chasing them. 

So good to see I can still scare the crap outta' kids.  

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

I need caps!

According to the dentist, I have been grinding my teeth.   I had no idea until I saw the pictures of my teeth.  He says it's stress related.  (Raising parents is hard.)  It will be about $2000 to get three caps on three teeth that I've fractured.  Sigh.   I really don't have that much money.  

Need to post pictures of my art stuff on Craig's List, I guess. 

Anyway....

Sunday, March 1, 2015

So some a--holes ruined some middle school kids' day....

So I was listening to Beyond Bows and Arrows on KNON. (89.3) I didn't catch the name of the guest, but he's one of the chaperones for American Horse School (which is a middle school) on the Pine Ridge Reservation.  As a reward for academic performance, the kids get to go on field trips. 
One of field trips was a trip to see a hockey game in Rapid City. 

Some men in a corporate box started throwing beer and racial slurs at these middle school kids.  The kids got upset, of course.   But according to the guest on BB&A, some of these kids had nightmares, and are now afraid to leave the rez.   Which is just not right, grown men intimidating small kids. Some of these kids are young enough that they still believe in Santa Claus and the tooth fairy. 

Links!

From NPR
http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2015/02/09/383835807/authorities-probe-alleged-hate-crime-against-native-american-kids

http://competenetwork.com/native-american-children-abused-at-sporting-event/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TclhpbG43gI#sthash.1gFCFOeU.dpuf

If you wish to send the kids letters and/or cards of support and encouragement, you can send them to
American Horse School
P.O. Box 660
Allen  S.D. 57714
.
Only one person was found and he was charged with a misdemeanor.  So now there is also a 'push' to have the investigation reopened as a hate crime, which would have stiffer penalties.  I don't have any links where one would write for that.  

The only thing I could think to tell these kids would be about how these men have a body part so small they compensate by insulting others.   But I figure that's not the sort of thing you tell to an 9 year old or whatever.