Gary

Gary is no longer with the Electrician's Union. It would take too long to explain here. He was let go from another job. He was on probation from the last time & apparently-him busting his butt and giving 200% or more wasn't enough. I just don't know what will be ahead for us.

work

I was at work Saturday afternoon. Day was going fair. Didn't expect much, I don't like to work closing shift all that much. I was right in the middle of waiting on a customer when I heard "Cynthia's" voice booming over the speaker. "Christy Nichols please dial ext. 172 or come to the ad office" I was still slicing some meat for this customer and my eyes got as wide as saucers, all the time wondering what did I do now. Going to the office is a 50/50 situation, either you did good or you did bad and you are being wrote up. I finish with the customer and I walk back to the ad office we=here Cynthia is there and she tells me that I have a performance review. She begins to read out word for word every category in my review, all the while I am looking over on the right hand side of the paper where I see every category "solid performance" and two "exceeds expectations". I kinda blocked her reading out, because I was still getting over the shock of being called to the office. She said she wanted to write "needs more confidence in herself" but there wasn't a category for that. So I got a raise which moves me up to $8.65 an hour, but that won't take effect until November 4th. Why the long wait for the new pay rate to go into effect? Why couldn't this start on the next day I was officially clocked in? I guess I'll have to do some secret investigating as to why this is done this way. I just didn't seem fair, but I guess I should be grateful for the raise in pay.
Another friend of mine at work called me last night on my lunch break and told me that he came in to work on Friday, then @ an hour later went back to personnel to pick up his paycheck..then just walked out! Didn't come back! Then he tells me that he had called out for a few days before this and ended up taking those as sick days. He has a new job working for Comcast and he loves it. From what he told me he's making way more than Wal-Mart could ever pay him. Then said "don't tell anybody where I'm at or that you talked to me." Why? What should he care? He got a better job-great for him! I just don't think he should have left Wal-Mart in the way he chose to do it. But that was his decision.....
Monday I have another appt. with Dr. Efobi . Gary's Dad was telling me of a conversation he had with a lady in Camden a few days ago. She also has MS but she goes to see a Dr. Moses at the Vanderbilt MS Clinic. Gary's Dad was all excited telling me about this Dr. Moses, and how this "Susan" was saying how this was a great Dr. I am happy with Dr. Efobi-I know she would welcome it if I went to go see another Dr. to see what his opinion is. I think what is foremost on my mind is having to pay for the visit because we are still making Cobra payments. So we would have to pay what the insurance would not cover, and we just don't have the $$$ for that now.
Gary finally got somewhere with the unemployment checks. For several weeks of trying to log on to the website & not being able to get thru to endless calls only to be either given a "we are too busy" message or an "office hours recording". He got a call from someone from the state via an e-mail I sent (to a family member that works for the state also). She took his information and instead of trying to file for all the back pay he was missing; which would involved a whole lot more paperwork and more waiting, he just filed for a retro of two weeks back pay and now can re-certify on the internet. That was an ease for my mind because I have been fretting over the money situation for a long time. But I won't be truely at ease until Gary is officially back into the apprenticeship program and is working and bringing home a paycheck every week. We need to catch up on the bills, I am still making payments on all my medical bills when I can, and regular household bills, & credit card bills--plus Christmas will be here before we know it.
We are going back home for a visit on Friday. I have a three day weekend from work and since it's mine and Jimmy's birthday...a trip back home is just the thing to make me happy. If nothing happens we plan to leave Friday morning sometime, then stay wherever we reserve a hotel room at for the weekend. I just got to get busy and make my "packing list"-like I always do so I don't forget anything for the trip.

rainy days

Rainy days and monday's always get me down. Even thou it is actually Friday..I still got to work today. It's only 10am-2pm, but still part of me wishes I didn't have to go. Just been really depressed lately. My job is just that-a job. nothing exciting. Gary is STILL out of work. Bills still coming in--more money keeps going out than what is coming in. I wished he help me out more around the apartment. Cleaning up after himself for starters. I feel like and indentured servant. Had to get a new air conditioning unit, ours died. Problem was we didn't know it until 2 days after of "being hotter inside than it was outside" days. It was still very hot outside, during those days-so we didn't put two and two together until our over $200.00 electric bill came in the mail. live and learn. Hope Gary will get another unemployment check in the mail-he got ONE after they approved the appeal, and now nothing. He claims every time he tries to get on the states website to file his weekly certification, that site is so slow it will give you a "sorry for the delay-please try again later" box when you are only a little bit into filling out your info. I don't think he's even tried to attempt it again. All I've seen him do with an enthusiastic fervor is play that damned WOW on-line. I hate that game. I find myself comparing him to my ex in so many ways. I know that's not a good thing to do. My ex did hurt me in so many ways, ways that I probably don't even know about at this time. Gary said he'd take care of me-but I don't think "this" qualifies. Can't wait until the next time we come home for a visit.....Can't wait until the next time we move back home/or closer to it for good.

haven't really blogged all that much in a long time....just haven't felt like it. So many bad things are going on for us, I want to scream! They say the economy is going to get better, or all ready starting to...but I'll believe it when it happens for us. Just depressed now and I know that's not good for me in my condition. I just want someone to blame. I get so many people telling me different things. I feel like I am not doing enough to make things better for us. Write more later.

So stressed out now

everything was going ok here in Nashville for the both of us, then to quote the old phrase...."when it rains, it pours"
I had gone to a dr's visit about the brace on my right foot. Girl behind the desk tells me that "we are showing no insurance on you", I was shocked because we were under the impression that we had enough "banked hours" from BCBS to get us thru the middle of July. Gary had been laid off for several weeks and if he didn't go back soon-we'd have to start making "cobra payments." I had to pay $100.00 deposit before even seeing the DR. So I am in the waiting room wondering what could be going on, when I get called back. Dr tells me that i'm not wearing the brace tight enough and proceeds to tighten it up then. I tell him I don't want to tie it too tight in the first because I am on my feet all day and I have to compensate for swelling. I didn't want to be feeling like I wanted to pay anyone to cut my foot off. My arms are weak anyway because of my MS and sometimes I can't tighten it like he thinks it should be. He then tells me that i can sleep in it for short naps, but not if I'm going to sleep for several hours/overnight. (when b4 he said not to sleep in it!) Then he tells me I do have arthritis in the joints of that foot. Before he said it was an "arthritic condition" and not arthritis....when & how did this change? I was also upset because of the Dr's attitude toward me thru the whole visit.
Gary told me he called our ins. company and even though he went back to work before June was out---whomever at the company placed it on the following month instead-because it was so close to the cut off point or their records. So all we had to do was mail a $10.00 check to their address in GA. and we'd be fine. Then i go to get my RX's refilled the next week and the girl at the Walgreens tells me that my ins. /RX cards are no good. Gary has to call the ins. company again and whomever didn't put the payment on the" right screen". So again we were screwed up. We had to wait until someone from the company called the Walgreens to say that the problem had been corrected and we had insurance. Then get my pills filled.
Then the next day Gary calls me on my way home from work to tell me he got fired form the construction job he was on at the airport. What he didn't know was his foreman had called the Union hall and complained about his work at least two weeks ago, and Gary didn't even know anything about it until he was leaving his class one night and the director of the apprentice program had pulled him aside to tell him about it.
What's going to happen next is Gary will have to go before this committee from the Union Hall and they will talk with him and they will have the deciding vote to keep him in or let him go. gary's dad made some phone calls and found out that he can't have anyone there to support his cause (former co-workers, former bosses etc.) This foreman said gary wasn't "performing the work in a timely manner", and this person also said that gary seemed to be "spaced out" at times.
So when Gary goes before the committee he has to watch what he says, acts, his body language/facial expressions, choose his answers carefully, etc. if he does get kicked out of the program, he has to wait @a month goes by before he can reapply to the program again. And he'll have to go thru a more extensive interview process because of what happened before. They either tell him, "yes you can get back in" or "no you can't". If he gets back in he has to ask for advanced placement to get credit for all the classes and exp. he's had before. If they don't approve that he has to start from square one ALL OVER AGAIN. Which would really ruin his self-esteem and pride. So he has been really upset over all of this and has had thoughts of wondering if I really want to continue this apprenticeship or not. He says he can handle the schoolwork and classes just fine-his biggest worry was the possibility of coming across someone that just didn't care for him one bit and would fire him to get rid of him. (aka the chicken way out, instead of just laying him off.) he told me he was at class one night was talking to another guy in his class about what happened and when the guy asked who his boss was...Gary says "Harry Spain", then his classmate said this "Spain" fellow had a reputation of "stabbing others in the back to get ahead". This classmate of Gary's had worked with him before and didn't care for him either. So this "Spain" fellow takes a dis-liking to Gary for whatever reason and stirs up all this. Gary is wondering if the "spacing out" comment could be related due to the heat stroke he had while he was in the army a long time ago. If you've ever known someone to suffered from a heat stroke-they can't be out in the sun for extended periods of time.
So now we are just waiting to see what will be the outcome of his meeting with the committee, then proceed from there. Meanwhile we don't know yet if he can get unemployment from this, have to file for "Cobra" insurance and see if we even get approved for that. How are we going to pay for that if Gary's not working? I have to wait until sometime in Aug. to see if I can get back any or all of that deposit i paid at the dr's that one day. And if we don't get approved for Cobra how are we going to afford all the meds. we take? And if gary does get back into the program, how long will it be before he goes to work anywhere-given the current situation of the economy? And we have more questions that are still remaining unanswered. We have talked about moving back home-if it gets to that-but we'd have to have jobs to go to and a place to live before that choice is made. But we'd be making trips to and from Nashville anyway because of the VA for his dr's , and the Dr's I see for my MS.
So anyway we are under a lot of stress, and need all the prayers and good thoughts/good luck wishes anyone can give us. I will fill you in later as things happen.

back to work!!!!

Was sleeping so soundly until Gary came upstairs and woke me up to tell me Wal-Mart called... I got called in to work today. Hoping to have a day off to rest but I thought "we need the money". So called "Yolanda" back and told her I would come in. I'm just wondering what is going on because the sign by the time clock is still posted saying "please do not advice customers we have jobs-we don't". Then every other couple of days you see a new orientation group having a tour of the store. And other people start talking about hours getting cut.....then today I get called into work?? (You'd think everyone would be wanting to work all they could given the state of the economy now. ) Something smells rotten in Denmark....Or they could just be trying to weed out certain associates in other departments because of their poor job performance? Instead of just right out firing them?
Anyway....Gary stops by from his way back from LaVergne. He took some scrap copper up there to sell. He stops by and tells me he's got some news.....he says "I won't be getting my unemployment check's anymore" He said it with such a straight face to, so I am thinking Oh God, what's going to happen now.....banked hours for our insurance is almost running out, I am not working full time, the cost of my medicine and Dr. visits. etc... he then tells me that he got a call from the Union Hall about a job that he will be going to on Monday. Not sure where it's at yet, or what shifts/days he'll be working. He'll be getting a call from the girl at the Union hall in the AM with the results of his standard drug test from "Concentra", then he'll get his referral paperwork, and then off to the contractors business and then he'll find out where the job is and what hours and etc. I hope this one lasts for a while.....he was out of work for over a month and going stir crazy here at the house.

so far behind...

well I was at work today....day was going like usual then I find out that a co-worker was getting fired. Problem was that this person didn't know about it. my department mgr. had confided this information in me and had me promise not to mention it to anyone else. Then later i hear my department mgr. telling two other employees this same information. What's up with that?? I guess the cat's out of the bag now....then tomorrow when I go into work it will be the talk of the day. What me and some other co-workers are wondering...what took them so long to get rid of this person? "He" was never around when you needed him, always took extended breaks and long lunches. On several occasions he would have a "family emergency" and called out from work. (this happened on paydays...coincidence you think?) From what I heard he opened the deli today, then @9:30am went to work in another dept., was supposed to be back in the deli by a certain time; but he never showed up. We saw him working in produce, but why a higher up mgr. didn't tell him to come back to & stay in the deli is beyond me. Then I am told that they are getting rid of two more from my dept. and one of them is one of the more harder workers and is always nice and polite and rarely calls out. WHAT??? I don't understand who has the right to make these decisions, "keep the bad employees and get rid of the good ones", doesn't sound like a good judgment call from the higher-up management. Anyway will blog more when I have a chance. I need to post some pictures, and catch up on e-mails, and tweet some. But working all kinds of hours with no set schedule is catching up on me.
Still on "Copaxone" for my MS. Haven't had any "seizure" episodes so far. (Dr told me if I had another one I'd be classified as an epileptic). I have a eye Dr. apt on the 9th-will tell you what comes of that later that day. Gary has been laid off for over a month now and is not happy about it. There are times I come home from work so stressed out, and upset at having to do laundry and clean up the apt. and etc-I some times take it out on Gary. I just wish he'd help me out a little more. The program that he's in says that he can't take any job unless it's through the Union. That's just crazy to me. We hope he gets back to work soon. After a certain time we will have gone thru all of our "banked hours" for our health insurance, and will have to start paying @ $300.00 a month, like we can really afford that now. (for those of you who understand the terms "subsidizeing" and are familiar with "COBRA" when reading health insurance articles - you know what we are facing.) Anyway--that's what's going on in my side of the world right now. Just wondering what's going to happen next. Write more later, just wish I had a clone to help me catch up on things around the house or fill in for me at work. Blog more later.

bored

I have been on personal/medical leave from work since the 28th of April. I was at work that night and as I was finishing up my shift while I was talking to a fellow co-worker. The next thing I knew I had one of those "dizzy spell" feelings come over me, I tried to fight it off as best as I could then next thing I knew everything was going dark. All the light was was disappearing from my sight, from the outside in. I felt more dizzy than I had ever felt since these feeling first began happening. the next thing I know I can hear "Billy" asking me if I was all right and I could remember seeing my hands shaking in front of me. I was trying to keep myself from falling over and I was really tired, hot and extremely thirsty. I opened my eyes to find myself on the bakery's prep table and Billy was calling for a manager to come over immediately. I felt like I was in a trance as he was leading me to a chair so I could sit down. I still felt so light headed as the manager came over to ask me if I was all right. I explained to him that I had MS and what medication I was on. I was feeling so "wiped out", I didn't know what was going on, I couldn't hardly talk, all i felt like was lying down. We walked back to the lockers and I told him I was going to call my neurologist EARLY in the morning to see if she wanted me to come in so we could see what was going on. I talked to one of her assistants on the phone and she said the DR. wanted me to come in as soon as I could. She did some more tests and after checking me over i was told that I had had a partial seizure. She told me to stop taking my "Rebif" immediately. Rebif is the injected medication that I was taking for my MS. in a small % of people, Rebif was known to cause seizures. And I guess I turned out to be in that %. She gave me another RX for an anti-convulsant-in addition to the one I was all ready taking. Plus another RX to give me more energy in the morning. She told me she wanted me to start taking "Copaxin" for my MS. (another injectable med., this one is everyday verses the 3 times a week with Rebif) I was told that I'd have to wait for the Rebif to get out of my system and since all my meds have to be approved by my insurance co.--it was going to take a while before I would get it. Lots of red tape-I thought health insurance companys were supposed to help people.
All of this happened the week before my sister's wedding. It was so scary not knowing when these spells were going to happen next. I wasn't allowed to drive. (but I did that anyway-had to go to work, had to earn a paycheck, had bills to pay) I was so hoping I wouldn't have another big one the day of her wedding! There was no way I was going to miss that! My Dr. told me no driving whatsoever, and if I had another big one like before I would be classified as an "epileptic".
My follow up with her was on the 6th. And she extended my leave of absence, because I was still having the dizzy spells. She told me that she had sent "Medfusion" my RX for the copaxin, and I assume "medfusion" will call me to set up shipment or I might have to make some phone calls myself if I don't hear anything from anybody.
My sisters wedding was so beautiful and romantic. An outdoor wedding like she wanted. The rain held off, and we had the reception inside the Paris Landing State Park Hotel. We had lots of family and friends there. It was a wonderful day. I have lots of pictures on my digital camera-I want to save them to my "memory card" so I can make copies and send them out, and I want to post some on my blog here and on Facebook when I have time. She and Jason went to Florida for their honeymoon. She sent me pictures from her cell phone. It sounds like she and Jason are having the time of their lives. I'm so happy for the both of them.

being lazy

haven't posted a new blog in a long time....I guess work has caught up with me. Now that the scheduling has gone all computerized, I won't know what times I'll be working till I see them posted on the wall. There was some question is I was going to get the days off that I had requested. But after being pulled around in so many directions-I was told by personnel that as long as you have your request in by the time-frame needed-you were ok. So I don't hold too much faith in the manager "Cynthia" anymore. I seems like I am working the weirdest hours, either I am opening and working till 1 in the afternoon or I come in at the late afternoon and work till closing. And that's not being helpful with my MS. This coming Monday will be an injection night and Gary will have to come up and help me with it. I've explained something of this to my department manager, mark, but I got the impression he still didn't know what all that would entail. Knowing the way the schedule will work is that I will be the only one left in the deli after a certain time and when it comes time to take my injection, I will have to leave for the bathroom and just about that time we will have an angry customer come up and complain that no-one was there to wait on them. (Something like last Sunday when 2 people called out and I was left alone after 8pm. People get really mad if you aren't there to "jump at their every beck and call" so to speak.) Life is too short to get all riled up over something like that. I just wonder what today is going to bring.....
My sister's bachelorette party is coming up this Saturday. I was sent an e-mail about the days agenda, and was amazed at the cost of some of the events. (I would love to see the Parthenon.!!) I have so many bills to be paid now, becuase of my medical situation, I don't know what to do. Gary tells me to take the money and go splurge on myself for once, but I keep thinking the money could be used to make payments on my ever growing medical bills. I work at the Wal-Mart deli....my hands will be covered up with gloves most of the time anyway. Going club hopping really doesn't interest me at all....so I guess you can call me an old fogie. We have to plan about the weekend of her wedding also. Gary will be working that Friday morning, so we'll be making a mad dash to Paris for the rehersal dinner that night. Then her wedding is that Saturday afternoon, Then I'm sure Gary will want to go to church in Holladay that Sunday. I just wished we didn't live so far away. it would make the weekend's events a little less hectic. I guess I'll have to make up my mind and send an-email to Stephanie soon. Just have to see what the money situation is. I'll feel like the designated driver along with a group of young-20 somethings having a wild night out on the town as the day draws closer to her party. The MS makes me so tired most of the time. I'll have to make it an early night because I know I have to be at work early that following Sunday morning.
Then on the 22nd. my Aunt and Uncle from Missouri will be in town. They will be visiting with friends the night before and we will be meeting up for breakfast on the next am. I called yvonne and told her I'd be working till closing that night before, so she'll have to call me and let me know what the plans are for that day as the time draws nearer. Then Jimmy plans on coming up late on the 24th. He wants to enter a gospel singing contest on the 25th. He wanted Gary to enter with him also, but Gary read the rules and regulations part, and he decided against it. You have to be free all the dates they specify and it would conflict with his job and classes. I called Jimmy's cell and told him about it. But as of yet he hasn't called me back. If he still wants to enter we will support him. But if he doesn't we will still welcome him if he wants to stay the night with us here in Nashville. I'll call him later today and see what he's planning on doing...

contemplating on the future

I haven't blogged in the last few days, just tired from work and all...I had a mandatory deli meeting at work on Monday....just as I figured nothing much accomplished in that...meeting was run by a "non-people person manager; Cynthia". More or less it was be more professional, don't call in so much, follow procedures better. I think part of it has to do with the way "Ember" runs the deli....she's kind of a pushover and other associates take advantage of that. I came into work Thursday and things were running almost perfect....then the night shift came in....a.k.a. "Betty & Ron"..... Ron doesn't want to do anymore work than he has to, and Betty is not the kind of person to be serving the public. I had another co-worker talking to me in the breakroom about how he didn't think Betty should be serving the public at any place because of her attitude, but we as "indians" have no control over that, only "chiefs" have that powe. I have also had other co-workers say to me as I'm waiting on them...."how can you stand to work with the people back here?" "You are so nice compared to them.....I like it when you work....you're my favorite person over here.....etc. I just hope the job situation improves for me, either being moved to anothwer dept. or a new job. I don't think any of those things are going to happen soon. With the way the economy is and how Wal-Mart works.....
Anyway on to more important things. I had some bloodwork done, turns out I am slightly anemic. I was just told to start taking a multi-vitamin. My cholesterol was good, big suprise there! Then later that day I had an at home visit with my "Rebif" nurse. I was telling her about how I'd been having all these dizzy spells and feelings of light headedness, and spacing out sometimes. She commented that either I needed to change my medication for my MS, or reduce the amount that I'm taking now, or cut back from work. She faxed her paperwork to Dr. Efobi's office and I origionally had an appt. scheduled for March the 11th.
I went to see Dr. Bishop today, and he made me an appt. with Dr. Efobi for this coming Monday. And he also gave me a slip that stated no driving until I see Dr. Efobi on that day. My first thought was "what about work?" I have to work Sat & Sun. I guess Gary will have to drive me....I can drive fine, I just have those sudden feelings come on, and as soon as the come they seem to go. I was driving home from work last night and I was passing the Taco Bell and I had one come over me. (I had one just now as I was typeing that last sentance.) I don't know what Dr. Efobi will tell me. I guess the worst senario will be I'll have to be off work for a while. And that will make me more nervous, because we won't have that much $$ coming in to pay the bills.
I had another visit with Dr. Frankfather(foot Dr.). He wants me in a more ridged brace that what I have now. One that is custom made for my foot and ankle. He said it takes about a month to get it in, it's called an "Arizona Brace". There's no telling how much this thing will be, and how much the insurance won't cover.... He told me that I had a "coalition" in one of the joints in my ankle and that in turn created "a domino effect" for the other two joints in my heel and ankle and that in turn developed and " arthritic condition".( my joints have fused together where they shouldn't be...and I have alimited range of motion in that foot.) That doesn't mean I have arthritis.....just the condition he said. So after I get fitted for this brace we'll see how that goes and if we have to go to surgery to fix this problem? I'll be on crutches and no weight on that foot for 3 months! There's no way I could work in the deli....and how would I be able to manage the stairs in our apartment? I'd have to find a way I guess.
I turned in my "time adjustment" sheets to request the weekend off for my sisters bridal tea. I gave them to Cynthia after we finished the deli meeting this past Monday. lets just hope she remembers to schedule me off those days. I had another day all ready requested off for a Dr. appt, and I was scheduled for that day anyway....My appt's at 9:30 that morning but I don't have to be in for work that afternoon until 3pm. Not really at time conflict, but I am also scheduled to work till 11pm that night before. I'll have to really push myself to get out of bed and get going that morning. I'm not going to say anything about that, but I do need to know if I'm going to be able to get that weekend off for sure. I'd be really mad if I was "conveniently scheduled", then my sister would be mad, because it's supposed to be her day! And there's no way i'd miss my own sister's bridal tea!

i'm sick with what I don't know....

I came home from work on Sunday afternoon sick. I had woken up that morning and Gary asked me are " you all right?" I said "I've felt better", but I knew we needed the money, so I got up and started the day. I got to work and the same old stuff was going on. I had the same feelings of "nobody else is working here but me..." Two of the younger associates that worked in my department were off in their little corner talking and there I was cooking and waiting on customers at the case. How I wished that place were more organized and professional. I still wasn't feeling very good and after what seemed like an eternity, my break time arrived. I went to the restroom and all I felt like was crawling under the covers and going to sleep...that is if I had any. My throat was still scratchy and I had been downing Halls "fruit breezers" like they were candy. For the past few days I had been congested also and I assumed it was just my sinuses draining or allergy related because I always seem to have a runny nose. (Always runs from my right nostril! I can't explain it.)
But when I started getting changes in my voice, I started to wonder if there was something more to this. I would be talking to customers and my voice would get scratchy and I'd wished I had some cold water to drink. I was texting Gary and I was telling him that I still wasn't feeling good. And he said it was my choice if I thought I needed to come home. I knew how much I needed to work but home was sounding better and better by the minute. I went to the mgrs. office and there was Cynthia(co-mgr.) and my dept manager, Ember; discussing the upcoming Deli Associates meeting that was coming up on Monday. Ember said she had noticed that I wasn't my usual self and said that my voice had been going in and out. So there was no question to Cynthia that I didn't need to be working back there and she told me to go home and get better. i have the next 3 days off from work. But I can't lay up in bed all that time. On Monday I have to be out for that "Deli meeting", then I have to do some shopping at Wal-Mart anyway. Then on Tuesday-I have to have bloodwork drawn at Dr, Efobi's office that morning, then later that afternoon my MS nurse is coming by for another visit/check-up, also I need to ask her about why I have been having these light headed feeling all the time.
Then on Wednesday, I have another follow-up with Dr. Derr in Franklin at the Bone and Joint Clinic. I am not looking forward to the drive to Franklin all by myself. I went to see Dr. Frankfather at Southern Hills (via Dr. bishop's office) and he told me that I had some coalitions in the joints in my ankle and heel. And he wanted to fit me in a more sturdy brace and see what happens from there on out. he gave me some medication to reduce the swelling and wanted to see me again for another follow-up. He said surgery would be the last resort, but if that had to happen....I'd be on crutches for the whole time and would have to be off work for @ 3 months and couldn't put any weight on that foot. So we will wait and see what happens. Also during our visit we discussed about coming solely to him for my check-ups because most of my Dr.s were all ready in Southern Hills and I didn't see why I would have to make a special trip just to see Dr. Derr. Also I have heard many wonderful things about Dr. Frankfather from gary and several other of my co-workers. I let everybody know what happens later.
Then I have another visit with Dr. bishop on this coming Friday. I'm not sure what will all be discussed at this visit, but i am going to ask him if I have just a cold or something else. Because of my scratchy throat, runny nose and sometimes I cough up mucus as well. There has been talk of Strep Throat, some kind of virus going around, "good weather for pneumonia" others say......what ever it is I have I'll get it worse because of me having MS...my immune sysytem is less resistantant to infections.
I'll have more to write after I have this "deli" meeting I'm sure...

"everyone knows it's windy...."

Now for those of you readers who know the song I am referring to, and the group that sings it; either you are as old as i am or you just like listening to "oldies music". LOL I guess the cold front the weathermen was talking about is moving in. I did seem sunny outside earlier today. Now when I look out the window, the trees are just "dancing in the breeze". "They're just a swangin' , swingin'...sorry for the bad pun there.
I got a letter from the Southern Hills imaging center with the results of my mammogram. I am cancer free. Like there was any doubt. But as you get older you have to get your boobies squashed every year. I was thinking about going to the zoo today. Being it's my last day off from work. But I didn't make it. I woke up this AM to Gary walking around in the bedroom, frantically searching for what I don't know. It was almost @5:45, and I felt bad because I had over slept and I didn't wake up early enough to make his breakfast and lunch. I stumbled to the closet for my robe and he says I was just about to make that..go back to sleep.....you were sleeping so hard I didn't want to wake you. I ask, did my alarm go off? He said yes, but I laid there asleep and it was ringing for about 15 minutes or more, that he just decided to shut it off and let me sleep in today. He said I must need sleep, because he didn't expect me to sleep right through the alarm.
After a nano second of thought, I jumped back into bed and tried to settle back down while I could hear him walking around. Then next thing I know I was woken up by his cell phone ( in the floor) ringing. It was "Hollywood". The two of them have been carpooling together since they are on the same job site. The time was 6:10am, so I guess he was calling up to see where he was at, since it was Gary's turn to drive today. Gary will be lost without the cell phone.
Then I woke up later @9:30 am and went downstairs to see if Gary had actually packed a lunch "all by himself". "Good boy---yes he's such a good boy" I trained him well. I'm not sure what he actually packed in that lunch.....but his lunch cooler was gone and so were the "blue ice" squares he uses in the bottom to keep things cool.
Yesterday was such a gorgeous day outside. But where was I spending it? Waiting on the cable guys to come. They finally came after 3pm. And after no more than 10-15 minutes work....out cable was back where it should be. Apparently our box was drawing too much power and we had some old wires on the back. If Gary had been there he would have understand more of what they were saying....using electricains terms and all. Then after they left it was fine. Later that night I got a phone call from my dear sweet sister. I shut off the TV to talk to her and when I turned it back on....no signal! I was pissed! Then next thing I know the TV was begining to turn itself off automatically @ every 10-15 minutes. I was missing American Idol!!!!!!!!! And where was Gary? Upstairs visiting the throne room....for what seemed like for hours on end while I fumed downstairs pissed about the TV situation. When he finally came down he calls the cable company, and it turns out the dude that came out set the tv on another channel for the cable service while he was there. So when the tv gets turned on it shows channel 3 on the tv itself but you have to change it to "video 2" to watch the program. Weird. All I want to do is now get my VCR/DVR machine hooked up so I can record from the cable on to a disk. I still haven't got that set up right. I miss that. Having to sit downstairs and watch "Star Trek TNG" or some other program(movie rerun) that G likes, that i can't stand or it comes on at the same time one of my programs comes on. It gets really agravating. And since we live in an apartment, we can't get another cable hook-up unless we are living in a house.
"It's raining again, I know it's raining again. tonight I'm losing a friend"; another musical interlude there. Just to let you know what the weather is doing now. Jennifer also sent me two caut video's of Tosh growling at the TV. She hates seeing other dogs on the TV and also can't stand it when Jen & Jas play with the characters on the Wii. It's just so funny to watch her.
The last time I was at work, Ember made a comment that she was going to see if Courtney/Cynthia would schedule me for a afternoon/night shift in the kitchen to learn how to close. We were there on Sunday and she was wanting me to put a piece back up on the fryer. And then just left. I had no clue what to do.....then she realized after she came back that I had probably never been trained how to do anything with the fryers. She just assumes I know more than I actually do and then goes off to do whatever.....not very good manangering skills there. And I was left standing there feeling like an idiot & I have to ask for help from another person, then they actually do it for me. Just doing it for me-isn't how I learn. I have to do it myself until I am comfortable with it. So we'll see what the schedule hold for me the next time a week's worth gets posted. I still feel like I don't fit in back there. Everyone mostly is of the 20-something persuasion. And all the "older" employees I get to only work with for 2-3 hours then next thing I know...it's time for me to go. And it's the same old story....morning shift talks about the night shift and vise versa. So much drama! There are sometimes I really miss the small town life. Everyone isn't so cold to each of your co-workers.
I keep checking our bank account on-line, Gary's back disability pay hasn't been depsoited yet. I feel like a kid at Christmas time. Not sure how much it will be, but it will be $$$ well appreciated. I guess i'd better get busy around here. Got clothes to put away, dishes to do, and other stuff around the house to clean up. Plus I keep watching the mail for Gary's new blood sugar monitor. His old one "died" and he had to call their 1-800 number to see what the problem was and they are sending him a new one via US mail/Fed-EX. We assumed it would be here all ready. but it hasn't arrived yet. Life goes on....... write more later.

baby it's cold outside....

I had a visit with Dr. Efobi this morning. This visit was for the weakness in my left arm. She said everything seemed fine. And the reason I was having the weakness was that I was just becoming aware of it more. She said when she saw me in the hospital she did notice that my left side was noticeably weaker as compared to my right. I guess in laymans terms that means that my arm is trying to hard to compensate for the weakness and thats where i am getting the pain from. I just have to remember to try not to over use/ put to much strain on that arm. She also checked my testing from StoneCrest and she saw no restrictions on driving, but I would need to be tested again @3-6 months. I'm not sure if this means going back to StoneCrest for this test, or I'd actually have to go to a DMV center...anyway I don't have to worry about that now. She also made me an appointment to have blood drawn on the 24th. At my last visit with DR. Bishop(primary care dr.) he did draw blood but that was for checking cholesterol and all that kind of stuff. On that certain day the only thing they found was I was very minimal Anemic. And wanted me to start takeing a multi-vitamin. Dr. Efobi said that my cholesterol results were perfect. She wants to have this blood drawn on the 24th to check my platelets & liver functions. (when I am taking the Rebif for my MS periodic blood tests are recomended for anyone taking an interferon medication) She asked me how I was doing personally with doing the injections and etc., I told her I was doing the injections on my arms now and they hurt so much going in. I have a few red spots were Gary has been doing the injections and I also have a small bruise on one injection site. She commented that in a persons arms there's not that much fat as compared to the stomach or a thigh injection; that's mainly the reason why I am experiencing so much pain when the needle goes in. Any way, I have another visit with her on May 6th. When I saw what date the only thing that struck me was "Jennifer's wedding is that weekend before". So when it comes time to request the weekend off for Jennifer's wedding, I have to make sure I have a seperate sheet made out for the 6th also.
I also had my first mammogram on this past Monday. The technician got all the "X-rays" she needed, and told me that the findings would be sent to Dr. Pereles office and they would only contact me if something abnormal was found. The girl behind the desk was asking me the usual health questions and verifying information before I went back. And when I mentioned that I was recently diagnosed with MS, she commented that a friend of hers also has it. And when she lived out of state, no Dr. there was able to diagnose her properly. They told her she had other things, and one even told her it was all in her head. It took her coming to Tennessee, to be diagnosed properly.
Anyway I gotta see what I can make for supper tonight, and cook some other stuff to have on hand so Gary won't have to order pizza or get fast food to eat on the nights that he's home alone and I'm at work. He's still on the medication for being diabetic, cholesterol, and now the Dr. at the VA has got him on blood pressure medication as well. He was told that his A1-C levels were high and if he didn't get them down, he'd have to start taking insulin injections.
Gary also got some good news in the mail yesterday also. He has been approved for his disability checks from that time he was in the ARMY and had the heat stroke and developed diabaties and all the other health complications from it. I'll have to read all the paperwork again, but from what I can figure out, they will send a lump sum from the time he first applied up till now and then after that a monthly check, The letter also stated that all checks will be deposited directly into our account at the bank. So I'll have to be checking the on-line statement every few days to see when the money is there, and when to expect future deposits from there on out.
He's working at a TVA in Columbia now-working on subcontractors. Working 4 10 hour days, and he told me that they will be having routine maitenence checks with power shutdowns in the near future so this will mean overtime.
I still have an appt. with Dr. Derr in Franklin on the 25th (bone and joint clinic), and another visit with Dr. Bishop on the 27th of this month, plus another at home visit with my Rebif nurse "Denise" on the 24th. I'll klet you know how all those turn out.

writer's block

I have the day off from work. I should be getting alot done, right? I woke up this AM @ 5 so tired and achy, and I was burning up. And where was Gary? Sitting in the bathroom reading a book, when he could have been getting himself ready for work. I slowly walked down the stairs, all the time trying to fight the uncontrollable urge of "gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now". There are several times I wish Gary wouldn't make the bathroom his "private reading room". I was in the kitchen trying to put together his lunch and all the time wondering why I was still so hot and not feeling good. Then it hit me "I'm probably having a site reaction". Gary felt my forehead and he said I did feel a little warm. I even walked out to the car @ 5:30 to find the missing Wal-Mart sack in my robe. That's how hot I was-and that still didn't cool me off. Gary was kind of sluggish himself. He went to sleep @ 9:30-10pm last night, so I thought he'd have enough sleep. But he told me that he woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't go back to sleep. He hates having nights like that. I would too, knowing I had to work a 10 hour day, then have class also that night. I know I come home tired from work some nights-but he has it more rough than I do. His job is much more physical, and also very tiring mentally. Working in an environment such as he does, and having the knowledge from the classes depending on when you get your next raise (if you pass your class). You have to remember so much and a wrong wire placement of calculation could cause serious injury. I think he's having his make-up test sometime soon. And after this he'll be getting his next raise.
I had my first evaluation at work....on my paper it said I had great customer service and I took pride in my work, and was friendly and willing to help others. Then it said I needed to be more aware of my area, and I needed to learn how to use the "ordering machine", and other stuff. My comment that I wrote on the paper was "working the shift I do, it is hard at times to be more aware of my area and do the things you say because I am never scheduled to open, never scheduled to close, and if someone will train me how to do these things I can feel more confident and equipped in my job." If they want me to know this....they'd better show me how and let me have hands on training. My department manager is so flighty, and she's in her early twenties, and she'd rather be "friends with the people that are under her", and not act like the "manager" they are paying her to be. Se always talks about how she has so much stuff to do, and not enough time to do it, and etc. If she would learn how to delegate and if she sees that other people are standing around and not paying attention & talking to each other, get them busy doing something instead of her jumping up to wait on a customer when one comes up. I tis so backwards there. I was doing some shopping there on Monday after my Dr. appt, and I was talking to some other employees. One commented on how she worked in the deli before also and she didn't like ther person it made her. It really stressed her out, and she was rude to customers. Another co-worker said he'd heard alot of people say they didn't like being in that dept. either and he wondered if most of the blame was solely the dept. managers fault & the way she ran her area. Whatever the reason....I know it's a bad job if you hate going to it everyday amd you really want to be trained for another dept. I guess I'd better be thankful, a job is better than no job. If I am understanding Gary correctly he made a comment one night that this new job he's on will be lasting till May or June. Hopefully by that time they economy will be for the better and he can slide right into another job when this one is over.
I guess I'd better start working on the story for the Chronicle's bridal supplement again. I have a great opening, a good ending, I am starting to write the middle and I am stuck on this one part. If my sisterneeds this befor etoo late tonight, I'd better get busy.

another Dr. visit

Today I had an appt. with Dr. Bishop for bloodwork. He was asking me what has happened since I last was in his office. I won't be going back to see my eye Dr. until early June. By that time whatever vision I have by then is what all I'll be getting. I hope to get most or all of it back. He asked if i had seen Dr. Efobi lately and I told him the last word I got from StoneCrest was that if i had an "exacerbation", to call them and we'd schedule therapy and a visit with Dr. Efobi. I am doing well as to be expected, I guess. The only thing new is weakness in my left arm. Sometimes my right acts up, but it's mostly in my left arm. I thought I was just overdoing it and started carrying my purse and all etc. on my right arm for a change. But the weakness is still there. So he made an appt for me to see Dr. Efobi again, just to check everything out, and to see if anything new has happened. Dr. Bishop did bloodwork today. You'd think that with the Rebif injections I am currently taking; the needle wouldn't hurt. But it still stung going in. (it was in my left arm too) he said I was done with him, but now I am wondering....was I supposed to have made an appt. for next time? When will the results of my bloodwork be done? And will they call me about any results? I was just so relieved to be out of there I didn't think about any of this until I was home all ready. I guess I'll call his ofice later. Gary and I went to see Dr. West(orthapedic) about my right foot and ankle. And he looked at my X-rays and after the usual questions, set me up for an MRI. The MRI showed that I had a old fracture of my 5th metatarsal, and I still had a very limited range of motion after wearing the brace all this time. He mentioned cortisone shot and getting in there with a scope to see what was going on. But he felt he wasn't fully qualified to diagnose any further, so he referred me to Dr. Derr at the Bone and Joint Clinic in Franklin. That Dr. did a "digital" X-ray. Gary and I were looking at the X-rays with him. He showed me the area around my ankle and started talking about how in this certain area of my right ankle there were two bones that were supposed to have "space" between them. This is supposed to happen around the puperty age, and was common. But for some reason mine didn't ever separate, and what ever "trauma/fall" I had so long ago knocked everything out of place and that has been causing all this pain and swelling. From what little medical knowledge I have I guess I was doing fine with not having that "space" between. But it took just the right circumstances to make everything get out of sync. So I have another follow-up with him on February 25th. He wants me to still continue wearing the brace and he commented that I had a very limited range of motion again. And we'll see how I am doing by that visit. My next visit with Dr. Efobi is on February4th. Dr. Bishop asked me if I needed a note from him to my work to shorten my hours...I don't think I'm at that point yet. With the way the economy is going now, Gary and I need all the $$$$ we can get. He's at a new job site in Columbia. He's at some TVA down there working on subcontractors. I don't know how long this new job will last. He was working in Smyrna, until he got laid off @ a week ago. It was the day of my appt. with Dr.Derr in Frankiln, and some one from the Union Hall called the house and was asking if he had his "OSHA 10". And since he did he went straight to the Union Hall, then to take a drug test, the back to the Union Hall to get the details abd address on the new job. He's come home from work so tired in the last two days....don't have a clue what kind of work he's doing. I know I haven't wrote latlely. I have been meaning to, but I get so tired. But that's normal.

We got a call from our wedding photographer. We have to write a few paragraphs about how we met and our wedding and etc. for the "Bridal Supplement" that the Camden Chronicle puts out every year in the spring. Gary told Robin that she could pick out what photos to use. I just hope it's a flattering picture of me. I don't mean to sound vain, but if this is going to be seen by anyone who reads the paper....I want to look good. I was thinking since my sister is Production Manager at the Chronicle.....maybe I could get my picture on the front page of that special supplement? Only time will tell....

doctors, doctors, and more doctors......

just thought I'd keep you up to date with my latest round of Dr. appts.
On Tuesday I went to Southern Hills (here in Nashville) to have an MRI done on my right foot and ankle. This MRI was requested by DR. West, an orthopedic dr/surgeon. For those of you who have had an MRI done before....I don't know what it is...the longer I lay down while that is being done...I get so comfortable and have the weirdest thoughts and visions come into my head, and this last time I fell asleep for a few minutes. I guess it's the humming of the machine and the noises that make me that way.
Any way....I had an appt. with Dr. Maria Pereles (GYN) this afternoon. That went really well, the usual questions were asked, and she didn't find anything out of the ordinary. But she did give me some paperwork to set up for a mammogram. Yes, you read right....I've never had one. So I have to set up that appt. and tell them that this will be my first one. I've heard all kinds of stories, both good and bad, about mammograms; so we will see what happens with me.

Then Gary and I went back to Dr. West's office to find out the results of my MRI. He told me that it showed I had a possible fracture of the 5th Metatarsal on my right foot. He wasn't sure if it was an old fracture that had tried to heal up somewhat, and it might have not healed completely. He asked me if I could remember any trauma to my foot and ankle because I still had a very limited range of motion in my ankle joint. He mentioned of having a scope to get in there and look around to see what actually is going on, and mentioned using "cortisone" for the pain. And he also said that I had arthritis in that ankle which resulted in that limited range of motion. but for all what he told me in that room, he then said he wanted me to see a foot and ankle specialist. Because he felt that he wasn't the best man for the job, to do the procedure as it were. So before Gary and I left the lady behind the desk had my charts and she was going to set an appt. for
me to see a specialist at the Bone and Joint Clinic in Franklin. (that is the same place Gary had his surgery, and Gary's Dad will be having his upcoming surgery for his shoulder pain....what a coincidence....

So I'm just waiting on the call from Dr. West's office to let me know when my appt. in Franklin will be, or who I'll be seeing, but I'll let everybody know when I do.

Then at the end of this month I still have another appt. with Dr. Bishop
(the 29th). I have to remember "no eating after midnight" on the 28th....that night before. I have to work that day(28th), and I won't be home until @8:30pm or later depending on whom is working that night also.
So as soon as I come home I'll have to go straight to bed, make sure my alarm is set early because my appt. is at 8:15am. I'll have to force myself to settle down as soon as possible....working this odd shift has made my sleep schedule all topsy turvy. I am used to staying up till @12:00 midnight or later....


Anyway, I got to be at work tomorrow so I'll write more later. Hope everyone is doing well.

didn't expect this....

I came home from work tonight. Gary tells me he got laid-off from his job. He said he went to file for unemployment after he got his paycheck today. He got it @1:30pm. And had to go back to Concentra for a drug test. From what he tells me taking the drug test was a standard policy in these situations. He said things were really bad when they start laying off the apprentices. And since he was the lowest on the "totem pole" at his site...he was the lucky recipient. Hopefully this won't last too long. He told me that sometimes people can be laid off for six weeks or more. He said we'll be all right, but if things got too bad; he would go up the road and apply at Domino's or if he found work anywhere that he got 20 hours or less at he could still keep getting unemployment until he went back to another job sie. And he also mentioned that he could even put his application in at the union hall to be a substitute teacher, if the occasion ever called for it. A long while back one of his teachers asked him if he had ever had any interest in teaching a class. This instructor said he really seemed to pick up things easily...book wise that is. I guess Gary just has that way about him. A long time ago he was studying to be a teacher, but with so many rules and regulations being enforced....you couldn't teach YOUR class the way you wanted to help all your students. He loves being with kids, playing with them, etc. but with the way the education system is now.....just all the passion left him.
I hope to write on a more positive note in my next post.

my MS injection

Gary did my Rebif injection tonight. I was reviewing him on how to do my needle, and I was kinda mad because he kept watching the TV instead of paying attention to me. It was kind of weird for me as well. Because tonight I was on a new "site" on my body. Either the top of my butt or on the bottom of my arm. Both are difficult places to get unless you have someone helping you. I had a small drop of blood after he pulled the needle out. And he put a bandage on, and when he started to massage the site--it hurt. He must have been doing it too hard with his hand, or he was doing it with his wrist. I told him he'll have to help me watch for any "site-reactions" within the next few days. There is still a very faint spot on my stomach where that bruise came up. my left arm is still slightly weak. But not as bad as it was before. I'm still planning to "baby" it. Tomorrow I have to be at work, I had 3 days off in a row. Seems like they went by so quick.....and when Gary is off on the weekend....I'm going to be at work. Tomorrow will be so cold as well....the high is only going to be low 20's. It seems like forever until the next weekend. I had requested that weekend off because I was trying to make our reservations for an MS meeting in Brentwood. I have called several times and no one has returned my call. I thought "oh well, I'll just have a relaxing weekend at home for a change...." Then yesterday Gary tells me of this place near his jobsite in Smyrna. It's one of those "mystery murder" places. He went there after work today and they didn't have any openings for Saturday night(24th), but there were several places still open on Friday. We couldn't do Friday, I'll still be at work. So we are on the top of the waiting list for Saturday in case there are any cancellations. Not sure what will happen, but I guess if we haven't heard anything by 3pm-4:30pm at the latest...we won't be going. Maybe we'll get to go, maybe we won't......

Dr's , Dr's & more Dr's

I am off work today and all I feel like is "to be lazy". I feel so exhausted and tired, although I haven't done very much. Gary and I both got up this morning, I made his breakfast and lunch, although I felt like collapsing on the floor while doing it. Kissed him goodbye, then promptly went back to bed. My body must have needed rest because I didn't wake up till @10:30am. I didn't sleep very well the night before. I never could get comfortable, whether I was on my side or my back. I was burning up the whole night, (not a fever-just temp wise, it seemed so hot upstairs), and I had a slight headache.
Ever since the middle of last week my left arm has been hurting. Hurting like I did 10,000 reps with the 5lb weight barbells, on that arm alone kind of hurt. The right arm is fine. I thought it might be because I carry my purse, my lunch to work and whatever else on that arm, like I am used to. I thought if I use my right arm instead....the left would have a chance to rest. But no, the feeling it still there. I know this feeling is caused a lot due to my MS. I need to pull out those exercise sheets that "Renee" at StoneCrest gave me and see what they list for arm exercises. The words keep playing over in my head....."if you don't use it-you'll lose it". I was looking up on the Internet arm weakness with MS last night, and as I was reading that I got to thinking, will this get worse, will I have to go back to therapy, will I eventually have to use the aid of a cane or walker( like in the video I saw on the web last night..) and also my mind was thinking how much my medical bills are piling up, and since this is a new year we have to meet the deductible on the insurance. And every new thing that comes up...there's another Dr. for that.
The last time I was at Southern Hills I went to see Dr. Bishop about my right ankle that has been bothering me for god knows how long. Again I had to repeat the story about how I went to see Dr. Berger in Bruceton, how he just gave me an ACE bandage and sent me on my way.....Dr Bishop referred me to a Dr. West in that same complex. And when he looked at it he was taken back by how long i had put up with this and after looking at the X-rays he told me that I had a heel spur on the bottom of my right foot. Plus there was some kind of a white mass in the area where the bottom of my leg meets the top of my foot. He said I could have some ligaments/tendons broken, torn or damaged. And I needed to do an MRI just to see exactly what was going on in there. He asked if i played a lot of sports, and commented that I had a "very limited range of motion in that joint". I had to laugh to myself....me? the sporty type? The closest I ever got to sports was watching on the TV. All I ever did was stand on my feet @10 hours a day at work in Bruceton, then try to walk at least two miles at the park after work. Then after I quit Tiger-Mart I was spending most of my last few days in Bruceton packing up things at the trailor, and stressing over last minute wedding details, and doing the usual pre-moving details (i.e. disconnecting phone, cable and making sure all your mail gets transfered, and other things like that). Is life considered a sport? I think I let my own personal health take a back seat to working and making sure the bills were paid. Plus I had no health insurance at my job, so that was a major factor as well.
So to make a long story short....I have an appt. on the 19th to have an MRI of my foot and ankle done. Then on the 20th, I all ready have an appt. with Dr. Pereles (GYN), at 1:20, for the usual female stuff....., then at 3:30 that afternoon I'll be going back to Dr. West's office to see the results of the MRI and see what he says after that. Then on the 29th, I have another appt. with Dr. Bishop, this is the "no eating after 12pm the night before" appt. So I guess he's going to draw blood work, and see what my levels are and etc, he asked when was the last time I had a complete check-up/ physical....to which Gary's Dad quickly said......"it's been too long". So who knows I could be on a whole new set of medications after that.
Work is still work......I am still in the deli at Wal-Mart and some days it's all right and sometimes I find my mind wandering, wondering how long before I can get trained in a new department. the last night I was at work "Betty" made a comment that she could tell I had been back here--it was actually clean for a change. I am still on the 11am-8pm shift so i don't really feel the need to learn how to officially close the deli for the night unless my schedule changes. Gary said he wished I could get a different shift eventually....he misses not having me at home on the weekends when he's off work. He said it just wasn't right not having me at home.
We were talking one night, and I was telling him I would like to be on a different shift eventually as well. It had always been a "pipe dream" of mine to take some classes somewhere and get a better job than Wal-Mart. I just had no idea what I wanted to do/be when i grew up. After I had made supper one night....Gary was remarking how he thought it would be a wonderful idea if I enrolled in that cooking school here in Nashville-"The art institute-culinary program". He knows how much I enjoy watching the food network, trying out new recipes and how I am always into the kitchen kind of stuff. I can't do anything like that just now...with starting a new job and all. And having all my Dr. visits , I might have to get surgery because of my ankle, he did say I'd need some physical therapy during that last visit. Plus I need to work to get some money coming in to help pay off the medical bills. And if i changed my availability at work now..I'd get even less hours and that would mean less money for bills. Plus you'd have to consider the money involved for tuition, books, materials, gas to and from school and etc. We just can't afford it now. And is a profession like that going to be profitable in the future? The name of the game is" how much money do you make a year?" And the top $$$ amount wins. How much money you make a year determines how successful you are in today's world, and that makes me really sad. Write more later-hope everyone is doing well.

work as I expected it

I went to work Sunday, not expecting much from the day. I'm back there and it was like I thought. At least 5 people at one point and not nearly as busy as it was on Saturday. What's up with that?? That was so ridiculous! And I know "who" makes the schedules.....ahhh the joys of being "just an indian"- and not a chief". Day went rather smoothly. Dragged on until the time for my lunch came around then it was all down hill from there. We ordered pizza for dinner, ate that and watched "One Missed Call" before going to bed. I made the comment "I am on a totally different schedule compared to yours now". Being since I was still wide awake and wanting to get on the computer. Gary said "I know-and I don't like it". He's just waiting for the day I can get a schedule similar to his so we can spend more time together, and have the same days off. I felt really bad on Sunday also, it was my sister's birthday. I was used to going to my Mom's and having dinner whenever "birthdays" came around. Also used to having weekends off and going back home to see familiar places and faces....I can only do that if I schedule them off way in advance now. Which I am getting the next to the last weekend off of this month. My therapist wanted me to go to a meeting for MS in Brentwood. I called and called to reserve our spots and to try and get more information. But my call was never returned. That really pissed me off! you'd think at least someone would have the courtesy to return a call and tell you that all the spots were filled up. Maybe I didn't call early enough. I also got a letter about another meeting in Franklin, hosted by my Rebiff nurse, Denise. There was a mistake printed in the letter and it is actually Tueday, instead of Wednesday. Gary's class is on Tuesday......so we can't go.
Gary had his final exam last week. He did great on the first two problems.....but on the third? Due to a simple mathmatical error on his part.....he got the wrong result and used that "error" to calculate the rest of the problem. Problem was he didn't realize his error until the teacher pointed it out to him as he was grading the paper. But there is an upside to this....Gary was part of a class that had to be combined with another class during the semester. This other class was taught a different way to work this problem. And the teacher also realized that several other people from Gary's group made the same "mathmatical error". So just to make sure everyone was on the same page....this teacher decided to give all those who failed, another try.
Apparently this "second teacher" was teaching his class a totally different method, one which Gary's instructor had never seen. Gary said he didn't know when the test would be, but his teacher was going to review the material with the class again before the test was to be taken again. let's hope this time Gary passes with flying colors.

First post on my blog....Not sure what to write at this time. Came home so tired and pissed off from work, I was ranting to my hubby about the day. But know all the emotion has left me. When I get more time, I'll write more later.