stressed and snowed out..

Today was a very interesting day filled with many challenges on all fronts. To start we lost power over a frosty snow filled night. Luckily it was brief but did start up generators in the local neighborhood with lights on the mini mansions filling the sky like Christmas. Our garage light mysteriously came on inside too, which was a first. I was alone so had to go down and to check out what was happening and turn off the light. Then a tree fell somewhere? Limbs were falling all over and the raccoons were loudly resting below my bedroom window in a restless manor. The winds must have scared them. I heard another animal I can not explain??? The night did not include a lot of sleep needless to say, but it was very pretty. The whiteness of the snow overshadowed by an almost full moon illuminated the sky and reflected off the trees and electric lines like neon icicles. So glad I did not have flower beds cleared. After 6.5 inches fell in a very short period of time I waited for the driveway clearing trucks in he a.m. One appeared for a moment making one straight line from road to the side of Doug's workshop? If you have been to our house you will understand this is only a small portion of the drive. My van sat immersed in 6 inches plus of snow in the front drive. So I called the company who clears the drive and explained. They were perplexed as well. I explained I was unable to shovel the walkways and asked if they would do this when they come back, if they come back. They said they would call the driver. Then a couple hours later a new driver showed up who is not a plower, but a landscaper. He explained he would shovel but could not plow and did not know where the drive way was, which I could understand due to banks of snow. Also, Doug took all the markers off the drive thinking we would not get another big snow in April. Lesson #1 in Michigan: Snow can happen till May. So he shoveled out an area in front of the garage so I could pull my van inside and wait out the melt. We agreed to not plow with out being able to see the drive as not to plow grass. Then a few hours later I hear a plower scraping the driveway again and this time guessing where were the front drive curves around a circle of grass. Well don't have to cut that grass anymore. Now the drive is a pile of water, mud and mounds of snow filled mud,gravel and grass. So I will ask for a refund on this round. I then had to take the trash out to the "curb" which was interesting. "I am woman I am strong". I hope my PT is not reading this............

While this unfolded; my home nurse came on schedule but could not draw needed labs due to lack of lab orders from hospital. Well, the ID clinic happens to be closed on Mondays and the order we had was old and did not include the tests they wanted. How many times has this happened in the past two months? She left frustrated and I was already in a state. Not Michigan either. I called my Dr.'s cell and she answered right away. Problem solved and I will be off antibiotics from now on. You see I was also having diarrhea, weakness, fatigue and other issues related to the antibiotics. I have not felt very well last few days after infusions and today it caught up. Glad to be off but concerned about lack of communication between clinic, hospital and home nursing. I will do my part to help fix it . I believe it has much to do with the cut in funding and the insurance practice which allows Dr.'s only 15 minutes per patient and nurses have twice the amount of work in half the time. Do the insurance companies know that Dr.'s and nurses work overtime without pay in order to care for their patients? Some fall threw the cracks? I hope they figure it out soon. Lack of communication and clarity does need to be cleared up. I am an advocate as well as a patient. I believe we can each help. Tell your insurance companies and care givers your needs and desires clearly. Keep records and stay on top of your care or have an advocate.

I am dealing with some other issues of personal matter and need not go into the details. Some family members, whom I love, are challenged and some ill and aged. This takes a piece of my heart. I wish them all well.

The good news is that the sun has peeked through the snow filled sky for a moment and it feels warm and cozy inside as I rest on a hot pad. Phone batteries both dead so I guess I am supposed to be quiet. May you have a quiet evening as I do.