Showing My Own Support of the "International Foundation for Autoimmune Arthritis" and the co-founder Tiffany Westrich

http://www.ifautoimmunearthritis.org/Home_Page.html

Please visit the URL above! This is just a wonderful Foundation that is helping by leaps and bounds in the World of Autoimmune Arthritis. The co-founder Tiffany Westrich is just an angel sent to all of us for sure. I want to help all I can to get the site and all of the information about them out to everyone. When you have a moment, visit their brand new website that is above. You can also join them on Facebook to keep up with ALL of their latest ways they are making a difference in the realms of autoimmune arthritis.

Rhia

It Continues to Get WORSE for Legitimate Pain Patients!

http://hometestingblog.testcountry.com/?p=25926

This article is just one more example of how the "few" out there doing WRONG can make legitimate people's lives a living hell. I have seen more stories over the weekend of the very circumstance we are dealing with. IT continues to baffle the hell out of me though, as to WHY a family doctor, who has KNOWN you family for 5 or 6 YEARS... would just NOT SPEAK! No explanation, nothing... not a phone call, nothing but a "form" letter, that he probably did not even sign or read, just sent out like you were some stranger off the street. It is insanity! I know "they" as doctors have their own "reasons" as to why they handle things like they do. I have already went over all of that in my head. BUT!!! IT STILL does NOT make it RIGHT! AND it is the most unprofessional way to handle a patient I have ever seen. Now, due to him being my personal doctor and my Mom's, plus several others I know here in town, WE ALL feel very UNCOMFORTABLE GOING to him... yet after you are an ESTABLISHED patient... that has such a very long medical history with so many complications as I do, thinking about even trying to get another doctor to UNDERSTAND all of my ILLNESSES and treatments... is crazy! Sure they can, but who in their right mind wants to take what "is working", and try to make such a huge change???
If I were a patient that had the "usual" visits. Flu, normal things you go for, blood pressure, physicals, and the occasional stuff, going to a new physician is not that difficult. BUT, when you have SCORES OF symptoms, due to SEVERAL CHRONIC illnesses, trying to "train" (for lack of a better term) a new doctor is a job! It would take a new PCP months and months to even READ MY RECORDS! Much less understand ALL that my current PCP does for me... So, that is another huge issue.... This could be so different if it would have been handled properly. Now I am left in a lurch not really knowing how to handle it all. EVERYONE in that office has acted STRANGE EVEN before the letter went out... to my entire family... and we "felt" something wrong, but did not know what.... and how can I look him in the eye (I am supposed to see him for a follow up on Lupus next week) and in fact have blood work done tomorrow there at the office. If I don't have the myoglobin checked he probably won't refill my muscle relaxers.. see so it runs into huge issues with my own health.


Here is another article that appeared this weekend.... same thing

http://americannewsreport.com/nationalpainreport/my-story-pain-clinics-are-money-mills-8821277.html

Updating how the "Wolf" can "eat you alive" when it wants to....

I am not sure whether to laugh, cry, scream, be quiet, fade away, burn brightly or.... to just fall off the mountain top... and say to hell with it all. I guess I CAN FATHOM that others have just as MANY STUPID "Life" issues as myself and my family do. I have open eyes and an open heart to so many that are out here suffering in one way, the other... or several! Health issues, money issues, raising kids, jobs or lack of them, the rage, the horror, the outlandish behavior of other so-called "humans"... all frightening as have ever been. Mother Nature has put a "hurtin' on so many across our own nation, and furthermore across the world, even just trying to "digest" all of that is almost impossible. Droughts, fires, severe flooding, pests of all kinds, tornado's, hurricane's, high winds, hail the size of baseballs... I mean everywhere you turn, either some home is falling in a "sink hole", or things are so bone dry, all you see is dust. Then you look at another state, and they are so totally enveloped in floods that cars are floating down main street USA! How insane is that? Then the fires... it is just so difficult to watch, thousands upon thousands of acres of land burn up, and people lose everything, even their lives. Then we have the latest of a barrage of "transportation" evils. Trains, planes, huge buses full of people, all wrecking, reeking havoc for hundreds across the world. It seems every day you turn on the news, or read it online to see once again, yet another bus, train, plane, or even a 50 car pileup has completely blocked off major highways everywhere. That is just a "few" of our MANY, MANY dire straits of issues that as plan American folks, and Plain World people that we deal with daily. The pain, the suffering, lack of clean water, of food, of places to live, of money, of medications (how the HELL can WE as the "great" nation we are supposed to be running OUT OF SOME MEDICATIONS???? I am sorry but that sounds absolutely ludicrous. Look HOW MANY Pharmaceutical companies we have, and a pharmacy on EVERY CORNER even on all 4 corners in many towns, yet we CANNOT KEEP A INVENTORY OF MEDICATIONS WE NEED???? NO, more like if they cannot MAKE A FORTUNE ON IT, they "CUT" OFF THE SUPPLY... in other words , GREED!!!!! This is not including the RIDICULOUS RED TAPE MESS, our Insurance companies, hospitals, clinics and doctors are in... along "in bed" with the pharmaceutical companies, that bunch in Congress, that have their own agenda and the "lobbyists" that contribute to fuel the GREED of this nation! Every time I think about HOW SOME FOOL BEHIND A DESK can TELL ME WHAT I NEED MEDICALLY AND DO NOT NEED MEDICALLY OVER MY OWN PHYSICIAN it BURNS ME TO NO END!!! What the hell do we have physicians for, if some pencil pushing, not caring if you die, person, that does NOT even know a medical term or what the name of a medication or procedure is, much less what it is for, tell US and our DOCTORS what to do??? IT is one sad damned day in America, that is what it is!!!! OF course, then you have the entire other side, of those doctors, hospitals, and so forth that are just as screwed up as the people behind those desks. Never in my 53 years here have I ever seen a bunch of incompetent jack asses trying to half do a job that they have no clue about. I am not A GENIUS BUT!!! I can tell you that myself, along with MANY, MANY of US know more about the world of MEDICINE AND HEALTH, more than some of the nurses, and others that are supposed to be "taking care" of us!!! Talk about scary!!! It is down right a nightmare if you think about it.... Now, I am NOT one normally to be down and out about everything, but this past 8 plus weeks for myself and my family along with a few of my good friends have SUFFERED WAY TOO MUCH... and yes I QUESTION WHY???? I try NOT to question things, and to realize life is what it is going to be. We have SOME CONTROL, but many times we have very LITTLE OR NO CONTROL, when it comes to life and it's good, ugly, nice, down right hellish, and indifferent. I have literally spent HOURS AND HOURS ARGUING WITH People because THEY DO NOT DO THEIR JOBS! Sending myself, or my Mom bills that they DO NOT file RIGHT WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANIES, then EXPECT US TO PAY! That is bull! File it right, you WILL GET PAID! But, I do not think there has been ONE CLAIM THIS YEAR, THAT HAS BEEN FILED PROPERLY! Every doctors office, the hospital, the pharmacy, you name it, has filed something wrong, then tries to collect from us!!! If they would just do their jobs RIGHT, then it would take SO MUCH STRESS OFF OF US!!! IF I WANT TO FILE MY OWN INSURANCE THEN PAY ME AND I WILL DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!!!

I do question the entire process of "why BAD things have to happen to the "best" folks???? It makes no sense to me these days. The greedy, the ones that could care less about their fellow man, that treat others like trash, that live their lives in a gutter so to speak, seem to "breeze" by...  Only to have those of us who, DO GIVE a damned about others, we try and treat people with kindness and compassion, we do NOT live our lives as if we were the only people on the planet, we work, pay our bills, and do all of the "right" things, seem to be hit the hardest with illness, pain, suffering, stressful life situations, and we do NOT DESERVE IT! A dear friend of mine is going through a horrible time fighting the big "C" word again. Bless her heart, she already did that at a very young age, back when we were just youngsters, and she won the battle. NOW, here she is years later, battling the monster again. She is the kindest, sweetest, compassionate, gentle soul, that takes care of her family in every way... and she just does NOT deserve to go through this again... no way, no how.... yet here she is having to once again walk through the hot coals of chemotherapy, and yet still trying to put on a happy face and work! It breaks my heart honestly. I also had a girl I have known since I also was in High School that I saw about 3 weeks ago. Her family and my family were close during those years when we were kids. Our Dad's worked together, we went on weekend trips to the lake together, they hunted deer together... and now her Mom is going blind from macular degeneration... and if that is not bad enough, the woman, who is several years younger than me, has Parkinson's! We are talking about someone in their mid-40's!!!! What makes that even worse, and I did not know it until I saw here a couple of weeks ago, she lost her husband last year to an aneurysm, as they were driving down the highway, he died right there beside her in the passenger seat!!!! Talk about wondering why?? Her Dad already has Alzheimer's, and honestly I think he may be so bad he is either in a nursing home, or he may have passed away, but I was so taken aback by all of the other things she told me, that I felt uneasy even asking. Even though this is a small town, sometimes since I don't get out all the much, I miss out own things going on to others.

Pieces of me feel like they are just "floating away" these days. I feel as if the very "substance" of my own heart and soul that I have walked in, with faith as much as I can, has just taken another road, journeyed away from me... and pieces of that are also my "voice" that has always given me the "right words" to write... it is like that "voice" has been silenced by too much of life's horrible drama. I so looked forward to possibly putting out my 3rd book in a year or so, but now I question whether that will EVER COME TO PASS AT ALL. I truly felt that I had SOMETHING TO GIVE TO OTHERS, through MY WORDS FROM MY HEART, yet somewhere down the line, "my" plans have been altered... so I am just not myself these days... I feel as if I am SOME OTHER person... I do not even recognize myself anymore... not so much in a "physical" sense, but in a sense of "the core center of who I was"... that seems to have "left the building" as that old adage goes.... much like "Elvis"... who I was, seems to not be who I am now... I can "blame" it on illness, pain, drama, life's little nightmares that can change your entire outlook in the blink of an eye".... some good, yet for me, I see it as not good at all... where it that writer, that "creative" entity... I miss her... I miss "Me"... I spend more time trying to "get well" that I spend being "well"....

I have FINALLY my Rheumatologist's Appointment this morning!!! HOOORAY!!! I pray he can help, and he usually does. I have missed not seeing him in over 6 months, so I cannot tell you how LONG MY LIST IS FOR HIM!!! There is LOTS AND LOTS OF FLOOD WATERS that have flown under my bridge since he saw me last. I DID email him some of my issues, and some information last week. I felt the MORE he knows BEFORE I get there, the more fruitful our appointment will be. Alas, I just hope we do have enough time to discuss all that is happening. I believe from an email I received back from him last week, I will be going on an infusion of Rituxan rather than the Humira. Or I gather I will stop the Humira, and only take the Rituxan. I pray it helps to reduce all of this pain, swelling, and mainly damage that is happening from the RA!!! Then I have lots of other things like those two other osteoporosis medications I found out about last week, I want to discuss. If I can take them, and have a chance of doing anything to remotely halt my bones from growing any weaker than they already are, then injections it is. I already take them anyway, so I might as well as 2 more in, that is if it is right now me. Of course there is all of the other pain stuff, joint stuff, and the list is endless to kind of go over... but if we can get at least the RA meds changed over to something else, and get me on those osteoporosis meds... plus I am sure he will have some answers on other things for me... I will be happy...

Then tomorrow, I go to the "foot" doctor... she is taking a look at my big toes, ankles etc... and we are going to see if I need "tarsus tunnel" surgery in my big toes... from the tests it appears that night help so we shall see... From there Friday, I go to have a CT scan on both hips... yes, that one will cost out of butt... they now charge a fortune even with insurance for the damned things... but since my hips seems to be so sore, and giving me hell even after the injections a couple of weeks ago, it could be they are causing lots of the issues I have with my lower back, legs and hips.

AND if things are not bad enough!!! I FOUND OUT MONDAY, that this TOP FRONT TOOTH, THAT GOT busted off half in two in the 4 wheeler accident when I was about 25, is now loose, and has enough decay, that it is no LONGER PATCHABLE!!! My dentist had to tell me I am going to be looking at a ROOT CANAL AND CROWN! I almost DIED, FAINTED, PASSED OUT, AND FREAKED, when I called for A PRICE FOR THOSE!!!!! How the HELL DOES ANYONE AFFORD A ROOT CANAL AND CROWN!!!?????? Lord have mercy, that is like buying a damned car!!! I do not know what I will do on that one... the "cheapest" I found was about $1,600.00 FOR BOTH! I called even "Monarch Dental" and hell they wanted something like well over $2,300.00 OR MORE FOR THE TWO OF THEM!!! Hell I thought they were supposed to be "discounted"... It is insanity... but I have NO PLACE to have a "partial plate" to Hook onto, due to my bad teeth that have just been pulled in back due to the Sjogren's... and I was told if I had them all pulled, the Sjogren's would also cause me grief with a plate... due to the dry mouth... so it is damned if I do, and damned if I don't... I am just baffled over that one...

Well, I shall just stop for now... lots of other stuff I could go into, but I want to get some other stuff done today, since I will be once again in and out the rest of the week with tests and doctors... damned I am over sick of it all... Hugs to all... thank you everyone for your compassion, kindness and friendship.... Hugs, Rhia

When a "good" situation goes HORRIBLY wrong - finishes up from FB posting....

It is from his personal doctor, who he has been seeing now for over 5 YEARS... maybe more... almost since we got to TX.. and we got here in 2005... well, basically, due to THEIR ISSUE, WITH NOT DOING A PROPER TYPE OF LAB WORK!, they arbitrarily decided to send him a KISS OFF LETTER... BASICALLY... in other words... because the "lab work" was DONE IMPROPERLY, rather than checking it out TO FIND OUT WHY IT WAS "NOT RIGHT"... THEY send him a letter, saying "I WON'T SEE YOU ANYMORE"... NOR PRESCRIBE YOUR MEDICATIONS YOU NEED! Now WHY in the HELL would ANY PHYSICIAN with ANY GOOD RELATIONSHIP with a LONG TERM VERY WELL KNOWN PATIENT, THAT has been there forever... and DOES TO THE LETTER whatever this doctor asks.... AND PAYS CASH.. he has NO INSURANCE... just decide NOT TO TALK TO YOU..Not to have you come into the office, JUST HAVE SOME CERTIFIED FORM LETTER SENT TO YOU ON A FRIDAY, so the OFFICE IS CLOSED... and ALLOW A PATIENT TO NOT ONLY BE TORE UP, DISMAYED, PUZZLED, AND ASKING WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON???? It is BEYOND ME! It is INSANITY!! I do KNOW... THAT THERE IS SOMEONE IN THE OFFICE, THAT DOES NOT care for "us".... and I also know they can be in a position to CAUSE MAJOR ISSUES, due to the position that they play at that doctors office... and it would NOT surprise me IF THEY DID NOT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH ALL OF THIS... Need less to say, IT HAS CAUSED Jim MORE GRIEF TO THE PLACE HE HAS ME HORRIBLY WORRIED... he is BEING ACCUSED TO SOMETHING THAT IS NOT ANYTHING BUT A HORRID LIE!!! AND A JOKE... but IT HAS BEEN TO THE PLACE OF BEING SO UPSET on TOP OF MY OWN ISSUES WITH HEALTH, that I fear I am going to have another HEART ATTACK!!! I am beyond with words upset over all of this... I FEAR EVEN POSTING THIS... because I KNOW THIS TOWN TOO WELL!!!!! (and we are talking about medications that Jim needs... blood pressure, cholesterol, (Anti-depressants, his stomach meds and the meds he takes for his lower back, that without he cannot work!) After all of the research I did online, I found out, that WE PAID FOR THE RIGHT TEST! and these results have been in now for 2 WEEKS... yet we just get this stupid letter this past FRIDAY! WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?????? We have copied documentation from several sources, he has written a long letter about this entire ordeal, attached with the "lab work" done wrong (and it even says it was NOT done as it should have been), and taken it to this office today)...  Please continue to pray for us... this is just not good at all.... We KNOW what WE ARE DOING IS RIGHT... but a doctor can make or break you... if they want... or someone else in their office with the "right" or "wrong" power... can make your life a living hell....

Grand Showing over the next couple of Nights! The Perseids Are Back!!!

The Perseid's are back! They are supposed to  be spectacular, and peak on Sunday and Monday with 100 or more an hour! Thought I would share some information for those of you who are night owls and might enjoy the "show"....


http://www.nasa.gov/connect/chat/perseids_2013.html#.UgXc8FOUXgBPerseids Meteor Showers

http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/earthskys-meteor-shower-guide

45 Tips for Life (saw this in FB and wanted to share)

I saw this in FB just a little while ago in one of my groups, and it just seemed to "fit" after the week from hell I, along with several have had... thought it might help you also get through a rough patch of the "stickers" of life... :) 

45 Tips For Life

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short – enjoy it.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.
Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument.
Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone.
It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past
so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others.
You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret,
you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye
But don't worry; God never blinks.

16.. Take a deep breath.
It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful.
Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really
does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to be happy.
But it’s all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life,
don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets,
wear the fancy lingerie. Don't
save it for a special occasion.
Today is special.

Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now.
Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words
'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive but don’t forget.

29. What other people think of you
is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything.
Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is,
it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously.
No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is,
not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life.
Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative --
dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day.
Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile

and saw everyone else's, we'd
grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time.
Accept what you already have not what you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel,
get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow,
but it's still a gift."