Tuesday, August 18, 2020

COVID-19, Upcoming 2020 Flu Upon Us, West Nile Virus & Adult Vaccines





As many of us know FLU season is almost upon us. Now we face a possible "new strain", PLUS as no other Flu season in History we are fighting the fight of our lives against (COVID-19) and the West Nil Virus has popped up also in some places as of the past 6 weeks or so. FLU??? GET VACCINATED!!! AS SOON AS YOU SEE THE SIGNS UP at your Pharmacies, Doctors offices, in the paper, and everywhere head over to get your vaccine! Of course with this being a "new "abnormal" for the flu make sure you ASK your doctor's office if you are okay to get the vaccine. Some like myself, get the "shot" that is NOT the "live" virus due to other chronic Illnesses. But, there are also those who can take the live vaccine, even though a nasal spray etc. Many of the "symptoms" of Flu and COVID-19 happen to be much the same. WE HAVE a medication to help lessen the flu symptoms, and get you protected from a much worse base, but you must start it quickly after being diagnosed with the flu. It will be one for the records when combing "several" illnesses at the same time. Also, those of you who are over 60 to 65 many can get a shingles vaccination, a pneumonia vaccination which protects against MANY different types of pneumonia, so be sure t ask your doctors and pharmacists about those. There are Hepatitis vaccines out also, and even especially for college kids that stay in Dorms, a Meningitis vaccine, since it can be extremely contagious especially in closed quarters like dorms. Here is a list of "recommended" vaccines by the CDC, showing who needs to get which ones and when, why etc. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/vpd.html Some may be surprised at the types of vaccines available now for adults to STOP and prevent many what used to be very contagious illnesses.

 With the upcoming Flu Season upon us and having heard we may have a new strain(s); plus this is an all time difference with COVID-19 still very much active, and finding West Nile Virus in some places, I felt it was a great time to REMIND everyone the Vaccines available, who may need them & to see if you should speak to your doctors, pharmacists etc. about whether you should receive some of these vaccines...

Sunday, August 9, 2020

Phi Theta Kappa Life in the past from 1978 to 2020, Chronic Illness, Family, & How we tend to shape" our lives even after all these years.


Even though my life did not go the way I had planned after high school, I did get a 2 tear degree and made Phi Theta Kappa with a 4.0 GPA, passed the Nursing Exam about 1994, & had a full scholarship for it. Alas, with 2 kids in school for several more years, & having at that time to work full time. I made the VERY difficult decision to pass it up. I was the main source of income at the time & couldn't quit my job for 2 years for nursing school. But later in life, I began to understand "why" my life took a different route. Yet, I was & still am very proud of my grown kids. They stayed out of trouble & went onto to their own great roles in life. As my own life progressed & I also then molded myself into a writer & published author; I gained much knowledge from living in 2 different states for good while till moving back "home".

It was now time for me to have a "role" as almost a "parent" to my Mom. After Dad passed away she needed me much more than she would admit. I still am in that "learning" phase of my life, which has helped me cope with some serious chronic illnesses, & onto become a "voice", advocate, and "Patient Leader for several large non-profits & living out both of my "dreams". To have 2 of now 4 books published. Seems the list of "writing them" grows more quickly every moment in life.


Plus I got the opportunity to stand on the steps of Capitol Hill in Washington D C to tell my story in order for my voice to become the voice for many! Certainly two proud moments in my life, along with the others before the before them. I remember walking across the stage at the college to accept the honor of being accepted into the Phi Theta Kappa. So, although my dreams of becoming a nurse, or a doctor, never panned out, they made me continue to "study" in these fields.


With my own chronic illness issues, and being able to help others life me. I also continue to write on the 2 or 3 more books to be published & gain more knowledge every day of just how much & how quickly our world & medical World changes. I found at this year milestone of 60 like many of my graduating class, we can look back & see why or not life took us down the paths it did, And to continue to looking into future & hope to gain more insight into out quickly changing places to behold.

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Wednesday August 5th 2020 My Newspaper all things Autoimmune, COVID -19 and more











Wednesday August 5th 2020 My Newspaper all things Autoimmune, COVID -19 and more  

                                                                                                            Life Chronic Pain & Autoimmune Systemic 

              Diseases & Dementia









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Sunday, August 2, 2020

Sunday's Newspaper My Own Autoimmune , Pain, COVID-19 & other issues


Life Chronic Pain & Autoimmune Systemic Diseases & Dementia®



http://news.autoimmunearthriticsystemiclife.com/

My Daily (Sunday Addition of my Own paper) Lot of great information here from the Arthritis Foundation, to other Newspaper articles, CDC information, and many more...   


Friday, July 31, 2020

New Post for Pseudogout, Blood transfusion, Severe Anemia, RA Severe Pain & COVID Virtual Visits & more...

I really have SO MUCH to try & catch up here on, so I am going ton"Post"n some of my ongoing chronic health issues, things about COVID, my 2 unit blood transfusions RA, other meds, so many Lab tests, Virtual Visits and more...

More about my Life Living with RA, Lupus, Pseudo-Gout, Severe Anemia & Making My Home Put Together Alone, through the Pain and all that comes with these illnesses.

As I said day before yesterday I CAN HAVE THE STRANGEST MESS HAPPEN AT MY HOUSE!!! 1ST OF ALL I am so embarrassed to even talk about it..I HAD A "VIRTUAL VISIT SCHEDULED WITH MY RHEUMATOLOGIST AT 2:40PM OR 2:15 PM.. THEY SENT ONE THE 2:40 FROM HIS NURSE AND THE APPT. PART OF THE PORTAL SAID 2:15 OKAY as usual between my dogs up & down and the pain in my back & hips, and hands.. I was UP by 3:30AM yesterday morning...Well, I did several things during the day around the house, did laundry, I have even putting things "more in order" rather than scattered around, for instance al of my hand cleaners & sanitizers.. by the way I DID GET MY 2 CORDLESS NEW BLINDS UPAFTER 3 DAYS OVER THE KITCHEN SINK AND THEY ARE AWESOME!!! ANYWAY, I WENT AHEAD ORDERED 2 MORE FOR THE NORTH SIDE OF MY KITCHEN, SINCE INE OF THOSE WERE FALLING APART & I wanted 2 get them ALL THE SAME! So, those were so much easier than dealing with over the sink and around "rotten light fixture that is another story. I also KNOW I have to put up a new light over the sink, because it is so "rotten" where some of the plastic things are they have cracked, and after 14 years, it is just a mess. I spent some of yesterday trying to find one of those that was NOT $$$ of dollars! I also looked for a few other minor things for the house etc... Also I was HURTING LIKE HECK... THE HUMIDITY WAS HORRIBLE & AFTER UP AND DOWN THAT SNALL LADDER WITH THOSE BLINDS, AND THEN WORKING ON THAT DANGED ROTTEN TREE, THEY WERE AND ARE IN BAD SHAPE...Plus I of course have things around the house I can "work on" .. my HAIR is a mess to say the least and since I had that Virtual APPL. with my RHEUMY yesterday I had tried to do "something with it" Well it was about an hour till the computer visit and more, so I decided to it down with the pups for a few minutes, decide on dinner, then it would be time. NOW the fans are going, the A/C Unit is on and all are LOUD.. I had the TV on.. the dogs were right beside me and of course when I NEED them to BARK they don't.. So suddenly I jumped up & I had DOZED OFF & WASALREADY LATE FOR MY APPT!!!! and of all things it was with DR.Q. HIMSELF, AND I RARELY GET TO SEE HIM! I usually see his PA.. I was headed to the computer & to get the program pulled up and my home phones rings! It is MY DOCTOR!!!!! Plus after the call, I found out he tried 2 TIMES ON MY CELL (BUT IT WAS CHARGING IN THE OFFICE & I COULDN'T HEAR IT & I NEVER HEARD THE HOME PHONE THE 1ST IME HE TRIED EITHER... OMG!!! I WANTED TO CRAWL UNDER THE COMPUTER... I WAS TOTALLY MORTIFIED.. NVER , EVER HAD I DONE THAT.. NOW GET THIS.. HEB AND I WAS TALKING ABOUT MY MEDICAL STUFF ON THE PHONE WHILE I PULLED UP THE VIRTUAL PROGRAM THEY USE AND FINALLY ABOUT THE TIME I CAN EVERYTHING SET UP... MY DOG IS BARKING, BARKING AND MORE... & I KNOW SINCE IT WAS JUST IN THE NEXT ROOM in the living room, at the front door MY DR. COULD HEAR IT!!! Anyway, he did say that the program they use to do the visit had problems yesterday and he thought maybe I was having issues..plus he was working "from home" and not the office yesterday. He isSTILL very DISTRESSED over the ANEMIA... & wants to do some other types of blood tests, and he wants me to see a HEMATOLOGIST FOR A BONE MARROW BIOPSY. Which is what I thought also.. he put me back on the Colcrys for the Pseudo-gout.. and he thought "maybe" the "MTX" the Methotrexate I take and have been taking a long time off and on "maybe" making the anemia worse. We talked about some other meds etc, but 1st he wants that bone marrow biopsy. BUT RIGHT NOW I AM EXTREMELY FEARFUL OF HAVING THAT TYPE OF PROCEDURE DURING THIS PANDEMIC! He told me he would find a very reputable Hematologist but I also have to make sure my insurance TAKES THE DOCTOR. AND USUALLY HE LET'S DR. B.; MY PCP'S OFFICE DO MY BLOOD DRAWS, SEND THEM OFF & SEND THEM PCP AND MYSELF.Well he was at home & was not sure about getting the Lab orders over to my PCP's office, which he could send them to me on the portal & I can take them... I have CLUE where the closest Lab Quest is & I am NOT driving to Dallas for it... Quest picks up with my PCP.. so all I need is Dr. Q to give the orders to his office or over the portal.. anything to save me driving somewhere especially right now in a busy Lab office somewhere in Dallas.THEN to top it off after dinner I went outside like I always do and walked around & everything seemed to be 'Fine".. I went back in for about an hour & had my front door partially shut do to the heat but I walk out and my Bird Bath is completely turned over (it is anchored in the ground" even though it is fairly lite) then I see FEATHERS everywhere! Then I walk to the North side of the house & the cat that hangs around was laying in the neighbor's portion o the drive way but nothing like feathers so I figure the bird got away..Well SOMETHING TOLD ME to check the ground to the SOUTH side and look. Sure enough here is the remains of a large bird probably a dove, one wing one place and turn up another part of the bird further down right beside my house!!! Well by Now I am TOTALLY LOSING IT!!!