Bye Bye Baby...

The last day of August is here.  The final day of my year.  Tomorrow I reset he calendar.  For me this is day # 365.  I don't mind the numbers.  I'm sort of glad to be leaving this month.  It's the month another cat passed & after this, we're on the downhill run of the hot Summer temps.

This hasn't been an easy month, but then again it hasn't 1 of the hardest either, not even for this year.   This has been an odd year for me.  In some ways it's been easier than the last couple, but in other it was more trying for both my roomie & me.  

I'll be grateful for the less than hellish weather August usually brings.  I'll be thankful that no major issues with machines developed that demanded immediate attention happened.  There were some close calls, but nothing imminent.   You've been a fairly good August, until next year,

Cya...

Letting Go...

Well, it's time for me to let go of another activity I have.  I hate to do it.  I don't have a lot to do & I have a tendency to hold on to things to long.  But, it's time.  This thing started moderately diverting, then slowly devolved into work & frustration.  Diversions are meant to entertain or distract, not aggravate.

For me, these things become habitual.  They pass the time. Letting go of it means I have to come up with something else or deal with the empty time.  

Like I said, it was time.  This activity had become a serious nuisance.  No one needs an unnecessary irritant in their life, so it had to go.   Still getting used to not doing it, but it'll work out.  Sometimes, things just have to be gotten rid of to make your life better.

Cya...

Getting Hot...

We're heading into another hot day.  We're supposed to get into the upper 90's F.   The humidity is still higher than I'd like.  Can't forget the allergens are hella high.  On top of that, the yard got mowed last night, so my sinuses are in a state of righteous irritation & indignation.   

The drainage has left me sucking on cough drops all day & drinking anything I can't my hands on to keep my throat cleared.   It isn't working very well.  The irritants are giving me slight nose bleeds.  This is sucking.

As usual, it looks like there'll be nada to do on my B-Day.  I'm used to that.  Having a birthday at the end of Summer & the beginning of school is no fun.  The movies have played out & everyone's more focused on the last weekend of Summer.  Oh well, I'll do something later on for it.  It's what usually has to happen.  

Cya...

Humpday...

It's another Wednesday.  The last 1 of August.  The last W'day of the year before my birthday.  I guess all these days this week have been the last of their kind for me this year.   No more Sundays, Mondays or Tuesdays either.  Soon there will be none of any of them.  

I'm not sure how I feel about that.  It's not the days passing or me getting older.  It's something else.  I'm not sure what there is for me in the days to come & there wasn't a lot for me in the days that have already gone by.   I've had some friends, some pets & some diversions.  But, there certainly are no mountains of things.  

Not that I ever really wanted hoards of stuff.  Especially, not after seeing all those television shows over hoarders.  Yikes.

Still, if I passed today all I'd leave behind are some memories, debt & perhaps a bit of chaos due to unfinished things.  Maybe that's all most people get to leave behind.  I'm not sure it even matters to me.

All I ever really wanted was a place to feel a bit more secure in things. That probably isn't going to happen.  I try not to think about these things.  I try not to think about most things.  It won't do me any good.  

Some people might say, I'm depressed or just depressing.  Maybe so, but I've just spent my life feeling like a leave floating on the water heading who knows where.  I'm pretty disconnected with things, people & places.  I'm not sure I'd want to be any different. It seems like people who are connected are always just getting hurt by those things.  

If there is an afterlife, I guess my heaven would be different than some.  It'd be a place where you rolled down the road listening to music, just travelling from place to place. You'd see concerts, eat good food, go to festivals & meet interesting people.  Then you'd be on  your way looking forward to the next adventure. No looking back, no regrets, no what-ifs.  You'd accept those other people had their own paths & that you might or might not meet them again.  Some kind of rambler's paradise.

Tomorrow is Thursday,  It'll  be the last of it's kind.  Then Friday & Saturday.  Sunday will be the 1st of it's kind of my new year.  Somewhere in there is a Janus moment, facing both ways.  So, I guess here's to a bunch more Wednesdays to come.

Cya...

Nada...

Not much going this morning.  The heat & pollen are high & are supposed to get higher.  I spent a large part of yesterday dealing with an off & on nosebleed.   I'm bad about getting them during allergy/fad season.  

My roomie's out for a bit I'm just surfing the web.  Not much of any in article-land I want to go over.  Other than the heat & sneezing, it's looking like a good day.

Cya...

Another Monday...

Not much going on here.  We went shopping this morning & that was the only thing on the had-to-do list.  I'm hoping the heat & humidity don't soar today.  I'd like a day when 87 F didn't feel like it was sitting at 105.  

For a while now Monday nights have been a good thing for us.  TV's been fun.  There's been American Ninja Warrior.  Which should be called bios of unknown athletes who will soon suffer horrible crash & burn situations before being discarded.  Then there's Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls.  Which should be titled, which one of them is going to kill that asshat Bear Grylls.  Finally, the event of the season.  The show so bad, it's good, Siberia.

Unfortunately, those shows will be ending soon & Monday nights will be back to being boresville.  At least for now there's some fun stuff.  Have to enjoy it while it lasts.

Cya...

Readjusting...

This is my ongoing pollen forecast.  It sucks.  It's being caused mainly by ragweed, nettles & grasses.  I hate them all.  The temps are creeping back up.  We may even hit 98 F a couple times in the next 10 days.  That's not high for August. However, usually hot August days aren't accompanied by hella humidity.  Again, I say, "THIS SUCKS!!!"

I know it's almost over, but can't it just pick 1.  It can have hot, humid or hell-weeds, not all 3.  Well, I suppose it can have them, but I don't like.  Not even a little bit.

Hopefully, this crap will settle down soon.  

Cya...

Downhill...

Summer is on the downhill run now.  In less than a month we'll be into Fall.  Hopefully, it'll be a more normal season.  I was hoping 2013 would prove to be easier than 2012 & in some ways it has  However, there's been a lot of stress this last year.  None of which was wanted, needed or helped in the least.

These last couple of weeks have been getting better.  It's awful to say, but with the passing of our cat, Fluffy, things have gotten easier.  There are none his messes or worrying about him now.  The amount of agitation he caused was immense.  I hate that,  he was an old cat, but still it was hard to handle him towards the end.  I'm just looking at the perks again.   When he was here, we had him & his issues.  Now the issues are gone, but so is he.

Life can really be rough at times.  I'm hoping for the best out of Fall.

Cya...

Another Friday...

I'm a little zapped right now.  I had to go shopping this morning.  Normally, that isn't a very physically taxing thing.  However, I was already a little wheezy due to allergies.  Then I got to Walmart, which seemingly doesn't turn on it's AC anymore.  The place was sweltering.  I opened a cooler door to get something & condensation just poured off of it onto the floor.

By the time I was getting out of the store, I was shot.  I was hot & not having an easy time catching my breath.   We finally made it home & I got cleaned up & ate.  I'm starting to feel better, but not great.  

This is just another 1 of those things I have to deal with now.  This is another place where my HIV & other circumstances collide & knock me for a loop.  The allergens weren't horrid.  The temperature wasn't that hot.  The humidity was high, but not awfully so.  The store wasn't that busy.   But all those things combined was a bit of an overload for me at that moment.  You can't really count for those things.  Still they happen.  Tomorrow, could be exactly the same & I could handle it fine.  I just never know.  That's another thing that really sucks about being +, the uncertainty.

Cya...

The ABC's Of Telemedicine...

I mentioned to my roomie the differences between yesterday's telemedicine visit & a normal 1.  She reminded me I'd never done an detailed post on this topic.  So, here it goes, my usual OSU telemedicine experience.

1. It starts at the last appointment, when I set my next appointment & told what labs I will need drawn.
2. 2 - 3 weeks before the appointment, I have labs drawn.
3. A week before, I get the results so I can have them with me as well.
4. The day before, the specialist's office calls to confirm the appointment.
5. I go to wherever the telemedicine bus is going to be.  It's usually in the same place, but sometimes they have to relocate.
6. I arrive & check in.  I fill out whatever, if any, paperwork they need dealt with at that time.
7. The nurse takes me in and takes my vitals (BP, temp, heart rate, pulse, HT, WT) & sometimes I get vaccinations at this point.
8. Then I go to the back of the bus which can be closed off for privacy.  
9. Other than the fact, it's obviously on a bus, there's a large monitor & other equipment not normally in a doctor's office, it looks just about like any other clinic room. (sorry can't find a pic)
10. According to this, these are the place & services the bus offers.
11. In the back, there are usually 2 student doctors.  That makes 4 staff members on board, driver/clerk. nurse & 2 student doctors. 
12. We all get acquainted,  the student doctors are always new, usually somewhat timid & nervous.
13. The screen comes on (if all goes well) & we're connected to the main office in Tulsa, OK where a doctor & pharmacist conduct the exam via the internet.  It may not as cool as it used to be, but the $ & time it saves me are wonderful.
14. The exam begins with the 2 virtual doctors asking whatever ?'s they may have for me.  It's a little odd, cause there's a couple second lag in communication time.
15. After that, we go over my lab results & medication history.  
16. Then the student doctors do a cursory exam.  This is done with a stethoscope that connects to the net so that the virtual docs can hear it as well.  At this point, they are listening to my heart & breathing.
17. Past that. they bring out an endoscopic camera for ears, nose, throat & eyes.  This is a similar device. It's also connected to the web, so the other docs can see everything as well.
18. They check for any edema or any other obvious issues & ask me about my current health.
19. After that's done, I'm sent back up front to set my next appointment.
20. Then I go home.

On a good day I can leave the house at 8:50 AM, drive about mile or so, go through the appointment & be

back home by 9:40.  That's less than hour.  Sometimes, it takes a little longer, sometimes it's faster.  I used to have to drive 2 hours up to Tulsa, be in the doctor's office for 30 minutes & then drive back 2 hours.  So, instead of 4 -5 hours, I now spend 30 - 45 minutes.   I drive less than 5 miles, not nearly 250.  I don't waste $ on extra gas, turnpike fees or having to eat out.  I put a lot less wear & tear on the car, my roomie & myself.

Telemedicine has been a great thing for me. I can't really say how much I appreciate it.  It makes a stressful event for me far less so. (I hate doctor appointments)  It saves me $, which is very needed.  Going to telemedicine is an errand, not a planned for day long event.  

There it is, a trip to the telemedicine bus.  I think I covered everything.  Until tomorrow.

Cya...

Until Next Time...

Had my telemedicine appointment this morning.  It got a  little confusing.  Their bus has been down for a while & they had to meet in the hospital itself.  The info they gave wasn't clear about where they'd be, so I had to drive around a bit.

Finally, I found it & got into the appointment.  They were having technical issues, so things were interesting.  Everything was fairly routine & I was sent on my way.  I won't have another appointment with them until next February.  

I have to see my primary the 2nd week of September.  He's may want another ANSAR test.  I'll see when I get there.   

For today, I'm done. The appointment went well.  The trash is out.  Not much else on my plate today.

Cya...

Another Car Day...

Not getting too deep into anything this morning.  The little car pitched a bit of a fit this morning & took some coaxing to get running.  My roomie took it out.  Now, I'm just waiting to see if it'll make it home or if I'll have to go out & see what I can do about it.  Car stuff is very frustrating.  It makes it difficult to focus on much else.   I'll write more tomorrow.  Hopefully, she'll make it back OK.  Then I'll just have to keep an eye on it.  If not, it's off to the mechanic's, yet again.

Cya...

Hurried Morning...

Playing catch up with my online things today.  We had to go shopping.  In addition, I forgot to stop by & pick up my lab results from my primary doctor, so i could have them when I met with my specialist at telemedicine. 

I usually do this a week before my appointment, not 2 days.  I'm glad everything worked out alright.  There wouldn't have been time for any redraws.  Both the lab & my doctor tell me they fax the results up, but somehow they never seem to make it too my specialist, so I always take them with me.    My numbers were good for me.

We had to make multiple shopping trips this morning.  Walmart was out of potatoes.  Not just the type I wanted, but utterly tapped on spuds.  2 Weeks ago, it was tomatoes & onion & now potatoes.  Maybe someone's making a lot of stew or something.

Back to catching up on everything I should've got done this morning. 

Cya...

No Valley, But Still A Pleasant Sunday...

Not much going on today, just laundry & the like.  The weather is still cool & I'm sleeping well.  The allergens seemed to have backed off a bit.  This has been a pleasant day so far.  

I like days when we have nothing planned & nothing manages to go haywire.  Often on our nothing days, something goes sideways & makes us deal with it.  That often involves us having to go somewhere, get something & spend $.  

So, thank you Today, for being pleasant & non-problematic.

Cya...

Religious BS...

This article talks about how Pentecostal pastors are encouraging + people to believe in their god & not medicine.  They are actively encouraging people not to take their medications.  IMO, these men are monsters.  

These pastors are charlatans that prey on the ill.  They are practicing medicine without a license.  They practice spiritual intimidation.  Their actions will lead to people dying.  They should be punished for murder.

I'll say it again, religion & medicine don't mix.  The mumbo-jumbo of the god-set con't handle the reality of science & feel threatened by it  Then these SOB's come along & try manipulate people's beliefs.   Hopefully Britain will prosecute all these jerks.

Cya...

Yuck...

The jungle that was passing for my lawn got mowed last night.  This was the thickest the grass had gotten all year.  We could bail this stuff.  Unfortunately it was still damp & the high dew point has made it a remarkably smelly, offensive mess.

My allergies are acting up.  My eyes have been watering for days as it was.  Then the mowing happened & I feel like crap.  I'm glad it got mowed, but I really wish I had the $ just to pave my yard.  I hate grass. Less grass means less vermin & less allergens.

I woke up to a clumpy green yard that reeked & made my eyes water.  I sneezed & coughed for a good part of the morning.   We finally left for a bit & I seem to have recovered somewhat.  Did I mention I hate grass?

Cya...

Seriously, What Month Is It....

Last night we made it down to 59 F in mid August.   I had to get up, grab a blanket & turn off the fans. We've already passed our monthly rain average by 1 1/2X.  This really feels more like late April or early May than August.  

The grass was just mowed & needs it again.  Normally mowing in August doesn't happen.   The grass is usually dead by mid July.  But now I've got grass up to me knees.  

I slept better once I turned off the fans.  But this unseasonal mess has the ragweed already doing it's thing.  I hate ragweed, it  is the devil.   This Summer has been seriously weird.   Hopefully, Fall will be more normal.  

Cya....

Tivicay...

According to this announcement, the FDA has approved the new drug, Trivcay.  It's an integrase inhibitor.  Other than being a newly apporved medication, I'm not sure what else it brings to the table.  However, having another drug to use in the battle versus HIV is still very notable.  GlaxoSmithKline is producing the med.  I haven't heard when it will hit the market are any thing on it's efficacy. This is going to be another wait & see thing.

Cya... 

Just A Line...

We have some errands to run today & it'll take a while.  Not sure when we'll get back, so this is just a line.  I hope the trip goes well.  It's been raining moderately hard & there's reports of flooding in the area.  Probably won't be back until at least after my normal blogging time.  Looking forward to tonight.  1 of our favorite shows is returning, SyFy's, Face Off.  

Cya...

Need To Move A Bit...

Sometimes you just need to get out.  That was us yesterday.  We aren't always capable of it, but some days we just have to get out of the house & do something out of the routine.  Routines & regimens are necessary, especially for the chronically ill.  But, they can be seriously irritating & depressing.

The weather is starting to cool off again.  It looks like for the next 10 days we'll be in the upper 80's & lower 90's.  Unfortunately, we have fairly high humidity levels expected as well.  So, it'll feel like 110 - 120.  I'd rather have the upper 90's & low humidity any day.

I thought the lower temps this Summer would be easier on me.  They've been easier on our electric bill, but cost more in mowing.  The high humidity this Summer has trounced me.  I've felt worse this Summer, than I have in years.    The wetness has made the fleas, grass & mold flourish.  My sinuses have been a wreck all season.  My stomach is such a mess, exercise is damn near impossible without fear of hurling or a diarrhea episode.  The high dew points have left me concerned about a gout flare up.  I will seriously be happy when the temps, humidity & dew points drop.  This season has been a hard one both my roomie & me.  

Cya...

Movie Time...

We've decided to get out of the house today.  We're off to see a movie.  We are both in need of some diversion.   Until tomorrow.

Cya...

Not Today...

We had considered going to see a movie today.  Not going to happen.  Neither of us was too thrilled with the idea of an outing this morning.  This weather has done a number on how we feel.  The constant high humidity is taking a toll.   

I think the other cats  are finally really starting to register Fluffy isn't here.   I'm not sure what they're making of it.  Still it's nice, not to have all that mess to look forward to in the morning.  That may sound mean.  But, sometimes you have to look at the perks of a situation to get by.   I took his remaining canned food to a drive for a no-kill shelter.  Hopefully, it'll help a little bit.  

Think that's all for today.  My stomach isn't my friend today.  

Cya...

Fluffy Dammit Salem...

This was Salem, aka Fluffy Dammit Salem, Fluff, Old Man Cat, Shit Zombie or just plain Fluffy.   He passed yesterday afternoon.  His last trip was to the vet's, albeit posthumously.  He was 16 years, had lived 4 in houses, 2 towns, with 3 people, outlasted 1 roommate, outlasted 3 other cats & left us with 3 girls (not related).  

He passed quietly.  I'd thought this was coming for quite some time, but was fairly certain earlier this week.  I know it was coming yesterday.  He was too quiet & not moving much.    He's the 3rd cat my roomie & I have lost.  There was his brother Julian & then Alice.  

This morning there was no special food to dish up.  There were no nasty spots of vomit or hell-shitz.  Mr.  Fluffy had left the building.   I've lost cats to age before, my roomie hadn't.  It's been easier on me than her.  

We have the girls left.  The spinster sisters Rowan & Rhiannon.  Then there's the former outdoor cat, Tinkerbell.   We're down to 1 outdoor cat, Clementine.  I'm not sure what's happened to Ruffian & Jingle Cat.   I still see Black Tail, Mr. Wiggles & Miss Flouncy from time to time, but they were never really part of our little pack.

Here's a link to my roomies post on the matter.

Cya...

RIP Fluff

Surprise...

We had a bit of unexpected rain last night.  Something probably just squeezed the soaking air too tight & it began to drip.   It wasn't much, but it could've been a problem since we had the windows on just about everything open last night.  Luckily it didn't seem to do anything any harm.  

Had to go to Walmart this morning & it was like a swamp in there.  I'm not even sure their AC was on at all.  It was horrible in there. 

It's probably going to heat up & getting steamy this afternoon.   It'd be nice if it didn't, but it probably will.  I"m just trying to get what I need to do done, before that.  

Cya...

100's...

We're in a high temp stretch for now.  We hit just over 100 F yesterday & are expected to do so for the next few days.   That's not strange considering we're in August.  What's weird are the high levels of humidity going along with the high temps.  Luckily, it's supposed to cool off again somewhat this weekend.   

It looks like we're going to need at least 1 mowing in August.  Most years we've done with mowing for almost a month by now.   This humidity is making mildew & mold a problem & really screwing with my sinuses.  I'm having do laundry more often, to keep anything damp from mildewing. 

Things that like humid, hot days; grass, fleas, mildew & mold.   None of which I like.  I wish there was a yard sized dehumidifier.  24 days left in August.  Hopefully, most of the heat will stay with it.

Cya...

Genistein...

According to this abstract, genistein, a compound found in soy beans may aid in the fight against HIV.  This isoflavone may be capable of impending the virus' ability to communicate with other cells.  This lack of signal between the virus & other cells may inhibit the virus' ability to infiltrate host cells.

2 other interesting things about this compound; 1st, since it isn't directly interacting with the virus, resistance is thought be less likely.  2nd, since this is a plant based material, it may mean less toxicity than other pharmaceuticals.  

There is no evidence that merely eating soy products will aid in the fight against HIV.  Apparently the amount needed would be tremendous. There seems to be realistic hope that genistein could someday be part of the arsenal against HIV.

Cya...

Say Thank You Walmart...

The giant box store did it again.  I go in & they're out of half of what I need.  I mean come one, you ran out of tomatoes & yellow onions?  Seriously...?  There was a lot of other stuff I needed as well.  So, it's off to Fort Smith to handle that & some other errands.  I have no idea how long this is going to take.   Hopefully, it won't be a major hassle.

Cya....

100%...

When I woke up this morning it was 78 F & 100 % humidity.  How the hell can it be 100% & not rain?   That only gave us a heat index of 81, but still it was hard to breathe.

I slept alright last night, but mainly due to me going to bed earlier & being asleep longer.   The 1st thing I heard from my roomie this morning was her taking a shower.   She took a shower because she woke up drenched.

This is August.  It's supposed to be hot & dry.  The grass should be dead.   The fleas should be dead.  But, no...  The air is drenched . The grass is green & the fleas are doing well.  The main benefit of August in Oklahoma is knowing your grass is dead & you don't have to mow again until late September or possibly even October.  Hopefully, we'll dry off or cool down soon.  This weather is making it hard to do anything.  

Cya...

OMG! It's Soup...

When I got up this morning it was hard to breathe.   I was still sitting by fans, so I wasn't yet aware of the hell that awaited me.  We had errands to run this morning once the bank opened.  I got around a little early & decided this morning was probably my best bet to spray weed-killer around the yard before the next possible round of rain.  

I was out there 10 - 15 minutes tops.    All I did was hold the weed-killer container & wave the wand back & forth.   I circled the yard, the fence line, some bushes & finally the house.  By the time I finished, I was drenched & could hardly breathe.

It may have been in the low 80's F, but the humidity was in the upper 80% range.  It was like swimming in warm soup.  It wasn't even 9:00 & I was drenched, raspy & exhausted.   I still had errands to run.  

The errands were ran & bills paid.  We got home & ate.  I've taken a shower & that may be all I do today.   this sucks.

Cya...

August...

I forgot to bid farewell to July & say hello to August.  Better late than never, I suppose.  Weather-wise, July was an exceptionally mellow month.  We had at least 3X more rain than our normal rainfall totals.  The still green grass attests to that.  The month wasn't so easy on some of my roomie's friends though.  Summertime can prove intense on personal issues.  So, it was nice having you July, hopefully you'll be this pleasant next year.

Here's to August, a brand new month.  Hopefully, the mild Summer weather will continue.  I have an appointment with my specialist mid month.  There's a birthday in their somewhere.  Other than that, this month is fairly quiet for us so far.  Just have to wait & see how that goes.

So, once again, until next year July.  Greetings & salutations August.

Cya...

Trying To Recover...

My dentist appointment went fine.  But yesterday was a tiring, energy zapping bitch.   I've talked before about how my meds make me sensitive to heat & light.    Yesterday was hell on that matter.  

It only got to 93 F, but the heat index was nearing 120.  The ride home was tiring.  We stopped at Wendy's & ate in the AC.  It was nice, but the refreshing effect died as soon as we were back on the road again.   

We should've turned on the AC when we got home, but we were tired & just wanted to lay down.  For us turning on the AC means closing all the windows & doors.   In this house that's 15 doors & windows that need closing & none of the windows work easily.

It was quite late before the weather settled & began to cool down a little.  Sleep didn't come that easy.  Now today, the humidity is back on the rise & it's supposed to be hotter than yesterday.  Oh Yippie!   I'm still depleted from the day before & now this is revving up.  Wonderful.

Cya...