Friday, February 10, 2012

I'm Back

Hi. I'm back for the next four or five days. I will give the blog schedule on Sunday or Momday. For sure there will be a blog post Today, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

Mom update. I took her to the doctor Tuesday night. The doctor adopted a different game plan which included a change in medication. The change in medication had an immediate impact and she is doing quite well. Not one hundred percent yet but close. She is doing well enough that we will probably cancel Monday's appointment. The doctor suggested that if Mom got well.

My work is going great. It was amazing how much I remembered from last year. The first tax return I did generated no review notes. Pretty darn good. What is amazing is the kind of things that I didn't remember. I was fine with the tax returns it was how to use some of the equipment, like the copy machine, the telephone, and the alarm. Don't laugh. A lot of different companies use the copy machines and there are codes and whatnot. The copy machine is one size fits all. I think I got it now. I have the alarm code memorized. And I made a phone call. I'm good to go.

Let's start the day with a couple of good articles:

First the good kid:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/08/noah-lamaide-12-year-old-_n_1262843.html?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-nb%7Cdl18%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D133999

Now the good news health article:

http://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/0208/more-success-with-gene-therapy-for-blindness.aspx?xid=aol_eh-news_10_20120206_&aolcat=HLT&icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-nb%7Cdl17%7Csec3_lnk1%26pLid%3D134007

Now an update about Super Bowl Ads. First don't you think it is great that the top two rated ads during the Super Bowl weren't produced by big time New York ad agencies but just normal dudes and dudettes that won a Doritos contest. The number rated ad had a grandma slinging a baby to grab a bag of Doritos from an unsuspecting young man. Because it was rated number one it brings a million dollar bonus with it to the previously unknown producer of the ad.

As to the Chrysler ad that brought so much discussion with it about whether it was political or not, E. J. Dionne got it right:

http://www.heraldnews.com/newsnow/x392619222/E-J-DIONNE-Clint-Eastwood-Rick-Santorum-and-the-limits-of-pessimism

Comment Away.

12 comments:

dona said...

Hi Bill, so glad to hear mom is doing better. If the new meds worked that quick it just might be what she needed. I think its great you went ahead and took her to the doc, without listening to what everyone else thinks, after all I think when you are around them a lot you do know what is best....sometimes. :)

Glad the work was easy to get back to. I don't think anyone here will laugh at the trouble using some machines...when you aren't around them or use them often, that just happens! Kind of like resetting clocks on microwaves or other electronic equipment, how often do you really have to do it? It can be the simplest things that trip you up some-days.

I like the EveryDayHealth articles. I have been using that website for the Shankster for keeping a journal of his diet. Very easy and they do have a lot of interesting articles each day.

There were a lot of funny/good ads, this year, I did like the Doritos ads too.

Sorry for being missing for a while. I felt a bit like every time I came here I was having to ask for you all to send some good vibes/prayers my way. I am not in the asking for things business and felt like I was complaining too much. So instead of that I just stayed gone, as I didn't have any good news, just kept getting more bad. But I have missed you all and the posts and keeping up on what you are are doing/saying. And after seeing your post on FB I worried about you and your mom, So here I am, problems and all, I just cannot stay away! I am ok, dad is ok, the Shankster, after the last 3 weeks is much better, but it is a work in progress.

Mary Z said...

Glad to hear things are going well with your mom!

I hate learning new machines - all that retraining. 8^)

Lady DR said...

Great news about your mom, Bill. I'm so glad you insisted on seeing the doctor and the results were positive. Will continue with the prayers.

I hear you on the machines. I swear they are NOT inanimate objects, but inventions of the devil to frustrate us. Glad you got them under control and the week went well. Good job on the returns!

The story of Noah is great. My questions is, if a twelve year old can see how to solve a problem and how to set a program that benefits others, why can't our illustrious gov't "leaders" do the same?

The article on vision is encouraging. Selfishly, I hope they find a way to apply what they're learned to the issue of MD and soon, as Mom's vision continues to fail rapidly.

As to the SuperBowl ads. Yes, nice that the top rated ads were from small agencies and creative people. Glad to hear they got a bonus. I posted, earlier, my thoughts on the Eastwood ad and the "spin" put on it by various media. Do those people think we don't have a brain, can't figure out what an ad is saying? This is why I don't listen to the analysis following debates or state of union addresses - it's like the media doesn't think I can figure out what I heard.

Lady DR said...

Dona, it's so good to hear from you. Don't stay away, just because everything isn't "hunky-dory." We're hear to listen, support, send prayers if needed. We care. Come on in, problems and all. Let us help, even if only through moral support and prayers and positive vibes.

Yeah, we love to hear good news, but all of us hit bumps in the road and sometimes it's easier to get it out of our system and let others know and offer what help we can, even if it's only hugs.

Could we have an update on the Shankster? Seems you guys have had more than your share of potholes to deal with over recent times.

dona said...

Hey DR, thanks for the encouraging words, I should have realized I can always count on you all.
Ok here is update.
Not sure what I have told you all about Shankster, but after the passing of his brother, it was suggested he get a couple tests done of things his brother had that were hereditary. He passed one fine but wasn't able to get the other done which was a test to see if he has esophageal cancer. His tongue from his surgery in June last year acted up again right after his brother passing and he ended up with a bad infection so they want to make sure he is completely over that before the test. He doesn't have symptoms, they just want to check.
In the meantime from his other surgery last July, some issues were raised, and he was tested again and some cancer cells were present. He needed to go under to get a biopsy to see how far it had spread or if it has before making a plan. That was about a month ago, right as they were prepping him for the procedure, his blood glucose raised some eyebrows and the procedure was halted as it could have been deadly for them to continue in a couple of ways. Result, he is type 2 diabetic. This is something new. So for the past 3 weeks we have been on a mission to lower his level from at that point after fasting for 16 hours, it was a 394. Fortunately we must be doing something right as we have been maintaining it between 100-170 each day through better eating, exercising.
As we stand now we need another month to see if he can maintain or even get lower before continuing with the biopsy. We still appreciate the good vibes and prayers you all can muster up. He is ok other than some blurry vision, but Doc thinks that is because of his lowering it so quickly...we will keep an eye on that too.

William J. said...

Hi Dona

I started the blog as a support system for caregivers, not only elderly caregivers but caregivers in general. There is also a large segment of the population that take care of spouses and children that aren't elderly.

This is a place to come and vent if you need be. To ask for prayers if you need them and that is your style. Or just to hang out and forget about life in general if that is what you need.

A sad fact is that life isn't always positive. You are welcome here anytime, knicks and crannies and all.

I would rather have you here complaining that disappearing because we miss you.

Work has been amazing for the first week will report in on it later today.

Everyday healthis one of my favorite sites.

Give The Shankster a man hug from me.

Bill

William J. said...

Hi Mary Z

Mom is really close to normal. I am taking her out for an ommellete today. We will see how that goes.

Today is was how to change adding machine tape. I felt like such a doofus.

Bill

William J. said...

Hi DR

Taking Mom to the doctor was the right thing to do. One thing we found out is that the first couple of days when she was sick to her stomach she bruised a chest muscle by throwing up. We have been putting ice packs on that and now that has been healed.

Work was amazing for the first week. I will report in on it later today. I remembered everything about the tax returns, it was just the machine and a couple of things about the procedures that went lacking.

Great question. A twelve year old boy can figure it out why can't the supposedly intelligent adults? Our great leaders. Whice brings me to the E. J. Dionne article. His take on the super bowl ad was that the reaction to the ad was symbolic of politics in America. They way they are now. That it has turned so that we no longer know what the people running for office believe or what they are going to do because instead of telling us their plan all they do is attack the opposition whether it is their own opponents in in their primaries or their opponent from the opposite party. Instead of celebrating our improvements that the ad celebrated they would rather turn it negative and attack it. We are now politics of attack instead of politics of hope.

I am also very selfish about the ad on vision. So many of my friends or their parents are dealing with MD.

Bill

William J. said...

DR

Good message to Dona. I couldn't have said it better.

Bill

William J. said...

Hi Dona

Thanks for the update. The Shankster and you have been dealing with to damn much. Sometimes I think it is harder on the person that is watching out for the person going through struggles then it is for the person that is struggling. We feel so damn helpless. They are getting attention and even though it effects our health we ignore the symptoms that we should be paying attention to about ourselves. So my advise to you is don't forget about you and take care of yourself to.

I had my doctor appointment on Monday. He told me losing twenty pounds will decrease my risk of diabetes, the side effects from it, and the side effects from heart trouble by sixty percent.

I'm sending good vibes towards the Shankster that he can improve enough to get the cancer test done and that the cancer test is negative. Tell him to listen to you because I have the baseball bat handy.

Of course you are always in my prayers.

Bill

dona said...

Thanks again for such encouraging words Bill. I know about you all here and why you started the blog and even with that I still felt bad complaining and not having any news but bad to talk about. I know I could have just talked about anything else but when it is all slapping you in the face(so to speak) you sorta want to talk about it. Shankster says thanks also for thinking of him, and thanks Bill, for slapping some sense into me! lol

William J. said...

Dona

I complain half the time on the blog! According to one survey we complain on the average of seventy times a day! It is normal for us to do that.

So be normal and come to the blog whether you want to complain or not!

Bill