Year of the River City-wide Photography Contest Jacksonville.com#SD#SD
Please go to this link and vote for the photo "Rosy LazyRiver" it was taken by a very dear friend and heart transplant recipient Lon Bullman.
I think it's the greatest photo on the list..
Thanks to all.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
LabCorp continued
I've left a few online requests at LabCorp.com for someone to please contact me because I need to have an issue resolved... Nothing in a week.
Guess they don't respond via email either.
Anyway, since I am taking the Multaq I've reduced my Prograf from 3mg twice a day to 2 mg twice a day.
Might save a little money-until I find out how much the Multaq will cost me.
I still feel my heart race for 10-15 seconds at a time, so I'll have to wait and see if it's really going to help me or not.
I have discovered that an elevated blood sugar will wreak havoc with my body along with the heart. So another reason for everyone to keep your blood sugar in control..
It took about 3 days to feel like really getting back to exercising after starting to take the Multaq, but now I'm bakc to my 2 miles in the morning with the boys, plus hitting the treadmill for another 30 minutes after dinner.
Next I hit the gym again.
Guess they don't respond via email either.
Anyway, since I am taking the Multaq I've reduced my Prograf from 3mg twice a day to 2 mg twice a day.
Might save a little money-until I find out how much the Multaq will cost me.
I still feel my heart race for 10-15 seconds at a time, so I'll have to wait and see if it's really going to help me or not.
I have discovered that an elevated blood sugar will wreak havoc with my body along with the heart. So another reason for everyone to keep your blood sugar in control..
It took about 3 days to feel like really getting back to exercising after starting to take the Multaq, but now I'm bakc to my 2 miles in the morning with the boys, plus hitting the treadmill for another 30 minutes after dinner.
Next I hit the gym again.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Develop a photography program for children at transplant centers. | Pepsi Refresh Everything
Develop a photography program for children at transplant centers. Pepsi Refresh Everything
Please view this short video and vote. This would give much needed funds in helping organ transplant recipients while they wait for LIFE.
Please view this short video and vote. This would give much needed funds in helping organ transplant recipients while they wait for LIFE.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
LabCorp-Monthly lab visits
Many can relate to the monthly bloodwork we have done to maintain our immunosuppressive levels.
Well I've had to try and calm down after my visit on Monday to LabCorp.
I always go online to make an appointment, since we my labs must be done on Mondays and a purple top
tube FedEx'd to shands. The labs here are always packed on Mondays and Tuesdays, especially during season, the reason for my appointment.
Was I glad I did! The place was mobbed.To my dismay there were all new technicians, and the lady at the front desk was clueless. If I didn't know better I swear she's probably pulled her hair out by now after all she handled. I was concerned since I have one good vein left and only one person I know can find it the first time.
Well I got there at 8:05 for an 8:15 AM appointment and signed in. The receptionist made so many copies of my lab paperwork I cringed at the thought of the loss of a rainforest. And she gave me 3 copies back of the same piece of paper.! I finally got in the lab, the tech. looked at the paperwork with a strange look. I immediately thought, "here I go again" having to explain in detail what the paperwork says and that I take a tube with me for Fed Ex. The tech looked at me and said, "But we do this test here." "Well, maybe but you do if differently than my transplant center." I pointed out that the second piece of paperwork stated I would take a purple top tube with me. She responded that she had to call her supervisor. "I want to speak with her when you get her on the phone, and I have to get on the road to another appointment." She got the supervisor "Nan" on the phone, who asked me if I was having other bloodwork done. When I replied yes, she said well then I'll allow it.. YOU'LL allow it? I've been doing this same procedure for the last 8 years.
The issue was that if the Tacrolimus was the only blood draw I was having she was going to refuse. Labcorp would get no money for drawing the blood. No mattter what my paperwork said.
I asked what happens if my levels are off and I need to get the Tacrolimus re-tested in a week? No answer..
In talking with the tech she mentioned that Lab Corp regularly moves their techs areound so they don't get too comfortable with the patients. I advised her that this is inadequate patient care. The regular techs would have seen my appointment and if there were any issues it would have been handled before I even got there.
I finally got out of there at 8:55. A quick appointment which should have been easy took 50 minutes!
I was also given a phone number for this Nan and advised to have her fax me an approval letter for the next visit... Yeah right.... Nan has not answered her phone since yesterday nor has an answering machine.
At this point I've renamed LabCorp to LabCrap.
Well I've had to try and calm down after my visit on Monday to LabCorp.
I always go online to make an appointment, since we my labs must be done on Mondays and a purple top
tube FedEx'd to shands. The labs here are always packed on Mondays and Tuesdays, especially during season, the reason for my appointment.
Was I glad I did! The place was mobbed.To my dismay there were all new technicians, and the lady at the front desk was clueless. If I didn't know better I swear she's probably pulled her hair out by now after all she handled. I was concerned since I have one good vein left and only one person I know can find it the first time.
Well I got there at 8:05 for an 8:15 AM appointment and signed in. The receptionist made so many copies of my lab paperwork I cringed at the thought of the loss of a rainforest. And she gave me 3 copies back of the same piece of paper.! I finally got in the lab, the tech. looked at the paperwork with a strange look. I immediately thought, "here I go again" having to explain in detail what the paperwork says and that I take a tube with me for Fed Ex. The tech looked at me and said, "But we do this test here." "Well, maybe but you do if differently than my transplant center." I pointed out that the second piece of paperwork stated I would take a purple top tube with me. She responded that she had to call her supervisor. "I want to speak with her when you get her on the phone, and I have to get on the road to another appointment." She got the supervisor "Nan" on the phone, who asked me if I was having other bloodwork done. When I replied yes, she said well then I'll allow it.. YOU'LL allow it? I've been doing this same procedure for the last 8 years.
The issue was that if the Tacrolimus was the only blood draw I was having she was going to refuse. Labcorp would get no money for drawing the blood. No mattter what my paperwork said.
I asked what happens if my levels are off and I need to get the Tacrolimus re-tested in a week? No answer..
In talking with the tech she mentioned that Lab Corp regularly moves their techs areound so they don't get too comfortable with the patients. I advised her that this is inadequate patient care. The regular techs would have seen my appointment and if there were any issues it would have been handled before I even got there.
I finally got out of there at 8:55. A quick appointment which should have been easy took 50 minutes!
I was also given a phone number for this Nan and advised to have her fax me an approval letter for the next visit... Yeah right.... Nan has not answered her phone since yesterday nor has an answering machine.
At this point I've renamed LabCorp to LabCrap.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The heart will have its way...
I realized that I forgot to update my blog as to my heart rate issue and the heart monitor.
Well to make a long story short I went to the Cardiologist, he wasn't there, so I asked the pacemaker nurse
why I needed a heart monitor since I had a pacemaker recording every beat my heart makes?
The response I received was that a heart monitor records everything in real time.. Doesn't the pacemaker?
Well, yes. I then asked that since this only happens about once a month, and I just had my monthly occurrence what would the monitor record? Nothing was the answer.. So she ran a copy of my pacemaker and I came home.
Wednesday morning I received a phone call from the office and the doctor wanted me to come in earlier and speak with him... Uh oh..in trouble now...:(
I recently went to the doctor and we had a nice chat about my options. I now have Atrial Fibrilation where I had a type of Ventricular Tachycardia before. The ablation worked last time because it is not as invasive and difficult as the a-fib.. Lucky me again.. I had the option of taking meds as needed when the A-fib started like I was doing, taking a daily med to keep my heart calm (yeah right), or trying for ablation.
since ablation for A-Fib is more difficult and does not work as often I'm not ready for this right yet.
I've chosen to take Multaq at a half dose to keep my heart calm and prevent the A-Fib from happening.
I wanted to do something because the longer a person stays in A-fib the more likely they are to have a blood clot or a stroke. Count me out on this score. I have enough to deal with, without dealing with this too.
Feeling a thousand butterflies beating to get out of my chest is bad enough, but to worry about blood pooling in my heart and a stroke... Not this girl..
Sometimes I truly wonder if I would have been better off receiveing a heart and double lung transplant like I was originally listed to receive.. I am positive my doctors (all of them) will have reasons to veto this train of thought.
Well to make a long story short I went to the Cardiologist, he wasn't there, so I asked the pacemaker nurse
why I needed a heart monitor since I had a pacemaker recording every beat my heart makes?
The response I received was that a heart monitor records everything in real time.. Doesn't the pacemaker?
Well, yes. I then asked that since this only happens about once a month, and I just had my monthly occurrence what would the monitor record? Nothing was the answer.. So she ran a copy of my pacemaker and I came home.
Wednesday morning I received a phone call from the office and the doctor wanted me to come in earlier and speak with him... Uh oh..in trouble now...:(
I recently went to the doctor and we had a nice chat about my options. I now have Atrial Fibrilation where I had a type of Ventricular Tachycardia before. The ablation worked last time because it is not as invasive and difficult as the a-fib.. Lucky me again.. I had the option of taking meds as needed when the A-fib started like I was doing, taking a daily med to keep my heart calm (yeah right), or trying for ablation.
since ablation for A-Fib is more difficult and does not work as often I'm not ready for this right yet.
I've chosen to take Multaq at a half dose to keep my heart calm and prevent the A-Fib from happening.
I wanted to do something because the longer a person stays in A-fib the more likely they are to have a blood clot or a stroke. Count me out on this score. I have enough to deal with, without dealing with this too.
Feeling a thousand butterflies beating to get out of my chest is bad enough, but to worry about blood pooling in my heart and a stroke... Not this girl..
Sometimes I truly wonder if I would have been better off receiveing a heart and double lung transplant like I was originally listed to receive.. I am positive my doctors (all of them) will have reasons to veto this train of thought.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Email from a good friend Tonya
Below is a copy of an email I received from a good friend. Please pray for this family as they send a loved one on to save others:
this is from another board I belong to...
I have copied it over to here for our family to call prayers up for the family..
Two of my nephew's very good friends and wrestling buddies were in a horrific traffic accident this past Tuesday. I did not post then as it seemed neither would survive but both are still clinging to life. The boys are brothers Will (17) and Cordell (15) last name are kept private per parents request.
Cordell has been on life support since the accident and the doctors were looking to take him off but the father felt his hand move and thought it very deliberate by the third time, most doubt it was anything but involuntary but we are still praying for a miracle.
Will came out of his coma but his reaction was so traumatic and his pain so great the doctors had to put him back into a medically induced coma.
This is a wrestling photo I have with my nephew in the front, Will is directly behind him, and Cordell is to the right.
The family is in a state that I cannot begin to describe (as well as us as friends) so all prayers to God our father for healing, comfort and peace will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you~ Penny
Cordell (the young man on the right) was taken of life support and has passed.
The family wanted to let others know that Cordell will go on to save others specifically, an 11 year old boy will be receiving his heart, a 38 year old man his lungs, and an infant part of his intestines. The doctors say that he could save 100 lives.
this is from another board I belong to...
I have copied it over to here for our family to call prayers up for the family..
Two of my nephew's very good friends and wrestling buddies were in a horrific traffic accident this past Tuesday. I did not post then as it seemed neither would survive but both are still clinging to life. The boys are brothers Will (17) and Cordell (15) last name are kept private per parents request.
Cordell has been on life support since the accident and the doctors were looking to take him off but the father felt his hand move and thought it very deliberate by the third time, most doubt it was anything but involuntary but we are still praying for a miracle.
Will came out of his coma but his reaction was so traumatic and his pain so great the doctors had to put him back into a medically induced coma.
This is a wrestling photo I have with my nephew in the front, Will is directly behind him, and Cordell is to the right.
The family is in a state that I cannot begin to describe (as well as us as friends) so all prayers to God our father for healing, comfort and peace will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you~ Penny
Cordell (the young man on the right) was taken of life support and has passed.
The family wanted to let others know that Cordell will go on to save others specifically, an 11 year old boy will be receiving his heart, a 38 year old man his lungs, and an infant part of his intestines. The doctors say that he could save 100 lives.
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