AMAZON

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Briefly…They Moved Fast

There is another post that was going here. A post about Christmas trees, Epiphany, and the Twelve Days of Christmas. However, I’ll put that up later in the week.

Today I spent just over six hours at Veteran’s Administration medical appointments. I’m not sure if you can understand the significance of that, so I’ll tell you, if you’re interested:

Normally I am up and about for only two to three hours at a time before I am exhausted and return to bed, the CPAP, and the oxygen compressor. To day I was up and away from both of those devices for more than nine hours, counting the time it took me to dress and to drive to the VA clinic for appointment number one and from there to the hospital for appointment number two.

The time up and about, not to mention dragging myself about 600 yard from the across the parking lot to the hospital and back left me almost unable to drag myself the 40 or so feet from my car to the house. By the time I returned I was more than exhausted.

Of course, when I entered the house I was greeted by a cat who had not been able to hassle me for all of those hours. Alex wanted to be held, cuddled, and fed (even though he had plenty of two different kinds of cat food in his dishes). Then I heaved myself into the bedroom shed my clothes, turned on the CPAP and oxygen thingie and collapsed.

Now about the VA appointments. At the first I was finally able to obtain referrals to the hearing and eye clinics. Great! As I’ve mentioned before, I know I have a hearing loss at least in my right ear—all dudes who have been around tanks have some type of hearing loss. So far as my eyes are concerned, I have more and more difficulty reading. Since I last had my eyes examined in 1999, I suspect I need a new glasses prescription.

The second appointment, which was at the hospital’s pulmonary care clinic, tested by blood oxygen level fro the third time in the past ten months. Of course it’s lousy! My inability to breath is what my Social Security disability is based upon. However, I did not know how bad my breathing ability really is. Resting, the level never rose above 92%. With limited exercise (remember my Doo see doo, Doc, and around we go! post back in early December?) my oxygen level quickly dropped to below 80%. That ain’t good.

After the data was gather—and that included that damned drawing blood from my wrist bone that hurts like nothing else—the respiratory therapist had me sign a paper that explained all of the reasoned why VA might not provide me with oxygen therapy and then told me that the results of the tests would be reviewed and I would be informed at a later date as to whether or not I’m eligible.

That cat nap I took when I returned home this afternoon lasted only about forty-five minutes. It seems the real cat in my house had been napping all the time I was gone and wanted me to serve him, not nap. Too make sure that I got that message, Alex perched on top of the CPAP and pushed the button which turns off the flow of air into my lungs. Needless to say, I awakened, jumped out of bed, and chased the cat until I was winded—about ten step.

As long as I was awake, I walked into the library and picked up my latest book: Barack Obama’s The Audacity of Hope. Before I could open it, I noticed the light flashing on my telephone answering thingie. The message was from a respiratory therapist named Paul, who asked me to call him as soon as I “returned from the hospital.” It was about an hour after I had returned, but I took the risk and telephoned him anyway.

It seems that the VA made a very fast decision (for a government agency) on my needing oxygen therapy and so tomorrow at 10:30 or so in the morning Paul will arrive with 12 canisters of real oxygen, which I am to use 24-hours per day. It seems my lousy breathing did impact someone!

Now, I have written much more than I planned to write. Alex has clawed me three times since I began writing this and is now outside enjoying the balmy 69 degree (F) January evening.

Sooooo, I am now going to demand the furball come back inside because we are under a tornado watch tonight. Then, I am going back to bed!

NOTE: I ain’t proof reading this; I am too tired to worry about mistakes.

31 comments:

  1. Nick, will you have a portable oxygen tank ??
    I am so glad they made such a fast decision.
    Bless you and Alex and keep safe during the tornado search.

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  2. No one cares about proof reading!

    I hope you get some very nice sleep tonight. Your day looked very exhausting. I somewhat understand how fatiguing things can be. Using a walker, now a cane, the shortest of walking is quite tiring. I can't even imagine having the breathing problem with that.

    I'm so very glad they got back to you so quickly. God knows what to do.

    My prayers are here for you.

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  3. Yay! I hope this opens up new areas of opportunity for you.

    Pleasant dreams!

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  4. That is great, Nick. I hope the oxygen improves the quality of your life.

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  5. Be safe, first & foremost.

    I'm so very glad they were so fast with you...my dad goes to VA doctors, and it INFURIATES me how slow they are!! Glad to hear that after all you went through, they were quick.

    Many ((hugs)) & prayers for you.

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  6. Yesterday may have been a long and tiring day, Rev Saint, but the results sound excellent.

    Rest well, my brother. And you, too, Mr. Alex.

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  7. good news!!!

    i'm curious, what is wrong with you? hope that doesn't sound rude, just concerned... refer me back to an older post with more info?

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  8. I had an uncle that used a portable oxygen tank, and it was a tremendous help to him. I hope your results are just as good.

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  9. great stuff! it might also help if alex didn't turn off your supply as well ... he's a little devil that one.

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  10. Hi Nick ~~ Sorry you had such an exhausting day, but at least the reulting action taken was good. I do
    hope you will feel much better once
    that is in place. Take great care.
    Regards, Merle.

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  11. Quality of life! SOmeone has said it above me. That is what is important. I'm sorry yu had to have such a long, stressful and hard day but hopefully you will reap the benefits and the days in the future will be a little easier on you. I think your cat, Mr Alex, needs to be a little more considerate! ;o) Alas I doubt he will listen to me.
    Take care Nick. :o) x

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  12. Thank goodness for the Paul's of this world. Sorry to hear about your breathing Nick, please take care of yourself. Think I might have to have a word with our "Flo", to come round with her lamp!

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  13. Hope this will enable you to get out and about more. Now tell that Alex to get off the on/off swtich. Maybe you can rig it with a "scat mat" type thing?

    Hope you will post today and let us know that you and Alex made it through the tornados.

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  14. Rest up Nick and glad to hear that someone made a decision. Cheers!!

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  15. Yikes! ; (

    Glad to hear the VA actually moved in a time manner for you!

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  16. Good. Now you can breathe easy, I hope. And, shame on Alex for clawing you! :/

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  17. For once the VA makes a speedy decision....I know Nick my father and uncles use the VA, I know the speed is usually lousy. Glad you are getting the oxygen therapy and hope that includes a portable unit for you to be able to get out and about more easily.
    And I think you need to concoct something to keep Alex off that CPAP button...sneaky little bugger anyhow.

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  18. It's Wednesday now, but I'm hoping things are getting better in the breathing department. Glad to hear that they've decided to give you the oxygen you need. I don't know your military? history (tanks etc.) Will your hearing issue be addressed as well?
    If you can manage a few laughs without your breathing being compromised, please stop by Poetikat's and read the latest.
    Take care Nick,
    Kat

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  19. POO to proof reading!
    Glad to hear the hospital acted so quickly re the oxygent.
    Cat's have no sympathy for anyone! :)

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  20. POO to proof reading!
    Glad to hear the hospital acted so quickly re the oxygent.
    Cat's have no sympathy for anyone! :)

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  21. POO to proof reading!
    Glad to hear the hospital acted so quickly re the oxygent.
    Cat's have no sympathy for anyone! :)

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  24. Sorry that was me my comment posted twice for some reason :(

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  25. I do not think I have visited you before. Alex sure is a cutie, and it sounds like he is a handful, too! Get some rest now, OK?

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  26. Ya know Nick, it'd be a lot easier for Alex to stay off the on/off switch if you'd just stop rubbing all that catnip on it! (^_^)

    Ahhhh! Good! I made you laugh! Oooops - guess I shoulda waited till tomorrow, when the oxygen arrives, eh?

    Keep smiling Nick. I do hope you got some rest and are feeling just a wee bit better. Oh - and let me know how you like Barack's book! I've been thinking of reading it myself - but then it'd be something like 5 books I'll have started reading, all going at the same time, and me not even close to being done with any of 'em!

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  27. omigoodness...

    Thank God they acted fast.

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  28. Wow, below 90 percent oxygen. Not good for the organs. I am so glad they decided to head forward with therapy. That is so important. My Mom has had lung problems for many years now and has had the oxygen generator for a long time. She also has allergies or something to the hose that she puts into her nose so she does not use it as much as she should. She tends to not use the machine to much but many times she uses it at night.

    You hate to see someone have to use it but to only be able to travel a short distance without being winded... you just need to improve that quality of life a little. I am glad that the exhausting day at VA actually paid off.

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  29. Glad you got what you needed. A friend of mine's dad has COPD and needs oxygen part of the time as well. He can only walk short distances so I know how hard that must be.

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