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Plan B

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

<warning elements: rant, anger;>

So yesterday was a big day. I had a 9am meeting with the VA in Hartford for my current education program then a 3pm followup visit from my kidney stone surgery at the VA in West Haven.

Hartford – disappointing but understandable

I knew the first meeting would probably not go the way I wanted it to, but I was still hopeful. I was asking the VA to continue to fund my education for an additional year or two towards graduate school. The answer was a resounding and unhesitating no, even though I will still have 6 months of approved funding, after my spring graduation. Ok, disappointed a little but it was not entirely unexpected, and it is only one of a variety of funding options. I don’t even need to bring funding to a science graduate program, but it is a help. So on to Plan B. I can get some funding from the state as a combat vet, the rest will have to come from traditional TA’ships etc.

Interlude – New Britain Museum of American Art

Since we were up in the Hartford area we went to the New Britain Museum of American Art to see the current exhibition they have of contemporary glass (Expect a separate entry by Tammy and Johann on that!) and grabbed lunch on the way to New Haven for the afternoon meeting. We could have skipped the museum and gone home but, as soon as e got home we would have to turn right around to go New Haven.

West Haven – Incompetence

We got to New Haven 20 minutes early and checked in to the clinic. My appointment was for 3:15, I was finally seen at 4:15, only to find out that there was absolutely no point to my being there! The doctor apologized and said there must have been some mistake.

He also informed me that the surgeon had not even attempted to do the laser lithoscopy they said they were going to try, but rather decided only to do the stent because I had had motrin 5 days earlier. That was NOT what had been described to me and was NOT what I had agreed on. I was told by the doctor that 1 dose of motrin (600mg) 5 days before the surgery would not be a problem. We agreed that they would try laser litho and then stent for recovery. It was possible they would not be able to effectively do the laser then they would schedule a follow up surgery to do the laser in one month, but they would try the laser. If they had thought that the motrin was a problem I would have MUCH rather scheduled the surgery for 2 or 3 days later when it would NOT have been a problem.

Of course I only found that all out yesterday because no doctor bothered to talk to me or my family after the surgery. The recovery room nurses only knew that they had put in the stent. Nothing else. We were then discharged with little information, we assumed that the surgery had proceeded like the plan said – attempt the laser but it wasn’t working so they did the stent. They gave me some ok pain killers, but only enough for a few days (6 days).

While I am not in constant pain anymore, I am in constant discomfort and about half the time when I pee I get excruciating pain. Let me tell you, every time I feel the pain, it feels like a Clydesdale horse is stepping on my testicle. Every time I feel that, I think about the doctor who told me I would just have to suffer and tough it out, when I called to ask about more pain killers.

So, I am waiting for the person who schedules the surgeries to call me and set up a date for the next surgery. I can’t wait.

Of course they don’t do ESWL or any of the other less invasive and reportedly less expensive treatments. They also have no concern that the pain and discomfort are significantly impacting my education (paid for by VA) since I have missed every class at least once, missed two because of yesterdays crap and will have to miss two or three days when they finally do schedule the surgery, and at least one more when they finally remove the stent. All while I am trying to kick ass at school and get into grad programs. I just don’t have time for their incompetence right now.

Unfortunately Chapter 31 educational support does not pay for the university health care, and I am limited to the VA system. No plan B there…

</warning : we now return you to tales of science, family, knitting and animals>

Update

Of course I was not called by the surgical scheduling person. So I called and got an answering machine. Once everything about phones was sorted out it turns out she was never informed to schedule me for a second surgery and the next opening for surgery in at the end of October. Oh joy. I explained the history of my case and explained that the pain and discomfort were a significant negative impact on my schooling. I admit it made go off a bit when she said that she hears these complaints everyday, but there is nothing she can do about it and she wasn’t going to postpone or cancel someone elses cancer surgery just for my kidney stones.

She agreed that the surgery change should never have happened without my express consent, and that it would have been wiser to schedule me for a few days or even a week later when they could have possibly done it all in one surgery. But… still. Right now I am waiting for her to call back and squeeze me in on the 25th since they are doing another case of kidney stones on that day already, “maybe the doctors can squeeze me in afterward.” If not it will be almost November…

Oh and I have an exam in 1 hour that between yesterday and today dealing with idiots I am totally not ready for. Hell.

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Kidney Stoned Summer

Sunday, August 17, 2008

<rant>

It’s been a very interesting summer around here. I’m headed into the most important semester of my undergraduate career. The M.Sc. application process, several projects at school, a full class schedule, and the pressure to stay on the dean’s list with a 3.5+ GPA all await me.

I have been working for the Marine Sciences Department (my usual IT job), plus two projects with three different professors. I also went on a one week cruise with one of the same professors on an unrelated project. Mad juggling while dancing on a bed of nails is the phrase that comes to mind, but somehow it’s been exciting and intellectually rewarding. Fortunately, it’s working out well, even with a case of kidney stones thrown in just to clog the gears up!

And that’s where things get a little too interesting. I missed 2 weeks of work in July because of the kidney stones. Being on the VA medical care system has its drawbacks, the worst of which is that they seem to be extremely hesitant to schedule urology appointments or use 21st century diagnostic tests, like ultrasound or CT scans, until you are totally incapacitated.

After that 2 week period (and many, many litres of water) everything seemed better, just dull aches, so I charged right on ahead. I had my physical a few weeks later, but the doctor couldn’t schedule a urology appointment unless I was currently unable to pass a stone. Since the stones seemed to have cleared, the VA said no meds and no appointment. Quite frankly, I was OK with that, since I only wanted to charge ahead with everything else on my plate.

Last Tuesday I had a meeting with one of my bosses so we could review the PSA I compiled for him from some research work he recently did. On the drive in to the meeting the pain came back with a vengeance. I got through the meeting. Fortunately, he loved the PSA and we identified some minor work to do on both the PSA and a longer form video, but it should be no problem to finish.

After the meeting, I told my IT job boss what was up and headed home. I was unable to do much Tuesday or Wednesday. By Thursday night I was doubled over and in so much pain, I actually threw up. The next morning I had had enough and called the local VA medical center. It was early afternoon when the nurse returned my call. My doctor is on vacation and the nurse couldn’t refer me to another doctor, even just to get pain meds, let alone arrange an appointment with urology. All she could offer was for me to drink lots of water and if the pain was unbearable, I should go to the Hartford VA Center emergency room. So, we ate a quick lunch and all three of us headed off to Hartford, an hour and 20 minutes away.

We made it to the Hartford VA center at about 3:30pm only to find out… they don’t have an emergency room there! Only an urgent clinic that closes at 4pm and requires an appointment. To top that off, there is no CT scan or ultrasound equipment there either. All they could do was offer me pain meds and apologetically give me directions to the West Haven Medical Center.  Arggggggghhhh!

Now we had another 40+ minute drive to get to West Haven (part of the city of New Haven), but the traffic was now Friday rush hour in one of the worst traffic corridors of CT. We got to the West Haven VA Hospital at 5 pm. I sat needlessly occupying an emergency room bed on a busy Friday night only to be told by the ER doctor 2.5 hours later that I needed to call my local VA doctor to set up a consult with the urology department.

When I told him calling my local VA doctor is what started us on this wild goose chase, he actually set up the consult for me through him. Now I have to call the urology department on Monday and try to set up an appointment. Oh, he did say the blood work showed no kidney infection. The urinalysis results hadn’t come back yet. But those tests had just been run on me for my physical. He did give me Motrin for the pain with the warning that it exacerbates bleeding (Yep, it sure does…don’t ask!) and can cause kidney damage in large doses. Great!

We finally got home at 10pm. We drove all over CT (180+ miles) and used 9 gallons of gas (~$40), along with having to eat dinner on the road.  The staff at both the Hartford and the New Haven medical centers were extremely professional and compassionate, but still, it was an absolutely miserable way to spend the day.

What’s worse is that I am still not measurably better off for all the time and expense. Hopefully on Monday I will have an appointment for the very near future with urology back in New Haven, but I’m not counting on that. Last time I needed a consult like that, it took over two months to get it set up.

I can’t miss any more work. I have a meeting with one boss Monday morning for final approval of the videos before he leaves for his meeting overseas. I have a meeting with another boss later that morning about a research project and possible grad school opportunities. But I can’t afford to overdo it or I’m flat on my back again.

</rant>

There are a couple of posts in the works for Eclectic Echoes, including an up beat post about the Art Festival,  Jr. scientist and hopefully more garden news.

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That Dick…

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Tell it like it is, like it really is. Give everyone who has been subverted into the conduct that has exposed you the chance to clean it up, or take the risk that … your sport may be flushed down the toilet…

“Who knows, USADA (the United States Anti-Doping Agency) may subscribe to a suggestion that both athletes, in separate sports, were ambushed by a roving squad of Nazi frogmen and injected against their will with the prohibited substances.”
–Dick Pound (head of the World Anti-Doping Agency) in the Ottawa Citizen, Wednesday August 9th 2006 edition

Edit: found a shorter (synopsis) online version of his comments at the Denver Post.

Seems to back up what the former UCI president said of his former friend a year ago:

Pound is the sheriff who shoots everything that moves. WADA should be above all that and he should establish proof before he speaks.

“We will still work with WADA, but not with Pound, because he is not impartial. Athletes have the right to defend themselves even if it’s with the cheapest excuse. You only punish when it’s proven — that’s when you hit them.”
–Hein Verbruggen President UCI 1991–2005, current UCI Vice-President, member IOC

As for destroying the sport…It’s the way officials are handling these cases that is doing more to destroy the sport — leaking information, not respecting riders, painting the entire sport with broad accusations, forcing riders and teams to defend themselves in the media spotlight before any conclusive evidence is available… this is what threatens to flush it “down the toilet”. Strangely enough these are all covered pretty much directly in WADA’s World Anti-Doping Code (pdf). Stranger still is the fact that Dick and many other signatory officials of that code have seen fit cast it aside where it applies to riders rights and organizations responsibilities. Astaná-Würth and Valencia taken out in Operación Puerto –that’s at least two complete teams and some 18 riders wrongly punished for only allegations and forced to defend themselves and their teams in the media. Let’s not even get into the L’Equipe / WADA / Châtenay-Malabry scandal?

Landis, and all the other riders involved in the recent scandals, are not guilty until proven guilty — and they should not have to prove themselves innocent in the media first either. Landis remains the Tour de France champion until USADA and US Cycling concur that he is guilty and impose a ban or sanctions. Only then can the Tour de France strip anything and give it to Oscar “I’m already the champion” Pereiro (you’ll have a long wait for that official fax, and good luck getting a ceremony in France). If proven guilty throw the book at them, but until then…

Personally I can only echo Paul Sherwen’s sentiments:

From my point of view, I’d like to see Floyd fight it and prove his innocence because that would be a way toward saving the sport.”
–Paul Sherwen reported in the Palm Beach Post

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Jack of all Trades

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Not an entry really…just, well, just a rant.

Sometimes it really sucks being a jack of all trades! I can’t tell sometimes if I am being a “goto guy” or whipping boy.

You get bogged down in so many different side jobs from that the main job suffers. You end up as the go to guy. I am trying to implement limits and as in Getting Things Done, “redefine” my jobs back to what they were originally. Then I can focus on actually getting some results. The fault is not any one persons but in large part it’s mine for accepting the side taskings. Time to stop, and redistribute those existing side tasks. Finish up the ones that I’ve started and can finish in a reasonable amount of time, give the rest back to those who gave them to me.

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Pardon me while I puke.

Sunday, February 1, 2004

Ok, the first bloody commercial in to the kick off show, and I remember why I Don’t watch broadcast TV anymore. A cow getting showered with the strains of Styx’s Lady. Ok. Lady may not be all that great a song in everyones opinion, but really… it is an important song from my youth and to see a cow taking a shower … I’ll never be able to hear that song without that bloody image. Some may say that the commercial succeeded, but I don’t remember who the commercial was for, or what it was selling—and I don’t want to know either. Pardon me while I turn off the -shit- tube, and delete Lady.mp3 off the hard drives.

Update 2004|02|02:

It sounds like I didn’t miss much for the rest of the game—at least when the talk of the morning wasn’t whether or how the Pats won, but rather how Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake decided they both needed to do something to boost (revive?) their careers—enter the Full Metal Nipple. Glad I missed such a pathetic stunt.

It looks like CBS and others will be wishing they had missed it too—or prevented it from happening entirely—by the time everything is said and done. The FCC is investigating (PDF), the NFL is outraged, and I’m sure there will be plenty of other groups to speak out (if they haven’t already!) There are screen captures (even in HDTV 1920×1020 res) and the Drudge Report and Rotten Tomatoes have closeups of the sequence, if you really need (want) to see it.

MTV has pulled the article on their site promising “Shocking Moments” during Jackson’s show. Of course thanks to Google’s caching you can still read the article online. Looks like MTV stepped on it in a very big way. I can’t help but agree with Sally Jenkins’ conclusion from the Washington Post:

The NFL knows full well that MTV was the network responsible for Madonna and Spears. Just a few days after her Madonna interlude, Spears appeared on the NFL’s Kickoff Day festivities. The league didn’t suddenly develop amnesia about MTV. Timberlake and Jackson merely sent the lumber downstream, gave the NFL and its network partners what they were asking for — only they gave them too much of it.

“On days like this, I miss Howard Cosell. I miss his cold appraisals and scathing judgments, and I can’t help wondering what he would have made of the halftime show. Instead, we had CBS announcer Greg Gumble’s silence, broken by one sniggering attempt to cute-ify what had just happened on stage. I suspect that if Cosell were there, he’d have said that while the Super Bowl halftime was a piece of soft porn theater, it was perhaps no more or less offensive than, say, trivializing the Columbia catastrophe with a song and a dance and a phony astronaut planting a flag on a fake moon.

“…

“The NFL tried to use MTV, and got used back….”

I’m just glad we popped in a movie only 10 minutes into the game, especially as my 3 year old was watching with us. There were already enough commercials during the pre-game show and the first 10 minutes of the game that we were uncomfortable with for family viewing. There was a time when a 3 or 4 year old could watch a little pro sports on TV with his old man—I guess not any more.

Update 2004|02|03:

Now the TiVo results for the super bowl are in and—big surprise—the Jackson Flash is the record holder for the most replayed moment in the history of TiVo. You do, of course, know they keep that type of information, right?

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