I won’t bother asking for help if I get sick again — When I tested positive for COVID last week, I immediately contacted my doctor’s office. I knew that there were antiviral medications that could help with symptoms, if prescribed early enough. The message I got back was disheartening. My Nurse Practitioner declined to prescribe anything for me. Her reason? She said…

Covid finally got me — Happy birthday to me—I have Covid. I managed to avoid getting this for 4 years. I was in and out of the hospital and long-term care facilities with my mother during her illness, and I never got it. …

Or is BCBS really this incompetent? — Last month I received a letter in the mail from BCBS. It was a denied claim, in my name, for a medical facility in Maryland. I live in North Carolina, and I do NOT have a current policy with BCBS. I was confused. I thought perhaps it had something to…

So can trying to prove your worth — As my mother lay dying in a memory care facility, I worked furiously on my computer. I had a dozen tabs and five programs open, praying the computer wouldn’t crash. It was old, on its last leg, and I didn’t have the money to buy a new one. My mother’s…

I’m crashing hard — The past 2 years have finally caught up with me, and I’m sick as a dog. Now I have no choice but to rest. I started feeling bad Wednesday night, but I thought it was allergies. Spring in North Carolina is beautiful, but sneezy. I had a mild sore throat…

Read this first! — Last month, I bought one of the inexpensive Fitbit models to motivate and help me on my wellness journey. That may have been a mistake. The wrong choice? I reasoned that a cheap Fitbit was my best option to begin my fitness trek for financial reasons. …

You must fight for it — fiercely! — I’ve been on a long healing journey for the past few years. My healing needs are part physical and part emotional. During my journey, I’ve learned one thing with certainty. Healing is not for the faint of heart. You must fight for it—fiercely! Chronic Pain I’ve had chronic pain in my low…

You can do it too! — Last November, I was struggling to walk. I could barely hobble down the road and back—only an eighth of a mile. The pain in my low back and right foot was excruciating when I walked. I had to clutch the rail to go up and down stairs. I had seen…

I woke up at 3 am every morning last week — Every morning last week, I woke up around 3 am and couldn’t get back to sleep. The same thing happened this morning. I’m averaging about 4 hours of sleep a night. I’m exhausted, frustrated, and moody. …

I didn’t know crying was so risky — I’ve been having a rough week. Yesterday morning, I was really missing my mother, and I started crying. I’m talking gut wrenching sobs. Grief has a life of its own. You can’t predict or control it. In the middle of sobbing, my right side started hurting. When I finally stopped…

The relief was astonishing for me — For the past 6 years, I’ve had low back pain. I’ve seen chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists. I’ve done yoga, stretching, strengthening, and walking. You name it—I’ve tried it. Anterior Pelvic Tilt I spent another restless night tossing and turning because my back hurt so much after my walk yesterday. …

Alternative care is just as costly — It’s that time of year when I find out once again how little I can afford a health insurance plan. Yeah, I know all about healthcare.gov. I don’t make enough money to qualify for the Affordable Care Act. You can read more about that here: The Liberal Lie of Affordable Health Care I don’t qualify for Obamacare.medium.com I fall in the Medicaid…

I bought a pair and I love them! — I’ve written a bit about my low back problems, so I thought I’d give an update on a solution I’ve found—zero drop shoes. What the heck are zero drop shoes? We all wear heels We rightly hear a lot about women hurting their backs and feet by wearing heels. …

They are only there to watch them die — Update: Thank you for all the kind words, but I am closing the comment section because my mother passed away last Saturday, August 27. I don’t normally write such harsh pieces, but I am fed up with my local hospice. …

My mother’s memory care facility is increasing their rate — Update: Thank you for all the kind words, but I am closing the comment section because my mother passed away last Saturday, August 27. When I moved my mother into this memory care facility, they mentioned a yearly rate increase of 3%. …

Your problem may be your shoes — It’s summer, so I’ve been mostly wearing my worn out Birkenstocks. Let’s be honest, I’ve been favoring them for the past two years, since we’ve all been essentially shut-ins. Well, a few weeks ago, I put on my newish tennis shoes and noticed something shocking. My feet were rolling out…

I have nowhere to turn for help — I went to see my mother Wednesday at her memory care facility. I got there a little before lunchtime to observe how she was eating. She was completely unresponsive. I’m not sure she even recognized me. She was hallucinating and saying random things that made no sense. When the aide…

Why is eldercare so bad in the United States? — I am in shock right now, so this will be a bit of a personal post. I have spent the past two hours trying to find out what is going on with my mother. As usual, I am getting the runaround. My mother got a new hospice nurse, and she…

Don’t live in fear for the rest of your life — This piece differs from the topics I usually write about. I usually stay away from hot-button issues, but I’ve had enough of the fear mongering articles about COVID. This has to stop! Fear sells. Did you know that? It certainly does on Medium. …

I’ve been waiting 2 days for a return call about an allergic reaction — The medical care system in the United States needs extensive reform. I’ve known this for some time now, as I’m sure many of you have. But what puzzles me is why it keeps getting worse. The Affordable Care act was supposed to make things better, but in my state of…