October 21, 2015 Wednesday Morning

I am happy to post that for the past few days I have felt very good. 

The past week or so has been dominated by my 16 year old dog Kali.  She was not feeling good a couple weeks ago and after taking her to the vet the only thing we could come up with was pain.  So we put Kali on pain medicine only to have her in worse shape now throwing up.  Kali shakes a lot.  She walks up to me and shakes like she is in pain or some kind of distress.  A week of thinking we were going to euthanize her was not fun.  Walked on egg shells daily thinking the next day might be the day I have to say goodbye.  The vet then suggested Pepsid to settle her stomach and changing her food to more rice and meat.  I did that and things got better.  I then found an anti nausea med she has in the past and when I started giving Kali that, she was back to her normal 16 year old self.  I should have known it was a stomach thing more than a pain thing because Kali has always had stomach problems and sometimes needs a belly massage or burping after eating.  Since last week Thursday Kali has been much better and given me time to just enjoy life and lot be on a death watch. 

My prostate still hurts a bit, maybe a 2 on a scale to 10 at certain times of the day.  I had to cut back on the prostate meds to lessen the dizziness.  I guess I have to either be dizzy or feel a little pain.  I would rather feel a bit of controllable pain than feel like I am going to pass out if I stand up too fast.  So I think I finally got my meds all figured out and like I said in the first sentence, I have had the best last few day health wise that I can remember.  Still have the back aches and pains but I am happy to say I made it through a bout of the flu and didn't have to take any antibiotics to get over it.  Guess my body still does have fight in it.

The weather has been very nice here in Milwaukee.  Fall has been good.  Today we should get to 70 degrees.  Temperature does get colder going forward.  Reality will set in soon that Winter is just around the corner.  I have been taking walks along the river the past two days enjoying the Fall colors and leaves falling around me. 

Last Thursday I had some electric floor board heaters put in the living room and bedroom.  Our house is over 100 years old and in those spots in Winter it is very cold.  Figure my comfort is most important and spent the money to make those rooms warmer this Winter.  We did have a cold day Saturday and we able to turn them on and enjoy the heat.  Will make for a better Winter experience.  Of course the estimate was $1000 and when was done turned out to be $1300.  Only money right?

It is nice to feel healthy for a change.  Hope this continues.

October 6, 2015 Tuesday Late Afternoon

I am so damn frustrated with the medical care I got today I could just scream.

Two weeks ago I made an appointment to see my regular doctor for a refill on my pain pills.  The appointment was for last Friday at 9:20 AM.  At 8:30 AM last Friday her office called to say the doctor would be out sick and I would need to reschedule.  I rescheduled for today at 2 PM.  In the mean time, last week I got very sick.  Started Monday with a sore throat.  Tuesday was sinus draining and body aches.  Wednesday was much the same.  By Thursday it moved to my lungs and I was coughing which made me happy I had an appointment the next day, last Friday.  So when I had to reschedule I was not happy.  Today I feel a bit better.  I at least think my body is fighting it off and it is all running it's course.  I get to my 2 PM appointment to be told at 2:10 the doctor is running late and will be at least a half hour more wait.  Well, OK, what can I do.  I finally get into the office a bit before 3 PM and I am finally seen by the doctor at 3:15 PM.  She walks in, in a hurry and after we start talking she tells me 'We really don't have time to discuss all that today. I only have 20 minutes with you and we will have to leave the other things to those doctors'.  WTF?  So we start going through what meds I am on to find my prostate drugs not in line with what she reads.  I explained we had increased my Doxazosin to 8 mg from 4 mg and I was also put on Finasteride 5 MG.  I went on to explain I soon realized I was very dizzy from the drug, assuming it was the new Finasteride and the doctor and I decided to take it at bedtime hoping it would help with the dizziness.  After a week I found out it did not so last week I stopped taking the Finasteride only to still today by dizzy at night.  I talked to my pharmacist today and he said it is most likely from the Doxazosin and not the Finasteride.   So when I told this all to the doctor today she basically told me she did not understand and sent my Prostate doctor an email note.  Got my pain pills and a z pack for my cold and headed home.  Also got a flu shot.  Got home to a phone call from the Prostate doctor wondering what the heck was up.  So now it is going on 4:45 and I just got off the phone with the Prostate doctor nurse.  We are going to cut my Doxazosin back down to 4 MG.  Stay off the Finasteride and see if my Prostate pain gets worse.  If it does I will stay at 4 MG of the Doxazosin and go back on the Finasteride, since that was not what was causing my dizziness.  Each time I talked with any doctor today I felt I was bothering them and they had no time for me.  To have my regular doctor a minute into our appointment tell me she only has 20 minutes for me because she is backed up and doubled her appointments to make up for her being gone last Friday .....  Is this the state of our medical care these days?   I feel like I am diagnosing myself these days and the doctors have no time to even listen to you.  Deep breaths.

As I said I was very sick all last week.  I pray I am on the way to getting better.

I can't believe it is October.  Kali is not doing well and I am afraid her time is coming to an end.  She is 16 years old and declining fast in health.  I don't think she is going to make it to Christmas. 

Last Sunday we took Rose to a dog parade and she was so good.  I walked around with a big smile and tears being a proud daddy. 

Other than that life just continues to be a struggle.  I just wish I didn't feel like I was going up hill every day.  Every day seems a struggle and I don't even have a hard life.  I can not imagine if I had to work with all my illnesses and feeling like crap from one day to the next.  Five and a half years into HIV and I am not liking it.  Glad to be alive, but wish every day was not such a struggle.