The doctor said

7/22/10 Thursday
Today I went to the VA, where I met my new doctor. Doctors there evidently come and go quite a bit for when I asked her if she would stay for a while she said she didn’t know. So I have to “train” a new doctor. By training I mean that I have learned that I must often educate doctors about traumatic brain injuries and the issues that come with them. She was telling me all kinds of things so I had to let her know that it all needs to be written down because I wouldn’t remember most of it five minutes after I left. Actually it’s not that bad any more but the practices I’ve learned and been taught to compensate for the effects of TBI I need to maintain.

I explained my concern regarding the pain medication, that each pill contains 500 milligrams of acetaminophen (Tylenol) which the FDA has issued a warning on regarding it’s deleterious effects on the liver. She prescribed Tramadol instead. The doctor asked me if I’d taken it before and I didn’t remember so said “No”. When I came home Cherie told me that they had prescribed to me when we lived in Toledo. Oh well. Evidently it didn’t work well then so odds are it won’t now either. No biggie, I’ll give it a try. Went online to read up on the stuff and don’t like what I see. It’s not an opiate but is strongly addictive like an opiate is, only worse. With the hydrocodone I sometimes go a day or two without because I only take it as needed. As needed happens more with me working on the farm during the season. The withdrawal from it, which would only happen if I took more than I do, only lasts 3 days. However with the Tramadol withdrawal is more severe and lasts seven days or more. That’s not cool, not at all.
The Bermuda grass is growing. We will have a lawn, eventually, for the first time ever.

The doc was concerned about my blood pressure, which she said was borderline. I informed her that I no longer take any medication, with the exception of pain meds, and that the blood pressure medicine was prescribed for the purpose of reducing my migraines. So she prescribed me a blood pressure machine and I’m to take my pressure daily and keep a log, which I’m to show the nurse a month from now. Whoopee. They had me go to the lab where I gave them three vials of blood and a urine sample. It’ll be interesting to see what they learn from all that. I’m not worried. If my blood pressure is a problem I’ll exercise more and eat better. Not at all interested in taking any more drugs. “It’s probably a lot of work for those in medical coding to keep track of all the ailments.”
This is some of our broccoli. It's a shame that while I work on one thing another gets neglected. The leaves on this broccoli are totally gone, eaten by caterpillars while I worked elsewhere, totally unaware.

So I didn’t get any farm work done today. Met with our Big Spring friend after the VA. She’s a sweetheart we met online who is approximately my age and knows people I used to know so is helping me recover old memories. We didn’t talk about that at all this time. She gave copies of the business concept paper I wrote about the vision we have for the farm to people she knows. There is a definite interest and that is heartening. I’ve always said that there are no accidents in our life and I don’t think meeting her is one either. Time will tell, as it always does. It was a pleasant time. She will be coming out to the farm Sunday to look around and get a better idea of things and spend some time with Cherie as well.

So that’s what’s happinin now. Tomorrow is Friday and I’m not sure if there’s something on the calendar for me to do. If not it’s working on the farm, where there is forever things to do. I’m thinking that Saturday I’ll be going to Fort Stockton with the Kairos prison ministry. I so wanted to spend more time down there but it hasn’t happened. Part of that’s my fault but part of it lies with my inability to drive down and the lack of communication with others who do drive so I could catch a ride. It often seems that the good I want to do is impeded by…circumstances? Life? Something always seems to be in the way.

The barn swallows who nest on the light outside the kitchen door evidently had three chicks. There might be four but I only saw three. Took about a dozen pictures to get three that came out not all blurry. The mom and dad weren’t happy with me holding the camera up there but they got over it. So here’s a picture. Fuzzy little things. Always enjoy life and it’s cycles as represented here.

Good night folks. It’ll be dark in half an hour so I’ll go out and see if I can accomplish anything.