This is how I get OLD; time just flies by. I have gotten much better health wise. I rarely have any leakage now and rarely have a twinge of pain. Even then it is not a sharp or searing pain; but more of a low grade achy pain.
The short term disability insurance company has finally received sufficient information to make a decision on my claim. I am covered through the 3rd of June and can return to work on the 4th. Since they made that decision, the FMLA unit of my company also decided that my time off is covered under FMLA. Any further incidents in the twelve month period will have to come out of the remaining 95 days of eligible time. Whoopee!
Now they just need to get the adjustment made to my earned time off. Lord knows how long it will take for them to give that back to me. That is just small stuff.
I am again getting used to the daily grind of working. The folks I work with are really very nice. They are also a lot of fun.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
June 18, 2007: This seems to be whipped!
Boy do I feel too lucky. It seems that this thing is whipped already. I am afraid to think that.
IF IT IS, this has been one more lucky star, blessing, etc. It could be my personality flaw; but, I feel like this has not been a big deal. As bad as I felt from the start I feel good about it now. I'm almost guilt-ridden that I've had a result this good.
The continence has continued to improve. I don't 'weep' when I step to the side like getting out of the car or mow. I can sleep six hours now. I can hardly wait for my next PSA test. I am pretty confident that it will be a virtual '0'. But that is reinforcing evidence that I am cured. That will be August first.
Any man or for that matter any woman who knows a man should insist on an annual prostate exam as part of his physical. (She won't need one)
I have heard that there are tests for ovarian cancer very similar to the DRE that combined with a good history at her physical can detect it early. The history should include the following from the website, http://www.baymoon.com/~gyncancer/library/weekly/aa011001a.htm :
WARNING SYMPTOMS OF OVARIAN CANCER
Contact your MD if you develop one or more of these symptoms and they persist for 2-3 weeks:
-Abdominal Swelling/Bloating/Clothes Too Tight
-Abdominal/Pelvic Pain or Pressure or Feeling "Full"
-Gastrointestinal Symptoms (such as gas, indigestion, nausea, or changes in bowel movements)
-Vaginal Bleeding or Discharge
-Urinary Problems
-Urgency, Burning, or Spasms
-Fatigue and/or Fever
-Pain During Intercourse
-Back Pain
-Difficulty Breathing
Remember, the vast majority of the time, these will not be due to cancer, but you owe it to yourself to get them checked out.
What should you expect from your doctor at your appointment?
In addition to testing for other causes for your symptoms, your doctor should perform a pelvic examination, including the rectovaginal component. A prompt pelvic exam has been shown to be one of the best predictors of timely diagnosis. The other non-invasive tests used to detect ovarian cancer are the CA-125 blood test, and transvaginal ultrasound. These three tests together will alert the doctor to whether there is a danger of ovarian cancer.
I love all of you and hope you take care of yourselves.
IF IT IS, this has been one more lucky star, blessing, etc. It could be my personality flaw; but, I feel like this has not been a big deal. As bad as I felt from the start I feel good about it now. I'm almost guilt-ridden that I've had a result this good.
The continence has continued to improve. I don't 'weep' when I step to the side like getting out of the car or mow. I can sleep six hours now. I can hardly wait for my next PSA test. I am pretty confident that it will be a virtual '0'. But that is reinforcing evidence that I am cured. That will be August first.
Any man or for that matter any woman who knows a man should insist on an annual prostate exam as part of his physical. (She won't need one)
I have heard that there are tests for ovarian cancer very similar to the DRE that combined with a good history at her physical can detect it early. The history should include the following from the website, http://www.baymoon.com/~gyncancer/library/weekly/aa011001a.htm :
WARNING SYMPTOMS OF OVARIAN CANCER
Contact your MD if you develop one or more of these symptoms and they persist for 2-3 weeks:
-Abdominal Swelling/Bloating/Clothes Too Tight
-Abdominal/Pelvic Pain or Pressure or Feeling "Full"
-Gastrointestinal Symptoms (such as gas, indigestion, nausea, or changes in bowel movements)
-Vaginal Bleeding or Discharge
-Urinary Problems
-Urgency, Burning, or Spasms
-Fatigue and/or Fever
-Pain During Intercourse
-Back Pain
-Difficulty Breathing
Remember, the vast majority of the time, these will not be due to cancer, but you owe it to yourself to get them checked out.
What should you expect from your doctor at your appointment?
In addition to testing for other causes for your symptoms, your doctor should perform a pelvic examination, including the rectovaginal component. A prompt pelvic exam has been shown to be one of the best predictors of timely diagnosis. The other non-invasive tests used to detect ovarian cancer are the CA-125 blood test, and transvaginal ultrasound. These three tests together will alert the doctor to whether there is a danger of ovarian cancer.
I love all of you and hope you take care of yourselves.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
June 07, 2007: End of Week One Back At Work
Well, I must say it has been pretty good this week. Monday was wading through over 1200 e-mail. That was a trip because I couldn't respond to any until I deleted or moved many of them. I was way over the 90K of storage I am allowed. I had 120K. The result is they don't allow you to send e-mail until you remedy the usage. That took most of the day.
Actually talking to folks took MOST of the day. I mean the e-mail work took most of my "work day". But then I came home to find a letter in my mail box from the FMLA Unit (Family Medical Leave Act) at my work. They stated that they sent me the forms on May 3rd and as of the May 28 they had not received them. I have 2 days after returning to work to submit the form or my time off may not be protected. That sounds pretty dire.
Of course the office is closed when I get home so I took the letter to work with me on Tuesday. The SECOND DAY I am back at work. I called the number listed and pressed option 7 as told to. "That don't work." They tell me I'm an idiot and to just stay on the line and a representative will be with me soon. It really was soon, only about two minutes. She asked for my identifying information like social security number and birth date and address and full name, etc. And then the pleasant, "How may I help you today?"
I explained that I had received the FMLA request form and the cover page stated that I can file it as soon as possible but no later than 15 days after returning to work. She said, "That's correct."
I proceeded to explain that Monday I received a letter from the FMLA Unit stating, correctly, that I had been sent the form on May 3rd and as of may 28 they had not been filed. That letter also stated that I must file within 2 DAYS of returning to work or I might not be protected. She said, "That's correct."
I started to get a little steamed and said I don't understand how both can be correct since they state two totally different times. Why do we have to always do illogical things? She said, "The government makes us say that."
I still don't know which government, federal or state, makes her say 'that'. Nor do I know whether 'that' is '2 days' or '15 days'. But I realized that she too is ignorant and unable to do anything about it, even if I could convince her that they BOTH cannot be correct.
So, I printed out another copy of the form sent to me via e-mail several weeks ago and left work early to take the new form to the doctors office in Barrington. The receptionist checked and there were no forms waiting for action so they must have been sent. I left the new copy and requested it be sent again. No wonder doctors used to charge per form to fill out for insurance.
That done, I had it downhill from there. I am starting to catch up on my work and recall what it is I do and how I do it. I don't know what I will put on my time sheet this week. But I will put something down.
Actually talking to folks took MOST of the day. I mean the e-mail work took most of my "work day". But then I came home to find a letter in my mail box from the FMLA Unit (Family Medical Leave Act) at my work. They stated that they sent me the forms on May 3rd and as of the May 28 they had not received them. I have 2 days after returning to work to submit the form or my time off may not be protected. That sounds pretty dire.
Of course the office is closed when I get home so I took the letter to work with me on Tuesday. The SECOND DAY I am back at work. I called the number listed and pressed option 7 as told to. "That don't work." They tell me I'm an idiot and to just stay on the line and a representative will be with me soon. It really was soon, only about two minutes. She asked for my identifying information like social security number and birth date and address and full name, etc. And then the pleasant, "How may I help you today?"
I explained that I had received the FMLA request form and the cover page stated that I can file it as soon as possible but no later than 15 days after returning to work. She said, "That's correct."
I proceeded to explain that Monday I received a letter from the FMLA Unit stating, correctly, that I had been sent the form on May 3rd and as of may 28 they had not been filed. That letter also stated that I must file within 2 DAYS of returning to work or I might not be protected. She said, "That's correct."
I started to get a little steamed and said I don't understand how both can be correct since they state two totally different times. Why do we have to always do illogical things? She said, "The government makes us say that."
I still don't know which government, federal or state, makes her say 'that'. Nor do I know whether 'that' is '2 days' or '15 days'. But I realized that she too is ignorant and unable to do anything about it, even if I could convince her that they BOTH cannot be correct.
So, I printed out another copy of the form sent to me via e-mail several weeks ago and left work early to take the new form to the doctors office in Barrington. The receptionist checked and there were no forms waiting for action so they must have been sent. I left the new copy and requested it be sent again. No wonder doctors used to charge per form to fill out for insurance.
That done, I had it downhill from there. I am starting to catch up on my work and recall what it is I do and how I do it. I don't know what I will put on my time sheet this week. But I will put something down.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
June 2, 2007: A Good Week
I am just amazed that I have progressed so much. It has been a stellar week!
I am dry with the exception of sudden moves that cause me to step or lean to the side without thinking about those kegel contractions. Most of the time I make the moves automatically.
If something is falling over and I jump to catch it, I can have a bit of a problem. They call these stress incontinence. It may require a few months to control these. They are not heavy leakage, but more of what I call 'weeping'. It is just some dampness usually.
There has been another kind of stress this week also. Liberty Mutual Insurance (read as hired thugs) administers the short term disability claims for my employer. I have yet to experience administration on their part. They call and write me requesting I get the information for them to evaluate 'my claim'.
It started on the 9th of May when they sent me a letter stating that they contacted my doctor on the 9th of May and had not received the requested information from him. They proceeded to inform me that it is my responsibility to get that information for them. Seems that they should do their job and get what they need from my doctor. Oh well!
I went to Virden, Illinois on Friday. My sister's mother-in-law died this week and I thought we had to go the wake or funeral since my brother-in-law has been such a great guy. he did a lot for my mother. Sally had to work Saturday, which precluded our attending the funeral so I drove us down for the wake on Friday. Had a good visit and saw my mother's brother.
Bruce is going through the prostate treatment too. He is having the external beam radiation and hormone treatments. That's a shot every couple months and radiation five days a week for eight weeks. He is handling this real well. Gets tired but other wise feels fine. He has already had a PSA test that was .04. That is equivalent to zero but a lab won't say 'zero'. He and I talk regularly now. It is good to have someone to share this with. I think this is a pretty big coincidence that my uncle and I are both being treated for prostate cancer at the same time.
Wow! I'm still angry at the insurance company! Better let that go. At worst it will cost me a weeks pay and all my vacation time this year. I can't do anything until Monday anyway.
I am dry with the exception of sudden moves that cause me to step or lean to the side without thinking about those kegel contractions. Most of the time I make the moves automatically.
If something is falling over and I jump to catch it, I can have a bit of a problem. They call these stress incontinence. It may require a few months to control these. They are not heavy leakage, but more of what I call 'weeping'. It is just some dampness usually.
There has been another kind of stress this week also. Liberty Mutual Insurance (read as hired thugs) administers the short term disability claims for my employer. I have yet to experience administration on their part. They call and write me requesting I get the information for them to evaluate 'my claim'.
It started on the 9th of May when they sent me a letter stating that they contacted my doctor on the 9th of May and had not received the requested information from him. They proceeded to inform me that it is my responsibility to get that information for them. Seems that they should do their job and get what they need from my doctor. Oh well!
I went to Virden, Illinois on Friday. My sister's mother-in-law died this week and I thought we had to go the wake or funeral since my brother-in-law has been such a great guy. he did a lot for my mother. Sally had to work Saturday, which precluded our attending the funeral so I drove us down for the wake on Friday. Had a good visit and saw my mother's brother.
Bruce is going through the prostate treatment too. He is having the external beam radiation and hormone treatments. That's a shot every couple months and radiation five days a week for eight weeks. He is handling this real well. Gets tired but other wise feels fine. He has already had a PSA test that was .04. That is equivalent to zero but a lab won't say 'zero'. He and I talk regularly now. It is good to have someone to share this with. I think this is a pretty big coincidence that my uncle and I are both being treated for prostate cancer at the same time.
Wow! I'm still angry at the insurance company! Better let that go. At worst it will cost me a weeks pay and all my vacation time this year. I can't do anything until Monday anyway.
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