General update on things around here (long)

Here are the very basics, I live with Rob, my fiancee, Karen, our roommate, and lots of pet animals.  I have ongoing health issues, which tend to get worse with stress and heavy exhertion, both of which I’ve had plenty of lately.

At the end of November, my fiancee had a stroke, the hospital mishandled things to the point that it took about a week to get a diagnosis, and even then no real treatment (other then rest and asprin) was offered.  Since then, he’s recovered most of the feeling on his right side, but still has some problems.  He’s having a hard time holding on to things, he drops a lot of stuff that he’s never had trouble with before.  He’s also easily fatigued.  This could just be because he’s a big guy and hasn’t been as active for a couple weeks, but it’s bad enough that the one day he tried to go back to work, he looked and felt awful and had trouble speaking after just 3 hours.

Right now, we’re just waiting.  Waiting for the physical / occupational therapy people to call him back so maybe he can get some helpe BEFORE he goes back to work.  We’re also waiting for the neurosurgeon to call us back (I know the odds are slim though) becuase when we went to his follow up appointment, she didn’t have any of the results from the 3 tests she ordered weeks ago.  In the mean time, he’s suppossed to be taking some med for his cholesterol but the doctor didn’t write "may substitude" on the prescription and our insurance won’t cover the name brand med when a generic is available, but the pharmacy can’t substitute without contacting the doctor.  Additionally, the neurosurgeon has now prescriped 2 meds to help Rob stop smoking… of course our insurance won’t cover either and they’re both about a $100 (I don’t know if that’s per week or month though) so we’re going round and round and not getting anywhere.

Personally, I’m pretty upset.  In this modern age, it’s hard to imagine that one could have a stroke and not recieve any kind of treatment for it… after all the talk ‘they’ do about getting to the hospital immediately if you think you’re having one, it’s amazing how little they really seem to care once you get there.  After you go home, you’re totally on your own.

Rob’s suppossed to loose weight (a lot of weight) and stop smoking, at once and immediately.  Of course he hasn’t done a damn thing… nothing, at all.  He smokes the same, he eats the same, he sits around and does nothing while I’m at work except those days when he cleans up a little bit or I have errands for him to run for me.  He smokes the same amount, if not more.  I think he’s depressed, and I can understand that, but it really pisses me off that he demands I do shit to take care of myself, and won’t do the same.  He doesn’t care if he dies… why should he?  He’ll be dead.

My work still pisses me off on a regular basis, but I like the new manager better then the old.  She has her problems, but I can deal.  I’m irritated that I’ve been scheduled to work all the days / weekends associated with all the holidays in the last 2 years except the days where we get holiday pay.  I broke that tradition this New Year’s though, I was sick all weekend (called off both days) and worked New Year’s Day, which I believe is our paid day.  So yay me!

I have been sick, still battling the ear infection… the one from October, and now, for whatever reason, my back is bothering me… upper back, lower back, sciatica, it’s all messed up.  In addition to that, in the last week, I’ve had a migraine, a flu like episode, stomach cramps in addition to the flu episode, abdominal pain and I feel like my right eye is bugging out of my head.  Grr…

Our holidays went pretty well, with one huge exception.  I had to put my dog down the week before Christmas.  It was one of those situations where it was hard to decide if it was time or not too.

We’re looking forward to the new year and getting things sorted out.