Gold In Hockey!!

My apologies to my American friends, but the Canadian Men won, full stop.

We had plans to go out for dinner and our reservation was for 6:30 thinking we had lots of time, the game would be over. It was not meant to be of course, they went into overtime and there we were standing with our coats on, door open, non hockey friends waiting outside for us and we weren't budging until we either won or lost.

The phone rang and it was my stepson from California. He was gloating a little that the U.S. team had tied it up in the dying seconds of the third period. So said I, "who do you think will win it?" His response was that he didn't want to jinx anything so he wouldn't say. At that very moment, Canada scored and I said "Nick, we just won it". There was dead silence on the other end of the line, it was comical. He didn't believe me. Seems his station had a couple of seconds delay. To say he was stunned and disappointed is an understatement and since I didn't know what to do with his silence and didn't want to gloat I handed to phone over to Steve. Even though Steve is an American/Canadian dual citizen he was cheering for Canada and I heard him gloat. That Sydney Crosby is some terrific hockey player.

I have to say that I never liked the phrase "Own The Podium" very much but I am very proud of what our athletes did in the last couple of weeks and we have won the most Gold medals by any country in winter Olympics ever...

When we finally did get downtown for dinner, the streets were alive in a sea of red flags. Cars were honking their horns and whistling and even the police got in the act by letting off their sirens just for fun.

So to all the journalists (if you can call them that) from good old England and the New York Times, who trashed the games, the city, the weather etc., stuff it were the sun don't shine...

Rheumatoid Arthritis - Fybromyalgia

When I woke up this morning, I knew I was in trouble. I'd been unually tired, cranky and headachy the last couple of days but this morning I woke with a burning and tingling sensation that worked it's way from my left buttock down the whole leg. I knew the signs right away having had them often enough over the last 15 years or so. It is a flare up of Fybromyalgia and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Once it starts there's not much I can do except ride out the pain as best as I can. Right now the headache is raging and I know it's not a migraine so the usual drugs won't work, and every joint in my body aches.

Back to bed with heat, Tylenol 3's and Diflunisal for at least two days or so before this resolves itself. I hope I feel better as we have our monthly bridge get together and I hate to miss is. At least there's the Olympics to watch on T.V. God, I hate being sick.

A Plug For Costco

I'm not only into trashing companies that I feel are doing wrong, I also like to comment on those that do something right.

In December 2008 I bought six months worth of multi focal contact lenses from Costco. They were fairly expensive I thought, something like two hundred dollars or so. They are monthly disposable type and I used about two pairs before my right eye started giving me trouble. That's the eye that was diagnosed with a retinal hole in January and was operated in March of 2009. After that I rarely wore them any more.

When my eye healed I was given a new prescription for eyeglasses and the contact lenses I had were pretty useless. They sat in my drawer gathering dust.

Since my cataract surgery last week my eyeglasses don't work and I've already removed the lens on the right eye and replaced it with clear glass. I found myself still kind of wonky when walking though and out of desperation one day decided to try a contact lens in my left eye. That worked really well especially for driving but it was still the wrong prescription.

Today I went to Costco with my new prescription and asked the really nice Optician if I could buy just two pair since my left eye will be operated soon. He said sure, no problem and it would cost me about a hundred dollars or so. I was quite prepared to pay when suddenly he looked at me and asked if I had any of the old lenses left. Yes said I, I have three left. Go get them and I'll just exchange them, no charge. Wow...

Fortunately I don't live too far from Costco so I went home, got the old ones and he gave me three pairs with the new prescription. He knows I'll come back when it's time to get either new glasses or new contacts when both eyes have been done and healed. My eye is getting better distance vision now but close up is still toast and I doubt it will come back but I did have a good morning...

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Has Seen The Light!

Last summer when I had to refill a prescription for Premarin I got sticker shock. The price had gone up roughly 800 percent. The pills went from .14 cents to $1.24 a pill.

I called medical reporter that I know who has her own Canada wide health show and who decided it merited a story. I also wrote about it a couple of times in May of 2009. Watch the video clip from that story and those of you who don't know me can actually hear my voice, he he...

Today while the tv was on in the background I happened to catch Avis Favro, the medical reporter for CTV say quite clearly that Wyeth had lowered the price of Premarin to .28 cents a pill. It's still twice what it was but I guess a 50 percent increase is better than an 800 percent increase. See, you can fight big pharma... I wonder if I could interest her in in doing a story about doctors who don't want to do what the patients wants like my Ophthalmologist.

You Gotta Love This!!!

When the ultra rich Premier of Newfoundland Danny Williams, travels to the United States for heart surgery, you have to wonder about our system, hmmm...

As an aside, I was talking to my friend in Germany yesterday who is having hip replacement this month. She told me two things; she gets to spend 9 days in a real hospital and three weeks in a rehab hospital. She also told me that everyone who needs cataract surgery gets the multi focal lens, no cheapy stuff. Yet most Germans complain about their system...

One Week Post Cataract Surgery - Update

It's been a week and thus far it hasn't been a great one. I've been near suicidal a couple of times, bawled like a baby and almost tripped over a curb that wasn't where my eye said it was.

The distance vision has improved somewhat since last week to the point where I can read the fourth line down on an eye chart from 20 feet. I have this chart stuck on a door and check my eye daily. We've replaced the lens on my eyeglasses with plain glass and I have absolutely no close up vision nor can I see the computer screen which is 23 inches with the right eye. My left eye is doing all the work and it gets really tired and irritated. I am really angry that he wouldn't give me multi focal lenses and wishes I'd had the time to find another doctor for another opinion. Unfortunately for me, I really didn't.

I've tried cheaters in different strengths but so far haven't found any that really work. I know that everyone recovers differently but because I know four people who have had this surgery and all of them could see clearly the next day I am worried.

Tomorrow I have my one week check up with the Ophthalmologist and intend to tell him that no, I am not as happy as he said I would be. when I can't knit, read or browse the net I am unhappy. Hopefully it will get better from here...