I'm back, and frustrated...

October 17, 2002

Hi All.

I'm back.

We flew back from CA yesterday.

Flight was full of interesting physical problems, but I'll spare you

all that.

Good to be home. We drove here today.

I saw a few clients on the way home, and broke the news to 2 of them

that I would soon no longer be working with them.

11 years in private practice, and calling it quits.

What is more frustrating is that I have not been able to find anyone

to assume my case loads.

Can't do anything about that though. Can only do what I can do.

Similarly, but more personally, frustrated with medical profession.

Stopped by to see my internist this morning, and found that they

still had not successfully scheduled my PET or (additional) MRI

tests. It's been over 2 months now since my appointment with her

when she agreed I needed them. Even she herself called me up a few

weeks ago and asked what the results were - fully expecting that they

had been performed.

But, as with everything (or so it seems)... seems I have no control.

I've tried to contact other docs, even Dr. on, and am still

waiting.

My Dr. at Mayo, who assured me I could email him, has not responded

to 1 email since I left there. Wouldn't be so bad if regression was

not so evident, but it is evident - visible to all (and I've been

pretty good about hiding it).

Well, let me move on to better stuff.

Thanks to Vera for persisting on the wheelchair issue.

I had not used one - except for airport transit - until Disneyland.

At Disney, it was quite welcome. I was able to make it the whole

day. Didn't much like being pushed around, but didn't mind it that

much either.

And... I didn't have to stand in line once.

I sat :-)

See - even though frustrated with so much - I'll still eek out a

smile :-)

I do think we got through the lines much faster though, and know we

got through them faster than if I'd walked... because if I'd walked,

I wouldn't have lasted half a day.

By the way Vera... I appreciated that heat at Disney. I wore a coat

all day - even though it was 90! Remember? I'm cold all the time.

The weather on the coast was much cooler. It struggled to reach 70 -

something called the Marine Layer. Weird thing. Kept us shrouded in

fog all week. We received a call from our farm (which surprised us,

as we were not home :-) and when we told the (animal) caretaker (who

had called to check in) and told her it was cold in CA, she told us

it got down to 29 the night before. Had to eat our words. Guess it

just goes to show that everything is relative.

We used the wheelchair again at the Santa Barbara zoo. I reluctantly

went anyway (you think Disneyland is expensive!). That chair sure

makes things easier. So much so... That Donna's dad allowed us to

bring it home - so it's here.

Who would have thought? A few months back, you guys were harping on

me to at least accept using a cane. Now I'm even accepting

(admittedly on rare occassions) the use of a wheelchair!

Well, better get off and see if I can eek out another hour or two of

sleep.

Good to be back, and good to be back online with the group.

Pablito

October 17, 2002