“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily. ~ Zig Ziglar
Motivational Monday
6
Walmart & Cousin Eddie
I headed out to Walmart today but I had three strikes against me that never even occurred to me until I pulled into the parking lot. 1) It’s always busy on Friday, 2) It’s the 1st of the month/payday, and 3) there’s a storm coming in. Luckily, I thought, I just need my prescriptions and a few grocery items.
Now, let me give you a little perspective here. I live in a very rural town – actually Wikipedia describes it as an unincorporated community – of less than 200 residents. Our nearest grocery store is 16 miles away, in a town with a little more than 700 residents. Our nearest Walmart is 28 miles away, in a bit larger town of just under 3,000 residents. That town also has a grocery store, a few small eateries, auto parts store, several small locally owned businesses, a few gas stations, several banks, and many churches. It’s insignificant in comparison to towns with a much, much larger population. So, you can imagine our lovely Walmart to be rather pleasant and not too ridiculously stressful…..
…..Unless it’s a Friday, the 1st of the month, and there’s a storm coming in! I didn’t realize what I got myself into until I got there. I was lucky to find a disabled parking spot. I was equally lucky there was a scooter available inside. It was the last one, so I was very lucky! There were people everywhere. I think everyone in the county was in that store!
I went to the pharmacy first, to pick up my meds. I was annoyed right away because after I paid, the pharmacy technician told me I had to step to the side window so the pharmacist could bag my purchase. Umm….I don’t know what the point of this is really, because the pharmacist didn’t tell me anything about the medications, nor did he look at the labels to see what they were. He looked at the receipt to see that I had paid for them, tossed them in a bag, stapled it shut and handed them to me. The pharmacy tech could have done that!!
Like I mentioned before, I had very little to pick up. On my list were vitamins, Dramamine, cat food, wine, rock salt, small ziplock bags, and a 6 pack of half-sodas. I figured it wouldn’t take long for me to gather those things and get the hell out of there!
Boy, was I wrong! Every stinkin’ aisle I wanted to go down had people blocking the entire path. I mean, literally standing in the center, not off to one side or another. There were some blocking one end or the other, having conversations with others. I almost ran over a few people, who saw me coming towards them but still stopped and blocked the path. I had to back-track a few times, thinking the path would be clear when I came back but that was a fruitless effort. I was in Walmart for an hour longer than I needed to be!
I know everyone has things they need to get done. People have jobs they can’t be late for, kids to get home to and meals to cook, someone to pick up from somewhere, errands to run, appointments to get to. I get it. I have things to do, too. Why can’t people be more aware of others around them? Why can’t they just be more courteous?
When I went to check out, all the lines were several people long. So, I just picked one. There was a man with 3 items who looked about as exasperated as I was and I told him he could go in front of me. I really didn’t mind but I swear, this guy was someone’s Cousin Eddie! You know, the cousin of Clark Griswold in The National Lampoon movies!
He talked my ear off until it was his turn to check out and he was gone. When I got out to the parking lot, he was still putting things in his trunk and talking to himself. I tried to look inconspicuous so as not to draw attention. I swear, I must have a weirdo magnet attached to my hip or something! Seems to be every time I go somewhere, the weirdos all find me. Today just happened to be someone’s Cousin Eddie!
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Throwback Thursday #TBT
Last year, I told the story of a true to life Leroy Brown in my family. You can read about him here: Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
Let me know what you think! Is there someone in your family with the name of a celebrity or song character? Do tell!
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The NP & A Little Hope
I was unexpectedly and pleasantly surprised by my visit with a Nurse Practitioner today! I went in expecting to be pissed off upon leaving, but not this time! (Seems I always have problems with so-called professionals, so I wasn’t expecting anything positive!)
The NP agreed that I needed to have a TSH before she refilled my script. She surprised me when she asked how my pain medication was working. I told her that I can tell when I don’t take it, but it doesn’t work like it used to. I’ve been on it for about 6 years and I’m sure my body has built up resistance by now. She agreed. She asked me if I had ever tried anything else and my answer surprised her. I told her how I had tried to get something different from the doctor who prescribed my current meds and that she told me, “There isn’t anything else you can take.” THAT was complete bull squirt. I knew it then and it was confirmed by the NP today. She said that was a stupid thing for her to say. I agreed and told her a little about my background; I worked as a Medication Technician at a nursing home and I didn’t get that job because I was stupid. I got it because I worked hard, studied hard and trained. I may not know it all, but I’m sure as hell not stupid. So, I knew there were other medications for pain that I could try.
So, the NP switched up my medication to something else – also an anti-inflammatory but it works differently than my current medication. I am so relieved to have found someone who actually shows an interest in whether my meds are working for me and actually wants to help!
While I had her attention, I asked her about my sleeping problem. I’m lucky if I get 5 hours of sleep at night and it’s not restorative sleep by a long shot! It’s broken sleep. I might sleep for 45 minutes before waking up to reposition. If I’m lucky I might sleep a whole hour before waking. As if that isn’t bad enough, the intense pain I endure all day long makes my body so tense that it sometimes takes me 2 or 3 hours to even fall asleep. I’ve tried over-the-counter sleep aids and sometimes they help, sometimes they don’t. The NP seemed to understand exactly what I was telling her and suggested something that might help. She said it was originally an anti-depressant (technically still is) but it seems to help people with sleep more than it helps with depression. I’ll try it and if it helps me with the depression, too, then that’s a plus. My depression isn’t as bad as it used to be, thanks to my therapist, but it still resurfaces sometimes.
I’m not sure if I’ll get to the pharmacy tomorrow to pick up my meds due to the expectation of freezing drizzle, as they call it. But I’m excited to try something new! Maybe my everyday chores and personal care tasks won’t be so damn difficult for me.
I’ll even settle for a little less difficult….
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“I Know!”
This morning, I called the doctor’s office to make an appointment so I could get a new script for my meds. Normally, I would just call the pharmacy and they would take care of it BUT I haven’t had a TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) test in 2 years. It should be done every year to make sure my medication is keeping my thyroid on track but it just never got done last year and the doctor kept approving my refills. I didn’t squabble. But it’s been 2 years now so it needs to be done.
What I expected was a conversation like I had about 20 years ago with a different doctor’s office. I had called for the same reason as I called this morning. The receptionist said, “You need a doctor’s order for a TSH,” to which I replied, “I know. That’s why I’m making an appointment.” I think she decided to be difficult when she woke up that morning because she then said, “You need to just call the pharmacy and they will call the doctor, then the doctor will approve your meds.” I told her, “I’m quite aware of the procedure. I’m not doing that because I need a TSH and I would like all of my scripts ready to fill at the same time each month.” She was very quiet as if she was confused. I told her, “I don’t want to have to go to the pharmacy more than once to get my meds. One stop, all at once. Get it?” “She continued to be a bitch and said, “Yes, I get it but you need a doctor’s order for the TSH.” By then I was pissed. I think I yelled a little when I told her, “I know! That’s why I want to make an appointment!” She said, “The doctor will decide when you see her if you need a TSH.” I yelled again, “I know!! Will you just make the goddam appointment?!” I got my appointment and I hung up.
Not too long after that, I changed doctors. The next doctor was basically worthless but she had a standing order in my records to do a TSH every 6 months and that I need not make an appointment. All I had to do was walk in and they would get it done. Easy peasy. After not getting any help whatsoever when I started having pain and mobility issues, I changed doctors again.
The clinic I’m dealing with now utilizes Nurse Practitioners and Physicians Assistants. They seem to be ok, but I haven’t dealt with them for too long so I figured they’re probably just as incompetent as the rest. That still remains to be seen, however, I had no trouble getting an appointment with a Nurse Practitioner and I’m sure she’ll do a TSH because it’s been so long since my last.
I cringe at the thought of dealing with doctors, making phone calls; trying to explain myself to people in general. It just never seems to fail. They will either talk to me like I’m stupid or they just don’t understand what I’m telling them…. I used to think I just wasn’t expressing myself correctly but my therapist assured me that I express myself quite well. So, I know it’s not me, it’s them! They’re the stupid ones! Ha!
Being Aunt Debbie 