Getting “stoned”…

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For the record, I am not a person who enjoys dealing with things medical and, no, this post isn’t about illegal drugs. 

Calm yourselves.

I know others who live to schedule doctor visits and then proceed to share every bit of information involved when you make the mistake of asking “what’s new?”   Look, mine is a gentle criticism so please don’t judge.  Certainly, when someone is dealing with a medical issue, by all means, seek help, don’t ignore it.  I…am one of those people who tends to ignore things, always doing a work-around, hoping to avoid any doctor appointments. 

Sometimes…that backfires!

Kidney Stones rumbled their way into my life a few years ago but I’ve been fortunate in never suffering with excruciating pain from the gnarly little buggers.  In my situation, that…has been the major problem as severe kidney infection usually sets in and a Lithotripsy procedure takes place.  Over one year ago, a Urologist advised that I could “easily live with an impacted kidney stone” and I proceeded to do just that.  Until a few weeks ago.  Enter another infection, brief hospitalization and a stone-removal procedure at the capable hands of a new Urologist.  I’ve been fortunate with this practitioner in that he immediately stepped-in and felt that no one could, or should, “easily live” with this, now crucial, situation.

I’m scheduled to share my sarcasm and wit with the OR staff again, next week. 

In the meantime, it’s been a flurry of running here, running there, for pre-op testing, blood work, COVID testing, etc.  My medical dance card is full but, with all of this comes additional suggestions from our regular doctor for getting additional “body work” done. 

Nope.  Ain’t happening!

I will adamantly, intentionally, ignore above suggestions, especially at this stage of my life.  I’m well aware that having more than ample medical coverage is something that the medical field finds…enticing.  Armed with whatever your insurance will cover, they want patients to run a long list of testing for everything from head to toe while suggesting a prescriptive protocol which, all combined, will have both short, and long term, debilitating side-effects.

Chalk it all up to my not wishing to be a lab rat.  No one should be when they reach these damn “golden years” and end up being robbed of whatever precious time they have left.  No one should live in fear because of medical opinions that spin around like a marker on a roulette wheel.  No patient should be left praying that a suggested diagnosis is correct and then have to run a medical gauntlet for second, or third, opinions.

I’m in the driver’s seat of my life and procrastinate, I will!

 

workshop-button-1From Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop...Tell us about something you’re procrastinating on.

 

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Where we go next…

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The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority, or rather of that party, not always the majority, that succeeds, by force or fraud, in carrying elections.     John Dalberg-Acton

Often, I will rise to some occasion on current events and opine away, not giving a rat’s ass if anyone agrees, disagrees, or even bothers to read my post.  It’s cathartic, sort of.   My website, my space, my right to spout-out my feelings on a given subject.  Don’t like it?  Just move along!

Obviously, if you’re reading this, you know where I’m headed.  The endless memes fly by on social media and my favorite one involves this past week feeling like an entire year.  In fact, it’s felt like so much more than that, even somewhat surreal, much like a Twilight Zone episode.  In fact, I doubt if even Rod Serling could have made up any of the 2020 Election drama.

Up until a few years ago, make that more like 11, I was a staunch Democrat and, for what I felt were valid reasons, I changed my party affiliation.  Sue me.  Things change and it’s important not to follow any political ideology just because you are categorized on some election board or your family has “always” followed that party.  For me it was that uncomfortable gut feeling resonating from candidates who left more unsaid than what they professed they would do, just to garner votes.  For me…a big red flag in any election, local or national.

But here we all are.  Opposing sides, glaring at each other with one side already guilty of demonstrating months of chaos in our country and now likely guilty of major election fraud.  Why?  Know what the saddest part of this drama is?  There is no clear winner and, frankly, there may not have been a clear candidate choice for either side of the voting public whose votes were orchestrated more by emotion, not by pragmatic decisions.  Now, the twisted dynamics of the management policies which will come into play for our country will undoubtedly bring four years of unrest and turmoil for millions of citizens.  Here, in a year we welcomed months ago with hopeful anticipation, we’ve ended up becoming hostages of a virus pandemic and political unrest.

It is, however, what it is.  I share the following from my Facebook page.  My thoughts, my feelings… will not waver.

The darkness in our days started with the turning back of clocks.  That will change in a few months.

Sadly, the darkness that will overtake our lives for the next four years, will not change.

I weep not for myself, as my time on earth is limited. I weep for the future of my children and my grandchildren.  I weep for the unborn.   I weep for the misguided, the uninformed and those so very blind and unable to see the devastation that a radical, even socialist, agenda will bring to our country.

Certainly, your right to choose was a choice you felt necessary, as was mine, despite who was the proverbial lesser…of two evils.

And so it goes.

 

workshop-button-1From Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop…Write about a time you felt like you were in the Twilight Zone.

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Once bitten…

 

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Not that anyone asked, or is even interested in knowing, one of my biggest defense mechanisms has always been putting up safe barriers.  Anytime my comfort zone feels threatened, the wall goes up.  Fast!

I’ve made the mistake of getting too close to people and quickly opt to curtail any means of communication with them.  The old, once bitten, twice shy, kicks into full overdrive and I run for cover.  We all do that, I’m sure.  At least I’d like to think so.  From lying low on social media sites, ignoring private messages and just becoming somewhat invisible, it happens.

Frankly, even though all the avoidance fundamentals are in perfect harmony, this can be a big mistake.  Like, what does it really prove?  The result often can be to lose people who needed to be shaken off from my life but others who really matter get dumped in the process.  Putting up some damn unreachable barrier is an act of self-preservation focused on keeping ourselves from getting hurt.  Again.

But, and this is a really big “but” …the true loss is closing oneself off from people who always shared their concern, affection and love.  And plain old friendship, to boot.

Time to do an about face and never close up like that again.  Despite the pain, continue to open up while remembering that vulnerability does not equate to weakness, it refers to the ability to trust in yourself.  You, me, the other person…hey, we will all be okay in the long run.  Hurt happens but move past it and learn to trust.  By opening that door of trust, hopefully, we will all be treated right.  And learn to do the same in return.

 

workshop-button-1From Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop…Write about a mistake you made.

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