I truly know what it feels like, having to go for test after test after test after................yeah


Damn the white coat brigade. Haven't exactly always been a big fan of them. You sometimes feel like you're getting tests for no reason. Even if that's not the case.


As a teenager i was always in and out of hospital. It used to pi$$ me off. You get fed up of seeing hospitals at times. At least you're getting the right care though. If anything :)

Works for me, but I'm getting the garage.........

She can speak for herself, but I don't think she's getting the right care. I grew up with a Father who was a paramedic/fire chief, so I spent much of my childhood in and around fire/medic stations with him. That carried on with me for years. Not so much IN stations any more due to a falling out with an ex gf who was a firefighter at the same station I was a member of, but still got dozens and dozens of close friends and relatives who are nurses, firefighters (of ALL ranks), paramedics (both ground and air), dispatchers, EMT's, law enforcement (who get 'basic training'), ex-military meds, indy ambulance company owners (who were paramedics for years), etc and we compare treatments/thoughts/ideas. Even though things are a bit different keeping somebody alive after a fire/ vehicular crash/ drowning/ fall off a bridge/etc compared to what the Dr's NOT in the ER see, I have a pretty good idea of anatomy and basic medicine. I can show proof as to some of it on me I've done myself.... I don't like freckles/birthmarks on myself. I removed them surgically. Just try and find them! Broke both hands (different occasions)..... I'm still typing and playing guitar. NICE cut on my chin after taking a header into pavement at 25mph on a bicycle... considering a I had a beard and fixed it without shaving...still came out nicely and the small scar semi- blends into my chin (I broke the one hand during that spill and a 'bit' tipsy, so the scar is a reminder.....). A hundred times had to 'cut out' metal/etc out of my eyeballs. So far, I only wear glasses while reading (Bro, parents, grand parents, uncles, aunts, cousins all blind without them. Few months ago made a NICE slice through an artery and a nick through the next on my right hand. Ever try do do stitches one handed, on yourself, no meds AND when on your dominant hand? Hardly a scar though. Only cause I was still working 90 hour weeks after that (and doing a lot of painting and it kept eating through my glove!). Grrrr.... I can go on and on and on for just my own that I've done. Chit, I haven't had medical insurance in 20 years, so....... Nobody's let me do a heart bypass yet though. I'll have to get another tank of NO one of these days and NOT make the mistake of hooking it up to a SCBA mask with a bunch of friends around..... Ok, got a little ...... But, hey, Pittsburgh IS a hub of the medical world. Google UPSOM and UPMS and University of Pittsburgh.... UPMS is a 'branch' of "Pitt" University and don't deal with idiots. Pitt for LONG been RIGHT in running for the IVY league rankings with Harvard, Yale, Brown, Darthmouth and Princeton and Penn State! Of course, we also got Carnegie Mellon! Used to be the #1 steel producer in the U.S....moved onto #1 glass producer since the EPA us. Then became the #1 cancer researcher in the U.S. All those number ones, and still got 6 super bowl rings, 3 Stanleys and 'back in the day' too pennants to hang. We got nothing but the best here (except baseball, for now, and if you don't mind all four seasons in one week!). Ok,..... -------All around, we got the best medical to be had is all I'm sayin'...

The healthcare system in this country sucks. I don't want to get worked up about our HC system because it makes to too angry. It depressing compared to European HC system. Enough said.

DOH !

Uh oh.
The bad dates are all stashed in the garage.
Course, they aren't talking.

Stashed in the garage? Don't you have a shovel and a backyard?

Can you tell he wants me to move to P.A.?

Im getting great care, he just wants me there with him, so he can fuss over me, and take care of me!

Puuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuulease! Can you really picture me doing that?

We now return to "The Edge of Insanity"....Luv2roknroll spent her entire day at the doctors today...

so heres the skinny on today...

its easier to answer here for everyone, than to answer 50 emails. Thats why I do it this way, but dont get me wrong, I do feel special that so many care about me and want to know.

We did some more tests, the doctors all talked to each other, they all compared notes, and opinions of the test results they got back, things were faxed from here to there, and from there to hear,numerous phone calls were made, and medical records summonsed...and guess what?

THEY STILL HAVE NO CLUE WHATS WRONG WITH ME, (well that is besides me being insane).

Heres what we do know, I dont have any tumors or cysts, in my brain or chest, it probably has nothing to do with cancer, I have no trama injuries to my head or elsewhere on my body, im anemic(no problem, just drink 64 ozs of water everyday, and it should go away...yeah ok ), but heres the screwed part..

my kidneys are still not functioning.

So Friday, they will have the results from all of the tests that were done on me, and they will try to figure out the cause, AGAIN!

And that probably cost my insurance company another 20.000 dollars.

I can hardly wait to see what they tell me Friday...

probably im possessed by evil spirits and need an exorcist, and they wish I was Mrs. Potato Head, so they could just pull out the kidneys, and snap on some new ones.

Oh Side Note: Remember the cyst I got on my lip? Well my primary care physician, will not remove it because he said,"there will be too much blood, and thats a chance im not willing to take".

WTF? Too much blood? Your a friggen doctor!!

So if I want it removed, it will be considered cosmetic, and I will have to seek out a plastic surgeon to do it, and I must pay cash for it, since its not covered in any health plans.And it will cost 1000.00's of dollars!

You know Gearhead was on here today, talking about all the surgerys
hes done on himself...."F" it....

Somebody hand me a razor blade!

Well I am so happy most of you is ok.
Could the kidney damage be from your cancer treatments?

Guess what? This is really a surprise....

THey dont know!

Well hopefully thy ill find out sooner rather later.

I think they just like poking at me, you know, like a lion in a cage? Somebodys gonna lose a hand pretty soon!

Okay dear lady.

Im not scary Jeff, just scary looking!

I get scared answering the phone.

And no you are not.

Well YOU have never seen me naked!

Yes your point would be. You have not seen me naked.

You are like the dream patient for Medical Billers...LOL

I have black out spells since like 7th grade. I just black out and then wake up again a minute later. Year after year. I have had scans and no-one can figure it out. Oh well. Why diagnose when they can keep collecting...

I hope you are finding a solution soon, you are obviously a strong survivor..

Thank you honey, but......

if you think your blacking out now, wait till Lionsbrew gets ahold of you!