Doctor/Produce Bills-Blue Zones

       Inch by Inch I feel my jeans aren't as tight as they were a week ago. Grocery shopping has taken on a new meaning. I can buy a few turkey breasts, frozen of course, a bunch of apples that I never buy already bagged, pears which are great for you, and any other fruit and vegetables  that I know I will use fresh, and not waste. Buying frozen vegetables I also do with frozen blue berries, a few bags at a time
    The idea is eating better saves going to the doctor, as you are now healthier. You don't have to live in a BLUE ZONE to create a Blue Zone life. Blue Zone living is eating what grows naturally, move naturally, faith and friends/family. Sounds easy? It is, but not at first if you're used to eating like I was. too much pizza, eating out, ice cream, convenient store stops for coffee and whatever.
    We all can use to improve our faithful living. It does help as ell as a circle of friends and family. Choose those friends who think and eat and live like you do. Move  naturally means, you don't have to join a gym, but sure if you want to, do. Stock up so you're not tempted to eat out or buy quick meals from a convenience store. Good Luck...oh I almost forgot....those doctor bills piling up, the pharmacy costs,  and endless trips for the doctor and pharmacy-will just about disappear when you live a Blue Zone life.
Blue Zones come from areas where people have rates almost zero of cancer and heart disease. They are usually hot areas where fruit and vegetables are plentiful. You can buy what ever is in season, and you can also grow your own, even in apartments, on fire escapes, back yards, community gardens. Seek and ye shall find:)

Horsham Clinic, PA. Be Careful !!!

      Not too long ago, I had a child at this "place". Talking with his "counselor" by phone seemed okay enough but when I was coming to take him home, no answer, none at all. In the lobby which I rang a bell into, no one came out to greet me. Finally a janitorial person said I had to knock on a window. There was a group of office windows which you could not tell was an office. It was filled and i mean filled with purple and green papers inside taped to the glass. Outside the glass were many papers with notices. The whole thing looked like a bulletin.
    So once through the paper, seeing a note, knock on window, I did. A woman, very impersonal, said, yes? I told her I'm here to pick up--------. She closed the window. I wish I was more nervy. I should have banged on the window and said excuse me, do you speak? Can you tell me the next step-is he coming out?
Nope, I just waited, and waited and waited. I watched as  group of teens come out with a staff and as the doors were closing I hear someone screaming, and I do mean screaming at the top of her lungs. I thought a kid was having a meltdown. nah, silly me. It was a staff person. Some kid walked out with the group and this was a staff person screaming bloody murder.
    The teen kept walking, now half backwards saying, I',m sorry miss, I'm sorry, looking to me like she was going anyway. After four I'm sorry's, she walked back in. Another ten minutes pass and a woman comes out with my child who is tossing a pair of shorts in the air. I ask where are his clothes. She says she doesn't know and I say I am not leaving without your clothes, go find them. The woman tell me FIRST, he doesn't know, he's always saying I don't know. Yes I know he does that, but I keep on him as he just doesn't want to do what he needs to do. With children with mental health disabilities it is up to the ADULTS, the people in CHARGE to make sure things are done. Then she tells me he takes clothes in and come out wearing a hospital gown. Okay so now she admits he has clothes. They were brand new!
     She is showing me discharge papers which were unreadable, maybe her copy was, but the yellow sheets for me weren't. I am given a script. Prior to release I asked his counselor Courtney if he is on the same meds, was there a med change. She said no med changes. According to the discourage papers after an agency person looked at them, there was definitely a med change. So we decided to call the hospital to contact the doctor. He is on vacation. The agency guy finally after many tries contacts Courtney who now is saying, there was med a change. Does anyone know what is being done there?
      Now back to the clothes issue. The woman who brought the child to me, goes back into the double doors, and I'm sure to discuss how to handle this. She opens the FRIENDLY window and shows me a blank form. IMAGINE a BLANK Form. I bet they have a million of them and I tell her anyone can show a blank form. My little guy said Gary took his clothes, the ambulance driver gave them to him and he did sign a paper. It was about nine at night when he arrived, having been at crisis since ten that morning and they wanted info from him. So now the woman is saying the clothes not only never came in, but the child has problems and he can't tell what he did, when etc. So they know they have  a child, not an older kid who would let them mess with his belongings, but a child who has severe problems and just let him be. He was wearing someone elses underwear, hospital footie's, some one eses tee shirt, his own outside shorts.
     A different janitor tell me, they don't care, they takes kids clothes and just throw them in a closet all the time. Finally an honest answer, not blaming a child with mental health issues.
     In closing I just received a notice about his file...This so called hospital lists him as having alcohol issues, but the way they worded it, in disease technical terms, he wouldn't even  be alive if that was true !!!
What are they doing to the children they have. Check your kids files. Sign papers, send clothes in you don't care about because they won't come home. Get copies made, ask to see files before the child is released!!!
      

Lisa Ling, Beautiful You, blah blah

      Are you sick of twisted headlines? I am just saw Lisa Ling diagnoses at forty-okay so I bite and see it's just ADD. But the headlines make it seems like she has a disease. Holy freaking crap' who doesn't have ADD today with so many busy lives? Get a doctor, get  diagnosis, get a prescription an then get labeled.
     The other newest one I saw was, How to be really beautiful and the picture it showed was first and of course a woman, whose face looked burned. WHY IS IT ALWAYS WOMEN??? They exploit your vanity and want your money !!! Plain and Simple. I think I'll write an article every day about Plain and Simple. Depression? or Lazy? No motivation? You must be depressed. Get a doctor, get a prescription and get a diagnosis and labeled.
      Now for those of you who want to bash this, I do know these things are and can be serious. I am talking about people who look for reasons, excuses, attention and meds.
     Live instead and don't be afraid to live, volunteer, help, work, but just do , do something, most anything just do.

Vertigo VS. VIAGRA=3V's-short

       I think I told the doctor I had a problem with Viagra. He laughed and said, well since you're a female I doubt it. It turned out to be Vertigo. Wow, that feeling made me think, how does anyone want to take illegal drugs ever? Now about the drugs-well read the next post. I was given two scripts for a medication to help lighten the feeling of Vertigo, but if on it, I could not drive as it makes you sleepy, very sleepy and the other med is for nausea, 7 pills for 43.00! (ONDANSETRON) I still haven't needed that, as that feeling along with sweating went away the first day. The first one to lighten the feeling was only 7. for 20 pills. Now see the next post. Oh, I can't get a refund because the bottle wasn't sealed.

Live Your Illness

              How many people live in fear someone will find out, yet we are in an age of tell all, be all you can be. Yet when it comes to a mental illness too many hide and try to act as if everything is okay. Don't. You do more harm to yourself than good.
                           Maggieshelpcenter.com
       How do you pick and choose a therapist? Ask. Go to a few different therapists and ask them questions. You are paying. your insurance is paying for the time. So you deserve answers. Ask about them as far as do they have issue with their own families and if you get an answer like, we're not here to talk about me, we're here to talk about you, then they are evading.
     No one is perfect and you need to know they have empathy from life experiences, not from a book and  a degree and with that, in my opinion you want to look for someone not out of school, but someone with at least ten to fifteen years experience. By then they will have learned more about life, failures, celebrations and better ways to treat and really listen to those who pay them.
    Also ask what do they think about meds vs. self help with therapy. You can't just walk in and like washing your hands, walk out better. You have to live your illness, face it and work on it every day.

77 yrs.old, No Meds, 45.Co-Pay

        As I walked over to the Deli isle to pick up spinach flat bread, A womans' voice said, "I never thought I'd  see you here". I joked very little and said me too, usually I come early mid week so I don't see anyone. She said she was sorry. Oh crapola I thought, I didn't mean to hurt her feelings and in turn I apologized and said well, I'm off. I like to get in, shop quickly and out. But guilt set in and I made a mental note to be nicer next time I see her.
        As I'm leaving there she was again next to me. This time I slowed down. I would see her at my local post office from time to time walking with a walker. Today she had a cane. I asked on the way out, so are you feeling better using a cane? Then it came, rushing as if a flood. "No", she said, "my walker broke and I can't get another one yet because I need to go to the doctor but I can't afford the forty-five dollar co-pay."
        Oh Crapola again. She went on, "I'm seventy-seven years old and my husband died five years ago, so my daughter helps by paying rent but not much and I still don't have money."  We finally got out of the store and I asked her a few questions about , would she sit down with someone who could work out a plan so she wouldn't have to go without meds and doctor visits. She wouldn't. She told me, I'll see you at the post office and  my address is---- so now you know where I live. I just said okay, thanks.
      I watched her walk off to her vehicle and thought well at least she can drive and afford that to give her some freedom. But I got in my car and thought about her giving me her address. Why would she--- oh, okay, she wanted to  stop in and visit-maybe? That wasn't like me and I knew I wouldn't, but I did know that soon, I could put some money in an envelope and leave it for her at the post office. I know that wasn't her reason for telling me. Sometimes ya just have to vent and only want an ear, someone to understand and know that just because
your venting doesn't mean you want something for nothing. Old people and kids are the loneliest people. Sometimes people think old people just want to be left alone, and many do and sometimes people think,  how can a kid be lonely? Walk in their shoes and you'll know why.
        I rode home thinking long and hard about her and how fortunate I am. I know doctors have to be paid and maybe her doctor doesn't know her situation, but people can make payment plans, yet, how do you even do that if you just don't have the money. I remember her one small bags of groceries, her look of helplessness and the sign at the check-out asking for food bank donations. I make it my business each time to tack five bucks on, but usually if the cashier asks, or I just don't think about it.
       People might look at her and think, wow this lady sure has enough to eat, but I know how poverty is. I came from a large family and we all ate well every day and we even had apples and oranges, but that didn't mean my parents never made those big pot meals to stretch the budget. About three times a week we had, a pot of pea soup with either potatoes or sliced hot dogs in it, loads of bread and butter, then we'd have pizza sandwiches, very filling and of course some chicken or mac and baked cheese.  I still love Pea soup. Whew! Just think about that makes me want to go to the local convenience store and buy two containers of mac n cheese, and then, I think  about that forty-five dollar co-pay. There but for the Grace of God go I.