April chit-chat

[agate]

Snuggles, that's great news about the weight loss. Keeping unwanted weight off is a constant struggle--for me at least. I finally went back to MyFitnessPal where you can track your diet, and it's much easier now that it was years ago. I've been keeping track of calories each day for many years but need to be more careful about potassium, fiber, sodium, fat, and protein, and MyFitnessPal will enter all of those if you enter the food and the amount.

This might sound overly specific but diabetics get lectured in this nutrition game and then get in the habit of being vigilant.

Congratulations on the window cleaning too! If you happen to be in this neighborhood some time, you can always drop by and do my windows too!

I should do them but just now I'm getting over the last few days. A new chair arrived the other day in a box that was entirely too big for it. Customer reviews about this box indicated that an electric drill would be needed to assemble it but as it turned out I was able to do that using just a little hand drill, for all 8 screws. It was a project though and I had to take a lot of rest breaks.

Getting the box out of here and into the dumpster outside was another project, and I planned it every which way before tackling it. I couldn't cut the box into segments with any of my box cutters or utility knives but I did fold it and tape it so it wouldn't open up again on the way out.

I went to this building's supply room with my rollator, parked it in the supply room and took the supermarket-sized shopping cart that is stored there for people to use, wheeled it to my apartment, loaded the box onto it, and wheeled it on out to the dumpster. This involved a few iffy doorways and corner turns but I was trying to be careful and made it. Luckily a neighbor held the main door for me and even helped by hoisting it up to the dumpster "window." The box was about 7 feet high and 3 feet wide. Not so much heavy as awkward.

I really didn't think I could do either of these jobs and had tentatively asked my son to help if needed. I'm really celebrating now that the job got done without having to enlist much help.

I didn't think I had the hand and arm strength to assemble that chair but I must have had some benefit from the exercise. Or maybe I just had to get over that fall I had almost a year ago.

I'm finding that some falls take many, many months to get over. Anyone else notice this?

[flatcap]

All but the one time I fell to the side, I have always fallen over backwards, so the only thing that ever hit the ground hard was the back of my head. Since there isn't much in there, my recoveries have all gone swiftly.

[agate]

Eek! I've found those backward falls particularly hard to get over sometimes. Other times it was as you say, flatcap--no big deal. But sometimes I must have done something to my back.

One's spine is expected to do a lot in a lifetime, and it doesn't seem to hold up forever.

[flatcap]

I don't know exactly what happened, but on both sides of my lower spine, the areas immediately surrounding my hip bones hurt pretty good after my last fall.

Well, two falls actually. One followed the other within a minute or two, and both falls were at the same location in my apartment. I was standing at my kitchen sink before I went down.

I stayed down on the floor for some time after the second fall, then threw up after I got up. I posted about this here, and you started a new thread about it, which I asked you to take down. You wound up asking Moderator #2 to do it.

Remember that?

Recovery time after those two falls was at least a week or two. It hurt quite a lot up until then.

[flatcap]

I don't know what's going on, but the Message Center will not allow me to delete three threads in my Sent folder. I tried several times, and they just won't go away. I even tried leaving the Message Center twice, but once I went back each time, the problem persisted. Since the Message Center is 'private', I kind of doubt the Moderators can help.


ETA: I tried again and deleted everything in my Trash folder, and the messages I was trying to delete in my Sent folder disappeared. Weird.

[agate]

I've noticed some weirdness about the Message Center ever since it was changed to its current format but I'm not having a problem deleting messages. They get sent to the Trash folder, and then I click on "Select all" and on "Delete forever." It asks me if I'm sure I want to delete them, and I OK that, and they're gone.

The moderator(s) might be able to help so long as you're not sharing any of the messages with them. I'm not sure. Worth a try?

[flatcap]

The problem seems to be solved.

[agate]

Yay! It's so nice when anything involving the Internet or computers gets solved. I have noticed that these systems we all depend on are slowly but surely becoming more stable, and quite often a problem that is threatening to be major just fixes itself. Or we find some setting we'd overlooked and it works.

[flatcap]

I thought some of you might be entertained by this.

My neuro's office is trying to collect from me a bill I do not owe. After repeatedly trying to contact them about this by phone, I sent the following via email today.

This message is regarding billing.

Terry — I believe that is the correct name — called me last week about a bill you sent me for $50.00. She got my voicemail and left a message for me. I tried calling her back but only got her voicemail. I left a message for her, and she has not called me back. I have been her calling every day since and only get her voice mail.

I am tired of this runaround you are giving me, so I will give you the short story. The bill for $50.00 exceeds the Medicare allowed amount for the office visit (08-09-2023). Medicare has paid their part of the bill. I paid to you the copay on 03-03-2024. That amount was $36.16.

I have complete records of this. You cannot charge me anything more for that office visit. That is a fact.

I will not pay the erroneous, if not illegal bill you sent me for an additional $50.00. That is also a fact, so don't bother holding your breath. You will not be receiving from me another dime for my 08-09-2023 office visit. Period.

If you have any questions about this, you can call me again, but there really is no point. This matter is closed, as far as I am concerned.

Get your act together regarding billing. Better yet, answer your phone calls and/or return your messages. Even better, acknowledge the emails you receive from your patients. You know, like this one.

Last, I have saved an electronic copy of what I have written here. I keep complete records of my interactions with your office.

Have a nice day.

haha. I wonder if I wasn't bit too harsh. If so, they can stuff it.

[agate]

You've highlighted a pet peeve of mine: The way a person can get a lot of papers and relevant numbers together, juggle them carefully while making a call to deal with an issue, carefully time the call so that it's on a weekday (but not first thing on a Monday) and not during anyone's lunch hour, and keep getting sent to voicemail, leaving a carefully worded message, but getting no call-back.

I'm currently having exactly this experience with a hearing aid place. Two attempts at contact with them on my part have met with no response and it's been a week now.

I'd like to know what response you get from your message, flatcap. But just one more tiresome old saying if you can stand it: "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar."

[flatcap]

If you think that was bad, you should have listened in on the phone call I made today to the front office. (Yes, they finally answered the phone for a change.)

I don't think those people can spell h-o-n-e-y, so I doubt they even know when you are throwing vinegar at them. That one consists of too many letters and would probably cause their heads to explode trying to figure it out.

Besides, it might seem like I am a nice guy, but I am not. I can be especially wrathful when it comes to dealing with incompetents.

I will let you know if I ever get a reply to my email. Since they never have before, I doubt they will reply this time. I don't think they even read their email. I told them as much on the phone.

[flatcap]

Back to falls.

Has anyone ever been concussed as a result of a fall? I am all but certain I have, more than once probably. The back of my head made a loud BANG every time it hit the floor after I have fallen over backwards, which has now been several times.

I would be more concerned about this if it were not for the fact that my brain has already been ravaged by MS. Also, my PCP told me that if I had been concussed, which he thought likely, then the damage was done. Evidently, there is no real treatment for a concussion.

[agate]

No concussions although I've had 4 bleeding head wounds. Those weren't from backwards falls though. The backwards falls just left me with a sore head for a while.

Flatcap, about the fall you had where you vomited right afterwards, was that diagnosed as having caused a concussion? Offhand I can't recall. I do remember asking a moderator to remove a post at your request.

[flatcap]

I wouldn't necessarily say I was diagnosed with a concussion. I didn't see my PCP for a few days after I fell. In view of the way I fell and my description of the sound it made when my head hit the floor, he said something like I probably had been concussed. He then said there was nothing to be done about it at that point. I assumed he meant it was too late and perhaps I should have gone to the ER or something.

He also said it was time to get a cane. He sent me to physical therapy for an evaluation, and they also said I needed to get a cane. They fitted me for one, and I need one 35" in length. I have found a few of them in that length, but I haven't yet ordered one. I should probably get on that. In addition to procrastinating, my vanity has made me reluctant to walk with a cane. It seems too early for that. I should probably try and get over it.

If I do get a cane, it will be the traditional crook-handle type. I do not want one that is adjustable. They cost little or no less than a solid cane, and they are rickety and ugly. They are also less functional in the sense that you cannot easily hook a height-adjustable cane over your arm when you need both hands to do something. The shape of the handle and the balance of a modern height-adjustable cane precludes this.

[flatcap]

Thirty-five-inch solid canes according to Microsoft Copilot.

Question

My doctor tells me I need a cane. Physical therapy tells me I need one that is 35 inches high. I want a solid cane, not one that is adjustable. Adjustable canes are rickety and ugly. I want a traditional, solid cane that doesn't cost too much. Where do you think I should look for one that meets those specifications?

Answer

Certainly! It’s great that you’re looking for a traditional, solid cane that meets your specific requirements. Here are a couple of options for you:

Gillis Canes, LLC: They offer unique handmade walking canes that are both beautiful and functional. Each cane is designed to be comfortable for everyday use. Some of their offerings include:

• Siam and Satinwood Cane: Priced at $1,200.00.

• Oliveri Rosewood Cane: Available for $700.00.

• Purple Acacia Cane: Priced at $800.00.

• Kingwood and Ebony Cane: Offered at $800.00.

• Crotch Rosewood and Bubinga Cane: Priced at $1,200.00.

• Brazilian Kingwood Cane: Available for $700.00.

• Curly Rosewood and Kingwood Cane: Priced at $600.00.

Amazon: You can explore wooden walking sticks on Amazon. One option is the Wooden Walking Stick Solid Cane, which is 35 inches in height. It features a traditional style, is lightweight, and made from solid wood. It also comes with a rubber tip for stability. You can find it on Amazon.

Carex Solid Wood Walking Cane: This cane offers guaranteed stability and durability. It has a classically curved, smooth, and round handle that easily hooks on chairs, railings, or over your arm. While the exact height isn’t specified, you can check if it meets your requirements. It’s available on Amazon for $12.79.

Feel free to explore these options and choose the one that best suits your needs!

Comments

I would call that one fat fail. I looked at the latter two options, and those canes are either of the standard 36" height or folding/adjustable. The others are obviously ridiculously expensive. A follow-up question got me no further.

Copilot evidently has its limits.

Luckily, this was only a test. I have already found a few 35" solid wood canes. I just need to finally order one.