Newbie,,,short notice need answers

[PepsiDoodles]

Thank you so much Maria! Yes, he is very resourceful and knowledgeable also!!!!! Talked to a friend in So CA a few minutes ago, had almost as much as I am having, but said same, when she saw what this doc wants to do, run for another opinion! She said wished I lived down there as could have her surgeon do it, and he is very good,,,but am 600 or more miles north of there! And have hard time getting around here lol! Anyway, thank you for your support and help, will let you know what way it goes,,, and yes, parents will feel as much pain if not more knowing their children have to suffer so.....I have no children,,but watched my mother cry for me many times over the years,,,broke my heart to see her cry...miss her every day, she died in my arms almost 7 yrs ago, still seems like yesterday..........back soon when loaded with better answers I HOPE xxoo

[Maria]

well you might want to give Dr. Coufal's office a call and see whether he would see you (or talk to Mark about this possibility). Would be well worth the consultation if he'd be willing. It's a trip down south to La Jolla and right outside of San Diego. Super nice area.

My first ADR consultation was with a surgeon at UCSF (I used to work there in Neurology and Neurosurgery back in early 80's!) around 2003. I had just moved to Florida for a year and half and then got that consultation at UCSF thru WC.

Anyway good luck with other consultation. Keep us posted!

Maria

[PepsiDoodles]

Thank you Maria, no way to get down there though! Wish I lived in FL!

[Maria]

While I liked the winter there I didn't like the summer which could last anywhere from May to usually beginning of November with incredible heat and humidity. Esp. July on... rain pretty much daily I think like Aug thru Oct and the biggest bugs I've ever seen except maybe when in parts of Mexico!

My arthritis didn't respond well to the humidity at all. In fact I think my hands hurt so much in the summer there I almost didn't feel how much my back hurt!

So while I know there are many people that love to live in Florida I was not one of them. Also I was not able to even find one spine doctor that would see me because my back is covered by CA WC and also only 1 PM out of 200 that I checked with would see me and we had to drive an hour each way for me to see him then sit and wait for 2 hours to be seen for 2 minutes and drive back.. it was pretty bad really, at least for me.

I'm good with staying right here in good ol' SoCal or CA (southern because it was warmer than living in SF back when I used to live there) in the Richmond district.

Sometimes there are some good rates on flights from Oakland/ SF to San Diego or LAX. I see Fairfield is about 38 miles from SF and 33 from Oakland.. so guess you're not that close to the airports but not super far away and then I don't have any idea how well you travel.. I can only take so much bouncing around and now that my feet are problematic things are a bit more "challenging" to deal with~

[PepsiDoodles]

Yes I love Florida, bad weather and all, but I got out of there fast when a hurricane was coming close and I was in key West..

Lived in southern CA also, Temecula, had a business there, and like you said to, the weather there is so much more accommodating!

Right now I don't drive, nor do I have any friends here that do, in fact no friends here at all. The car I have is dead, pistons an all the fixings went wrong, tried to have it fixed, way to much more than it's worth, so gave up on that, as in the past 2 yrs, went through 2 BMW's and Mercedes SUV, and now this last car, all similar problems,,,so for me, the thought of dealing with that issue right now gives me a migraine lol

I get to dr apts with the help of ins, but found out yesterday should be on Medicare instead of Medi-cal, so need to go to SSA this week.

Travel right now for me is not an option, unless a hour ride or less, my service dog just had cancer surgery, started Nov 1st, and had another one 2 weeks ago, so can't really go anywhere, unless for a day flight and back? And providing ins would cover it, but if done so far away, just to many things, no where to stay near for recovery and follow ups and so on, great idea, but not in a position to do that, wish I were rich, but this illness has killed me financially, in every way shape and form!

But somehow am making it work, have not given up just yet, but yes need more opinions even if 1 has any better options...talked to a friend last night, she also had done similar surgery, but she also said way to much all at once, and to run for another opinion..so will be a busy week am sure.

Sent my stuff to Mark, not sure if he got it all have not herd, will try to touch base with him today and find out.

Wish I was back in SOCA least have several friends scattered about down there Have a great day xxoo

[Maria]

I don't drive much anymore and definitely not on the freeway. I would either get a ride to the airport or take Super shuttle or something of this nature. I can certainly understand not wanting to go anywhere while your dog is recovering though as I don't go almost anywhere now because of my 19 y.o. Persian Cat that's in stage 3 chronic kidney failure. I don't like to leave her for very long during the day even let alone overnight. I have a dog too but she is staying with my ex since I've not been able to walk her regularly with regard to my feet and also staying because my cat needs to finish out her life alone with me at this point.

I have a 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Limited. Great vehicle that has had almost no probs since I got it in 2005. Something is going on with it now that needs to be checked out though hopefully it can wait a bit longer. it is a huge gas guzzler though I do like driving it re my back being comfortable in it and it's size seems to be more protective than many smaller vehicles.

When I lived in SF I didn't have a car and most of my friends didn't have one either as if they did they paid more in parking tickets a month than they did the car payment just about.

What kind of dog do you have? I have a darling little Mini schnauzer, Lola. She's got a very enlarged heart and is on 2 cardiac meds twice/day and Lasix twice daily too. She is much more delicate now because of her heart and her life expectancy supposedly is greatly reduced because of how enlarged her heart is (she'll be 11 y.o. in June).

I hope your dog is recovering well. Are you on FB? Most of what I post there are photos of Alaska (cat) and Lola (dog).

Glad you're getting your stuff to Mark. You'll hear from him soon I'm sure.

Ok take care and hope your weekend is going Ok~ I've been staying off my feet as much as possible as my posterior tibial tendonitis is flared up and weight bearing just flares it up more. Hopefully soon the flare will pass and I can be a bit more active. Maria

[PepsiDoodles]

Yes, she is recovering very well so far, just pray no more lumps, she has MCT type canine cancer, but it is what they call "spindle" grows with finger like projections and can pop up anywhere or in any organ, just pary they got it sll, she has to have regular blood work done as well monthly vet visits for the next 6 months, so would be better to be here..

She is my little "hero",,, she sees' organ failures such as heart, liver, kidneys and other things as well as does things,,all in a small 20 lb package of a Doxie that in her mind she is a doberman in disguise lol. On Thanksgiving day she saved us both in a huge way, there was a natural gas leak in the house, woke to her standing on my chest barking at the top of her lungs, I looked at clock it said 10:30, I never sleep past 7 am,,then once I came to smelled gas grabbed her and ran out door called fire dept, was so sick,,,,they said 20 more min I would of been dead,,,not the only time she has done her heroic job, she has saved a few friends as well as my late fiance, several times I truely would not be here without her

You can see my page on FB, she has her own pagehttps://www.facebook.com/pepsidoodles.haley.9 and mine is here is a link https://www.facebook.com/betty.haley.9 please feel free to add us!

I am spending my time resting mostly the past few weeks now and making homemade soup, as it is easy and will last a weeks worth at a time...

Need to go to SSA this week, found out I should be on medicare not medical, so need to get that taken care of right away, so many things to get done and time going fast!

Off now, had beans soaking overnight and ham diced to go in, still getting weird tingles and numbness, but told doc would keep phone near as well all meds records but cant take this in bad stuff day in day out, have to move around some

Hope to see you on FB,,xxoo