Thursday, May 31, 2012

Internet Dating 101

Internet dating.....where do I start?  Its clearly a part of life these days.  Its not going anywhere.  However; there seems to be a disturbing lack of etiquette!  So, I'm going to outline some things that should and should not be done based on my experience!

1: Read the profile of the prospective date.  All of it.  Bonus points for actually retaining some of the information included in it!  If you have trouble retaining such things then revisit the profile as needed.

2: If you are interested in the person send them a message that includes some information about yourself.  "Hi" is not sufficient!  Extra points for paying the person a compliment.

3: Don't send a vegetarian a photo of your barbeque covered in chicken legs (someone actually did this to me!?).

4: If, during the course of the electronic conversation you feel that you are not clicking with the person, just say so.  Don't just disappear off the face of the earth.

5: If someone tells you that they aren't interested then don't message them again.  You will get blocked.

6: If you progress to the point where you would like to have a date with someone, for the love of Jeebus don't stand them up.  You are an adult, act like it!  If you can't make it for some reason then call the person.

7: Do not start calling the person "hun" or "baby" before you've met.  Don't start with that before you're actually seeing each other on a regular basis!

8: Always meet the person in a public place for at least a few dates.  Note the word MEET.  Do not offer to pick someone up at their place or give them a ride home.  Creepy.

9: Can we please do away with the bathroom mirror pics and duck lips?  Thank you.

10: Do not send unsolicited pics of your genitalia.

11: Do not ridicule anything in my profile or try to change my beliefs on things.  Instant block.

12: If you really want to date me, act like you're interested in ME.  Yes, I want to know about you but you don't need to make all your messages about how wonderful YOU are.

13: Have a picture that accurately represents what you look like.

14: Be honest.  I don't need to know every detail of your life but "fudging" things is lying.  

I will add more as it comes up.


Wednesday, May 23, 2012

/rant

So even though I finished two weeks of oral antibiotics a week ago I'm not feeling so hot.  I called today to ask for IVs.  I just got off the phone with the doc.  We're running out of options of things to treat me with.  Wonderful.  My options are : immipenem or merropenum (both of which are famous for lowering the thresh hold for seizures and I had a bad reaction to merro in the past), tobramycin (which they almost never use on me because I have some minor hearing loss that I doubt is even related), zosyn (which I had an allergic reaction to last time so it would require I get desensitized to it in the ICU), or one of the cefs (ceftaz or cefipime).  So I'm going on ceftaz, cayston, and oral cipro.  Joy.

The doc acted like he was listening to my concerns but then just blew them off.  I just....uhg!  I have a track record of going on and off IV antibiotics when they don't take a chance on them with me.  I'm supposed to go to Oregon in a month.  I don't want to be doing this back and forth shit while trying to take a trip too.

I want to move to a place that has doctors who are willing to be a little bit risky if it means I will do better!

/rant

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

My Invisible Illness

Here are 30 things about my invisible illness that you may not know:

  1. The illness I live with:  cystic fibrosis
  2. I was diagnosed with it in the year:  1981
  3. But I had symptoms since: 1981
  4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is:  going on disability.
  5. Most people assume:  I'm very non-functional.
  6. The hardest part about mornings are:  breathing treatments.
  7. My favorite medical TV show is:  ER.
  8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is:  my vest!
  9. The hardest part about nights are:  more breathing treatments!
  10. Each day I take 30+ pills & vitamins. (No comments, please)
  11. Regarding alternative treatments I: have had great results with massage and acupuncture!
  12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: invisible.
  13. Regarding working and career:  can't do it anymore.
  14. People would be surprised to know:  I wouldn't give up my disease if I had to give up everything it has taught me.
  15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been:  this has always been  my reality.
  16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was:  live on my own.
  17. The commercials about my illness:  there aren't any.
  18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is:  I don't feel like I've missed anything.
  19. It was really hard to have to give up:  sports.
  20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is:  doesn't apply.
  21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would:  I've never felt normal, I wouldn't know what to do!
  22. My illness has taught me: what is important.
  23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is:  you're so thin! 
  24. But I love it when people: treat me just like anyone else.
  25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is:  "This too shall pass."
  26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them:  Its not the end of the world!  Life is wonderful!
  27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is:  I don't know any other way to live so: NA.
  28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was:  house work.
  29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because:  I have 3 invisible illnesses!
  30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel:  hopeful that maybe you understand things a little more.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

*face palm*

I seriously cannot believe that I did this.  I started oral antibiotics last week and at the time I had a few days worth of my pills left in my pill organizer.  I went through those but never bothered to refill it because sometimes the antibiotics and my vitamins upset my stomach.  Well, my antiepileptic usually lives in its little pill pod waiting for its turn.  I, uh, forgot about.  For three days.  Big surprise, I had a seizure yesterday.  I think I still had enough in my system to make it a smaller seizure than my past ones.  I wasn't completely out of it all day long like in the past. 

When I woke up from my long nap my laptop was on the floor upside down, the bathroom door was closed (I never close it because the cat's litter box in there), and I had hit my on something at least twice.  I have a couple of sore spots on my forehead and the top of my head.  I don't remember doing any of this but the cat certainly didn't do it! 

I called my doctor but since this happened because of human error, not breaking through my meds, they aren't going to change anything right now.  I'll have a clinic appointment on June 1st where I'm sure I'll get scolded.