Multitasking makes you dumber and slower

Slashdot.org had a link to this article on The Atlantic.com Blog about how multitasking causes more stress and can make you stupid. I didn't repost the article because it is long. But it is very informative and well written.

MY EYE! MY EYES!

Yesterday I went to a retina specialist to have my eyes examined. (No not my head, though that may need to be done soon. As I have many children) My Opthamologist noticed some retinopathy at my last checkup. (Tiny blood vessels bleeding in my eyes) I also was seeing letters and words distorted while reading. (My favorite pastime).

So Cassie went with me to drive on the way home as we were told that the eyes would be dilated. We got to the clinic, and only had to wait for a few minutes before we were escorted in to be seen by the doctor. A nurse tech dilated and numbed my eyes then took my eye BP and said that it was normal. (Yeah!) Then she asked some questions. The doctor then came and gave me an exam. He said I had mild retinopathy in my left eye. But mild to severe retinopathy in my right. He then explained what the procedure was next.

They inject me with a yellow food based dye to act as a contrast so they can see where the blood is leaking, and then take some pictures. All the nurses were very pleasant and competent as they took the pics. Next the doctor said he was going to use the laser to dry up the bleeding.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

They sat me down in the chair with what looked like the normal exam tools with a laser added. The nurse then numbed my right eye again and the doctor took a magnifying contact lens and placed it on my eye and proceeded to blast away the bleeding spots on my retina. It was cool! He went zap, zap, zap, zap, zap, zap, zap to all the spots. What I saw was a very brief pinpoint of light flash in many spots in my eye. The whole procedure took, not even five minutes, and I was outa there! There was no pain nor any discomfort. The people were very friendly, helpful and professional.

I have to go back in two weeks to get my left eye done and then back in two months for a final checkup. The doctor told me that getting and keeping my sugars under control is the best way to keep the retinopathy at bay, so with the help of my darling wife and the rest of my family I will try to be better at it.

After my next visit I will post some pics of my retina the doctor said he will give me.

By the way, the wonderful doctor and organization that is treating me is Mid Atlantic Retina/Wills Retina Surgeons and my doctor is Carl D, Regillo MD. Some of the nurses were Samantha, Nancy and two others whose names I can't recall at this time. What a great team and a wonderful facility.

My Pain Doctor Visit!

Today I went to see a pain specialist. Wait let me back up a bit as I haven't posted about this situation before.

I have been suffering from extreme back pain since September last year. I'm not exactly sure what caused it but in September it got to the point that I couldn't walk, sleep or work. My wife set me up with an appointment with her Rheumatologist. It took two weeks to finally see him. My Primary Care Physician wasn't sure of what was going on and had prescribed Percocet for the pain and sent me for x rays. Meanwhile I saw the specialist. He sent me for an MRI but I wasn't able to fit in the machine, so I had to settle for a CT Scan. After reviewing the films and the report he said I needed to see a pain specialist. His diagnosis was that I had a herniated disk and Spinal Stenosis, and that I needed an epidural steroid.

I made an appointment with the specialist that he recommended. I was thinking that I would finally be able too get some relief from this horrendous pain. Yeah right!
Cassie and I went together that day. When I explained my situation to him he looked me right in the eye and said that he wouldn't give me the epidural I needed because he was afraid I would break his table. You can probably imagine how I felt after that statement. He then sent me to physical therapy to lose ten pounds and then, come back to see him. He also prescribed some meds and a Tens unit. This took place in October. I went to P.T. and after three visits the pain got worse and I also tore my rotator cuff again getting out of the pool at the YMCA where the P.T. was taking place. I went back to see my Rheumatologist and he suggested I try to find a pain Doctor that could help me. There aren't very many around. I was happy to tell him that I wasn't going back to that pain quack.

I finally found a Doctor that could help me. Now it is January 2008 almost four months after the problem became so bad I had to seek help and I saw the Doc. He actually examined me, (The other guy didn't) and discovered that in addition to the severe pain there was also weakness in my leg. He explained that the nerve that was affected was being compressed thus causing the pain. But the weakness was caused by damage to the nerve which may be unable to heal. He also said I should have had the epidural a lot sooner before the nerve became damaged. He scheduled me for three injections a month apart for each. After that we'll re-evaluate the situation.

I wish I had seen this doctor the first time. I am so freaking mad. Because the first pain doctor didn't want to treat me (I guess he discriminates against fat people) I may have permanent nerve damage. I always tell my kids not to be mean to people and to treat everyone with respect because what goes around comes around. Casie and I found out that the first pain doctor's practice broke up and he is no longer practicing medicine.

Arrrrghhhhhhhh!

I'm a conservative Republican. In my house the only Republican. All the rest are liberal Democrats. You can imagine how that goes when we try to have any kind of political conversations. Tonight was no different. Somehow the topic of the evening was Bush bashing. I voted for the guy. I know he's not the greatest President we've ever had but he is certainly not the worst. IMHO he's a whole lot better than Clinton ever was. Unfortunately God help me if I try to support Bush, or even worse bash Clinton. You'd have thought I spat in every one's faces. Tonight is one of those nights where I spoke up against Clinton. Now I think I'm in the doghouse.
I truly believe every one is entitled to their opinions, even though they are wrong!

Circuit City Warranties SUCK!

A year ago Cassie and I bought an Acer computer at Circuit City in Moorestown, NJ. It was going to be used by our school age children. After two months it just up and stopped working. Cassie said, fortunately we got the extended warranty. The salesman at the store told us when we bought it, that we could either have it fixed or just bring it in for a replacement. Yeah right!

We brought the tower into the store and the Firedog team told us to leave it with them and they would do a diagnostic on it to see if it could be fixed. Later that evening we get a call from one of the techies telling us that the motherboard and possibly the hard drive was fried. So we go back to the store to get another computer like the original salesman told us. We get there and we are told we have to send it back to the manufacturer at our own cost. What! No! We bought the warranty! They then told us that the manufacturer's warranty has to be used first and after it expires in a year theirs goes into effect.

After a half hour of arguing with just about every one at the store Cassie and I left and went over to CompUsa right down the street. We bought a very similar PC for about the same price. When the salesman asked us if we wanted the extended warranty I asked a lot of questions and had each of them answered by the guy showing us where each was written on the warranty sheet. It turns out that the warranty is a one shot deal with them. First it's not as expensive ($39.00) and we just have to bring in the old one and exchange it for a new one. We bought a flat screen monitor there that got fried when the motherboard on the Acer PC went bad, brought it back to CompUsa and they exchanged it with no hassle. We also bought a new warranty at $39.00 for it too, Just in case.

Cassie and decided to let the Acer PC gather dust for a year and at the end of the year we would bring it back to Circuit City and get it replaced. Yeah Right! We brought the PC back this afternoon and once again had to have it diagnosed even though I told them what the problem was (in great detail). During dinner we get a call from the techie saying that Yes, indeed the motherboard had fried, just as I said, and would we like to come pick up the computer tonight. Wow! I said. That's fast service! I didn't expect it to be fixed that soon. Oh it's not fixed, the techie said. You have to bring it home and call the insurance company that carries the warranty and have their service technician come to your house to fix it. I started growling into the phone and the guy asked me if I wanted to speak to his manager. Indeed I do! I said. So to make a very long and frustrating story short the end result is that they are going to send the tower out and call me to pick it up when it's fixed.

I'd like to say that that settles that, but I'll believe it when the PC is on the desk and working. I've got my fingers crossed. You better believe I won't be shopping at the Circuit City any more. On the way home we passed a sign near CompUsa that said that they were closing the store in Moorestown. Rats! Now what am I going to do! The next closest store is in Freehold!

Oh well that's the way this story ends.

A New Beginning

This blog was originally begun as a means to post comments on other Blogger posts. I have my own domain and that's where I usually post (http://www.twhgrafx.xom). I was thinking about what to use this blog for and came up with the idea for this after getting an old coot bobble head for Christmas. I am still in the planning stage for this blog (design and purpose) so it may be awhile before the blasted thing is ready for the general blogosphere.
I'm thinking it may be about my attitudes and impressions of becoming a senior citizen (old fart as my children call me) and possibly posting info relating to us kinder and gentler old coots.
So please stay tuned.