Do you use your turn signal religiously?

Do you use your turn signal religiously? Does it annoy you when others don't?  Are there times when it's okay to ditch using a turn signal? 

Well, it is never okay to ditch using a turn signal.  Just like it is never okay to drive without a seatbelt on.

It’s simply amazing how many drivers change lanes, merge or turn without using their turn signals. And it’s not just limited to the public; I’ve even seen police officers fail to signal.

I got so flipping mad the other day trying to drive out of a shopping center and not one but five cars not using their directional signals to let me know they were entering where I was trying to get out????  Yikes, so much disrespect on the road.

Bad enough we have to worry about others texting while driving and using their cell phones to their ear and driving with one hand.  While doing all this, they have babies in a car seat. That is when I go totally insane!  And, gals...put your makeup on at home and stop using the rear view mirror to re-apply your lipstick!

The turn signal is a vital safety feature that is not only required to be built in as a standard equipment on all vehicles, but their use by the driver in everyday driving is required by law!  Listen up folks!

Pleeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzze be responsible?

How do you stop the Telemarketer calls?

When the Do-Not-Call Implementation Act of 2003 was passed, it was supposed to start a new era of silence -- as in, no more annoying dinner-time telemarketing calls.

The volume of calls did drop significantly after I registered my home and cell phone number with the Federal Trade Commission's National Do Not Call Registry.  But because so many types of organizations are exempt from the legislation and so many shady companies ignore the rules, everyone I know still gets pestered relentlessly.

I have Caller ID, and use it to screen incoming calls but that does not stop the calls that wake me up early in the morning!  And the new callers that pop up saying:  “Out of Area” with no telephone number or another that says “unknown caller”.  And, a new Smart Ass that uses the number 1-000-000-0000!  The telephone company should not allow this.  I once had a service that a recorder would go on if the caller did not identify themselves.  That service from the telephone company no longer exists.

If I don't recognize the name or number, I let it go to voicemail. If the line goes dead, that usually means it was a robo-call and there was no live operator available. Either way, you'll likely continue to receive calls from the same number unless you take action.  Again, I continue to report these calls.

The Telephone company is useless in helping with this matter.  So, I’m paying my telephone company to allow these calls to annoy me!  And, the Telemarketers are getting a free ride from the Telephone Company.  I once paid to Block calls and that didn’t work either.

If a message is left by a Telemarketer and you think the organization is legitimate, call them back to request being put on their own internal Do Not Call list, which they're required to maintain by law or face steep fines. Log the date you make this request so if there are future violations, you'll be able to file an FTC complaint or, if the problem escalates, take the company to court.

I religiously report all these relentless calls to the FTC.  I have no idea if they ever did anything about my complaints.  These annoying calls continue as early as this morning at 7:45 AM and woke me up.  It really stinks when you are not feeling well and finally got to sleep to welcome the very much rest needed and the damn phone wakes you up and it is a Telemarketer AGAIN!

Does anyone have a solution to this?

Starting my long journey with an antibiotic therapy!

I have not posted on my “Roses Are Read” site in a long time due to the horrific pain that I’m in.  So, I thought I’d write a paragraph or two each day which is also like me keeping a journal of my progress.

Almost a year ago, I was getting very discouraged with my doctor.  I was feeling neglected.  My pain was worsening with the new diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis/Scleroderma.  Your body simply tells you something is very wrong!  It all started with swollen hands and swollen feet at first.

With constant complaining for over 10 months, my doctor finally sent me to a Rheumatologist, who sent me for countless blood work testing, breathing tests, Scans, electrocardiograms, etc.  And at my first visit with the Specialist, he gave me cortisone shots on both shoulders.  The very next day, I felt like a new person.  However, being mobile and pain free again was short lived and depression was setting in.  I have a nurse friend who warned me that the cortisone shots were only a temporary fix.  She was right.  She also felt that I couldn't possibly have R/A but the numerous blood tests clearly showed "Rheumatoid" and "Scleroderma".  

Months went by with countless trips to the Rheumatologist’s office, who the bad mannered doctor never stepped in beyond the threshold of the doorway.  He just placed his tablet against the wall and wrote with his stylus pen.  My visits were less than 7 minutes each time and my wallet was hurting from all the copayments.  He would just look at my swollen hands and then ask me how my breathing was.  That was it.  Oh, and schedule another appointment for me a week later.  Well, I decided that was my last appointment with the Rheumatologist!  If he was so concerned about my breathing, he never put the stethoscope to my chest and back!  duh!

WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This time, I vented out and emailed my Primary Care doctor’s office manager a very long letter expressing my feelings and that I needed help ASAP.  I was in tears!  Frustrated, extreme pain and no one was helping me!

Two days later, I received a call from my Primary Care doctor and he told me that he didn’t like the way my Rheumatologist was treating me with four months of Medrol, as I was vomiting and still in terrible pain.  My doctor said to me, I will be back under his care and no longer with the Rheumatologist who he knew I disliked because of his bad manners.

My doctor then presented to me that he would like to try an antibiotic protocol.  I’m grateful that he wasn’t afraid to think outside the box.  The Minocycline Therapy is a long road to take but I was willing to do anything to relieve me from the pain but not without me doing some research on my own first and was so lucky to find the website “The Road Back Foundation”.  This Foundation is located in Cambridge, MA.  That alone made me feel good.  Boston people are smart people.  Boston has the best medical doctors and hospitals.  I know this first hand as I was born there.

My doctor did warn me that this drug could cause the “Herxheimer effect” which is described as a reaction to treatment in which the symptoms of the disease get worse at the start of therapy, a paradoxical sign that the infectious source of a disease is under attack.  Well, that held true after taking the first round of pills.  The pain got worse.

It was as though I could actually feel what was happening in my body that the cause of the arthritis was being attacked and destroyed and carried out of my system, and it is a blessing even though still in pain!  It helps alot to know in advance what to expect instead of going into it blindfolded.

As a rule, patients have little medical knowledge but we often have a particular understanding of our own disease.  I have acquired most of my information from extensive reading and from conversations with others who suffer from the same affliction. 

Shame on you if you do not become your own advocate of your own body!  No one cares more than you and don’t just accept a written prescription from your doctor without asking lots of questions.  And, always ask for copies of your test results and CDs of all the MRI, CTscans, Xrays, etc.

I keep a daily journal of how the medication is affecting me. 

Without this community of people and my kind and caring friends and family, I would not have been able to go forward, as the pain is so intense.

Depression is a real part of the pathology as the pain and crippling.   Arthritics have a hard time fighting back because they don’t feel they really deserve much better.  That attitude may be the one contagious part of the disease one doctor wrote in a study on R/A.

I do not know what my future will bring because of having Rheumatoid Arthritis/Scleroderma as part of my medical history, but I do know that right now my mind, body and soul is going to get healthy and stronger again because I refused to accept the hopeless future that was presented to me.

This very old antibiotic protocol is something every person suffering with R/A should look into.  The new drugs and the pharmaceuticals draining people of their savings is like the goose that lays that kind of golden annuity!

I would like to reach out to anyone with Rheumatoid Arthritis/Scleroderma to research, Dr. Thomas Brown.  His studies on R/A was the big breakthrough in a book he wrote and was published in 1995. 

Or just look up The Road Back Foundation.  You will find all the information you need in that site.  Good Luck and my prayers go out to you as I also need your prayers in return as this will be a very long rollercoaster ride.

Did You Know?

Did You Know?

1.

Your  shoes are the first thing people subconsciously

notice  about you. Wear nice shoes.

2.

If  you sit for more than 11 hours a day,

there's  a 50% chance you'll die within the next 3 years

3.

There  are at least 6 people in the world who look exactly  like you.

There's  a 9% chance that you'll meet one of them in  your lifetime.

4.

Sleeping  without a pillow reduces back pain

and  keeps your spine stronger.

5.

A  person’s height is determined by their father,

and  their weight is determined by their mother.

6.

If a  part of your body "falls asleep", you can almost always "wake  it up" by shaking your head.

7.

There  are three things the human brain cannot resist noticing -  food, attractive people and danger

8.

Right-handed  people tend to chew food on their right side

9.

Putting  dry tea bags in gym bags or smelly shoes

will  absorb the unpleasant odor.

10.

According  to Albert Einstein;

if  honey bees were to disappear from earth,

humans  would be dead within 4 years.

11.

There  are so many kinds of apples,

that  if you ate a new one every day,

it  would take over 20 years to try them all.

12.

You  can survive without eating for weeks,

but  you will only live 11 days without sleeping.

13.

People  who laugh a lot are healthier than those who don’t.

14.

Laziness  and inactivity kills just as many people as smoking.

15.

A  human brain has a capacity to store 5 times

as  much information as Wikipedia

16.

Our  brain uses the same amount of power

as a  10-watt light bulb!!

17.

Our  body gives enough heat in 30 minutes

to  boil 1.5 liters of water!!

18.

The  Ovum egg is the largest cell

and  the sperm is the smallest cell !!

19.

Stomach  acid (concentrated HCl) is strong enough

to  dissolve razor blades!!

20.

Take  a 10-30 minute walk every day & while you walk,

.

It is  the ultimate antidepressant.

21.

Sit  in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

22.

When  you wake up in the morning,

think about your purpose and goal, today.

23.

Eat  more foods that grow on trees and plants

and  eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

24.

Drink  green tea and plenty of water.

Eat  blueberries, broccoli, and almonds.

25.

Try  to make at least three people smile each day.

26.

Don't  waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires,

issues  of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control.

Instead  invest your energy in the positive present moment.

27.

Eat  breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince

and  dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

28.

Life  isn't fair, but it's still good.

29.

*Life  is too short to waste time hating anyone.

Forgive  everyone for everything!

30.

*Don't  take yourself so seriously.

No  one else does.

31.

*You  don't have to win every argument.

Agree  to disagree.

32.

*Make  peace with your past

  so  it won't spoil the present.

33.

*Don't  compare your life to others.

You  have no idea what their journey is all about.

34.

No  one is in charge of your happiness

-  except you.

35.

Frame  every so-called disaster with these words:

'In  five years, will this matter?'

36.

Help  the needy, be generous!

Be a  'Giver' not a 'Taker'

37.

What  other people think of you

- is  none of your business.

38.

Time  heals everything.

39.

*However  good or bad a situation is,

it  will change.

40.

Your  job won't take care of you when you are sick.

Your  family and friends will. Stay in touch.

41.

Envy  is a waste of time.

You  already have all you need.

42.

Each  night before you go to bed,

 be thankful for what you accomplished today !

43.

Remember  that you are too blessed to be stressed.

Happy Father's Day to all!

Smooth Sailing!

I don’t know about you, but when I’m looking good on the outside and when I can fit into my skinny jeans and only when the best hairdresser in the world makes me look great (my son)……………..my day seems to go more smoothly and I can handle setbacks more easily.  But, my hair only looks good when I go to Boston where my son lives and he works his magic on my hair.

When you feel good on the outside, it helps handle the daily grind.  But, tackling challenges is much easier and more dramatic when you feel good about yourself on the inside as well.

A strong self-worth builds personal resilience, which helps you face challenges and bounce back from adversity. You grow stronger from the inside out, and feel the confidence to persevere and move forward with enthusiasm.

WW

So when things go wrong, don’t reach for your credit card like I used to do to find a great pair of good looking shoes!  I guess I lost interest in those "hot" looking shoes since my chubby, swollen, painful feet no longer can wear them.  LOL

I have no choice but to reach inside for that priceless deposit of self-worth.  It's smooth sailing everytime!

Had my annual eye exam yesterday.  My appointment was at 2:00 PM and I got home after 6:00 PM.  They confused my file with another lady named, Rose!  Ugh!  Need I say more about my day?  Don't get me started with the medical field and their staff!

Before I was a Mom!

Before I was a Mom -

I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom -
I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never been puked on - Pooped on - Spit on - Chewed on, or Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and My thoughts. I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests...or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life 
so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known The warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

Life Isn't A Nursery Rhyme!

I have not posted on my blog in a while as I have been sitting in doctor’s offices/ appointments with Specialists and many, many tests taken, MRIs, CT scans, Echocardiograms, Breathing Tests in that tiny booth for an hour of breathing tests, X-rays, tons and tons of blood work, etc.  Boy, the co- payments for all these were draining my wallet.

The diagnosis is Rheumatoid Arthritis with overlapping Scleroderma! I'm currently on Predisone which is a harsh drug and gives you a Moon Face and a hump at the nape of your neck!  Ugh!  I've been on this drug since February and can't wait to be weened off of it soon. R/A is bad enough but Scleroderma turns your body into stone and can affect all the major internal organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, etc.

I complained for 8 long months to my Primary Care doctor that I was in extreme pain and unable to even dress myself or raise my hands above my head.  My hands and feet were swollen really bad.  I also was experiencing difficulty swallowing.  I learned to continue to speak up until my doctor heard my pain loud and clear!  You have to continue to speak up when you have problems and notice changes in your condition, don't feel too self-conscious to speak up during your appointment or even call your doctor or another member of your health care team.

No problem is too small to inquire about, and early treatment for any problem can make the disease more manageable for you and your health care team.

It's understandable that a person with a chronic illness like Rheumatoid Arthritis/Scleroderma would become depressed.  I try hard not to accept depression as a normal consequence of my condition.  If depression makes it hard for you to function well, don't hesitate to ask your health care team for help.

I think it is a must to learn skills like meditation, calming exercises, and relaxation techniques may help you cope with emotional difficulties as well as help relieve pain and fatigue.

If you have problems doing daily activities, from brushing your hair and teeth to driving your car like I was going thru, consult an occupational or physical therapist. They have more helpful hints and devices than you can probably imagine.

Of course, we all resort to our computers to do research as the doctors will not spend the time with you to explain everything.  The clock is ticking in a doctor’s office and they want the next patient in so they can meet their quota for the day to fatten up their bank account.

I live in Florida, so exercising in my community pool turned out to be my best friend, as it hurt too much to continue going to my Silver Sneakers classes three days a week.  It doesn’t hurt to exercise in the water.

If anyone out there is experiencing leg pain, don't forget to put a bar of soap at the foot of your bed under the fitted sheet.  Check it out for yourselves online.  It truly does work and if the pain comes back months later, replace the bar of soap and use the old one in your shower to bath with.

What happened to the Oath all doctors took??????  I had to fight tooth and nail to get a referral to see a Specialist.  Well, I’m on an HMO.  If I were on a PPO I would not need referrals.  But PPOs are expensive.

Since just yesterday before I decided to get back on my blog and write, I was chatting to two friends, one is a lovely blogger friend and the other is my Maid of Honor, both going thru serious medical issues.  Also, I mentioned a year ago, that my son was diagnosed with CML which is Leukemia and the news put me in an emotional state of depression then.  

All mothers will agree, we worry constantly about our children no matter their age.

So, we all need the strength to deal with these chronic diseases and need tons of prayers not only for ourselves but for the people we love and care about.  I strongly believe in the power of prayers!