Danger! Offensive comments ahead!
Archive for April 24, 2003
Doctor followup visit today…
Apr 24th
Well, that was good. I’m feeling better than I was two days ago, that’s for sure. Two days ago I finally felt bad enough to go see the doctor. I was actually in bad enough shape that she sent me over to the hospital across the street for a CT scan and alerted a general surgeon in case that was needed. It turned out I didn’t need to surgeon and they just gave me a prescription and sent me home.
I went back in today for a two day followup and both the doctor and the assitant that takes you back to the exam room commented on how much better I looked today. My T cell count was less than half of what it was 2 days ago. I’ve gained back 5 lbs. in just 2 days. I feel much better now, but it’s going to take up to 2 weeks before I’m fully back to normal.
Damn I felt bad. The actual symptoms started on Thursday of last week, and I took that day off and rested. I felt better Friday, so I acted normal. Then Saturday it started up again, and it just got worse on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. My problem turned out to be colitis caused by the antibiotics they gave me during my shoulder surgery. A layman’s description of colitis is that it’s a yeast infection of the colon. Now, any women reading this consider that the typical vaginal canal is only about 6 inches long and the colon is roughly 3 times that at 18 inches long and you can imagine how bad a severe case of colitis might hurt. Next, consider that a woman can quit having sex when she has a yeast infection, my colon has to work just as long as I’m still eating and drinking. So I don’t get a break, and considering how long I put off going to the doctor, you can imagine how bad the problem was…
Now they have me on Flagyl to correct the problem. Flagyl comes with a nice warning: Don’t take with alcohol. I did a little research, and as it turns out, if you drink alcohol with Flagyl, you’re subject to acetaldehyde poisoning. You see, your liver first breaks ethyl alcohol down to acetaldehyde and then another enzyme in the liver breaks the acetaldehyde down to acetic acid (vinegar). Acetic acid is a normal metabolite that the kidneys recognize and flush out of the system. Acetaldehyde on the other hand is a toxic chemical and when it builds up in the body it makes you *very* ill. So, Flagyl keeps the enzyme that breaks acetaldehyde down to acetic acid completely busy all the time. If you drink alcohol with Flagyl, the acetaldehyde builds up in your system and you start “vomiting like a madman” (direct quote from the doctor at the hospital that prescribed the drug for me). Hmmm…methinks I want to avoid “vomiting like a madman”…
Anyway, that’s all for now.
My first entry…hmmm….
Apr 24th
Well, I’ve been pretty ill since I created my account. I had a motorcycle accident about 3 1/2 weeks ago.
OK, quick break from my story just to note that I am watching American Pie for my first time right now and they just did the scene where Jim and some girl are in Jim’s room and everyone else is watching via the webcam….OH MY GOD! That was so pathetic!! Two premature ejaculations in a row without even getting undressed with everyone watching!! How embarassing would that be the next day?
Anyway, I hit a deer on my motorcycle. It tore me up pretty good. It gave me a total separation of my right AC joint (aka, my collar bone got separated from the rest of my shoulder on my right side). Then, as a result of the antibiotics they gave me in surgery I had more complications and problems that resulted in another trip to the doctor yesterday along with 3 x-rays and a CT scan to diagnose my problem.
But, now that they figured the problem out, I’m feeling better. I should be back at work and able to get things accomplished tomorrow.
I had lots of fun this evening going to coffee with our (Ryeth is my wife) friends this evening. I’ve missed a lot of those Wed. evening hang out sessions due to my wreck, but I’m finally able to start going again.
That’s if for now…I’ll add more as things happen 
Auto insurance in NC is such a racket, the Sopranos should be running it…
Apr 24th
Posted by dledford in social commentary
In NC, there is an insurance board that sets prices that the insurance companies in the state have to follow. But, unlike you *might* expect from a state insurance board, they don’t set maximum rates, they set *minimum* rates. Not only that, but it’s basically run by people from the insurance companies themselves. What a total crock of s**t.
So, I learned a lesson with my accident. If you are involved in a wreck and the other person is at fault, their liability insurance covers your vehicle and all medical bills. If you are in a wreck and it’s your fault, then your vehicle is covered by collision coverage, but you have to have a separate medical coverage to get anything for your medical bills. If you are in an accident and no one is at fault, then it is covered under the comprehensive coverage, but again that’s only your vehicle and nothing for your medical bills unless you have the separate medical coverage. Well, I hit a deer. That’s covered under comprehensive. Fine. But I had no idea I had to have separate medical coverage so they aren’t paying a penny towards all that. So far, I’m sure the medical bills have already hit $6,000+ and it’s all going against my health insurance at Red Hat. Red Hat is self insured, United Healthcare is just the plan administrator, so that means all my medical bills are going to be coming out of Red Hat’s bottom line next quarter. That sucks. I feel really bad about doing that to Red Hat, but I couldn’t pay off all those medical bills right now if I had to, so that’s the way it’s going to be.