Two years ago this week, many residents of San Diego County had to evacuate, as multiple wildfires raged through the area. I was here then. Where I worked, we had two days off, because so many other employees were busy evacuating. We were close, but we didn't have to evacuate after all. We were damn close, though, as I remember. I was on "PD" at the time, as I am now too, and I received instructions for what to do, and what to take with me, should we have to evacuate. Considering that I'd either have had to do 4 manual exchanges a day, or drag the machine with me, I was very much relieved that we didn't have to evacuate. My car was in two transmission shops during the firestorm, and was full of ashes, inside and out. I couldn't quite figure out how the ashes got inside the car, since it was closed up most of the time...but apparently it has some flimsy seals around the windows and doors.
Four years ago next week, several wildfires raged through San Diego County as well.
The 2003 and 2007 firestorms had one thing in common: the air quality was horrible. I remember how the patio, and the cars, were full of ashes, and the sky was gray with smoke.
Let's not have another firestorm this year, OK?? I'd fully appreciate if we'd all be extra careful, and do what it takes to NOT start a fire.
Good health and safety to one and all!!
xoxo
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Latest Liver News~~~~~
Last week, I learned that a recent ultrasound done on my gallbladder, liver, and spleen, showed that I may have a hemangioma in my liver. I wonder if that's really what showed up. I know that I have a polycystic liver...I wonder if a liver cyst could look like a hemangioma....
The results of today's MRI will tell me for sure.
I have no symptoms. I had no idea this was going on. But, having only one liver, and it's been hard enough finding a kidney donor...I really don't need any problems with liver failure at this point.
At this point, I'm kind of tired...possibly from being anemic...possibly from who-knows-what...but I wanted to touch base.
Oh, and the latest snag in getting a kidney transplant is, that...well, let me back up. I've had Medicare since May, 2008, due to End-Stage Renal Disease and being on dialysis. At first I was in Ohio, where I finally got Ohio Medicaid after having been there for almost a year. Then I came back here, to California. I'm still trying to get Medi-Cal, but here's the snag. Medi-Cal says that it's up to the Federal government to get me started with Medi-Cal, because I am receiving Social Security benefits. Social Security, on the other hand, says that it's up to the state, because Medi-Cal is a state program. They keep referring me to each other, I presume because neither wants anything to do with a high-risk patient like me. I don't know....all I know is that I need Medi-Cal before Sharp will let me get a kidney transplant...so I sure wish I could hurry things along and get it all straightened out once and for all!!!!! I am entitled to Medi-Cal benefits...again, because of End-Stage Renal Disease, and because I'm on Social Security. Plus that I'll go absolutely broke paying the part of my bills that Medicare doesn't cover.
Thanks for stopping by again!!
xoxo
The results of today's MRI will tell me for sure.
I have no symptoms. I had no idea this was going on. But, having only one liver, and it's been hard enough finding a kidney donor...I really don't need any problems with liver failure at this point.
At this point, I'm kind of tired...possibly from being anemic...possibly from who-knows-what...but I wanted to touch base.
Oh, and the latest snag in getting a kidney transplant is, that...well, let me back up. I've had Medicare since May, 2008, due to End-Stage Renal Disease and being on dialysis. At first I was in Ohio, where I finally got Ohio Medicaid after having been there for almost a year. Then I came back here, to California. I'm still trying to get Medi-Cal, but here's the snag. Medi-Cal says that it's up to the Federal government to get me started with Medi-Cal, because I am receiving Social Security benefits. Social Security, on the other hand, says that it's up to the state, because Medi-Cal is a state program. They keep referring me to each other, I presume because neither wants anything to do with a high-risk patient like me. I don't know....all I know is that I need Medi-Cal before Sharp will let me get a kidney transplant...so I sure wish I could hurry things along and get it all straightened out once and for all!!!!! I am entitled to Medi-Cal benefits...again, because of End-Stage Renal Disease, and because I'm on Social Security. Plus that I'll go absolutely broke paying the part of my bills that Medicare doesn't cover.
Thanks for stopping by again!!
xoxo
Thursday, October 1, 2009
My Cats' Names~
I wanted to do this, following the last post, of how I got my name.
My cats...
Well, I don't think I did half bad on naming them, considering...
Let me back up again, as I did on my last post.
Waaaaaay back when, in 1960, my mom's parents acquired two cats. Their cats were originally named Antony Armstrong Jones (Tony), and Queen Elizabeth--after two members of the Royal Family at the time. But, soon, they discovered that Queen Elizabeth was a boy kitty, so they had to change his name. Mom's sister knew someone in school by the name of Jerry, and she liked that name, so...majority vote went with that. Hence, the two cats' names were Tony and Jerry--Tony short for Antony Armstrong Jones, and Jerry short for...Jerry.
Tony and Jerry the firsts lived until 1974, when my maternal grandfather had them put to sleep shortly after Grandma passed. (Awwwwwwwwwwww)...
August 29, 2001, I met my little kittens for the first time. They were just hours old at the time. I almost named one of my boys Stripes, for the fact that they have very obvious stripes. But then, I thought, I'd like to give them family names. We did indeed have a Tony and Jerry in the cat family....so, I went with that, for the boys of course.
My girl became Muppet, which is kitten-talk for Muffin, which she has always been...my little muffin. And for short, she's Mup.
Gee, that was easy!!
Thanks again for stopping by!!
Love ya!
My cats...
Well, I don't think I did half bad on naming them, considering...
Let me back up again, as I did on my last post.
Waaaaaay back when, in 1960, my mom's parents acquired two cats. Their cats were originally named Antony Armstrong Jones (Tony), and Queen Elizabeth--after two members of the Royal Family at the time. But, soon, they discovered that Queen Elizabeth was a boy kitty, so they had to change his name. Mom's sister knew someone in school by the name of Jerry, and she liked that name, so...majority vote went with that. Hence, the two cats' names were Tony and Jerry--Tony short for Antony Armstrong Jones, and Jerry short for...Jerry.
Tony and Jerry the firsts lived until 1974, when my maternal grandfather had them put to sleep shortly after Grandma passed. (Awwwwwwwwwwww)...
August 29, 2001, I met my little kittens for the first time. They were just hours old at the time. I almost named one of my boys Stripes, for the fact that they have very obvious stripes. But then, I thought, I'd like to give them family names. We did indeed have a Tony and Jerry in the cat family....so, I went with that, for the boys of course.
My girl became Muppet, which is kitten-talk for Muffin, which she has always been...my little muffin. And for short, she's Mup.
Gee, that was easy!!
Thanks again for stopping by!!
Love ya!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
How I Got My Name~~~~
Just for the heck of it, I thought I'd share with you, how I got my name.
Let me back up a bit, first.
My maternal grandmother's name was Lila Victoria Rini--Italian. We are, in fact, distant relatives of the founders of Rini's Stop-N-Shop in Cleveland, Ohio, a supermarket that has long since closed down. Grandma's older sister was Anne, from whom my mom gets her middle name. Mom is Judith Anne. I mention this because it gives you an idea of some of our family names.
Mom married first in 1965, a brief marriage that she prefers not to talk about much. During that marriage, she got pregnant. That pregnancy ended in miscarriage--would have been a girl, and Mom would have named her Victoria Anne.
Mom married my dad on December 10, 1968. When she was pregnant with me a year later, she decided that, if I was a girl (which, naturally, I am), I'd still be Victoria, but...new husband, new baby...scratch the middle name of Anne. I was going to have a different middle name...after all, I was a different person. Mom's Aunt Anne used to call my Grandma "Lou", as a nickname. How she got "Lou" out of Lila, I have no idea. But...that nickname stuck with my mom, and she lengthened it to Louise, to be my middle name.
The other thing was, that Mom knew two girls, during her school years--one was Vicky, and the other was Louise.
I was, therefore, named for my maternal grandmother only in reverse, and also for Mom's two friends from school.
By coincidence, Grandma, for whom I was named, also had one other thing in common with me. She had two brain aneurysms in her lifetime. The second of those two was what killed her, when she was only 50. Years later, I was diagnosed with PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease). And some years after that, we learned that the same gene that causes PKD also causes brain aneurysms. Hmmmmmmm.... Not to worry, though. As of last August, I do not show signs of getting a brain aneurysm. All that showed up on the MRI was that I have a benign arachnoid cyst on the left side of my brain. But, I was told, that's a pretty common thing, and it's not hurting anything...just making me more prone to headaches than the average bear (which is true). I guess I can live with that, and if that's not optimistic enough, what is??
Anyway...I do go by Vicky....or VickyLou, and that's where I get that from. That's my combination of my first and middle names.
Last name???? Well...I prefer to hang on to my married name of Sharer, although I have been divorced for 10 years now. My maiden last name is Zeldman, but I'd really rather not use that anymore---maybe because, when I was growing up, my mom's family gave me the impression that being Jewish, or even half Jewish, was a bad thing. My Catholic cousin always got nicer Christmas presents than I did, so I felt like I was inferior because I was half Jewish. That's why I don't want to use my maiden name anymore, regardless of that it's OK to be half Jewish in the real world. I just hope I'm not doing something unacceptable, hanging on to my first husband's last name and considering that I might remarry some day. Well...if I ever remarry, I'll take on my second husband's last name. Fair enough??
Some time, I'll tell you how my cats got their names.
For now, I've gotta run (again).
Thanks for stopping by!!!!
Love ya!!
~~Victoria Louise Sharer
Let me back up a bit, first.
My maternal grandmother's name was Lila Victoria Rini--Italian. We are, in fact, distant relatives of the founders of Rini's Stop-N-Shop in Cleveland, Ohio, a supermarket that has long since closed down. Grandma's older sister was Anne, from whom my mom gets her middle name. Mom is Judith Anne. I mention this because it gives you an idea of some of our family names.
Mom married first in 1965, a brief marriage that she prefers not to talk about much. During that marriage, she got pregnant. That pregnancy ended in miscarriage--would have been a girl, and Mom would have named her Victoria Anne.
Mom married my dad on December 10, 1968. When she was pregnant with me a year later, she decided that, if I was a girl (which, naturally, I am), I'd still be Victoria, but...new husband, new baby...scratch the middle name of Anne. I was going to have a different middle name...after all, I was a different person. Mom's Aunt Anne used to call my Grandma "Lou", as a nickname. How she got "Lou" out of Lila, I have no idea. But...that nickname stuck with my mom, and she lengthened it to Louise, to be my middle name.
The other thing was, that Mom knew two girls, during her school years--one was Vicky, and the other was Louise.
I was, therefore, named for my maternal grandmother only in reverse, and also for Mom's two friends from school.
By coincidence, Grandma, for whom I was named, also had one other thing in common with me. She had two brain aneurysms in her lifetime. The second of those two was what killed her, when she was only 50. Years later, I was diagnosed with PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease). And some years after that, we learned that the same gene that causes PKD also causes brain aneurysms. Hmmmmmmm.... Not to worry, though. As of last August, I do not show signs of getting a brain aneurysm. All that showed up on the MRI was that I have a benign arachnoid cyst on the left side of my brain. But, I was told, that's a pretty common thing, and it's not hurting anything...just making me more prone to headaches than the average bear (which is true). I guess I can live with that, and if that's not optimistic enough, what is??
Anyway...I do go by Vicky....or VickyLou, and that's where I get that from. That's my combination of my first and middle names.
Last name???? Well...I prefer to hang on to my married name of Sharer, although I have been divorced for 10 years now. My maiden last name is Zeldman, but I'd really rather not use that anymore---maybe because, when I was growing up, my mom's family gave me the impression that being Jewish, or even half Jewish, was a bad thing. My Catholic cousin always got nicer Christmas presents than I did, so I felt like I was inferior because I was half Jewish. That's why I don't want to use my maiden name anymore, regardless of that it's OK to be half Jewish in the real world. I just hope I'm not doing something unacceptable, hanging on to my first husband's last name and considering that I might remarry some day. Well...if I ever remarry, I'll take on my second husband's last name. Fair enough??
Some time, I'll tell you how my cats got their names.
For now, I've gotta run (again).
Thanks for stopping by!!!!
Love ya!!
~~Victoria Louise Sharer
Friday, September 25, 2009
GOD!! WHEN WILL THIS END???
Another story...another heartbreaking horror story, from the ASPCA.
And if you're like me, a cat lover, this will break your heart, as it did mine.
PLEASE, if you know ANYONE, who is exhibiting behavior that is usually a telltale sign that they're going to turn into an animal abuser, PLEASE do something to stop them, BEFORE it is too late!
I beg of you, as does every cat lover, and every cat!!
Thank you for taking me seriously!
Here's the story, by the way: Cat Survives Kick in Face with Steel-Toe Boot
For some reason, the link I posted doesn't work, so please copy and paste this into your Address bar.
http://www.aspca.org/news/national/09-25-09.html#1
Oky doky....No sooner do I post the link to that one, than I read of another one...a serial cat killer. If I have already beefed about this one, then forgive me...but I don't think I have.
Story #2...this time of four cats having been killed, and two injured, by a damned imbecile (and that's putting it nicely)!!!! And again, please follow the link:
http://www.aspca.org/news/national/08-28-09.html
I don't get it. These have got to be the fourth and fifth cases, this year alone, of cat abuse. The first one wasn't fatal, but the poor little cat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have I made myself clear??? I am an advocate for the safety and comfort of cats!!!
I just don't get it. I spend time with my cats...with my sweetheart's cats...with my parents' cat... HOW, exactly, could a person EVER want to hurt a cat!!! WHY??????
Is that something that only an insane person would consider acceptable????!!!
PLEASE, let's work together to STOP that kind of despicable behavior...BEFORE it's too late!!
I would thank you much for your efforts to stop cat abuse!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love ya!
And if you're like me, a cat lover, this will break your heart, as it did mine.
PLEASE, if you know ANYONE, who is exhibiting behavior that is usually a telltale sign that they're going to turn into an animal abuser, PLEASE do something to stop them, BEFORE it is too late!
I beg of you, as does every cat lover, and every cat!!
Thank you for taking me seriously!
Here's the story, by the way: Cat Survives Kick in Face with Steel-Toe Boot
For some reason, the link I posted doesn't work, so please copy and paste this into your Address bar.
http://www.aspca.org/news/national/09-25-09.html#1
Oky doky....No sooner do I post the link to that one, than I read of another one...a serial cat killer. If I have already beefed about this one, then forgive me...but I don't think I have.
Story #2...this time of four cats having been killed, and two injured, by a damned imbecile (and that's putting it nicely)!!!! And again, please follow the link:
http://www.aspca.org/news/national/08-28-09.html
I don't get it. These have got to be the fourth and fifth cases, this year alone, of cat abuse. The first one wasn't fatal, but the poor little cat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have I made myself clear??? I am an advocate for the safety and comfort of cats!!!
I just don't get it. I spend time with my cats...with my sweetheart's cats...with my parents' cat... HOW, exactly, could a person EVER want to hurt a cat!!! WHY??????
Is that something that only an insane person would consider acceptable????!!!
PLEASE, let's work together to STOP that kind of despicable behavior...BEFORE it's too late!!
I would thank you much for your efforts to stop cat abuse!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love ya!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Why SOOOO very few people have volunteered to be my donor...
I've heard every excuse from A to Z, why no one can be my donor, and save me from having to do dialysis and have essentially a lower quality of life all the way around.
Let's see...there's the ones who are afraid that something will happen to them if they give me a kidney... Never mind that they have two good ones, and I have none whatsoever.
Then there's the ones who are afraid that they might be the wrong blood type. Transplant centers the world over check for these things. I am A+, but can accept an organ from an A+, A-, O+, and/or O-. Got it? Nothin' to be afraid of there!
Then there's the ones who say, "Well, can't a person live, like, forever, on dialysis?" Uh....sure...but why in God's name would a SANE, 39 year-old, WANT to live forever on dialysis??? Not only that, but NO...people don't always live forever on dialysis. 18% of people who are waiting for a transplant, die within the long, long five years it generally takes before a cadaver donor becomes available. Too many people needing a transplant, and not enough donors...has created a helluva problem with the damn waiting list!!!!
There's the people who are just plain chicken.
Hey...I'll lay you 10 to 1 that those chickens could never live with no kidneys, as I have done (and barely, I might add!) for almost two years!! I'll just bet....
This week, apparently, I'm anemic again. This has put quite a damper on my life. I'm also...possibly dehydrated...either that or I'm getting dizzy as hell because I'm anemic! At more than one point today, I had to stop, and I was so dizzy that I got a splitting headache until the dizziness let up. Well, DAMN! And no one is brave enough to be my donor????
FYI: I did get an email the other night, from an out-of-state donor...at least he says he was approved to be a donor where he lives...it's just a matter of him calling Sharp, and me getting Medi-Cal already here....this might just work out...as long as he doesn't run up an unrealistic travel bill and expect me to take care of it, because that I can NOT do!!
Forgive me for ranting. I'm just sick and tired of dialysis, and all the ways that it puts a damper on my lifestyle... Know what I mean??
P.S.: **As I was saying the other night...I DO, VERY much, ♥ sweet surprises...so, maybe someone reading my blog will be moved enough to...well...NOT YOU, necessarily!! Just put the word out for me, PLEASE, because that's what we need to do...network, network, network. That's one of the reasons I started this blog in the first place.
Now then. Time to run, I think.
I'll be back...not sure when, though.
Love ya!
xoxoxo
(poofski)
Let's see...there's the ones who are afraid that something will happen to them if they give me a kidney... Never mind that they have two good ones, and I have none whatsoever.
Then there's the ones who are afraid that they might be the wrong blood type. Transplant centers the world over check for these things. I am A+, but can accept an organ from an A+, A-, O+, and/or O-. Got it? Nothin' to be afraid of there!
Then there's the ones who say, "Well, can't a person live, like, forever, on dialysis?" Uh....sure...but why in God's name would a SANE, 39 year-old, WANT to live forever on dialysis??? Not only that, but NO...people don't always live forever on dialysis. 18% of people who are waiting for a transplant, die within the long, long five years it generally takes before a cadaver donor becomes available. Too many people needing a transplant, and not enough donors...has created a helluva problem with the damn waiting list!!!!
There's the people who are just plain chicken.
Hey...I'll lay you 10 to 1 that those chickens could never live with no kidneys, as I have done (and barely, I might add!) for almost two years!! I'll just bet....
This week, apparently, I'm anemic again. This has put quite a damper on my life. I'm also...possibly dehydrated...either that or I'm getting dizzy as hell because I'm anemic! At more than one point today, I had to stop, and I was so dizzy that I got a splitting headache until the dizziness let up. Well, DAMN! And no one is brave enough to be my donor????
FYI: I did get an email the other night, from an out-of-state donor...at least he says he was approved to be a donor where he lives...it's just a matter of him calling Sharp, and me getting Medi-Cal already here....this might just work out...as long as he doesn't run up an unrealistic travel bill and expect me to take care of it, because that I can NOT do!!
Forgive me for ranting. I'm just sick and tired of dialysis, and all the ways that it puts a damper on my lifestyle... Know what I mean??
P.S.: **As I was saying the other night...I DO, VERY much, ♥ sweet surprises...so, maybe someone reading my blog will be moved enough to...well...NOT YOU, necessarily!! Just put the word out for me, PLEASE, because that's what we need to do...network, network, network. That's one of the reasons I started this blog in the first place.
Now then. Time to run, I think.
I'll be back...not sure when, though.
Love ya!
xoxoxo
(poofski)
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
I ♥ Surprises!!
So I checked my email tonight, after having been out for awhile...and sure enough, I have another possible donor. He is out of state, so this may take a little time...but, it sounds very promising (again). I'm not holding my breath this time, but I'm keeping this situation in my prayers, and hope this is the right donor for me!!
I will keep you posted.
Gotta run (again) for now!
Love ya!
xoxoxoxoxo
I will keep you posted.
Gotta run (again) for now!
Love ya!
xoxoxoxoxo
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