Bee's Hive

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Rattle Snake

I guess when you move to Texas for a guy, rattle snakes become interesting. Couple that with John Wayne and you have a good match for a project.

My son Dave, http://cycle-truck.blogspot.com/, fixed up an old Singer machine, got himself a snake skin and an old hat and set out on a project to make the band on the Duke's hat.  You can see his project on his blog.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Little Russian dolls

I've been busy cutting fabric for a quilt I am working on but I did take the time to use a pattern from our Russian Friend, roolen, http://roolen.blogspot.com/, for cute little Russian Dolls.  I'm going to use them on Christmas packages instead of ribbons this year.



Friday, September 17, 2010

New Mini Quilt Swap 2010


NEW MINI SWAP....2010

made by BingoBonnie for SewLoves2quilt



made by sewlove2quiilt for Bingobonnie



made by Tisme for warmBuns  (wool)


made by WarmBuns for Tisme


Made by Nlk for Holee






 


Made by Holee for nlk


Made by Quiltnanny for AngelaC




















made by AngelaC for Quiltnanny



Made by Missmikol for Gonesewin
















Made by Gonesewin for Missmikol
 















made by expatquilter for Kentucky-Sunshine















Made by Kentucky-Sunshine for expatquilter



















made by bluesnail for Shey
 



















made by Shey for bluesnail



made by everythingquilts for Quiltaholic















made by Quiltaholic for Everythingquilts






















made by MyJack for Turtle9



















made by Turtle9 for MyJack




















made by Dabbado for Ely
 














made by Ely for Dabbado


made by amiyoko for OwenJulesMommy
















made by OwenJulesMommy for amiyoko

















made by WildCatMom for QuilterJen
















made by QuilterJen for WildCatMom















made by Cindy for Talia











made by Talia for Cindy
 








Making good choices

It's been a real eye opener trying to get medical doctors in Texas. I spent 9 hours in the Texas University Medical Center in San Antonio on Wednesday. We counted over 80 people waiting, some had been there for over 24 hours. The end result was getting an antibiotic for an infection and a phone number for a family practice doctor that might be willing to take a new Medicare Patient.

I've been posting my problems to the Arthritis Foundation Fourm. One person posted this map so I could see why I was having problems. Pennsylvania is one of only 10 states that people are insured one way or the other and that's why medical care is no problem.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113042669

I know people who live in Florida part of the year and somewhere else part of the year. I've checked out flights to Pennsylvania. I've decided it's well worth the price of a flight to keep my doctors in Pittsburgh Medical Center. I'm done fighting with Texas for medical care.

We are really in a sad state when you are turned down because you are on Medicare and they tell you they don't take CASH payments, only insurance, but not Medicare.

I guess to get the sunshine in Texas I will have to do some traveling to stay alive so I can enjoy it!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Re Thinking Texas

I started this blog for happy messages about my life and quilting. Lately things have not been so happy even though I now live in San Antonio, Texas where the sun shines all the time.

I love living here. I love going outside everyday and seeing a wonderful blue sky. I know back in western Pa. where I lived, they are preparing for winter that will arrive sometime in early October with the first snow fall. All of this makes me very happy.

The saddness comes from not knowing if I'll be able to stay here. After searching for 2 months for doctors I've come up with none. Soon my meds will run out and I've gotten into serious condition for the lack of doctors in my life. After calling over 50 doctor offices I soon realized that they don't take Medicare in Texas.

Then I turned to trying to find any doctor who would allow me to pay CASH.  Not possible in Texas. They only take insurance, but not Medicare insurance.  I'm baffled, when did insurance become better then cash?  Finally after many calls to the University of Texas Hospital they sent me to a Clinic. Okay, I'm not happy with going to a clinic, but at this point if thats the only way I can get a referral to specialists, I'll do it.

The first clinic I was sent to took my finger impression and a photo and then told me they didn't prescribe medicines..What?  I have serious Rheumatoid Arthritis, Tylenol won't help!  The clinic was full of just what I would expect from a clinic. Many people of Mexican heritage, many asleep in chairs, many looked abused and homeless.  Not a place I would normally find myself at.

I went home feeling pretty angry. Finally my son found an RA doctor who would take Medicare. I arrived at 9:30 for a 10:00 appointment just like they asked me to do. I was again photographed...this is really beginning to annoy me. I'm feeling like my privacy is being violated each time I'm asked for a finger impression or photo. Then I was handed 22 pages of questions which I had downloaded from the net and already filled out. The receptionist went over the questions with me, asking things I really didn't want to answer and had nothing to do with illness. Finally a nurse took me into an examining room. She sat at the computer and began going over the sheets of questions, again asking me the answer to each question. The tapping of the keys & repeating the answers again began to make me very angry. Finally I told her I would not answer anymore questions and wanted to see the doctor. She cheerfully said, "Well lets move on to your social life".  I lost it! I told my son we were leaving...and we did at 11:25!

Again I hit the internet and phone. I was given a number to call for a family clinic associated with the University Hospital. When I called yesterday I was told they didn't have a new schedule made out, call back tomorrow.  Today I was very ill but at 11:am I managed to make it to the phone after lowering my pain with meds I have. I've been horading them for fear of running out before I get a doctor to write a new script.

I was rudely told by the person on the phone that I should have called at 8:am, now there was no appointments for new patients. I pressed on. I told her no one had told me to call at 8:am or I would have been sure to do that. She then spoke to me in Spanish and hung up.  I don't think what she said was anything I would have wanted to hear! 

I have one option left. Next week, after the holiday,  I will go to the University Hospital ER. I hope they can give me meds for the kidney infection I have and can refer me to some specialists to take care of the RA and liver diseases I have. I need a uroligist immediately. The surgery I had back in Pittsburgh in April didn't get rid of the infection. At this point I am thinking the problem might be a fungal infection caused by the RA injectable medicine I take. I am told that can be deadly.

I am pretty upset at this point. I am in trouble with the RA meds. They are no longer working and I need to be moved to a stronger injectable. I have no idea what the problem is with my liver without a blood test. I just know I am having trouble keeping food down. Soon I won't have pain meds left and I'll be in real trouble at that point.

It's not looking good. Without doctors I won't be able to stay here. Funny, I came here to be able to have a life and doing that might just kill me.  sigh.............