Life’s Frustrations, But Some Good Things Too!

We’ve been working on a lot of projects lately in advance of Thanksgiving and Christmas. I came by here to see if my Christmas header would work. It does. I was going to change it on Dec 1, but I decided I liked it and we are kinda busy, so why not just leave it? It’s not like the rest of the world isn’t decorating too.

I absolutely loved this pic of my grandsons. Our cutie pies. So I wanted to share them. I don’t put them on YouTube and that’s probably best, but sometimes I’ll share here or on my Insta stories.

So what have I been up to lately? Most everything has been getting ready for Thanksgiving week, Christmas, getting Mom taken care of, and…..doing a lot of vlogging and editing as I’m doing Vlogmas this year. Since I’m not working this year, it has made Vlogmas a possibility but only with some advanced planning. It’s been a lot of work but I’ve been able to meet my deadlines that I set for myself.

I’ve also been working on the house and keeping it up although sometimes there is a delay. And most of my goals for the year have been met. Once October hit, I knew those things would have to float away until the new year. There are a few things I’m pretty head strong set on doing before year end though. So I anticipate those things will be done.

I love this time of year and it puts a pep in my step. And we have enjoyed our Christmas shopping dates out – trying a new restaurant here and there – while getting some shopping done.

I’m also trying to save some money and trying to cut back on a few things. Just life is so expensive and it keeps going up. We have always lived it up when it comes to groceries, and this Saturday you will see our Costco Haul. There’s money in investments but just trying not to tap into that too much so it can be used for later with assisted living, or go to the kids – however it plays out. It will help when I turn 65 as I’ll get medicare insurance and not have to pay out the stinker hole just to keep us from going bust should something go wrong medically.

Here’s the frustrations of the week though, if you truly want to know.

After you get to be 60, maybe even before, I am noticing that we become more cynical or less trusting and less excited about society as a whole. I’m convinced our society will be warped until Jesus comes again. Man has royally screwed everything upside down and back again.

I had a doc appt yesterday to renew my Rx of blood pressure meds:

• I like my doctor, but he’s part of “the system”. He has to be. He has no choice. The Pharma and insurance companies own his “kingdom of operation” so to speak, or the firm that he now works for anyway. I noticed it’s been sold out and “they just work there” I think.
• But no I’m not taking all those meds. I took Metformin for a while. Then stopped. It didn’t help me and it did me no favors. Numbers didn’t change either. I saw no difference other than I was having increased stomach lining problems while on it – but there’s no proof that is what it was. So it’s my understanding that Metformin is supposed to change some of the membrane and tissues (they claim it alters at the cell level, but umm…isn’t that part of the tissues in our body, lol?)……it’s supposed to alter it so it can keep blood sugar in check and impact absorption. In doing so I think it changed the lining of my gut and I think that caused me to have gut flora issues and diverticulitis. I think it damaged me temporarily if not permanently in some spots. Just my opinion, but a lot of that stopped when I quit taking it. And my gut began to heal as well. Just saying. If it impacts tissues and absorption in one place, makes sense for it to impact tissue in other places, sooooo….long story short – I’ve said no to Metformin.
• I’ve also said no to the statins he wants me to take. I’d rather live a shorter time and feel better than to take these drugs and have to deal with their side effects, which includes a possible muscle impact and short term memory, brain fog and all that. Just let me be. I don’t want to live longer and have to live all that time not feeling good, not recalling anything (it’s bad enough already) and having worse muscle and pain than I already do. Just no.
• I just have no trust anymore for anything. But when something goes really wrong, what can you do? You pretty much have to follow their protocol from there. What else can you do? It’s all such a confused mess. It used to be that you felt the general public had your safety in mind, but that’s not so now. I mean I guess what I’m saying is I want to be trusting but I’m not completely and what I can research and control, I’d like to but when it comes to more serious things I’m probably going to have to just do what they say.
• I truly feel they don’t test anymore unless they do it to avoiding litigation. The insurance won’t cover just random testing to rule things out anymore unless the patient pushes. We have to be our own advocates and bring stuff up so they will test. Because if it’s brought up and they don’t, then they can be sued later.
• I kinda feel like it’s just a cattle call now and they run us through the gates. Just in and out. I think there’s a shortage of doctors and so much going wrong with everyone because of all the non-food and chemicals that are in our bodies. Doctors are having a tough time doctoring now and no one knows what to do. It’s all a mess. And there’s not enough medical facilities and specialists to go around apparently. It’s taking forever to get appointments, to get answers, to get help. A lot of it’s on the computer. The computer does the doctoring, it seems to me, based on things I’ve experienced and witnessed lately.

Oh well just had to get that off my chest. I am set and bound to try to do what I can to doctor myself and take care of myself. But I won’t be able to do the big stuff if something happens like heart, stroke, cancer and all that. I’ve decided that basically since God is offering me a better Insurance plan, then instead of suffering, His plan is much better. Peace and Paradise. I want to live but you know, if there’s a choice of having to suffer or be in peace, if all is well with soul, I’d rather have peace.

Cobra Frustrations:

So everything is always so complicated. And I received a letter to go in and do an open enrollment with my company. It gave me a website, no phone number. I’m on Cobra. The website they gave would not let me in, would not let me register either. So I dug back into my Cobra file and found a number. They did not know who I was and said I had no coverage. lol I was about to tear all my hair out.

I finally figured out the problem of why the people I called couldn’t find me. I received a Cobra letter from my old company at the end of 2024, but the new company that bought us out had to enroll me in their Cobra plan, so it was two difference companies Cobra letters. I had called the old one. So that finally made sense.

I still don’t know why the new company would not let me in. But I finally got a number to call with the help of Chet (Chat GPT) and the current Cobra company told me if I didn’t want to change anything the insurance would roll over and stay the same as it was. I’m fine with that as long as that is truth. He helped me get on line and it finally accepted me but it did not show me that I had anything to enroll in or change. Nothing was there. I don’t know why everything has to be so complicated or why companies won’t give you their phone number. I guess they really don’t want you calling and don’t want to be helpful. I mean any other guesses? I’m open here. lol. Why send me a letter if it’s not going to let me in and change anything or even look at it for that matter?

Mom’s handicap placard renewal:

Seemed easy enough to go in and renew and so I did that yesterday. Then got an email that the credit card had expired. Well, no, it wasn’t expired. So….I went in and bought the renewal again. Went through this time and says it’s processed and we’ll receive the package within 15 days. I entered the credit card info in there as it was on the card, so I have no idea what happened. Unless I totally flaked on it. Which is possible. lol

Things should not be so complicated but for some reason they are. It’s been frustrating as I can sit and edit a video all day but make me have to deal with doctors or insurance or something complicated on someone else’s website, it makes me crazy. I have a fear of not getting it to work out before it totally drives me insane, lol. My last company and the insurance situation with Cobra just about did. So this time I was about to have a panic attack. We were about to go hire a lawyer THE NEXT DAY if they hadn’t come through. I had to threaten legal action to get any action and that’s so sad. I don’t like operating that way, but I also detest being ignored and not being helped when I am asking for it and needing it. I had a right to Cobra and was willing to hire help to get it. Probably just an individual plan would have been cheaper than a lawyer, but…I was willing to press the point.

Also, most of the people I talk to on the phone about anything won’t let you talk. They talk over you and I just want to shush them til I get my sentence completed. I had to ask someone yesterday, “Will you please let me finish my sentence so I can explain to you what I’m trying to say?”, lol.

And that is all I know today. I just came into do the header and decided to leave a blog entry. This is all boring daily life stuff. But that’s what’s happened this week.

At least there’s some good moments too. Sleep has been good. Being home has been good this week. Christmas tree is up. Lots of exciting things ahead. I love being home and listening to music while cleaning or going about the house. Even the TV started playing music on the whim – I don’t even know where it’s coming from. It started that this week when the TV was just on “home”. It’s pretty! I guess it’s SMART. I wish everything else was. lol We’ll leave it at that.

Take care. Talk to you soon.