Employer 1: Healthcare
Employer 2: Food
Both employers 1 & 2 required a fitness test. The food employer because of where. Which was also the more demanding of the two fitness tests. Also why I’ll now wear glasses at my 2nd job. But I’ll get to that in a few minutes.
Employer 2, I worked for before. Both executive chef Rodriguez, and I, returned to work for employer 2, around the same time which is a huge coincidental bonus for me! Before Chef Rodriguez left our employer last time, many years ago, he wrote the kindest reference letter I’ve ever received and I’ve received several nice ones over the years.
As I blogged before (scroll down) at some point in my life I was exposed to TB. Past skin tests showed positive exposure. I was never treated for TB, nonetheless exposed, and so now both employers 1 & 2, require a chest X-ray. I received a chest X-ray in September for employer 1, but employer 2, also wants one. Both employers use the same urgent care chain in different locations.
Due to radiation levels I cannot get a second chest X-ray for employer 2 so soon after the first X-ray for employer 1. The X-rays are good for employment for six months, I believe.
Clinic 2, said they would contact clinic 1, and email the X-ray to employer 2, but this didn’t happen. Still with me?
Employer 2 texted me yesterday while I was at the eye doctor and asked me to get a copy of my medical records preferably today. Due to a communication breakdown I am now running around Los Angeles trying to figure out what happened between the two clinics and retrieve a copy of my clear chest X-ray.
Clinic 2, in downtown LA, gave me a copy of my test results for employer 2, but then told me to go back to clinic1, in West Hollywood, for a copy of the X-ray since that is where I had the X-ray done. (Sigh!)
It’s now 2pm and I haven’t eaten all day. I stopped for lunch at Steam Kitchen, off Olympic blvd. Steam pork & seafood shu mai
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And then there’s the eye exam.
Eye test = chart
Eye exam = the lens equipment thingy that goes over your eyes
Do not confuse the two tests. DO NOT confuse the two tests, you sonofabitch! Optometrists do not like it when people confuse eye tests for eye exams, or so I recently learned. And I don’t mean to be confrontational but how the fuck am I legally blind without corrective lenses? I can see 200 feet in front of…
Oh.
Right.
Recalling that time I saw a cute white little doggo prancing up and down the street - and it turned out to be a plastic bag.
So back to employer 2. I inform employer 2 that I have a typed up copy of the X-ray results but no actual copy of the X-ray itself. Employer 2 requests I go back to clinic 1, where I got the X-ray last month, to see about getting a copy of the X-ray.
(sigh! Sigh! SIGH!)
I go back to clinic1, where they inform me it’s $25 to order a copy of the X-ray and it takes about a week to get. I relay this info to employer 2, who then says the typed up copy is fine. No need for a copy of the X-ray.
“Do you want me to get the printed readout of the X-ray?” I ask.
“No need. The clinic emailed that to me already.” My employer replies.
Soooo, what you’re saying is, I ran all over Los Angeles today for five hours… for nothing?
Fuck it, I’m getting a copy of the X-ray anyway! I’m on a mission from God now!
“You had a stroke a week ago. We know this because the MRI shows in the highlighted area of your brain it’s recent. Didn’t you notice blurry vision or a pain in your arm? A pain in your chest?”
No. My vision is always blurry now. I get random pains all over. Old age I assumed.
And that assumption almost killed me. Fortunately for me I was able to find my cell phone to dial 911 (the second time) as I was crawling around on my hands and knees writhing in pain.
I know I have to get glasses but recent past eye tests didn’t make it seem like it was urgent.
It’s urgent.
“You have 20/200 vision. Without glasses you’re legally blind.”
Oh. Shit.
And because I can see 20 feet in front of me, I didn’t care beyond that to be honest. I wear reading glasses but…
Both jobs require me to have a fitness test. The second fitness test had an eye test which I failed miserably. But since the eye test was the only part of the fitness test I failed, they're giving me a two week grace period to get glasses, and pass. I have an appointment Monday with an eye center.
Aaaand...
My second job required me to get fingerprinted. There was a Tommy’s across the street. As much as I love Tommy’s burgers, and miss Tommy's, I bit my lip and kept walking. “You can cook for other people just stop eating!” - Yes doc-sir. I’m trying!
I have four weeks to lose 15 pounds or my cardiologist will have a complete meltdown. He’s an old school doctor. He’s old. Women shouldn’t weigh more than 110 pounds in his eyes but that’s good. His thirty second scoldings every seven weeks or so keeps me aware of my weight and what I’m eating. I won’t give up steamed white rice tho', doc. Not sorry. I’m Asian. It’s just unnatural.
He submitted. My new young (Dr House) neurologist. Not to me. To my first neurologist, Dr J, who cared for me last year when I had my stroke.
Dr. J, the neurologist who cared for me last year, told me why I had a stroke – deathly high blood pressure and narrow arteries. “There’s a small group of people, and you’re among them, who were born with narrow arteries.” He explained. “You also have hypertension. And even though there wasn’t a blood clot, your high blood pressure trying to squeeze blood through those narrow arteries mimicked a blood clot and you had a stroke.”
Makes perfect sense. To me anyway. Ever try squeezing toothpaste through a dried tube of paste someone left open? But my new younger neurologist didn’t accept that answer because of my age. “You’re really young to have had a stroke” he repeatedly says in disbelief. In his mind, so it seemed, there had to have been another reason for a stroke. People my age don’t commonly have strokes. “You’re really young to have had a stroke” he said again yesterday during our appointment.
Bro, I don’t know what to tell you. Shit happens?
So after a few more tests, heart monitor, Echo, EMG, bloodwork, blah, etc., the new young (Dr House) neurologist submitted. His new intern-type-guy was taking notes as the neurologist read my chart. “Patient has… etc… etc… Patient has hypertension… Patient has small vessel disease.”
Wait. What?
Patient has, what?
Is small vessel disease the same thing as being born with narrow arteries?
“Your cardiologist will go over that with you on the 12th,” the neurologist says without looking past his giant Apple laptop. “Bear with me there’s a thousand pages of medical transcript from your prior neurologist.”
So I just sat there while he skimmed over my medical transcript.
What the fu…
What is small vessel disease? Is it stroke related? Is it the same thing as narrow arteries? Are you reading past medical transcripts or something new? Why is this the first time you’re reading a medical transcript from my last neurologist??
I have a question about my knee, I tell him.
I briefly explain my knee cracking situation and he scolds me, “It sounds like osteoarthritis. You need an Ortho. And you shouldn’t be standing for long hours like that. I’m sure they’ve told you. 40 minutes a day walking. It is important to not stress your body and to stay hydrated especially in warm weather. Are you taking your prescriptions?” He scolds.
Yes doctor. I am.
“Good. Keep taking them. Every day. It’s very important you take the low dose aspirin every day.”
Yes. I am.
And then we sat in silence while he continued to read.
So as I’m sitting in this guy’s office I’m getting super annoyed. FIRST OF ALL, my neurologist visit is a once a year visit. My cardiologist, who deals with heart health, is my primary doctor. He’s not my primary as in primary care, but I see him more often than anyone else. The only reason I saw this new neurologist so often this year was because he didn’t seem to accept the first neurologist’s explanation of why I had the stroke to begin with. And I get it. He’s younger. His medical ideology is different. Perhaps his schooling was different. I don’t know. I never went to medical school. But there’s a saying, less is more. Sometimes the answer truly is that simple, believe it or not.
Finally the neurologist looks away from his computer screen and says, “It looks like the cause of your stroke was from hypertension, high cholesterol, and you have narrow arteries.”
Huh. The hell you say. You mean you’re finally agreeing with Dr J’s medical explanation for the stroke?
And since I don’t know my biological mom, “There’s a chance things like diabetes and small vessel disease are hereditary. You’re really young to have had a stroke.”
Um. So about small vessel disease…
“Your cardiologist will take it from here going forward and I’ll see you again in three months.” He says.
In three months?? Wait. Why??
And then I was ushered out his door.
I see my cardiologist September 12th and I'm getting my very first mammogram on the 21st. And thanks to the Try-Gals on IG who recently had mammograms, they said the new technology is amazing and there's very little to no discomfort. I have to tell you how comforting that is. Because it sounded like the older mammogram machines were very painful. As in SQ-UISH!! Ouch. Yea no.
I miss the days of old school medicine before (this) vaccine and (that) antidepressant took over the world. Human beings are like any other living creature with a heart and brain: get plenty of sunshine, be physically active, frolic, drink water, don’t get herpes, eat a healthy diet … think like a beaver! Channel the beaver. Be the beaver.
But no. Instead…
August 12: I had an EMG test performed by the neurologist. I almost canceled having this procedure done. I don’t like surprises. This procedure was scheduled without my knowledge and then I was informed an appointment had been made after the fact.
I had just gotten the heart monitor put on by the cardiologist and was no more than 20 feet out his door when I received a phone call from the neurologist office informing me of this other (rather sudden) EMG appointment. “What is an EMG test?” I asked. “The doctor is going to test your nerves and muscles.” The pleasant female voice on the phone explained. Oh. I see. I guess? I had a stroke last year, I guess it makes sense for my nerves and muscles to be tested… a year… and a half… later?
I only questioned the purpose of this test 18 months after having a stroke on account of my first neurologist, who I liked very much, explained that after one year the mobility you were able to get back after a stroke, is the mobility you have. Most of what you will get back will happen within the first four months. Maybe another 5% by the end of the year. After that, what you have is what you have. That’s why doctors say the goal is to get at least 70% back within the first four months. Which I did. And if you follow my blog you will know just how important working hard to walk, talk, get back to normal in the first four months really is. The day before my stroke I could walk 14-20 miles a day four days a week no problem. The day after my stroke I couldn’t even walk to the bathroom. And that’s the “funny” thing about strokes, blood and oxygen is cut off to your brain, yet it’s the entire rest of your body that has to relearn how to do everything god willing it’s still able to. Your brain however works fine or in my case it did. Nonetheless, I was trapped within myself until my body reconnected. The body truly is designed to just carry the brain around.
So I’m now in the neurologist's office and he’s explaining to me the EMG procedure of having a needle plucked under my skin “like acupuncture” while light jolts of electricity run through the needle into the nerves. *brief pause* The stroke mostly affected my legs. My left side. My upper body strength returned before my lower body. However, my insurance only covered my arms, not my legs. I don't know who makes the decisions on what will be covered by insurance, but it seems they like to split the proverbial baby on most medical things. We pay for this. You pay for that. Whatever. Pick your battles. *undo pause*
FIRST OF ALL
I’ve never had acupuncture. Is it like acupuncture? The needle part was ok. It was the electricity part I was kinda not ok with. And while I appreciate my new neurologist explaining to me that he’s studied and performed this EMG procedure for a year, after the 12th jolt of electricity in my left hand/arm, and after the 5th jolt of electricity in my right hand/arm, I was done. DONE. I was like, “Nope we’re done now.” I mean, the neurologist was fine. The electricity part of the EMG can suck my dick. The neurologist explained to me we could stop at any time aaand that time was now.
And for the record, if you're into getting your vagina and/or balls electrically jump started by jolts of electrical currents, ac/dc your goddamn hearts out. I don't judge. It's just not my thing.
“Your insurance only approved your arms and hands, and even though I won’t be getting paid for it I would still like to perform the EMG on your legs since that’s where the stroke affected you the most. And based on what your prior neurologist reported, (something about my left hip and my legs of course) I think it’s important we do the EMG on your upper legs at a later date.” - I appreciate he won’t be getting paid but still wants to do the test anyway, be that, let me think about it, probably no. I really did NOT like that EMG test at all. Someone sticking a needle into your arms and hands and shooting electricity into your body is just… goddamnit… and even though he’s a board certified doctor… he’s still a stranger sticking a needle into your nerves and shooting electricity into them. One slip and risk the possibility of permanent nerve damage. Hence the legal paper you sign before the procedure.
As it turns out I have carpal tunnel in my right hand, and mild carpal tunnel in my left. But I already knew that. “Sleep with hand splits or run the risk of surgery down the road.” the neurologist said. Hand splints, it is!
The only test result I care about now is what the heart monitor detected if anything. I’m done with these doctor appointments. I have to focus on work now. Pissing off my HR department, the Gods and Lords of paychecks, is NOT something I want to do. (Stroke? What stroke?)
Cue the music!
GEN X’rs,
We’re at that special age eh? That special age of menopause, heart attacks, strokes, liver disease, etc.
The neurologist who treated my stroke had a baby (congratulations!) so he and his wife moved into a bigger house in another city, and he moved to another hospital. I was forced to get a new neurologist. Last month my new neurologist who happens to be much younger doesn’t seem to accept the deathly high blood pressure & narrow arteries explanation. There was no blood clot. No hemorrhaging. Even friends (who are not doctors) were curious how it was that I had a stroke and not a heart attack? My blood pressure was unbelievably high. The ER staff at Saint John’s and EMTs literally saved my life that day I stroked out. They were so fast! I blinked and there was an IV drip in my arm. I blinked again and they had drugs injected into the IV. I blinked again and I was in the CT scan. I blinked again and I was in the MRI scan. I blinked again and I was admitted into the hospital. It’s amazing what these people do and how fast they do it. I literally thought I had been shot in the back of my head. EMT guys were amazing. I can't praise or thank them enough.
The echocardiogram came back normal so the 7 day heart monitor was cut down to 24 hours. Thank goodness. It’s a big bulky thing. Plus it’s warm to wear, sometimes the electro stickies get hot.
August 9: I had just gotten out of the cardiologist office, heart monitor in place, when my cell phone rang. It was the neurologist office. They want me to come this upcoming Friday for an EMG test. A nerve & muscle test.
August 10: I return the heart monitor to the cardiologist office in a ziplock baggie, as was instructed, along with the paperwork. And as I’m doing so I can’t help but wonder, why am I getting this nerve & muscle test? WHY can’t the narrow arteries and deathly high blood pressure just be the reason why I had a stroke? My echocardiogram came back normal. I’m sure my heart monitor will also read out normally. I got 70% of my leg function back as we hoped and aimed for, I lost weight, changed my diet, got my vision back, exercise daily, stay active, take daily prescription meds, wear pressure socks, pretty much quit drinking, I mean I changed my life. I legit changed the very way I live. Why am I getting the nerve & muscle test?
I appreciate this younger neurologist’s enthusiasm. I do. I really do. He’s being thorough and as much as it may sound as though I’m not being grateful, I am. Very grateful. But… the stroke happened because I had deathly high blood pressure and narrow arteries. I accept that reason.
But again, I’m not the doctor. He’s the doctor. I'm not a doctor. I’ll listen to him. And if it prevents me from having another stroke, GREAT.
AUGUST 6, 2022:
We weren’t little kids. We were tough little fuckers.
I miss the days when our toys be like:
Can’t say you never learn a thing or two from this blog. It’s the most free-est, true-est, real life weblog. You may actually benefit from my wisdom one day.
June 29: I saw a neurologist for my annual post stroke exam. New doctor - same tests. He checked my mobility, strength test, hand/eye coordination, speech, mental response to images, response to physical stimuli, etc. And as I blogged last month, this neurologist is younger and doesn’t seem to accept (not a 100% anyway) the reason for my stroke as was given to me by the neurologist who treated me when I had my stroke in February 2021. The neurologist who treated my stroke (who was amazing or so I thought) patiently explained that even though I didn’t have an actual blood clot, the stroke came about due to having severe hypertension, deathly high blood pressure, narrow arteries, therefor blood squeezing through narrow arteries at such a high pressure mimicked a blood clot and cut off blood and oxygen flow to my brain causing the stroke. That was the explanation therefore not entirely cryptogenic. The neurologist labeled my stroke ischemic even without a blood clot. Look, I’m not a doctor, he’s the doctor, additionally it made sense to me. But this younger neurologist doesn’t seem to accept that answer, or so not 100%. It seems the lack of an actual blood clot concerns him. Neurologist vs neurologist. “Let's get ready to rumble!” Therefore my new neurologist ordered me to wear a heart monitor for a week. He seemed a little surprised no one had me wear a heart monitor sooner to rule out other causes of a non blood clot stroke, like Afib. I informed this neurologist I was seeing my cardiologist next month for an echocardiogram, the neurologist wrote up an order for the heart monitor for the cardiologist to put on me, and then the following month I saw the cardiologist.
Fact, I will do whatever it takes to NOT have another stroke. Because I’m younger and in pretty decent shape is the only reason I was able to walk away from it. I have nerve stress/issues that I can’t seem to help. It’s why I had shingles in my 20’s.
July 21: The cardiologist’s office performed the echocardiogram. I gave them the neurologist’s order for the heart monitor and in response was informed they only do heart monitors on Tuesdays, also the cardiologist was going on vacation and the soonest they could put the monitor on me was some time late September, on a Tuesday, when the cardiologist returned from vacation, unless there was an issue with the result of my echocardiogram of course. They scheduled me to come in late September.
Two weeks passed and I didn’t hear from the cardiologist so I assumed the echocardiogram was fine. Hope he has a nice vacation with the family. See you in late September.
I’ve seen three movies this year in the movie theater, MEVERICK: TOP GUN, ELVIS, and VENGEANCE. I’ll get back to these movie experiences in a bit because I absolutely must get something off my goddamn chest. Be that, yesterday I’m in the movie theater watching VENGEANCE when the cardiologist office called, which surprised me. I wasn’t expecting to see him again until late September. In the voicemail message it was explained to me that the cardiologist got my echocardiogram results back, and after consulting with my neurologist, “Please call us right away to schedule your 7-day Holter heart monitor.”
Oh. Um. Ok.
I called the cardiologist back and made an appointment to come in this upcoming Tuesday.
So, good. I guess. Right? Get it out of the way.
As you know doctors never discuss anything over the phone.
With that, I can wear the heart monitor under my clothes. No big deal. And I can tell them about the nausea and thumps on the right side of my chest.
Last Wednesday morning I took a Lyft from the valley to Hollywood. The Lyft driver took Laurel Canyon down from the valley and the swerves going down the canyon made me sick AF. Hey kids, ever get car sick? There’s a chance you might have narrow arteries as was explained to me by my first neurologist. I got wicked car sick as a kid. I mean, in the car longer than a few hours at a time, especially if there were many turns, I was throwing up. Following my stroke it was explained to me that car sickness is common among children with narrow arteries. Long winding car trips are stressors on the blood flow to the brain. Last Wednesday morning my Lyft driver took Laurel Canyon down from the valley, and by the time I got to Hollywood I was so sick I could barely stand up. Nothing I did for hours afterwards stopped my head from spinning. I was nauseous and dizzy for the rest of the day - continuing off and on ever since. I’ve taken Laurel Canyon since my stroke with no problems but last Wednesday morning it really (really!) messed me up. I’ve been experiencing bouts of dizziness and nausea for no particular reason ever since. I get dizzy spells but this is different. These dizzy spells come with nausea. As for the thumping in my chest, I’ve been getting those lately 30 minutes after taking my nighttime prescription. Soooo….
I’ll have much to discuss with the cardiologist.
Football players must get seriously messed up if they have long careers in football. How many times do they get their heads crunched? How can they not get fucked up? I had a stroke, almost two, and my head is m-essed up.
When I work, I sleep for 12 hours before working my shift, come home and immediately sleep for another 12 hours. Longer if possible. I have to. The only function for the human body is to carry the brain around. That’s it. Stephan Hawking (may he rest in peace). But when the brain gets injured the body just does not know what to do.
I’ll wear this heart monitor for 7 days, hope there’s nothing else going on like heart valve disease, and just keep going ‘til the wheels fall off. That’s how Minnesota was made. The wheels fell off the wagons and all the French Quakers with their fancy cockades said “We’re home!”
Little House On The Prairie reference. Did I lose all the millennials? (sigh)
AND ANOTHER THING!
Goddamn people.
These assholes in front of me during VENGEANCE.
This ain’t your goddamn living room. Put your feet down! I see these assholes putting their feet on everything like the world is their living room. This couple ended up leaving the movie theater thank god. He was on his cell phone constantly to check text messages and even left the theater a few times to take phone calls. Leaving her to sit alone in the theater. Eventually she got up to check on him and neither one of them returned to the theater. You know, that old latin proverb, “Mistress before movies.”
I really did not want to like (movie) ELVIS but I did. My only complaint was their makeup person. For 70% of the movies I was like why-yy??
VENGEANCE was good. I liked it. Ashton Kutcher’s character (Quentin Sellers) was awesome. He plays a different kind of cowboy that was absolutely brilliant. I don’t know whose idea it was to play Sellers that way but you’re a freaking genius. I would see a movie just about Quentin Sellers.
That said, I would see a movie just about Buster Scruggs. And if you’ve seen the BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS you know exactly what I’m talking about.
I love movies. Always have. Kids, don’t forget to see films in the theaters from time to time. I love to stream too and do it more often than not but movies in the theater are just… makes you forget about the world’s bullshit for a while. Puts things back into perspective, what’s important.
Presently I’m still on the roommate search. Do I want to live alone? Yes. Is it possible to live alone in Los Angeles without 20 years of rent control? Um. No. My biggest regret in life, is giving up my rent controlled apartment when I got married. My second biggest regret in life is getting married. So unnecessary.
My friends are amazing. I would be dead if not for them. Isn’t it amazing how friends, real friends, do for each other what family never has? That was purely a rhetorical question. Divorce, stroke, Covid, jaw surgery, my friends were there for me. That’s why my friends are the ones I take care of. Pals.
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