Having an issue right now and thought I would blog about it. Why does everything cost so much and where does all of my hard earned money go? I have always tried to figure this out and have always come to the same conclusion, I work to pay bills.
With my recent back issues (soon to be over...hopefully) I have had a ton of out of pocket expenses. The amount of money going out is ridiculous!! I have a $600 deductible and $1200 out of pocket. To some this may not seem like much but when you're getting $377 bills here and $100 bills there, it adds up!! I know I have surpassed my deductible and pretty sure that the out of pocket has now been met, but there are still bills that I am paying on. MRI being the biggest one and the bill for the last injection hasn't come in yet but I'm expecting it to arrive very soon and am so excited about it!! I hope that you all were able to sense my sarcasm in that last statement. Right now I am sort of doing the snowball effect to get my bills paid and have paid off my car, furniture and am working on my card that I used for Lasik and dental work (btw that has been out of control lately too). The snowball effect has worked pretty well thus far the only issue is that I keep incurring medical/dental bills and they are causing my snowball to melt!! LOL So I know that the worst is over and now I am on the downhill slope it just takes time. I wish I got paid maybe like 4 times a month (of course I still want the same check amount all 4 times) then I would be doing really well.
I guess this is life and once I get all or a majority of the debt taken care of, it will be such a huge relief. I can save the extra money I am paying towards the bills and either pay cash or at least put a very large down payment on a new car. So I'm trying to keep my eye on the light at the end of the tunnel and hoping that my car will wait for me to get there.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Back Relief ??
So I have now had 3 steroid injections with no relief, the pain has actually intensified. So I decided to get a second opinion and let me tell you I think it has been the best thing that I have ever done.
I called Oklahoma Spine Institute and they offered to get me in the same day, at a perfect time so I didn't have to miss work and it was a free consultation (couldn't lose there). So I take my MRI results to the doctor and he takes 20 minutes of his time to review the results with me (which I thought was awesome). He seems very concerned about my pain (he actually acknowledges that I have pain which my current doctor doesn't), he knew exactly where I was having pain without my telling him and he told me I probably have at least 2 pinched nerves (which I didn't know about). He told me that I have a reason to be in pain and I'm not imagining it, I knew I wasn't imagining it but it was just really nice to hear a professional recognize it as a real issue. He said based on my MRI he thinks I am a perfect candidate for what is called decompression therapy (if you're interested in specifics you can google it). In a nutshell it is machine that pulls my disks apart and promotes healing. Sounds simple and something you could do at home but it truly is way more involved than that. I have to go 1 hour a day, every day for 24 days. The doctor acted like that was a drawback but I am totally fine with it, to be pain free after less than a month when I have had pain for 5 years.....seriously that's nothing!! He seems very optimistic that this will cure my pain. Essentially what it does is make my disc back the way it was before I injured it, the body sure is an amazing thing. I have been to 5 treatments so far and I am noticing slight improvements so I am staying positive as well.
I will keep everyone updated on my progress and if it works I will be yelling from the rooftops for all to here!!
I called Oklahoma Spine Institute and they offered to get me in the same day, at a perfect time so I didn't have to miss work and it was a free consultation (couldn't lose there). So I take my MRI results to the doctor and he takes 20 minutes of his time to review the results with me (which I thought was awesome). He seems very concerned about my pain (he actually acknowledges that I have pain which my current doctor doesn't), he knew exactly where I was having pain without my telling him and he told me I probably have at least 2 pinched nerves (which I didn't know about). He told me that I have a reason to be in pain and I'm not imagining it, I knew I wasn't imagining it but it was just really nice to hear a professional recognize it as a real issue. He said based on my MRI he thinks I am a perfect candidate for what is called decompression therapy (if you're interested in specifics you can google it). In a nutshell it is machine that pulls my disks apart and promotes healing. Sounds simple and something you could do at home but it truly is way more involved than that. I have to go 1 hour a day, every day for 24 days. The doctor acted like that was a drawback but I am totally fine with it, to be pain free after less than a month when I have had pain for 5 years.....seriously that's nothing!! He seems very optimistic that this will cure my pain. Essentially what it does is make my disc back the way it was before I injured it, the body sure is an amazing thing. I have been to 5 treatments so far and I am noticing slight improvements so I am staying positive as well.
I will keep everyone updated on my progress and if it works I will be yelling from the rooftops for all to here!!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
California Day 5
San Diego Day 2!!! Today is what I have been looking forward to....Sea World!!! Let me just tell you all I absolutely love Sea World. I think Shamu is so awesome I would love to be a killer whale trainer I think that would be so amazing! We got to Sea World a little later than we had planned after buying tickets our first stop was Journey to Atlantis (a glorified log ride). It was lots of fun but unlike the Frontier City log ride this one makes the big drop in the beginning imagine my surprise!!
Next we went to feed the sea lions. Now I don't like to touch nasty things but I will touch these raw fish that you can buy just so I can feed them because I think they are so neat!! So I go buy my fish and there are signs everywhere advising to "beware of seagulls" so I buy my fish and keep the little paper holder closed I take out my first fish (the biggest one) and close the holder. I try to get the attention of a sea lion all the while looking around for sea gulls to make sure none take it from me. So I'm waiting and one is almost over by me when from nowhere a seagull swoops in and rips the fish out of my hand. OMG!!!!!!!!! That scared me to death there were lots of children around but there was no way to keep the one cuss word from coming out of my mouth. I asked Rebecca what happened she said it came from behind, I guess you have to watch behind you as well. I already don't like birds and now I am really not a fan!! I've put a picture of the infamous bird below.
The entire park was so much fun and I would be happy to go there at least once a month I wish there was one closer. The only show that wasn't open was the dolphin/trapeze show but it will be open next time I go and we will so be there!! Of course the Shamu show was by far my favorite!!! Due to the trainer recently being killed they have significantly limited their involvement with the whales. They don't get in the water with them the will pet them occasionally and signal them to do the tricks but that is all it was actually kind of disappointing because my favorite part is when they throw them up out of the water, I'm hoping that as time passes they will get more involved again.
After Sea World we headed back to the OC because we were scheduled to have a double date with a couple of guys well one of them fell through so I was still going out on mine. The guy who shall remain nameless was (and still is) head over heels for this Oklahoma girl. The feelings are definitely one sided but I did go on the most amazing date I have ever been on. He took me to the Santa Monica Pier, we walked up and down the pier, rode the ferris wheel, went down on the sand to watch the waves and then went to the promenade to walk around. It was so neat, there is no way to go on those kinds of dates here so it definitely the best date....so far, the next guy definitely has some big shoes to fill.
Next we went to feed the sea lions. Now I don't like to touch nasty things but I will touch these raw fish that you can buy just so I can feed them because I think they are so neat!! So I go buy my fish and there are signs everywhere advising to "beware of seagulls" so I buy my fish and keep the little paper holder closed I take out my first fish (the biggest one) and close the holder. I try to get the attention of a sea lion all the while looking around for sea gulls to make sure none take it from me. So I'm waiting and one is almost over by me when from nowhere a seagull swoops in and rips the fish out of my hand. OMG!!!!!!!!! That scared me to death there were lots of children around but there was no way to keep the one cuss word from coming out of my mouth. I asked Rebecca what happened she said it came from behind, I guess you have to watch behind you as well. I already don't like birds and now I am really not a fan!! I've put a picture of the infamous bird below.
The entire park was so much fun and I would be happy to go there at least once a month I wish there was one closer. The only show that wasn't open was the dolphin/trapeze show but it will be open next time I go and we will so be there!! Of course the Shamu show was by far my favorite!!! Due to the trainer recently being killed they have significantly limited their involvement with the whales. They don't get in the water with them the will pet them occasionally and signal them to do the tricks but that is all it was actually kind of disappointing because my favorite part is when they throw them up out of the water, I'm hoping that as time passes they will get more involved again.
After Sea World we headed back to the OC because we were scheduled to have a double date with a couple of guys well one of them fell through so I was still going out on mine. The guy who shall remain nameless was (and still is) head over heels for this Oklahoma girl. The feelings are definitely one sided but I did go on the most amazing date I have ever been on. He took me to the Santa Monica Pier, we walked up and down the pier, rode the ferris wheel, went down on the sand to watch the waves and then went to the promenade to walk around. It was so neat, there is no way to go on those kinds of dates here so it definitely the best date....so far, the next guy definitely has some big shoes to fill.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
California Day 4
San Diego here we come!!! We left Sunday morning around 9:30 for a beautiful 2 hour drive down PCH....so beautiful, those 2 hours flew by!! We got to San Diego and waited on Rebecca's dad to meet us at the San Diego Zoo!!! I love the zoo I can't tell you how many times I have been to the OKC zoo I feel like a little kid when I go there. Anyway, the San Diego Zoo is so big there is no way to see everything in one day. I told Rebecca & her dad that as long as I at least see the gorillas I will be happy. A couple of highlights were the Skyfari (a sort of cable car that crosses the zoo) and the infamous TIGER CUP!! If you have seen my Facebook pics you will notice that the cup made many appearances and was in almost all photos. This cup was $11 and you got free refills the entire day thought it was a pretty good deal since each drink was $4 and its a cute souvenir cup to take home (I made sure to get 3 refills for my $$ worth). Pictured below is Rebecca's dad holding the tiger cup and me with my momma!!
We had done a lot of walking at the zoo and were ready to get to the hotel. So Rebecca got this really good deal on a hotel that was close to the zoo & Sea World it was supposed to have a hot tub, club, restaurant and bar. We get there and first of all it is in an interesting area. We have to park in the back and walk about a mile to the front (stupid me brings my bags). This place is a motel/hotel combo didn't know they even had these anymore but from the outside it looks haunted very 1940's cool at the same time. We go to check in and are followed in by 2 very intoxicated gentleman. 1 was very young with no teeth the other very old but both equally reeked of alcohol I thought I was going to throw up. Anyway as we are waiting to check in (they are behind us in line) the younger one with no teeth starts chatting us up (at the time we assumed trying to "hit" on us). Anyway, he asks where we are from, what have we been doing, what are we doing tonight and we should join them by the pool for drinks later....smooth me you know I will talk to anyone but am so not meeting him for drinks by the pool. The reason I said at the time "hitting" on us was because I turned around just before we got our room keys and the younger, toothless man grabs his "partners" butt and rubs on him......are you freakin kidding me? I think I threw up in my mouth at that point but not really sure because I was in a hustle to get out of there like yesterday. So I told you about all the supposed amenities well we walk by the restaurant and its closed for renovations, the bar/club isn't open and the hot tub is...you guessed it, COLD!! So I am not impressed and am just waiting to have an eerie encounter with the ghost of old hotel past.
We decide at this point to venture out for something to eat the closest place that we can find is Waffle House but hey in this neighborhood we know not to go too far when its dark. So we are sitting there waiting on our food and another "man couple" come in and sit right behind us and proceed to talk about inappropriate things. By this time I am giving Rebecca a very hard time that she has booked us in a gay hotel and that we are two girls alone and that everyone probably thinks that we are gay too....lol anyway we get back to the hotel and see 2 more "couples" and I am really starting to get weirded out. So that was our lovely experience at the hotel it was no where near 4 star don't know if it even got close to 2 needless to say neither of us slept with the comforter. I really hope Rebecca reads this because you definitely had to be there to get the full experience.
Day 5 is coming so keep checking back for more!!
We had done a lot of walking at the zoo and were ready to get to the hotel. So Rebecca got this really good deal on a hotel that was close to the zoo & Sea World it was supposed to have a hot tub, club, restaurant and bar. We get there and first of all it is in an interesting area. We have to park in the back and walk about a mile to the front (stupid me brings my bags). This place is a motel/hotel combo didn't know they even had these anymore but from the outside it looks haunted very 1940's cool at the same time. We go to check in and are followed in by 2 very intoxicated gentleman. 1 was very young with no teeth the other very old but both equally reeked of alcohol I thought I was going to throw up. Anyway as we are waiting to check in (they are behind us in line) the younger one with no teeth starts chatting us up (at the time we assumed trying to "hit" on us). Anyway, he asks where we are from, what have we been doing, what are we doing tonight and we should join them by the pool for drinks later....smooth me you know I will talk to anyone but am so not meeting him for drinks by the pool. The reason I said at the time "hitting" on us was because I turned around just before we got our room keys and the younger, toothless man grabs his "partners" butt and rubs on him......are you freakin kidding me? I think I threw up in my mouth at that point but not really sure because I was in a hustle to get out of there like yesterday. So I told you about all the supposed amenities well we walk by the restaurant and its closed for renovations, the bar/club isn't open and the hot tub is...you guessed it, COLD!! So I am not impressed and am just waiting to have an eerie encounter with the ghost of old hotel past.
We decide at this point to venture out for something to eat the closest place that we can find is Waffle House but hey in this neighborhood we know not to go too far when its dark. So we are sitting there waiting on our food and another "man couple" come in and sit right behind us and proceed to talk about inappropriate things. By this time I am giving Rebecca a very hard time that she has booked us in a gay hotel and that we are two girls alone and that everyone probably thinks that we are gay too....lol anyway we get back to the hotel and see 2 more "couples" and I am really starting to get weirded out. So that was our lovely experience at the hotel it was no where near 4 star don't know if it even got close to 2 needless to say neither of us slept with the comforter. I really hope Rebecca reads this because you definitely had to be there to get the full experience.
Day 5 is coming so keep checking back for more!!
California Day 2 & 3
Okay now it seems like forever since I was in California so I'm going to try to talk about the things we did just may not be in the right order.....Friday went great we kind of just rested and I went and got a massage during the day. That night we went out to a club and I had a great time met the DJ and he was a hottie if I do say so myself....
Should have found out if he was single and willing to move to Oklahoma....lol. I definitely want to go back there next trip tentatively scheduled for the beginning of July!! Saturday was great we went to Laguna Beach (my favorite beach I've been to so far). Hung out for a bit, relaxed and got a little bit of sun. Went home to get beautified then went out to another club but left entirely too early to have a good time. If you know me you know I love to dance and I also love to close down the club!!
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