My energy levels are dropping again and my pain is increasing. This past week hasn't been great. I don't know if I should chill or go for it and exercise. I have done some exercises in bed that someone, sometime over the years told me about. I felt worse the next day and I even did the minimal reps. The only positive thing I can report is that my mood is stable. I'm not letting this get me down. I'm tired of being depressed when things start going this way, so I'm going to stay ahead of this mentally and keep positive.

In regards to my SSD review/reconsideration/appeal fight:

NOTHING has happened. My check did come through, but they botched my Medicare part. God forbid something serious happen right now. Even so, I have to make a billion calls to get it straightened out. All it comes down to is Medicare letting MediGold know I'm reinstated. It looks like I'm going to be the one to do the leg work. Medicare is going to send me some proof of reinstatement and MediGold says I should bring it in to their office. Why does all the shit always fall on the person who feels like shit? Why can't people do their jobs correctly the first time? Also, if you say you are going to follow up or call back, THEN DO IT!

Vegas Baby

Pulling myself back up after a trip to Las Vegas with my sister. She had to attend a nursing conference and invited me along. We had a GREAT time! It's been over a week and today is the first day I actually feel back to my 'normal' self. Well, the highlight of the trip was that Barry Manilow was the headliner at our hotel!!

No, I'm just kidding. He was the headliner, BUT the big news was...

Last time I was in Vegas I won $1,000 on the $.25 slots. Well, this time things went a bit different. At our hotel they had a Thursday night "Wheel of Winners" contest where they drew 5 names and you would get to spin the wheel. The most exciting part was the minute your name was drawn you knew you won at least $1,000 because that was the lowest amount on the wheel ($5,000 was the highest). To be enrolled in the drawing you earned tickets by playing every day in the casino and just being part of the hotel's casino playing program which was free. By the time the drawing came around, I had 6 tickets and my sister had 4 or 5 tickets. So, we were feeling hopeful, but realistic.

Well, we were loitering around when it was time for the drawing (7:30pm). I was feeling like shit and just wanted to go back to our room and crash. (Pathetically enough I was even wearing a PJ top under my sweatshirt and a ball cap. I was not making any fashion statements that night.) So, the announcer starts and the first name he says is, "Kristin --with a long pause where my sister and I just stared at each other in disbelief because Kristin is not that common of a name and he must be trying to figure out how to pronounce my last name -- Renz!" I thought I was going to pass out. My sister was screaming and yelling, "She's right here!" (You only have 30 seconds to present yourself with your ticket.) I made it up through the crowd, cane and all. I was totally overwhelmed and I just focused on my sister back in the crowd. Everyone else was a blur and I can't even recall what the announcer guy said. Anyhow, I spun the wheel the best I could because it was actually quite heavy. I hit $2,000!!! (The other 4 folks that night only hit the $1,000!)

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? I still can't, but it really did happen just like that. Guess what I did then, besides call back to Ohio and wake up everyone...

I went to our room and went to bed. I'm such the party animal.