WE'RE BACK !!!!!

We're back and I can't begin to tell you how great it feels. We were both so excited to drive out of the company yard and start this trip delivering the boats to Brighton, Michigan.

I was able to attend the re certification class with Craig on Monday, and I have to say, for not being a driver, I did alright answering the questions on the tests. It was a very small class, with only two other drivers, a husband and wife team. We got along quite well, and it made the day go by faster.

We also had to wait around to get our truck back from the body shop. In fact, we volunteered to drop off another truck that needed body work so that we could get our truck back a little faster. Having retrieved our truck, we were anxious to get back to the yard and settle in for the night for some good sleep, after all this was going to be my first night sleeping in my new home. I have to tell you, I am very happy with this truck, and the room that we have inside.

Here is our new home in it's glory at a rest stop in Montana. We couldn't have asked for nicer weather and the fall colors have been beautiful. Yes, we are back, and we couldn't be happier!

THE MOUNTAIN HAS BEEN CLIMBED

WHEW! It's been a long three months, and it has felt like we have climbed many mountains, and finally we have made it to the top to claim our stake in resuming our lives as we knew it pre injury. We found out a lot about ourselves and what we are capable of, we were blessed to have family that took us in and didn't want us to leave, and we reaffirmed that the decision we made in January 2006 to sell everything and hit the road was indeed the best thing we ever did.

We have had a very busy three days. Craig picked up two over sized boats in Roseburg, OR and was directed to go to the yard in Spokane. I rented the car, and looking very much like the Beverly Hillbillies, minus Granny on top of the car in her rocking chair, I managed to get all of our belongings inside and drive the 1000 miles to Spokane in 16 hours. All day Saturday and most of Sunday we spent organizing the truck and making it home. We are both very happy with the room we have inside and can't wait to hit the road Tuesday morning.

Sunday, we also took a drive to our lot near Newport and got our first look at it without snow on the ground. This will be the view from our living room when we get the park model home delivered. We were able to leave instructions with the park coordinator on where we want our storage building and crushed gravel on our site. We are hoping to be able to call it home by the end of next year.

We took a short walk down to the river and I was able to capture this image. We are both looking forward to living in an area where the four seasons can fully be enjoyed.

Craig will be attending his recertification class on Monday and the body work will be preformed on the truck. When that is done, we will be starting the countdown to being back on the road again, headed to Michigan to deliver the two over sized boats. We couldn't be happier about being given this opportunity to be out on the road again and living our dream.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going directly to Heaven, we were all going the other way."
-- Charles Dickens

I could very much relate to this quote from Charles Dickens after the last couple of days. With the jubilation of Craig getting cleared to go back to work, to the disappointment of calling in for an assignment and being told to wait to see how they wanted to proceed. If anything was shown to us these past three months, "waiting around" is not something we do well. With the information regarding the recovery of the truck in Oregon, we thought we would hasten the decision making by offering to have me drive Craig to the truck. It took a good 36 hours before the previous driver found a way to clean out his belongings and we were given the go ahead to drive to Oregon instead of Craig taking a bus.

We enjoyed our drive up, taking in the beauty of the changing leaves. We had a late start Tuesday afternoon, and decided to stay for the evening in Redding. Up very early......too early for how comfortable the bed was at the Hampton Inn, we proceeded on into the city of Coquille and our new home which awaited us. It was easy to find, as the previous driver had called to give us directions, and we set about doing a safety check on tires and lights. As pleased as we were to have a truck again, we were dismayed, to learn all too quickly, that the previous driver was a smoker! There is just no amount of Frebreeze to take away that smell. We had it just about taken care of in our old truck after a year of airing it out, to now have to start over with this one.

Since this truck is an International and not a Freightliner, we were happy to see there was much more room inside the truck, along with an adequate amount of windows for the upper bed which we did not have before. But with all that extra room, we noticed a big difference in storage areas, or lack of, in this truck. But given time, we will have this truck feeling like "home" in no time at all.

Once Craig had put what little he had brought with him inside the truck, he called for information on where he should go. We had thought, they wanted him ASAP back at the yard in Spokane, WA as there is some minor body work that needs to be done on the truck, plus his re-certification on his return to work from the back injury. But, we thought wrong, which of course isn't the first time that has happened. He was told to sit and wait, and there would probably be a load of boats for him to pick up in Roseburg, OR but that they didn't have the full information yet. Left with not knowing how long he was going to have to wait around, we decided that I should start the long drive back to Modesto.

This is where the jubilation we felt about his return, turned into some wet eyes and some long hugs. You would think, that having been together non stop 24/7 for the past 18 months that a little time apart would be okay. It felt like a part of each of us was ripped away when we parted ways and I drove out of the parking lot. It wasn't but an hour later that I had hatched a plan and called Craig. He had done some thinking of his own and was telling me to pack what I needed and hop on the first plane to Spokane and meet him there over the weekend. Me, always the planner said, how about I go to Selma, rent a car, pack up all of our truck stuff and drive to Spokane. If I left Friday morning, I would be there Saturday afternoon, we could put our house, er I mean truck in order, and be back in the groove of things pre 7/22/07. Well that sounded great to Craig, so now we will wait and see if the company does indeed head him into Spokane. If they don't we will just have to come up with Plan B.

I thought you would enjoy, as much as I did, this picture of Craig back in the driver's seat. We both prayed for this day and our prayers were answered. He couldn't have been happier, and I couldn't of been more proud of him for toughing it out and getting well enough to return to work. If all goes as we hope, by next week, I'll be reporting from the front lines once again. Yes, these are indeed the best of times.

ONE STEP CLOSER?

I'm not sure we are any closer to getting back in the truck. We waited all day Thursday and Friday without any word. So the weekend we spent in anticipation of what we might hear today. Called first thing in the morning, only to confirm we are still on the boat fleet, but no closer to finding out when we get a truck or where. There is talk of recovering a truck in Oregon, whose driver was injured off duty while on home time. We did accomplish getting Craig's DOT physical completed and the paperwork sent in. Until then, we are anxiously awaiting to hear the details of our return. Stay tuned!

IT'S OFFICIAL

Yes, that's right. We have been given the thumbs up, an A -O- K, the seal of approval, the blessing of the doctor for Craig to return to work. Y I P E E ! We couldn't be more excited to be given this chance to return to our adventurous lifestyle of being back on the road. We have come a long way from that fateful day on July 22 when we thought just a rest through the night would cure what ailed him, to the marathon phone calls and trying desperately to seek anyone who might be able to help us while in Texas, let alone, get us out of Texas and back home.

We don't know the particulars on how and where we will pick up our new truck and return to the highways and biways. Craig took the first step by taking a drug screening test this morning. We hope to hear something Friday, or at the latest, Monday on the details of our return. Until then, I can not thank all of you enough for the support we have received over the past three months and what it has meant to us. Thank you all and I look forward to taking pictures and commenting on our travels from my ever changing picture window very soon!

THE MIGHTY SEQUOIAS

With a need for another quick get away, we headed a little over an hour away from Selma to Kings Canyon National Park. It was an overcast day with low lying clouds, which we seemed to drive straight into as we reached the 6000 feet elevation of the park. The clouds kept us company as we entered the park, and took off on foot to see the majestic giant sequoia trees.

Walking along the trail of the self guided tour, the mist of the clouds around us, and temperatures that bring a rosy color to your cheeks, you couldn't help but marvel at the splendor of these trees. The grandest of them all is the General Grant Tree. This tree is the third largest living tree and has a base which is wider than a three lane freeway, and is as tall as a 27 story building.

The General Grant tree was proclaimed "The Nation's Christmas Tree" by President Calvin Coolidge and in 1956, President Eisenhower designated the Grant Tree as a living National Shrine in memory of Americans who have died in war. Try as I might, the pictures I took do not give justice to the size of the massive trees. To think that their root structure is no deeper than five feet beneath the surface makes you stop and wonder how they survive for many centuries. Toppling is the primary way these stately trees meet their end, uprooting from a heavy snow load or strong wind.

As with our own life, over long periods of time, nature, climate, and the world around us adjusts, sometime slowly, sometimes too quickly, but it adapts and has an ingrained will to survive. We find specific conditions that suit us, whether it be hot or cold, wet or dry, a place we can tolerate. Except for the hot, I find that Craig and I can live with a wide range of conditions, and that is why I know we enjoy life on the road so much. An ever changing landscape of nature and humanity, some we love, some we don't, but always with our love of adventure prodding us towards that next town down the road of this great land......America.

THE ROLL OF THE DICE

One never knows what life will throw at you, and I'm not sure I would want to know. I have come to enjoy the occasional curve ball that has been thrown at us every once in awhile, it keeps you on your toes and constantly thinking. Which of course is what I do on my walks.....think. I've been seeing some odd things on my walk in the mornings such as the item pictured here. A die, its pair no where to be seen, just this one, all alone, towards the middle of the street. And then the thinking commences. How did this die end up where it was, and whose roll of the dice was it? Was the four a good number or bad? Never, ever getting answers to these questions in my head, I continued on my way, but not without trying to correlate this lonely die, in the middle of the road, with where Craig and I are with his medical condition.


The doctors have all said the epidural may not take care of his pain, that he may need a second or third procedure. We have seen improvement, but there is still pain in his left hip and calf. We put his recovery at about 85% right now, but is that good enough to be cleared to go back to work, or will he need more treatments? We are so very hopeful that he can return to work as quickly as he can, but we also are wise enough to know not to rush back before he is healed as completely as he can be. So with these questions lingering, we decided to take a day off and enjoy ourselves.


I had a dental appointment in Folsom, east of Sacramento on Monday, so we chose to stay overnight on the Delta King in Old Sacramento. We have stayed there several times before. It is an old paddle boat that was converted into a Hotel on the river in Old Town. There are several nice restaurants along the river to sit and relax and partake in some good food and good wine, which is exactly what we did.


It was a nice relaxing evening, and we both enjoyed the time away. We also stopped by Craig's previous place of employment so that he could catch up with some of his good friends from Nor-Cal Beverage. Today finds us back in Modesto and pondering again about our future. But I know, no matter what the roll of the dice may give us, we'll make the best of it, as we always have, together.

A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE

On my walk the other morning, I spotted it. It lay near the gutter, just at the edge of the roadway. How it got there I didn't know, but I knew there had to be someone looking for it. I think a lot of people look for it, but it remains elusive during their lifetime, and here I had found it. The missing piece of the puzzle. But to whose puzzle did it belong? I continued on my way not giving it much more thought until this morning.

Craig has started joining me on my morning walks and this morning, while on our way to a local coffee shack, we both spotted it. What were the odds that on a different route we would see yet another piece of a puzzle lying on the ground? Was it some type of omen, a sign of something? Back almost 7 years ago, when we first met, we had talked that it felt like we had found the missing piece of the puzzle. That together we felt complete. Those words ring as true today as they did back then. I think what that piece of puzzle represented to me was that our puzzle, our life, was going to be complete again.

Since the epidural, we have seen daily improvement, so much so, that Craig is back to his old self again. Antsy, impatient, and with total dislike to sit around and do nothing. Yes, my husband is back, and I couldn't be happier. The problem is going to be keeping him busy until the appointment with his primary doctor on the 17th to see if he can be released to go back to work. When he does, we are back out on the road again, and our puzzle is will once again be complete.

GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT

I think we have waited long enough, don't you? The day finally arrived, for what we hope will be the cure for Craig's pain. Sure the physical therapy helped him to get out of the wheelchair, but we are still waiting for the day he is pain free enough to return to work, and life as we knew it can return to normal. We know now that we will have to do things differently. Along with daily exercise and stopping and doing a walkabout around the truck every hour or so, we also will need to take more breaks. No more staying out for four months at a time. We will do our best to schedule home time every 6-8 weeks.

We arrived at our scheduled time this morning for the epidural procedure. Only one other person sitting in the waiting room. Craig checked in and with every door opening we heard, the anxiety of waiting to hear his name called built up inside us. When his name was finally called, he was so focused on getting it over with, he never heard me tell him I love you, but I had his wedding ring right next to mine and that gave me some comfort as he walked through the door into that unknown room.

I settled in as comfortably as I could in the typical waiting room chairs, rotating positions from my right butt cheek and then to the left when it became sore from the lack of padding. You would think my own personal padding would have been sufficient, but alas, even that failed to make the chair any more comfortable. With my portable DVD player in hand, I set about watching season 3 of Nip/Tuck. I had barely made it through one episode when I saw Craig come walking out the door. What the #*&@^????? From the information given us prior to the appointment, they said it would take at least 2 hours and here he was back out in 60 minutes.

I tried to gather my stuff as quickly as possible, as Craig, ice bags in hand, started walking towards the car. I knew everything would be okay when the first thing he wanted after having to fast, was a visit to Carl's Jr. With him happily munching away on his Western Bacon Cheeseburger, I drove off towards home in Selma.

Good things come to those who wait? I've gotten good at this waiting game......too good. Funny thing is, after waiting for the epidural, now we wait again.......to see if it works. Good thing I have season 4 of Nip/Tuck ready to go!

SEVEN DAYS AND COUNTING

We met with Craig's primary doctor this morning. It was good to see first, the reaction from the nurse when she saw Craig, and then from the doctor, to put in perspective just how far he has come from when we were seen by them back on July 30th. Just when we thought we were making no progress, they come along and tell us just how far we have come in those 8 weeks.

Even though Craig still experiences pain throughout the day, he no longer takes any pain medication. He only uses the cane now, and it's more for balance when going up or down stairs or getting up from a chair, and he is back to sleeping in a bed, no more recliners! WHEW...... he has progressed, and now in seven days he has the epidural shot. After talking with the doctor about the shot and the limits of his mobility right now, we are very hopeful that we have just this one last hurdle to get over. Now, if only I could do something to alleviate my anxiety over my dentist appointment tomorrow!

OH , THE PLACES YOU'LL GO

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose.

You're on your own.

And you know what you know.

And you are the guy

who'll decide where to go.

I've been doing my daily morning walk now for the past 18 days. Although my feet have only traveled on the streets of Modesto or Selma, my mind has taken me to many more places. As Dr. Seuss said, "You can steer yourself any direction you choose", and that's just what I do. I take off down the street, my steps in beat with the music, and my mind free to travel anywhere I choose.

I've been to foreign countries, I've run large corporations, I've bought & furnished my perfect house, because of course, money is no object, I've been on the cover of magazines, and I've been the perfect size 10 in the latest designer clothes. But then there are things that I see while on my walk that take me out of my dream state and send me crashing back down to earth.

Like the full glass liter bottle of beer, cap still intact, on the sidewalk of an upscale neighborhood, and my mind tells me that's not beer, that has to be some one's idea of a joke. The half eaten bag of Cheetos left on the edge of the lawn of a park and I think, "What was so important that they lost interest in eating?", after all, we are talking Cheetos here. I've gotten really good at finding coins on the streets and sidewalks, no need to question that, as I'm up to 59 cents and I'd say I'm well on my way to making my first dollar. And then you see this:
A pair of tennis shoes high up on the electrical wires. I don't know what caused me to look up, I'm usually looking down for those coins, but for some reason I looked up and saw them, which made my mind start to wonder.........WHY? There are several urban legends out there regarding shoes hanging by the laces from power lines. The ones about gangs marking territory, or the marking of a drug house. The time honored tradition to mark the last day of school. The military theory, when you were getting ready to get out and go back to regular life, you take your combat boots and throw them over a wire.

Or maybe it is just your everyday kid hijinks's like putting dish washing liquid soap in fountains, toilet papering trees, or the time tested phone call asking for Prince Albert in a can. It's either a harmless prank, a time honored tradition or rite of passage, or the end of civilization as we know it. I'll let you decide.

A CANE BY ANOTHER OTHER NAME IS STILL A CANE

They come in all shapes and colors. Some are made of wood, others of metal. New or old, adjustable or made to specific measurements. Canes are there to give you that little bit of support to get you to where you need to be.

The cane Craig is currently walking with once belonged to his Grandfather who used it well into his 90's. Craig's Father used it while recuperating from knee replacement surgery. Here's hoping neither one of Craig's sons will have the need, but if they should, the Shantz household in Selma is fast becoming a cornucopia of medical equipment and supplies to help any one of them, or heck, even the rest of us, should the need arise.

During therapy today, the therapist wanted Craig to start walking without the cane around the house. A little wobbly at first, but once he established his balance he did very well. He even put some time in on the treadmill. Armed with the knowledge we have gathered from several resources that were recommended to us, we feel confident that we will be prepared to keep our backs in tip top shape once we get back on the truck. We know daily strengthening exercises are a must to keep ourselves as healthy and fit as possible. Now, if I can only do something about this butt of mine.

THE ROAD TO RECOVERY......

They say the road to recovery begins with that first step. It often seemed that there were obstacles placed in front of us to keep us from ever taking that elusive step, but once Craig did, it seems like there is no stopping him. Since starting physical therapy he has gone from the wheelchair, to the walker, to now the cane. He is even taking several steps without the cane. We are both very hopeful that within a couple of weeks the possibility of returning to work will be within our grasp.

We have scheduled an appointment with his primary doctor a week before the epidural. We are so encouraged by his progress that we are hoping to be able to cancel the epidural......yes, I know how hard we worked to get it.......but I am more than happy to be able to cancel it and make someone elses day by being able to use our appointment time. Our vision is to be back in the truck by the first two weeks of October. Time and Craig's determination will tell if we will reach our goal.

I never thought I would miss the vagabond lifestyle we had as much as I did. I always knew I would miss taking photos and writing about our adventures and being able to share them all with you, the readers of this blog. I am forever grateful for the support and words of encouragement that have been sent our way. I am looking forward to once again viewing life from the passenger seat and taking you along for the ride.

A WAY TO A MAN'S HEART

It is often said the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I am here to debunk that saying, and proclaim that the way to a man's heart is through an electronics store. If there was ever a lure to get Craig up and walking it would be to take him to either one of those mega hardware stores or to an electronic store like Best Buy. Since I would benefit from such an excursion, Best Buy won out over Home Depot or Lowe's.

Craig was feeling rather good on Saturday, so I loaded him and his trusty walker into the car and ventured out to our local Best Buy. We meandered up and down the aisles, Craig looking for a universal power adapter, and me, the more exciting, season one of Heros. I have to admit, he surprised me with the amount of energy he had as we went about our shopping. I think his physical therapist will be happy to hear how well he is getting around. Of course, I'm thinking, this week Best Buy, next week the mall, even if I have to drag him kicking and screaming the whole way!

SAY GOODBYE TO THE WHEELCHAIR

It gives me great pleasure to announce we are officially done with the wheelchair. I can hear the applause and whoops of glee from all of you, not to mention the gratitude of my back to no longer have to lug it in and out of the trunk of the car. For anyone who has ever doubted that physical therapy works, we are here to proclaim it does. The progress we have seen over the past 11 days has been remarkable and we are hopeful Craig won't even need the epidural shot.


Speaking of the epidural, we saw the specialist in Fresno Thursday afternoon, well actually you could call it early evening. When we arrived at 3:45 the waiting room was packed with people. I listened as names were called and watched as patient after patient either went in or came out of the inner sanctum. I evaluated each one as to their limits of mobility, and compared them to Craig as to moving better or worse. Seeing the really bad cases put it into perspective how far we have come from those first days in dreaded Fort Stockton.


When we were finally the last two people sitting in the waiting room we knew we had to be next. At 5:15 we were called and off we went into an examination room. When we saw the doctor, he did a thorough check of Craig's mobility and pain. He encouraged us to continue physical therapy until an epidural could be performed. Of course, the earliest appointment wasn't until September 26. We are hoping that within the four weeks wait for the epidural that Craig will be recovered enough to resume work and that the shot will not be needed. Until then, his new mode of transportation is the "walker". I give him another week and predict he will be walking dapper in his top hat and cane.

NEW BEGINNINGS

With everything that has been going on the past 6 weeks, I seemed to have let myself go. Sure, I did take the time to get my hair cut and colored, but I have neglected my body by doing way too much stress eating and not exercising. That all ended on Monday, when I put on my walking shoes and took that first step out the door for a good long walk. The solitude of being alone with myself, the steady rhythm of my feet on the pavement, and the fresh air and sunshine did this body good.

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Monday was also the first day of school for children in the Central Valley. Walking by several schools and seeing the array of emotions on their faces from excitement to fear of the unknown, made me think that I too would soon be facing my own new beginning. With each day we are seeing Craig improve, and even though we realize he still has a ways to go before he is ready to drive again, I thought about what our first day back on the truck will be like. Just like those children I saw, I know it too will be filled with excitement and fear, but as we have always done, we will chart those new paths together once again, carving out yet a new beginning out on the road together.

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Craig armed with a new Smokey and the Bandit lunch pail, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, couldn't hurt either.

YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE FRIENDS

But you got to have friends

The feeling's oh so strong

You got to have friends

To make that day last long

It's amazing how much a visit with one of your best friends will do to the spirit. After all we have been through, meeting up with my friend Cori, erased all the bad memories, and new pleasant ones were made to take me through whatever else lies ahead. It has been 5 months since we last saw each other while on vacation together with our husbands in Washington back in March. Much too long of a separation, but we made the most of it today. Craig even accompanied me on the drive into Fremont, and it was a nice change of scenery for both of us. I also think he liked showing off his newly acquired walking skills with the walker when it was time for his PT exercises. I have to say that each day we are slowly seeing some improvement.

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I have a couple of more friends I will be meeting up with in the next couple of weeks, and Craig has some of his best pals at NorCal to hook up with as well. We might as well make the most of this down time and reconnect with those who mean so much to us, and offered so much support during our medical crisis. As the song says......."You've got to have friends", and I am happy to say, we have some of the best there ever were.

TRYING TO ESCAPE THE VALLEY HEAT

Anyone who has been reading this blog site for awhile, knows just how much Craig and I hate the heat. Anything above 70 is hot to us, so as luck would have it, we find ourselves stationary in the central valley of California where the temperatures hover around 100 degrees for most of the summer. With that being said, and taking into account our limitations as far as mobility, we are trying to find ways to escape from the heat.

As I mentioned in the prior post, Craig began his physical therapy Tuesday afternoon. Today, he had his second session and already we are seeing some improvement. I have found hope again, and watching Craig work hard at his therapy and seeing him walk, albeit with the help of parallel bars, allows me to think we are slowly seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It also helps that the therapy building is air conditioned and a nice place for me to sit and relax for an hour.

After his session this morning, we headed to Starbucks for a celebratory drink to continue our quest for coolness. Let's just say, there is nothing better than a Frappacino to do the trick. Enjoying our time out, and with the AC on full blast in the car we headed to where we knew it would be as equally cool, the movie theater in Fresno. We decided to take in the Bourne Ultimatum and we were not disappointed. Not only was it nice and cool, but the movie was very entertaining and suspenseful.

With it getting close to the dinner hour we headed for Selma and braved the heat as we exited the car. If only the coolness of Fall would make an early appearance. I'd give up a Starbucks trip for that!

STILL CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN OF MEDICAL BUREAUCRACY

As I hear from more and more of you, our experience with the medical profession this past month is more the norm, than the exception. Wow, when did this system get so messed up, when there is more worry about paperwork than treating the actual patient? I fear those who are not as feisty or stubborn as I am, would find themselves broken souls trying to deal with these people. The one thing I always did in all my years in law enforcement and dealing with the public, was to treat them, as I would have treated one of my family members. I suspect that philosophy has been lost, at least with the medical community I have dealt with so far.

I had a melt down on Friday afternoon, when I called the doctor in Fresno to inquire as to an appointment for a consultation, since they had not called me as they had said they would. While in the middle of the conversation the phone call was disconnected. I recalled, got the answering machine saying their office was closed and felt as though I was at my lowest and wondered if we would ever get back to the life we once had. Then at 5:30pm they called to say that they could squeeze Craig in on August 30! Oh great, we have another 12 days to wait to have yet another doctor tell us that he needs treatment, then have to wait, Lord knows how long, to actually get the treatment. But hey, at least we are making some progress.

So this morning, I contacted the insurance company regarding at least getting some physical therapy started. They informed me that they had already faxed the authorization for it to the doctor in Selma. With that I started my calling and leaving my messages on their answering machine to see about scheduling some appointments. As of yet, they have not returned my phone calls and I suspect they don't want to have to deal with me. As I was just getting ready to post this entry, we received a phone call scheduling Craig's first physical therapy for tomorrow at 12:45pm. Hallelujah! We are making some progress.

RANDOM RANTS & THOUGHTS

I would give anything to be back out on the truck writing about life on the road and the places we see than what I have been writing about the last four weeks. I miss happily typing away about items of interest during our travels, my big always changing picture window to look out of, and I especially miss having a healthy pain free husband. That so many of you are still checking this site, gives me pleasure, and I hope you will continue and not lose interest. I promise we will have more adventures in the near future. I choose to keep a positive attitude even though it seems the forces of nature and the medical community are working against us.

I placed a few phone calls yesterday. The ones to the doctors office in Selma were not returned. I think they are tired of hearing from me. I looked up the phone number of the doctor in Fresno that we were referred to, to see if maybe they would talk to me and let me know what is going on. I of course, got an answering machine, and tried to, in the most civil of tones, explain our situation, and ask if possible to have a phone call to explain the process and how long we would have to wait to hear about even making an appointment. Around 5:30pm, I got the call, saying that before they would make an appointment, they had to reconfirm the authorization from the insurance company. Oh brother! How many confirmations do these people need? Of course, she called after 4pm for this second confirmation and no one was around to give it, which meant another day wasted waiting.

Remember how I used to complain about Customs? I'd give anything to be dealing with them instead of the medical community. Customs is kid's play compared to the paperwork, phone calls , and hoops we have had to jump through so far.

First thing this morning I called and left a message with the insurance people to confirm that they were to recontact the doctor in Fresno for the authorization. Then I went right down to the doctors office in Selma to deal with them in person. They had not heard from the doctor in Fresno yet, but I asked them to call and find out what the status was. Reluctantly they did this, and found out that they had in deed received their confirmation on the authorization and that they would be contacting us this afternoon to schedule an appointment.

It is now 3:30pm and we have yet to receive the phone call.