Two Ends Of The Spectrum

Last month I went on vacation with my wife and her family. We went to Myrtle Beach, in South Carolina, in August. It was upwards of 90 degrees with upwards of 95% humidity every day. My knee was not happy about this. I spent the entire vacation in excrutiating pain despite being heavily medicated. I also spent a whole lot of time using my wheelchair.

Here's the crazy part, Myrtle Beach might be the least disablist place I've ever been. Almost everything was accessible, and the people (both locals and tourists) were ridiculously helpful. They held doors for me and blocked traffic so I could cross the street. Store employees went above and beyond in their efforts to help me. And this happened everywhere we went. It was amazing. Now, granted I didn't use the public transportation down there, but if it's a viable option for getting around then Myrtle Beach might be some sort of cripple Shangri-La.

On the other hand, this happened the other day. At a town hall meeting for the health care reform bill, a woman in a wheelchair was shouted down and heckled by opponents of the bill. When she said she was afraid she might lose her house because of medical bills (not because she took on a mortgage she couldn't afford), a man shouted "Good! Lose your house!" One person (though I use term only technically) whose voice stood out among the crowd, when asked later why he heckled her, said "I don't know how a handicapped woman in a chair has more rights than I do."

You asshole, much like the argument for gay marriage, it's not about more rights, it's about the same rights. And to be perfectly honest, since I already get government-run health insurance, I want everybody to have the same rights I have. And clearly, listening to his tone, his problem with her rights (and by extension, mine, and possibly yours - if you're disabled) isn't that she has more than he does, it's that she doesn't have less.

Semi-related, it amazes me how many people with Medicare are protesting the idea of government-run health insurance. If you're not willing to put your money where your mouth is and voluntarily remove yourself from The System, then shut the fuck up.

Now, on to the updates on my health. The dizziness and headaches I mentioned last time have an explanation. Well, three really. My Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor says it's vertigo. BPPV to be specific, but I'll find out more when I get a balance test on the 16th. My Cardiologist says it's likely vertigo, but it might also be the insane number of meds I take or it could be my blood pressure has gotten too low. So he took me off my heart medicine, which should help with both of his theories. I have to go back in six weeks to follow up and if my blood pressure has gone up too much he's putting me right back on it.

I also had an appointment with my Orthopedic Surgeon today. I'm getting the knee surgery. I'm just waiting for a call back with the date. I have a post about that planned, but I'm going to wait until I have the date.

Oh, and I had a kidney stone last weekend. The pain was unbelievable. Which is impressive, considering how much pain I'm in all the time. For it to stand out as especially painful really is saying something.





Right now my bipolar is Kinda Level.
Right now my pain level is 7.