Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Ridin' along in my automobile

Tuesday we had to go to Pensacola, again. We got the letter from the V.A. with Rich's appointment set for 915 am to his upper GI, and that would finish off everything the V.A. needed to make their determination.
So we were up and off early - but atleast not at butt-crak o'thirty! :) It was a nice, smooth ride there, which we all know is good for my nerves. (And FYI: people here don't drive as bad as Fort Hood, seriously that place was hell on earth to drive in, but they rank up there with Hattiesburg, IMO.)

When you get to the V.A., they have those guys in the extra long go-carts for you to ride in, and I wont let Rich ride in. Mainly because we always end up parking semi-close, so why? Walking never hurts you, and it's allowing us to get some exerecise without knowing it. And why take seats from elderlyl veterans who really need it? He said next time he's going to jump on the trolly cart thing and tell the driver to haul butt and leave me to walk. *lol*

It was an easy and fast appointment for Rich. He checked in early - we didn't know how traffic was going be in Pensacola at "work time" - and they called him back. He had to do 3 different swallows and he got to see the stuff go down his throat on the screen, which he thought was just too darn cool.
I was thankful that the doctor did atleast tell him that he has an hiatal hernia, but so far it's nothing to worry about. It's just something that we need to keep in mind. Most doctors wouldn't tell you anything since we're not his patient, we were just there to get the test done and the results were being sent to the V.A. to see if we qualify for benefits. So, that was nice of him.
(Rich thinks he got the hernia the same time he ruptured the disks in his back: when that bomb went off, thankfully wrong, and Rich had to throw the robot in the back of the truck. They weigh nearly 100 lbs, and if he picked it up wrong with the adrenaline going through him, that could be the root of all that's physically wrong.)

The doctors didn't tell him that he needed to drink LOTS of fluids to flush out that barium or it'd consitpate him, and thankfully Mom had told me when I had mine done a few months ago, and had gone through the pain. *lol*
So that entire day he drank lots of fluids, but he still had a nasty stomach ache that kept him down. I ended up making him a mug of hot chamomille tea, he took a hot shower and put the heating pad on his stomach for about an hour. He went to sleep pretty easy, but woke up feeling bad still today.
But, hey, he finally got see what white poop was all about from the Barium drinks! :)
Good country music kept us singing the whole way in - and who doesn't love Randy Travis?
Rich thought this was the most freaky thing EVER. Last trip he asked me really quietly if I saw that sign that said Bagdad, or was it just him. I reassured him that it was real, and ok. So this time I took a picture of the sign.
Before this sign is another for Blackwater something-or-other, and Blackwater was used in Iraq as well for security detail, so he was just freaked out all around seeing two signs back-to-back dealing with it. Good times.

It was such a pretty day! And hot. But still!


We had to stop for gas, and this crow was sitting in the trashcan picking at it, and when I finally got my camera out he'd moved on and was walking across the parking lot, so this was the best I could do. He was less than 10 feet from me, just chillin'. Very cool.



1 comment:

  1. I hate that barium stuff...ewwwww....

    I dont know how big my band is I forgot to ask that one. I wrote it down to ask but didnt lol, I have only had 1 fill and it was for 4.5cc's my next appointment for a fill is July 1st, and Im so excited becuase I need it!!! I do work out about 5 days a week we have a gym at work and so its easy for me to do that, I havent had an issue with throwing up, sliming, since I havent got that much restriction I really have to watch what I eat because I really can eat whatever I want right now.

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