Those Wacky Virginia Senators

They've done it again! I just got this update from one of my Long Term Care brokers, notifying me of a bill the Virginia Senate has just passed, which will give people tax credits for Long Term Care premiums. A careful reading of the bill seems to indicate that this is much ado about nothing. Read on:

Virginia Senate Bill 786 was signed into law by the Governor and will take effect on July 1, 2006. The new law amends the state's tax code to provide a credit against individual income taxes for LTC insurance premiums paid on or after January 1, 2006. The amount of the credit for each taxable year equals 15% of the amount paid by the individual in LTC insurance premiums and is not to exceed over the life of any policy 15% of the amount of premiums paid for the first 12 months of coverage. If the credit exceeds the individual's income tax liability for the tax year, the excess amount can be carried over for credit against the income taxes of the individual for the next five years or until the credit is used, whichever comes first.

To claim the credit, the individual must attach to his individual income tax return proof of payment for the LTC insurance premiums.

-END OF SUMMARY-

Emphasis Mine

Now, is it just me, or does it say that all you'll ever get is 15% of the first year's premium? If you take the full credit the first year, you don't get any more credits. Am I missing something?

I'm going crazy... won't you come along?

I've stayed in the only comfortable position I can find (on my left side with a pillow between my knees) until I can't stay there any more. My left ear hurt so much, that I had to get up. So, I've been moving from desk to sofa to shower to bed (to make the muscle spasms stop) back to the desk (my office chair is relatively comfortable for five or ten minutes at a time). I feel like a caged lion.. pacing, pacing, pacing... and this damnable pain... the meds just take enough of the edge off to keep me out of tears... but it's constant, intractable... I feel as if I'm going insane.

I have an appointment with my doctor in about an hour. I'm hoping for some miracle drug... maybe a cortisone injection... something... anything to make this stop so that I can work. I just had to cancel two appointments that would have yielded several thousand dollars in commission because I simply cannot function... cannot drive... cannot sit... cannot sit anymore... have to pace...

I Believe in Miracles

Since learning of my dear friend's situation (see post entitled "Pain"), I have been communicating with all of my Prayer Warrior friends. I've been amazed at the encouraging words and unshakable faith of the (mostly) women who regularly come together in prayer before the Throne.

There was a period of time in my life when my faith was stronger -- a time when I was actually a prayer counselor for an international tele-evangelist. I received praise reports from so many callers who had joined together with other believers in claiming victory over death, disease, financial ruin and so many other things.

Just recently, I met a man who is a living testament to the power of faith over medicine. This man was born with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. His mother was told that he would not live to come home from the hospital -- but he did. Then, she was told that he would not live to be one -- but he proved them wrong. Then, she was told that he would be a vegetable, but instead he graduated high school. He's now 36 years old. He's able to care for himself, even though he's in a wheelchair. He is mildly delayed mentally, but is planning to move to a group home soon, where he'll have his own room!

When I met with his mother, she recounted the struggles she went through - almost taking her own life - when someone intervened and helped her through it all. This person led her to a personal relationship with God that transformed her life.

As I prayed for my friend today, the words of encouragement from a local prayer group echoed in my mind:

"Tell this mom that faith is believing the impossible. It is evidence of things not seen and believing that no matter what the test shows, no matter what the doctors say, this baby belongs to God, who knew him even before he took form in her womb. Speak life to this baby, declare that he will live in good health and he will not die. Stand on the word of God. He said that whatsoever you ask in my name and believe, that will I do. I want her to talk to Jacob Daniel - a powerful name they have chosen for him - talk to him all during the day and tell him that God has a purpose and a plan for his life and that he will fulfill it. God gave her this baby now she must believe God for him - speak life. Say what the Doctor said or found, say what the test results show but know this-when all else fails God is more than able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think. He is the Lord God ALL MIGHTY."

So, I stood in the gap and spoke life to Jacob Daniel... I spoke healing to his head and his spine and his heart... and as I did so, I was overcome with emotion... I wept... I wept for this precious babe and his loving mother and father... and I wept for the faith that I have lost.

Once Upon a Tuesday Dreary...

while I pondered weak and weary...

It's been quite a day, bloggers. It started with my 9 am call to my doctor's office to get the results of my MRI. The nurse, who sounded like she was all of 15 years old, informed me that I had a herniated L5-S1 disc. "That's funny," I said, "I had that disc removed eight years ago." She spat and sputtered and didn't seem to know quite what to say. So, I gave her an assignment: "take this report to MY doctor (not one of the partners or one of the PAs) and have him call the radiologist for a new reading of the film."

When I went home for lunch, there was a message from dear, sweet Candy (not her real name, of course, but it fits). After hours of calling the poor radiologist everything from e to id, it turns out that our dear CANDY was the one who didn't know her butt from third base. She read the report wrong! I really have a herniated L4-L5 disc, with a narrowing of the disc space at L5-S1, indicative of a degenerative process (don't these guys ever read the patient profile? If he had, he would have known that there is NO DISC there to degenerate!). So, while this partly exonerates the radiologist, he's still scheduled to be dropped from my family and friends calling list, pronto!

So, as if that weren't bad enough, after going home to gulp down a pain pill and driving all the way across town in rush hour traffic to meet with a client, I've been stood up. I was worried about being a couple of minutes late because of a bad traffic accident and she didn't even bother to call to say she wasn't coming. Lovely!

Here I sit, in the agent's office, waiting for traffic to clear up a bit before hitting the road again. My Tramadol's working about half as well as I would like it to.

I think I'll go home and take an extra dose of muscle relaxers, wash them down with a bottle of wine and take a long, long nap. I don't have any appointments until after lunch tomorrow... can't hurt, right???

(How funny is it that spell checker keeps stopping on 'herniated' and giving me the option of changing it to 'urinated'? It must only be funny to people like me who spent several years peeing through a straw because of a herniation. Hysterical, this spell checker!)

Pain

Having been in constant pain for weeks now, I thought I'd reached the end of my rope -- I simply could NOT take it any more. Then, today, I learned of a tragedy that broke my heart and my pain seemed so superficial and silly and so BEARABLE.

Today I learned that a dear friend who has hoped and wished and prayed for a healthy child for years -- who has suffered three losses already -- and who was finally past the dreaded first trimester with her miracle baby... today, I learned that her precious baby boy may not live long enough to meet her. She received the devastating news that there are numerous abnormalities -- probably chromosomal in nature. The odds are not good and my heart is just breaking for her. Having lost several pregnancies myself, I know some of the pain... but to get to nearly 20 weeks and be dealt this blow... my mind just cannot comprehend the anguish she must be feeling.

Thoughts and prayers for strength and healing for my dear, dear friend.

======================================================

As for me, as if it really matters today, I'm scheduled for an MRI at 10:30 tonight. My back still hurts - especially when I sit for a while and then try to stand up. I'm walking like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. What a dashing sight I make sweeping into a client's office! Yeah, I'd give me tens of thousands of dollars to fund MY buy/sell agreement! NOT!!!

Anyway, I'll update tomorrow on how it goes. I know I won't get any results tonight... it's just hurry up and wait for the doctors to decide what to do with me next.

Ugh!

Oh, I did get some better pain meds... Tramadol... it doesn't make me see monsters (did I tell you about that... hmmm... guess not). The other night, I took all of my meds before going to bed and woke up with these HORRENDOUS nightmares! There were monsters and spiders and things going bump in the night. I decided to ditch the painkillers and just stick with the muscle relaxers and prednisone. I finished the entire pack of the steroids, but it doesn't seem to have done much good.

Enough rambling from me... it doesn't seem to matter so much in the grand scheme of things anyway.

I swear, I think my heart stopped...

thankfully, I was in the ER. After struggling with back pain off and on since the week before the big show, I finally caved and called my doctor. The pain was shooting down my legs and I had burning and muscle spasms in my calves. Of course, it was a Friday and the only time they could see me was 20 minutes prior to a closing appointment I had that was worth five figures in commission -- so after the appointment, I went off to the ER (courtesy of the ex, who dropped me off at the curb and left me there). After a two hour wait (which I spent pacing because sitting was just EXCRUCIATING), I was taken back to a bed where I waited another hour -- alone. All I could think was, "If I have to have another back surgery, I'll go bankrupt. I can't afford to be out of work for a month. I'll have to move in with my parents. I'll be back to square one." And the tears escaped the corners of my eyes, despite my best efforts to contain them.

One of the reasons I decided to go to the ER and not a doc in a box was that I thought they'd give me an MRI and I'd be one step ahead of the game. I was amazed to learn that they will only give you an MRI for back pain when there is evidence of cord compression -- i.e. numbness, or the inability to pee or poop. Now, the last time I was in the ER for my back, I met all of those criterion. This time, however, I just got drugs... and that's where the title of this post comes in. They put in an IV and gave me Dilaudid, phenergan and a massive dose of steroids. When the Dialudid hit my system, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't talk, it felt like my throat was closing up and I panicked! The nurse told me that everyone reacts differently and that I must be uber sensitive. She took my BP and it was just 90/58, so I got to stay a little while longer. She told me that drug addicts live for the moment when the dilaudid hits their systems. I say they can have it! It scared the shit out of me!!! Of course, I felt like a wet noodle after I caught my breath and my heart started beating again! LOL

Anyway, I have to call my primary on Monday to get an MRI scheduled. For now, I'm on a cocktail of Hydrocodone, Robaxin and prednisolone (so you'll have to excuse any typos). Just pray that I don't have to have surgery. I'm not overly optimistic about my chances of avoiding it... because even on the drugs, I can't sit for more than five minutes... which are now up... so I'm signing off.

As American as Apple Pie is a Hit!

Critics are raving, people are saying...

"I haven't had this much fun in years!" ~Greta Snootytoot

"This is a top-notch group of performers... especially that belter... what's her name? Lauren something? WOW! Did they fly her in from New York just for this?" ~ Grizzy Grumpus

"HOLY COW! I had no idea there was this much talent right here in Great Bridge!" ~Mel Vance, Theatre Critic, the Great Bridge Post

"You should take this show on the road! I'm sure they'd love you in Peoria!" ~ Mr. Rich Britches

As you can see, last night's performance was a ROUSING success and a ton-o-fun! The whole crew headed to the local wing joint afterward for a celebratory libation and today, we get to do it all again! We raised over $3,000 for our choir's concert tour in Germany next summer (which is just fantastic!) and we expect to raise even more tonight.

Digital video and audio clips will be forthcoming in the next few days... so, keep those browsers pointed here!!!

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent. Any similarity to persons either living or dead is purely coincidental!