Category: Jake

$3,689: That’s how much I’ll be getting back in refunds, thanks to Michelle being born last year and a pile of other deductions (educational loan and mortgage interest), and my W4s were adjusted wrong for most of the year.

Sadly, every last frickin’ dime of it will be going towards my medical bills, and will still leave me with about a grand left to pay off. But it sure beats still having four grand to pay off. Hopefully we’ll get a decent amount next year when I can deduct the bills I’m paying off, and then (crossing fingers) we’ll get enough to get rid of my wife’s car that’s about to blow up and is way too small for a family of four.

Barney told me something the other day that I didn’t really think about: I bitch too much about my life on this blog. Really, I’ve been bitching about my bills, my back, my work, etc… , but I really haven’t been very positive, and I do apologize for that. So I’m going to sum up things without complaining too much. Really.

In all my complaining, you might have thought my back pain was still bad. In reality, my back pain is far better than before my surgery. I’ve been back at work for two weeks now, and obviously have about four zillion projects that need to be taken care of. I started driving a clutch a few days ago, which was a big step (the week before I was driving my sister’s automatic).

I’m able to walk around, stand up, and work fairly well (can’t sit down for too long, per the doctor, though I’m still able to sit very comfortably). All in all, the surgery worked quite well, and I’m very happy to have had it, despite my bills.

My family is doing good. Baby’s growing up too fast, and is just about six months old now, and starting to get a lot more personality. I think she’s mad at me for going back to work as I was home more before. She protested quite a bit when I came home from work for the first time in a while. Hannah just turned four-years-old last week, she’s going on 13 all too fast.

My wife’s doing well. I can’t help much yet around the house, so she’s still having to do most of the housework, but I’m slowly being able to help her a little bit. Tomorrow I start on my exercise regimen — basically just slow steady movements to get strength back to my legs, abdomen, and back. I’m actually quite excited about it.

There, hopefully that wasn’t too much complaining 🙂

Just got my bill for my stay in the hospital (all three hours of it) and it’s a bit over $3100. That included rental of the space, all the various drugs I got while I was there, rental of the recovery room (and hour of time for $300 — and the would’ve kept me longer if I wasn’t like “I’m fine, get me the hell out of here.”), etc… . That didn’t include the anesthesiologist (which I’m still waiting on a bill for) or the surgeon (which I don’t have to pay for). I still have to pay off my MRI (about $1000), and I know the anesthesiologist won’t be cheap (probably a $1000). So I still have $5000 of medical bills or so (could be worse — if I had to pay for the surgeon and post-surgery care at the specialist’s office, it’d be over $10,000).

Donations still being accepted 🙂. Hopefully I’ll get back some money in taxes this year (and I should), so that’ll kill off about 25% of it (crossing fingers as I got a good refund last year), and I’m playing the “transfer balances between zero interest credit cards” game to avoid paying interest on it so I won’t be paying double in the long run.

I went back to work last Sunday for the first time in about two months. Needless to say I’m a bit behind on projects, despite my working from home.

The blogging’s been a bit slim, I know, and it’s because work is wearing me out. I’m making it through fine, legs and back aren’t really that sore, but it’s still taking it out of me.

I’m not supposed to sit more than 15 minutes at a time, so I’m on my feet most of the day, which is partially what’s wearing me out. And I’ve had to tie up a pile of loose ends that were brutally un-tied while I was gone.

And then there are my package problems. I was supposed to get a Microsoft Action Pack update in November. Microsoft sent the package to my office’s physical address, which would’ve been fine — if we could get U.S. Mail there. We have a PO Box. Their previous updates were sent via UPS, so it was fine that things came to the physical address. Needless to say, I’m still waiting for my November update, though they claim to be overnighting it.

Then I order some Citrix Software updates. I call the guy I bought the software from, he says he completely forgot to send it. So he overnights it via FedEx — to my PO Box. I wouldn’t have known this had I not gotten a post card from FedEx asking them for a proper address. I call the number on the post card, and discover a message machine that gives me all of about 10 seconds to rattle off all the various numbers on the post card, give them the right address, my name and phone number. Needless to say, I don’t know where my package is, though the tracking number says it’s in Portland.

And Portland — it’s a mess there with the storms they’ve had the last couple days. And I have a total of 5 FedEx and UPS packages for work and home that, according to the tracking numbers, are still in Portland, and have been there for a couple days. Hopefully it will warm up and my packages can make it over the pass.

OK, it’s late, I’m tired, I’m going to bed.

I got a digital camera for Christmas. My parents paid too much for it for what it is, and I’m going to return it to get a better camera for the same price. I’m looking at the Canon A70. Does anybody out there have one that they want to get rid of? I’d like some extra Compact Flash cards, if you’ve got them, too (I have an 8 meg SD card I’ll give ya ;-). I have (or will have after I return this other cam) cash. Anybody have one they want to get rid of, or can hook me up with a place to get one (and accessories — mostly compact flash cards) cheap? Contact me here.

Part of my recovery was getting up and walking around a bit, taking a shower, etc… . Today, I got up, and had a pain in my calf that I didn’t have before the surgery. I don’t know if it’s because I’m in bed more, but it felt just tight as a knot, and it didn’t feel real good. My thigh, which experienced the bulk of the pain before, has just a tinge of pain int it. I’m supposed to get getting up and walking around more and more, but I haven’t been up on it as much as I’d like to today. Called the doctor, and I’m going to go in and check it out tomorrow, just in case something’s wrong.

Meanwhile, I’ll be popping some pills here, trying to get some sleep. I didn’t sleep well last night, and Ive got a ferocious headache. Better get myself some dinner and crash for the evening.

Update: Just got back, they say the pain I’m having is fairly normal, especially considering the size of the disk they cut off, and that the nerve’s probably just inflamed a bit. Continue to take my pills, don’t do anything crazy, don’t sit up for more than 30 minutes at a time. In other words, don’t be stupid. They cleaned up my incision, saying it looks fine (I really wish I had a small mirror so I could see what it looks like).

Hey again everybody.

I’m a bit more conscious today than yesterday, and I’ve got myself in a relatively comfortable position here in bed (boy, does that sentence read bad), so here’s the official update on things. Thanks to Barney for posting for me yesterday in my drugged up stupor. I was hoping he would’ve just translated it instead of quoting me verbatim, but oh well 😉

Since this is going to get rather lengthy (or it could be rather short, depending on how long my pain meds last), read on below…

(more…)

An update, direct from Jake:

“Hey there…surgery went fine, still in pain in back but lrg feels great. have wireless setup in room so I’m sort of funtional, cant type very well, but wanted to lrt u know I was fine…just sleepy.”

Not bad, Mr. Ortman. Not sure what your “lrg” is but glad it feels great;-) I missed his IM of that, so I e-mailed a “drat” to him, and he responded, in part:

“My pain medication is knocking me out pretty good … I’m basically just going to put on a DVD and fall asleep :-)”

Wireless computer and DVD – in a HOSPITAL room? Goodness, I guess St. Charles has gotten pretty fancy (or Jake has some pull around there – heh heh;-) (Update: Whoops, that’s right, this was outpatient stuff, right? So he’s home? Then that makes more sense;-)

Anyway, keep those positive vibes coming his way, cuz I’m sure as the pain medication is turned down… he’ll be feelin’ it big time;-/

–Fill-in UB Blogger Barney

OK, finally after making a pile of phone calls and having everybody blame everybody else, I’ve finally got some answers. I’m still having surgery on my back tomorrow. It’s schedule to happen at 4:15 (though I have to be there at 2:45). Despite what I said before, it will not be just a local pain killer — I’ll be put completely under. It’s going to cost more but I think I’d prefer it more than anything — I don’t think I want to be awake at all during it. I’ve got until midnight tonight to eat up like a horse. After that, it’s clear beverages until 10:15 tomorrow morning. After that, nothing. Basically, it’ll be 24 hours before I eat again, which is going to annoy the crap out of me.

As I mentioned before, I’m still taking donations, despite my gift, as things will still be expensive now that an anesthesiologist is in the picture, and I still have to pay off my MRI. If you don’t want to donate, I also have UtterlyBoring.com-themed t-shirts, bags, stickers, and stuff, you can buy.

This will be my last post until after the surgery unless something comes up. Wish my luck, and I’ve got my wireless access point setup and ready to go in my bedroom during my recovery.

I went to talk, briefly, with the spine specialist here in town. Looked at the MRI results, and, like the doctor said before, they’re messy (I just hadn’t seem them for myself yet). But, sure enough, big ol’ disk smacking my nerve. Surgery is going to be the only option.

The doctor was, however, very sympathetic of my lack of funds situation and the fact that I’m 25 and have a back this screwed up, so she’s going to make it as cheap as possible for me: She’s not going to charge me for her part (a Christmas gift, of sorts), we’re going to do it as an out-patient surgery, meaning I won’t have to stay overnight anywhere. So basically, I’ll have to pay for the drugs to numb the living s**t out of me and to keep me numb afterwards, and the time we spend at the Bend Surgery Center. Then, I basically wallow in pain in my couch for a couple weeks, doping up on pills — pretty much what I do already. She also did it on the agreement that my mom, a emergency room nurse for 25 years and an award winning trauma coordinator, is at my side as much as possible.

That was, honestly, the best news I’ve heard in weeks. She told me to tell my mom and sister “Hi” (my sister dealt with her for her back problems). I gave her a big ol’ hug, and thanked her profusely.

All told, it is still going to cost a bit for the time in the center as well as for the various medications I’m going to have to take to keep me from crying in agony for a long time, and I still have to pay off the MRI a various office visits and such, but a couple grand is easier to absorb then ten grand — not easy, still, but easier.

The surgery is supposed to happen on Wednesday. I don’t have the exact time yet, but that’s the plan.

Needless to say, after Wednesday, I won’t be blogging for a week or more. Any volunteers want to pick up the slack in my absence? Just pop me an email (and if you can’t figure out my email address, you shouldn’t be blogging here).

This was, truly, the best gift I could have ever received.