On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:59:46 GMT, Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> On Thu 18 Sep 2008 10:24:04a, blake murphy told us...
>
>> they fitted me out with a pair of legs, which are now sitting on the
>> floor in the living room. the first couple times i was up on them, they
>> hurt like hell and it felt like i was on stilts. (this was while using
>> parallel bars for support.)
>>
>> they said, 'see? all you'll have to do is use a walker for a couple
>> years, two canes for maybe a year after that, and then only one cane!'
>> i said, i think i'll take the chair.' i'm a complete pussy when it
>> comes to pain.
>
> I have a feeling my response to all this would have been the same. Maybe
> if it was only one leg, who knows, but both seem overwhelming to me
> personally.
>

well, they say a below-the-knee amputation makes it a piece o' cake, but
i'll take their word for it.

>> plus, i was <counts on fingers> forty-eight or so at the time, which
>> makes it a little harder to adjust. in addition, i was and still am a
>> lazy *******.
>
> My friend was lilke half your age, and had always played competitive sports
> and is very driven. I suppose this has a lot to do with how one might
> respond.
>

you can say a lot of things about me, but 'driven' isn't one of them.

>> the whole thing wasn't exactly a profile in courage.
>
> I can imagine not.
>
>> i am lucky in that i don't often experience phantom pain, though fairly
>> often my 'feet' will itch like shit, which is disconcerting because
>> there ain't much you can do about it.
>
> Yes, you are lucky that isn't a big issue for you. I have another friend
> (in Cleveland), whose phantom pain was so bad that he underwent numerous
> subsequent surgerires trying to alleviate it. It helped a bit, but not a
> lot.
>

one of my amp pals says marijuana works very well for phantom pain.

> I must say that you have a great attitude about the whole thing, and that I
> am *very* glad your with us!

thanks, wayne honey.

your pal,
shorty

On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:14:36 +0200, ChattyCathy wrote:

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>> On Thu 18 Sep 2008 10:24:04a, blake murphy told us...
>>
>>> the whole thing wasn't exactly a profile in courage.
>>
>> I can imagine not.
>>
>>> i am lucky in that i don't often experience phantom pain, though
>>> fairly often my 'feet' will itch like shit, which is disconcerting
>>> because there ain't much you can do about it.
>>
>> Yes, you are lucky that isn't a big issue for you. I have another
>> friend (in Cleveland), whose phantom pain was so bad that he underwent
>> numerous
>> subsequent surgerires trying to alleviate it. It helped a bit, but
>> not a lot.
>>
>> I must say that you have a great attitude about the whole thing, and
>> that I am *very* glad your with us!
>
> I agree, Wayne.
>
> May I echo Wayne's sentiments Blake? Glad you're here too.

they call me the sunshine spreader. well some people call me other things.
don't listen to them!

your pal,
blake

On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 03:02:20 GMT, Saerah Gray wrote:
>>
>
> A few weeks ago, I took Ellie to the jazz festival here, and she noticed
> a man with a prosthetic leg. She wanted to ask him about it, but I
> explained that he would probably find that annoying/embarassing. So then
> I had to field numerous questions about how they work (when I have very
> little knowledge), and how people might come to lose their leg/s.
>
> I have always wondered how uncomfortable prostheses must be, and whether
> amputees found the physical therapy needed to get used to them worth it.
>
> Of course, he might have given her the vegetable line you gave upthread
>

kids are funny, because they stare, which usually mortifies the mother. i
don't usually mind questions - most people seem to assume diabetes or
combat, because that's how people they might know lost theirs - but once in
a while people use it as a springboard to launch into a discussion of
*their* medical problems/history. one guy actually asked me for advice
about a numbing sensation he had in his hands. (wtf?).

there are lots of wheelchair users where i live (silver spring, md) because
it's handicapped-friendly, but most of them are more or less intact. i
guess the kids are fascinated with the abruptly abbreviated gams.

your pal,
blake

On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:29:03 -0700, sf wrote:

> On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:32:03 GMT, blake murphy
> > wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:30:19 -0400, TFM® wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Blake, I've been seeing your posts for years. Never knew you were in a
>>> chair.
>>> If I ain't being too nosey, what happened? Email is valid. If you don't
>>> care to respond, that's valid too.
>>>
>>> TFM®
>>
>>beginning around thanksgiving of '98, i began to become ill. when i
>>finally went to the doctor on jan. 3, 1999 (actually i went on dec 31, but
>>they wouldn't admit me)
>
> Seems to me that's solid ground for a lawsuit, but I'm not a lawyer.
>

there was some talk about that, but a lawyer i had (retained for another
reason, a beef with the nursing home) didn't think i had much of a case.
my girlfriend still doesn't understand why i don't hate kaiser-permanente,
but i'm alive when everyone expected me to be dead, so it seems churlish to
complain about it.

>> my eyeballs were turning yellow and they diagnosed
>>me with e. coli septicemia. there were also liver and kidney failure
>>problems.
>>
>>i was in the i.c.u. in a coma for a couple few days. everyone, including
>>the doctors, pretty much thought i was going to die. (my father, the old
>>fraud, is an even bigger atheist than i am, but he called in a priest to
>>give me the extreme unction ('last rights'). he later told me that he
>>thought that would wake me up if anything would.)
>>
>>anyhow, while they were dealing with the liver and kidney, and extremely
>>low blood pressure, my legs became gangrenous, and they had to whack 'em
>>both off, about 3 inches below the knee (using somebody-or-other's
>>guillotine method, as it's charmingly noted in my medical records.)
>>apparently they wanted to go above the knee, and my father nixed that. i
>>seem to recall them asking my permission also (i said o.k. but i didn't
>>really think they were going to do it).
>>
>>but somehow, just to spite everyone, i came out of it alive and in pretty
>>good shape minus the leg portions, so i'm reasonably well satisfied with
>>the outcome. now, if i'd had them blown off for me in the army (which many
>>people assume) or mangled in a car accident, i might be ****ed off. but
>>i've been pretty lucky in life, so it doesn't bother me much.
>>
>
> Wow! I knew about the chair but I didn't have any background
> information so I assumed you'd been in it since childhood - mainly
> because you don't make a big deal out of the situation. In your
> (missing) shoes, I think I'd be really ****ed off.
>
> You lost your legs, but how are those affected internal organs doing?
>
> Nosey Too

my liver could be in better shape, but it's not like it was winning beauty
contests before all this. i'm trusting the doctor to keep an eye on
everything. kidney's o.k. as far as i know.

your pal,
blake

On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 02:53:48 GMT, Saerah Gray wrote:

> blake murphy > fnord
> :
>
>> On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:44:02 -0500, Omelet wrote:
>>
> <snip story of how Blake came to be in a wheelchair>
>
>>> Om -> who has no idea what to say...
>>
>> it's no big deal, an inconvenience only.
>>
>> (i did tell my primary care physician once that i kind of missed
>> ****ing standing up, and she said 'we'll put that down under
>> "treatment goals".')
>>
>> your pal,
>> blake
>>
>
> A doctor with a sense of humor is a good thing

she was kinda cute, too. she has since moved into administration.

your pal,
blake

"blake murphy" > wrote
>frankly my experiences with surgery are not such that i'd care to repeat
>them.
>

I am so with you on this one. Granted, the last surgery I had was my tonsils
and adenoids out when I was maybe six years old, but still. Childbirth also
made me squeamish. I don't mean the actual thing, I mean the mere *idea* of
it. My motto became, "you can't get here through me." Now that I am 49, I
imagine there are surgeries to come if I live long enough. All I can say is,
they had better put me under before they even tell me.

On Fri 19 Sep 2008 08:32:45a, blake murphy told us...

> On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:14:36 +0200, ChattyCathy wrote:
>
>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>
>>> On Thu 18 Sep 2008 10:24:04a, blake murphy told us...
>>>
>>>> the whole thing wasn't exactly a profile in courage.
>>>
>>> I can imagine not.
>>>
>>>> i am lucky in that i don't often experience phantom pain, though
>>>> fairly often my 'feet' will itch like shit, which is disconcerting
>>>> because there ain't much you can do about it.
>>>
>>> Yes, you are lucky that isn't a big issue for you. I have another
>>> friend (in Cleveland), whose phantom pain was so bad that he underwent
>>> numerous
>>> subsequent surgerires trying to alleviate it. It helped a bit, but
>>> not a lot.
>>>
>>> I must say that you have a great attitude about the whole thing, and
>>> that I am *very* glad your with us!
>>
>> I agree, Wayne.
>>
>> May I echo Wayne's sentiments Blake? Glad you're here too.
>
> they call me the sunshine spreader. well some people call me other
things.
> don't listen to them!
>
> your pal,
> blake
>

I never listen to "them"!

--
Wayne Boatwright

*******************************************
Date: Friday, 09(IX)/19(XIX)/08(MMVIII)
*******************************************
Countdown till Veteran's Day
7wks 3dys 13hrs 35mins
*******************************************
You can lead a horse to water, but if
you can get him to swim on his back,
you've got something.

In article >,
blake murphy > wrote:

> On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:30:19 -0500, Omelet wrote:
>
> > In article >,
> > blake murphy > wrote:
> >
> >> they fitted me out with a pair of legs, which are now sitting on the floor
> >> in the living room. the first couple times i was up on them, they hurt
> >> like hell and it felt like i was on stilts. (this was while using parallel
> >> bars for support.)
> >>
> >> they said, 'see? all you'll have to do is use a walker for a couple years,
> >> two canes for maybe a year after that, and then only one cane!' i said, i
> >> think i'll take the chair.' i'm a complete pussy when it comes to pain.
> >>
> >> plus, i was <counts on fingers> forty-eight or so at the time, which makes
> >> it a little harder to adjust. in addition, i was and still am a lazy
> >> *******.
> >>
> >> the whole thing wasn't exactly a profile in courage.
> >>
> >> i am lucky in that i don't often experience phantom pain, though fairly
> >> often my 'feet' will itch like shit, which is disconcerting because there
> >> ain't much you can do about it.
> >>
> >> your pal,
> >> blake
> >
> > Blake.
> >
> > Take a look at "Tens" units...
> >
> > Might help, can't hurt, and they are not expensive anymore. :-)
>
> the expense is not an issue, because i was and am insured. the whole thing
> is kind of moot now, because a couple of years ago i went over backwards in
> my chair and cracked my hip. so if i wanted to go for prostheses now, i'd
> first have to have that surgically repaired, and frankly my experiences
> with surgery are not such that i'd care to repeat them.
>
> your pal,
> blake

My comment still stands. My insurance did not pay for MY electronic
pain relief either. I recently purchased the unit my Chiropractor
recommended. I'm out $80.00 for the unit and $40.00 for the extra 10
packs of electrodes.

I'm not kidding Blake. This is some serious pain relief, and affordable
without any bloody insurance. And this website is reliable:

<http://www.medicalproductsonline.org/electrotherapy2.html>

Now that you no longer need a prescription to get one, the price has
come WAY down. I got mine in the mail 2 days ago and am tempted to use
it more than I'm supposed to. It feels soooooo good. ;-d
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

On Fri 19 Sep 2008 07:52:28a, Janet Baraclough told us...

> The message 7>
> from Wayne Boatwright > contains these words:
>
>
>> Stepping in here with no personal experience, I have known at least a
>> dozen friends who had prosthetic legs, begining with a friend in
>> highschool, and have seen that results vary considerably. Some, like
>> Blake, found them painful/uncomfortable. Some had moderate but
>> manageable problems, and some acted as if their prosthetic(s) were
>> actually part of their anatomy.
>
> Did you watch last week's Paralympics in Beijing? Some of the
> prosthetic racing legs those athletes run on are amazing....instead of
> feet there's a blade like a spring.
>
> Janet.
>

I saw part of it. Actually those racing legs have been around for some
time now.

--
Wayne Boatwright

*******************************************
Date: Friday, 09(IX)/19(XIX)/08(MMVIII)
*******************************************
Countdown till Veteran's Day
7wks 3dys 13hrs 14mins
*******************************************
The world is so big and so global now.
*******************************************

On Sep 19, 8:31*am, blake murphy > wrote:
> On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:59:46 GMT, Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> > On Thu 18 Sep 2008 10:24:04a, blake murphy told us...
>
> >> they fitted me out with a pair of legs, which are now sitting on the
> >> floor in the living room. *the first couple times i was up on them, they
> >> hurt like hell and it felt like i was on stilts. *(this was while using
> >> parallel bars for support.)
>
> >> they said, 'see? *all you'll have to do is use a walker for a couple
> >> years, two canes for maybe a year after that, and then only one cane!'
> >> i said, i think i'll take the chair.' *i'm a complete pussy when it
> >> comes to pain.
>
> > I have a feeling my response to all this would have been the same. *Maybe
> > if it was only one leg, who knows, but both seem overwhelming to me
> > personally. *
>
> well, they say a below-the-knee amputation makes it a piece o' cake, but
> i'll take their word for it. *
>
> >> plus, i was <counts on fingers> forty-eight or so at the time, which
> >> makes it a little harder to adjust. *in addition, i was and still am a
> >> lazy *******.
>
> > My friend was lilke half your age, and had always played competitive sports
> > and is very driven. *I suppose this has a lot to do with how one might
> > respond.
>
> you can say a lot of things about me, but 'driven' isn't one of them.
>
> >> the whole thing wasn't exactly a profile in courage.
>
> > I can imagine not.
>
> >> i am lucky in that i don't often experience phantom pain, though fairly
> >> often my 'feet' will itch like shit, which is disconcerting because
> >> there ain't much you can do about it.
>
> > Yes, you are lucky that isn't a big issue for you. *I have another friend
> > (in Cleveland), whose phantom pain was so bad that he underwent numerous
> > subsequent surgerires trying to alleviate it. *It helped a bit, but not a
> > lot.
>
> one of my amp pals says marijuana works very well for phantom pain.
>
> > I must say that you have a great attitude about the whole thing, and that I
> > am *very* glad your with us!
>
> thanks, wayne honey.
>
> your pal,
> shorty- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Pot works well for many things- it's a shame more people don't
recognize that.

blake murphy > fnord
:

> On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 03:02:20 GMT, Saerah Gray wrote:
>>>
>>
>> A few weeks ago, I took Ellie to the jazz festival here, and she
>> noticed a man with a prosthetic leg. She wanted to ask him about it,
>> but I explained that he would probably find that
>> annoying/embarassing. So then I had to field numerous questions about
>> how they work (when I have very little knowledge), and how people
>> might come to lose their leg/s.
>>
>> I have always wondered how uncomfortable prostheses must be, and
>> whether amputees found the physical therapy needed to get used to
>> them worth it.
>>
>> Of course, he might have given her the vegetable line you gave
>> upthread
>>
>
> kids are funny, because they stare, which usually mortifies the
> mother. i don't usually mind questions - most people seem to assume
> diabetes or combat, because that's how people they might know lost
> theirs - but once in a while people use it as a springboard to launch
> into a discussion of *their* medical problems/history. one guy
> actually asked me for advice about a numbing sensation he had in his
> hands. (wtf?).
>
> there are lots of wheelchair users where i live (silver spring, md)
> because it's handicapped-friendly, but most of them are more or less
> intact. i guess the kids are fascinated with the abruptly abbreviated
> gams.
>

Kids are fascinated by anything new or weird (to them). Ellie is very
curious about things, and sometimes it's hard to explain that asking
personal questions makes people uncomfortable sometimes...

It's good that you live in a handicapped (or is it handi-capable now?
:>) friendly place. I can't even imagine how difficult it is to get
along in a community that is not.


--
Saerah

"Welcome to Usenet, Biatch! Adapt or haul ass!"
- some hillbilly from FL

blake murphy > fnord
:

> On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:14:36 +0200, ChattyCathy wrote:
>
>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>
>>> On Thu 18 Sep 2008 10:24:04a, blake murphy told us...
>>>
>>>> the whole thing wasn't exactly a profile in courage.
>>>
>>> I can imagine not.
>>>
>>>> i am lucky in that i don't often experience phantom pain, though
>>>> fairly often my 'feet' will itch like shit, which is disconcerting
>>>> because there ain't much you can do about it.
>>>
>>> Yes, you are lucky that isn't a big issue for you. I have another
>>> friend (in Cleveland), whose phantom pain was so bad that he
>>> underwent numerous
>>> subsequent surgerires trying to alleviate it. It helped a bit, but
>>> not a lot.
>>>
>>> I must say that you have a great attitude about the whole thing, and
>>> that I am *very* glad your with us!
>>
>> I agree, Wayne.
>>
>> May I echo Wayne's sentiments Blake? Glad you're here too.
>
> they call me the sunshine spreader. well some people call me other
> things. don't listen to them!

I wish I had such a good attitude.... My health problems are mostly
psychological in nature (other than the beginnings of arthritis in my
knees)

I am also glad you are here, Blake. You are one of the rfc posters whose
posts I check out before I finish reading a thread

--
Saerah (selfish, obviously)

"Welcome to Usenet, Biatch! Adapt or haul ass!"
- some hillbilly from FL

In article > ,
Saerah Gray > wrote:

> blake murphy > fnord
> :
>
> > On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:14:36 +0200, ChattyCathy wrote:
> >
> >> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> >>
> >>> On Thu 18 Sep 2008 10:24:04a, blake murphy told us...
> >>>
> >>>> the whole thing wasn't exactly a profile in courage.
> >>>
> >>> I can imagine not.
> >>>
> >>>> i am lucky in that i don't often experience phantom pain, though
> >>>> fairly often my 'feet' will itch like shit, which is disconcerting
> >>>> because there ain't much you can do about it.
> >>>
> >>> Yes, you are lucky that isn't a big issue for you. I have another
> >>> friend (in Cleveland), whose phantom pain was so bad that he
> >>> underwent numerous
> >>> subsequent surgerires trying to alleviate it. It helped a bit, but
> >>> not a lot.
> >>>
> >>> I must say that you have a great attitude about the whole thing, and
> >>> that I am *very* glad your with us!
> >>
> >> I agree, Wayne.
> >>
> >> May I echo Wayne's sentiments Blake? Glad you're here too.
> >
> > they call me the sunshine spreader. well some people call me other
> > things. don't listen to them!
>
> I wish I had such a good attitude.... My health problems are mostly
> psychological in nature (other than the beginnings of arthritis in my
> knees)
>
> I am also glad you are here, Blake. You are one of the rfc posters whose
> posts I check out before I finish reading a thread

Saerah, Tens units work for arthritis pain control too. :-) Better for
you than drugs, and cheaper in the long run:

<http://www.medicalproductsonline.org/electrotherapy2.html>
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

Omelet > fnord
news
> In article > ,
> Saerah Gray > wrote:
>
>> blake murphy > fnord
>> :
>>
>> > On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:14:36 +0200, ChattyCathy wrote:
>> >
>> >> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> On Thu 18 Sep 2008 10:24:04a, blake murphy told us...
>> >>>
>> >>>> the whole thing wasn't exactly a profile in courage.
>> >>>
>> >>> I can imagine not.
>> >>>
>> >>>> i am lucky in that i don't often experience phantom pain, though
>> >>>> fairly often my 'feet' will itch like shit, which is
>> >>>> disconcerting because there ain't much you can do about it.
>> >>>
>> >>> Yes, you are lucky that isn't a big issue for you. I have
>> >>> another friend (in Cleveland), whose phantom pain was so bad that
>> >>> he underwent numerous
>> >>> subsequent surgerires trying to alleviate it. It helped a bit,
>> >>> but not a lot.
>> >>>
>> >>> I must say that you have a great attitude about the whole thing,
>> >>> and that I am *very* glad your with us!
>> >>
>> >> I agree, Wayne.
>> >>
>> >> May I echo Wayne's sentiments Blake? Glad you're here too.
>> >
>> > they call me the sunshine spreader. well some people call me other
>> > things. don't listen to them!
>>
>> I wish I had such a good attitude.... My health problems are mostly
>> psychological in nature (other than the beginnings of arthritis in my
>> knees)
>>
>> I am also glad you are here, Blake. You are one of the rfc posters
>> whose posts I check out before I finish reading a thread
>
> Saerah, Tens units work for arthritis pain control too. :-) Better for
> you than drugs, and cheaper in the long run:
>
> <http://www.medicalproductsonline.org/electrotherapy2.html>

I don't take painkillers for it (yet), but that's good to know. Mostly I
am just annoyed by the scrap-y feeling in my left knee

--
Saerah

"Welcome to Usenet, Biatch! Adapt or haul ass!"
- some hillbilly from FL

On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:57:17 GMT, blake murphy
> wrote:

>On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:29:03 -0700, sf wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:32:03 GMT, blake murphy
>> > wrote:
>>
>>>On Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:30:19 -0400, TFM® wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> Blake, I've been seeing your posts for years. Never knew you were in a
>>>> chair.
>>>> If I ain't being too nosey, what happened? Email is valid. If you don't
>>>> care to respond, that's valid too.
>>>>
>>>> TFM®
>>>
>>>beginning around thanksgiving of '98, i began to become ill. when i
>>>finally went to the doctor on jan. 3, 1999 (actually i went on dec 31, but
>>>they wouldn't admit me)
>>
>> Seems to me that's solid ground for a lawsuit, but I'm not a lawyer.
>>
>
>there was some talk about that, but a lawyer i had (retained for another
>reason, a beef with the nursing home) didn't think i had much of a case.
>my girlfriend still doesn't understand why i don't hate kaiser-permanente,
>but i'm alive when everyone expected me to be dead, so it seems churlish to
>complain about it.

Wow, Kaiser (of all places) turned you away? Unbelievable! I've had
nothing but good experiences with them. Hubby's stent was easy peasy.
Hard to believe that stuff was open heart surgery not too long ago.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

<sf> wrote
>
> Wow, Kaiser (of all places) turned you away? Unbelievable! I've had
> nothing but good experiences with them. Hubby's stent was easy peasy.
> Hard to believe that stuff was open heart surgery not too long ago.
>
It's nice to know that Kaiser does well by some folks. They must have
learned something before they were booted out of NC.

On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:46:19 -0400, "cybercat" >
wrote:

>
><sf> wrote
>>
>> Wow, Kaiser (of all places) turned you away? Unbelievable! I've had
>> nothing but good experiences with them. Hubby's stent was easy peasy.
>> Hard to believe that stuff was open heart surgery not too long ago.
>>
>It's nice to know that Kaiser does well by some folks.
>
They were turning the tide 20+ years ago here. I answered lots of
patient satisfaction survey's when my kids were still kids.

>They must have
>learned something before they were booted out of NC.

Interestingly, Kaiser is like a whole bunch of corporations under one
umbrella name. We have Northern and Southern California Kaiser here.
Carry insurance with North and go to Kaiser in the South and you've
got reimbursement paper work up the kazoo (at least that was my
experience when Mom lived in San Diego for 30 years).


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:11:01 -0700 (PDT), merryb wrote:

> On Sep 19, 8:31*am, blake murphy > wrote:
>>
>> one of my amp pals says marijuana works very well for phantom pain.
>>
>
> Pot works well for many things- it's a shame more people don't
> recognize that.

it is a damn shame. the u.s government took a wrong turn on pot in the
thirties under harry anslinger (all them negroes and meskins smoking the
shit, you know) and never looked back:

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_J._Anslinger#The_campaign_against_marijuana_ 1930-1937>

your pal,
blake

On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 23:21:27 GMT, Saerah Gray wrote:

> blake murphy > fnord
> :
>
>> On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:14:36 +0200, ChattyCathy wrote:
>>
>>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Thu 18 Sep 2008 10:24:04a, blake murphy told us...
>>>>
>>>>> the whole thing wasn't exactly a profile in courage.
>>>>
>>>> I can imagine not.
>>>>
>>>>> i am lucky in that i don't often experience phantom pain, though
>>>>> fairly often my 'feet' will itch like shit, which is disconcerting
>>>>> because there ain't much you can do about it.
>>>>
>>>> Yes, you are lucky that isn't a big issue for you. I have another
>>>> friend (in Cleveland), whose phantom pain was so bad that he
>>>> underwent numerous
>>>> subsequent surgerires trying to alleviate it. It helped a bit, but
>>>> not a lot.
>>>>
>>>> I must say that you have a great attitude about the whole thing, and
>>>> that I am *very* glad your with us!
>>>
>>> I agree, Wayne.
>>>
>>> May I echo Wayne's sentiments Blake? Glad you're here too.
>>
>> they call me the sunshine spreader. well some people call me other
>> things. don't listen to them!
>
> I wish I had such a good attitude.... My health problems are mostly
> psychological in nature (other than the beginnings of arthritis in my
> knees)
>
> I am also glad you are here, Blake. You are one of the rfc posters whose
> posts I check out before I finish reading a thread

thank you very much. i'll be here all week, and try the veal.

your pal,
blake

On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 23:04:53 GMT, Saerah Gray wrote:

> blake murphy > fnord
> :
>>
>> there are lots of wheelchair users where i live (silver spring, md)
>> because it's handicapped-friendly, but most of them are more or less
>> intact. i guess the kids are fascinated with the abruptly abbreviated
>> gams.
>>
>
> Kids are fascinated by anything new or weird (to them). Ellie is very
> curious about things, and sometimes it's hard to explain that asking
> personal questions makes people uncomfortable sometimes...
>
> It's good that you live in a handicapped (or is it handi-capable now?
>:>) friendly place. I can't even imagine how difficult it is to get
> along in a community that is not.

in the sticks, some folks are virtually housebound, which would drive me
nuts. but d.c. (and environs) takes the americans with disabilities act
pretty seriously, and most of the buildings aren't terribly old. there are
a few places i can't get into, which does **** me off, but not many.

your pal,
blake

On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:47:22 GMT, Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> On Fri 19 Sep 2008 07:52:28a, Janet Baraclough told us...

>> Did you watch last week's Paralympics in Beijing? Some of the
>> prosthetic racing legs those athletes run on are amazing....instead of
>> feet there's a blade like a spring.
>>
>> Janet.
>>
>
> I saw part of it. Actually those racing legs have been around for some
> time now.

i have a newspaper clipping of this photo of this young woman on my
refrigerator:

<http://www.ohiou.edu/ohiotoday/winter02/gfx/shots7.jpg>

her name is aimee mullins. the picture is from an exhibition called
"Game Face: What Does a Female Athlete Look Like?," that blew through the
smithsonian a few years ago. she's actually done some glamor shots you can
find on google images. cute butt.

your pal,
blake

blake murphy > fnord
:

> On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 23:21:27 GMT, Saerah Gray wrote:
>
>> blake murphy > fnord
>> :
>>
>>> On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:14:36 +0200, ChattyCathy wrote:
>>>
>>>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On Thu 18 Sep 2008 10:24:04a, blake murphy told us...
>>>>>
>>>>>> the whole thing wasn't exactly a profile in courage.
>>>>>
>>>>> I can imagine not.
>>>>>
>>>>>> i am lucky in that i don't often experience phantom pain, though
>>>>>> fairly often my 'feet' will itch like shit, which is
>>>>>> disconcerting because there ain't much you can do about it.
>>>>>
>>>>> Yes, you are lucky that isn't a big issue for you. I have another
>>>>> friend (in Cleveland), whose phantom pain was so bad that he
>>>>> underwent numerous
>>>>> subsequent surgerires trying to alleviate it. It helped a bit,
>>>>> but not a lot.
>>>>>
>>>>> I must say that you have a great attitude about the whole thing,
>>>>> and that I am *very* glad your with us!
>>>>
>>>> I agree, Wayne.
>>>>
>>>> May I echo Wayne's sentiments Blake? Glad you're here too.
>>>
>>> they call me the sunshine spreader. well some people call me other
>>> things. don't listen to them!
>>
>> I wish I had such a good attitude.... My health problems are mostly
>> psychological in nature (other than the beginnings of arthritis in my
>> knees)
>>
>> I am also glad you are here, Blake. You are one of the rfc posters
>> whose posts I check out before I finish reading a thread
>
> thank you very much. i'll be here all week, and try the veal.

mmmm! baby!

--
Saerah (will be having veal tongue later this week, in fact )

"Welcome to Usenet, Biatch! Adapt or haul ass!"
- some hillbilly from FL

blake murphy > wrote:

> (i did tell my primary care physician once that i kind of missed ****ing
> standing up, and she said 'we'll put that down under "treatment goals".')

It's been rumored that once you've had a man with no legs, you'll
never go back.

-sw

Saerah Gray > wrote:

> A doctor with a sense of humor is a good thing

I've heard that proctologists are especially good at humor.

-sw

In article > ,
Saerah Gray > wrote:

> > Saerah, Tens units work for arthritis pain control too. :-) Better for
> > you than drugs, and cheaper in the long run:
> >
> > <http://www.medicalproductsonline.org/electrotherapy2.html>
>
> I don't take painkillers for it (yet), but that's good to know. Mostly I
> am just annoyed by the scrap-y feeling in my left knee
>
> --
> Saerah

Trust me, I feel your pain...

I'm actually using an EMS unit now for chronic lower back pain and
Sciatica.
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

In article >,
Sqwertz > wrote:

> blake murphy > wrote:
>
> > (i did tell my primary care physician once that i kind of missed ****ing
> > standing up, and she said 'we'll put that down under "treatment goals".')
>
> It's been rumored that once you've had a man with no legs, you'll
> never go back.
>
> -sw

Or with no teeth... <winks>
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

In article >,
Sqwertz > wrote:

> Saerah Gray > wrote:
>
> > A doctor with a sense of humor is a good thing
>
> I've heard that proctologists are especially good at humor.
>
> -sw

<lol> I think they have to be!
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:33:31 -0700, sf wrote:

> On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:57:17 GMT, blake murphy
> > wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:29:03 -0700, sf wrote:
>>
>>> On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:32:03 GMT, blake murphy
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>>On Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:30:19 -0400, TFM® wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Blake, I've been seeing your posts for years. Never knew you were in a
>>>>> chair.
>>>>> If I ain't being too nosey, what happened? Email is valid. If you don't
>>>>> care to respond, that's valid too.
>>>>>
>>>>> TFM®
>>>>
>>>>beginning around thanksgiving of '98, i began to become ill. when i
>>>>finally went to the doctor on jan. 3, 1999 (actually i went on dec 31, but
>>>>they wouldn't admit me)
>>>
>>> Seems to me that's solid ground for a lawsuit, but I'm not a lawyer.
>>>
>>
>>there was some talk about that, but a lawyer i had (retained for another
>>reason, a beef with the nursing home) didn't think i had much of a case.
>>my girlfriend still doesn't understand why i don't hate kaiser-permanente,
>>but i'm alive when everyone expected me to be dead, so it seems churlish to
>>complain about it.
>
> Wow, Kaiser (of all places) turned you away? Unbelievable! I've had
> nothing but good experiences with them. Hubby's stent was easy peasy.
> Hard to believe that stuff was open heart surgery not too long ago.

well, it was new year's eve. <shrugs>

but i do think they're good, at least in the d.c. metro area. other places
(i've heard), maybe not.

your pal,
blake

On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:46:19 -0400, cybercat wrote:

> <sf> wrote
>>
>> Wow, Kaiser (of all places) turned you away? Unbelievable! I've had
>> nothing but good experiences with them. Hubby's stent was easy peasy.
>> Hard to believe that stuff was open heart surgery not too long ago.
>>
> It's nice to know that Kaiser does well by some folks. They must have
> learned something before they were booted out of NC.

i did briefly have a primary care guy who was a prick from india. he
seemed to resent the fact that i drank and smoked cigarettes and i felt
like he didn't want me cluttering up his waiting room. but it was easy to
give him the boot and i really like the guy have now. he gets my jokes.

(not that the current doc doesn't hector me a little, but i don't have the
feeling he wants me to go ahead and die already.)

your pal,
blake

On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:51:43 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:

> blake murphy > wrote:
>
>> (i did tell my primary care physician once that i kind of missed ****ing
>> standing up, and she said 'we'll put that down under "treatment goals".')
>
> It's been rumored that once you've had a man with no legs, you'll
> never go back.
>
> -sw

of course, i have heard of amputee fetishists, but i haven't met any. with
my luck they'd turn out to be men, anyway.

your pal,
blake

"blake murphy" > wrote
> i did briefly have a primary care guy who was a prick from india. he
> seemed to resent the fact that i drank and smoked cigarettes and i felt
> like he didn't want me cluttering up his waiting room.

You have to love these guys. And I know, Kaiser doesn't have the market
cornered on shitty doctors, or good doctors with attitudes so shitty they
make you want to stay away, which is pretty easy to do for some people, and
not a good idea. It does not take much for me to find a reason not to go to
the doctor. The receptionist's a bitch? Think I'll pass. Now I am on Advair
so I have to see them twice a year to get my prescriptions. So I changed
doctors and happily the new place has less shitty people. I had no idea if
it would or would not, it was a crap shoot.

>but it was easy to
> give him the boot and i really like the guy have now. he gets my jokes.

One of the qualities I, too, find most attractive in people.
>
> (not that the current doc doesn't hector me a little, but i don't have the
> feeling he wants me to go ahead and die already.)
>

When I smoked, I had a chiropractor who was really good at what he did and a
real prick too. I was young and easily intimidated, so I would brush my
teeth, eat mints the whole way over in the car, and in the middle of
adjusting me he would say into my ear, "You can eat all the mints you want,
I can still smell it on you." It sure didn't make me quit. Now that I don't
smoke I hope I never turn into one of those assholes.

blake murphy > wrote:

> On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:51:43 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:
>
>> blake murphy > wrote:
>>
>>> (i did tell my primary care physician once that i kind of missed ****ing
>>> standing up, and she said 'we'll put that down under "treatment goals".')
>>
>> It's been rumored that once you've had a man with no legs, you'll
>> never go back.
>
> of course, i have heard of amputee fetishists, but i haven't met any. with
> my luck they'd turn out to be men, anyway.

It's a line spoken by Eddie Murphy from the movie "Trading Places"
(~1984). He's panhandling pretending he has no legs when a babe
walks past, "Once you've had a man with no legs, you'll never go
back".

<cymbal crash>

ObFood: Bun Thit Nuong for dinner (using thin-cut pork bone-in
sirloin chops).

-sw

Omelet > wrote:

> In article >,
> Sqwertz > wrote:
>
>> I've heard that proctologists are especially good at humor.
>
> <lol> I think they have to be!

And Gyn-OB's are the driest of all. Go figure.

-sw

Omelet wrote:

> In article > ,
> Saerah Gray > wrote:
>
> > > Saerah, Tens units work for arthritis pain control too. :-) Better for
> > > you than drugs, and cheaper in the long run:
> > >
> > > <http://www.medicalproductsonline.org/electrotherapy2.html>
> >
> > I don't take painkillers for it (yet), but that's good to know. Mostly I
> > am just annoyed by the scrap-y feeling in my left knee
> >
> > --
> > Saerah
>
> Trust me, I feel your pain...
>
> I'm actually using an EMS unit now for chronic lower back pain and
> Sciatica.


How is that sciatiaca, Om? I had some terrible crippling attacks in the
early 00's and then none at all for the last five or so years. I'm thinking
that getting that nice hard new mattress a few years back put a stop to the
attacks..


--
Best
Greg

On Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:39:30 GMT, blake murphy
> wrote:

>On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:33:31 -0700, sf wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:57:17 GMT, blake murphy
>> > wrote:
>>
>>>On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:29:03 -0700, sf wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:32:03 GMT, blake murphy
>>>> > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:30:19 -0400, TFM® wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Blake, I've been seeing your posts for years. Never knew you were in a
>>>>>> chair.
>>>>>> If I ain't being too nosey, what happened? Email is valid. If you don't
>>>>>> care to respond, that's valid too.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> TFM®
>>>>>
>>>>>beginning around thanksgiving of '98, i began to become ill. when i
>>>>>finally went to the doctor on jan. 3, 1999 (actually i went on dec 31, but
>>>>>they wouldn't admit me)
>>>>
>>>> Seems to me that's solid ground for a lawsuit, but I'm not a lawyer.
>>>>
>>>
>>>there was some talk about that, but a lawyer i had (retained for another
>>>reason, a beef with the nursing home) didn't think i had much of a case.
>>>my girlfriend still doesn't understand why i don't hate kaiser-permanente,
>>>but i'm alive when everyone expected me to be dead, so it seems churlish to
>>>complain about it.
>>
>> Wow, Kaiser (of all places) turned you away? Unbelievable! I've had
>> nothing but good experiences with them. Hubby's stent was easy peasy.
>> Hard to believe that stuff was open heart surgery not too long ago.
>
>well, it was new year's eve. <shrugs>
>
>but i do think they're good, at least in the d.c. metro area. other places
>(i've heard), maybe not.
>

I used to hear that. Hopefully it's changed by now.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

In article >,
blake murphy > wrote:

> On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:51:43 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:
>
> > blake murphy > wrote:
> >
> >> (i did tell my primary care physician once that i kind of missed ****ing
> >> standing up, and she said 'we'll put that down under "treatment goals".')
> >
> > It's been rumored that once you've had a man with no legs, you'll
> > never go back.
> >
> > -sw
>
> of course, i have heard of amputee fetishists, but i haven't met any. with
> my luck they'd turn out to be men, anyway.
>
> your pal,
> blake

I rather like uniforms.... personally. <giggles>
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

In article > ,
"Gregory Morrow" > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
>
> > In article > ,
> > Saerah Gray > wrote:
> >
> > > > Saerah, Tens units work for arthritis pain control too. :-) Better for
> > > > you than drugs, and cheaper in the long run:
> > > >
> > > > <http://www.medicalproductsonline.org/electrotherapy2.html>
> > >
> > > I don't take painkillers for it (yet), but that's good to know. Mostly I
> > > am just annoyed by the scrap-y feeling in my left knee
> > >
> > > --
> > > Saerah
> >
> > Trust me, I feel your pain...
> >
> > I'm actually using an EMS unit now for chronic lower back pain and
> > Sciatica.
>
>
> How is that sciatiaca, Om? I had some terrible crippling attacks in the
> early 00's and then none at all for the last five or so years. I'm thinking
> that getting that nice hard new mattress a few years back put a stop to the
> attacks..

Take a look at these Greg and learn how to use them.
It's better than high doses of Ibuprofen:

http://www.medicalproductsonline.org/meprondi75mu.html

See earlier posts for the history of my decision.
But, it's not like they are expensive any more. I'm trying to spread the
word.

They are a serious godsend.
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

Omelet > wrote in
news

>
> I rather like uniforms.... personally. <giggles>



I have 2........ one military :-)



--
Peter Lucas
Brisbane
Australia


If we are not meant to eat animals,
why are they made of meat?

Omelet > wrote in newsmpomelet-886A39.00293922092008
@news.giganews.com:

> http://www.medicalproductsonline.org/meprondi75mu.html



I have one of those things, but rarely use it.

I have a *very* high pain threshold :-)



--
Peter Lucas
Brisbane
Australia


If we are not meant to eat animals,
why are they made of meat?

On Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:45:58 +0000, mmm&m wrote:

> "PeterLucas" > wrote in message
> .25...
>> Omelet > wrote in
>> news >>
>>
>>
>>> I rather like uniforms.... personally. <giggles>
>>
>>
>>
>> I have 2........ one military :-)

And the other:

http://images.buycostumes.com/mgen/m...iser/17133.jpg