The Sound of Silence

For several years, we have had an increase in the number of telemarketer calls we receive on our landline phone. However, recently, the number of calls we get has been astronomical. The phone rings up to six times an hour! Sometimes, one telemarketer will hang up and then a few moments later, another telemarketer will call!

I could not tolerate this. I was at my breaking point. The endless phone calls were driving me crazy. I checked with the national call registry. Yes, our phone has been on the do not call list for the last 15 years. But it does not seem to matter. The telemarketers are calling from overseas. The penalties for violating the do not call registry cannot be enforced on international companies.

I read online up about blocking telemarketer calls. I discovered we could block most telemarketers by blocking the area code it shows on our caller ID. Almost all the calls come from one area code. However, there was a problem. We get real calls from that area code. If we blocked all numbers with that area code, we would be blocking real phone calls.

Thankfully, our telephone company has a special feature in which all phone calls with that specific area code can be intercepted before it rings our phone. The person calling is given a random three digit code and told to enter it. If the code is entered correctly, our phone then rings. If the wrong code is entered, the phone call will not go through.

Since setting this up last week, we have only had TWO telemarketer calls; the telemarketers were calling from a different area code which is not blocked. I am so relieved! It is so nice to not have our phone ring all day long.

Today, I am once again enjoying the sound of silence. Ah, silence. What a beautiful sound!

Time change. I can’t get used to it

The time changed a few weeks ago. Usually it take me a day or two to get used to the new time the sun rises and sets. However, since Daylight Savings Time began, it feels as though my body cannot get used to the new time. I will be extremely tired all day. When it is time to go to sleep, I will

not be able to sleep. I will be awake until 3 a.m.

When I finally fall asleep, I do not sleep long. Around 7:30 a.m., I will wake up. I will be very tired, but no matter how hard I try, I cannot get back to sleep.

I have been extremely exhausted lately. I hope soon, my body adjusts to the new time because I really need to get a good night’s worth of sleep.

Trying to limit my spending, but things keep going awry

A few months ago, I purchased a supplement which helps with digestion. To get the best price, you had to sign up for a subscription. The problem with the subscription is that it renewed many months before I would be finished with the supplement. I only use half a dose to save money. So, the supplement lasts me 8 months.

When I ordered a few months ago, I thought I had cancelled the subscription after receiving the shipment. Moreover, the credit card on the subscription expired. I thought I was safe with the subscription not renewing.

Yesterday, I received an email my subscription order was being sent out to me. I tried calling and emailing the company, but they were closed. I called this morning, but I have been informed the product already had a shipping label created. It could not be cancelled.

I asked how an expired credit card could be charged. I was told, they just process the card. My credit card company let the charges go through on an expired card.

I was really upset. I still have about a five month supply left of the supplement. And now, with this new shipment, I will have over a year’s worth of the supplement. The supplement needs refrigeration and has a limited shelf-life. I am not sure if I will be able to finish the supplement before it expires.

I am frustrated, but I guess the only person I should be mad at is myself. I should have double and triple checked the subscription was cancelled. I tried removing my credit card from the account, but it would not let me do that. Hopefully, in the future, if the company decides to renew my subscription, the credit card company will reject the outdated credit card.

My life has been topsy turvy

If there is one lesson I have learned after having a chronic illness for more than 10 years it is that nothing ever goes as planned. Urgent doctor’s appointments get cancelled, prescriptions do not get sent to the pharmacy, prescriptions get sent to the wrong pharmacy, insurance claims are denied, etc. I used to be upset by these challenges, but now I have learned to expect things to go wrong. Recently, though, I have had some unexpected surprises.

I had a prescription at the pharmacy which I have tried to get filled. Even though the drug has never been dispensed, the pharmacy says the prescription has zero refills on it. I decided to transfer the prescription to a different pharmacy and see if I could get it filled that way. When trying to transfer the prescription, things got messed up. The original pharmacy filled the prescription instead of transferring it. Behold, I finally was able to get the medicine.

Another unexpected miracle was a highly successful YouTube video. I had worked very hard on a video. After I made it, I decided I could not publish it on my Life with a Vent YouTube channel because it was too “religious”. I am very mindful of the content on that channel as I have a large international audience. The focus of the channel is life with a vent and not life with God. 

Instead, I decided to upload the video to my God is My Strength channel. That channel is much smaller. I figured the video would get few views. To my shock, the video has nearly 1,000 views!!! I am over the moon happy and excited. I cannot believe the success that video has had!

It is such a blessing when things go right. I am thrilled God has been so gracious to me and has allowed me to experience so many blessings. Whatever happens, I am reminded to cling, cleave and hold fast to God. A blessing can happen at any moment.

A crazy day of waiting

Have you ever had a day, which seems to be perfectly planned, but then it goes completely haywire? Well, that was my day today.

I first went to pick up lab orders at my primary care doctor’s office. Although I had been called and had been told they are waiting for me at the front desk, when I arrived, the receptionist could not find them. After waiting a while, I finally had to leave. I had to get to the lab to have blood work done for a different doctor.

From previous experiences, I know the lab can be busy. I made an appointment for today to guarantee I would not have to wait very long. (Having an appointment skips the long line of people who arrive via the walk-in system.) When I checked in, the waiting room was packed with people. I waited, but after a number of people were called back (and it seemed me having an appointment did not make a difference in the time I was going to have to wait), I left to go to a doctor’s appointment.

At the doctor, I was taken back quickly. But then I had to wait. One hour and 45 minutes later, the provider arrived in my room. Thankfully, she was able to create lab orders to have the test I needed which my primary care doctor had ordered. However, this doctor uses a different laboratory.

After my appointment, I had to go to a laboratory, drop off the lab orders and then go back across town to a different lab to have my lab work done.

I am grateful everything was completed, and I was able to go home. I tried extremely hard to make today as short of a day as possible with planning ahead, but things just did not go my way. It was a long day of waiting.

High blood pressure, low blood sugar: Crashing at the doctor’s office

Yesterday, I had an extremely busy day. I had to get everything out of my room to have part of my ceiling cut out. Although I had planned ahead, the workers came early. I had to scramble to get everything out.

Then, I had to hop in a car and travel 45 minutes to a medial appointment. Upon arriving at the clinic, the waiting room was packed with people. All the chairs were occupied. People were standing. The waiting room was so full, people were standing outside the office. I sat on the floor as this was the only open seating available.

After waiting 45 minutes, the receptionist told a patient the doctor was not at the clinic. He was running late. By this time, I was shaking from exhaustion. My blood sugar was dropping. I was sweating profusely. My muscles were quivering. I struggled to speak.

After an hour of waiting, I was called back. The medical assistant took my vitals. My blood pressure was 182/84. When she touched my skin, it was burning hot. She asked me if I was sick. I told her I was extremely tired. She seemed concerned. She told me to stay where I was.

A few minutes later, the doctor rushed into the clinic. He apologized for being late. He came to my exam room first. He asked how I was. He quickly raced through my appointment. He then escorted me out of the clinic, and held open the exit door for me. (He is an extremely kind doctor.)

Once I left the clinic, we had to get gasoline. We then had an hour to drive to another engagement I had. On the way, my blood sugar continued to drop. Even though I was running my IV nutrition called TPN, I was shaking uncontrollably, it was hard to think and I was struggling to breathe.

We stopped at the grocery store. I was able to get a large bunch of bananas and some baby carrots. I quickly consumed two bananas. My head stopped hurting. And my body stopped shaking. I munched on the carrots as we made our way through the city.

We arrived at the event right on time. I nearly fell trying to enter the building. My head started spinning very quickly, and my muscles started shaking. Thankfully, I was able to use a wall to steady myself and was able to continue on after resting.

At the event, I tried my best to act social, but I was incredibly tired. I caught only fragments of sentences. My mind often drifted off. I had to fight to stay awake.

When I felt as though I had stayed long enough, I politely excused myself. I got back in the car and settled in for a 30 minute drive back home.

Once home, the ceiling construction work was complete. I then had to clean up my room. Ultimately, I need to put everything back into my room. Many things are scattered in the dining room, and my closet is heaped high with miscellaneous items. But all that would have to wait. I was too tied.

After running my nebulizer and clearing out the mucus in my airways, I settled into my bed. I had made it. And now it was time to not move for a very long time.

It's the little things which make me smile

This weekend, I was thinking about my former Bible teacher. As I often do, I break down in tears thinking about her. I deeply miss her. I cannot tell you the profound way she has impacted my life. I prayed to God, asking for her to be well. I also prayed I could find someone at Bible study who recently spoke to my teacher and had an update.

I was stunned when, unprovoked, someone gave an update about my former Bible teacher at Bible study. I was thunderstruck because it was an EXACT answer to my prayer.

Since hearing about our current Bible study teacher’s eye, I have prayed many times for her eye to have a full and complete healing. I asked God for her eye to be healed and her to be well enough to teach. I was overjoyed her eye was healed and that she was feeling better. She gave a fantastic lesson as always.

I also asked God if I should express to my Bible study teacher that I was praying for her. (I have many friends who get upset when I asked about their health. I did not want to do anything to bother my wonderful teacher.)

I again was flabbergasted she answered this prayer request when she expressed her gratitude to those who reached out to her concerning her eye.

I know God always hears our prayers, but still I am usually astonished that He answers in such a detailed way. Some people look for the big miracles. I smile when even my small, unimportant prayers are answered.

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. (1 Chronicles 16:11)