Thursday, April 10, 2008 -- 8:15 PM   When I got up this morning, it had already started snowing.  The grass was covered with it, as were the streets and sidewalks where I live.  My ride came to get me to take me to my doctor’s appointment, and as my wheelchair rolled through the snow, it left tracks in its wake.  I felt that since I made it down the sidewalk to the bus (approximately 50 or 60 feet), it would be just as easy to get back to my apartment upon my return.  Boy was I wrong!   Although I had only been gone about three hours, by the time I got back to my apartment complex there were about five inches of snow on the ground.  Going down the sidewalk earlier was not too bad, but going back to my apartment meant going uphill.  My wheelchair rolled about ten feet and then came to a sudden -- but not unexpected -- stop.  The snow had brought it to a grinding halt.  I told the bus driver that I needed his help, which he gave to me.  He kicked the snow out of my way until I had a clear path to the door of my apartment.  I was thankful when I got inside safe and sound.   My doctor's visit took longer than I had anticipated, due to the fact that one of the other patients had a heart attack while he was in the office.  That meant he was given priority care, which I could understand fully.   During my examination, my doctor said that what looked to be bruising on my heels of my feet, could actually be internal bleeding in the legs.  He prescribed some leg splints for me to wear when I go to bed at night.   Although I use hearing aids, I have still been having problems hearing out of my right ear.  Because of that, I asked him to examine it so that we could try to determine whether my hearing loss was being caused by more ear problems or was the result of a hearing a problem.  My doctor looked in my ear and said there was some wax that he needed to get out.  He took a long metal rod and tried pulling on the earwax with it.  He kept working on it until I said he was hurting me, at which point he said that there were a couple of "rocks" that did not want to come out of there.  He kept working on it until the earwax came out.  In addition to the earwax, some skin came out with it.  That process caused some bleeding, and I was told to leave the hearing aids out for about half an hour.  When I put them back in an hour later, and removed them shortly thereafter, a combination of earwax and blood also came out.  The blood seemed to have dried up, and I decided not to worry about it unless something happened overnight.   As I was eating dinner tonight, the telephone rang.  It was my doctor.  He called to tell me that my prescription drug plan would not pay for an antibiotic that I have been using for bladder infections.  I told him that I could not afford to pay $210 for a 10-week supply of the medication.  That is not just a one-time fee.  I have to use that medication continuously, so once a 10-week supply is used up, another one has to be purchased.  The total cost will run about $1000 a year.  My doctor said he would look into the situation.   I had planned on going out tomorrow and running a few errands, but after the hectic week I have just completed, I think it might be better to stay home and relax for the next four days.  After that, I have an appointment for each of the next five days.   The weather predictions for the next five days sound great.  They are calling for bright and sunny skies with temperatures in the seventies.  Twenty-eight degrees today, followed by seventy-one on Saturday.  I sure do live in a crazy state!   Quotes for Success:   “The greatest form of maturity is at harvest time. That is when we must learn how to reap without complaint if the amounts are small and how to reap without apology if the amounts are big.” Jim Rohn