Thanks Steph, I needed that.

Also, in TOTALLY unscientific election facts that make me feel better: one of the big bakeries here always does cookie polls for the election (as well as other things, like if the zoo's new rhino baby was going to be a girl or boy). Obama cookies are at 10,377 and Romney cookies are at 8,616.

Like I said, totally unscientific, but this is a notoriously Republican city.

Also, the cookie polls tend to pick the winner. They did in 2008 and 2004. And I can't remember if they did them for presidential races before 2004.

Cool, Steph.

I saw a graph the other day that showed Ohio to have gotten very close recently. I forget where I saw it--possibly in one of Sullivan's doom-mongering posts....

Those cookies are $40 a dozen. I was gonna buy some, but, seriously?

Ohio to have gotten very close recently. I forget where I saw it--possibly in one of Sullivan's doom-mongering posts....

At this point, I think the only people who should be reading Sullivan right now are people who want Romney to win. If this does not characterize your personal position, Sully's rantings are not helpful.

Those cookies are $40 a dozen. I was gonna buy some, but, seriously?

I know! I bought a dozen for the office 4 years ago, and they were less than $20 for a dozen. CRAXY.

Bailey is coming over Thursday for a meet and greet and then sleepover!

I am still Debbie Downer today I really want to go home and sleep.

a regimen that has never gotten my pain below a 5 is what will happen from now on.

For fuck’s sake.

If anyone not-ita ! is feeling advocate-y (and is good on the phone, because I’m so not...) here's what I could dig up.

The CA Medical Board's guidelines for pain management are here [link]

These Guidelines are intended to improve effective pain management in California, by avoiding under treatment, over treatment, or other inappropriate treatment of a patient's pain and by clarifying the principles of professional practice that are endorsed by the Medical Board so that physicians have a higher level of comfort in using controlled substances, including opioids, in the treatment of pain.

If I’m reading correctly, the reasons for changing previously effective treatment should be documented with more than a shrug and "don’t wanna." Everything I’ve found says that CA’s laws and guidelines about this are basically a model for other states. Doctors have been reprimanded and sued (successfully), for failing to treat intractable pain.

They have a form for officially filing a complaint, but there's also an 800 number for information and they seem open to the possibility of anonymous calls, even if they can’t necessarily act on them. Maybe someone could call and discuss the issue, without naming any names, and see what the reaction is. They might just say "we don’t know, we don’t care, all I can do is tell you how to fill out the form." But on the other hand, you might get "before you file an official complaint, try X and Y to resolve this." And if possible get a feel for whether this the sort of complaint they would take action on, and what kind of action, and what's the timeline, and would that help?

Under-prescribing and delaying treatment are both listed on their complaint form, for whatever that's worth. How those things are defined might be another question to ask. Anyway, the contact info is here: [link]

Oh yeah, and

I'd be sticking a battery in my ass and getting a remote control for my neck and not reducing the migraine count (or, really, the ER visit count--just the required dosage from 3x to 2x).

A patient who suffers from severe chronic intractable pain has the option to choose opiate medications to relieve severe chronic intractable pain without first having to submit to an invasive medical procedure

There are a lot of pain management orgs & advocacy groups also, but it's hard to find the practical info; I'll poke around some more tonight.

Who wants to lend me a million and a half dollars so I can buy this house?

[link]

I hope things go well with Bailey.

Spanish and Portuguese kids in an all Iberian Horseball showdown.