... are a freakin joke. So I decided to get some exercise as I was told by the doctor that walking and deep breathing is good for healing. I walked three blocks to Buffalo General in order to get a copy of my medical records to review. I had no idea how unorganized that part of the hospital is. I find it hard to believe that anything works well in the hospital if the information infrasctructure is such an unorganized system. I am not talking about medical records from ten years ago, I am talking about medical records from the last couple months.

The medical records system at Buffalo General is not completely electronic. There is this ellusive paper copy that has info that is not available everywhere else. The day I was in the hospital getting my appendix out I was supposed to be getting my Tissue Transglutaminase IGG and Transglutaminase AB (IGA) test to check for gluten intolerance at Quest Diagnotsics. So I figured, while I am already in the Er giving them blood, why not ask them to carry out the test as I was supposed to have the results for a April 24th doctor's appointment. My mother called and get the test names, we gave them to the doctor, he agreed, the nurse drew blood. Now there is no record of the test.

To make matters worse the desk clerk in medical records was this 20 something total bitch. She looked like and acted just like Karen from Will and Grace. If you ever read this, I hate you you mother fucking bitch, I hope this golden skanky, pointy shoes you have give you bunions and hammer toes.

I was nice because I was trying to keep stress to a minimum but I wanted to reach across the window, grab her hair and slam her face into the counter repeatedly.

All I asked her to do was print out my medical records for my and she kept gasping and saying how annoying it was. And the printer wouldn't work. It got jammed twice so she stopped and told me to come back in a week. Seriously, I can understand a printer malfunction, but the customer curtousy thing to do we be to offer to mail them to me, or say I am sorry about the inconvenience, not just get all angry with me for asking for my medial records.

It was totally ridiculous. Then I explained to her how every time I come to the hospital they have the wrong primary care physician for me. She said that she can't do anything about it, I have to see this woman named April down the hall.

So I go down the hall and enter Aprils office and this (sorry this is so unPC) extremely retarded looking woman acts like I couldn't possibly do such a crazy thing as change my primary care physican on my medial record. Right now I could swear she was drooling while telling me this, but maybe now I am blowing it out of proportion due to PTBGE Post Traumatic Buffalo General Exposure.

She seriously tried to convince me that I need to just tell them the new doctor' name every time I come to the hospital. So I ask for April and she starts howling, "April, April - this patient has a problem" - who is like 15 feet away. Could she not just get the fuck up or point to April so I could approach her politely.

I explain the situation to April and she says that she cannot do it and she has no idea why the Karen look alike down the Hall would have sent me there or how to change it. Finally, some other girl overhears and says I should try admissions.

So I go to admission and register and wait in line to be "admitted" and then finally there was a gay guy, who could communicate properly with a patient and was able to handle the change professionally, quickly and courtesly - shouldn't they all be that way. He also took the time to confirm my other information to make sure everything was right. I think his name was Paul too.

So you might be thinking that maybe I was mean or something that prompted all this. But I swear I was so super nice. I as in such a good mood, I could finally move around and it was sunny out, etc. It was really one of the worst customer service experiences I ever had. They really need to read, "If Disney Ran Your Hospital." In fact I am considering bringing my copy down next week when I stop at medical records and throwing it at "Karen's" face, lol.

And for some comic relief. I know I don't have a huge one, but they didn't have to call it "grossly negative", lol.

I just wanted to thank the universe that my main interests are computers and cell phones. Had it been mountain climbing or running, all these set backs would have ruined my life. Then again maybe the fact that my interests were cell phone and computers has ruined my health, lol. No i do seriously move around a lot and it sucks that I can't move as much as I want right now.

So I have been trying to think of a way to make the buffalo police observation cameras (e:paul,44064) less hateable. What if instead of having to have auditors of their use and abuse, they just dump all the live feeds to the web. That way everyone can see what the police are looking at and it keeps it more legit. I mean if they are so understaffed with people to view the cameras, this would also create a larger net of people watching the data being gathered.

Well I am feeling better enough to start hating again. This article is why I now officially hate Queenseyes, Newell Nussbaumer of Buffalo Rising, and his vision of the city. If you are reading this, don't feel too special, I hate a lot of things. I cannot believe he wrote that article applauding the surveillance cameras being put up and down Elmwood. I guess at this point there are three but it surely is a sign that more are to come. I thought they were bad enough on Main Street but Elmwood?

What is the next step? A gated community where the suburbanistas use a chips implanted in their arm to get into what used to be an interesting and diverse neighborhood. I don't think our long term freedom is worth attracting more suburban customers to your upscale dining facilities and niche stores. Let them stay on Transit. What is going on with Elmwood? Is the crime really that bad? I doubt it is a terrorist target. The cameras sure make it seem that way. Nothing screams high crime neighborhood more than surveillance cameras on the street.

What exactly triggers a camera watching police officers to take to the street and check out the scene. Maybe a black man talking to a white woman at night time - is that what is next. Maybe two gay guys holding hands that make the suburbanite shoppers uncomfortable. That is the problem. It doesn't prevent any crime, it can't make you any safer, it just makes it easier to catch a perpetrator later and that frankly doesn't help you very much if you are being raped which brings me back to who is getting raped on Elmwood?

Does no one see the disgusting freedom eroding potential of these cameras. Maybe not right now, but times change and laws change and once the cameras are implanted they become acceptable features of the urban landscape. If they ever planted one of these out front of my house I would move out of the city to the country or suburbs where I was not under video surveillance. To make it really scary they should just put up a video screen with giant police eyes looking back the other way.

My question is WWe:DD - what would (e:drew) do - now that you are on the elmwood board what is your feeling on these cameras? Did you guys vote on this or did the police just bring them in. As to what am I going to do. I am going to spend all my lifestyle attributable expendable income elsewhere and boycott shopping on Elmwood while I see how this develops.

I am glad to see most of their commentors disagree with his article. Maybe he only knows how to write positive reviews of everything.

I love this comment from their site.

I counter with ...bring 'em on. The more the better. If we can't have a cop on every block to nab thugs, vandals, litter bugs, etc., then I'll settle for eyes in the skies. If you've ever been to Singapore the place is totally safe and spotless. Like a dream. If you're not doing anything illegal, what's to fear. by UrbanBody of Buffalo Rising

To bad being gay and chewing gum are both illegal in singapore. For that fact I refuse to capitalize their name.

I think the most important comments on their site are these two:

The city has never described any protections on how the cameras are used, or abused. These cameras have incredibly far range and quality. What would prevent someone from aiming the camera into the window of an apartment bedroom? by 300 Miles of Buffalo Rising

We used to live right on elmwood, if there were cameras in light posts outside our bedroom windows they could easily be pointed inside with no problem. Who is to prevent this type of abuse. Is there an auditing committee?

The city is in over their heads and running a half assed operation. They are installing 100+ more cameras and do not even have a staff monitoring the ones that have been in place. I know many with the BPD and was told on the busier nights there are 2 people monitoring all of these cameras- do the math "slow nights" the monitoring room lays empty- waste of money as urbanesque stated "These are a poor substitute for 'feet on the street' police patrols and community policing. " that about sums it up by dbpflo of Buffalo Rising

So no one is even watching them. What is the point then.

I feel much better and will walk around a bunch today. The doctor said walking is good for healing, so is deep breathing. I feel a lot less bloated. It honestly felt like my veins might have exploded. I think it happed when my IV tube got stuck the night before and they thought I wasn't getting enough fluid because I wasn't peeing a lot so they made me do one bag real quick.

However, that is better now and my veins no longer look like the incredible hulks.

So I really want to know if I am allergic to the hydromorphone or not. Do they have some sort of allergy test for that? Look at this article I wonder if I just had a side effect or a true allergy or if I was allergic to the antibiotic administered at the same time. Honestly, it would be good to know, because if I ever am in a horrible accident or need surgery again I don't want to forgo the pain meds because of an allergy I am not sure I really have. The nurse wrote my allergy on the bracelet because I was itching after both thing were administered. I didn't have asthma or anything which is a usual allergy symptom for me. I just itched and frankly compared to appendix pain, itching is quite acceptable. I think it was the owrst pain I ever felt. I mean I never had any problem with codeine before aren't they related?

Tests for IgE to specific opioids have been developed but are not readily available. Skin testing has been suggested before a structurally unrelated opioid is used in a patient with a serious opioid reaction.

I want to find out where to get that now. I am going to ask the doctor during the follow up appointment because it would be good to know instead of having to get no pain meds after some health disaster.