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Monday, November 30, 2009

And November is a wrap!

You talk about a wild day!

Friday I went to bed and my lower back was a little sore. I was woken up by Squirrel going off to do that crazy ass Black Friday shopping at 5am. She came back at around 10am and I noticed my back was even more sore. Hmmm wtf is going on here?

Then about 20 minutes later my phone rings...its a 404 number. Atlanta. Hmmm??? Could it be? Come on baby...come on...be Delta calling. Please be Delta calling! It WAS! Some guy in Atlanta calling to tell me that my carry on bag had been located! No frigging way!?? I was so happy! He gave me the details of when it would be arriving. Great! Wow! Now I was just hoping that even HALF of my stuff was still in there.

Then all of a sudden, the pain in my back started getting worse. And worse. Cheryl suggested I go to one of the Urgent Care offices near us. I hate going to the doctor. So I kind of put it off. But then 30 minutes later, the pain was becoming unbearable. Finally, I agreed to drive up to Urgent Care. That became a huge struggle. Oh my God...what the hell was wrong with me? I get there...and they give me a bunch of papers to fill out. I couldn't do it. There was no comfortable position to put my body in. This lady comes out and asks me these questions and determines that I am in the midst of passing a kidney stone. Just then I find myself having to vomit. I am breaking out in a sweat.

They tell me I have to go to the emergency room. Fuck! I call Squirrel...and ask her to come take me. The 15 minutes I waited for her in my car was the longest 15 minutes ever. It was getting harder and harder to even breathe. Holy shit! She finally arrived...and got in my car and drove me, like a bat out of hell...to the hospital. Running red lights, passing people on the shoulder...wow! What a great wife! Then we pull in and they are trying to tell me its going to be awhile, that there are 6 people waiting. I stick my head in the waiting room, there are two little trailer park skanks sitting there...both bare-footed, one playing with her toes...jeezuz, that almost made me hurl again. I couldn't go in there. Finally, a doctor walked in and saw what bad shape I was in and got me in right away.

But then I just laid in this room...with Squirrel...waiting, and waiting...oh my GOD! The pain kept getting worse and worse. Nurses would come and go...but none would give me anything for the pain. I really thought I was going to die. Then, finally they take me into radiology. Slide me into this tube and start doing x-rays. Then he tells me he is 'going to pump me full of iodine/dye to be able to read my kidney functions....that it may cause my pain to slightly increase.' Yeah. SLIGHTLY? Holy shit. Never have I felt worse pain. The pain was so bad that my breathing became affected...then when I couldn't breath anymore...I just started throwing up. It was the scariest damn thing I've ever experienced. Finally...a nurse came in and gave me an IV of some combination of pain killers that left me feeling heavenly. Oh thank God! We returned to the waiting room.

I just laid there...happy to be alive. Happy to be out of pain. The doctor came in and informed me that they had found a 4mm stone in me...that it had fallen into my bladder. Good? Bad? Not sure. He prescribed me some med's...which I would go and get after we left the hospital. I have been drinking lots of water, taking my meds...and just wondering if this pain will return. Man, I hope not. Not positive but I think I might have passed a stone.

Well, once that was done I went to the airport and got my bag. Luckily I got a counter person that didn't seem to hate me based on the fact that I was white. Lucky me. And when I opened up my bag I was shocked to find that EVERYTHING was still in there. Wow! I never felt SO happy, so relieved! Then I just wanted to go home and lay down and relax!

Squirrel took off Saturday morning to go spend 5 days with her nephews in Orlando at Disney World. I have had the house to myself all weekend, to just lay around and watch football, get back on top of my football pools, my fantasy teams, my backer/spreadsheet situation...and play some online poker. I don't know what it is about Pokerstars and the weekends. It just strikes me that if a player sucks ass, they are bound to put the ridiculous beat on you about 85% of the time when you are ahead. I played all day today and the only thing I cashed was the $1,000,000 Turbo Takedown....for only about $150. Yippee.

In my Confidence Pool, I did manage to lock up 1st place for the week (out of 77 players) for the 2nd time this season...and take over 1st place in the race for the all-around...which will pay close to $1500. Winning a week is good for $300...so with two wins this year...this pool is a total freeroll.  Looks like my 10-1 Fantasy team, in the big-money league is going to lose to a 3-8 team. Kurt Warner not playing at the last minute ended up being the blow that killed me. Bummer. My College Bowl pool starts in just a week...anyone reading this interested in the link...just let me know.

Got a record number of hits this month...over 6,000!!! Didn't see that coming. I guess winning a few tourneys mixed with some personal craziness will do that for your hits! Thanks to everyone for reading my blog! Means a lot to me that you take the time! Did anyone read Kai's latest entry!?? Pretty funny shit! I would check it out. He was pretty rough on Venetian. Can't say they didn't at least KIND OF deserve it!

I am going to try to find myself a ticket to tomorrow night's game in the Superdome between the Saints and the Patriots. That should be a helluva game. Who's gonna win? Boy...I have no real feel for it. Saints have to lose eventually I think...and the Patriots are a good candidate...but who knows? Maybe the Saints will just run the table.

I spent about two hours researching cool, exotic places to take Squirrel for vacation. Places that don't involve poker. Was checking out Venice, Milan and Rome. That would be pretty cool. Thought I'm not sure she is into the history and the architecture of Italy as much as I am. Checked out Tahiti. Looks beautiful. I'm just kind of 'over' all the banana republic-type vacation spots. I'd like to go to a place that has some history, some great food, some culture. But I definitely owe her a great vacation SOMEwhere. I just wish my AA hadn't been cracked by KK...and I had gone deeper in that Main Event...to come home and be able to pay off EVERYTHING I owe...and have about 50k in savings...and be able to just snap off a trip somewhere and not care about the price would have been so kickass. But why would I want to get off the bubble of being a struggling, grinding, professional poker player? Its just TOO much fun, right?

Well, I hope you all have fun paying your bills this week and getting started on your Christmas shopping. I guess I have a week to cool my heels, maybe go to the gym some...then head over to New Orleans, where I am excited for the Bayou Winter Classic, or whatever they are calling it this time. I really want to finish up the year on a good note...and with a Final Table or two. Hope to see you all over there!!!!

MONKEY

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

ouch, feel your pain on the kidney stone as I absolutely thought I was going down for the count when I had one as well.

also, lol, at your response to my last comment. Your internet sarcasm detector must be broken as I thought it was fairly clear that I was making fun of the fact that you opened yourself up for some dummy to jump on you over it. I thought by signing my comment as Defender of the Internets it might give it away.

nevertheless, Good Luck in New Orleans.

DEFENDER OF THE INTERNETS.

Anonymous said...

Ohhh, noooo. You're all sick and junk.. did I do thayat... let me get my cell phone and call your doctor... oh, wait... I don't have a cell phone. Cause, I'm a kidney stone.....

KS

GeneD said...

Yo....I am in that range...I have passed 13 kidney stones in my life starting when I was 16 years old until I was about 28. Its a bitch until you pass them... but you will be alright when they hit your bladder. its going to be a trip when you actually pass them though. Check the toilet when u pee and you will see them when they actually pass. drink lots of beer and it will help.

Sorry to hear that your sufffering with them though...they are a bitch

Peace,
GeneD

Anonymous said...

Rumors are floating on the East coast that the infamous Monkey is incarcerated. Likely due to some rage at a casino... likely or not? Lines up with him not posting anything in the last six days.
Where's the Monk?
ydf

Stephanie said...

Ohhh, Monkey!! Where are you? Hope you are feeling better, I think this may be the longest without a blog!!! Getting worried!! Send us something!