Still Nothing but Feeling Smarter

As expected. No callback from Hepworth’s office. Got called Wednesday that Anthem wanted a peer review of my imaging. MORE. FUCKING DELAYS. I didn’t move my appointment yet. Last night I had a very important maintenance that needed to get done.

It’s a ticket I was assigned back in 2022. Moving local channels for the entire northeast. About 20 programs, but the amount of stress that generates is through the roof. It impacted a lot of customers. But only for 15 minutes. I was so proud that it worked. I nailed it. I still got it. The sense of detail. Organization.

I’ve had the procedure written for at least a year, but everytime I was ready to do it, WHAM. Sick. FMLA .. STD. It felt so disappointing. But I’m so happy I was able to pull it off last night. With no harm to customers. Everything working as expected.

I was “high” off that feeling as I closed down the conference bridge. I did encounter a few things, but having my brain back gave me the ability to address everything in a short amount of time. I was so thrilled.

This morning as I woke up, the pain was punching me in the face. Repeatedly. This is just incrementally getting worse. I was half expecting some stupid fallout to occur from last night, but nothing came in. Dead silence. I texted everyone. Even Josh who left who was the guy who ran the datacenter. He was so elated I got it done. I told him I was disappointed I couldn’t finish it before he left, but he was stoked.

By 7:30am, the pain wasn’t stopping. The bleeding was coming and going. Blowing my nose every two minutes. Bloody spots, brownish shit, and the usual white shit. As I walked through the apartment trying to get it under control, I just told myself stop.

It’s not happening today. So I messaged a group chat at work that I’ll be WFH today. There’s no way I’m gonna get this under control by 8:15am. I tried everything. Sinus rinses, steroids up my nose, sticking my head in the freezer. Taking the hottest shower possible with the door shut. Nothing worked.

So I just started ripping through my workload. I’m trying to get as much done as I can before next week. Because after next week, I get to do the thing I love the most. Teach. Mentor. For the next 7 weeks. Last year I brought up the idea that a video class needs to be put together since everyone seems to struggle with it. I spent over 900 hours meticulously putting together a 231 slide deck that covers how video works. End to end. A great fundamental class that will take over 20 hours to get through. I even wrote exam questions. 75 of them. True/False, Multiple Choice, and fill in the blank. I’m psyched. It will help me immensely at work since I force myself to get on every video-related call.

I am the the one that knows it the deepest. I’m just glad I got all the experience before. People not wanting to take work that required thought, real engineering. Real solutions. Secure. I always looked it as a challenge and a learning thing. Because I have to know everything end to end. Just like my chronic illness stuff. Curiosity always leads to the answer. Google not required.

Sorry for the different post type this time. I’m just pumped about last night, and the upcoming training classes that I put together. The student I used to give the first class 1:1 said it was the best class she’s ever had. She knew a minimal amount. She’s managed to answer 73/75 questions from memory. Which tells me the class will help anyone, and everyone. I even secured some swag giveaways from Juniper. Our rep is really awesome.

After the heart attack I’ve become to realize I’m on borrowed time. The things I’ve learned the past 30 years have become my PHD when it comes to computing, networking, special applications, and making it secure. But in the end, it just works. Plug & play. Which is how it should be. I need to start passing down the knowledge I’ve gained. If it benefits others and makes them successful, I’m all for it. It only helps the group mutually. I just hope that maybe there will be something on down the road for me.

Later in the day, I called Health Images expecting to have to reschedule. To my surprise, Hepworth’s PA actually did the peer review and I’m still good to go for tomorrow. Seeing how I blew my WFH home day today and not tomorrow, I’ll have to play tomorrow by ear.

I have a feeling after the CT, the radiation exposure will wipe me out. Just like the tagged WBC scan I needed to have done.

I just hope that I can push through the next 7 weeks with my sinuses not taking me out. I don’t need this right now. I have so much good stuff in motion I would hate it for be derailed by yet again, my shit immune system, and an infection I clearly cannot shake.

Hopefully the surgery is authorized, and they can get me in ASAP. When I say ASAP, not when they have time, fucking make time. But the Sphenoidotomy, and the facial debridement needs to happen. I’m tired of feeling this every day. I’m pretty sure with what I’m feeling, Hepworth will need to slow down and check every nook and cranny up there to make sure it’s eradicated.

On a personal note, one of the greatest friends I’d ever had, died in 2016. I still remember the call from his brother Chad. Troy challenged me in ways that weren’t easily solvable. Our friendship was so awesome, but he was taken away too early. Chads server died, but managed to salvage all the media he had and he shipped me a hard drive. Said he shipped something extra. But the whole week was hectic with my big video project, and the classes I’m putting together, the box sat there since Monday.

As I opened it this morning, it took me 20 minutes to get it together.

Chad sent me a sweet memento to remember Troy by. I just hope he’s around us, or smiling down on the two knuckleheads he left behind. Save me a seat Troy, I’m sure you’ll be waiting for us when “that time comes”

Tough day overall. I just hope surgery is soon.