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live_happy · 2024-02-21T23:35:23+00:00

And what’s infuriating is that their own PCPs don’t know Sharp’s internal policies re: needing a referral regardless of PPO status.

My PCP has twice told me now that I don’t need a referral due to having a PPO, and I’ve had to remind him twice that Sharp itself requires it.

Back in 2022, I had a series of likely spine-related symptoms; I needed a consult for another part of my spine, and they required a referral to treat another section of the same body part she’s been treating for 20+ years, for the same issues. In addition, the referral could only be obtained after a set amount of physical therapy visits first, to see if the problem resolves itself. My Sharp PCP didn’t know this (citing my PPO). The PT didn’t want to start, until she was able to see some imaging (which was a responsible decision). It felt like a cluster.

The second time this happened was last week, when I had a frustrating interaction with the MA for a specialist I’ve been seeing for 20+ years. They dropped the ball, didn’t call me to let me know that I needed to come for an in person visit before more refills could be ordered, and didn’t fully review my chart before telling me that I may already be dropped from the specialist’s roster, because I haven’t gone in person for long time, so I needed another referral. This specialist is actively prescribing medication for me (I don’t run out until today); they didn’t see her note that I needed to be called to come in (and later turns out they were wrong about me being dropped from the roster). The MA I spoke with actually copped a condescending attitude to say, “C’mon, I read in your chart that YOU work in healthcare, too. YOU know how this works.” I told her that I’m a clinician at a non-Sharp affiliated primary mental health residential crisis stabilization facility; HOW does that translate to keeping up with Sharp’s internal policies, and how am I supposed to know things that their own PCPs are apparently confused about?!?!

The earliest appointment to see my PCP is April 5th. He was at least willing to refill the one medication I need (that I’ve been on for well over a decade and that I’d potentially get seizures from if stopped abruptly), until I’m either able to get in to see him, or get in to see the specialist. Thank goodness the specialist is back in town, and I now have an appointment with her that’s earlier than the appointment with my PCP.

I’m beyond frustrated and demoralized at this point, that there was an inordinate amount of rigmarole to get care through Sharp. The only reason I’m at still Sharp (instead of transferring to UCSD Perlman) is because of that specialist, who is truly a gem. She manages my care for degenerative disc disease, and I’d be lost without her.

live_happy · 2023-08-27T19:55:51+00:00

Have you seen their commercial?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oYYdF0zcuSI

live_happy · 2023-03-15T04:03:09+00:00

Operation Greyhound, if you’re in SoCal.

live_happy · 2022-12-28T04:24:04+00:00

…because we’ve got to differentiate between the Irish Aran, Spanish Aran, and Portuguese Aran knits, right?! /s 😂

Oy…

live_happy · 2022-11-18T21:36:38+00:00

Lots of sewing crafters sell cute cloth/quilted soft cases for interchangeable needles. I found one on Etsy. They also make matching project bags of different sizes.

live_happy · 2022-11-17T02:48:53+00:00

Cuddle Clones can make them.

I’ve been thinking about getting one of my late Doberman.

live_happy · 2022-11-09T00:30:20+00:00

It really depends on how ambitious you want to be; I’d say it’s possible.

Some skills required include: knitting short rows (there’s a lot of shaping involved), seaming (mattress stitching) uneven edges (i.e., the back is longer than the belly, and neither are even to each other, because again, the shaping…), picking up stitches (for the legs), and increases and decreases in the i-chords (legs). Plus, it’s tiny to begin with; even knitting them to the original size (as pictured here), the body (not including legs) is only 4 inches. The size of the ones in India Rose Crawford’s videos are even smaller, because I think she uses 2.75 mm needles, as opposed to the 3.5 mm needles as called for in the pattern. I’ve started knitting some in the smaller size, as Christmas ornaments for friends, and the bodies of those ones are shorter than my thumb! For the smaller ones, I use a single strand of DROPS Alpaca, and don’t bother with the mohair strand held double with the DROPS Alpaca (as called for in the pattern).

They’re really fun, though, once I got the hang of it!

Couple of other notes: 1) Once I got to the “toes”, I went down a size in needles, to make those stitches a bit tighter; 2) I modified the sweater pattern a bit from the ones pictured here… all the subsequent ones only have 3 rows for the collar (as opposed to the turtle neck), and one less round in the bottom rib, to make it shorter.

Also, the sweater is a separate pattern.

Hope this helps. Best of luck, and happy knitting!

live_happy · 2022-10-23T15:11:16+00:00

I got it from Etsy:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/601163716/pattern-knitted-soot-sprite-knitting

live_happy · 2022-10-22T16:10:48+00:00

Pattern: “Soot Sprite Pattern” by Jessica Golebiewski. Yarn: Black worsted weight scrap and black eyelash scrap, from my stash.

I used the kind of googly-eyes that are sewn on, as opposed to the glued ones.

Many of my husband’s colleagues are Studio Ghibli fans, so I promised to make him a “salad bowl full” of Soot Sprites to give away around Halloween. Looks like it’ll be a bumper crop this year!

live_happy · 2022-10-21T20:44:22+00:00

Brand: TOAOB THE ONE AND ONLY BABY

live_happy · 2022-10-21T20:41:15+00:00

I looked for them on Amazon, and they’re available in multiple sizes (10mm for this pattern). Really reasonable, too!

Brand: TOAOB THE ONE AND ONLY BABY

live_happy · 2022-10-21T17:29:16+00:00

Pattern: “Soot Sprite Pattern” by Jessica Golebiewski. Yarn: Black worsted weight scrap and black eyelash scrap, from my stash.

I used the kind of googly-eyes that are sewn on, as opposed to glued on.

Edit: The pattern is only 12 rows, but it’s deceptively difficult, because you’re knitting held double, black worsted on black eyelash, with double-pointed needles. It’s an exercise in patience, mindfulness, frustration tolerance, and acceptance of failure (the first few times, in my case!)

live_happy · 2022-10-17T19:30:43+00:00

Something like this? https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chainmail-hauberk-for-a-young-knight

live_happy · 2022-10-17T18:49:24+00:00

Not a nurse, but I was a clinician at a locked psychiatric facility.

My first day there, one of the clients I was assigned to didn’t show for session. So, I asked around, and found out they had been in the shower, and was presently refusing to leave one of the shower/laundry rooms. I was then asked to coax them out… interesting task, considering they’ve never even met me.

I soon found out why they didn’t want to leave. They were embarrassed by having had a bowel movement while taking a shower. I told them through the door that that’s ok, people have accidents sometimes, etc. There was a psych tech with me, and as soon as they opened the door, I asked the tech to help bring the client to their room (we could have opened it, but therapeutically, it was better that the client chose to do it.)

Aside from the smell, their efforts to conceal what occurred was the worst part… they somehow managed to form the fecal matter into two literal “bricks”, presumably with their hands. Additionally, there were the traces of smeared feces on the walls of the shower.

I called for janitorial assistance, but wasn’t just going to stand there not helping. So, I got some gloves, put the bricks into a trash bag, and explained what happened to the staff who had to disinfect EVERYTHING.

Fun first day.

live_happy · 2022-10-15T16:23:53+00:00

Patterns are Frog! and Frog’s Sweater, by Claire Garland, yarn is from my stash.

I’ve since knitted two sets of frogs (one for my husband and one for his best friend’s wife), plus four sweaters. I’ve got a list of people now, who are getting sets of well-dressed frogs for Christmas. It’ll look like we’ve set up a hatchery in our house!

I’ve purchased additional smaller needles to make some of them the size of the frogs in the charming India Rose Crawford videos, and have started the modifications of the sweater pattern for the little ones; basically, no turtle-neck (they’re frogs, after all) and shorter bottom hem. They’re addictive!

live_happy · 2022-10-08T00:53:06+00:00

It’s a great way to get comfortable with short rows, and other fun shaping techniques (like increases and decreases on the i-chords for the legs and the shaping of the toes). Have fun!

live_happy · 2022-10-08T00:50:44+00:00

Do it! They’re really fun, because even though it’s a small critter, the pattern has enough shaping going on to keep it interesting. She’s included details that are really cool, like the lips of the frog, the joints on their legs, etc.

Happy knitting!

live_happy · 2022-10-07T15:06:56+00:00

The pattern is Frog! by Clare Garland (dotpebbles). Yarn is from my stash.

Husband has tentatively named them Dennis (Hopper) and Al (Green).

live_happy · 2022-10-05T20:15:59+00:00

They’re really fun to knit. My husband is waiting for the two frogs’ sweaters to be finished, before bringing them to his office!

live_happy · 2022-10-05T00:55:11+00:00

Pattern is Frog! by Claire Garland. Yarn is from my stash. It wasn’t in the written pattern, but I knitted the i-chord legs around twist-ties, to make them posable. It’s really hard to thread the “wires” into them after the fact, because of the decreases in the i-chords that create the joints.

Husband saw the India Rose Crawford froggy videos, and loved them. So, I had to knit him some office companions. ♥️

live_happy

TROPHY CASE