End of July update

CONGRATULATIONS MILISSA AND MIKEJuly 21, 2008: Milissa with brand new Brendan Wyatt (7# 8 oz and 19 inches long). Isn't he cute??? Milissa even let me hold him despite what she knows about me and how I feel about babies. I actually really like this little guy. He sleeps a lot too.

Sorry this post is so long. I've split it up in case you're not interested in reading all of it.

I apologize in advance for not returning emails. If you want to talk to me, email me and I'll give you my cell phone number. If I can figure out how to answer the damned thing, I'll talk to you.

UPDATE:
Hi, I'm on my way to Steamboat (flying, wahoo!) to work Mountain RATS stage race tomorrow (Wednesday). I'll be back home on Monday night. When I get home, there will only be about 30 days of summer left! They will be busy, see "AUGUST PLANS".

AUGUST PLANS:
August 4 - return from Steamboat
August 9 - get my son back from his 30 day backpacking trip
August 14 - 19 Go to Leadville and pace/crew Julie in the Leadville 100
August 23 - 24 Ride 24 hours of Targhee
August 30 - September 1 Run?, volunteer?, cheer people on? in the Grand Teton Races

BIG HIKE #1:
Since I last posted, I've been busy. Paul and I hiked up past the Lower Saddle toward the Grand Teton. We didn't make it to the Enclosure, our initial goal, because we didn't have helmets. The helmet omission was all my doing. Of course I thought the entire hike was flat and smooth, not steep and rocky. Anyone who's hiked or biked with me knows that I always remember everything as flat and easy regardless of how difficult or dangerous it was! The hike was great and challenging. We were running down at the end of the hike and I ended up pitching myself 8 feet down the edge of the trail. My only injury, miraculously, was a scraped finger. Amazing!

ADDISON'S COMMENTS: I upped my HC by a lot (about 20 mg) and I felt great during the hike. I should have doubled my florinef too but, once again, I forgot. Because the hike was so long and demanding (lots of elevation gain and loss), I should have upped my HC during the following day as well. I did not and I paid for it by feeling crappy, tired, mean and out of sorts. It took me 3 days to realize my HC was suboptimal.

A view of the Grand Teton from where we turned around.

Paul going up toward the Lower Saddle of the Grand. That's one hell of a fat rope.

FUN:
For my birthday present, Paul sent Allison and I to a day spa in Teton Village. Allison, Dave, Paul and I dressed up, went to dinner, listened to live music (Isaac Hayden check him out! He is great) and stayed overnight in Teton Village. FUN!!!

Allison and I at my birthday dinner. I look rested from the nap I took during my facial.

BIG HIKE #2:
I wanted to mountain bike with Jo but she decided to ride horses instead. My bike is a death trap at the moment so I was afraid to ride alone but heck, I'll ride it if I have someone to take care of me when I fall off of it. I ran instead. My initial intent was to hike/run up Mahogany to the ridge. I was feeling pretty good so I kept going and went to the top of Garns. It was a great day although I did nearly literally run into a bear right at the beginning of the hike/run. I saw it at the same time it saw me and we ran in opposite directions. I was really scared.

ADDISON'S COMMENTS: I upped my HC liberally and forgot to double the florinef...again. I paid for it yesterday because I was sluggish. When the hell will I learn that I need to up HC the day AFTER big activity?

Elk Flats was covered with wild flowers. It was stunning!

At the top of Garns. Tetons are in the background but you can't see them because of the fire haze (California fires maybe?). See the snow. I'm being tortured with it. It's almost August and I'm running into it everywhere I go.

Rights to medical records in the US

This post might seem a little different than most of the latest. If you know me personally, you know that if something bothers me I'm going to 1) fix the problem using accurately researched information 2) tell everyone else about the problem and the solution.

Have you ever had difficulty obtaining medical records? In the United States, you should not have this problem. If you do, you can make a complaint. The vast majority of the time, a doctor should not withhold your records! You should always get copies of all of your medical records. You pay a lot of money to get them done and you are entitled to them.

From HIPAA's website. HIPPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”)).

Your Health Information Privacy Rights this is the summary, the easy to read version. An excerpt:

"Providers and health insurers who are required to follow this law must comply
with your right to…Ask to see and get a copy of your health records
You can
ask to see and get a copy of your medical record and other health information.
You may not be able to get all of your information in a few special cases. For
example, if your doctor decides something in your file might endanger you or
someone else, the doctor may not have to give this information to you. In most
cases, your copies must be given to you within 30 days, but this can be extended
for another 30 days if you are given a reason. You may have to pay for the cost
of copying and mailing if you request copies and mailing. Have corrections
added to your health information. You can ask to change any wrong
information in your file or add information to your file if it is incomplete.
For example, if you and your hospital agree that your file has the wrong result
for a test, the hospital must change it. Even if the hospital believes the test
result is correct, you still have the right to have your disagreement noted in
your file. In most cases the file should be changed within 60 days, but the
hospital can take an extra 30 days if you are given a reason."

Here's the SUMMARY
OF THE HIPAA PRIVACY RULE put out by the United States Department of Health
and Human Services. The relevant information for obtaining medical records
is on pages 4 & 5 under "PERMITTED USES and DISCLOSURES"
Last but not least, if you have a doctor that refuses to disclose your medical information to you, you have the right to complain to the Office of Civil Rights. Here is a link to the fact sheet.

Busy July. Only 45 snow free days left.

Damn, once the weather warms up here there is so much to do and so many places to go. It's nearly impossible to keep up!

Instead of typing things, here are some pictures and brief captions.

Logging operations at the top of Lightening Ridge. Paul and I went out and ran part of the Grand Teton Races course on Sunday. It was Paul's longest run, 18.5 miles. He did great.

Me pretending to touch the electric fence on Mill Creek. This is a spoof on M's faux pas during the ultrarunning camp. Silly M, you don't touch an electric fence!

Coming up the Targhee road with the Tetons in the background.

Yep, we're rebels, we went right through this fence!

Me sweaty and resting after Sunday's run. It's the 7th time in 7 months that I have run from Targhee to Teton Canyon and back. Through the winter I was on the road. Luckily in the summer, I can hit the trails. I hate being on the road.

This is why I live here. Beautiful!

This is not why I live here. 7:30 in the morning in midJuly. 37 degrees is ridiculous! It got down to 31 degrees and ruined my string bean plants!!!!!!!!!!

Lisa Smith-Batchen (red shirt, black skirt) and her crew are amazing. Lisa ran from Las Vegas, Nevada, rested for 24 hours, ran the Badwater ultramarathon and then is summiting Mount Whitney. All in 5 days!!! She's amazing and has raised $300,000 for AIDS orphans in Africa. Does she look like she just ran 302 miles?!?!?! Lisa lives in Driggs.

The wild flowers are perfect right now. Indian paintbrush above.

I had to run/walk up this to get to the good stuff on Wednesday. Pole Canyon's power line road.

Me being a dork and trying to get a picture of myself jumping. It didn't work.

Only in Idaho would someone put the irrigation line over a dirt pile!

Allison has returned to town (thank goodness!) and we hiked up Table Mountain yesterday. Gorgeous girl with a gorgeous background.

Me and Allison acting goofy on the top of Table Mountain. The Grand Teton is to our left and the South is to our right.

Later yesterday evening, we went to my friend's house. Her dad's tractor is equipped to safely carry a baby (see the car seat?)! Good thing, he loves Pa and the tractor!!