Finally...Job Situation is Done by Inmate #1

Everyone can breathe a sigh of relief. I am going to Education - its official - everything had been stamped and delivered! The change order has been put in as my counselor did it when I was in her office. She said I am officially out of food service as of 12:01 tonight. It took a lot of determination to get this from submitting the application with a resume and 250 word essay to a 3 panel interview to waiting hours to have people sign one form to make this all go through. I have no idea what my schedule will be nor do I really care. 

Other good news: I now can get snacks to take with me at every meal. I get a choice of 2 boiled eggs. a piece of bread with peanut butter, a piece of bread with 2 cheese slices or occasionally cereal. It might not seem like much but at least its 3 little mini meals every day that I do not have to pay for and this should stretch my commissary purchases alot. 

Slightly bad news: 

The person who completes the forms for going to camp doesn't do them any more and NO ONE knows who does so it will be a huge challenge to get there. At least with the Education job, this should get a little better over here. Luckily I have learned to sleep in an environment with a loudness and activity level comparable with the Jurassic Park ride at Universal when you are in the building and the T-Rex is about to eat you (supposedly)... 

Still trying to keep plugging away. At least the days sometime seem to go fast with everything I need to get done.

Letter to the Senators- The Truth Hurts by Inmate #1

So I sent the letters out a little less than 3 weeks ago. Today I got called into the head of Health Administration to sign medical release forms so they could send my medical records to Senator Bill Nelson. She is PISSED.

When I got there for the appointment, she stated I needed to sign the form because apparently I had written a letter and the Senator wanted my medical records. She printed it, I signed. She said "I am also sending a copy of your commissary list". I said "ok" She stated "Maybe you shouldn't eat salty foods." I had corn chips on the list along with sunflower seeds - oh and one bag of doritos this week.

I would say 90% of what I get is HEALTHY like the nutrition bars, oatmeal, fruit cups, rice, crackers, banana chips, trail mix, etc. I replied "Maybe you shouldn't have changed my medication" to which she replied "Maybe you shouldn't have come to prison." I left the office.. Could she have been a little more unprofessional?????

It's not my fault that they keep giving me pills that are RAISING my blood pressure, that they have NO food protocol for bariatric and gout patients, and that they love to serve beans with almost every meal (bad for gout). Their nutritionist is a joke. So far one Senator is involved, hopefully the other 3 I wrote to will also respond. :) Carswell is a HORRIBLE place for medical care and I am not going to let it be swept under the rug. At the end of the day, this is my life and body they are screwing with. I will shout loud and often until this place becomes safe!

Alarming by Inmate #2

In your contact with the health dept you might want to  mention that MRSA is on the rise here  - I had a bunkie in the bus stop right after I got here that got bit with a spider and by the time they agreed (3 visits to sick call later) to lance the bite it had a huge core - big around as your little finger and as deep as the 2nd knuckle - they sent it to the lab  and tested it for MRSA -

It came back positive - over the weekend another person I know here had a huge boil on her back side near her butt - she got it to break and got most of the stuff out of it - it smelled so foul it gagged you - made you want to throw up - she went to sick call and they woul n't do anything - said it looked like she got everything but didn't test it for MRSA - a year ago they lance a boil in the same spot that did have MRSA.

Now the bunkie is getting all these sores all over and they aren't doing anything for it except they FINALLY gave her a round of antibiotics - don't know what  kind but I am sure it's not tetracycline or bactrim - I think I heard her say amoxicillin - useless against MRSA - It worries me because I was bit by a bug (actually took them the bug) but they didn 't do anything when  the bite ruptured -

Didn't even take the core out - they gave me clindamycin but I am not familiar with that antibiotic so don't know if it is useful treating MRSA - I now wonder if I am going to have the same breakout in couple of months.  This place is scarier and scarier. I've heard a couple more stories about MRSA being here and also about this viral infection that only has one very expensive medication to treat it successfully - there were two patients at sick call the same day - it seems this virus is contagious but don't know how - or what the median is.  I'll see if I can get the name of the virus.

New Wrinkle, Part 2 by Inmate #2

Well..........when they returned the paperwork unprocessed it had a case number on it - so my question to them is why did you return paperwork that had a case number on it for not having a case number? And how can an appeal have a limit to the number of pages - maybe I print (or write large) or maybe there is a lengthy explanation that can't be shortened.....

Dumbest thing - and there is no paperwork or list of rules given with the form so I can read your mind and know how long my appeal can be? 

Prison is a lie and full of liars..... it also is full of rules that are not seen and make no sense.

New Data by Inmate #2

142 days from date of surrender Nov 1, 2017 I have finally received the most critical of the medications I was taking before I came to this hell hole. The BOP finally approved the Eliquis (blood thinner) and gabapentin (for neuropathy). Tonight I might be able to go to bed and go to sleep without having to wait until my feet quit hurting and burning. This neuropathy is as bad as any day I had gout in my right foot. That was a nightmare in itself. One step forward - now lets see how many back I get to go before I go forward again.

I am a Teacher! by Inmate #1

So this is cool.. one of the teachers dropped out of wanting to teach an ACE (Adult Continuing Education) class this session and I volunteered. The class is a video class and takes place tomorrow. Its super easy, all I do is grade tests and watch the videos with them. I am teaching an art class - from Monet to Van Gogh! This is super cool since it was one of the ACE classes I actually thought about signing up for before I got my job so the fact that I am going to teach it is a very odd turn of events. Yes I am an overachiever. I don't think they have had many inmates here less than 60 days teaching classes.

I have decided since I am teaching that class this session and another class or two next session - I will not put in the form for camp. I really like my job and it balances out being here. Thank God I do not do it for the pay.. I get paid .12 per hour - I guess I wont be putting that on any applications I fill out when I get back home when they ask pay rate. :)

If I go to camp, I lose my job and will end up being bored and in food service. Its a big trade off to decide to stay in the craziness of unit 1 North but I like my routine.  One of the classes I am going to ask to teach next session is called epidemic. The classes are already picked so its not like I picked the subject but out of all of the next session, that would be my top choice. Yes I have issues - LOL. I don't remember what the other ones are which are being offered.

I was thinking a lot about everyone here and why some of them are so miserable. The bottom line is the only way to get through something like this is what you make out of it. I could have easily taken that assigned job in food service and been absolutely miserable having to get up at 4am to stand around and then wipe tables. I could easily not exercise and let myself go to hell and be depressed. I am choosing NOT to do that. This way is much harder as it requires a lot of work. Sure I want to lay in the bed at night eating oreos and doritos but that will just make me fat. I would rather buy the health bars and good for you snacks. I will survive this and then go home to my much more normal and appreciated life.

New Wrinkle by Inmate #2

Yesterday our quarter changed and the unit officers bid on units and based on a set of criteria who gets what - well our day officer went to midnights and we got a new day officer. Officer Harness - hard ass to a lot of us- is now our night time officer - he works 12-8 am - yesterday at 6:29 am he went around and turned on the lights in every room and woke everyone up and said get up and get your rooms ready (for inspection). Funny thing is - the cleaning closet doesn't open until 7 am or after - there must have been a lot of people (me included - I emailed the Warden) who complained because today he waited until 6:59 am before he started this nonsense. At 8 am - he came back around with the new day officer and made a big deal about my bed not being cleaned off - the room was cleaned - double mopped and dusted so I don't know what his problem was but evidently - I am not allowed to act like my room is my home - I am praying that sometime this week I get transferred to CC5 - I am always inspection ready and the inspectors NEVER come at 8 am - I know the rules say inspection ready by 7:30 am but I am allowed to layback down with a cover - and the day officer went around and made evreyone leave the lights on until she had inspected every room - my haedache was a monster by the time we were allowed to turn our lights off.  This place isn't just a prison - it is a torture chamber -.