Two Years Later
March 18, 2012
Welcome to my blog. It covers all things Google, Google Places, Google Places Citations and other related marketing issues. My hope is that you will find the blog useful while you are here. I also encourage you to leave a useful comment.
Two Years Later
This story begins back in 2009 when the love of my life, Geraldine was diagnosed with a life threatening liver ailment. Then she lost insurance as her life slowly slipped away. She had insurance when unemployed. Then she became employed and lost the insurance when she needed it the most. All while congress debated health care reform.
By October she was hospitalized in critical condition but without insurance. She would wind up in the hospital over Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, and New Years Day. Then pneumonia struck her down in February. At one point the hospital tried to put her in a hospice. Her family was rounded up for the farewell tour.
Yes, things were bleak but eventually she was provided medical insurance through ACCHS. She continued to see her many specialist. They all routinely told her that her liver was “shot.” So in March of 2010 I confronted her primary care physician about this. I asked “How long does she have to live?” He gave her three months. I needed to know for a myriad of reasons. Her not so much!
But ever since that day she has gotten better. Geri just was not ready to die and willed herself to better health. She has done a very good job of managing and adapting to her illness. She is still critically ill but from a distance you would never know this.
Now, some days are better than others. The really hard thing for her is that she cannot process medicine. So when she does get sick she can’t take an aspirin or a sinus pill. Things that I take for granted can be toxic for her. Her options are limited to ointments which do nothing for the allergies. And it has been a long very dry spell this winter in Tucson. This has been difficult on her and me as well. I hate to see her suffer so.
Yes, life lived with a critically ill person is a challenge on a multitude levels. And some days are better than others. Yet, there are many days, if not close to everyday, that we make each other smile or laugh. You see, we are very aware each day is a blessing. We both go out of our way to make each other laugh. Sometimes so much it hurts.
Illness can often be a truly mind altering and life changing event. And yet, two years later here I sit typing knowing that my Geri is quietly sleeping just a few feet away. Yes, I am grateful that my mate is still at my side. There’s a lot more what can I do for you and a lot less what can you do for me around here.
I am a lucky and fortunate man and I know it.
Thanks Geri I love you!
Urban
What say you?
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An SEOs Love Story V 2.0 Living With Dying
March 26, 2011
Welcome to the Google Places SEO Citations blog at Tucson SEO Solutions.
This blog covers local SEO which is dominated by Google, Google Places and the need for citations. The blog also covers just about any thing related to Google search results and related topics. I hope that you might glean some useful resources while you are here.
Here is the original story: An SEO Love Story – This Post Is Not About SEO
I help people get there websites properly indexed by Google for their targeted keyword phrases. The idea is to their their websites high up in the search engine results, and more specifically in the Google search results.
I really enjoy what I do as it can have an enormously positive impact on my clients business. I believe in a triple win philosophy where the searcher is happy because they found may clients site and they had their want fulfilled. The client is happy because their website is finally producing income and I am happy because they are happy. I really love what I do. I don’t sell useless products or services like many SEO do just to make a buck. My work is truly a labor of love.
But it is a woman named Geri that I meet eight years ago and who I grew to love that has my attention now. She is dying. She doesn’t like me saying that because she doesn’t want to lose hope. I however. must deal with the cards that I have been dealt. Her liver is shot and when your liver isn’t working lots of other body parts begin to fail as well.
She ended up being hospitalized on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. I took her there again on New Years Day. Every time the visits are getting closer together. On the way to the hospital she jokingly asked what’s the next holiday. Then she wryly asked isn’t there a presidents birthday coming up. Faced with adversity she went for levity.
We don’t have insurance so the emergency room is our entry point for health care. Every time we leave they give us treatment plans that are never fulfilled because we can not pay for them. We have tried to get government assistance but we are still waiting.
Yesterday, they could barely draw blood because she never got the transfusions that she needs ans has lost a lot of blood. The liver helps the blood clotting process and without that she bleeds easily. I feel so guilty that this business could not been able to support her medical needs. I am a very emotional person and writing about our struggles is my release valve.
But out of all of this there was a success story. We made it to the library on New Years Eve. It was our first trip outside the home together since she was put on oxygen 24/7. It may not sound like much but for us it was like a holiday.
Later we sat in bed together and talked, not only that, we laughed and smiled. I allowed my silly side to come out and her smile seemed to be the happiest smile that I had ever seen. She actually looked cute from behind her oxygen cannula. It was as if it wasn’t there. I will always cherish that moment, her smile, and that radiant glow. Then she began the downward spiral again.
She would not let me stay this time in the emergency room. She said she could not tolerate seeing me sad sad and uncomfortable and that it was too hard on her. She’s dying and she worrying about me. That is what I would call An SEO love story. As it was I could not sleep. I just put on another pot of coffee and I wait and when I can not wait any more I will call the hospital to find out what room she is in… or if…
An update 01/25/2010: Well, Geri has managed to stay out of the hospital for about 18 days until recently. She has returned again for the fourth time in less than three months. This time she has acquired pneumonia even though she has had a recent vaccine shot. Apparently, it does cover all the various varieties. This is scary stuff. Ever time that she has returned to the hospital a few pints of blood got her feeling better almost withing 24 hours, but not now the rules are different this time around.
I am scared and trying very hard not to show it. She asked me today “Do I looked any better today? The nurses said that I look better.”OMG, I wanted to cry.” My response was “You look marvelous, darling.” All the while I was praying that she was too tired to read the pain in my face. I quickly changed the subject.
Again, I want to thank all of who have visited and left us with your kind words and thoughts. I especially want to thank a blogger named Mitch who was returned to follow this story and has left very warm and kind messages.
I want to thank all of you who have supported us with your thoughts and prayers.
Since late November my Soul Mate, my Friend, my SO (Significant Other), Geri and I have been valiantly struggling with life, living, happiness and the uncertainty that is inherent with dying. From time to time I have returned here to my blog to share our lives with you. Tonight, I will be sharing what we learned today while visiting her new primary care physician.
We have become more proactive about her health care and we had determined we need to find a doctor who would become more involved in her care. We had been getting the run around from her health care providers about her life expectancy. This doctor did an extremely thorough exam. He preformed like most doctors would if they had time. His insightful and patience were very reassuring to us. We nodded to each other during his in depth questioning acknowledging this guy was a keeper.
Then in a very straight forward manner he inquired if we wanted to know the truth about her life expectancy. Geri, trying to protect me suggested that I leave. I refused, I had expectations of getting a health reality check today, so I wasn’t going anywhere. He suggested that she likely had three months to live. It was what I wanted to hear while at the same time it was not what I wanted to hear. I was quickly overcome with grief and it showed. It showed so much so that the doctor expressed his regret for have gone down this path.
I reassured him that even though it was extremely difficult for us to face we had to know. All of our care providers had avoided discussing death and dying with us. However, the new doctor stepped right up and deliver a strong dose of reality for us. I assured him that this was really important for us it would now allow us to openly address our end of life decisions.
(Snack break time)
Well, I just took a break and ended up having a very open talk with Geri about what we had experienced today. I noted that I was blogging about it just prior to this discussion. She is note real thrilled to have our lives on display this way, but she recognizes it value for me and relents with the classic rolling of her eyes. In her usual blunt approach she explains to me that “I don’t care about dying” she pauses. Then she explains “I’ll be dead so I won’t care. It is you and others that I care about, you’ll be left behind.” We have grown to call these moments “Gerisms.”
This was one the best exchanges that I may have ever had with Geraldine. It was a no walls zone where we discussed the reality of her ending days. At times like this life takes on new dimensions. Things that didn’t much matter matter a lot and things that were important aren’t so much anymore. We are truly living one day at a time. As for Geri her spirits remain extremely positive despite the grim prognosis. The most important thing for me is that she is not in pain which she isn’t.
Now a business update:
On the brighter side of things business wise. I am working on the details for a new product launch where I will be providing video SEO and link building training. I am very excited about this project. It will be a component of a much larger program. That program will include providing websites for small business owners along with hosting and SEO for a monthly fee.
Update 05/20/2011: Well, it is now a year and a half later and Geri is alive and well. She opted not to have a transplant. This is good because the state of Arizona will not pay for these anymore. She is doing as well as expected for someone who needs a liver. She simply got better medical care and decided that she didn’t want to die just yet!
As for the business it is still a viable concern.
What say you?
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This Blog Hasn’t Been Much About SEO Lately
December 28, 2009
This blog has not been much about SEO lately. The reason what is very simple. My life partner, Geri has been struggling just to stay alive. Her liver is shot and that creates a whole lot of related health issues. We spent both Thanksgiving Day and most of Christmas in the hospital. This time around she has come home with oxygen which she will likely need 24/7 and likely forever.
So yes, our life has been turned upside down. She will need to apply for a liver transplant and for government disability. We are still waiting for prescription coverage to kick in and for the medical bills to be covered. It is very interesting that as long as you are in a hospital in the US you are well treated. However, that long list of prescriptions that they give when you depart is up to you to cover.
As I have mentioned previously, as small business owners with pre-existing conditions, we could not get affordable coverage so went went without. So when we left the hospital the needed medications were up to us to cover out of pocket. And as you might already know prescriptions are not cheap.
Now, having said all of that I can happily report that Geri is doing remarkably well*** The asterisks represent the fact that not only are we living day to day with her illness but it is often measured from hour to hour. Last evening I finally got some much needed sleep, about 9.5 hours worth. While, that was wonderful for me, Geri, anxiously awaited my waking moment. Yes, these are scary times for us.
I am by nature an optimistic person by this part of myself has been challenged lately. It is a real effort to see the positive when your mate is critically ill. When I can I try to keep working. Work is a blessing as it distracts me. I have been scouring all of the social bookmarking lists on the internet. I will be launching a new Ning site where the list will be featured. It should include about 200 social bookmarking sites. It should be available by 01/01/2010.
Thanks, UrbanThat’s my story… For now! This series will be continued…
An Update 01/25/2010: Well, the blog still has not been much about SEO lately. I was shocked when I reviewed this post and found about a dozen spelling errors. I guess the stress showed… Thank, for understanding!
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Local SEO Internet Marketing Services Tucson Phoenix
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Affordable Quality Ethical Links – BackLinks Building Services Training
If your business is located in the US, Tucson, Phoenix, Glendale, Flagstaff, Yuma, Scottsdale, Arizona or beyond and you would like to learn more about how your website can benefit from a blog, SEO, Niche SEO, or Internet Marketing services please call Tucson SEO at 520-505-6024, 520-777-6479 or 843-882-7661 Now!
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My Christmas Present My Honey’s Return From The Hospital
December 26, 2009
Yes, My Christmas Present is My Honey’s Return From The Hospital. The love of my life has become critically ill over the last two months. She has spent Thanks Giving Day and most of Christmas in a local medical center here in Tucson. She arrive home yesterday around sunset. This time she returned home with an oxygen tank in tow. She will also need regular blood transfusions.
To say this is a dramatic change in our lives would be an understatement. She is tired ans weary from her hospital stays but in remarkably good spirits otherwise. These changes have been difficult on both of us. It certainly places additional responsibilities on me. I am a worker bee by nature so adjusting will be a challenge but certainly very doable.
Because of Geri’s illness she can not safely drive or tolerate bright sunlight. So it will be my job to run the errands and do the shopping. Which are things that I do not mind doing at all. It is just going to be more difficult to balance the needs at home and work. Since I work from home this with be a very challenging task as I am easily distracted.
Having said all of that, I am extremely grateful to be here for her. My love for Geraldine is boundless. We will be exploring whether she is a candidate for a liver transplant. Yes, her illness is that extreme. She is in her early 50 so a transplant could add decades to her life. She we have entered a stage where we are discussing ways to extend life. That freaks me out when I think about the implications here. I will be exploring if I am a physical match for giving her part of my liver. I would do it without hesitation.
It’s at times like this when love is more than an easily spoken word. This is where the rubber meets the road. I am a very emotional male. Sometimes I think I cry to easily, but it is what it is. I tried so hard not to break down in front of her at the hospital but I was not always successful. I have often found myself curled into a fetal position weeping and sobbing in grief over the last two months. I have sometimes, in the past, said that I hope I would be like my dad and be the first to go. Now, that seems so selfish and shallow.
Now, unto a brighter point, I am very grateful that we live in the state of Arizona. The state has been on the forefront of providing health care. So it is likely that Geri’s medical expenses will be covered. If we lived in another state the medical bills would overwhelm us and would make life unbearable. But getting medical attention while our paperwork gets processed is still via the emergency room. We were told yesterday at the hospital that we qualified. We were sent home with oxygen supplies which usually indicates that she has been covered, but we have not gotten this confirmed in writing.
Hopefully, this will be taken care off when I go to fulfill her prescriptions later today.
I have for the most part been able to keep this blog strictly business related but with all that is going on I decided to allow our readers into our lives on a more personal level. That came back to bite me sorta when a heart felt post on our health struggles was spammed. It was an India based link builder representing a England based SEO provider. I became livid, after all the post was about our life and death struggles. I found this to be an extremely repulsive action. There are over 300 other posts that could have been used but they lazy bastard went for the first post available.
I have blacklisted the email associated with that comment. Spam is a reality that we all live with I know… but it just got to me. At that point I didn’t know if my honey would ever return home again. I emailed the company to express my anger, but of course they never replied.
I also wanted to take a moment to thank those wonderful people who have left wonderful comments of encouragement. They really are appreciated.
Thanks so very much,
Urban and Geri
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Too learn more about our services please check out these links:
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Local Internet – Website Marketing Services Tucson
Yuma – Flagstaff Arizona SEO -Internet Marketing Services
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Marana – Sierra Vista – Green & Oro Valley SEO – Internet Marketing Services
Nationally we offer the following services:
Detailed Website Review – Audit
Holistic SEO – Search Engine Optimization
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Affordable Quality Ethical Links – BackLinks Building Services Training
If your business is located in the US, Tucson, Phoenix, Glendale, Flagstaff, Yuma, Scottsdale, Arizona or beyond and you would like to learn more about how your website can benefit from a blog, SEO, Niche SEO, or Internet Marketing services please call Tucson SEO at 520-505-6024, 520-777-6479 or 843-882-7661 Now!
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Another Update Our Life and Death Struggle Another Really Big Scare
December 24, 2009
I have been living a life that I would have never asked for if I had been given an option. But life didn’t allow me that luxury. What I am talking about here is the struggle to stay alive that my lover, my business partner, my life partner, my everything, Geri has been going through.
Like many who live in the United States we are small business owners who are struggling to keep our business open. We also can’t get health insurance due to preexisting conditions at any price. So she delayed health care till it was almost to late. She now has multiple conditions that make it very difficult to treat her. Its a combo plate of problems that include her spleen, her blood oxygen levels, blooding clotting factors, her liver, and water retention just to name a few.
One thing is certain is that she is loosing blood somewhere somehow internally. They suspect that the problem is with her spleen. Surgeons where summoned today to talk about our options. However, they started the conversation off based on faulty information from the lab. Apparently, the lab was showing that her kidney’s where almost completely dysfunctional. This would make any surgery extremely risky.
The conversation was grim and it centered about what could be done to extend her life. It took an enormous effort on my part to stay calm. I knew that things were bad but it is very difficult to discuss extending the life of someone that you love. What should you do, who should you listen too, and who should you trust. This scene or a similar one is being played out on a daily basis all across America. So that which I write about is not unique except that it is happening in the center of our world.
The problem was that the information about her kidney’s wrong. When the doctor mentioned her kidney’s I had to stop him and ask him to repeat what he just said which he did. I spoke up and mentioned that after a month this was the first mention of her kidney’s failing. At that point the surgeon appeared confused and surprised. He excused himself to look into the situation. When we did not appear after 30 minutes I assumed that he was called into surgery.
It was then that Geri confided in me that she no longer has a fear of death. This is something that has loomed over her during these health struggles. I long ago had an out of body near death experience and had lost any fear of death. However, my story was of on comfort to her. So what she was now telling me was a significant change for her. As I listened to her I began to embrace the fact that our time together may be limited. At times like this you are flooded with memories of things that were wrongly said and missed opportunities.
I was now dealing with a litany of would of, could of, and should of’s. Shortly thereafter, I lost it and began to weep and sob as I am doing now. I was also filled with anger. The kind of anger that one expresses to their God in situations like this. After two divorces and many relationships I had found true love with Geri. The thoughts of facing life without her where becoming unbearable. I quietly, whimpered that I needed to go home to cry. I didn’t want her to see me like this. I wanted to be stronger but I could not muster the strength. Even now, I feel guilty for going home.
Eventually, after much weeping and sobbing I would fall asleep. Later, the phone rang and caller id indicated the call was from the hospital so I took it. It was Geri informing me that the lab screwed up and her kidney’s were working as they should. Finally, some god news I thought.
I will return to the hospital again later today to map out what we are going to do on the health front. She will likely never return to any form of employment and that creates a whole other set of situations. Well, it’s 3 in the morning and I will end this and try to catch up on some sleep.
Its a sad tale for the holiday season, but life is often sad when others are rejoicing. I truly wish and pray that you all have a safe and prosperous holiday season. I would ask this on small favor please remember us in yours prayers.
Thank you all so very much,
Urban and Geri
Here’s some other valuable resources:
Would you like to download the Scratch My Back Marketing anti spam plugin? Then go here.
Would you like to learn more about the Scratch My Back Marketing (not the plugin?) Then go here.
Too learn more about our services please check out these links:
Our Arizona Services:
Local SEO Internet Marketing Services Tucson – Phoenix
Phoenix Niche SEO – Internet Marketing Services
Local Internet – Website Marketing Services Tucson
Yuma – Flagstaff Arizona SEO -Internet Marketing Services
Scottsdale SEO – Glendale internet Website Marketing Services
Marana – Sierra Vista – Green & Oro Valley SEO – Internet Marketing Services
Nationally we offer the following services:
Detailed Website Review – Audit
Holistic SEO – Search Engine Optimization
Niche SEO – Internet – Website Marketing Services
Local SEO Internet Marketing Services Tucson Phoenix
Geo-Targeted Geo-targeted SEO – Search Engine Optimization Services
Affordable Quality Ethical Links – BackLinks Building Services Training
If your business is located in the US, Tucson, Phoenix, Glendale, Flagstaff, Yuma, Scottsdale, Arizona or beyond and you would like to learn more about how your website can benefit from a blog, SEO, Niche SEO, or Internet Marketing services please call Tucson SEO at 520-505-6024, 520-777-6479 or 843-882-7661 Now!
Tucson SEO… Solutions that create probabilities out of possibilities.
