Not long after the kids left, I scheduled an appointment to give blood at a blood drive as our blood stores were very low in the Metro area. Arriving for my appointment, I'm shown to a small cubicle and start the required procedures. First read this, answer questions, prick finger, get blood pressure...blood pressure...there's the rub. Six times they tried to take my blood pressure first on my left arm, then right arm, larger cuff, do away with machine pump take it manually, they could not get reading. I know I'm alive because the damn thing hurt like a bear. Finally they get a reading and I'm cleared to go have the blood draw.
I get out to the motor home where the inside has been converted to lounging couches and they get me situated and all hooked up to get started, once again a bloody cuff goes on my arm and it hurts like hell. In goes the needle and I spray blood all over my shirt. Second time I have given blood and that has happened. They clean my shirt and arm with Peroxide as Peroxide will remove blood along with washing...sure 'nuf it did, not a stain anywhere. I gave blood in record time less that 10 minutes. For my troubles I got orange Gatorade some nutter-butters, a new T-shirt, 2 free admission tickets to the Oklahoma City Zoo, a picture and magnet of the Channel 4 helicopter, got to see that baby land, and an entry to a drawing for a new car. No...I didn't win the car, but someone was given the gift of life.
I had a Doctor’s appointment scheduled
to have my hip and shoulder looked at. Back in April the big boy (Fitz, the
dog) and I got our legs tangled up and I went flying towards our coffee table
head first. I did a quick quarterback
stiff arm and a twist to keep from landing on my knees and to keep me from
hitting my head. It was not a pretty
site. I kept putting up with the pain,
trying to rest the shoulder and the forearm but everything was so inflamed it it felt like hot nails were being driven into my forearm and shoulder. I simply could not straighten my arm or carry any weight on it. It just wasn't getting any better.
The way an HMO works is you spend $25.00 at your regular Doctor
to look at it, determine that it is hurt and then recommend that you see the
Orthopedic Surgeon at $35.00 a pop. An appointment is made and off you go to see his Physician’s Assistant.
Phil has been with Dr. Schnabel for 25 years and assisted with both of
my knee replacement surgeries. He ordered
up x-rays for my hip and shoulder. “Hmm”
says he “how far can you raise your arm” To the front about shoulder high, to
the side not even to a 7 o’clock position.
“The bursa is all inflamed, as well as the sheath covering the muscle in
the lower arm that's attached to the bicep…it’s all connected”…“well I knew that!”
So...he said he was going to give me a little joy juice and see if that helped, along
with 6 weeks of physical therapy. Dave was in the room watching this procedure
and didn't say a word or utter a sound.
I sat in a chair and Phil poked around until he found the HOT
SPOT and quickly in went the injection of Cortisone. I felt a little sting and
the pressure of the medicine being injected into the joint.
The other shoulder has some arthritis and it was ejected as well. Phil had me lie on my side and once again
poked on the inflamed hip, found the other HOT SPOT and injected that. That one I really felt and had to do some
labor breathing to get through the shot.
Afterwards on our way home Dave told me the needle was at least 9” long…Oh
good Lord, I’m glad I didn't see it.
About 2 days later I had full range of motion and was feeling
great. The shots even benefited my thumb
joints which have arthritis in them. I
was to the point of having to hold my coffee cup with both of the palms of my
hands (like Willem Defoe in The English Patient) and not using my thumbs because I couldn't grip or hold on to anything. Then I started
physical therapy…my left shoulder is hurting again at this point so I will have
to talk to the Therapist at my next appointment and see what they recommend. I’m thinking some ice packs may be the ticket along with some Glucose-mine and Arthrotec.
I know the cortisone shots have played terrible havoc with my
Blood Glucose readings. Trying to find the magic combination of exercise and
food is not always easy in the first place but I have never had readings of
this magnitude…261, was the highest it’s ever been. This afternoon I had my first normal 2 hour
reading after lunch, it was 134! I was soooo happy! Anything under 183, 2 hours
after you take your first bite of food is good but 134 was fantastic! About mid-September
I go back to Phil and hopefully this will all be healed, otherwise more shots or an MRI and surgery. We will see...
I called one of my co-workers the other day to check on some
information for our office, to which she said she had my walker that I loaned to her for her total knee replacement, that she needed
to get back to me. I told her no hurry
to which she replied that she was going in for surgery this coming Monday. When
she told me what it was for I was shocked.
Breast Cancer! “Barb” I cried, “No,
No, No it’s all good” she said cheerfully, the Doctor had shown it to her on her
X-Rays and it was the size of the round opening of a ball-point pen. They caught it on an annual Mammogram. Technology has advance so much that Doctors
are now able to detect cancers before they get to stage 1. Barb will not have to have Chemo but
radiation instead and will be back to work in no time. Please wish her well.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness
month. Don’t wait until then to get yours
done. I’m getting mine scheduled week after next. Don’t take the chance and let it slide, you
are too important to all those who love you.
457 days until I retire…
