Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Update on Bloodwork

Heard from the cardiologist's nurse - the comment was "your bloodwork is stable". I'd hoped for better than that, but after careful consideration, stable is probably the best I can hope for right now.

Have not heard back from the orthopaedic surgeon, which means she gets a call tomorrow. I think the drainage is worse, the hole is definiately deeper, neither are good signs at all!!

See the regular doctor on January 4 - with a major discussion on pain management to ensue. The echocardiogram is the next week - will tell the true tale of where I stand and where my heart is.

At this point, I have plans to permanently retire in September, but the codicil that IF the echo shows further damage and deterioation, I will retire right after Valentine's Day.

Keep me in your prayers!

Saturday, December 11, 2010

I'm Back (Again)

Hello old and dear friends who think I've fallen off the face of the earth!

I didn't, but I have to say I've had a damn good summer and fall. I had posted about my power chair, let me tell you I've been all over Nashville, gone to movies and restaurants, parks and concerts - yes I saw Paul McCartney!!!! - shopping to my heart's content at the MALLS - just had a blast!

Now that winter has really set in here in Nashville, I will have to be inside more and I have some goals and activities to accomplish too.

First - I am facing an orthopaedic surgery right after Christmas. It's not the hip - it's the ankle! Yes, that word I choose to avoid and have feared for about seven years now, since the last visit to the bone doc. At that point, he told me amputation was the only choice and I wasn't far from it - so I left and never went back. Until, I hit the outside of the ankle with my chair's front wheel - not once or twice - but maybe four or five hard licks - and the drainage started.

When three tubes of neosporin didn't clear it up - well I gave in and made an appointment. Good news is - I didn't hear the "A" word. Bad news is - the outer plate has to come out since it will most likely never heal. Now that plate has caused me lots of problems, always been way too close to the surface and didn't allow me to wear any kind of shoe but a clog type.

Surgery on me is still the big "Oh God, what are we going to do?" but cardiac says ok since it's only about an hour surgery - ortho says they can give me local with minimal bleeding and after Christmas I'll suck it up and go get it done. I would appreciate your prayers - there is always the chance this is the beginning of the end and I normally just hate odd years - 2011 is an odd year.

I saw the cardiologist this week too - and guess what? With all the playing and running I've done in the last 6-7 months - I have gained 18 pounds - I am up to 425. Not good, but no where near as bad as I'd expected.

Drum roll please - my hemoglobin is up to 10.5 only 1.3 less than normal and my hematocrit is up to 35!!! Haven't seen these numbers since 1999 before the car wreck. So, if I can get my eating back on track and ortho doesn't kill me, I may make it a few more years after all.

I sure hope so!