Baxter

Baxter and I got back from the vet a few minutes ago. Here's what I sent to Jen and friends:

Got Baxter to the vet this morning. He confirmed what I suspected, Baxter is blind. His pupils are responsive to light. which suggests that there was, possibly, a stroke.

We're doing a full blood workup to see if something suggests itself. At his age (17), the likely candidate is kidney issues, followed by a thyroid problem. The goal is to reduce blood pressure, and get his weight back up (he's down to 7 lbs).

The vet suggested an ophthamology consult. But I can't see Baxter wearing glasses.

Should have the results Monday.

Sigh.

Baxter helping me in the office, about a year ago.

I Am Now Officially Old!

As of about 4AM West Coast time today, I have been on planet for 65 orbits around the Sun.

Lt to Rt: me, Martha, Lane

Martha and me, on a social call

Out in the yard ca. 1954

Andi and me, junior prom, 1967

Sunset, San Simeon beach, 1970 (taken by Jen's mom, Carole)

Jen's Grad Nite, before us parents got locked out.

Luncheon, post Jen's swearing in to the California Bar

Koda and me, doing what we do best

Pacuare River, Costa Rica, 2003

My internet 'persona', 2004

So far, it's been a hoot!

Advancing Decrepitude

As of today, I am Officially Enrolled in Medicare!

I clearly remember this!

That is all.

(BD in two weeks...)

The Day After

I'll need a Sherpa if I want to go get a sandwich!

Subway  is open, but opened late.  The guys have been digging access tunnels from street to store.

Looking west from my steps...

...and looking East.

Aaaand, another advisory from 11PM tonight till 4PM tomorrow.  Another 2"to 4"predicted.  Like we need it.  Guess I'm having a "white"birthday.

Oh. Yay. Whoopie.  Woo. Hoo.

Second Post-Op Visit

Got the last of the staples out today.  Healing well.  Got a better idea of what was done and where the cyst was in all of the mess.  The soft tissue is being held together with dissolvable sutures, which sort of go away as the soft tissue heals.

I meet with the out-patient Physical Therapy people Tuesday, for (yet) another evaluation.  I expect that the work there will be more challenging that the work at the in-patient clinic.

The whole mess should be "optimal" by Christmas.

Yay.

We Can Repair Him...

...we have the technology!

Had my consult with the neurosurgeon yesterday.  He did a bit of poking and pushing on his own, and confirmed what I was pretty sure of - surgery is indicated.  Both L1 - L2 and L4 - L5 are pretty well munged, and L2  -L3 is also degraded.  (My numbering may be off a bit - it's the whole lumbar part of the spine.)  I could get away with letting the L2 -L3 go, but on the other hand, we both agreed that going back in later was something neither of us wanted.  So the entire lumbar section of my spine will be "decompressed".  Basically, that means re-opening the foramen (the hole) that the nerves pass thru, to alleviate the pressure, and thus the pain and weakness.  (I did a quick look on spine-health.com. which goes into some detail and apparently has videos.  I only take umbrage at the comment "A condition that primarily afflicts elderly patients, spinal stenosis is caused by degenerative changes that result in enlargement of the facet joints."  Elderly my tuchus!)

He expects the procedure to last about 2 1/2 hours.  He's not sure if there's any interesting disk degeneration, but will tend to that if need be.  He doesn't want to do a fusion at this point.  Based on my recovery, I'll be in the hospital one to five days.  My personal goal is one day only.

I go in on the 16th of this month.

Prayer in any denomination is appreciated.

Testing, 1, 2, 3... Updated

Update  Got a call Friday evening from Dr. Lin's office.  He wants me to consult with a neurosurgeon, based on the MRI findings.

Oh, goody.

I have an MRI scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday) evening, and some sort of nerve testing early Friday afternoon.  The follow-up visit with Dr. Lin is scheduled for July 11.  I was told that if he thought something was urgent, he would contact me to get in earlier.

I'm relatively mobile, but lately it's been more painful to get around.  So I haven't been, much, except I've been expending my energies and mobility on the garden.

More later...

Update

My cousin asked me how I was doing.  Here's my response...

Thanks for asking!!

Short answer - "better".  The "it hurts when I do that" pain has diminished considerably, so I have much more range of motion.  Still have foot drop and weakness in the left leg, tho.  One of my students from the library got me a walker (!), so I can motor about much more easily and comfortably.  Getting a bit better at stairs, trying to use my left leg so it doesn't atrophy.

I have an appointment in a month with a neurologist, and we'll see what happens after that.  I consulted w/ Dr. Internet (Web MD).  Says surgery is The Last Resort (duh), and that this kind of thing tends to clear up over time.  But, the foot drop is still a major concern.

Make too much money (ha!) for Medicaid, but the county has it's own help program called "Healthy York Network".  The intake lady at the local hospital seemed confident that I would qualify, and maybe even not have to pay.

I really miss walking the dogs...

Sigh...

Follow-up on "The Hits" Post

Here is the e-mail I sent to family and friends a few minutes ago:

Houston, We Have A Problem 

Whilst I'm not in transit to the Moon as 'spam in a can', I've developed my very own problem.

 

Apparently, age, mileage and my own personal mutation in my lower back have converged to short out the nerves that run my left foot and, to a lesser extent, my left leg.  My chiropractor (Dr. Fritz) stopped treatment a week ago last Monday, because he didn't know what was going on.  I met with my MD (Dr. Art) yesterday, who, in no uncertain terms, said that surgery was indicated lest I lose function permanently.

 

I'm scouting out means of financing this, and plan to consult with Dr. Fritz on Monday for a referral to a neurosurgeon, as Dr Art suggested.

 

Prayer in any denomination is welcome and requested.

  

The Hits...

...Just Keep On Comin'

Sometime in early January, I took a fall off the bottom of the steps between my parking space and the yard.  It was dark, I was tired and grumpy, fussing with my backpack and a package all at the same time I was descending said stairs.  Scuffed up my left knee pretty well, and twised my right ankle enough so that I had to hobble a bit into the house.  All in all, not a major deal.  So I thought.

That night, the whole right foot, from the ankle to the sole was a throbbing, painful ache.  I had visions of a visit to a podiatrist the next day, or at least setting up an appointment with one.  Didn't get to sleep until after 4 am.  And yet, then next morning, the foot was just fine.  No indication that it had ever been so insomnia producingly painful.

And then I started to notice a bit of a 'blinch' when I moved in just the right way.  (Blinch, n., a sudden jolt of electric-like pain down a nerve path, coupled with a desire to unload the blinched appendage as quickly as possible.  See also, "Doctor, it hurts when I do that... .")  I figured I'd go see Dr. Fritz when I was a bit more solvent that I was at the time.  He is a chiropractor I met in one of my classes at the library.  As big a bear, if not bigger, than I am.

And so it went, until Saturday before last, when the lower back took an express hand basket to hell, taking my ability to stand upright and walk normally with it.  Fortunately, I was able to get in to see Dr. Fritz last Monday.  The plan was 3 visits per week for two weeks, the re-evaluate.  Which was going along fine until I mentioned that I noticed my left foot "dropping".  He asked me to stand on tip-toes, then on my heels.  I went 1 and 0.  I don't remember the medical terms, but I have no roll or yaw control, and only downward pitch control in my left foot.  No heel-walking.

Dr. Fritz' take is that I have a disk impinging on my spinal cord, causing the weakness in my left leg and foot.  Based on where I told him the ice pick was being stuck in my left shin, he said the impingement was at the L-5 vertebra.  And that I needed to get my M.D. to evaluate it, pronto.  (My word, not Dr. Fritz'.)   The "pronto" part is to get it treated before the damage becomes permanent.  Which could involve diapers.  The evaluation probably means another MRI.  Which I can't afford.

Meanwhile, entropy is slowly taking over the house, as I have little energy for hauling stuff up and down stairs.  I haven't walked the dogs since a week ago Thursday.  I did make use of Sam's "click and pull", so my groceries were waiting for my at the customer service counter.  And I used a cart as a walker when I went through Wal-Mart.

So, prayer in any denomination is welcome and solicited.  I don't know what I'll do if I'm unable to navigate this three story house and, more importantly, walk the dogs.

Interesting.

(Posted over at Leelu's Place blog, too.)