By the way...

Yin and Yang will be with us for 2 years at Christmas. Here's what they look like now: On the left are Yin and Yang. on the right, Yang is protecting Yin.

Catch Up for a long dry spell

I've been doing a lot of "work" since I last blogged: I've been painting, working out at the gym, dropping 56 lbs.taking Tai Chi Classes, and generally trying to get myself healthy. It's been working, and I'm no longer taking so much medication. It looks like 2009 is going to be the year that I go back to Peru...

Just for fun... Thanks Elaine

For those of you who need a little therapy today.

20 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity :

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In."

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write "For Smuggling Diamonds"

7. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With The Prophecy."

8 Don t use any punctuation

9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out t o eat with a serious face.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."

12. Sing Along At The Opera

13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.

15. Five Days In Advance , Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.

16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.

17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won!, I Won!"

18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."

20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity.......Send This E-mail To Someone To Make Them Smile.

It's Called Therapy

14 January to Now: 2 May 2007

• Sorry that I haven't kept up with this blog, but I'm going to be able to do better now.
  
  
• I've been through what I hope is the last operation...the one on my left leg. The good news is that the right leg is healing, and it looks like the left will also. I won't be off the walker until June though.
  
  
• I've taken on the responsibility of working up a Red Hat Chapter until the Fall. So far it's fun, especially since I know it is for a short duration. It's going to be fun this coming week where two other groups are meeting where we are, one on the same day but earlier, and the other the next day. If the purple hat I ordered is in, I'll go to the three, just for fun.
  
  
• I'm off for now... I'm going to work up a quick knitted hat in purple!

From October to Now

Much has happened since my last entry... I had the operation on my right leg, and the Doctor made one mistake... based on my mentioning that I regularly took Vicodin, he doubled the amounts of morphine and Oxycontin. The orders got mixed up, and the nurses also cut the time of medication in half. I was getting a double dose in half the time. Of course I went into a coma as I had in July. a week later, when they stopped the meds, I was OK, but as the doctor said: "we almost lost you". Believe me, it won't happen again!

So, anyway, I had to detox, which was a lot of fun for three days, and now am narcotic free, awaiting the next operation. It's necessary because the left leg isn't healing as it should. It will happen in about ten weeks, which gives the right leg time to heal (it is healing, yeah!). I'll be able to take normal doses of painkillers.

Of course that's not all I have going on in my life. Granted I watch a lot of the Discover, Science and History channels on TV, and reading lots of Mystery novels, and trying to read a new genre... Alternate History. I work on my laptop from bed, I try to get into my office to work on Adopt a Grandparent, and other stuff, but it's much harder on my legs. I get out of the bedroom, and get dressed every day, and my PT is now based on improving the muscles in both legs so I'll recover walking ability as soon as I can.

Oh, and the most important thing: Stan and I gave each other two Siamese Kittens for Christmas. We picked up Yin (female) and Yang (male) on Christmas day.Yin is the top one, Yang below. They are now entering their 13Th week, and are developing personalities. They are training us well. I'm convinced that my blood pressure is down because Yang always sits on my lap. Yin favors Stan...she knows who feeds her. She goes up against his leg, and flops over on her back so Stan can scratch her belly. She has him trained, and Yang has me trained to pet him while he's in my lap.

As you might be able to see, I also bowed to pressure from Stan I colored my hair. After three months I still can't get used to it, and will be going throughout the months needed to grow my own hair out. It's something to do while waiting for, having, and recuperating from the next surgery.

Up to Now...October

I don't remember if I told y'all that what they think I have is called OSTEOPETROSIS which is where your bones get too dense, and break rather than bend. It's sort of the opposite of osteoporosis. It is considered a rare disease by the National Institute of Health... they say that only 1 in 20,000 get it. It's hereditary. They suspect that I could break more bones (ick!)

So now my left leg is healed enough so that I've gone back to visit the surgeon, J. Dean Cole, MD. in Orlando. Dr. Cole, it turns out, invented the pin and screw that I have in my left leg. He doesn't say anything bad about how the first one (the right) was done, only that it will fail, and he'd rather operate before that happens, although he can handle it if it's after.

We're now looking at the end of November, because my left leg will be strong enough so that I'll be able to use a walker while the right leg heals.

On top of this is the fun of being totally off prednisone, which means that the arthritis and fibromyalgia, from which I hadn't suffered, is coming on strong, because prednisone is also an anti-inflammatory.

I'm so lucky, though, I have a whirlpool (hot tub, spa, whatever they are called), so my usual routine begins with a soak, then breakfast. If I'm up for it, I have weights that I can wear in the spa, and exercises I can do. They are much easier in the water. And a lot more fun.

I hate Physical Therapy: I've been doing some form of it most of my life, however this time I've found a terrorist with a sense of humor, who is a trekker, builds small rockets for a hobby, and does stained glass windows for another hobby. Most wonderful is that I feel better after my hour of out-patient PT than when I went in! They are are a new, sort of, group called Highlands Rehab. They actually worked for another group who decided to pull out of our county, and these three or four decided to stay here and open up their own shop. Greg, my terrorist is now working with Al and Shana, and another lovely lady whose name I don't know. Usually I feel better when I leave than when I come...

So now it's working daily at getting better, getting Adopt a Grandparent straight, and doing email. I'm also struggling with a painting... I'm about ready to white it over and start again. I'm also working on knitting a felted bag, a cotton top, and an afghan to donate to the Martincitos.

The weather is cooling off as well, so I believe I'd like to start walking outside (still on the walker), and at least, I can sit on our "LANAI", a Florida term from Hawaii which means screened in porch.

So I have lots I can do, the trouble is simply getting the energy to do any of them. I'm writing this on my Palm Pilot, for transfer later, which means I'm still in bed and it's almost lunch time. No real problem, though, I have gotten up, and gotten dressed, and am doing this.

My thoughts are with all of you who read this. Thank you. Please write to me at "paralipa@yahoo.com", so I can keep in touch. It’s great that I have all these things to do, but, for me, the most important thing is to stay in touch with my friends. Please write.

PAMELA'S "HOW I BROKE MY LEG" EXCUSE LIST

1. I was swinging from a trapeze and missed the person I was supposed to be connecting with.
2. I was bungee jumping with a 20-foot cord. Unfortunately, the cliffwas only nineteen feet high.
3. I was leaping out of a seventh-story window without my red cape andthe "S" on my chest.
4. I was trying to play Twister while white-water rafting.
5. I was trying out for the skateboarding X-Games.
6. I was jumping out of a plane without a parachute.
7. I was playing that game of "not stepping on the seams on the floor".
8. I was doing the shoo-fly (or is that "shoe fly"?) shuffle.
9. I was executing a perfect jete in my tutu, but I forgot to tell Stan he was supposed to catch me!!
10. I was searching for a way to return to the loving care of the hospital.
11. I ran over my leg with a motorcycle.
12. A refrigerator fell on me.
13. I was feeling well enough for a day trip so Stan and I went up toVermont to attend the hot-air balloon festival in Quechee.Unfortunately, in an attempt to capture a great picture, I fell into the gorge and had to be "air-lifted" back to the comfort of my home hospital. The balloons were beautiful though........
14. After many days in the hospital, I decided to get some sun and relax near the water. As I was dozing off, I heard a clicking noise on the tile. I dazedly looked out of the corner of my eye to see a huge (are there any other kind?) crocodile heading for me. I jumped up to run and fell over the dog. The barking of the dog distracted the crocodile and brought Stan running. He manfully chased the crocodile away and carried me into the house to await the ambulance as I had broken myleg.
15. I was bored, went parasailing, and missed the landing.
16. I was playing hopscotch with the neighbor kids.
17. Okay, I admit it; I hated walking with that damn cane and decided todo something about it!
18. While camping in the Adirondacks, I was surprised by a bear. In my attempt to get out of his path, I tripped over a large rock and crashed into a bear-proof garbage can. I quickly realized that while it might be bear-proof, it wasn't Paralikis-proof. I fell into the can head first. My legs were left on the outside of the can - which was okay until the can tipped over and began to roll down the side of the mountain. In the course of rolling along, my leg decided to go one way while the can and the rest of my body went another way. You can hear more if you go to the local diner where everyone is still talkingabout the tourist whose leg got away.
19. Knowing that I like to be adventurous and try new things, I recently joined an acrobatic water skiing team. You may have seen something like us at large aquatic amusement parks and festivals. While my background experience was limited, the coach realized that I was the one that could accomplish one of the most terrifying tasks - being the top of the five-row water skiing pyramid. My team and I had been performing for a few weeks. The crowds had been totally tantalized by our abilities. When we went by, it was my job to wave from high atop my perch and to unfurl a sign. Typically it was a simple stunt and all was well, but this time....when the winds came up, caught the sign, which went flying out of my hands and flew out across the lake. It floated downwardand landed across the face of the boat driver blinding him. He swerved erratically which of course threw the pyramid off balance. Meanwhile the boat was headed for the water ramp; and as you might suspect, the bottom skiers went up the ramp and flew through the air. I left the pyramid about midway up the ramp. After doing a great swan dive, I landed 25 yards away on the back of a ski jet. Unfortunately, when I landed I forgot to "assume the position" and instead of squatting had legs straight out. As my foot hit I heard a bone snap and well, the rest is history. (There was a rather nice write up in the local paper completewith color picture. I have been told that I can't return this season but they'll keep my spot open for me for next year.)
20. I was trying to break up a barroom fight.
21. All I wanted was a small dish of Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream and, being the independent soul that I am, was trying to get it myself. Of course the pint container had fallen to the bottom of our new small chest freezer. While stretching to reach it, I lost my balance and fell head first into the freezer with the freezer door dropping onto myflailing legs......I can't wait to get home and have Stan bring me someof that ice cream......
22. I wanted to have a new way to test the airport security people and see if they could find the rod in my leg with their metal detecting wands.
23. I was table dancing and when the man at the table stood up his ----caught the edge of the table...well, you know.

There are a number of these that will be used in everyday explanations... so many could have been true! There is no way I could choose award winners from all this creative input, so an honorary bandaid to all who entered... BTW, you can still send more to either Mary or me, or even just comment here.

Thanks everyone.

You just won't believe this...

It turns out I didn't have the operation to repair my right femur, because I got very sick, see below for more, and was on a ventilatior, congestive heart failure, kidney failure, and on and on, but the Lord decided I am to stay here for a while, and gradually got me out of it. I when to a rehab place, which I won't reccommend to my worst enemy (who I don't have), and checked myself out a week later.

I had had some pain in my left leg before all that happened, even saw an orthopedist about it (HE GAVE ME AN INJECTION OF CORTISONE IN MY KNEE, TOOK XRAYS AND DECIDED I WAS KNOCK-KNEED, BUT COULD SEE NOTHING ELSE) that was really a lot like my right leg before it broke, and, incredibly enough, was. It (the left) broke about a week after I had gotten home. So now I'm back home after another pin and a stay in the same hospital, would NOT go back to the rehab place, awaiting visits from a home health nurse, an aide and a PT. The left leg is really painfull, and it is very hard to walk, but it is only 4 days after the surgery, after all.

I've now got pins in both femurs, and still have to replace the right one. The condition or deisease they suspect is Albers-Shoenberger Disease: osteopetrosis - adult mild form, which is inherited, and affects Mediterranian and Arab types... I may not have that quite right as I'm still gathering information. The very good news is that this form of it doesn't affect life expectancy!

So I'm even more bionic than before (although these bionic implants don't increase performance)... I'd better not walk near any strong magnets...

PS the next post will feture entrys from the "How I broke my leg" Excuse contest, with the winners taking home the much coveted Perils of Pamela award (an autographed copy of the PDA, an aluminium walker ingraved with your name, and a long titaniaum femur pin).

How do you think I look?

Here is my most recent webcam pic.... I did lose some weight in the hospital, but still have the prednisone "chipmonk cheeks". Let me know how you think I look.

P.S in the background, you can see my latest drawing project.

Another Update

I'm sort of enjoying the Florida summer (hotter than Bangkok most days) because I have great air conditioning. I sit outside in the mornings early, and after sundown. And of course, I have the whirlpools at night as my reward for doing my exercises.

I'm still using a walker, but am practicing with my cane, and I believe I'll be back to that soon. I'm still trying to adjust my medications (whenever I had something like this before - 2x, it threw everything off), and get all the readings back in line. I'll get there. As most of you know, one of my long suits is patience...but it seems I only have patience for others, not me - for myself I only have stubbornness, unfortunately.

I have promised Stan that I wouldn't go to Peru to live this coming year, but I will be there to visit...possibly in March or April. Because I took sick, I didn't have the operation on my leg to do the bone marrow transplant, and reset my leg, so I'm looking at that still in November or December.

Again thank you for your emails. I'll be lots stronger soon and able to answer each individually.

What I was told happened, and what I remember happening:

It's pretty difficult for me to remember what was happening just before I got very sick. In fact, I don't remember the day before or the day before that. For me it all began three weeks later.

I'm told that Stan found me non-responsive the morning of the 8th of July, and rushed me to the ER which is right around our corner). They put me in a regular room. His first confrontation was with my primary care Doc, when Stan insisted I be in ICU. Stan was right because I'm told that many of my systems began to fail: Kidneys, congestive heart, suspected pnumomia...etc. I was intubated and put on a ventilatior. I must not have liked it because they say I pulled the tube out. They re-inserted it, tied me down, and knocked me out.

There is some question whether or not I was in a coma, or just knocked out with drugs.Whichever it was, I had the weiredest dreams!

Two to 3 weeks later, the tube came out, and I woke up. They then moved me to CCU. I had a great deal of difficulty eating without getting sick. That continued for a week. I was two weak to walk by this point.Thinking that I would regain my strenght in a rehab center rather than at home, I went to the rehab center about 40 minutes drive from my home.

It was, for me, a very big mistate. I had even a harder time eating (to the point of dry heaves), and couldn't participate in the PT and OT program, which I absolutely detested.After a week of that, I got out of there, and arranged for PT at home.

Stan's good cooking, being at home, and doing PT at home is working out much better. I now play a dailiy medication game, trying to keep my blood sugar in range (yes, they put me back on Prednisone) and trying to keep my blood pressure down (or sometimes up). In between, I'm still trying to read, Knit, paint my Martincitos portraits, and actually try to get to a more normative life. I'll get there, it will just take longer than I want...

oh, and I still need to have the marrow graft and new rod put in my leg...oh well, stay tuned.

Please write to me or answer on the blog if you was more info, or just to chat.

Update to April

In the last post, I had just gotten to Peru, around the end of January. I had a great two weeks, followed by two weeks of hell. I got some kind of bug, which was going around, but with my system, I caught the same thing twice. I wasn't able to keep water down (or in), so no medications. That's the point when my pinched nerve in my neck chose to assert itself.

In a great deal of pain, unable to recover from the bug, or catching it (or whatever else) over and over: I decided I had to return to the States. I got back on February 15th, and have spent most of the time in bed or seeing doctors. Also during that time we discovered that the rod in my leg was poking out of the bone, as the fracture is healing. It will have to be removed, but is the source of the pain I have when walking. No step aerobics, the doctor said.

During all this, we sold our house in Massachusetts, and are building a new one in Florida. In two weeks we'll be down there, and the house will be ready on June 1 or so.

I'm much better in health now, except that my blood pressure is high, and so is my cholesterol. I'll be looking for a good primary care doctor as soon as I get down there.

So the real update is that we're starting yet another chapter, one in which both of us are retired.

I'm in Peru!

I am finally here, and going through the fun first week. I have to adjust to speaking and hearing Spanish all day (exhausting), plus doing a bit more walking and moving than at my north Home. Also I have to adjust to 85+ degrees (I know it's a tough job, but someone has to do it).

All in all, I'm feeling pretty good, the trip didn't completely wipe me out, and everything feels better in the warm.

Life is not a journey

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a handsome and well preserved body. 
Rather, the objective should be to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: 
"WOW!!!!!  What a ride!"

Update as of the day after Turkey Day.

What’s up with me right now is that next Thursday I’m getting a defibrillator in my chest. It seems that I have a defect that could cause another case of Tachycardia like I had last June. I still don’t know why it wasn’t installed then, while I was all sedated and hooked up, but, ah well. It does mean that I can’t go to Peru as I had planned. Looks now to be February at the earliest. Bummer big time.

I’m still healing from my broken leg and so still have a cane. I’m still seeing 6 doctors, so I’m being kept busy, along with art classes and knitting classes. See the picture of my painting of Stan on the left...

The big thing for me now is to figure out Medicare parts B and D and Medigap, and all that folderol…worse than private insurance. Stan is definitely retiring January 1, 2006; this house is up for sale as of today, and the new one in FL has been started.

The only thing constant is change.

Here's a better picture of Stan

 

The secret of my improving health

Heeeeeer's Stan, he is truly the secret of why I'm doing so well after haveing done so poorly. Every step of the way, even in Peru, Stan was with me fighting. When I got discouraged, he was there with a sweet nothing. When I got depressed, he was there with understanding. Basically he was there, on the phone, by email, on chat, and in person. He came to visit me in the hospital here every night after 8-12 hours of work and 2 hours of commuting. What a guy! I think I'll keep him.

Most recently he gave me a gift that I just can't believe. He sent me for a two day driving course at the Skip Barber School in Lime Rock CT. Apart from having a wonderful, fun time, I learned so much about how to drive better, how to control my car, how to avoid accidents, and on and on. If you have a chance to take this course, take it!

It was an anniversary present from Stan to me, but I feel like it was my present to Stan for taking it. Wonderfully enough, my leg co-operated, and I was physically able to do everything, although c ompletely exhausted when I finished. I'm able to walk a bit without my cane (in the house where I have lots of things to hold on to), so I feel there is definitly progress. All the other things are getting treated as well, I'm getting cortisone shots for my neck and lower back, my other chronic stuff is in control, and I'm seeing a specialist in what may be a heart condition, just to get checked out. The only thing I can't do is loose weight, but I'll keep on trying. 

Catching up on the News

I’ve taken up painting again, above are the paintings I’ve done so far, and of course, they are of the Abuelitos, Paulina, Maria Nolly, Casimiro, and Gloria… I’m working on one of Stan now…he asked me to do it, so he must like them.

My health continues to improve, I’m now using a machine that gererates ultra low level sound waves to increase my bone production so that the fracture can come together finally. After six months there is still a millimeter or two of space that needs to be knit together.

Speaking of knitting, I’ve gone back to doing that as well. I have to have a baby blanket for Charo…the baby is due in November.

I guess what says it all is that Stan told me I could get my tickets to Peru for December! I know he wants to put all sorts of restrictions on me, but I told him that Silvia usually is stricter than he is.

I don’t know if he will come to visit…the house has been started, and he’ll probably prefer to go to Florida when he gets fed up with the winter here…I’m still tryoing to convince him to come to Peru!

Still making progress, but some setback

I wish recovery could be just better day by day, but it isn't so. Some days my leg is killing me other days I don't need the cane; some days my back screems, other days no; and I have the same problem mentally: some days everything seems to be moving up, and others I despair of ever getting back to where I once was.

I think I have another UTI (Urinary Tract Infection,) which was the bane of my existence in June and July. It doesn't feel serious, but I keep forgetting to call Dr. Mike about it...I am forgetting lots of things lsately, but no more than most 58 year-olds. I'll call tomorrow.

I'm keeping todo lists, but misplace them, so I'm now putting them into the Palm T5 which helps.

I'm taking a painting class, and having the same trouble with painting a face that I had 30 years ago...some things never change.

And Recovery continues...

I've now gotten to the point in recovering where I'm no longer stuck in bed (thank the Lord). I've signed up for a painting class... which is basically therapy for me... I haven't painted anything for about 30 years, instead I got involved with photography, which remains my first love... especially now with digital. I'm also investigating making short videos and splicing them together on the computer. I'd love to have a Video of Los Martincitos to play to groups for donations.

So too am I going to start again at my Knitting group... I need to make a baby blanket for my friends Charro and Edgar who are expecting in November. I want to go back to Tai Chi as well, but that is still months of recovering away.

Mentally I'm feeling much better as well. Part of that is that I'm now able to do things other than read or watch TV; the other part of that is the medication for depression that I take. It takes a few weeks to start working, so it hasn't really had time, but it is beginning to correct my chemical imbalance.

All in all things are moving in the proper direction, and I'm really pleased. One of the biggest problems that I had around here was that all my friends lived everywhere but Massachusetts, so I had no one to pal around with. Another problem was and is that most of my friends are still working, leaving no one during the daytime. Taking the painting class won't change that, since it is at night, just as the Tai Chi class is, but the knitters meet during the day, and some of the painters work locally in Norwood center (I can come by and visit, and/or have lunch buddies).

I think of how much work I put into creating a support group in Peru, I just forgot that going on Disability Retirement was going to change my support group here. So now I'm working to find people here locally...That keeps me ON the streets, and not depressed in my bedroom.