Rathfoot visit

   We went to a visit with Dr Rathfoot. He scoped me and saw the swelling still there, plus some. He asked if I had been around anybody sick, which I have almost consecutively this year, apparently my luck ran out. He said I have a cold, something I was suppose to avoid. 

  He upped my Predisone dose 20mg twice a day and taped it down. 1 antibiotic, Avelox, once a day. This will go until next month when I will be scheduled for surgery, after the Cardiologist clears me. He will inject the area with Kenalog and I'm hoping send me back. He also discussed a temporary Trach, but I'm not sure if this was during that or if this fails. It would allow time for my throat to heal. I'm not really wanting to go along with that one. It's garden and bike season, plus I have more to get done than I've ever had to do and a lot less energy to do it with.   There was something else she got filled but I'm not sure what it was. 

 We are all worn out after what seemed to be Hell night last night. Storm after storm rolling through, the first one being the worse and the second getting fairly close to the first one. So when we got back I walked around looking at the damage.  We were far luckier than a lot of other places. The golf ball sized hail punched holes that looked like God had fired a large shotgun through the vinyl siding at Matt & Misty's house and buildings. We don't have siding like that here, so it just blew off paint in spots. Beat up Denise's car a bit and the Taurus, broke the windshield on Big Ugly. As usual, it washed our driveway out again, just not as bad this time...yet. Most of the neighbors houses that had vinyl siding had holes in it and Mark's windows were exploded in the front of his house. Thank God nobody though was hurt and the animals are all alive.

  Today is Matt's birthday.

04-22-2011

  It's been a long day today. I don't know if last night was cramps or muscles spasms, or if there is a difference, but what a loooong night it was. Those things are painful. The last was about 7:30 or 8 am and that one left me limping from the pain in the right calf muscle and ankle. Kay at the hardware seemed to think it might be the Predisone and suggest maybe Magnesium. This is more than three nights like that so far together, the most consecutive so far. At this point I'm willing to give almost anything a try. I know I probably can't stop the steroids after this many months and they are helping the swelling from cutting my wind off. I'd scream but I've not the voice to do that, so perhaps a low tone.

  I hung out at the office today with mom and Matt. I didn't get nothing done at all. I'm worn out. I watched Matt work on some computers and listened to mom work with her clients and customers. Matt seems to be somewhat of a perfectionist. He drives himself nuts making sure it is all perfectly done, guess that is a good thing. We are a lot alike but not in that way, lol.

  Charlie had his biopsy today, his second. I told him that Vanderbilt liked their own. The scars were not even healed when I went there very good for the NHL. I remember thinking that since the biopsies were fresh, one in each leg, that part was over. Wrong. They took new ones from my ankles. I guess that is a good thing though. He really likes his doctor there. He told Charlie he could fix him. He will have 4 light chemos and some radiation to shrink it. Afterward they will cut the mass out. They said they type he will be taking will not take his hair out and not make him sick. I really hope and pray it don't.

  I hope tonight is restful. No waking up with whatever that is. Denise not having to alter me for my breathing. Just a good night's sleep. The tightness in my throat though tonight begs to differ, hope it's wrong. I'm putting my magnetic necklace back on tonight too. The two dics that never healed back up seem to be active. Then again, with the shoulder, elbows, knees... nothing ain't active, lol. I think it's all this liquid sunshine we've been getting.   

04-08-2011

   Long day today. I started out going with Matt to Knoxville to a place where a lot of computer shops get their computers to be repair or resold. We left out about 8:30am. Later on Denise came home and we headed to Knoxville, my second trip of the day to Knoxville. We were both pleasantly surprised to get to UT to a pretty much empty waiting room. Seems we hadn't sat down for long before I was called to the window, then blood work, then straight from there to the room. Man it was quick. It was nice to see some familiar faces back that we didn't see the last round. We even seen Ruth as we went back, but as usual, she was wide open. I don't know what she makes... but it ain't enough.

  Dr Panella came in with a big smiling face as usual. He asked several questions about the neuropathy, especially in the hands, which hasn't changed. He looked in my throat with a light and liked what he saw...or rather that is what he didn't see. I asked him about the CT Scan. He said it wasn't good news. He said the mass was still there but since it had not grown that he was calling the cancer gone for now. It appears to be radiation damage. The nodules in my lungs, some had gone and some had calcified, a little infection, but no cause for concern. Judging from that, no CT Scan was ordered for my lungs again. He also didn't order a follow-up CT when I return in 6 months.

   I think sometimes that Dr Panella don't know what to make of me with my twisted sense of humor and straight forward, blunt approach. I don't think many people do. He just smiles and laughs along with me. I actually think he is as good a person as he is a doctor. On the way out I looked in the Chemo Hut and lo and behold, there was Cindy surrounded by a room of new faces working. I couldn't help but stop in and say hello to her. There was, I think just two people left taking treatments, I remember when I was one of them. I thanked her for taking such good care of me.

  We went to Sams and got some stuff, then picked up Megan and headed back out, shoot, we even celebrated with dinner at The Golden Coral. Then, later tonight, Matt called and had found a board and processor on Craig's List. Guess where we took off towards at 11pm... Clinton, TN. The guy lied about what he had, but it was still a good deal. It would have been a better deal if we didn't have to drive all the way there in a storm. Too funny, Matt says he is going to take the heat sink off the processor, then looks at it and says, "That's not a quad core, it's a Core Duo". The guy's face though had lite up when Matt said he was going to check it out. He had brought the box from a Quad and was passing it off as the box it belonged too. At 1am, he just had to see if the guy was also lying about it being good, so he rigged it up. It works great!  This is the start of building a new computer for the Sunroom.

  Matt has stayed busy, and this is just his first week! He named the business M&M Computer Services, aka Matt & Misty. Today it seems that the Apples have done the best, yesterday it was the PCs. He picked up another doctor's office this week and the computer repair shops that bring their hard to repair computers to him are still bring them to him, despite his opening his own shop.

  Yesterday I got the bulk of the Bookcase made and it's standing up against the wall it will mount to. We gave away 3 dozen eggs. Annie got into Nursing School. Charlie got his arrangements made for his appointment at Vanderbilt. It has been a GREAT week.

  Now for the worst part. I weighed in at 225! Time to lose a few pounds.

   

04-11-2011

Funny, I thought I had posted since the 11th, but it looks like maybe not. I'm still trying to get use to this new computer... well, it's new to me anyway. Matt done an excellent job. It's fast and has Windows 7 on it now, and I haven't a clue how to operate it yet. (grin). I even changed over to Charter as a test, so far, not bad but not exactly blazin' either.

  The NHL is pretty rough right now, patches everywhere. My feet look like they've been boiled. Lucky for me though the neuropathy has that under control as far as feeling it, lol. Being outside in the garden seemed to have stopped it from my eyelids. I took a Dyfluken (spelling) that Rathfoot prescribed which caused all kinds of weird stuff to come up which may my throat not feel as closed off. I think Denise wants to have a chat with him on why this isn't done more often.

  The pills Schindler gave me seemed to head off the effects of being around the grandkids, Kaden had Scarlet Fever. Not sure about Baby. I think that fever is a childhood disease.

  Charlie came back again today, we sound alike. I've tried to be tough with him like he was with me. There is a fine line between tough and tender. He is scared and rightly so. Finally they are starting to work on him after a call to be more proactive in the treatment. He has already lost 12 pounds. I thank God that he will not have to do chemo and especially Radiation, he wouldn't make it I fear.

  I worked in the garden these last 3 days since the signs were in the breast. Today I mostly fumbled around, but I tried. I have these great plans and then when I start I soon find out they are just great dreams of the past abilities as reality sets in. All I got done today was picking up rocks and a little tilling. When Denise came home she helped me make a row of Okra. I had figured at least 2 rows of beans would be set out today. I failed that pretty good. I got some pretty deep cuts from rocks and glass that is in there, the best part is, there is a little pain involved when I touch the cuts.

  Matt's first day open was today, we put the sign up Saturday night. He named it M&M Computer Services, named for Matt & Misty. He already has 2 jobs to do... on the first day! That is great I think. I took the downstairs computer to him. I'm going to have him make it similar to this one. All we really lack is green beans, corn, Tn Mellon, and Cantaloupe. I'm definitely dropping the 2 acres thing on corn. 

  If I sleep with my teeth in, it will be day 3, or rather night 3. It seems to stimulate at least 1 saliva gland somewhat. It ain't perfect but it beats waking up either so dry you are in pain or the classic, tongue stuck to the roof of the mouth.

  My hair is almost long enough to cover my neck. I'm not sure that I like it but I like what it can do for me. I never can remember to keep adding the sunblock. Storms rolling in tonight. Just a guess, I'll sleep right through them.  

04-07-2011

Long day today, much longer than I intended. I awoke this morning to a completely raw left side of my throat. Kaden and Baby both are sick, I think Misty said that Kaden has Scarlet Fever. I've made it pasted catching much this winter, but I think this one got me.

  Me and Denise headed to UT about 6am, too early for anything except Milkmen. The scan went great as far as being smooth. The ladies there were great. While we were waiting we saw. It took me a bit to place her but eventually I did. Her husband now has cancer. We chatted but a bit before I was called back. We saw them in a room as we were passing by. I couldn't help but remember, even though I couldn't place where, that she had given me excellent care, so I thanked her and wished them well. I know that I had an appointment with Green and asked Denise when it is, the correct question should have been when was it. It seems that my teeth had clashed with his check-up. Oops. Denise doesn't care for Green, says that he is through with me, yet I like him and would have liked a follow-up visit.

  So the scan is done. They scanned my throat and lungs. The results will be given at my appointment to Panella's visit on the 15th. I and praying that all is good. When we got back I called Rathfoot and talked with his nurse. More preidisone  and Dyfluken (spelling).

   I went to Knoxville with Matt and Gregg. He has already sold the computer he bought to fix and wanted another one. He got him two he can repair and sell and later on, There is a guy that owns a shop in Knox County that has a retail business that brought him 5 Apples to fix today. I got 1 more component to come in and I'll be ready to create mine, but I'll wait until Matt has time to. The guy Philip at the place seems very nice.

   I came back and talked with Dr Schindler's nurse who said to come it at 10:30 am , so I did. He saw my throat was extremely red, no fever though, but also felt my lymph nodes in my neck and said they are swelled.. He prescribed me some Keflex I think. He is a genuine man, something that is pretty rare these days.

  So tomorrow, God willing, I will either go get the other doors or forming this one and installing it while laying some more blocks.  I'm pretty much down tonight, so it will a flip toss as to if I wake up early enough.

04-03-2011

  I haven't been on much lately. This computer is like me, slightly challenged at times and a bit outdated. :) Matt fixed it enough to get me by and even went one step more, talked me out of buying another one. I thought oh great, another thing popped up. Between a beginning of tests and doctor visits with meeting a deductible again, the flood damaging the fences and even worse, the foundation, driveway, medications, teeth, we watch what we spend. He gave me a board, suggested we use the old case, then looked on Ebay and other places for the right components to build one that I normally couldn't afford pretty dang cheap. The parts are ordered and he will put it together when they get here. We were up until 1:11am last night and he worked on it until 3am the night before. I knew Matt was smart on this stuff, especially after getting certified, but I guess I didn't know just how smart. I've got a degree in electronics repair from 1982 but got behind on all the technology. He memorizes all this stuff like Denise does medications. How I have no idea, I ran off the other day and had to come back to get my teeth, lol. I never thought I'd say that. :)

  So today me and Matt went to Office Max and he got some card stock to make him some cards. He is going to open a computer repair business in the office where mom has American Homes and Realty here in town. Matt is smart but also kind hearted, so I think he will do good. I think it will be great. Mom and him will be there to keep each other company, I know since I left she gets lonely up there. She doesn't have a lot of down time but after dad's passing, with dad not coming in and out and me gone, I know she likes company. He still isn't sure what he will call it, but I think he will do fine. Matt also fixed Denise's heater on her car.

  I done a boo-boo again and even a few people noticed the swelling. I think maybe I am eating some stuff I shouldn't since I have the teeth. Tomorrow Dr. Steltzman will adjust them. They are tight but get a little bit of food under in a few spots. My gums are a bit sore in places and I've not been wearing them when I'm home unless I'm eating. I think I know why horses don't like bridles now, lol. I'll get use to them though over time. A lot of times already I don't notice they are in there. I have some saliva glands at least trying to work. Funny, it's been so long I get chocked a lot of times from having spit. I still have to carry liquid with me but can go longer without it.

  I rode the bike around the block myself and up town. I'm still not quite back up to snuff yet and in part it was to see how I did. Not that I would want to wreck, but I don't want to endanger Denise. I done good but just a little more I think.

  My new scans are this month, so hopefully they will show all clear. I've thought about that a lot lately. Either way, I think I will have won. I use to say I wouldn't go this far for treatments but it has been well worth all the Hell I went through to have just a bit more time. Translated that is an endorsement for fight and seek help.

  Charlie is coming to terms with his and he has tests that start this month too. At first he seemed defeated and that worried me, but now he is ready to fight. I've given him some of those lectures he gave me. I think for those who first hear the word cancer, or that something can't be cured, it is a shock. That is natural. The first time I hear that was Pernicious Anemia. We were the same way. It's about the same grieving process as death or divorce. His worries and fears are the same as mine were about getting choked in public. It's not that one will die from aspiration, it's the embarrassment of being in public. Like I told him though, after a while one learns to quietly dislodge the stuff and control the panic. Funny what a person can get use to and overcome. Normal is just a term that allows for adjustment.