06-19-2014 The Day Of Surgery.

   We left at 4:15am, got there before 5:30am, and all was well. Got checked in and headed upstairs where we got signed in, and all was still well. I met the Anesthesiologist, nice guy, seemed to be completely with everything, very methodical. The 2 RNs, extremely nice and knowledgeable. So we have an EKG ran, they let Denise see it and she saw it looked good to her too, still that marker that you always have compliments of a past heart attack. All was well.

   They brought the Peace Pipe through, actually something that you take a breathing treatment with to open you up or something, I have COPD and Emphysema (thank God I also have spell check). It opens but then leaves me sort of nervous and agitated, not to worry though, they have more. Then came an injection of Prednisone in my IV, guess I forgot to mention that part. They took samples of my blood then left the thing in, think it was hooked to a bag of IV fluids, that is also what they inject in. Then they said they had something to relax me. The Peace Pipe or extra Prednisone or something had me agitated and restless, sounded like a plan to me. That was about all the memory I had that stayed in tact, lol.  All was better than well, because I had no clue.

   I remember the ladies telling us I was about to head for surgery, took my belongings to the recovery room. We were waiting on Dr Rathfoot to come in, they said he would speak to us before I left for surgery. He came in and for the first time ever I saw him in a not so good mood. Most doctors can have attitudes, but not him or Dr Schindler for that matter, these are great guys who seem to have no button to push. Seems Tennova 2 had forgotten to get the tool he needed to do the surgery! How does one forget that? I remember bits and pieces of Rathfoot and Denise talking, and caught the main parts of his anger, which by the way was very much a gentlemen, but once again it confirmed that I had the best doctor there was. His anger was to me an outpouring of his compassion and care.

  Soooo, tomorrow we do it all again, except at the old Tennova, (aka old St Mary's) in Knoxville. I've had the other throat surgeries done there along with a shoulder surgery. I slept coming home, fell asleep and slept most of the day. Denise said I wasn't allowed to drive for 2 days and that kinda comes under the duh category. That "relaxing stuff" is more a knock out stuff for me, which ain't bad I guess since I'm headed for surgery. It was the 1st time since leaving off the arthritis medication that I actually don't hurt, and as great as that is, I'll deal with some pain as opposed to feeling like that. Still, it was and still is like a vacation.

  Tomorrow we try this again. I don't think I'll have to do anther EKG or blood work, and know I'm not paying another copay. We were all ready, all that is except the hospital person who orders the equipment. Denise said it is a tool that is about 1 1/2 feet long, I could have probably been fine without that added bit of information, lol. I got a little more with it this evening and grilled us steak, onions, potatoes, and squash. Now it is bedtime again, try this one more time.       

      

06-19-2014 Here We Go Again

   Everything looks a go for today, everything in place. Hopefully this will come off as smooth as the other surgeries have went, Rathfoot is an excellent Doctor. As long as I don't wake up with an extra hole I'll be happy, well, that and good news. I am at peace with this tonight, nothing will happen that isn't allowed to happen by God. Hopefully it will go well and if not then I trust He has His reasons, either way, I'm good to go.

  They were very accommodating getting me scheduled early. The little bit my saliva glands work isn't enough to stop the pain of the dryness. I do an EKG, Blood Work, then off we go. If all goes well I should be back home within a few hours. It takes a day or two for the stuff to wear off, maybe down time a week, give or take. During that time I will write more on the book, so if they're reading this at Amazon, I'm slow but I'll get there... eventually. I should be able to come off, or at least down, on the Prednisone. Maybe then I will loose some of this extra weight, then again late night cookies and milk will probably have to be ceased too, lol.

  A part of me can't wait. If this brings the pain threshold down that will be great. If it helps my breathing and swallowing that will be great too. Less Swish & Swallow. One thing I miss though that I will get to go back on is the arthritis meds. No sleep last night at all, my built in Doppler kicked in again.   

06-09-2014 Proceeding

  Step 1, get Dr Rama to approve me for surgery and today that is complete. It could have been scheduled this week, except I haven't enough time to double up on the Prednisone to lessen the chances of a temporary trach, that and there is already a nurse off where Denise works. Now we look at his schedule and another date looked at soon. I won't publish it prior though just to be on the safe side.

  I'm not sure on how it will go this time, I have some reservations on the outcome. One thing is for sure, doing nothing is not working though. One of the few times though I have a bad feeling about this. At best, this should buy me 6 months to a year, if I understood correctly, before we look again for a solution. The continued yeast infections in my throat though make it hard to swallow and even harder to breathe. That is also cutting back on sleep time and rest and creating more of the Narcoleptic type episodes. Plus I'm fat and borderline diabetic, which ain't helping none. The Prednisone even makes me not like myself these days.

    

06-03-2014 Dr. Rathfoot Follow-up

  Well it has been a while since I put the last up, I waited until this visit to do so. Me and Denise went to Dr Rathfoot for my June follow-up visit, it went about as expected, so it went well. He scoped me, as he usually does, and sees no evidence of the cancer. He did see quite a lot of swelling of the things that swell, don't remember what they are called, but so much so they are impeding swallowing and breathing. He also saw yeast along with diminished flexibility of my vocal chords. The Prednisone is causing the yeast in my throat but the radiation damage is responsible for the rest, which is why I use Prednisone.

  So next we have to get an ok from Dr Ramaphasad (Rama) to do the surgery that needs to be done. Hopefully he will just sign off on it instead of a check up, EKG, or Stress Test. He is my Cardiologist and the one who worked on me the night I had my heart attack, plus Denise works for him. In preparation to the surgery once it is cleared and scheduled I will have to take a double dose of Prednisone for a few days prior to reduce the swelling so the tube that will breathe for me can be inserted and retracted with less swelling. That will lessen the chances of getting a Trach. I'll also have to stop the Arthritis meds a few days prior to reduce the bleeding. He thinks this will get me by for 6 months at least, maybe more. More sounds good to me. It has become laborious lately to breathe and swallow, so I'm all for that.

  I also heard that a high school friend had died last night from a long, hard fought battle with cancer. Timmy Nash was and is a good man and will be sorely missed. Why some beat this stuff while others don't is a mystery to me, I guess God just wants them home.

  I started on a book, something I said I would not do, and may not finish, lol. I had turned down offers and never really entertained the thought until recently, after a lot of prayer I decided to do it. Hopefully it will be written better than I talk and normally write. Misty said she would proof read it along with Denise. I think too Amazon has some that will too. This one they picked the title and subject and the next ones I get to pick... I think.

  Meanwhile I weighed in heavier than I have ever weighed, 244lbs!!! Prednisone he said would do that, so I let it go at that. I didn't bother to tell him the Mt Dews I've been drinking, cause that has to stop. I also forgot to mention the 2am cookies and milk, but I have stopped that, now I just have to stop the bowl of cereal and milk I used to replace the cookies, lol. We went back to Gluten too, so that also will stop. I'm still fighting the Potato chip thing, lol.

  A small garden but none the less a garden that we have out this year. I'm not able to keep it up myself but Denise and Megan are helping. I think it done Dr Rathfoot good to see dirt under my fingertips again, I know I've enjoyed it. The garden has taken my mind off from a lot of things I need a break from, like probating mom's estate. I never knew it was that much stuff that must be done in order to probate and estate. I done a lot in real estate but not that.

  I know I will be down if all goes well from the surgery a few days but afterwards I hope that I will be better than I am now. I realize it will probably be a temporary fix, but a reprieve from the same old.     

Happy Birthday Denise

Happy Birthday Denise. 

I love you.

05-13-2014

  My blood work came back a while ago, I kinda forgot about posting again, should have already done that. I am at the top of normal, right on the borderline of being Diabetic. Prednisone is one of those things that sometimes has the side effect of becoming Diabetic, probably this weight I've gained has a lot to do with it too. :)  I gotta lose some weight. I constantly have to have fluid with the burnt up Saliva Glands (but one works a little), but I need to do something besides Mt Dew. I'm hoping that this summer I can tolerate some garden time and start back taking water again. My Thyroid levels are good, so that medicine is the correct amount. Dr Rathfoot done an excellent job on dosage when it finally gave out. Next month I will start again the follow-ups and I guess we will discuss surgery at that point.

  I still am struggling with mom's affairs. I hired Kelly Hinsley to probate the estate and his secretary Kerri does an excellent job. I am a fish out of water and at times I get a little urked at the way things are done legally, but I do them. So far I have stood my ground on a few things like her cars. The Will says they all come to me but she asked that I give Misty her Mountaineer and Megan her Mustang, and that is exactly what I intend on doing. Her bills far exceed her insurance but I intend on seeing they are paid and not by selling the cars like some have suggested. The stuff she asked that someone get I have followed her wishes. It is still so hard to go inside for any length of time. I gave away the food she had and the equipment that Hospice left, and some things the family asked for. I know all things material here are moth and rust, that is, falls prey to one of the other... but they meant something to them.

 I have found a way to sleep a little. In the change of seasons, especially before a rain, I hurt. Shoulders, knees, and neck, sometimes just all my joints. Some due to a mild arthritis left behind years ago from the Lymes Disease, mostly though from the injuries. I take 2 Advil or Tylenol PM pills, a blow dryer, 2 pillows, and a body pillow. I head for the floor and sleep there. I don't know what, how, or why, but it helps. If I can get 5 hours sleep that helps a lot. I have a long tubing for the O2 machine and take that to where I am. If I had known I was going to last this long I'd taken better care of myself, lol.

05-07-2014

   I haven't published in quite a while, well, actually haven't written much lately. I've spent some time on Pintrest, making some pins and browsing. I've actually watched more TV than I usually do. I don't want to make that a habit but it kind of takes my mind off things somewhat, but that is what TV does. Usually when I hurt of think I work, only these days that don't work either. This last yeast infection has went on for weeks and I stay tired from the sleep apnea, or who knows, maybe the weight gain.

  We put a garden out this year, but a small one, still bigger than last years which were just a few peppers and garlic. It got in the high 80s today and already that closed my throat off, so we shall see how this small one goes. With Misty and the kids gone, Annie gone, mom and dad gone... well there just isn't reason to put out a lot. Some of it may be depression, I catch myself starting to call mom at night and through the day, even catch myself heading up there. It all seems, well, strange and empty. Already I have people asking to buy this or that, God forgive me but I resent it. None of that stuff means nothing and yet I can't yet bring myself to touch it, save for the stuff the kids want and the stuff that could be needed by others that I gave to the Senior Center. I went by the Lawyer who is probating the estate today. I hired him for his honesty and intelligence, hopefully he will listen to what I intend on doing though. I get that sometimes, people mistake my niceness for weakness, by the time they figure out the two are very different it usually is a bit late.

  So I went yesterday to get blood work ran, the blood work that I was suppose to have done before mom went down hill. I took Megan to have her blood work run for her Thyroid levels to be checked and Kim at Dr Schindler's office remembered and reminded me about it. Megan's had to be increased but mine aren't back in yet. Next month starts the follow-up visits and possible surgery. I will not turn the surgery down this time if it will get me off the Prednisone. I always fear getting another hole added in my throat when I awake, I do not fear not awakening.

  Megan did get a job and she loves it. Gordon hired her to make sandwiches and stock at his store at Easy In Market. They have been good to her. Gordon talked with me before he hired her to make sure what I thought. He knew full on that Megan's hearing isn't good but he said he thought she could do the job, and I agreed. Megan has worked out great they said, she works hard, friendly, and learns fast. She now sees that the world isn't the same as it was in high school, where she was told what she couldn't do. She has discovered that out here she is no longer treated as an outcast or teased about her hearing. Megan finally sees what I always told her, nobody notices someone's deficits because we all have something we're lacking on. Most people are just trying to get from one day to the next as best they can.