Gub’mint

1:09 PM: I have just sat down in the lobby of the Social Security office here in Spokane. I am here because…well, it all started a while back. Fortunately, I’m here in the Social Security office and I expect to be here for at least an hour and a half. So, I have the time to tell the whooooole story.

Back in July, Susan and I drove down to Palo Alto, CA to find out if I qualify for a heart/lung transplant. At that time, after a battery of tests, they sent us home for more tests.

We’re heading back down in about a week and hopefully we will get the word that we can get on the list. Or not. But at least we’ll have an answer.

Among the things they want from me are a bunch of vaccinations. The last one I have to get is a Covid booster.

Last week, I went to my neighborhood Walgreen’s to get my Covid vax. Walgreen’s said they couldn’t get the approval from Medicare to give a shot.

I went home and got on line with a Medicare chatbot. Once I finally connected to a human on the chat, I explained the problem and they responded with “everything looks fine with my account.

On Saturday, I returned to Walgreen’s and again ran into the same problem. This time, I had them print out the screen that said I was being rejected because my name was invalid.

Today, I finally had some time to get on the phone with Medicare and wait on hold until I could talk to someone.

I waited about 17 minutes and connected with Adara. I explained my problem. She looked through some stuff and said it appears Social Security has changed my name. Nothing major, they just removed the “Jr.” Anyway, that appears to be enough to screw up everything about my Medicare and Social Security.

So here I sit. The number they gave me is A40. I just heard A16 called.

There is a sign right in front of me that says appointments are required. The number to call is 866-331-5532. I’m thinking I will go back out to the truck and call the number.

It’s taken me almost half an hour to write all this out and frankly, I don’t feel like waiting. I’m outta here!

5:01PM: I got home and got on the phone to Social Security to make an appointment. After about a 15 minute wait, I got connected to a very helpful lady who told me the name on my account is as it should be. Stanley J. Burke, Jr.

We made an appointment anyway, which is coming up immediately on October 3rd at 9:30.

Prior to the call, I tried to get on my SSA account on line. It is suddenly not accepting my password. So I tried to re-set my password. I got an e-mail saying I had successfully changed my password. I then tried to access the account and it told me “no”. “Wrong Password!”

I did this three times. During my call, I asked the agent if she could walk me through re-setting my password. She told me they don’t do that any more. She said they have passed that type of thing off to the Post Office. Doesn’t that sound like great government efficiency?

August BP

 

Hot Water Tank

For several years now, I have been concerned about our hot water tanks. You may recall that prior to our purchase of this home over 20 years ago, it was a group home. To accommodate the eight persons living here, they installed three hot water tanks. 

So when we moved in, we had plenty of hot water. About ten years ago, one of them started leaking. I shut it down and pulled it out of the system. Now we were down to only two hot water tanks. Don’t feel bad for us. We still have plenty of hot water. In fact, I take rather long showers and I have never run out of hot water.

So, that’s where we are today. Since these two existing tanks have been here well over 20 years, I have been expecting a failure. I have not spoken of it, knowing that to mention the situation would exacerbate the situation.

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed a small stream of water leading from the Hot Water Tank in the Laundry Room to the drain. That was the clue. This tank is on its way out.

Today, with the help of Handyman Shawn, we replaced it.

I was very concerned that this was going to be a tough install. Mostly because I thought it would be difficult to get the old one out. 

Several years ago, I thought it would be smart to drain the tank and try to remove some of the calcium that builds up inside them. I opened the valve and couldn’t get anything to come out. I tried fishing a wire hanger up through it and got nothing.

Today when I opened the valve, the thing easily drain all the way out. After that, it was nothing to disconnect it from power and the water lines and haul it out of the basement and into the back of my truck.

The new one went in beautifully with just a couple of adjustments that Shawn made. I’m very glad he was here. I believe I could have installed it on my own, but it would have taken much longer and there would have been several trips to the General Store.

In any event, another successful episode of Handyman Corner.

First Sign of Halloween

Here it is, not even Labor Day yet and I have already broken out the Candy Corn.

The first Candy Corn’s of the year are the best and these were pretty awesome. They are fresh out of the C.C. Factory and they melt in your mouth like sweet, corny butter. Everything is downhill from here.

Another E.R. Visit

10:28AM: I am writing today from the Multi-Care Emergency Room on North Division. It’s way up north and I chose it because I was hoping it would have a low patient volume. There are not a lot of people in front of me but it remains to be seen how long this takes.

I’m here because my PICC line is not aspirating properly. Last week, when the nurse came to change my dressing, she will normally inject a little saline sauce into the line and then try to pull out on the plunger until she sees blood. Then she shoots the rest of the saline into the picc line and all is well.

I’ve gone two weeks now with no blood return. So, they say I need a TPA. It’s a procedure where they shoot something into the line and let it sit for about 20 minutes while it dissolves whatever clot or blockage is preventing the blood return.

I’ve had it done once before several months ago and they just came to the house.

They have since discovered that Medicare will not pay for the procedure in a home setting. It must be done in a clinic.

In talking to the Providence Infusion people, they do not have a clinic setting set up for such a procedure. They told me that any Emergency Room could do it.

The last time I went to an E.R., I waited for se7en hours only to be told to go see a Dermatologist.

As I said, I picked this facility because Deb, the Infusion Nurse, told me they do not get huge numbers and it might be quicker here.

So, here I am. It’s been about half an hour since I walked through the door. I have checked in, been to triage and explained my problem, and now I am sitting in the comfortably appointed waiting room with four other people sitting here. I like those numbers.

Stand by!

11:10AM: I’ve just been called in. Let’s see what happens.

11:16 AM: I came in, took a seat and explained the sitch to the nurse. She asked if they had me raise my arm. I said they did not. She got a saline flush, pushed in, pulled out and got no blood. She had me raise my arm, she pulled out and we got red stuff.

Now I’m sitting here waiting for the Doctor to give me his blessing. This turned out to be easy.

11:40AM: It took the Doctor a while to get to me but when he got there, he looked at me, asked a few questions, listened to my chest and sent me on my way. I’ll be using that facility again.

EUS

Today, I had an Endoscopic Ultrasound.

It’s the procedure we’ve been waiting for since we got back from Stanford.

The purpose was to investigate a spot on my pancreas that Stanford discovered through go all the tests they put me through.

Because of my defibrillator, they could not do an MRI on me. So this procedure was the next best option.

The Doctor involved with the procedure was Dr. Divyanshoo Kohli. He seemed like a very nice, very competent guy.

The plan was to knock me out and run a scope down my throat, which would somehow give them access to checking out my pancreas.

As alaways, I tried to fight it when they hit me with the sedative, which lasted all of two seconds.

The result was that Dr. Kohli did not find anything that concerned him. That is good news.

Here is a screen capture off the Mychart.com website pertaining to todays’ procedure.

I can tell you now from looking at that screen capture on the website that it is virtually unreadable. I have a follow up appointment on Monday, so we’ll update here when we have some update able informational knowledge.

Fish Lake Trail Ride

I had my longest ride yet today.

I've been wanting to find different parts of the Centennial Trail and one I've been wanting to try is the Fish Lake Trail. It starts near the freeway and heads west-ish along the railroad tracks.

It took me a little searching but I found the trailhead at the bottom of the Sunset Hill behind the abandoned church on the corner of Sunset and Gov't Way.

The trail is a very slight uphill grade which was easy on the ebike but still gave me a workout. I rode it seven miles out, to somewhere around Marshall. I decided to turn around when I hit 12.5 miles.

I got to a rode by two train crossings, took a break and then headed back. I had kept the assist level on the ebike at 2 all the way out. When I got out there, I still had 96% battery charge.

My ass was killing me so I decided I would use a little power to get me back home. I cruised for about a mile on electric power only. It was fun.

I decided I wanted to wear the battery charge down so I pretty much rode back under power.

By the time I got home, I had the charge down to 30%.

Ride in the Rain

Today I had my first bicycle ride in the rain with the E-bike. I rode it this morning to get a blood draw for a Doctor's appointment on Monday.

Just as I arrived at the blood draw lab, I felt a couple of small drops of rain.

When I came out, it was still raining but pretty light. I made my way through downtown, into the park and headed for home.

But not before stopping at the Pancake House on Main Street for some breakfast. I had pancakes, bacon and eggs. It was all very good...especially the bacon, which is thick cut. 

The service was pretty shitty. I waited a good five or six minutes after asking for coffee. The waitress was just not that attentive. I left $3.00 on a $25.00 bill. I should have only left two.

July BP

 

Waiting on Hold

I am currently about five minutes into a call to Inland Imaging about arranging an appointment for a couple of procedures. One, an MRI to look at my Pancreas and a Thoracentesis, where they stick a tube in my side and see if they can drain any fluid out of my lungs.

I made this same call this morning and was told I was 23rd in line. I could opt for them to call me. That was at 9:30. It’s now 1:50.

Oh my God, I’m in.

Okay…I’m off the phone with Inland Imaging. 

I explained to the woman on the phone that I have a referral for an MRI and I was trying to arrange an appointment. She was looking over my chart and started asking me questions about if I had any metal in my body. I told her I had a Defibrillator, some wire in my chest, and several stents. I also explained that I had already given somebody at Inland Imaging this same information last week. She looked further into my chart and discovered they had determined I could not have an MRI.

Do you think anybody thought to call me?

I have since left a message with the office scheduler of the Pancreas Doctor letting her know I can’t have an MRI and how do we proceed now.

It’s a good thing I’m retired otherwise I wouldn’t have the time to make all these calls.

Downriver Bike Ride.

A quick update on my last post.

I ended up gaining back a pound and a half by the end of the day so I’m very suspect of the whole thing…to the point where I am unsure as to the veracity of my scale.

It’s all I got so I’m sticking with it. If it’s off, it’s not by much.

I just returned from a good long bike ride. I went 10 miles, it took me just over an hour, and rode what I call my Downriver Course. The reason I like this route as much as I do is because there is a nice, clean bathroom at the Downriver Golf Course, which I thankfully made use of today.

Other data from the ride include: my average speed was 9.1 mph. My max speed was 31.5 mph. That was when I rode down Doomsday Hill.

I have a total of 411 miles on the bike of which about 350 are my miles.

Today I noticed that there are two locations along the trail, high above the river that have occupied Osprey nests on top of telephone poles. One of the ways I noticed them was because of all the white splatters on the paved trail below the nests. 

I also noticed many cool houses that I have passed by before but not really taken notice of. I’m getting better and noticing my surroundings as I ride. I’ll bet there is still a lot of stuff I miss along the way.

I’m having a great time on this bike and I must once again thank my buddy Mark for loaning it to me and not ever expecting to get it back. Ever!

Diet Ice Cream

Yesterday, I started the day with some yogurt. That was followed by some cottage cheese.

Around, 1:00, we took Susan’s sister, Margaret to the Milk Bottle. It’s a little retro restaurant not far from here with great burgers and even greater ice cream. I had a Banana Split. I also had several bites from Susan’s Chocolate Sludge…very tasty.

Later in the day, we went to a Spokane Indians baseball game. There, I had a pitiful excuse for a German Sausage. They charge a dollar for Sauerkraut. I also had a bottle of water.

Upon weighing myself this morning, I lost almost 5 pounds from the day before. I weighed myself twice just to be sure. I’m thinking of going back and weighing myself a third time. 

I’m also considering eating a Banana Split every day for the rest of my life.

Homebody

Now that we’ve been home for a couple days, I have come to realize that I am a homebody.

I’m quite happy being here at the house, and in a larger sense, Spokane.

I have not traveled a lot. I’ve been to Mexico and Canada. That’s the extent of my international travel. 

Here in the states I’ve been to: Idaho, Montana, California, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Nevada, Utah, and very briefly, Wisconsin. I live in Washington, so I’ve been there too.

I guess what I’m trying to say here is, I realize I’m a homebody and I’m okay with it.

The Journey Home

We are heading for home today.

We are going to return on highway 101, that more or less follows the shoreline all the way up the coast. We would like to make it to Crescent City, way up at the top of California.

One problem we are having is we don’t have a room for tonight. They want at least $200.00 a night and there doesn’t seem to be a lot available.

We are going to try and find something on the road. Susan is not very excited by this prospect and I know I’ll be getting some “I told you so” glares if we can’t find anything. But, come on! This is America. There’s got to be a room out there.

The on line maps tell me we are driving 355 miles today and it will take about six hours. We hope to be on the road in a couple of hours and I’ll update here when we reach the end of our travel day.

8:14PM: It turned out to be a 10 hour day. Left San Fran at 9:30 and got out of the car at 7:30. We made it to Grants Pass, Oregon. Four hundred and forty mile, ten hour day…but more like nine since we stopped at In n’ Out in Eureka and stopped again to look at Redwoods.

Here are a couple of photos.

Stanford Day Three

Today was our third day at Stanford. Yesterday was a mess. They had a couple of appointments too close together so we were scrambling between appointments.

Then I left glasses and pens behind, couldn’t find my watch when I took it off during a blood draw, and just generally created undue grief on the situation.

Today we only had one appointment with the lung transplant peoples. We had a brief consult with one of the Doctor’s P.A.’s about my health history. I walked to hell and gone for a chest X-ray.

We finally met with Dr. Shravani Pasupneti. She told us that she thinks I need a new heart. She’s not so sure I need lungs. 

The other problem she threw into the mix was there is something weird going on with my pancreas. Here’s what it says in the report.

This report is listed under CT CHEST, ABDOMEN PELVIS WITH IV CONTRAST.

Pancreas: Diffuse fatty atrophy. More prominent than prior examinations, there is a region of relatively increased density and enhancement at the midline pancreatic body (Series 11, Image 70) that persists on the delayed sequences (Series 13, Image 66) with mild surrounding fat stranding. No ductal dilatation.

What it means is we are going to run a bunch of tests back up in Spokane and then return to Stanford in a couple of months.

We were hoping we would hear about getting on the transplant list by next week but that is not going to happen.

Right now, we are about to enjoy a nice barbecued pork chop dinner her at Arnie’s.

June BP

 

Stanford University Day One

We have made it to Stanford.

We left Arnie’s at 6:30 this morning and had no trouble getting here. It was about a 45 minute trip and we made it easily on the nice four lane freeway with very few cars on it. What a difference from our trip getting here yesterday.

We got here in plenty of time and are currently sitting in the waiting area of C21 at 300 Pasteur Drive on the campus of Stanford University.

8:52AM: That’s complete. I just got off a scanner that measured my spine and looked at my right and left hips. At 9:30, we are due at A11 for the next appointment…looks like something Pulmonary.

In the meantime, we found a cafeteria and we had a little snack.

12:07PM: We have made it through the morning appointments. I had to do the dreaded Pulmonary tests. It involves sitting in a little booth, breathing through a mouth piece and following the technicians instructions.

This is the test where you breathe normally until the tech tells you to take a big breath. Then you have to blast it out and keep blowing, keep blowing, keep blowing until you nearly pass out. Then you do it again. And again.And again until finally she has mercy on you and let’s you out of the booth.

I also had a walking test and I did pretty good at that. I guess the point of these tests is to determine just how sick I am.

We have an hour and a half break between appointments, so we went to a little Stanford Gift Shop and I bought a Stanford Medicine Hoody for $40.00. I needed something like that because I forgot to pack any kind of a jacket. It’s cold at Arnie’s house and the Oregon coast will probably be chilly as well.

Only one more appointment to go for today. We are back in the cafeteria waiting until 12:45 for the last appointment. It’s something called a Sniff test. I’m good at sniffing.

2:54PM: We are back home at Arnie’s. The Sniff test was literally a Sniff test. I stood on a little platform in front of a scanner at lung level. The Doctor had me breathe some regular breaths. Then she had me sniff a couple of times. That was it.

We are done for the day.

Day One complete.

The Start of the Week

It’s going to be an interesting week.

We have arrived in San Francisco at the home of my lifelong friend, Arnie. We are here for a week of testing and meetings to see if I qualify for a heart/lung transplant.

We spent last night in the hills above Sacramento with my sister and her husband Craig. It was very hot when we arrived, a stark contrast to the winter we seem to have driven into here in the city by the Bay.

Arnie lives in an area of town that likes to cling to the fog. I stupidly forgot to pack any kind of a jacket. I’m going to be freezing my ass off.

We left Spokane on Friday and drove all day to Klamath Falls. We spent the night there in a Super 8 Motel that was less than stellar. Had to get an extra set of towels and thank the Lord we didn’t run out of toilet paper. The roll was low and there was no backup.

Saturday was a pretty straight shot to Pilot Hill where Stacey and Craig live. We went out to this great little open air bar for beer and flat bread. The place was jumping and the band was rocking.

What should have been a two and a half hour drive to Arnie’s took four hours. An hour of that was spent covering about a two or three mile stretch that just crept along forever.

This California traffic is crazy and I am not a fan.

Tomorrow, our first appointment at Stanford is a 8:00 AM. Arnie says it’s about 45 minutes away. We want to be sure and be on time so we’re leaving at 6:30.

Weight Milestone

Let’s start with the constipation issue. Everything came out well in the end.

The reason I’m posting today is to announce I’ve reached one of my weight loss goals. Today, I weighed 224.6 pounds. I finally broke the 225 mark.

Unfortunately, I’m going to lunch with the boys and then going to dinner with Susan’s cousin who surprisingly showed up in Post Falls.

Neither of those meals is going to contribute to weight loss.

One of the things I notice during my constipation issue was my loss of appetite. I went on line to re-check the side effects of Ofev, the new drug I’m on that is giving me diarrhea.

It did say that one of the other side effects was loss of appetite. I had not noticed that since I started this drug back on the 7th. But it has definitely been the case for me since Saturday.

I’ll be keeping an eye on that.

Constipation

 I’m not sure if I’m having constipation or not. What I do know is I have not taken a crap since Saturday afternoon.

I don’t feel any giant urge to go and I don’t feel bound up. There is an ever so slight discomfort in my stomach, like an upset stomach, but not really.

I called my Pulmonologist because I’ve been on a new drug she prescribed called Ofev. The drugs is supposed to reduce the progression of scarring in my lungs. One of the side effects mentioned is diarrhea. 

I’ve been taking the drug since June 7th. The diarrhea started within a couple of days and has been a semi regular companion since.

I just got off the phone with Nurse Amy from Dr. Ajaz office. She suggested I increase fluids, drink Prune juice, perhaps some fibrous fruit like peaches.

So I’m off to the store.

Return to Posting

I was on a real streak of posting for a while and then it all went away. So I thought I better get back on the interweb horse and start posting again.

Back on April 27th was the last time my weight was below 230 pounds. I finally broke the barrier today, weighing in at 228.8.

I am very dedicated to losing weight right now in anticipation of my visit to Stanford Medical. And my dedication has been paying off. I have lost 8 pounds in the last week. The main changes I’ve made are cut down on beer and stay away from grains and sugar.

I’ve also been doing some exercise in the form of riding Mark’s eBike. I have been borrowing it now for well over a month. When Mark loaned it to me it had about 60 miles on it. As of yesterday, it has almost 300 miles on it.

I’m having a great time riding it around but it is easy to create the illusion that I’m getting some exercise. I try to peddle at all times. Depending on the level of assistance, I can create some resistance while peddling while not getting wiped out when I go up a hill.

I hardly ever use the throttle except when it’s the end of a ride and I’m trying to wear down the battery. Then it’s like I’m flying around the neighborhood on my twenty mile per hour motor scooter.

I have finally concluded that my best course of action is to set the bike on Assistance Level 2. That’s out of five levels. On 2, I can feel the bike being assisted, but there is some pretty good resistance as I peddle. It travels at around 8 mph. 

On Level 3, the bike takes off and runs at about 12 to 15 mph while I am peddling. There is very little resistance but as long as I peddle, the bike cruises.

The weather continues to be awesome. Nice sunny days but not too hot. I try to ride the bike whenever I can. Some friends loaned me their saddle bags so I can go to the store for stuff, as long as it’s not too much stuff.

I guess, this post is my way of letting Mark know that he’s not getting the bike back.

May BP

 

Stanford Change

We talked to Leslie at Stanford yesterday and learned that our initial week on the 23rd of June is not going to work. We looked at the following week but it contains the Fourth of July, so I don’t think that’s going to work.

So…for now…no Stanford for Stanburke.

Stanford Call

 We got the call from Stanford today.

I was out to lunch with Rob and Mark. We were at the Hub when I got an email from Susan that Stanford called and wants a callback.

I raced home and we made the call.

Leslie 650 725-3823

I am still waiting confirmation but we have set up an initial appointment for the week of June 23rd.  There will be a bunch of tests and meetings and then we should hear if we are approved (or not) by the following week.

I have already contacted my friend Arnie, who lives in San Fran and will put up with us for at least a week.

If we are approved, we need to move to San Francisco for three to six months. 

There are still lots of details to work out and lots of stuff we just don’t know.

Anyway, that’s the latest.

Summer Daze and Rash Update

We are having one of our first Summer-like days. Above is a screen capture of my weather app. We have several days of nice weather ahead of us. Too bad I can’t swim.

In the meantime, let ‘s get an update on my rash.

That’s today’s photo, seven days after the photo on my last post.

It stopped oozing almost immediately after I stopped applying Neosporun. It’s still pretty red and a little itchy but way better than it was.

I never did get the ointment that the doctor prescribed because Rite-Aid didn’t have it on hand. They had to order it and because of the Memorial Day weekend, they wouldn’t have it until at least Tuesday.

Well, by the time Tuesday rolled around, the rash was dramatically improving and I didn’t think I needed the ointment. So, sit on it, Rite-Aid.

I’ve been putting Vaseline on it because it gets pretty dry and scaly but I am definitely feeling that it is on the mend.

I have been riding the hell out of Mark’s bike. I’m really enjoying it. I can’t say that I’m getting the same kind of exercise as when I go on a walk, but I usually return to the house feeling like I stressed myself out a little.

As I’m typing right now, there is a guy named Tim from All Things Piano who is doing what I hope will be the final tune on the piano since it’s refurbishment.

We have been playing it for the last week and half, since Chris was here to do the initial tuning. As expected, it almost immediately went out of tune. During the shake down, we also indentified a few keys down on the bass end that needed a little adjustment.

He’s been here about an hour and probably has an hour to go.

In the meantime, I’m going to sit on the front porch and enjoy the weather with my lemonaid.

Dermatological Intervention

I have managed to secure an appointment this morning with my Dermatologist, Dr. Keith Parker, the guy I saw last January. I was able to find his name, not because of my great memory, but because I wrote about it here in this Blog.

It’s going to be a very busy day starting with this appointment at 9:50.

12:20PM: According to Dr. Parker, I am allergic to NeoSporun. He prescribed an ointment to put on the wound for a few days and then, just use Vaseline.

So, life goes on and we’ll see how this all works out.

E.R. Ordeal

I have decided to stop messing around and get back in for some professional care concerning this wound on my left arm.

I can’t say that it’s getting worse but it’s not getting better. The big red spot is what concerns me. It continues to ooze and I think it’s getting larger.

The oozing is the main problem. The gauge pad on the large bandage I’m using gets saturated pretty quickly. I have been changing the dressing twice a day but yesterday I changed it three times and then got up about 5am to change it again.

I will again say that it is not painful. It stings in the morning when I wash it and it’s itchy. I consider myself a top notch pussy when it comes to pain so you can take my word that it is not painful.

I have an appointment at the Express Care place at 11:00. Details to follow.

3:30 PM: I am in the ER at Sacred Heart Hospital. I’ve been here about two hours. The guy I saw at Express Care looked at my wound and said I needed to go to the ER or an Urgent Care location for a blood draw to test my blood.

So here I sit.

The place is very busy and there are lots of people here who look worse off than me. I’m staying until 5 and then I will go home and call my Doctor in the morning and go from there.

Thankfully, I brought my iPad along so I can post to this Blog and play some games. Let’s see how long I can play Mahjong or Solitaire before I kill myself.

4:15PM: I’d like to take a moment to talk about Charles Manson, cuz he’s sitting here right next to me. I know Charlie has been dead a few years, but that description also applies to this guy. He’s got the beard, the long scraggly hair. I haven’t really seen his face because he is in a perpetual slump, so I can’t tell if he has the swastika tattooed into his forehead.

There is also a young woman around the corner from me who has been here longer than I, who is clearly in some pain. She constantly moaning with an occasional grunt. Currently, there is a nurse walking around the waiting room calling for Juan. She’s calling and calling and no one is responding. 

I want to tell her there’s no Juan here.

5:12PM: The lady that checked in just before me just got taken in. So I think I’m close to being seen.

I called Susan a while ago and told her I was going to leave at 5:00. She said, “Oh no you don’t either!”

So, I’m still here.

5:37PM: I’m one step closer. They’ve moved me to a comfy chair. I guess I’m waiting for  Mr. Dr. to come see me.

6:30PM: The Doctor doesn’t think it’s infected. He’s ordering some labs and suggested I go see a Dermatologist. Standing by.

They have drawn blood, drawn s’more blood and really professionally wrapped up my wound. I’m not sure what I’m waiting for at this point, but I’m waiting!

7:29PM: I guess they are running the bloodwork and that’s why  I’m still here jut sitting. I’m pretty played out on Mahjong.

8:15PM: I am home. I stopped at the store on the way home and bought some ice cream. Now…I’m going to eat it. I think I deserve it!

Now I have to call a Dermatologist.

Oh good! More Doctors.

Posting About Posting…and the wound

I was on such a great run of posting often and for a while there, every day. I have not been walking since the Walking Challenge ended but I have been riding Mark’s E-Bike almost everyday.

I try to peddle the whole time I am riding but I think I may be fooling myself in how much exercise I’m getting. Some days, I return from a ride feeling pretty well spent and other days, I hop right off and continue my day.

The boo-boo on my arm continues to ooze and grow a bit. The odd thing is the bite that I presume started this whole thing is healing and getting smaller. The area next to it continues to be a large oozing patch. It is not painful, but it is itchy.

This is the picture for today taken shortly after I got out of bed.

Nice, huh?! For anyone concerned about such a lovely wound, let me assure you it is not infected. It is not warm. It is not painful. The ooze is clear and frankly, quite tasty. I am keeping it covered and changing the bandage twice daily. I am using an ointment they prescribed for me. And I am taking an antibiotic twice a day.

The main problem is that with all my heart and lungs issues, plus my body’s age estimated somewhere in the 80’s, I am a slow healer.

Latest BooBoo Report

Perhaps I panicked a little concerning Sunday’s post. I guess my breathing issues that day were an anomaly, or at least a semi recurring event.

I have had no problem with catching my breath the last couple of days. I had a nice eight mile bike ride yesterday with no ill effects.

However, I have a bug bite that once again is causing me some problems. I first noticed it on Saturday but it didn’t become a concern until late Sunday.

Now it is large and red and oozing. I have been covering it with a bandaid and today I applied some of the silver oxide cream I have left over from last Summer’s bug bite eruption.

Stay tuned for more updates and pictures as they become available.

Can't Breath

I think I shall mark today as the day I couldn't breath.

Sometimes in the morning, I can feel how wheezy my lungs are. They kind of crackle with every breath. I learned today that it totally matters how I'm lying in bed, whether I’m on my right side or left side. Everything seems okay when I’m on my back.

I got up a little after 7:00 and found I was having a really tough time catching my breath. I could take a big deep breath but I still felt winded.

I pulled out the oxygen generator and caught a few breaths with that, but the battery was low so I had to charge it.

I went to put on my Oximeter to see where my oxygen percentage was, but that battery was dead too. It's on the charger right now as well.

I'm feeling okay at the moment. We shall see what happens as the day progresses.

4:41PM: The rest of day has been pretty uneventful. I’m definitely feeling a difference on stairs. I’ll just have to watch myself.

I just returned from a brief bike ride to the bank and I felt great doing that. It was only a couple of miles but I did peddle the whole way. Peddle on assist.   

Another Beauty Bike Day

Once again, I took the e-bike out on a ride. Today I used it for a practical reason. I rode 5 miles to Winco Foods to get some stuff, most notably, peanuts for the squirrels.

I managed to make the trip mostly on side streets or low traffic arterials.

The problem I didn’t anticipate was that with two bags of shelled non salted peanuts, my backpack was really heavy. I was able to strap the backpack on to the bike rack over the rear wheel.

It worked quite nicely and I had an equally enjoyable ride home.

I put about 10 miles on the bike and was on it for about an hour.

By the way, here’s a picture of the bike.

I’m glad it’s electric because it is one heavy mofo.

Biker Boy

As predicted, I did not walk today. But I did ride.

My speedometer says I rode 11 miles today but I'm positive at least one of those miles was riding around and around Corbin Park trying to discharge the battery on the bike. I wasn't peddling at all, just using the throttle to use up power. I wanted to get it almost to empty before I charged it.

At the start of my ride, I rode downtown to the Centennial Trail and headed west towards Riverside State Park. 

I'm still trying to figure out the battery life on this bike so I didn't get very far. When it got to 50%, I turned around to come home. It still had 20 % life on the battery when I reached the house.

Unfortunately, the bike is so heavy and I have such poor stamina that I cannot peddle for very long on low or no assistance from the electric motor. So that wears the battery down faster.

I'm planning on riding it to the grocery store tomorrow to get peanuts for the squirrels. It's at least five miles away so it should be a good test of the bikes distance.

But I'm really having a good time riding this bike around.   

End of the Thirty Day Walking Challenge

I guess I should have been keeping track of my mileage during this challenge but I didn’t think about that until I started typing this post. I guess it’s safe to say I walked at least 30 miles.

Until today. Instead of walking, I biked. I borrowed Mark’s electric bike and went for about a ten mile ride.

I peddled most of the time but took advantage of the peddle assist feature. Man oh man! I flew up some of those hills. It’s really fun riding this bike. I want to try and go on a long ride but I’m still feeling out this bike and trying to get a handle on the distance it can go. 

Anyway, the challenge is over and I’m going to be biking for the next few days.

Walking Challenge Day 29

 I measured the distance of my walk today and it was pretty close to 1.25 miles. So, that what I’m calling it.

The course is walking east on Waverly from the house to Atlantic, turn north and go two blocks to Euclid, west on Euclid to Post street, south to Waverly and back to the house.

It was another nice day. I stopped several times to get my oximeter to stop vibrating.

Walking Challenge Day 28

I only have two more days and my 30 day challenge is complete. I know I’ve missed two days but today was not one of them.

Also, it wasn’t one of my best days. I don’t think I made quite a mile and it was broken up by a stop at the Hub.

I’ll try to do better in the waning days of my challenge.

One thing about this challenge is that I have already posted more this year than all of last year. It looks like my best year of posting was in 2014 with just over 130 posts. 

I guess my next challenge is to beat that number. That will require me to stay alive through the year…so that’s my new challenge. Live through the year.

Walking Challenge Day 27

Today’s walk was a bit unorthodox but it was a walk nonetheless.

Susan had to go downtown to get her bib number for Bloomsday. So we drove down, walked several blocks to the Convention Center, walked around the Trade Show and back to the car. I figure it was about a mile. 

Of course, there were several mini grilled cheese sandwiches from the Franz Bakery booth as well as many frosted animal crackers.

Walking Challenge Day 26

I finally got to my walk at about 2:00. It’s a beautiful Spring day. Perhaps the first to hit 80, which is temperature as I write this.

I only did a mile and there was a stop at the Hub Tavern. I learned from my Doctor’s appointment yesterday, that when my Oximeter is buzzing, indicating my oxygen level is below 90%, I need to stop and catch my breath.

Even though I don’t feel any ill effects from the low oxygen, I am stressing my heart. Apparently, that is bad.

I haven’t looked at the data from todays’ walk yet, but I think I did a pretty good job of keeping above 90%.

Anyway, I did my mile and I can put another notch in my walking belt.

Walking Challenge Day Twenty-Five

I only have 5 more days of this challenge. The next challenge will be if I continue the Challenge.

At this point, I plan to continue walking every day. I may not get out every day and if that becomes the norm, I will reinstitute the challenge to get me back on track.

I have a Doctor’s appointment at 11:30 and I want to be able to say that I walked two miles today. I’m heading out shortly and we shall see if I will be able to make that claim.

I made it. It was a beautiful warm morning and a good walk. I stopped a couple of times to catch my breath but overall, I’m happy. PLUS, I can make the claim.

Here’s the data.

I need to take my Oxygen Generator in to the OxyShop. It locked up on me twice today. I noticed it wasn’t delivering a burst of air to me. When I tried to turn it off to reset it, it wouldn’t do it. I had to pull the battery to shut it down. It came back once I turned it back on.

Walking Challenge Day 24

 I didn’t get my walk in until late in the day. I grudgingly trudge out at 5:10PM and fully intended to only do the short course around the park. That would be .8 miles.

I even considered saying here that I did a mile, even though it wasn’t quite accurate.

But I really want to maintain the integrity of these posts and so, I walked the mile. I did it in about 25 minutes. I did not take my Oximeter with me so I have no data to report.

One other item. I again need to remind myself that when I feel the urging of my body that it is time to go to the bathroom, I should heed it.

That’s all I have to say about that!

April BP

 

Walking Challenge Day 23

I had what I think was a really good walk today.

I did the mile around the park. I was walking at a pretty brisk pace. I thought I could finish below 20 minutes. It took me 21 minutes.

But check out my Oximeter Chart.

I spent most of the walk below 90% oxygen and some it below 80%. I never felt dizzy or terribly out of breath.

It’s really weird the way some days are slogs and others are a breeze.

Walking Challenge Day 22

 Well, I blew another day. I didn’t get out and walk yesterday. No excuse…just didn’t do it.

I set out to do two miles today but I cut it short after a strong mile because I was having trouble with one of my socks. It kept falling down into my shoe. That was annoying and uncomfortable.

So, out of twenty-two days I have two fails. But, I have twenty successes.

Walking Challenge Day 20

Today’s walk was not up to the caliber of walking for which I have set the standard. Today was the annual Hub Tavern Run. The course is four blocks long. South from the Hub to the Mosey Inn Tavern and back. A total of .08 miles.

Not very impressive but at least I got my walk in. Also, I mowed the lawn and Susan and I won best costume for the third straight year.

Walking Challenge Day 19

Another beautiful day for a walk. 

After yesterday’s decision to not give me a transplant, I decided I needed to go hard on my walk today. I walked the two mile route and I made it.

For some reason, my Oximeter reset during the walk so I have two different data sheets.

I was out for about an hour and I rested for about 11 minutes during the walk.

The odd thing was that my oxygen generator stopped working. It locked up. It wasn’t delivering oxygen but I didn’t notice until I was coming down Waverly on the last leg of my walk.

I ended up removing the battery to get it to reset. It seems to be running fine now but I’ll be keeping an eye on it.

Walking Challenge Day 18

I got out this morning and walked a mile.

Not that it’s going to make much of a difference because I finally heard from the Transplant Team and I do not qualify for a transplant. My lungs are too badly deteriorated to the point that they don’t think I can survive the surgery.

The next step I was hoping for, a Left Ventricle Assistance Device, (LVAD) is also off the table for the same reason.

So, the next step is to talk to Stanford University and the more aggressive program they have there. Because of the travel involved, I’m not terribly excited to get involved down there.

The one question I didn’t ask is what is my life expectancy. I would like to know what the doctor thinks is ahead for me. Do I have a year? Two? Clearly I’m going to get weaker as this goes on.

Right now I can pretty much get out there and enjoy life. I’ve been able to ski, I can still get around okay. The only bummer is I can’t swim.

The numbers from yesterday’s Right Heart Cath indicate I’m declining. The drug that is presently attached to me and pumping into my heart, Milrinone, is probably helping me but not improving me.

So, today I walked one mile in 25 minutes with a two minute rest a little beyond half way.

I am maintaining a positive outlook and fully expect to complete the 30 day Walking Challenge.

Walking Challenge Day 17

Another great day for walking. I headed west on my two mile route and I wanted to do the whole two miles. I have a Right Heart Cath Procedure later today and I wanted to tell my Doctor I walked two miles.

No such luck. I pussied out at around a mile and a half. I don’t think I actually made a mile and a half, but that’s what I’m going to tell my Doc.

Here’s the data from my Oximeter.

The fact that I was out for nearly 40 minutes is what makes me think I made the 1 1/2 miles. But then, I remembered my rest breaks and those probably amounted to almost ten minutes.

In any event, I walked today.

Walking Challenge Day 16

 I haven’t done this before so forgive all the wasted space I’m taking up on the InterWeb.

I walked the one mile course on the bright sunny Tuesday. It was a nice walk and nothing of note happened. What’s different today is I’m showing all the data on the Oximeter App. I can’t fit the whole thing into one screen shot. Here’s the part you usually see.

Below is the lower part of the screen.

I like that it clearly delineates the total time of my walk and breaks down the categories of my oxygen levels during the walk.

Maybe this information will be helpful for a future autopsy.

Walking Challenge Day 15

 Well, I blew it. I didn’t walk on Easter and ruined my streak. To make matters worse, I gained another 2 pounds, putting me back up to 229.

To make up for it, I walked the 2 mile course today. My oxygen generator ran out of battery power on the last couple blocks of my walk. But it felt like a good walk.

Here’s the data from today’s walk.

I’m not going to beat myself up too much over missing my walk on Sunday. After all, poop occurs.

Walking Challenge Day 13

The great weather we have been experiencing had to end at some point and that point was today.

I woke up to a steady stream of light rain that lasted until about 11:00. 

I had a few things to do around the house. Chief among them was to mop the front porch. I was able to complete that task by about 1:30. 

Next, I had to fit a walk in.  But that was proving difficult.

Just as on Thanksgiving I must listen to “Alice’s Restaurant”, the day before Easter, I have another listening tradition that must be played. So while Susan was working on our Easter dinner for tomorrow, I sat down in the kitchen and put on “Jesus Christ Superstar”.

So I finally got to my walk about 3. The rain had let up and the sun broke out enough to enjoy a nice walk.

I did about a mile and a quarter and got back just in time to talk to a guy selling pest control, which we already have from another company. But it didn’t work on him.

Walking Challenge Day 12

I got my walk in today, a little over a mile. But it wasn’t a walk in the traditional aerobic sense.

One of our neighbors puts out crosses every Easter in yards around the park that represent the Stations of the Cross.

Susan and I walked around the park and checked out the crosses. So you walk a little until you come to a cross, then you stop, read it and reflect. 

Because it starts half way across the park on Park Place, we walked a little further than the .8 miles of just walking the park.

Therefore, I’m calling it a mile. And the streak continues.

Walking Challenge Day Eleben

Since I missed walking yesterday, I thought I needed to make a good effort on today’s walk. I pulled off the two mile course. Here is the data from my oximeter.

The important details are that the walk took me about 54 minutes. I had some precipitous drops in my oxygen level but I never felt dizzy or in danger of passing out.

I did stop several times for a brief rest. But in general, I tried really hard to slog on through.

Walking Challenge Day Ten

Today’s weight was 227 pounds. That is as low as I’ve been in quite a while.

Rob and I drove to Lookout Pass today and skied. It was sunny when we left but kind of cloudy when we got to Lookout. It turned out to be a great day. The overcast sky kept the snow from getting too mushy.

We skied from 10 to 1 and we managed to knocked out 11 runs. We were joined by Don, a former co-worker of mine. All in all, a great day and a great way to end the season.

I did not walk today. I wanted to when I got home from skiing but it was kind of windy out. That’s the type of excuse that the Walking Challenge is supposed to quell. But, because I skied today, I’m going to allow it.

Walking Challenge Day Niner

Yet another beautiful day and another great walk. I considered doing the two mile walk again but decided to do a strong mile instead.

I went out with my oximeter today but it died shortly after I put it on. So no breathing data today. I can tell you that I felt pretty good throughout the walk. Today’s weight was 229.4.

Ski day tomorrow.    

Walking Challenge Day Eight

It was another bright sunny day with the temperatures into the 60’s. I took advantage by walking my two mile route. 

I walk east on Waverly Place to Atlantic, turn left and head north for two blocks to Euclid. From there I head west down Euclid, past Post, past Monroe, all the way to Adams. At that point I head south two blocks to Fairview and then start the final leg for home.

The problem with this route is that it takes me right by the Hub Tavern and it’s a perfect time for a rest and a cool refreshing glass o water. Next week, when Lent is over, I’ll have a beer.

I ran into a problem today with putting my oxygen generator in my backpack. It over heated. I was a good half way through my walk when it suddenly started beeping and shut down. The display said it was too hot. So I pulled it out and continued the walk with it draped on my shoulder. 

I guess I’ll just have to be tough and suck it up.

I did not take the oximeter with me today so I have to breathing data to share. I am however happy to report that I started the day at 228.8 poundage’s.

I have a potential conflict with the Walking Challenge on Wednesday. My friend Rob and I are going skiing at Lookout Pass. I may not get a walk in that day. I will try to take a walk when I get home but I think skiing in lieu of walking is an acceptable trade off.

Walking Challenge Day Se7en

A great day for a walk! My backyard thermometer says it’s 60 out. The sun is shining and there is lots of activity in the park.

I helped a friend move today and when I got home, I immediately went for a walk. I did a good solid mile, maybe as much as a mile and a half and it felt pretty good. I was winded when I got back to the house.

He’s the data downloaded from my oximeter.

I’m surprised by the big drops. I certainly never feel it when I’m walking. All in all, a good day for a walk and I’m keeping the string alive.

Walking Challenge Day Sex

The challenge continues although I only seem to be able to walk a mile every day. I know today is a busy day so I’m not expecting to walk much more.

The larger backpack worked better but I still feel the strain of carrying it. My back and shoulders get sore but that is just a matter of ignoring the discomfort and stop being a puss.

Today was a good walk and I did the mile in about 21 minutes. I was good and winded at the end.

Here is the breathing data for today.

I only stopped a couple of brief times to catch my breath and then continued the walk.

Today’s weight is 230.

Walking Challenge Day Fi5e

I have just returned from my one mile morning walk. It was a tough one today. I again went out without my oximeter. I stopped to rest a couple times and I was really winded when I got back to the front porch.

I tried one new thing today. I have found that carrying the oxygen generator with the strap across one shoulder became uncomfortable during the walk. So today, I put the unit in a backpack and carried it evenly distributed on my back.

I think it worked better but it became uncomfortable because the backpack was too small for me. 

I’ll go out again today and use my good backpack that is larger. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Later: I wasn’t able to walk more but I did visit the Spokane Falls while out doing some errands and I walked around that area quite a bit. 

We also walked over to the Hub and back which I figure is a strong half mile to add to my total. The two glasses of wine I drank while at the Hub might remove a quarter mile from my total distance.

Todays weight is 231 pounds.

Walking Challenge Day Four

I got in another walk today but it was only one mile around the park.

It turned out to be a good walk and I have a theory about why. I did not  wear my oximeter today which means I had no indication when my oxygen level dropped, so I never felt compelled to stop and get catch my breath. I pretty much managed to make the trip around the park without resting.

Another theory is that there are good days and bad days.

Walking Challenge Day Three

I managed to walk today but only a mile. I’m afraid it won't be long until I find a reason not to walk. My resolve sucks.

It doesn’t help that the walk was difficult. I stopped three times to rest. My oximeter was vibrating pretty violently about two thirds of the way back. I figured it’s probably not a great idea to keep walking when my oxygen is below 90%…even if I don’t feel dizzy.

Here’s a screen shot of the data from my walk.

You can see that my oxygen levels fluctuate rather dramatically during my walk.

Walking Challenge Day Two

I have now completed my goal for two days in a row. 

Today was nice enough that I walked the park. I did one mile this morning and felt quite spent at the end. I only stopped once to catch my breath.

My second walk happened a little after three and I again walked the park. This time was harder and I stopped several times to rest. The rest periods were not much more than a minute or two. I was definitely feeling it when I got home.

Today’s weight was 231.6.   

Start of New Walking Challenge

 I am challenging myself to walk every day for the next 30 days. I’m going to try to walk three miles each day. I may walk less but no less than a mile.

Today I weigh in at 232 pounds. My goal is 200 pounds. I am weak, I do not have good resolve and when it comes to pushing myself, I am a Pussy!

I thought by writing it down here, and committing to posting about it every day, it will keep me in line and on track.

I did my three miles today at Northtown Mall. It took me one hour and nine minutes and my Oxygen Generator died on the last lap, so I stop and caught my breath a few times. It did pretty well on my first two laps, equal to 1 1/2 miles. 

It’s a rainy day in Spokane which is why I went to the Mall.

March BP

 

Reminiscing

I have just been looking back at this Blog. Back in 2007 when I started it, I weighed 215 pounds. At that time, my goal was to get to 200.

Right now, I would be thrilled with 215. That is my current goal. 

It’s interesting how your prospective changes in 18 years. Of course, back then I was talking about running a mile and working out on a cross country ski trainer. Today, running…any running is in my rear view mirror and the view of running is waaaaaaay back there.

Well, I guess that is the reason I have this Blog. It gives me the opportunity to look back and try and figure out what the hell I was thinking.

It would be great to have this Blog going back to my twenties when I wasn’t thinking at all.

Fatter

I had a bad day on Wednesday as far as eating goes.

I had a pre-arranged lunch with a guy who is offering to help us with some issues concerning our church. I also was invited by Susan to join the girls for dinner at O’Donnell’s.

I ate light at lunch. A salad and a bowl of soup. I had a hankering for a Rueben sandwich when we got to O’Donnell’s and I satisfied that hankering. Plus a bowl of their chowder. Mmmm Mmmm Good.

I gained four pounds as a result. I lost half a pound yesterday so I’m weighing in today at 235.6.

I cannot seem to break below 230. Every time I get close, I bounce back up.

I’m off beer for Lent so I should be able to drop some pounds but it is proving difficult. 

I shall be tough and fast today.

Ski Day Four

Rob and I headed to Mt Spokane for another Ski Day. Again we chose a bright, sunny day. They haven’t had any new snow in a while but what they have is still in great shape.

Joining us for the morning was our high school buddy Johnny. We ended up spending most of our time on Chair Six. It gets the best exposure to sun. 

I really felt great today! I still had to stop in the middle of runs but I had some great stretches of skiing without stopping. Of course, when I do stop, my legs are on fire and I’m breathing heavily.

Fortunately, I recover within a couple minutes AND there is no chest pain.

We managed to eek out 14 runs. Good day!

February BP

 

Ski Day Three

 Rob and I headed to Mt Spokane for another great day of skiing. The skies were clear and blue and the snow was great. It started out kind of hard but loosened up quickly to give us some great pre-spring skiing.

We did 9 runs in the morning and another four after lunch for a total of 13.

That’s a good day in my book!

Dermatology Update

My little rash that I had frozen a few weeks ago is getting better. I've been pretty good over the last couple of weeks about keeping it covered. That has made a big difference in the healing process.

It probably doesn't help that I'm old and therefore, slow healing.

I was going to take a picture but it isn't really anything worth looking at. I consider this matter closed.

That means I'm moving on to all the other ailments I'm dealing with.

Ski Day Deux

7:45 AM: I am just getting ready for my second ski day of the season. It looks to be a nice, clear day. Here’s a shot from the Mt Spokane Webcam.

One of my criteria for skiing now is “No Fog”. So today meets that requirement.

However, I’m a little worried about the temperature. The mountains thermometer looks like it says 10°. It’s supposed to warm up to 25° by mid day, so we’ll see how we do.

I’m properly equipped with all my cold weather gear and accoutrements, so I think I’ll be okay. I shall update you in the next paragraph.

4:39PM: Well, it was certainly cold up on the ol’ mountain today but it didn’t stop us from having a great day. I got in 9 runs for $40.00 which works out to about $4.45 a run. That’s cheap entertainment in my book.

It was kind of tough skiing because of the cold. The wind on your face would give you an ice cream headache. But it was such a beautiful, sunny day, it took the sting away from the headache.

Overall, I’m thrilled with the day and now I’m going to take a nap!