Category Archives: Medicine

Ultrasounds to Big Blocks

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I’ve been away for three days and might have a bit of trouble remembering everything that happened. It’s going to take a while. I’ll have to check my calendar.

Monday 11/18

  • I called Don because he told me to do that. It was all about the truck and getting it back in shape. In shape, like running properly. Down the road. I made an appointment for the afternoon for delivery of the truck.
  • Went to Portland to file and pay taxes, late, in person. Forgot.
  • The house appraiser returned and left with good news.

Tuesday 11/19

  • Went to Good Sam Hospital for an ultrasound. My new primary care doctor thought it would be a good idea for me to have one because she thought I was pregnant, and she wanted to check for aneurysms. I’m pretty sure I’m not pregnant, but the aneurysm is an unknown. I suspect I’ll get a call if they find something. She didn’t really think I had one, but said I was “in the zone” because I’m old.
  • We had lunch at Fultano’s with Pat, Carolyn, Bill, Jack & Wynette. Pat, and Carolyn are cousins who are married to each other and Bill is their son. You all know Jack and Wynette, I’m sure. We’re related.
  • Went to Don’s and replaced the starter on the truck. Since it was on the lift in Don’s shop, it was easy to do. I had to go get a new one because the other new one I got a few days ago broke. I left the shims out of the new one and it worked just fine. It didn’t start the engine, but it wasn’t the starter’s fault. It was the carburetor’s fault. The float apparently doesn’t float which allows gas to just get pushed right through to the cylinders, much of which doesn’t ignite because there’s too much of it, resulting in very dirty spark plugs and lots of gas in the exhaust pipes which would shoot some impressive flames out the ends. Spark plugs are tomorrow.

Wednesday 11/20

  • Back to Don’s at 0900 to clean the plugs and set the timing on the truck engine. Once the plugs were reinstalled, Don helped me set the timing and my hopes were realized because the motor ran smooth, and it started right up. Still need to fix the carburetor. The current carb works fine as long as the engine is running around 3 grand. Sounds pretty good.
  • Got home about 1230 and had lunch because I was hungry and a Milgard Window Guy was scheduled to come fix an issue with the new patio door we had installed a few weeks ago. Not a big deal, but the glass panels were installed upside down in the frames. Sounds petty, but the seam for the inner seal was right at eye level on both panels, right where I looked each time I opened the door. It was disturbing and the Milgard Window Lady, to whom I spoke about it, agreed it was wrong. So, she sent Vladimir to fix it.

Thursday 11/21

  • In a few minutes we are going to Portland to the Pioneer Courthouse Square Apple Store to get my new iPad. Yes, the new one broke but it’s under warranty and it’s not my fault. Honest. I made my Genius Bar appointment yesterday. We have to be there by 0900.
  • It’s 28 degrees this morning. Makes my toes cold when I go to the garage to get my yogurt. Guess I’ll have to start wearing slippers, or something.
  • Upon return, I need to visit Don and see about swapping out the carb on the truck so I can take it to the dump and empty it.

Here’s the truck getting it ride to the motor doctor, Don.
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Here’s the truck comfortably reclined in the doc’s office.

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I wrote most of this last night so guessed at what today would bring and it didn’t work out as planned.

We made it to Portland OK, and I got my replacement iPad, but I didn’t make it out to work on the truck. Dang!

On the way home from Portland Diane tossed me off at a friend’s house, Jerry’s, another Jerry, so I could work on his wife’s computer. I sat there for 4 hours talking, teaching, and deleting files to make room on her hard drive, which had been partitioned by some enterprising individual, so that the system drive ran out of space because programs and photos were loaded on it, not the other partitions. We had a good time while Diane whiled away the hours at Goodwill. We left at 1730 and came to rescue the dogs.

They were fine.

So I’m OCD. Big Deal.

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OK. Say it. The Ducks can’t beat Stanford, but Utah can.

Just wait until next year …

I’ve determined, through a lot of inward looking self diagnosis, that I’m a Count. More appropriately, I’m a Counter. Have been for years, and thought nothing of it. It just seemed to be a normal way of life, and it provided me expedient ways to do certain mundane tasks without really thinking about it. For some reason, once I begin a count, the numbers keep progressing, kind of subliminally, until the end of whatever action caused me to start the count.

For instance, filling a water-glass from our filtered water source, inside the refrigerator. I know how long it takes to fill every size glass we have. Diane likes the big, heavy glasses, which take a count of 10 to reach just below the rim, enough so that I’m not likely to spill any as I transport it to her location, wherever it may be at the moment. My normal size glass only takes a count of 8.

We also have glasses obtained from the purchase of dried chipped beef, which we both love but which is too salty to have very often. Still, we have a number of those and they take to the count of 6.

Grinding coffee, using my settings takes a count of 19.

I equate all those counts to seconds which gives it more meaning to me, for some reason. I guess that would have to do with cadence, not really time, but the association works.

When I worked, and walked the six blocks from the bus stop, then back in the afternoon I knew I had 8 seconds to get across the street once the light changed before they installed the walk lights that count down for you. In Portland, on SW Salmon Street, the lights are set for a vehicle speed of about 15 mph which in no way equates to walking speed. That’s only important if you’re driving. Still, it affects walking speed if you know what you’re doing.

Once the walk like quits blinking “Don’t Walk” at the end of 12 seconds, the traffic light goes yellow for 4 seconds before turning red in your direction, and green on the cross street. So, if you begin immediately when the walk light gives you permission, you have a leisurely 16 seconds to make it across pretty much any of the numbered streets as you walk up, or down, Salmon Street.

What messes that all up, however, is how long it takes you to walk a block. For me it was about 52 seconds. That aside, knowing where the Walk light was in its cycle as I approached a cross street gave me an edge because I can actually get across any of those streets in about 5-6 seconds.

I know all those numbers are true because I counted them every day for a number of years not knowing why. Now I do. I hope that information serves someone else who finds themselves walking up and down Salmon Street.

Now, if you’re ever in my house, and need to go down the basement stairs in the dark, there are 15 stairs. I count them every trip I make. This is useful information if you are carrying a laundry basket, either direction, which I do frequently to help Diane. Before she discovered how many stairs there were, some time ago, she decided to skip the last step and launched into space about 14 inches from the bottom instead of 7. As a result, she pivoted to a near horizontal angle before striking the floor and wound up about 10 feet from the bottom of the stairs and, oddly, on the opposite side of a steel support pole from the stairs. That’s a mystery.

I still trip myself up on the stairs, though. Not because I miscount, but because I’m in a hurry. And, I don’t fall down the stairs, I generally slip on the way up. This is a problem if I’m not carrying anything because I fall further and the landing is considerably harder.

It takes 8 seconds to walk down our hall, and another 4 to make it to my bathroom. At my age, knowing this is very important.

So, the only lesson I can glean from this is that it’s a really good idea to pace yourself.

Always.

Diane, Helping, Lions, Church Ladies, and KC

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Diane’s sick again which means I have to cook, clean, wash, and follow-up on appointments that she made. That sounds bad, I know, but fact is I LOVE to do things to help my bride. My problem is, normally, that I have to pace myself and ensure I don’t jump in and take things away from her that she likes to do. When I see her doing anything I feel it’s my duty to take over and finish it for her without waiting for an OK. I just do it. Because she’s deathly afraid of me, she’s let me do it, over and over, over the years until, in my mind, it’s the right thing to do. But, it upset her every time. Now, however, that I’m much older and frail, she’s asserted her will and has convinced me that it’s OK to wait until she asks for help before I jump in. She has no idea how hard that is for me to do, but I do it.

When she does ask me to help, or do anything, my response is always, “Absolutely.” Go ahead and ask her. I know that’s what she’ll say because I remind her about that once in a while. I never defer unless I’m on the toilet. That doesn’t count, anyway, because asking someone to help you, who is on the toilet, is just wrong in so many ways. Just sayin …

This morning my task was to pick up Diane’s Mom, Jean, and take her to the church where, every Thursday, ladies gather to work on quilts for Lutheran World Relief. My task was to meet with a technician who was supposed to be there at 0900 to check one of the refrigerators. It frosts up inside and drips.

The tech didn’t show up at 0900 so I waited until about 1000 and called the outfit who was sending him. I was told that the appointment wasn’t until 1130. So, I took Jean home, and went home for a bit, myself, to await my next appointment which was at 1100. That one was for helping relocate about a ton of old newspapers from the local distributor to one of our Lions newspaper collection facilities. Bert & Sue were there with their big van, which was good because we knew it was going to rain before we finished. A pickup truck would have been a mess.

After dumping the papers, I went back to the church to meet the tech for the 1130 meeting. First, however, I forgot and went home whereupon Diane pointed out the errors of my ways and I hustled back down the road. I arrived about 1145 and the tech wasn’t there, so I called the office again and was told, “he should be there. I’ll contact him.” Which he apparently did, because the tech, whose name I do not know, because he didn’t introduce himself, arrived shortly thereafter.

I like tagging along with folks who fix things because I always learn something new. Today it was about refrigeration. He checked out the compressor and it was OK. There were no gaps in the door seal. So, there wasn’t a legitimate reason for frost to build up inside the refrigerator like it does. Now, here’s what I learned …

When a refrigerator is on, and it’s empty, the air inside is cooled to the desired temperature based on the position of the control knob. When you open the door, all that cool air is sucked into the room. When the door is closed, the newly added warm room air causes condensation to form on the cool interior surfaces and it freezes.  Since the interior of the fridge is generally around 38 degrees, the frost will turn liquid and flow off into a drain pan at the bottom of the fridge where the spiders live. It’s where they get their water. If the fridge door is opened before all that happens, another layer of frost is added until, eventually, it gets thick enough to drip pretty much all the time.

The solution? Make sure the fridge has lots of stuff in it. This will ensure there is less air to cool down once the door is opened. Another aspect is to ensure everyone in the church who has a desire to open the fridge door only does so when looking for something that should be in there. What’s been happening is that 15-20 people do the ‘look’ thing, see it’s dripping, then turn up the control to make it cooler. Running too cold will also cause frost to form inside.

Now about KC. She got to go home today, and she sent me a photo of her arm. I’ve been reporting, all along, that it was her left arm that got the new elbow, but she sent me a picture of someone’s right arm.

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 I’m convinced it’s someone else’s. Someone else with really nice fingernails.

I’m disappointed that it’s wrapped up because I was really anxious to see where they put the zirc fittings so the new elbow can be lubbed. Maybe when then cast comes off she’ll share that.

Tour Hillsboro For Less Than $400

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How’s the new elbow, KC?

Are your hands getting along, yet, or is it too early to tell?

Diane took me to my dermatologist today to visit the rash on my back. I know, that’s personal but I had to share that since KC hasn’t objected (yet) to my mention of her faulty elbow. Knowing this, now, you may be happy to learn that my dermatologist burned 13 holes in my face and at least that many in my back. She uses a little spray can of liquid nitrogen to burn those holes, and they hurt, in case you don’t know. Thankfully, there isn’t any skin left on my ears so she didn’t have to burn any holes there. Ears hurt the worst.

So, now, I have 20-30 more spots on my body that will never tan. If this keeps going, it’s going to be like freckles in reverse. Sometimes I think they should just dip me in liquid nitrogen, let thaw a bit, then send me home.

I’ll include a photo of the damage as soon as KC comes up with a photo of the guy she got her new elbow from.

After visiting the doc, at 1030, we went to Tom & Linda’s to deliver some Avon stuff, and to visit with Tom for a bit. They only live a few blocks from where the appointment was. Unfortunately, for us, Tom picked that day to have some blood work down so we missed him. We did get to visit with Kyle a bit, however, so all was not lost. Turns out we missed Tom by a whisker as we left and he returned. There will be another day.

IHOP got our attention for breakfast so we stopped and had some. Our morning yogurt was long gone. We both had the Senior 2+2+2 which was very good. Then we headed for Costco.

I think we went to get paper plates, napkins, and little cups for the church. When done, however, it cost us over $300 to exit the store. The large part of that was getting ink for our printers. One of us isn’t too frugal when it comes to printing ‘stuff’. I won’t say which one because I don’t want to get into trouble. Again.

From Costco we went to the Washington County Habitat For Humanity Restore Store, or the WCHFHRS, for short. We were looking for either a window, or a piece of plexiglas to fill the hole left by the storm window that suspiciously fell out of the right side of the living room window when Diane opened it a few years ago. Those things just can hold up to a 15 foot fall to the ground. Thinking it would no longer be needed, I compounded the problem by tossing the frame, into which a new piece of glass could have easily been inserted, into the metal bin at the dump. Smooth, huh?

The reason that’s important now is because of our new chairs, the ones we bought because company was coming over. Remember those? Well, Diane likes them so much that she’s moved from the old recliner couch to one of those chairs, and it’s right next to the window with the missing part. It’s drafty and cold and now needs to be fixed. As long as she was sitting by the wall, it was perfectly OK. I envision a visit to ACE tomorrow to rectify this.

We went from WCHFHRS to one of the many Goodwill stores, Diane’s favorite place to shop, that dot the greater Portland area. The one she chose is located just up the block from a BMW dealership. I sat in the vehicle and read my John Grisham book, “The Racketeer”, for a couple of hours while she cruised the isles. About 1640 I went in the store to cruise a bit myself but discovered that we were due at our next location at 1700, not 1730 as I previously believed. Diane was heading for the check out line so it turns out I showed up just in the nick of time to cart all her treasures to the vehicle. She was pleased.

Rick and Jody were next on the agenda. We had a plan to meet them at BJ’s Brewpub and Pizzararium in Hillsboro where three of us had hamburgers, and one didn’t. This was another visit to deliver Avon products, and to just visit prior to going home.

By the time we arrived, the dogs had been without us for 10 hours. In dog hours that’s about three days. Jennifer, bless her, agreed to visit the dogs this afternoon to assure them they hadn’t been abandoned, but I failed to ask her to turn on a light for them. So, when we got home, they were in a pitch black house, except for all the pretty blue and green lights on the front of all the electronic equipment scattered around the place. So, it’s really not pitch black – its pitch black blue and green.

They were fine and didn’t even get up until I opened the door for them. Normally Ozzie is yapping away as soon as the big garage door starts up, and doesn’t quit until he’s well into the yard, relieving himself. It’s funny to watch him bark and pee at the same time. I’ve tried that and it isn’t easy.

Now we’re home and we missed choir practice tonight. It was the first one, too. As expected, I got into trouble for that because I actually knew about it. Yesterday.

KC Update

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Good news! I was wrong.

KC had her surgery this at 0730 today. The doctors took her phone away from her before surgery because a couple of them wanted something to do while they sedated her. Once awake, they gave it back so she could finish a game she’d been playing. Sadly, one of the operating room staff had finished it for her so now she’ll have to start it again. That wouldn’t have been so bad, but she was almost finished beating it.

Anyway, she came through the surgery just fine. Reports are she gets out of the hospital on Thursday. She didn’t say if it was this week, or even this month … just Thursday. Logic tells me, which it rarely does, that it’s this coming Thursday, the 7th.

I believe the only possible problem is that the selected donor was left-handed, and that’s the elbow KC had replaced. So, there’s going to be a power struggle between KC’s arms since she’s right-handed. That would be fun to watch, don’t you think? I mean, there KC is, trying to write down something when her left hand snatches the pencil from her right hand then get into a slap-fight until she stands up and yells “KNOCK IT OFF!” Then, of course, everyone looks around to see what’s happening and see KC’s hands going at each other.

Even more fun would be watching them fight over the remote controls. Don’t you think?

That’s it. KC is OK.

KC and Others

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Many of you probably don’t know, or maybe you just don’t remember, that KC, the ‘other’ California Kathie, is having surgery tomorrow in San Francisco. Apparently her doctors found a willing donor for the ‘new’ elbow she needs. We will be thinking good thought toward her all day tomorrow, instead of only once a day like normal.

The doctors were going to use titanium for the joint, but the guy on the surgical team, who hooked up the bungee cords used to replace tendons, quit in fit of anger over which color he could use, and moved to Nicaragua. He was also told he had to start wearing underwear in surgery, not just the gown, which ruffled his feathers the wrong way.

So, they paid a visit to the San Francisco VA Hospital and found a willing donor, from WW II, who figured he didn’t have much use for his remaining elbow, and gladly donated it for Kathie’s cause. We’re anxious to find out how things turn out.

Continuing the medical theme, I established contact with my new Primary Care Provider, Dr. Sen, who works for the Legacy Health System here in town. I know, I just went to the doctor a week or so ago to re-establish contact with my former PCP whose front office determined that I was no longer a patient there. Now, I am not. Perhaps the young lady I spoke with at the previous doctor’s office is a prophet and knew I was going to switch.

My appointment was this morning at 8:20 am … gotta stop here and share how redundant that statement is … I mean, “…this morning at 8:20 am” … “morning” and “am” pretty much convey the same meaning. Actually, they convey the exact same meaning. So, I’m going to quit being redundant and use “only” military time in the future. I makes more sense to me. So, let me start over …

My appointment was today at 0820 … see how much cleaner that is? … and I was impressed with the vast size of the waiting room, and that there were three (3), yes, 3 (three) really adorable ladies, sitting behind a counter that didn’t have bullet-proof glass to protect them, waiting to check me in.

On the end sat Kristin, a familiar face. Someone I’ve known since the 90’s,  before she could legally date. Here’s an old photo that I’m absolutely positive that she doesn’t know exists. Find Kristin

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Incidentally, in case you’re wondering, she’s sitting on the lap of one of her first “Love’s”, her brother Daniel, who also happens to be my, and Diane’s, favorite son-in-law. So, that kinda means that Kristin, when it’s all said and done, is also part of our family. She is, after all, Aunt Kristin to our Grand Children Cedric, Lydia, and Jeran.

kids at Pacific Beach

Here they are all grown up, with their older cousin, Logan …

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Diane is better this morning after eating toast so I’ve decided that toast has magical healing properties and I’m looking for some venture capitalists to invest with me to produce it locally and sell in on-line to all those unfortunate millions of folks who don’t have toasters. They have computers, but not toasters. How unfortunate is that? Might be a Hundredaire yet …

I suspect I better stop. Diane is up roaming around the house and I know she’s wearing herself down. Won’t be long before I’ll have to stuff her back under the heating pad and start making more toast.

Hope all is well with everyone.

Duloxetine and Xfinity

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Life is interesting at this time – more so for Diane than me, because I just kind of float around wondering if I’m really going to fall down, of if it’s an illusion manifested to keep me on my little toes. Regardless of how I feel, we both agree that being on the roof today isn’t a good idea. Actually, being vertical isn’t a good idea.

So, I get to sit around all day and only have to make occasional trips to the bathroom, when I remember it’s necessary.

The reason for my current state is the result of running out of Cymbalta 4-5 days ago. This happened while wrangling with my civilian medical provider, who initiated my current refillable script last year before selling her medical practice to another doctor. Then, when I needed the refill, the new doctor’s staff reported that I was no longer a patient at their practice. So, I had to make an appointment to get back on their roles. To their credit, they submitted the refill the day I made the appointment, not the day it was scheduled, which was about 4 days later, but the refill has yet to arrive.

Consequently, the effects on my tiny brain are pretty profound. Here’s what I found on the internet about it …

Cymbalta withdrawal

  • Withdrawal side effects of Cymbalta include aggression, anxiety, balance problems, blurred vision, zapping sensations in the head, constipation, crying spells, depersonalization, diarrhea, dizziness, fatigue, flatulence, flu-like symptoms, hostility, mood swings, indigestion, migraines, lethargy or drowsiness, paranoia, sleep disturbances, cramps, ringing in ears, worsened depression, severe restlessness, nausea, headaches, unpleasant sensations such as tingling or burning, vomiting, irritability or nightmares.

Having shared all that, I also share that I do not take this med for depression. I take it for nerve pain and it helps. Oddly, however, since being without it for a number of days, the overriding sensation is vertigo.

Diane thinks I have all those symptoms whether or not I’m taking my meds.

I have permission to wither away this Saturday, indulging in my required NCAA football ‘fix’, and playing with my Xfinity X1 remote. Did you know that this astounding remote unit will allow you to watch whatever channel you wish while displaying all of the scores, and current statues of a game, for any sport? All you need to do it press the round, red “C” button. How convenient is that? In this house it’s mine alone because it would, literally, drive Diane over the edge.

In my current state it’s just … fun.

Ya know?