Doctor Day Today

I have a doctor deal later this morning. Full body exam with the dermatologist. One hopes she does not see anything of concern. 

So... don't expect to see much of me here. 

The same is true of Friday when I go back to the ENT about the recent ear blockage event. 

Cardiologist Today

As some folks know by way of social media, I had my annual visit with the cardiologist way up in Plano today.

Allegedly, I am okay, and remain stable heart wise. That means my congestive heart failure is not worse and remains under control through medications.

I have lost a little more weight since the last time he saw me and the BP was in a good place. He also liked how the EKG turned out as it was the same as the last several over the past couple of years. He listened as well as poked and prodded me and liked everything he saw.

We discussed my efforts to try and keep some mobility in place by walking up and down the street each evening a couple of times. Obviously, he would like me to do more distance than I am, but recognizes my other health issues and use of a cane make going very far impossible. Still wants me to get some help for my grief. We agreed that my not crying in his patient room this time was a positive sign. He was also very happy that despite everything I remain sober one day at a time.

So, all in all, a good visit and that box is checked for another year. As always, if I feel symptoms or have something new start up, I am to call asap.

Physicals

We did the Doc visit this morning and things went off the rails a bit. We had to do the fasting bloodwork deal which meant Scott had to take his blood pressure med without food. While pulling his blood for all the usual tests, he passed out on them. Not woozy. Completely out  to the point they had to get him on the floor and do smelling salts. Meanwhile Dad is down the hall in another room freaking out once I realized nearly all of the staff was dealing with him.

After a few minutes, he was okay. Thanks to not eating, his BP pill pushed him low and taking the blood sample caused the pressure drop that took him out. Once they got some stuff into him, he was okay and they could finish the bloodwork and the physical.

Picture below is from the hallway before the doc opened. We were wearing fabric masks courtesy of Jim Nesbitt. We had to switch them out for medical masks once the office opened and we were checked and allowed in the office.

Doc Update

The doc's office is on the edge of the tornado zone in Richardson and has a little damage outside the building. Fortunately,  his nearby home is undamaged and his family was home at the time so they are all safe. From the office parking lot, you can look over a block or two and see where homes that used to have second floors and great trees are now both gone. Down the streets that go to the west from the office, one can see the flashing lights of city crews and others who are trying to bring a little normalcy back to the surrounding neighborhood. The tornado really hit way to close to home for so many.

As for yours truly.... I am okay. There are things in the bloodwork that are very borderline and thus have to be watched. I have lost another 10 pounds in about two months or 50 pounds since the first of the year. I am now below 300 for the first time in decades. He thinks that is the ongoing grief deal I am dealing with and is concerned about myself and Scott on the issue. 

Bouchercon is a go at this point. He thinks I should pace myself and be careful, but he thinks it would be a good thing for me to go and do what I can as I can. Which is What Scott has been saying for weeks now. 

Finally Home

Finally home as we had to run a couple of errands after we got our physicals done. Pending bloodwork, both Scott and I are doing okay. Thankfully, based on my primary care doctor's assessment, my congestive heart failure does not seem to have gotten any worse since he saw me about 14 months ago. I still have to have a physical at the cardiologist and go through their more extensive testing, but things seem to be relatively stable.

He is very concerned about the stress and grief I am under with losing both my Mom and Sandi last year and everything else I have been dealing with during the last year. At this point, time is the only relief I am going to get from the grief and that will not be anytime soon. We discussed in depth where I am at and how I am dealing with things (or not as the case may be) and he assures me that I am where I should be three months later today. He did stress that if my emotional state gets worse than it is, he wants me to call and come in for help. I have promised to do that.

So, at this point, we await the test results, but nothing is currently indicating any new issues. Just glad that today is over.

Physicals

By the time this post appears, Scott and I will be at our primary care physician having physicals. Something neither one of us likes as it is. As a cardiac patient, I go into these things as it is scared that EKG will freak folks out and suddenly I will be in an ambulance dealing with an issue.

Today will be much harder than normal as we are forced to talk about Sandi as our primary doctor had known her since 1980 and cared about her tremendously. It is 12 weeks as of today and I cry every time I talk about it or think about it.

This is going to be hell.

Finally Home

Sandi's blood work was okay today so, other than the white blood cell shot, they left her alone.

We go back Monday for blood work. If it is bad, there will have to be blood transfusions.

Whatever happens Monday, we go back Thursday for blood work and a doctor visit. If we get lucky and miss the blood transfusions on Monday, it is also a 100 percent guarantee that we will have to do it Thursday.

In the meantime, everything is relatively stable and she is doing okay.

Another day, Another doctor

Just got home from seeing Sandi's new Ear, Nose, and Throat guy. Doc did a camera thingy up her nose and was not happy about what he saw in there. Even after he shot some stuff up her nose to open her up, it didn't work very well. What could be seen did not look good. Even my medically untrained eyes saw things that looked to be problems.

Like Texas Oncology, he also wants a CT scan of her sinus cavities and surrounding areas.

If it is just what he thinks it is, he believes he can do an outpatient deal in the office and do some sort of surgical procedure to open her up and also install tubes in her ears.

But, and you knew there had to be a but, there is a more than decent chance that all of this could be caused by some sort of sinus tumor. In other words..... cancer. Exactly what I have worried about for the last two months and did not say a word about to anybody looking at her. Taking into account her history, there is a more than a decent chance she has a damn tumor up in there somewhere.I got the feeling he is pretty sure that is what we are dealing with and just did not want to say so.

We won't know until the CT Scan is done.

As usual, she is handling this way better than I am.

Endocrinologist Today

Today was Sandi's three month visit to the endocrinologist. Things seem to be doing really well despite the recent various issues. Since Sandi has chemo tomorrow, she has been given orders for some additional blood testing to be done.

In the meantime, her insulin has been adjusted slightly lower for non infusion days when things are between chemo and IVIG deals.

We go back again in three months.

The picture is Sandi on the porch yesterday afternoon as the weather has been good and for the first time in weeks she felt strong enough to be outside. Endocrinologist felt that she looked better than she has in months today.

Sandi Update

Long day trying to see the doc and getting the blood work done. So far, things are okay. As expected her weak immune system is in free fall headed towards collapse so they gave her a shot today to try and stem that. They will give her another one Friday as we as do the usual blood work.

Next week we will have very long days Tuesday and Wednesday as they do doctor stuff, blood work, and hours of chemo. Most likely she will be back there that Friday for a doctor visit, blood work, and a shot.

Back Home

Back home and Scott definitely broke his little toe. It appears to have started healing and is doing it wrong. So, for now, the plan is to tape it to the next toe and to keep it that way for the next four weeks. The hope is that his little toe is not too far along in the healing process and will start healing correctly.

If not, the next step is toe surgery to fix it. Obviously, we all want to avoid that!

Doctor Day Thursday

This morning I have to take our youngest, Scott, to the foot doctor. Back about four weeks ago or so he banged his his left foot against something (what escapes my mind at the moment) and thought that he had just bruised the heck out of his left little toe. He was sure he did not break it because it did not hurt that bad and he could wiggle it a bit. From my own experience on a number of occasions, when I have broken my little toes the pain is pretty intense and I can't wiggle them. Sandi has shared the same experiences--more than once.

So, with the fact he could wiggle his toe pretty evident, we agreed with his diagnosis and didn't worry as slowly the swelling went down and the bruising faded. Everything seemed fine....and then it wasn't.

Scott has pain in the side of the foot from the toe back to the heel. If he wears sandals there are no problems. But regular sneakers hurt so something is wrong. What it is we don't know and that is why we have an appointment with the foot doctor. The same good guy who has worked on Scott over the years since he was a child and got broken glass in his foot.

So, Karl will be here today to keep an eye on Sandi and her oxygen equipment while Scott and I make the long drive across the hot Texas highways to see the doctor with a name. His office isn't east of Omaha, but over in Richardson (and the highways are not lonely but over crowded) so it takes awhile to get to and from. Hopefully whatever is wrong can be fixed for Scott easily as school at UTD gets back in session in a little over three weeks. He needs to be able to walk around there with no mobility issues.

I know way too much about mobility issues.....

Update---Sandi's Foot

Sandi's right foot continues to bother her quite a lot. It isn't getting any better nor is it getting any worse. Today was time for another visit with the podiatrist. He is sending her to physical therapy so they can work with her on gaining movement, strengthening things, and hopefully making her foot less painful. At least that is the current plan.

She starts physical therapy next week, twice weekly,  and is scheduled to see the doctor again in three weeks. In the meantime, she is to continue to use the small soft cast for work and the big black boot thing for home.

And so it goes in the land of Tipple.....



Kevin