Sunday Stroke Survival: 2020 Wrap Up and What's to Come

Oops I missed posting last week.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas holiday.  It's that time of year again for reviewing the past year and figuring out what's the plan for 2021.

In 2020 review...

I finished my cancer treatments with a clean bill of health!!!

Last year really flew by with only a couple events of any real, personal interesting points.  I got infected by COVID-19 way back in February and I didn't realize it until much later. The end of January, Mel got sick with a fairly high fever, horrendous cough, and moderate difficulty breathing. With no medical insurance, she fought me on going to the hospital, but I finally (after 3 days) won the argument. The doctor at first, thought it might  the flu, but ruled it out fairly quickly. They wanted to admit her, but she refused. They didn't know what her problem medically was. I brought her home and treated her the best I could homeopathically with herbs and immuno-boosters I grow here. I warned her that if her fever went above 103°F and if she did not respond to me she was going right back to the hospital. It didn't happen. Eventually, her fever broke and she got better except for a cough and loss of stamina which lasted for months.  As an after effect she now becomes short of breath and has a heart condition.

The first part of February, it was my turn. Even though I'd wash my hands and wore a mas while treating her, I got sick though not as bad. I felt like I was going to cough up pieces of lung tissue at any moment (I didn't), had a medium grade fever (100°- 101°), and was shorter of breathe. It lasted about two weeks. I had lost my sense of taste and smell  (I still moderately suffer with this). I did touch bases with my PCP, but didn't go in. His instructions were the standard- control the fever, push fluids, and rest. If it got any worse to go to the ER. So that's what I did. 

We didn't hear about COVID until March with the rest of the country. We figured that's what we had been fighting. An antibody test shoes I had it. We were luckier than others with this virus. It was no worse than a very bad cold or brush with the flu.

I had a T-car procedure done on my left cardioid artery. Uneventful, but now have to do the right one done Jan 5th 2021.

I started Botox again for my post stroke(s) spasticity. With Emory in and out of locked down mode for nonessential surgeries, it was looking like summer of 2021  before I could have another baclofen pump implanted. So far, my body's response to doing Botox again has been good.

After the first series of 400 units, I was almost able to straighten my arm to full extension and raise it above my head. Which is way better than the 6" I'm able to move it without the injections. I could shave my underarm with ease!  The gain gradually reduced over time and by Thanksgiving the pain of my entrapped shoulder and bicep returned but I was scheduled for more Botox the first week in December. So it was manageable and short lived. I'm in physical therapy again.

I got another AFO and new shoes. The AFO still needs work. I've formed new pressure sores above my ankle and at the first metatarsal (at the base of my big toe). Oi Vey! So far though, no reoccurrence of the pressure sore in the spot that has plagued me for eight years. I guess I should count my blessings. This is the first time my shoes didn't need alterations of build ups and rockers added.

That's been my year besides falls. When I entered PT again they estimated my falls by how many I had in the past couple weeks... 48 falls a year! That sounds like a lot, but thinking back, it's a little on the high side. I remember about 30... not counting falls that I averted by catching myself before I actually hit the floor or ground. Is that a lot? It seems fairly standard to me after back surgeries and strokes in the odd 30 years or so.

What's coming up on 2021...

• The right sided T-Car procedure of my carotid artery is slated on the 5th of January.
• We've got our new garden area ready for seed potatoes in February. The 5th tier of the garden is almost completely revamped for vegetables. The seeds have been ordered. So we should get a good harvest.
• We staked out where our tiny houses will be built and leveled it. We've set the foundation piers. Now we've just got to save for the rest of the lumber before building can commence.
• My 9-month post cancer ultrasound (the week before Christmas) of my thyroid area showed another mass. Just when everyone thought it was gone, surprise! So everything else is up in the air again! But for now, I'm still alive and fighting. So much for a normal year. Sigh!

Nothing is impossible.

Tumbles and Stumbles Again

 I took a bad stumble and fall this week. Five AM, and I'm walking through the kitchen to get a soda so I can take my morning meds. From the dim light from my bedroom, I thought I could do it safe enough. I'd done it several times before with no incident. What I didn't know was Mel had moved the box fan by the trashcan. It was safely tucked away behind the trashcan awaiting to be cleaned of the season's dust and dirt. What I didn't see was the loop of power cord in my path. I wobbled on it for a couple seconds, and then I went down hard on my back side.

Previous back surgeries and rods in my spine reverberated  up and down leaving a tingling sensation down both legs. I pulled a drawer out to aid me in rising back on my feet. I braced my AFO clad foot flat on the floor and pulled myself up with my functioning leg. Once I was halfway up, the functioning left leg crumpled. It wouldn't support my weight. The tingling now progressed to numbness. Boy, I really did it this time, I thought.

I waited a couple minutes and tried again with the same results. To compound things, I had to pee. I positioned the pad and let loose of my bladder. After the fourth attempt to rise met with failure, I was exhausted and surprisingly nauseous. I grabbed a mixing bowl and retched into it. Great, now I was lightheaded to boot.

We had corralled the puppies into a 8'x8' area with wire shelving. Of course, the runt figured out how to climb it and get out. She's so happy and proud of herself for doing this. She'll come to me with her tail wagging to beat the band. She has since showed one male and another female how to do this. But as an added twist, she'll climb back in the enclosure for nap time. The other two hasn't learned this yet.

So there I was in a heap on the floor feeling thoroughly sorry for myself and who should come visit me, but the runt. She's full of kisses and snuggles, and I can't help myself but to smile and laugh. There's just something about a puppy so glad to see you with joyful glee that you can't stay miserable.  After a few minutes, she went off to see what trouble she could get into.

I evaluated my situation. The bottom drawer that I had been using was way too low, but the next drawer up from my pots and pans drawer was too high. What I needed was an ice cooler or dining room chair. But either of those things were in reach. I could maybe crawl to the breakfast nook to grab a chair, but at this point I had been on the floor from my fall 4 hours before. I was exhausted, thirsty, and sleepy. I had in fact dozed off from time to time during this. I'd be awakened by one of the dogs begging to be fed, or the puppies (all three were loose now), or the cats. But I couldn't help anyone including myself.

Finally, I hollered, "Mel, I need help!"

"What's wrong?"

"I've fallen and can't get up!"

I hear her get out of bed. I'm holding one puppy who's snoozing on my lap. I handed it to her.

"Whatcha doing with her?"

"She got out and was cold."

"What have I told you repeatedly about using a chair to hike yourself up," came Mel's voice from the dining room as she put the sleeping puppy down by her siblings.

I was too exhausted  to try to explain how hard I fell, about my numb legs exacerbated by Charlie horse cramps when I tried to move them. I just let her go on.

"Never mind, I'll get you one. Geez!"

She plopped the chair next to me. 

Did I mention that the fire in the wood stove had gone out while I was sitting on the floor? Or that I was only in my nightgown? It must have been 50 something degrees on the floor. I had pulled dishtowels from a drawer to throw over my shoulders for warmth for hours as I struggled to get up. It sure didn't help me moving my legs. Or, that my nightgown was soaked to the waist with urine? Now, you know.

But, I struggled to get to my feet by placing my upper body onto the chair and dragged my feet into position. I was wobbly and my legs didn't want to support me. But, I used the chair as support as I crossed the expanse of the kitchen. I was borderline dehydrated. It had been 18 hours since I'd eaten last. All of this contributed to my wobbly feeling. I held onto furniture as I made my way to a hot shower. I was a frozen mess and needed to thaw out.

Before you think Mel is a cold heart witch let me explain something to you. Mel and I have an understanding. She doesn't jump in to help me and do things for me by my request. She would have jumped in if I had asked her to.

I felt a little bit better after a long, hot shower. My knees were scraped and bruised after my repeated attempts to get up. There were also numerous puppy claw scratches. After my shower, I went to the kitchen for my soda and I took my morning medicines even though it was time to take my afternoon doses. I grabbed a couple handfuls of peanut butter stuffed pretzels bites. I went through the afternoon in a hangover phase as is usual after a fall for me. I know my body will hurt worse tomorrow. Mel had the wood stove belching out warm air and all was right with the world again. Sort of.

I cleaned up the puppy messes, fed the dogs and cats, and cooked dinner. Well not exactly cooked dinner, it's was reheating leftovers. We watch a couple shows on Netflix and I got another hot shower. My body still aches, my head is throbbing, but I had to stay up for my 11PM meds. Maybe another hot shower will help. After that, I crawled into bed. Tomorrow is another day in the life of living post stroke.

Nothing is impossible.

Sunday Stroke Survival: I'm Back!

 Well, sort of. I'm still using the HP streaming "computer" with a 256 gig SD card to download all the updates and move files over to it so it's workable. Even with the black Friday sales, I couldn't buy a new or refurbished computer with the property tax due too. But, the SD card was less than $40 so I can start blogging again.

While I was down with computer woes, Kassity had her puppies November 1st. She had ten! Seven girls and three boys. Within an hour of being born we lost one boy and a girl leaving eight. All eight have gotten huge over the last five weeks. They now weigh about five pounds a piece. They have taken over the living, dining, kitchen. and breakfast nook. Both bedrooms have boards to prevent their access to them. They are constantly underfoot climbing our legs for attention. Kassity has weaned them early. She wanted her freedom from them. Now, they each have a small stuffed animal to play with. They look so cute carrying them around the open area. One minute they are cuddling with them and the next, the pups are shaking them trying to "kill" them.

Walking post stroke has been precarious. It's hard carrying the fabric tote with five splits (6"x 8"x 18" about 8-10lbs each) of firewood normally, but with four to eight puppies swarming the feet, it gets even more problematic. I use extra care when walking around them. I make sure I can hold onto something otherwise I'd trip and fall, or step on one of them.

The puppies are fascinated with my AFO. And no, I got my new one but it doesn't fit right either. My new shoes are on back order until the 15th. The Hanger folks refuse to adjust the AFO much without the new shoes. Frustrated, I lashed out at her. "All I want is to walk without pain! Is that too much to ask for? Can you do that or not?" In rare form I asked, "If the foot was amputated below the knee then could you build me a foot that worked right? I doubt it." I never had so much problems with Hanger in my old hometown as with this one. I've had a once a month, or every three months standing appointments with them over the last three years. We're driving 60 miles round trip with each appointment to boot. My frustration load has tipped and the end is not in sight. 

I hate this going around and around for months and only fixing the problem in small amounts. It's like going to get new glasses and you are looking at the eyechart with that machine flipping lenses, and they ask better or worse? Once I answered neither. The optician said I had to pick one. But I had answered truthfully the first time. That's about how I feel about Hanger now. I can't even go to the Hanger back home because the tech I had all the same problems with her not listening to me for two years is now head of that clinic! GRRRRRRRRR!

I talked with one of my neurology PAs last week when I had my Botox appointment and told her about my frustration with Hanger. She asked me whether I had tried Alliance Orthotics? I honestly never heard of them before. Have any of y'all? Do they listen to you? Can they really fix/build an AFO that works as advertised without causing pain and pressure sores??

Is walking without fear of falling with a spastic foot and ankle an impossibility for an AFO? If so, tell me. I'll make an appointment with another orthopedic surgeon tomorrow to schedule an amputation. I'm so tired of dealing with this! I mean I've been fitted for 6 AFOs (with the possibility of a 7th) in the past 8 years! All I want to do is WALK WITHOUT PAIN!! <stepping off the rant box>

The Botox worked fabulously! I was fantastic to be able to lift my arm above my head again., The return of the trapped shoulder pain and strong muscle spasms didn't really return until Thanksgiving. My appointment for the last set of the year was on Friday. There was an additional 100 units for use in trouble spots making this dose 400 units versus 300 units. It was fantastic to lift my arm above my head again. It's been since June of last year since I've been able to do that. I did manage to straighten my elbow to 170 degrees. the last 10 degrees of straightening the elbow to full extension was hampered by a new contracted spot in the bicep. The wrist recovered a 5 degree rotation and extension. That's movement than I've gotten in four years in therapy. The extension capabilities gradually wore off as Thanksgiving approached and the Botox wore off. I was locked in again by the next set of injections.  The neurologist did say he if he could get approval for 1,000 units (he can't) it would fix me up royally. I looked at him in shock, "Really?" "Just about," and he nodded.

The three years off from Botox did reset its results almost fully. While I was hoping for the four or five months lasting power, I knew that my spasticity has gotten so much worse that it was a pipe dream. For now, I'll take what I can get even though I'm giving the doctor permission to inject poison into me. Emory is still on partial lockdown again with the new resurgence of a new strain of mutated strain of COVID-19. While the option of having the new Baclofen pump placement in Athens is available. 

I just hate breaking in new doctors into the mix. My "ologistitis" is getting to the tilt point with the addition of an Otolaryngologist (for my silent acid reflux), a gastroenterologist (for my silent acid reflux), and a vascular specialist in 2020. Okay, a specialist is not technically an ologist but he has a specific field of study and treatment so to me it counts as one. They join my cardiologist, pulmonologist, immunologist, neurologist, oncologist, and my endocrinologist.

I think y'all are all caught up again. I'll be continuing physical therapy again next week when the Botox kicks in fully again. If only my body would allow movement without Botox...a girl can dream, can't she?

Nothing is impossible.

Sunday Stroke Survivor: Computer Woe and Gone for a bit

Well, I went and did it again. I fried the motherboard of my laptop. First it was my previous laptop when my drink spilled onto it. Now with the cheap model I got to replace it died. When I took it to the shop the diagnosis was a fried motherboard. This time it wasn't my fault. It happened while I was asleep.

As a habit every Sunday before going to bed, I run the antivirus program. It shuts down my computer after it finishes. Monday, I turned the power on except my 'puter wouldn't come on. I've had other computers over the years do this and it was a simple fix of replacing the power switch. Not this time. My tech wizard said my motherboard was fried.

So I'm out of commission due to technical difficulties. I might find another cheap one at a pawn shop. I'll start shopping for a new computer after the first.

Sunday Stroke Survival: The Wait is On

Or, should I say continuing. It seems I'm constantly waiting on something these days.

Monday, we got in the car to go to my vascular surgeon's appointment and it wouldn't start. It wouldn't have been so bad if the doctor didn't have an 24-hour in advance cancellation policy./ A missed appointment  cost me $50 and it wasn't my fault. The appointment was for a six-month scan of my right carotid artery.

It wouldn't have been so bad but we got slammed with storms from Bertha and Cristobal, and then Laura. The access road, really another driveway, washed out. Even with 4-wheel, drive it's near impossible to make it up the hill from our place to the main road. It has rained almost daily here and with each storm the drive gets worse. The owner of the land the access cuts through is hard pressed to repair it without a storm washing away his repair work.

Where I have trouble getting up the hill is the trouble spot I'm talking about. It actually looks pretty good in the video compared to now. There's no clay left on the broken pavement and the potholes I talk about have been repeatedly been filled in with broken cinder blocks and large rocks. Those bits and pieces are exposed and new bigger potholes have emerged as the water finds new ways to get down the road.

The tow truck drivers that have come to our assistance in the past have just refused to even try and that was when the drive wasn't that bad. Now, they look at us as if we're insane. "You want me to go where with my tow truck?! Uh, NO." So just how were we supposed to get our vehicle to the shop to get it fixed? We are both transplants here and didn't know anybody to call.

Mel and GEICO were working furiously to find someone. It took two days. but an angel of the last towing service in a three county area, said he'd try. He got halfway down and had to stop. He manage to get his flat bed tow truck back to level ground before he called with the bad news.

Mel's frustration turned to desperation and tears as she talked with him. Then, he said, "Wait a minute. Let me call you right back."

The dogs went nuts and tore up the driveway. Not only our two but the "community dogs" too in hot pursuit. Around the bend in our driveway came a big, burly, bear of a man. He hollered over the commotion of the six large dogs, Big and burly, but soft spoken and polite. "You were right. Passed that downhill bit it was smooth."

I called to the dogs to let him pass. Mel met him at our huge car park/turn around area by the barn.  Of course the Blazer wasn't there, it was back behind the house where Mel had dropped off 100 lbs of chicken feed. "I checked with my boss if I could come down and see if I could help," he explained. "So what's it doing?" They walked around back. If it wasn't for the virus scare, Mel would have hugged his neck and kissed his cheek. He'd walked almost 1/4 mile to get to us carrying a hefty toolbox.

After a couple of attempts to start the vehicle there was a definite gas smell, and then the the engine kicked over in a roaring start. Mel looked flabbergasted. She thought he was thinking, "Dumb females. panicking for nothing. But, he wasn't. He recounted a story of how a friend of his had a similar problem with his car. The result was a tiny pinhole leak in his fuel line. His friend almost tore his engine apart looking for it. He advised Mel with trying to start the car. It would start eventually. When she had the money, take it to the only garage in town. They had a liquid which would show where the leak was, but it wouldn't be cheap.

Mel once again suppressed the urge to hug him, but thanked him profusely. Now, we're waiting on enough days in a row for the owner of that portion of the driveway fixed. But we have remains of another slow moving hurricane passing over us with no break in sight for another week at least. So we are waiting for that.

We were able to get groceries and make it to my Botox appointment. Now, I'm just waiting for the Botox to kick in.

Nothing is impossible.