Thursday, January 28, 2010
Another Stunning Moment
It happens pretty frequently, but usually the bird manages to fly away immediately.
This one was stunned for a few minutes. Boris helped snap him out of a stupor.
C-Scope : Epilog
"Aw schucks", I thought, "You say that to all your patients!"
I really wanted to tell her that most people I knew would have vehemently disagreed with her!
During this follow-up call, I was informed of all that I had forgotten as a result of the Versed (sleep-inducing drug).
The doctor had come into recovery and informed me that the procedure went well and that I was given a clean bill of (colon) health.
I have absolutely no recollection of that.
I followed up with a call to my friend Mike, who gave me a ride home. There was a lot more that I had lost memory of:
1) texting him to find out whether he was on the way
2) complaining to him (in the car) that the Dr was 30 minutes late for the procedure
3) calling ahead to Red Hot and Blue BBQ to order a pulled pork sandwhich (I was starved)
4) standing at the pickup window of RH&B talking to Mike while waiting for the sandwhich
5) the ride back to my house
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
C-Day
I am glad thats all over!
Actually the overall experience was not all that bad, that is, except for the 5-hour laxative happy hour in which I drank 4 liters of laxative the night before(that was horrible beyond explanation).
I checked in at 7:15 am and shortly after that, I was in a a bed on an IV. Later, the Dr came in, explained a few things, then they injected Fentanyl (pain killer) and Versed (induce sleep).
Next thing I know, I am in recovery. I have no memory of getting drowsy or passing out.
And, best of all, no pain in the butt!
Actually, really BEST of all was that I (my colon) got a clean bill of health. No polyps, no cause for concern. The report I got (along with pictures of my large intestine) indicated that i do not have to come back for another scoping for 10 years. YAY! I am not certain of whether they told me anything, because I really do not recall speaking to anyone after the procedure - one of the side effects of Versed is loss of memory.
Pictures are below.
WARNING WARNING WARNING
Graphic content below
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Today's Menu - Liquid Diet
To that end, I have been restricted to a liquid diet for the entire day. Only CLEAR liquids. Meaning water, juice without pulp, clear broths, etc.
OH BOY! I am so looking forward to this culinary experience.
Plus, as a bonus, toward the end of the day (starting around 4-7 pm), I get a special treat. I get to drink a full 4 liters of this tasty little cocktail:
Monday, January 25, 2010
BackWash (from the Washing Machine)
I was washing a load of clothing in my washing machine and when it kicked into the mode that drains the tub, I heard this awful-sounding gurgling noise around the house.
The last time I heard that noise was just after I moved into the house, in December 2008. The washing machine was also draining and I heard the noise coming from the downstairs bath. I ran into the bathroom to find brown water coming up out of the toilet and the shower drain. It rose so fast that both the toilet and the shower floor (with a 3-inch lip) overflowed onto the floor.
The problem was that the main drain line to the street was mostly clogged. Unfortunately, the drainline runs under the large sweet gum tree in the front yard, so it's likely that the tree's root system has penetrated the pipes, causing the clog.
Looks like this will be a recurring annual theme for me. At least this time the water was not nasty brown in color and the shower did not overflow, although the toilet overflowed enough to get the little toilet rug soaked.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Cameron Park (Waco)
On the return trip from Bastrop, we stopped at Cameron park to stretch our legs.
Cameron Park is this jewel of a natural area in the middle of Waco, Texas. Its got great trails for trail running and mountain biking weaving amoung gullies that drain into the Waco River. Very lush with greenery and a lot of fun to ride or hike.
A really cool feature in this park is the "groves" of giant bamboo. Really amazing!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Boris in Bastrop
This is the first time since the race started that I am not doing the race.
And, of course, this was the first year that the weather was gorgeous and temperate. Definitely not typical Big Chill weather.
But it was still fun to get out into the park with Boris. He had a blast.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Boris at 6 Months
That makes him 3.5 years in human years. If that is really so, then he is passed the terrible twos. And, to be honest, it has not been all that bad. Except, of course, the 2 incidents of pooping on the Persian rug. But, other than that, he has been a really great puppy.
He is very well behaved and, for the most part, he obeys commands that I give him.
He is still very much a "velcro dog", going everywhere that I go, even when he is so tired that he can barely stand up.
I took this picture today at a local park:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Scoping where the sun don't shine.
Yes, it's a Colonoscopy!
UGH!
Its all precautionary, for no other reason than "its that time in life to get it checked out".
But I am afraid what they might find in there as a consequence of my sometimes unhealthy dietary preferences.
It all takes place next week. I will be getting the details shortly.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Poultry-Fresh Breath
Yes, I admit it, I brush my dog's teeth!
Why not? It only takes a few minutes. And, if it helps to neutralize "poo breath", then all the better.
Also, if I actually keep up with this oral hygiene program, maybe I can minimize dental cleanings in the future.
And you got to love the flavor selection: poultry, liver, peanut butter, and even vanilla.
I guess dogs don't like mint.
Potty Mouth
Even though Boris has been doing it for a while, especially cat droppings that the neighborhood cat leaves in one corner of the front yard, it never ceases to amaze me why they eat poo.
Thankfully, he does not eat his own poo. Not yet anyway.
Today was particularly disgusting. I let him go down into the lower yard (by the creek) and he immediately found a stash - I assume this was raccoon poo. I ran over to get it out of his mouth, but saw nothing on his tongue. However, stuck to the roof of his mouth was a nice sized chunk that looked like a dollop of peanut butter. But it wasn't peanut butter.
Nasty!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Shoulder Therapy - Moving to Active
As expected, we are starting with baby steps - simple, lightweight movements.
But, its going well. In most cases, there is a lot better movement and a lot less pain than expected. Except, as last time, one form of external rotation. That one is still very tight, very painful, and does NOT seem to be making any progress.
Otherwise, in general, I feel like I am making progress. I am starting to use the arm for everyday functions with limited range of motion, but at least getting it into use again.
A step at a time...
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Dallas Indoor Dog Park
It is a VERY NICE facility. And surprisingly clean and order free. Its got special dog turf, which has complete drainage underneath. Plus, large pressure (maybe steam) hoses for the staff to use to clean up skid marks.
It's also got some playground equipment in the center.
Here is Boris on a small section. He can actually run most of the course, except for a high hoop at one end.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Shoulder Therapy - Session 2
So far, it seems to be going well. For most of the exercises, my range of motion seems better than I would have expected and the exercises have not been as painful as I anticipated.
HOWEVER.... there are a couple of exceptions. A couple of the stretching exercises are REALLY PAINFUL and my range of motion is much less than the rest. Specifically, rotating my forearm outward while my elbow is at my side. OUCH!
Based on the exclamations of the therapist, I think she agrees that it went really well.
Maybe she says this for everyone, but she was saying things like:
That is amazing.
This is wonderful.
You have better range of motion that most patients I have seen at this stage.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Shoulder Surgery : Physical Therapy Begins
At first, it was a little disappointing - as the PT bent my arm in all directions (eliciting lots of pain), she commented that the range of motion was not all that great, as she had expected. At this point, she was doing the initial testing and getting measurements.
Hmpff ..... I expected a much better prognosis!
However, once she started taking me through the exercises (PROM - Passive range of motion), she commented that my ROM (range of motion) was a lot better than the initial testing indicated. She was really surprised that after a few reps, my ROM was a lot better than most patients that she has seen after rotator cuff surgery.
Much better... that's what I was expecting (wishing for).
I was given a list of 7 PROM exercises to do at home twice a day.
It was a good day!
Dreaming of Ouray....
This is the closest I will get to "waterfall ice" this year. After 8 consecutive seasons of ice climbing in Ouray, I will finally have to skip a year (due to shoulder recovery)
Ouray 2009 - Notice the (faint) resemblance???
"Waterfall ice" is a term in ice climbing to designate ice created by flowing water (versus glacial ice - comapcted snow). Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice-climber
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Boris Unleashed - a Winter Hike
Took Boris for a hike along the Northshore Trail at lake Grapevine. I was going to do the dog park, but the North Dallas park was closed. This turned out to be a good idea, since I got to work with him off leash on trails. I wanted to train him to respond to my commands as sort of a verbal leash.
For the most part, he did really well. He never ran too far down the trail before coming back to check on me. A few times, I stayed back and hid from him (as a test), but he always made sure that I was never too far away.
He really had a blast in the woods, zooming in and out of the trees.
Someone left a sprinkler running in the cold weather... Boris loved it!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Maid Service : As seen on CraigsList
Unfortunately, my vacuum cleaner is a backbpack model (don't scoff, its really functional) and, what do you know... I cannot get it onto my back due to my gimped-out shoulder. So, I decided to look into getting a maid service. After looking on the web, I decided to try Craigs List.
And I found this...
http://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/hss/1540519217.html
Text of ad below (just in case it gets deleted)
Sexy Maid Service by MILF ~ House Cleaning in Lingerie ~ Great Gift!
We have a SEXY maid service based in Keller and specializing in house cleaning with sexy lingerie or skimpy outfits. What is your husbands fantasy cleaning lady? Our SEXY maid is a super hot MILF, large firm breasts and a nice ass that will come over and clean your house!
No touching but lots of looking and teasing is what we offer!
Prices based on square feet or by the hour!
One hour special for $100! Our SEXY maid will come to your house in a SEXY outfit for one hour.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Shoulder Surgery : 4-week checkup
Woohoo! I am SO ready to get going on this!
For the first week, I will do PROM and AAROM, then the following weeks will be AROM.
I have a script for 4 weeks, 2 times a week. Then I go back to my doctor to check progress.
Definitions:
ROM - Range of Motion - the amount of mobility of the shoulder
PROM - Passive ROM - Mobility exercises remain completely passive without the use of muscles to move the shoulder.
AAROM - Active Assisted ROM - ROM with assistance from another person or your other arm and minimal use of muscles
AROM - Active ROM - ROM using the muscles.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Shoulder Surgery: 1 month later
The worst issue has been muscle ache when sleeping. Some muscles in my shoulder will start to ache when I am sleeping at night - so much so that I have to get up for the pain to go away. At this point, I am attributing this to muscle atrophy, but its only a guess.
I wear the sling most of the time, primarily as a reminder to NOT use the arm except in limited motion. Basically, I should not be using the muscle that raises the arm to the side. But to be safe, I should not be using any shoulder muscles.
When I do not wear the sling I try to keep my arm held to the side of my body. This does wonders for the arm pits. ;-)
As for exercise, there has been some, but not much. I have been to the gym 3 times to use the StairMaster and the recombent bicycle, the only 2 methods of cardio that I can do without any kind of impact that might hurt.
Yesterday, I went on a 6-mile hike at Rocky Hill Ranch and ran most of the last 2 miles with no pain or problems - that is, other than looking peculiar since my right arm was hanging motionless at my side while the left arm was swinging back and forth as usual.
I go back to the doctor on Wednesday for a checkup. I am anticipating (hoping) that he will start me on physical therapy very soon. I am SO ready to get started! Bring on the pain! That will tell me I am making progress!
Camping at Buescher/Bastrop
On Friday, we hiked around Buescher in the early afternoon with all the dogs - 4 in our part of the group. At one point, we had to cross a small creek. Boris was chasing the other dogs around and managed to leap across with no problem - the first attempt. However, the second attempt was not so successful....
It might appear that we are being unkind by not helping him, but he needed to learn how to get out of this by himself.
After a while, we finally caved....
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year from Boris
Boris had fun on New Years eve!
NOTE - there was no alcohol in the bottle, just an orange that he was trying to get.
Blog Archive
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2010
(104)
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January
(26)
- Another Stunning Moment
- C-Scope : Epilog
- C-Day
- Today's Menu - Liquid Diet
- BackWash (from the Washing Machine)
- Cameron Park (Waco)
- Boris in Bastrop
- Boris at 6 Months
- Scoping where the sun don't shine.
- Poultry-Fresh Breath
- Potty Mouth
- Shoulder Therapy - Moving to Active
- Dallas Indoor Dog Park
- Shoulder Therapy - Session 2
- Shoulder Surgery : Physical Therapy Begins
- Dreaming of Ouray....
- Hitting the rocks...
- Dog Food Ad?
- Boris Unleashed - a Winter Hike
- View of my keyboard
- Maid Service : As seen on CraigsList
- Shoulder Surgery : 4-week checkup
- Boris' Girlfriend Molly
- Shoulder Surgery: 1 month later
- Camping at Buescher/Bastrop
- Happy New Year from Boris
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January
(26)