Getting better

Thanks to everyone for all the love, prayers, thoughts, meditations, and good wishes. Today I see the infectious disease specialist to assess progress and plans looking ahead. I have been going into the doctor's office every morning for my IV antibiotic and after about five days the progress became quite marked. The swelling, redness, tenderness of my leg all reduced dramatically. When I wake up each morning the right leg (infected) looks as slender and toned as the left leg (healthy). The lower leg muscles do not hurt. Actually, the remaining tenderness is in the lymph system in the upper leg, working hard to process all the nastiness. I believe the fire dragon in my leg is mortally wounded but we plan to beat it down under my feet.

Not sure who the auxiliary saint for legs is but St George is good for dragons, I hear.

--the BB

Schnozz update

Granted, I was not smiling in this photo though I am smiling now. It IS a post-surgery photo and one cannot tell anything was done to my nose. Well, I should hope not. It was repair of a deviated septum, not a "nose job."

This morning the surgeon removed the stents on either side of my septum and I can now truly breathe freely. Woohoo! I can, mostly, return to normal life (well as near to normal as I ever get). I can bend over, lift heavy weights, and do all the other things I was supposed to shun for the past two weeks. I am going to the gym and pumping iron today. Yay!

There is some follow-up care and it is easy. I see the doc in a couple of weeks to check up on how it is doing. Things look good at this point. The goal is to have everything clean going forward so he will not have to do any follow-up surgery.

I want to thank everyone for all the love and prayers that have come my way through this. Compared to the ills others go through, this was chump change but I am grateful to have had friends all along the way.

Deo gratias!

--the BB

Running out of excuses

As a boy I rode my bicycle all over the neighborhood. This was before the days of clever bike acrobatics that one sees nowadays. Just flying like the wind, never having to think consciously of balance because the bike and I were one.

In my late twenties I did a lot of bicycling again around West Hollywood and environs.

Before leaving California I acquired a bicycle but barely rode it. In the move it was rather put out of joint, so to speak. So it has languished in the garage, waiting for some refurbishing.

Mimi and Jane and others will testify that I am a big bear. So I have a big bike. The very first disappointment when I bought it was that it does not fit in the back seat of my car, even with the front wheel removed. No small thing to get it to a repair shop then.

My BFF has a pickup, however, and took my bike to Stevie's Happy Bikes (yes, that's the real name) and got it all spiffed up. I still did not have a bike rack. Today I drove to Stevie's in Corrales and obtained a bike rack, stopped at BFF's and picked up the bicycle, and brought it home.

There he is: Jibril Mazashunk, ready to be ridden.

Jibril is one of the Arabic variants of Gabriel. My bicycle is named for the archangel. I no longer remember why unless it is because my car is named Rafael for another archangel. Mazashunk is a Lakota word for bicycle (iron dog). [You really did not expect my naming conventions to be uncomplicated, did you?]

One excuse for putting off the repairs was that I could only ride two blocks before facing hills that, gears notwithstanding, I am in no shape for. But now that 98th Street has been paved on the little stretch between open fields, I can theoretically go for many miles with nothing more than mild inclines.

Still, today was hot and very windy and I stayed inside. But I am running out of excuses.

Time to do something truly nice for my body and spirits.

--the BB

Pink glove dance--Promoting breast cancer awareness

Friend Bruce got this from another friend and I pass it to y'all with love for all women and their health!

Our daughter-in-law, Emily (MacInnes) Somers, created, directed and choreographed this in Portland last week for her Medline glove division as a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. This was all her idea to help promote their new pink gloves. I don't know how she got so many employees, doctors and patients to participate, but it started to really catch on and they all had a lot of fun doing it.

When the video gets 1 million hits, Medline will be making a huge contribution to the hospital, as well as offering free mammograms for the community. Please check it out. It's an easy and great way to donate to a wonderful cause, and who hasn't been touched by breast cancer?

Ann Somers

According to Snopes the above paragraph is not true. The statement below is true:

Medline donates a portion of its sales of its Generation Pink gloves to the National Breast Cancer Foundation

[Thanks to Ann and Mimi for the Snope update. I loves me some Snopes and slipped up on checking this time.]
Hit it, dance to life!

--the BB

Celebrating with Kirstin

The last injection of interferon. She has done what she needed to do for her future health. It has been a long year and her accomplishments through all this are impressive. May the transition to having energy again be smooth, swift, and delightsome!

Cyberhugs and cyber champagne.

--the BB

Deferred maintenance: no termite damage

Well, perhaps that's not an exact analogy.

I just returned from my colonoscopy. The report says, and I quote: "Colon of a teen-ager." No polyps, nothing needing biopsy. Don't need to screen for another ten years.

Nice to know some part of me is in excellent health. I really did not expect any problems, but it is nice to hear excellent news confirmed.


--the BB

What the orthopedist said

It seems the torn meniscus is not a big deal but my osteoarthritis is. Still, so far I am lucky. I have almost no pain and then very mild and fleeting and I have a full range of motion. Surgery is not called for at this point. Physical therapy and dropping 5% of my weight is.

Well, that is something I know I need to do anyway and I will be grateful for guidance so my exercising is helping and not hurting. My big fear was that I would damage something while pumping iron.

Amazing how I found an illustration that looks so much like me when I work out, eh?

Not. But a guy's gotta have fantasies.

It was interesting looking at the x-rays with the doctor so I could see what he was talking about. I do have bone spurs; the spacing between bones is still good; my kneecaps are not perfectly aligned. Well, everybody has imperfections.

Oversharing, I know, but now y'all know what came of my doctor's visit today.
---the BB

Quick update

The house I grew up in

Just got back from partying in Corrales. Lovely meal and lovely wines.

With so many people going through horrible crises it seems presumptuous to rattle on about my minor issues. Of course, it's never minor to the person whose issue it is.

The doctor seems encouraged by the state of my leg and I don't have to continue taking drugs for it. I can stop lying about with it propped up but I'm supposed to keep wearing the [numerous and highly colorful deleted expletives] support hose, which I hate, hate, hate. (Ladies, rise up now and burn all your panty hose; it's not worth it!) We are moving ahead on other health fronts (such as an MRI on the knee that seems to be a mess of arthritis and possibly loose cartilage that always feels as though it goes in seven directions when I try movement with resistance). As my mother always said: growing old isn't for sissies.

Thanks for so many prayers and well wishes. Y'all are the best.

I'll try to catch up tomorrow (and I have at least a couple of new photos).

The pic above was taken on the California road trip. Why not indulge a bit of nostalgia after a family evening (even if it's my ex's family, it's still family)?
--the BB

Progress - UPDATED

Mimi asked how I was feeling, so here's the current scoop. My leg is still swollen and tender to the touch but it no longer hurts when I stand and put weight on it. My lungs and voice feel fine at the moment, though yesterday I was still rather squeaky. I am suffering cabin fever and tired of elevating my leg.

Thanks for all the love and prayers.

I also got an update from my niece on the twins:

Katie and Jeremy's twins were born yesterday. 26 weeks and 1 day, for those of you who haven't already gotten the vital stats; Clara Elizabeth born first at 4:55 weighed 2 pounds even and Olivia Marie born at 4:57 weighed 1pound 7 ounces. The babies were transferred yesterday afternoon to Stanford Medical Center where they will stay for a few weeks of growing and then hopefully back to Community for the final weeks of 'feeder-grower'. Katie is doing great and will most likely be released late this evening.
Plans now are for Tim and I to take the RV to Palo Alto as a 'rest stop' for Jeremy, Katie and the family. Jeremy and Katie will spend the night at home and travel to Stanford on Friday. Katie's parents are also going to Stanford on Friday with a brief layover in Lodi.

Continue to pray for the babies and family...

UPDATE:
You can see photos of the babies and parents (and the transport team) at Hoff Hoopla.
--the BB

An alert for asthma sufferers

I haven't even read the details, and I disapprove of headlines or TV news teasers that are sensationalist, but just in case and for those who might be affected I pass on the links. Y'all are critical readers who can evaluate the information.

Warning Given on Use of 4 Popular Asthma Drugs, but Debate Remains
New York Times - Dec 5, 2008
By GARDINER HARRIS WASHINGTON - Two federal drug officials have concluded that asthma sufferers risk death if they continue to use four hugely popular asthma drugs - Advair, Symbicort, Serevent and Foradil.
UPDATE 2-US FDA sees asthma drug risks, seeks panel advice Reuters
FDA: Long-Acting Asthma Drugs Increase Asthma Risks Wall Street Journal

Blog, but not blogger, down

As regular readers know, I have had computer problems off and on for the past two months. On my last visit to the Genius Bar they ordered a new hard drive, saying that the next step is just to replace my drive if I continue to have problems. In the past two days four of my five most common applications have suddenly crashed. So I am going in for a brain transplant on my laptop later today. I may be without it for a few days.

Everything was backed up last night, so I have no fears about documents etc. Reinstalling applications is a bitch, however, and too tedious for words.

I do have another computer (an iffy one that I never use) so I might be online, but not sure.

And, speaking of technical difficulties, my chest cold continues. I feel physically (but not emotionally) rotten.

The sun rose just a little while ago over the Manzanos Mountains and the sky is cloudless.

That's the news from Desert Farne.
--the BB