Monday, April 16, 2012
Hospital bound
So here is what is happening to me these days. Several years ago (as in 6) I stood up and felt something go terribly wrong in my left ankle. The pain was excruciating and the company I was expecting (my sister Holly and my aunt Margaret) was the furthest thing from my mind. It took me about an hour to walk with anything like comfort. Sad to say, comfort has been far from my mind for that long. I was diagnosed with RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) about 4 years ago and tried the different meds that was offered. They helped the pain not at all and made me so sick that I couldn't keep anything down. So, back to the Aleve and the softening around the edges of pain that it brought.
I have been to several doctors from podiatrists to Orthopaedic surgeons only to be patted on the head and told the good news is it isn't gout...like I ever thought it was. After a few times of feeling the bones in your foot crumble, you sort of know. So, while I was having other health issues that put my life on the line, my foot problem was put on the back burner. Then a couple of weeks ago I stood up and felt the bones crumble yet again. I called my Primary Care Doc and demanded that I be seen by someone who specialized in this type of thing. This is how I was put in touch with Dr Joseph. He took one look at my foot, asked me to remove my sock and walk across the floor for him and announced on no uncertain terms that he knew what was wrong, what I needed and that the time to move was nearly long past.
So, here is the scoop. He is doing something called a Pantalar Fusion. He told me that with my foot in the condition it is in, that in the 80's amputation would have been my only answer. He does not rule that out even now. Healing with the double whammy of RA and diabetes mean that I will have to be diligent against infection. But you know, I haven't worried. I have such a strong faith in God bringing me through this, that I won't even lose any sleep over this. He has brought me so far that I don't expect Him to drop me at this late stage of the game. So, that is why my blogging has been sporadic to say the least, but I'm still out here, still visiting, still loving all my blog pals. I hope to be back here with an update soon. The surgery is tomorrow morning and I have hopes of at least wearing normal shoes once again, even though my fast dancing days may be over. Keep me in your prayers. Love to you all...
I have been to several doctors from podiatrists to Orthopaedic surgeons only to be patted on the head and told the good news is it isn't gout...like I ever thought it was. After a few times of feeling the bones in your foot crumble, you sort of know. So, while I was having other health issues that put my life on the line, my foot problem was put on the back burner. Then a couple of weeks ago I stood up and felt the bones crumble yet again. I called my Primary Care Doc and demanded that I be seen by someone who specialized in this type of thing. This is how I was put in touch with Dr Joseph. He took one look at my foot, asked me to remove my sock and walk across the floor for him and announced on no uncertain terms that he knew what was wrong, what I needed and that the time to move was nearly long past.
So, here is the scoop. He is doing something called a Pantalar Fusion. He told me that with my foot in the condition it is in, that in the 80's amputation would have been my only answer. He does not rule that out even now. Healing with the double whammy of RA and diabetes mean that I will have to be diligent against infection. But you know, I haven't worried. I have such a strong faith in God bringing me through this, that I won't even lose any sleep over this. He has brought me so far that I don't expect Him to drop me at this late stage of the game. So, that is why my blogging has been sporadic to say the least, but I'm still out here, still visiting, still loving all my blog pals. I hope to be back here with an update soon. The surgery is tomorrow morning and I have hopes of at least wearing normal shoes once again, even though my fast dancing days may be over. Keep me in your prayers. Love to you all...
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Here we go a googling...
I love my computer, let me count the ways...you see, like everyone else, when I first started writing I used pencil and paper. I graduated to a fountain pen and took great pleasure in the rasp and pull of the pen nib on paper. It gave me a sense of accomplishment for some reason. Then one day I found myself in possession of small manual Underwood typewriter. It was a one owner machine (previously owned by a little grey haired old lady who only took it out of its case on the weekends.) I was overjoyed with it at first. Then came the hell of making corrections, changing ribbons and learning to clean the ink clogged letters. I was soon back to my fountain pen. It was far less trouble.
When the computer came along, I was overjoyed once I finally got the hang of Word Perfect. That took a few weeks and a lot of blue air above my head, but I finally got the hang of it. So, I began to write in earnest and to eventually take the time to learn the other great things about the computer. The first time we went on line, it was an experimental event which entailed my computer calling my brother's computer. I don't know that they had a lot to say to each other as I wasn't privy to their conversation. But they did make contact and that event was rather like man's first landing on the moon. We were shouting and laughing and I believe champagne was poured. As they used to say, we've come a long way baby!
So, when Google came into play I was like a kid turned loose in a candy store. I googled everything and everybody. Some of the folks I googled couldn't understand why they had made computer news, as it were. Neither could I. But rather like on you-tube, everything that has ever been spoken of or even thought about can be found if you google it. And I google a lot. Which brings me to the point of my story.
While walking the dogs the other day (we keep our two on leashes even if we do live out in the country...no point in my pooches being an annoyance to my neighbors) Mac told me that he had seen some unusual animal poo just the other side of the neighbors farm fence. Asking unusual in what way, he started describing it rather graphically. Since it was to large to be rabbits but not big enough to belong to one of the horses or cows , and peculiarly undoglike, he was at a loss. So last evening, as he went with Chase in one direction and I started out with Cricket in the other, I asked him to pinpoint where he had seen this odd poo pile. I located it with very little trouble. As soon as Cricket had accomplished his contribution to the scene of the crime, we went inside. When Mac and Chase came in I was already on the computer. He looked at what I was typing and just shook his head. "Did you ever in your life dream that you would be sitting in front of a magic box and writing the words "coyote scat" into it?" he asked me. I laughed manically and pointed proudly to my find. "No, " I answered, "I can't say that I did but look at this." There under the caption "coyote scat" were several pictures of exactly what was located not a foot from our property line" "I told you Google would have it, " I said. He patted my shoulder and said, "I never doubted you for a second but exactly how do you plan to use this information?" I hadn't had to think about it for a second. "Let's just say you can learn to whistle Pistol Packing Mama."
When the computer came along, I was overjoyed once I finally got the hang of Word Perfect. That took a few weeks and a lot of blue air above my head, but I finally got the hang of it. So, I began to write in earnest and to eventually take the time to learn the other great things about the computer. The first time we went on line, it was an experimental event which entailed my computer calling my brother's computer. I don't know that they had a lot to say to each other as I wasn't privy to their conversation. But they did make contact and that event was rather like man's first landing on the moon. We were shouting and laughing and I believe champagne was poured. As they used to say, we've come a long way baby!
So, when Google came into play I was like a kid turned loose in a candy store. I googled everything and everybody. Some of the folks I googled couldn't understand why they had made computer news, as it were. Neither could I. But rather like on you-tube, everything that has ever been spoken of or even thought about can be found if you google it. And I google a lot. Which brings me to the point of my story.
While walking the dogs the other day (we keep our two on leashes even if we do live out in the country...no point in my pooches being an annoyance to my neighbors) Mac told me that he had seen some unusual animal poo just the other side of the neighbors farm fence. Asking unusual in what way, he started describing it rather graphically. Since it was to large to be rabbits but not big enough to belong to one of the horses or cows , and peculiarly undoglike, he was at a loss. So last evening, as he went with Chase in one direction and I started out with Cricket in the other, I asked him to pinpoint where he had seen this odd poo pile. I located it with very little trouble. As soon as Cricket had accomplished his contribution to the scene of the crime, we went inside. When Mac and Chase came in I was already on the computer. He looked at what I was typing and just shook his head. "Did you ever in your life dream that you would be sitting in front of a magic box and writing the words "coyote scat" into it?" he asked me. I laughed manically and pointed proudly to my find. "No, " I answered, "I can't say that I did but look at this." There under the caption "coyote scat" were several pictures of exactly what was located not a foot from our property line" "I told you Google would have it, " I said. He patted my shoulder and said, "I never doubted you for a second but exactly how do you plan to use this information?" I hadn't had to think about it for a second. "Let's just say you can learn to whistle Pistol Packing Mama."
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