Physical Therapy

I just got back from my first physical therapy appointment for my leg.  The most my knee bends is now 40 degrees, less than halfway to sitting upright in a chair.  I have two different exercise sets to do every day, 3 times daily, plus ice packs and compression since there is still swelling.  I really hope the exercises that I have to do will work well and the sooner the better.  I have 4 more appointments over the next 4 weeks to make that happen.  I was also there to get a few pointers on my neck, but that is secondary.  I think my neck is past the point where any physical therapy will help and after reading my notes and testing my neck the therapist seemed to agree.

On a side note, when we were leaving I saw somebody from my work that I usually see and talk to every day, so of course I forgot his name!  Sorry Ted!  I felt pretty stupid but that seems to be how my brain works.  I'll remember his face forever but without the day to day interaction I forget names.  I'll have to remember everybody's name very soon!  I hope I don't offend anyone if I forget.

Pic Dump 22

Again it is time for me to regurgitate all those funny and strange pics that have caught my eye recently.  You know the drill - click the pic for original size, some may be NSFW and much more after the break.  Enjoy!

Topical... and just too true.

Brent Favre And His Thing

Okay, I've been leaving this Brent Favre/penis pics thing alone since I first heard of this at least 2 months ago -- but this was just too funny.  Here is Taiwan's CGI view of the story:


via

Like I said, this story has been out for a few months now.  But the recent Deadspin.com NSFW video finally brought it to the front page.  You can see that video here.

Old-Computer Don't-Know-What-I'm-Doing Blues

Well, where the hell have I been?  I haven't posted this little since I started this thing.  I'll try to do better in the future.  Lately though, being on the computer has been a bit of a pain ever since a windows 'update' last week.  I had to try to get a handle on things on this machine that I know so little about.

About 2 months ago, before I broke my leg, our computer was almost plum full so I bought a 1 Terabyte external hard drive (for less than 100 bucks - not a bad deal).  Since then I have been moving over video and music files.  Since this latest episode I am now finding some bad music files here and there.   Sometimes a whole cd, sometimes just a song or two.  A developing bad spot on my hard drive perhaps?  So I have been trying to finish my transfer of music with more urgency.  I will have to address missing tracks and missing albums later.  I have about 50 more bands to transfer before I'm finally done.  I have a lot of music.

Itunes is a whole other animal.  Those bad files have led to many (!)'s that need to be fixed.  I only have about half of my audio files in itunes, about nine thousand tracks.  I may just start over, reset my ipod, and just add as needed and not be so anal/perfectionist/OCD about it like I usually am.  Itunes is secondary, though, I need to see to my computers health.  I don't think I'm that bad off but our computer is quite old and we're admittedly overdue for an upgrade.

My mom's boyfriend, Dan, knows alot about computers and has offered to help.  I think I will take him up on that soon.  First I want to transfer as much as I can over to the new hard drive.  A very tedious task.  I just don't want him here to help and we spend too much time doing stuff I could or should have done first.  But soon, mom, soon I will call and we can make some plans for a Saturday and get this done.

Keep your fingers crossed - I'd be lost without a computer.  Take my TV but I need my computer!

Neck Update

Yesterday was the appointment with the neurosurgeon.  He doesn't want to perform surgery on my neck until my leg is much more healed so it looks like I will be returning to work on November 3.  In the meantime, pending insurance approval, I am scheduled to get a cortisone injection into that area of my neck to hopefully relieve the pressure on that nerve.  That should happen in about 2 weeks.  Also, I have physical therapy scheduled to start late next week.  I don't recall these exact dates but I'm close.  If the cortisone injection works well then I may be able to avoid surgery, at least in the short term.

All I can do is go day by day and keep knocking these appointments out of the way until I'm better.  There's so much I wanted to do outside this time of year.  Oh well, what really needs to be done will get done, all else are things that would be nice yet are ultimately unnecessary.  I'll clean it up in the spring.

Short post today, I guess I don't really feel like writing. 

Leg-6 weeks on / Neck-TBA

After reading Tuesday's post my sister Kelly actually called me instead of commenting because she was concerned about me.  Thank you, Kel, but really I'm not sad or depressed.  I'm sorry if I come across that way.  I'm just reporting on my life, and right now it's mostly medical stuff.

I got a call Wednesday from my doctor's office.  They got the results of the MRI back and wanted to set up an appointment with a neurosurgeon, so we did.  That's coming up early next week.

Yesterday I got x-rays and saw the orthopaedist in the morning.  Everything seems to be going as planned.  It has been 6 weeks since the surgery and my knee is still swollen and won't bend much.  I am supposed to start putting a little weight on it, more and more over the next few weeks.  Soon I will start physical therapy to help me bend it.  This doctor is looking at November 3 as my return to work.  Part time for a couple weeks then full time.  Of course this may change...

Yesterday afternoon I saw my primary doctor and we discussed many things.  Most important of all was the MRI results and what may happen.  I have a moderate to severe bulging disc that is pinching off my nerve.  He was so sure that the neurosurgeon would recommend surgery that he went ahead and did the pre-op exam.  Next is finding out how healed my leg has to be for me to get neck surgery (c6/c7).   If it needs to be done then the idea is to get it done sooner so it will be less time off work overall. 

I'll know much more next week but it looks more like when than if  I'll have another surgery now.

October Is Full Of Weekends

Here's something I wasn't aware of - Half the month is the weekend!  I know it doesn't change anything but it's neat to know!

Thanks to Bits and Pieces!

Sleep, Stress And Sickness

I've been having a real hard time sleeping lately.  Mostly I have been sleeping in my recliner the past several weeks so I can have my broken leg in a semi comfortable position.  In bed, I have been limited to just flat on my back, which just doesn't cut it for me..  I've been trying to sleep on my sides in bed recently, and I can, but only for very short periods of time.  So, essentially, I have been sleeping when I am too exhausted to remain awake, which adds up to just a few hours a day.  We have an OTC sleep aid in the medicine cabinet and I think I need to try that tonight.

Last night I had an appointment for an MRI on my upper back/neck area for that nerve problem I was whining about right before I broke my leg.  I last had an MRI about 10 years ago before my lower back surgery.  Since then I feel that I have become more claustrophobic so I requested a sedative so I wouldn't freak out in the machine.  I'm not sure how much of an effect the sedative had, but I got through it.  I had to have my head fixed in with a part that went under my chin, my elbows hit the sides, and when I opened my eyes my nose was 2 inches from the top.  Very small quarters indeed.  I never totally panicked, but I had to keep my eyes closed and I tried to keep myself occupied by counting the pulses or moving my feet rhythmically.  When it was all done I was very relieved to get out of that damn tube.

After coming home from the MRI, about 6:30, we ordered out pizza.  It was time to relax after a stressful venture out.  All trips are stressful still.  I am not used to moving myself longer distances with the crutches or the walker.  I had the crutches last night, but they were nice enough to give me a wheelchair ride back to the elevator.  From there it was just a short hop to the car.  Anyway, after dinner I was out like a light for maybe 2 hours.  Upon awakening I wanted to try to sleep in bed.  Unfortunately my wife was wanting to go to bed at that time too, and she didn't appreciate the noises I was making.  I responded more harshly than I should have, but eventually got up to leave the bedroom to her.  Then it got interesting.  Sickness happened in a few different ways, none of which you want to hear about here.  I have been phlegmy for a few days and I have a heck of a headache this morning, so maybe I'm getting sick or maybe it was just a reaction to the sedative.  Time will tell.

This morning was testy.  I actually slept for about 5 straight hours, very good for me lately.  But my wife had a terrible nights sleep and the stress of having to do everything came to the surface again.  Besides working full time she has to take care of me and do all of the household chores and duties herself and it is taking its toll on her.  To her all I have to do is eat, sleep and heal while her workload and to do list is never ending.  I love my wife greatly and appreciate all that she is doing for me, but it's hard for her to know that right now.  I do wish I was more mobile and could help her.  In time, I guess, in time.  It's certainly no picnic for me, either.

Later this week I have two appointments.  First with the orthopaedic surgeon to check on the progress of my leg.  It is still swollen and I still can't bend it much at all so I highly doubt I will be back to work for a few more weeks yet.  Hopefully I can start putting some weight on it soon and it, well, heals more.  There is an incision over my knee cap about 7 inches long, plus they poked seven holes in my leg all around the area.  All that digging around in my flesh in a relatively small area is proving to need quite some time to heal.  After that, my next appointment is with my primary doctor to discuss the results of the MRI.  I do know that soon I will have to start physical therapy on both my leg and my back.  Hopefully with promising results in both areas or it is possible I may have to have another surgery soon on my back.  Sigh, just what we need...

Post Number Tree Fiddy!

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Breakfast At Ronald's

My wife was nice and ran to McDonald's for me this morning before she went out to breakfast with her father.  I've indulged in their food several times in the past 5 weeks or so, since I broke my leg.  But this morning's meal I could not finish.  The taste had a strong undercurrent of 'burnt'.  Kind of like when you can taste the 'burnt' on a roasted marshmallow that had caught on fire.  Not my favorite taste.  It didn't matter if I had the hash browns or the McGriddle, it all had that taste.  I think I'm done with them for a while again, but I'm sure I'll be back eventually.  I seem to go in cycles with a lot of the foods I eat, like I get sick of frozen pizza for a couple months then buy them again.  Does anyone else do this or am I nuts?