Help, I've Fallen

Those forty or so folks who wander by and read my scribbles will most likely find this post even more boring. The intent, by sharing my story, is to encourage others to take steps to improve their health.

 First, I’ve taken seventy seven trips around the sun thanks to modern medicine. Circa 1995, after tests, a physician told me I had the worst case of obstructive sleep apnea he had ever seen. Recognizing he was dealing with a stubborn patient, he said something along these lines,

 “I can guarantee, within the next six months, you will have a major medical episode. It may be tomorrow, or next week, or next month but with six months it will happen. If you are lucky it will kill you. If not, you will be severely disabled. You do have someone that can give you 24/7/365 personal care, don’t you?”

 Immediately, I became interested in my options. Since then, I’ve been sleeping with a CPAP.

 In 2014 I face planted, twice, and ended up in the Emergency Room. Soon, I had a pacemaker. My condition causes my heart beat too slowly  to supply enough blood to  my brain. Per the memory function of the pacemaker I rarely have an episode, and the period is brief, but they happen.

COVID destroyed most routine medical procedures. Last month I was able to have a mundane prostrate procedure (NO CANCER, thankfully) and soon after a visit with my primary care physician. I mentioned my concern that I’m no longer able to get to my feet without using my arms to pull me up.

 I’m now doing physical therapy weekly and a few simple exercises daily. Slowly I am getting closer to standing without pulling up with my arms. Surprising me, my chronic knee pain is diminishing and my walking improved.

 My medical chart now reads obese, rather than morbidly obese, and I’m down to two prescription drugs from seven. The dosages are very small compared to when I started many years ago.

 As stated in the first paragraph, I encourage you to look after your health. My “reward” is not living out my years confined to a care facility. As always, YMMV.

Pacemaker

The cardiologist’s staffer called this morning to tell me my bi-annual checkup was due.

A little over five years ago I face planted, twice in an hour, and ended up in the Emergency Room. A few days later I went home with a pacemaker. It was my first, and only, time spending nights in a hospital. Not just the hospital, Intensive Care.

Seems I developed a condition called bradycardio, where my heart beat gets too slow to keep the brain properly supplied with blood.

Blessedly, technology lets the cardiologist check out the pacemaker without seeing me personally. The appliance in the picture, via a smart phone, reads the pacemaker memory and sends it over the internet. Usually they call back in one to two days and discuss the results of the test. I still get a hefty bill, but stay out of their office.

The face plant led to a nose repair. I was in and out in a morning.

The pacemaker had a partial failure and had to be redone. Again, I was in and out in a morning.

Seems my lung capacity/chest expansion was far greater than the doctor had ever seen and I needed longer leads from the heart to the pacemaker. Yeah, I’m a freak.

I rarely notice having a pacemaker. Per the cardiologist, it is rarely active, maybe once a month for two to three minutes, but those minutes are crucial.

Between the pacemaker and my CPAP (been on one since 1995) modern medicine keeps me alive.

Trying to do my part I try to walk one mile twice a day with the dog. My cardio rower isn’t for hanging clothes. I’ve had it, and used it daily, for a number of years.

T'aint Easy

That torture device has been in use now for nine months, on an almost daily basis. It is one of the few exercise machines that doesn’t  cause debilitating pain in my knees. Many free style exercises hurt my knees.

Every since receiving a pacemaker some time back, my physical condition has deteriorated. Per the cardio quack, my condition, bradycardia (abnormal slow heart rate) seldom happens but without the pacemaker it could be fatal. Not the heart stopping, the subsequent face plant. The pacemaker has an accessible memory.

After nine months of watching my diet and exercise, my weight is down 50 lbs. Whee, only 1/3 of the loss I need!

Coming up on my 74^th trip around the sun, I cannot expect the body to respond quickly. When I was much younger, it still took four or more months to make the physical changes I was working towards. Stubborn genes, I suppose.

300 yards from my apartment is a long term care facility I pass nearly every day. Each time I pass my motivation is bolstered.

Meditating on what day this is, I am grateful I’m still here to have these challenges.

New Medical Update

Had my little heart episode two months ago (Aug28). This post is primarily an update for my extended family (50+ first cousins) who occasionally read this blog.

Two months in, my nose is fairly well healed. Since it was broken so many times, it is strange to see a straight, normal nose in the mirror.

The cardiologists had to reattach one of the two pacemaker leads. That was on October 1. They only kept me for a few hours. As you cousins and aunts know, I’ve lived most of my life at high altitudes and inherited the Burtis genes for shoulders and chest size. Even when I’m less than 200 lbs, I still wear a size 52 coat and a 20/36 shirt. Seems the cardiologists had trouble finding a good location for the lead. Dr, Gryboski would instruct me to take a deep breath. The lead would move. I seem to remember five attempts. At my two week check up, the lead wasn’t optimal but within tolerances.

When I did the face plant (twice) August 28^th, I must have received a bad concussion. I’m still wobbly and have some balance problems. I’ve lost an edge mentally. As to the heart, my energy level is way down and strength is off. Must use a jack now lifting my truck instead of just putting it on jack stands (yeah, yeah).

Now the bills are rolling in. Somewhere North of $100,000 and climbing. Between Medicare and United Health Care, most will be paid or discounted. My share? Don’t know yet, but it will bite.

In summary, I’m living the joke; if I knew getting old was like this, I would have put it off a few years. On the other hand, I was 70 years old before I spent a night in a hospital (as a patient).

Life goes on. If I can avoid the family cancer curse, I will be content.

Medical Update

This post is mainly for my relatives that aren't using Facebook, but do read my blog to see what craziness I've come up with.

Went in the hospital this morning to have the atrial pacemaker lead reattached. Not a big deal, and was discharged about an hour after the procedure.

Seems the problem is physical. My chest expansion is much greater than most people, and they had a hard time getting enough slack in the lead to accommodate a "deep breath".  When I'm under 200 lbs (like that will ever happen again) I wear a size 52 or larger coat. For the first 17 years of my life, I lived at 7,000 feet above sea level, or more, which leads to a large lung capacity.

What was not fun was the replacement of the pacemaker into the previous "pocket". They gave me a local numbing shot, or shots, that wasn't completely effective. I've a high tolerance for pain, and they tested that that tolerance quite thoroughly.

Once again, my left arm will be immobilized for a week, especially when I sleep.
Sponge baths only for four days. Getting old is a bitch!

That Was Interesting. Now with postscript.

Seems I found a way to pinch the Vagus Nerve

http://www.md-health.com/Vagus-Nerve.html

stopping my heart of a few seconds. Did it two times Friday causing me to faceplant. Took a policeman, three paramedics and an ambulance crew to convince me to go to the hospital. That, and a housemate threatening to slash the tires on my vehicles if I didn't.

Long story short, now have a pacemaker. I'm home, but not back in battery. Took my several minutes to figure out the reason I was having trouble focusing on the monitor was one lens had fallen out of my glasses.

Thank all of you for your kind thoughts. Guess I won't be scheduling a flight physical now.

Need to wait several days for the facial swelling to go down. Then, the doctors will reset my nose. They say it is quite painful, but they will give me a strap to bite down on.

Fuck me running.

Have a new client that contacted me for a new assignment.. Said job is a 93 mile 1 1/2 hour round trip for me, so compensation negotiation was in order. Also, sent him a picture of my face. Sort of the whole "professional image" question being involved. Stout fellow, no problem, just get me the photos, please. Looks like a Wednesday am trip to the People's Republic  of Boulder.

A note about the photos. I'm no pro, the camera does all the work. They just need to be somewhat framed, in focus, and show the areas of interest. Main camera is a simple Olympus point and shoot with a 12.5x zoom. For a lot of assignments, I must remain on public property, but need details like the property address and roof damage. The other camera is a Canon Rebel SLR.  Everything is JPEG.

Didn't get a tablet. That potential client left out some important information in his recruitment. I'm too damn old to be climbing in and out of grain augers, and wouldn't if I were younger and fitter.