Patty's epic adventure

  2/24/23  It's Friday.  I know I haven't written in awhile, but I just don't have much to say.  I go to physical therapy twice a  week for my foot.  They've done all they can with the lymphedema, so I'm on my own now.  They shipped me another section of the pressure machine and it may arrive today.  All I know is that it's a trunk section and it will attach to my torso unit.  It will have instructions on how to use it and I'm supposed to call the company and they will explain how to program it.  If I can't figure it out, they'll come do it for me.  I guess I'm truly going to look like the Michelin Man now.  I have an eye appt. on Monday as a follow-up for my tear duct issue, vision test, and check on my occular migraines.  They're getting better, so this is good.  My ear still hurts once in a while - like today - and I have a follow-up appt. with the ENT guy next week. I've been instructed to update this blog more of...

  2/13/23 Today is Monday. It’s my birthday. I’m 67 years old today. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and the day after that is David‘s birthday. I’m trying to figure out where I want to eat tonight. I’ve been guaranteed a date. I had physical therapy this morning from 11 to 12 and then went to lunch with a friend. I hadn’t seen her for a while, and we had a wonderful time. We drove to Houston last Thursday, I had my MRI Friday morning, and then we stayed with Courtney until late Sunday morning. We drove home in time to unpack and get ready for the Super Bowl. We had a couple of friends over and had a wonderful time last night. My MRI was a fiasco. I was there 3 1/2 hours. I was in the machine 45 minutes. They had to call in a physicist to check all the requirements of my spinal stimulator before I got in the tube. I already had the model number, phone numbers, etc., and told him I’ve had MRIs before. None of that mattered to them. They kept apologizing for the delay, and gave me a par...

  2/8/23 Today is Wednesday.  I've had two PT appointments this week for my right foot.  Perhaps she can help me.  My podiatrist sent me to her because he can't figure out what's wrong.  I've broken it several times, but I've had x-rays and they can't find anything wrong with it.  It's tender to the touch on the outside of the foot and I cannot stand or walk for very long.  It's been hurting since last May or June.  I can't remember.  They checked for cancer in the bone and found nothing.  I did do something remarkable a few days ago..... I walked around the block.  I took a friend, just in case I needed help, but I made it by myself.  I'm not saying I didn't stop 5-6 times, but I made it all the way back to the house.  It's .7 miles.  Hooray! We still have Courtney's dog that we've been dog-sitting for the past 3-4 weeks.  We're taking her back home tomorrow when we go to Houston for my appt.  I'm mentionin...

  2/4/23 Today is Saturday.  I have just been informed by a daughter that it's been too long since I updated my blog.  I'm fine.  My earache is getting better, but it's not gone.  I had to cancel last Wednesday's PT appointment because the roads were too icy.  When I called, they said no one was there, anyway.  Our weather went beserko this past week.  It was freezing and raining and sleeting.  Our trees and power lines were bogged down with so much ice that everything was breaking.  We got SO lucky that we didn't lose power.  There are people all around us that haven't had power in the last 4 days, and it has been so cold!  It is like we are in an electricity island.  Our subdivision is fine... so far.  I just heard another transformer blow about 10 minutes ago.  David has gone out with his chain saw again to help people with all their downed trees and limbs.  We haven't had mail, either.  It's all stu...

  1/31/23 Today’s Tuesday. I had physical therapy yesterday for my lymphedema and I also had an appointment at the ENT place. He did all kinds of weird tests on me, and came to the conclusion that I was getting over my ear infection, however my eustachian tube isn’t working right. I always had trouble with that ear when I was scuba diving. I couldn’t equalize. Now I know why. That one is kind of messed up. I’m supposed to be on an antihistamine to help open it up, and use the nose spray I have been using. However, I’m supposed to double that thing up. The crystal in my right ear isn’t where it’s supposed to be, so they’re going to give me some exercises to do to try and get it back where it belongs. That’s why I’m getting off-balance/dizzy all the time. The white stuff at the back of my throat is gone, so that’s good. I have the day off today. No appointments. Hooray! I got up last night to go to the bathroom and stepped on a dog squeaky toy because it was dark. It scared the hoo-d...

  1/29/23 Today is Sunday and I was a sloth all day.  Just tired.  I exercised and did some cross stitch and made a yummy dinner for David, but nothing else was noteworthy.  Oh, and I showered.  That's because I have an 8 a.m. appt. with the ENT guy tomorrow morning.  The audiologist says I have lost about 10% of my hearing in my left ear and 30% in my right.  I don't think it's changed much in the past 15 years or so.  I blew out my right eardrum in a scuba diving accident back then and it was lost forever, so the news last week was pretty good, if you ask me.  However, I still have an earache.  I'm working on week 3 now and it's truly becoming annoying.   I have a tiny new lump/bump/thingy under my left armpit that wasn't there the last time I showered.  David looked at it, but couldn't figure it out.  I'll watch it. I have a new splint for my right foot that I wear at night.  I don't know if I told you this or...

  1/26/23 Today is Thursday.  I called my ENT office for 6 days and no one returned my calls.  Is that idiotic, or what?  Anyway, after physical therapy yesterday, I drove to the office to make an appointment.  They have all my records and it would take forever to get in to see a new guy, so I'm really trying here.  The Urgent Care dude said I needed to see my ENT guy, so I walked in the door.  It was lunch time, so no one was there to here me gripe, but I got an appointment for this afternoon at 3:30 to see the audiologist and then the doctor on Monday morning at 8:00 a.m.  So, I have to go another weekend with hurt.  Sigh.  I'm going to speak to the office manager this afternoon, you can bet your booty on that.  My ear is no better.  At all.   I have to have another MRI.  I heard back from MD Anderson and they said the one I had up here doesn't show enough.  Figures.  I should have learned my lesson 2...