2019 Comes to an End

Medically speaking, 2019 was a booger of a year for me, starting with cataract surgery on my only good eye in January, followed by carotid artery surgery in April, followed by quintuple open heart surgery in May.  As you can imagine, there were some very trying moments during this period.  If it had not been for Judy I’m not sure I would have survived it.

I eventually completed my twelve weeks of cardio rehab and made considerable progress on returning my life to ‘normal.’

Then in September my only good eye developed a sharp pain and blurred vision.  Multiple trips to my ophthalmologist determined that some of the debris from the pulverized cataract dislodged from somewhere in my eye and migrated to another spot.  That caused inflammation that resulted in temporary vision problems.  We opted for the less risky, non-surgerical, remedy of waiting for my body to absorb the debris with the help of various drops.  It’s almost back to normal.

Meanwhile, I had two squamous cell carcinomas removed from my cheek/nose area and one from my vein donor leg.

I also gained back much of the weight I lost during my open heart surgery adventure.  Along with the weight, I also regained my strength and ability to return to my hobbies of cooking, woodworking and landscaping.

I also got good news about my teeth.  After two years of no dentist visits, all I needed was a good cleaning. 

And as of tonight I’m on a weight loss diet.  We’ll see how that goes in a few weeks.

Moose Milk and Cookies Party

It has been a good year for us.  That's in spite of my having a quintuple heart bypass, replacement aorta valve and carotid artery cleaned out. 

Add to that my cataract surgery in January.  It ran into some complications in October.  I'm almost fixed from that little scare.

Add to that two squamous cell carcinomas (face and leg) that required surgery. 

Add to that a number of 'blood-lettings' due to accidental cuts and bumps.  The way I do things usually ends up causing some blood loss.  BandAids usually take care of it though.

As bad as it sounds, I still have all my teeth and I even got an 'attaboy' during my last dental visit.

Meanwhile, Judy and I decided to throw a Moose Milk and Cookies Party for our friends and neighbors here in Terra Mariae.  It was two days ago and turned out great.  Here's the link to the YouTube video I made of it:  Moose Milk and Cookies Party

Everything else is just staying busy doing retired stuff.

We'll be closing out this year and starting the new year healthy and with most projects finished.  We may be able to plant roses next year so we can stop and smell them every now and then.

Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year.

My Sweetie's New Hammock

Back in Texas (seems like a hundred years ago) my Sweetie loved to relax in her hammock. Most of the time she read some favorite book, or maybe took a nap there in the shade of the hot Texas afternoon sun.

That was the one thing she missed most since we moved here. But there was no place that offered shade in the afternoon when she likes 'hammocking' the most.

So what did I get her for our 46th anniversary? A hammock, of course. And with no 'for sure' idea where to put it, we decided to try it right off our porch. It's an easy place to get to and is large enough to accommodate the 15' long hammock.

We'll likely build some sort of arbor or pergola later on but for now, she's got a hammock to read or nap in. Here's what it looks like this morning.

By-Pass Surgery Update

(Note: Since first posting this update I have decided to add updates as they occur)

Everything in me feels great, and I'm back to doing most of the 'normal' things I did before the Quintuple by-pass and carotid artery surgeries back in late April and Mid-May.  As tough as that was to deal with and recover from, it seems like it never happened.

But (there's always a 'but'), my vein-donor leg continues to be a problem.  Swelling, occasional pain, red, a rare blister or two, very sensitive areas and areas of no feeling at all, and one dime-size wart-looking thing that mysteriously arose from one of the blisters sometime around July.  My cardiologist didn't know what it was, but thought it wasn't a problem.  Most likely some infection from the blister opening up.  I was told to leave it uncovered to dry out.  And I did leave it uncovered but as it dried it became painful at times as the swelling around it stretched my skin to very uncomfortable levels, especially when lying in bed.  The 'wart' was inspected multiple times by Nurse Practitioner, Jeff Kitch, on subsequent visits to Dr. Aduli's office.  No one seemed to know what was causing it.

This is what my donor leg looked like on May 24, 2019 at 3:05 PM (ten days after my open heart surgery).

This is what it looked like on November 7, 2019

You can easily see the 'wart' near the center of the screen.  That's a squamous cell carcinoma, explained below.

Meanwhile, the compression stockings that I had been wearing since the surgery didn't appear to be doing anything to help.  If anything, the stockings created more of a problem.  The heat and humidity in Covington kept me 'damp' to full-out 'wet' with non-stop sweating.  The wet stockings obviously became a problem for my legs, especially the donor leg.  I performed my rehab walking exercises inside my home until cleared for Rehab at Lakeview Regional Hospital.  I began wearing the compression stockings intermittently to see if I could wear them comfortably.

I enjoyed the Rehab at Lakeview, but the leg issue continued to make each workout very difficult, mostly due to the pain associated with the swelling.  The staff, including a registered nurse, were very helpful and made sure that I wasn't doing myself harm by trying to over do it.  They were also concerned that I perspired a lot.  It was true, but not unusual for me.

This is Louisiana in July and August, so some of the extremely high temperature/humidity/dewpoint days were compounded by my trying to walk (exercise) or work outside.  Or even try to relax outside.  When I removed my compression stockings my legs were not only swollen to the point of 'bursting open,' they had the look of a person's skin after hours in water.  And the "dime-size wart-looking thing" appeared to be larger and for some reason, now 'threatening.'

This went on until I had a routine visit with my dermatologist.  I asked her to take a look at the 'wart thing' to see if it was a dermatologist issue.  She didn't want to intercede in treating it while I was still a heart bypass patient in recovery.  But she said I should make sure my cardiologist looks at it.  She did not diagnose or treat the bump.

Earlier during the week  of 11/4, "they" (Erin Gill and Jeff Kitch, both nurse practitioners in my cardiologist's office) looked at it, took photos of it, and had no idea what it was.  There appeared to be no infection associated with the redness surrounding the 'wart' because the area was not feverish.  But there was still lots of fluid in both legs as evidenced by the swelling and the hardness of the calves of my legs.

Nurse Gill also gave me some samples of Livalo (Pitavastatin) which I'm to cut in half to use once a day to see if it works to lower my cholesterol (I had discontinued (with Jeff Kitch's reluctant permission) taking Pravastatin to see if there were any side effects from discontinuing it.  Pravastatin caused a great deal of joint pain.  The joint pain is considerably reduced by not taking Pravastatin.)  

A CT Scan was ordered, followed by a sonogram and blood test.  No problems there.

It was even discussed that I be hospitalized for a few days so that I could receive an intravenous antibacterial medicine.  So far, nothing came of that idea.

I asked Jeff Kitch if maybe I should see my dermatologist about it.  "I would!" was his response.

Two days later my dermatologist, Dr Christel Malinski, saw me (without an appointment) and quickly diagnosed the 'wart' as a squamous cell carcinoma.  She took a biopsy sample.  The results will take a few days.  She prescribed Mupirocin Ointment 2% to apply to the biopsy wound after cleaning.

This is what the leg looked like 6 days later on 11-13-19.  The biopsy wound seems to be healing nicely.  But some reddish/pinkish color remains.  The calf of my leg is not nearly as rigid as before.  As of 11-13-19 I'm still waiting for the biopsy results, which she said could take a few days.

This image is edited in order to highlight the reddish areas.

But Dr Malinski also assessed what was causing the swelling and other issues with the legs.  She said 'edema' is what is causing the swelling.  The fluid has to come out.  She strongly recommended that I resume wearing the compression stockings and to elevate my legs whenever possible.  She explained why.  It made sense.  She also prescribed a lotion or cream (Clobetasol)  that would help the surrounding areas of inflammation.  We could afford the salve but the Clobetasol was more than we could afford, so we didn't take it.  Instead, I kept using the lotion (Ammonium Lactate) that was prescribed by the nurse-practitioner, Erin Gill.  The Ammonium Lactate was discontinued on 11/11 at the advice of Dr Malinski because it was not steroid based and would not help the inflammation.  She gave me a sample product (Lexette) to try on the surrounding area near the biopsy wound.  I am uncertain as to whether it is working.

I've since taken to wearing the compression stockings during the day and spending an accumulated 1 hour or more (usually in 20 to 30 minute periods) lying on the floor with my feet well elevated in a chair while wearing my compression-stockings.  While in this position, I frequently raise one or the other leg straight up for one minute.  During that time I massage (milk) the calf of the leg downward.  Not being medically trained, I'm not sure if this effort works.  But I have noticed a slight improvement in the calf's rigidness. 

I expected to be called by Nurses Gill or Kitch during the following week (week of 11/11) to schedule a follow-up visit, hopefully with Dr Aduli, my cardiologist.  I assume Dr Aduli has been briefed on everything except the biopsy results from Dr Malinski.

Nurse Gill did call late at night on Tuesday the 12th.  As did Jeff Kitch's assistant, Rhen, the day before.  Both said the results of the CT Scan and sonogram were excellent, as was the blood test, but Nurse Gill that she got in trouble for ordering the tests.  Dr Aduli apparently did not agree that the tests were warranted since the cellulitis was no longer an issue.

I received a call from Dr. Malinski's assistant on Friday, November 15th, informing me that the biopsy was confirmed to be a squamous cell carcinoma, and it would need to be surgically removed.  They will fax the necessary documents to the Skin Surgery Center in  Mandeville, Louisiana, and they, in turn, will contact me to set up a surgery date.

As they say, "Every day starts with, 'We'll see what today brings.'"

Remembering Our Sailboat Adventure

It was a rainy day and I had little to do.  So I took a nap.  During my nap I dreamed I was on my sailboat in Biscayne Bay in Miami back in 1975.  Only I was older.  I was 78, my current age, not the 33 I was then.  And I was oddly alone.

I would never think of going out sailing without my Sweetie.  Yet, there I was, an old man letting the gentle wind take me wherever it was going.

The dream was very real and I could even hear and feel the soft waves as the boat glided through them with easy grace.  She steered well.  I felt safe, and in control.

It felt wonderful...

Then I woke up.

Three hours later I was still thinking about that dream.  So I went to YouTube and watched the short video I made of the few photos we took 45 years ago.  Instantly, I was back on the boat, this time with my Judy and our neighbors, Joanne and Val.  I remember it was a fantastic day for sailing for novice sailors.

I'll probably think about that sailboat and that adventure a lot in the coming days.  And no, I won't be buying a sailboat to re-live the experience.  I don't have to - I can just dream about it or watch the video, and I'll be taken back to a time in our lives that was filled with adventure.  This was just one of them.

If you want to watch the video, here's the link:

https://youtu.be/2JKNS0AYy_U

Tropical Storm Olga

A few days back I recall telling someone that we need a tropical storm to make up for the lack of rain for well over a month.  Ancient trees, lawns and ornamental plants alike were showing the stress of a prolonged drought.  Only a lot of water could help.  A summer shower was not enough.

Well, yesterday, 10-26-19, we got 'a lot of water' in the form of Olga.

            Tropical Storm Olga Damages Northshore Area

"Tropical Storm" she's called, and maybe "Hurricane Olga."  She definitely hit with the personality of a hurricane and the rage of a tornado.  And 72 mph winds were reported in Abita Springs, just a few miles from us.

Olga dropped 2” of rain on us and 5” or more on areas west of us. 

I slept through it but Judy was up and could hear it blow through.  We got to see the damage when it got light enough.  After a few minutes of looking around we were surprised that it wasn’t worse than it was.

The first thing I noticed was the back porch wireless phone lying in the middle of the sidewalk about 25’ away from its perch well under the porch.  Rain was still falling and it got soaked, but it still lit up.  That’s an odd object to go flying that far when there was a lamp right next to it that barely moved.

Winds had to be close to 70 mph here and probably more in other areas.  Trees were down everywhere in the Northshore area.  Some trees near our house were stripped of about half their leaves or pine-needles.  Roads were closed, some areas flooded, and the power went out, of course, about 5:00 am.  It came back on at 7:10 pm last night.  A long day without power and without any news and no TV to watch the LSU - Auburn game.  (we won - barely)

There was some damage to some our planted and potted plants, a picture-holder molly-bolt was actually pulled out of the porch's brick wall.  Another painting was down but understandably so.  It was just hung on a small nail.  Yet another picture near it was unmoved, 

A five-foot tall Hibiscus plant just off the Coop was knocked over. It may be salvageable.  The Coop itself was undamaged but it was full of pine needles and water.  We cleaned it up and cooked breakfast and dinner there.

Four doors down, the wind knocked down a brick-wall gate entrance.  As more and more neighbors come forward, we expect to hear of lots of damage to awnings and plants here in our neighborhood.  

Given the extent and type of damage we had, we think it may have been a small tornado or wind-burst because it seems to have made very narrow path between our house and the Coop.  Some things that should have been knocked over or at least moved were still in place only inches from where something else, even some heavy stuff, was moved anywhere from a foot to 25’ away.  It even knocked over a heavy concrete angel behind the Coop.

Our neighbors with whole-house generators had power all day, of course.  But we lived without it. I sure would have liked having a whole-house generator that started up automatically within 30 seconds of the power outage and runs forever on natural gas. (Added to the list of how to spend my lottery winnings.)

I now believe that weather is worse here than at was in Texas.

At least we don't have earthquakes or snow blizzards to deal with.

Eye Problem Update

We just returned home from the ninth visit to my ophthalmologist in three weeks.  Good news!  The 'debris' from the pulverized cataract that caused the problem is still there but "the edges are getting smoother" suggesting that my body's own defenses are slowly wearing it down.

It could take months to completely dissolve it but it no longer bothers me as much as it did the first two weeks.  At least I can see my computer screen without having to blow everything up ten times normal size.

And I can even drive and make sawdust and cook and do yard-work without a problem.  But I sometimes have to stop everything and put some drops in to lubricate my eye, or if my vision is affected too much, take a nap.

Meanwhile, my three types of eye drops (one a steroid), has been reduced.  The reduced drops will gradually signal my body to begin 'attacking' the debris as it normally would.  The steroid drops actually tell my body to ignore the debris until the inflammation and swelling go down.  Otherwise, my body would create a problem by attacking it as it would any other 'foreign object.' 

My doctor is very good about explaining everything, and stresses caution when discussing surgery options.  He is well aware of my concerns for surgery risks, since cataract surgery is how I lost vision in my right eye years ago.

He said the good news is that it is now under control and hopefully one day soon it will be completely resolved.

We also learned that he owns a Big Green Egg.  What a coincidence.
 

We'll See About That

Back in January of this year I finally had the cataract taken care of in my good eye (left one).  My vision was slowly getting worse, and although I could see to drive and get around, even build some things, it needing fixing. 

The risks of a problem developing during surgery was high, but so was losing my vision due to an accident because I had difficulty seeing or doing something dangerous. 

The surgery was a success and within days I was able to see 20/20 out of the eye.  I could also read or watch TV or drive without glasses.  I was both relieved and thrilled.

But three weeks ago I woke up at 2:00 am and could hardly see anything with the good eye.  And I had a really bad pain under the eyelid up high.  I could even feel a small lump under the skin.  Artificial tears didn't help so I went back to bed.

The next day it kept getting worse so we just went to my ophthalmologist's office and waited for an opening.  He was busy, as usual, but he saw me. He gave me some drops to try and come back the following day.  Then on the third trip he finally figured out that when he pulverized (that's what they do now) the cataract lens, some of it apparently didn't get sucked out.  Instead, it lodged behind something inside the eye and remained there all this time.  I apparently did something to dislodge it and it was causing the vision loss and pain because of the inflammation.  Plus, my glaucoma (pressure inside the eye) was higher than he would have liked. 

He said we have two choices: surgery to suck out the debris (takes less than a minute but has the higher risks) or let my body absorb the debris naturally (the lesser risk).  He wanted to try seeing if the body could absorb it.  So I started using some drops that would help move the process along.  That was three weeks ago and I'm currently using three types of drops, including one which is sort of a super-powered steroid based drop that I take four times daily.

Tomorrow I will go take yet another test that measures the swelling in retinal area of the eye.  It should be down even more since Monday, and a lot since this first started.

Meanwhile, I feel like I've got something in my eye all the time.  And small print drives me nuts.

Maybe tomorrow I'll be well.

As they say, we'll see...

Cardio Rehab completed

It took 144 days from my quintuple heart bypass surgery on May 14, 2019 until Friday morning, October 4,2019 when I finished my three months of rehab. Except for a week off to travel, and one day due to illness, I was there every day I was scheduled.

I feel better for it.

My thanks go out to the Cardio Rehab staff at Lakeview Regional Medical Center in Covington, Louisiana: Joann West, Staff Nurse, Renee Messenger, Clinical Exercise Physiologist, and Caleigh Dolese, Intern. Not only were they 'professionals' in every sense of the word, they made sure that I was doing what was needed to rebuild my muscles, my resolve and my understanding of my role in taking better care of myself. Plus, they were a joy to be involved in my life for the entire rehab period.

And they presented me with a 'Certificate of Completion' that will be added to my list of accomplishments in my lifetime, along with my 'Discharge Instructions.' It may sound odd, but they hope to never see me again. I took that to mean 'in the rehab center as a patient.'

That being said, I took the liberty to make it a special day.

First, I talked about the Big Green Egg so much that I just had to cook something for them. I decided on White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies. I realize they are not exactly into eating cookies, but I thought they may appreciate the fact that the Big Green Egg can also bake cookies.

I also wore my "I Survived Open Heart Surgery" shirt, but I added a sticker saying "And now I survived Cardiac Rehab."

Here are a few photos, including me cooking bacon and eggs for my graduation breakfast. I know... I know... And there was a huge Muddy Blary involved in both the cooking and eating of the breakfast.

Life is good after Cardio Rehab.

Jennifer's Visit

When we moved to Texas back in 1988, one of the first people who eventually became life-long friends was Jennifer.  She was just starting out in the business world.  Judy took her under her wing to help with the basics, but Jennifer was smart and savvy enough to catch on quickly.  She continues to shine in the business world, but more so in raising her triplets, Mollie, Elise and Preston.

Jennifer's Mom, Jo, was also an inspiration and some of the perspiration to the tasks that lay ahead raising three distinctly different triplets.  In other words, a loving and caring grandmother.

We got to see all of them yesterday.  They were passing through Covington on their way back to Texas and wanted to stop by.  It was a wonderful visit.  We didn't know just how much we missed them until they arrived.

They couldn't stay long but they left enough love and memories to last us a while.

I took a few pictures and made a short video of their visit.  Here's the link.

https://youtu.be/wMbCoiL_jtw

Off To Amarillo, Texas For A Birthday

My Brother-in-Law, Curtis 'Skipper' Conrad, Judy's older Brother, just celebrated his 80th birthday. Skipper's wife of 56 years, Sandra made sure we were all set for the party at their home.

And we were there, along with Sister Joyce and her husband, Allen.  Also, Skipper and Sandra's daughter, Carrie and husband Rick drove down from Borger.

We left on Monday, August 19th and returned August 22nd, 2019.  We all had a good time.

Well, I lost my Louisiana Driver's License somewhere and had a bit of a problem getting through security at the airport.  I now have a new license and I'm sleeping well again.

But besides all that we met some interesting people, saw the famous 'Cadillac Ranch' where Cadillac's were lined up nose down in the dirt, all with layers of graffiti on them, and had dinner at the also famous 'The Big Texan' where you can get a 72 ounce steak for free if you can eat it in 60 minutes.  I went for the 12 ounce steak.  And it was good.

But the best moment was when Skipper was brought back into the room after his birthday cake was made ready.  I made a video of that moment which was classic.

Skipper's Birthday Cake

Let's just say we had a great time and were exhausted when we arrived back home.

Besides the video above, I took about 200 photos of interesting places and things and people.  I'm still sorting through them for a possible video or two to add to the list of memories.

Here's a short video of our visit to the Big Texan Steak Ranch the night before we left for home.

https://youtu.be/mLZlF1OogmY

There will probably be a video of the birthday cake-baking episode.  Funny...  Wait for it.

Happy Birthday Skipper...

Since returning home I've finished two more videos.  One is sort of a surprise party form my Sweetie and for Niece Carrie who recently got married wedding.  The second video is of the baking of the cake, followed by the surprise in the cake.

Judy and Carrie Celebration: Judy and Carrie Celebration

Baking the Cake:  Baking the Cake

(I should warn you that the Baking the Cake video is over 43 minutes long, but a lot of fun to watch)

Meanwhile, An Old Geezers ReunionFest

We've been Eggheads (anyone who owns a Big Green Egg) for 20 years.  We know some who have been Eggheads going on 30 years. 

Needless to say, we are considered "Old Geezers" among the Egghead Community.  And for good reason, some of us have reached the "Old" part and even gone past it. 

But we don't all reach one of the definitions of "Old Geezer" - "Old geezer is a somewhat insulting term for an older person, especially one who is no longer cool, hip or with the times. An example of an old geezer is a grumpy old man who sits on his porch all day yelling at neighborhood kids. "  

Quite the contrary.  We older Eggheads still like to eat well, abide in adult beverages, do fun things and hang out with the Egghead Friends we've made over the years.  The truth is we are fun-loving people who just happen to enjoy cooking on their Big Green Eggs.

With that in mind, it is no wonder that only a few days after it was announced that we Old Geezers were invited to a 'ReunionFest' in Fredericksburg, Texas in February 2020, people started coming out of the woodwork to say they love the idea.

And the response has been great.  There are at least 30 couples and a few individuals already signed up at the hotel. 

A few more say they are bringing their RV, or driving in for the big day.

The difference in this 'fest' is we will not be cooking and serving food all day to strangers like at Eggfests, but just enjoying the company of our many Egghead Friends.

And Fredericksburg is a perfect place to pull it off.  A small town with old German roots and plenty of touristy things to see and do, eat and drink well, and relax in peace and quiet.  And of course, talk about the Big Green Egg that magically brought all of us together.

The best word to describe our anticipation of this wonderful gathering of old friends is 'EGGcited.'

The best thing we can say to the Egghead who set it all up is "Thanks Mike "Lawn Ranger" Schweitzer, you did good."

Doc Says Okay To Return To Normal

Sixty-five days after my quintuple heart bypass life is back to 'Normal.'

Well, almost...  I'm still taking lots of pills and trying to regain my strength, but I'm getting there.  The on-going problem with my vein-donor leg is still an issue, and I'm scheduled for some ultrasounds over the next few days to see if circulation is okay.  Meanwhile, I'm to wear thigh-high compression stockings.

Plus, I just finished my third week of cardio rehab.  Nine more weeks to go.  I'm glad I signed up for it.

And I'm doing daily walks that when combined with my normal walking, total 3 miles or more according to my FitBit watch that also gives me other data, including weekly reports on my progress.  I try to add a few more steps each day.  So far, so good. 

But Dr. Aduli (my cardiologist) emphasized caution on what I do and avoid trying to do too much.

Even my ophthalmologist, Dr. McComiskey, said my vision after the cataract surgery in January was good.  I easily read the 20/25 line and later the 20/20 line as I relaxed.

I've really wanted to get back to doing some of the lawn care, making sawdust and just doing simple , but necessary, tasks around here.  Like, make a panel to fit into the garage window for the portable A/C we bought.  Seems to work just fine now.

And as of this morning I weigh 10 pounds less than I did going into surgery.  I'll continue with my efforts to lose some weight.

In spite of my leg problems, I actually feel pretty good.

Hurricane Barry And I'm Cooking Ribs

We're in Hurricane Barry's slow, very wide meandering path, but after two days the worst of it is about a hundred miles west of us.  We're just getting some rain.  Even so, there are areas close to us that are flooded or close to being flooded from Barry's rain.

Fortunately, there have been no reports of strong winds or tornado's near us, so we have pretty much determined that we are safe.  No matter, we were not going anywhere anyway until Barry is no longer a threat.  Besides, most businesses closed so their employees could prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.

So what do we do when a storm just misses us?  We cook.  I had some ribs that I wanted to smoke, and Judy wanted to make a big pot of beans with smoked sausage and ham-hocks.  Good timing.  We will have ribs and maybe some beans for dinner tonight.

I suppose you could say we squeaked by another destructive weather event while getting some much needed rain.  I should be able to attend my third week of rehab next week without a hurricane threat.

That's Something About Chickens

That's Something About Chickens

Early in our adoption of a Big Green Egg as our preferred method of cooking, we dubbed ourselves "Spring Chicken" and "Spring Hen" among our Egghead Friends. That was in 1999.

As we became better and further known, we built an outdoor kitchen, which we called the "Chicken Coop." It sat promately on our little 1/4 acres in Spring, Texas USA which we called The Chicken Ranch, aptly named after the famed "Chicken Ranch" in LaGrange, Texas. Yes, the very real place that was immortalized in the movie, "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" with Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton.

Here we are standing in front of our Chicken Coop.

Meanwhile, both our enthusiasm for the worldwide Big Green Egg community grew and our collection of Big Green Eggs went from one to as many as six.

In order to carry on the 'Chicken Ranch' theme, we named our growing collection of Big Green Eggs girl's names. There was Lily Large, Shirley Small, Maggie Mini, Lola Large, Lula Large and Mini-Maxine.

And when any one or all of the "girls" were cooking something, we boasted that they were "working." And we would display a red light over the Coop's entrance.

The story made it to CNN. http://www.cnn.com/20…/LIVING/…/09/eggheads.irpt/index.html…

We have since moved on and now live in Louisiana. Naturally, we had to have another "Chicken Coop" so we built one and use it almost daily. No, there's no red light over the door.

But the purpose of this post is highlight the role chickens have played for thousands of years all across the world.

This short history lesson should help you to see why and how chickens became so popular. It's worth a watch. Enjoy...

Click here: https://youtu.be/O7dAG4T-5h4

Slow Down Leroy

Today was to be my third rehab day.  I arrived there early but it didn't entirely turn out as I expected.

It looks like I was a bit too optimistic as to my ability to quickly adapt to the rehab routine.  When I arrived this morning I was ‘wobbly’ and told the nurse that before she even weighed me in.  I told her I didn’t get much sleep last night due to my leg being in pain.  And that I had pears and cottage cheese for dinner last night and for breakfast this morning.  Naturally, she instantly became concerned and asked me questions.  Like ‘did I take my meds this morning?’ and ‘have I been eating iron-rich food regularly?’  I told her yes on the meds but that I had stopped taking the iron pill four days ago because it was tearing up my insides and exit port.  And that I told my cardiologist about it, who reluctantly agreed to it. Besides, I was already taking vitamins that contained iron.  As for eating, I just don’t feel like eating much during this oppressive heat.

She was quick to say that lack of iron probably caused me to be wobbly.  So she started taking my blood pressure and it was okay but over the next few minutes it ranged from under 100/.. to 130/..  So she told me to not do the treadmill.  Instead, I did the arm cycle and bicycle.  They weren’t hard to do but they were harder than before.  Then she put me on the elliptical machine for fifteen minutes, but within two minutes I was beat.  That was it for me.  They made me drink water and rest.

She said I still had my color but that I may want to call for a ride home.  I decided I felt strong and steady enough to do it myself and returned home early.  We decided to have a big breakfast up the road and I came home, crawled back into bed and slept until 1:30.  I still feel a bit weak.  I think we're having steak tonight.  My cardio surgeon said I should eat lots of steak.

I then called my doctor’s office and told them about the incident, and that I was going back on the iron pills.  They agreed that my 'wobble' could be the lack of iron and said okay, but if it happens again, call them for an appointment.

I'm also skipping my daily walk through the house to get my 5,000 + steps in.  I'm just not up for it.  Maybe tomorrow.

Recovery Now Includes Rehab

Today is the 46th day after my open heart surgery.  A lot has happened during that period, a lot of it very painful.  And all of it necessary.

But all the treatments and medications are paying off.  I'm not there yet but 'normal' seems to be a reasonable goal.  I feel pretty good.

Yesterday I visited with the nice people at Lakeshore Regional Medical Center's Rehab Center so they could evaluate my readiness for rehab.  I passed and now I'm scheduled to start first thing Monday, July 1st at 7:00 am.  I'm up for it and eager to get started on the 12 week course.

I selected 7:00 am because I'm an earlier riser, and there will probably be less traffic and people around that time of morning. It's only about 20 minutes from home and takes about an hour each day.

My Sweetie can sleep in on those days.  She's earned it.

Smart Woman, My Wife and Nurse

I already mentioned my great post-surgery look-see of my legs by my cardiologist’s nurse practitioner, and my surprisingly good dental check-up yesterday, but I failed to mention another series of events that started two days earlier and ended with good results.  I’ll start from the beginning.

Our water heater stopped making hot water a couple of nights ago after I took my shower.  It could have been sooner and I just used up all the hot water.  No matter, it was still a problem the following day.

So I went into the attic and checked it out.  I’ve been re-lighting gas water heaters all my life, but this one has an igniter built into the gas control valve.  No need for a long match or wire holding a match to get it lit.  It’s obviously an improved safety feature.

The only problem was I apparently could not fully understand all of the lighting instructions written on the side of the tank.  So when I turned the dial all the way back to ‘Ignite’ and turned and pressed the pilot light gas release, followed by pressing the igniter, I could not hear or see if the pilot light was lit.  I simply could not bend over that far to look into the glassed-over window into where the pilot light was.  Nor could I hear a ‘poof’ or ‘swish’ or small ‘boom’ saying it was lit.

By then I concluded that the valve was not working properly and I should call a plumber.

But Judy decided to ask Neighbor Scott to come see.  Next thing I know he and Neighbor Ron came walking up the driveway.  I told them what I had tried and they promptly started to pull down the ladder.  I told them they both could ride up the elevator.  So up they went.  They liked it.

A couple of minutes later they came down saying it was fixed.  That the pilot light was lit but that I had not turned the pilot light gas release and temperature control knob back into place.  I could have sworn I did those steps but suddenly I could not for the life of me recollect doing them. 

Apparently, I knew what and how to finish the task at hand, but didn’t.  I’m a bit worried about that.

And, of course, I was a tad baffled as to why the pilot light would go out in the first place.  But since it was working, I let it go.  Pilot lights go out.  That’s why they have instructions for re-lighting them on the side.  End of story.

But then Judy had been complaining as to why her new gas stove that otherwise worked fine, had a small ‘simmer burner’ that would go out after a few minutes of simmering.  Turning the knob ‘up’ a skosh changed it from ‘simmer’ mode and into ‘low cook’ mode that was too hot for simmer. 

She told me that it seemed as if there wasn’t enough gas pressure to keep the flame  burning at the ‘simmer’ setting.  My reply was that the pressure is controlled by the gas company’s regulator outside each house and there was no way I could fix it.

So she first called for a warranty repair of the stove.  The GE guy came yesterday afternoon.  It was the first time he had seen this particular model of stove in use.  He was also baffled as to how to fix it.  But he suggested that it might be more of a problem with the natural gas pressure coming into the house.  BINGO!  He thought the same as Judy.  But it was something he could not fix.  We thanked him and he left.

Judy promptly called the gas company and soon there was a really nice, very professional gas company rep there to check it out, including Judy’s suggestion that the gas pressure could be too low, thereby not being able to remain at the simmer level when another burner, oven or perhaps the gas water heater turned on.

His conclusion a few minutes later was that sure enough the gas regulator on the outside of the house was only allowing something under 4 psi when it should have been 4 psi, the industry standard.  He adjusted it to the 4 psi and now all seems fixed.  But he also said that if it happened again they would just change out the entire regulator for a new one.  Just call them and they would be happy to do it.

We could not ask for better service from our gas company.  And even the GE technician was knowledgeable enough to suggest that the problem could be a ‘pressure regulator’ issue.  Here’s what Google says about it:

“A common operating pressure for natural gas appliances is around 7 inches of water column (WC) or re-stating this in

equivalent measure, that's 14.9 millibars or 1743 Pascals or Pa, or about 0.25 psi (pounds per square inch) or about 4 ounces of pressure per square inch.”

We now have 4 ounces of pressure per square inch.

More than anything, I’m proud of Judy for being savvy and persistent enough to understand the mechanics of a stove’s gas regulator, and to call someone who could fix it.  We’ll see how it works as we continue to cook, but for now, we believe both the stove and the water heater may have been ‘gas-starved’ just enough for a brief moment that the safety mechanisms simply turned the gas off to the burners due to lack of gas.   How many women would have even attempted to figure that out?  But my Sweetie did, and she was right on.

Now you know how things get done around here.

She also took the time to itemize my list of current pills into an understandable chart as to when I’m to take what.  A lot of these pills will not be required in a few weeks at the most, but for right now, it is important that the medications be taken properly and timely. 

What a woman!

Great Post-Surgery and Dental Check-Ups

Today's schedule started out with a 'first thing' visit to my cardiologist's office for a fasting full blood workup by the in-house LabCorps technician, followed by a quick 'look-see' of my leg wounds by my cardiologist's nurse practitioner, Jeff,  to make sure there was no more infection.

I did both without a hitch and was through in 20 minutes.  I like having this kind of prompt service.

The lab results should be ready by Monday.

Meanwhile, I gave the okay to set me up for cardio rehab at Lakeview Memorial Healthcare, the same hospital where my open heart surgery was done.  Not only are all my records close at hand, I already know some of the people who work in rehab.  They will be in touch with me to set up a schedule.

Thirty minutes later I was in my dentist's office for my first dental visit since visiting my dentist in Spring Texas back in June 2017.

Dr. 'Rocky' St. Pierre, not only did the most thorough first-visit exam I've ever had, he found no problems at all with my teeth.  I still have all of my teeth, including wisdom teeth, so there was a lot that could have needed attention.  That's one less worry to deal with.

He said I must come from good genes to have such good teeth.  But he noted that I must grind my teeth because there is ample evidence of it.  I try not to grind, but Judy says I do it constantly while driving.  At least I have an excuse for grinding them - traffic.

All that is needed is a cleaning visit, but he wants to check with my cardiologist first before setting it up.  It seems that any dental work too soon after surgery can result in some serious medical problems for me, including infection.  I'm good with that caution.

Also, Dr. Rocky, wants to review my previous dental records and will contact my dentist in Spring, Texas for copies of my file.  I like that he is thorough enough to do that extra step.

Judy and I came bearing gifts and Dr. Rocky, a fellow Egghead, was beside himself thrilled.  We gave him a bottle of Franklin BBQ sauce, and an assortment of Dizzy Pig sample pouches.

Then brunch at Mattina Bella Restaurant near downtown Covington.  They are known for their breakfasts and brunches.  We ate more than we should but it was very good.

And now we're home and I'm thinking 'nap' before anything else is scheduled.

Some days just start out good and get better.  This was one of them.

My Chevy Avalanche

After almost seventeen years I sold my 2002 Chevy Avalanche Z66.  It was a sad moment because I really loved that truck.

I was still working when I bought it new back in 2002, and put 30,000 miles on it the first year before being laid off work.  Almost all of those miles were commuting to and from work in Houston.  I retired shortly after that and decided to keep the truck,

Over the years we drove it to a few Eggfests around the country and used it to haul large and heavy loads of lumber and stone for occasional construction projects, or to landscape the lawn.  But not much else over those years.

As of yesterday it only had just over 103,000 miles on it.  And I had all of the service records on it.

And except for a few very minor scratches and bruises, it looked brand new.  It was a rare moment when it was not parked in our garage overnight during those years.

It was by far more comfortable to drive or ride in than any of the other cars we've had.  We even pulled a rental RV trailer or two with it and it performed the task easily.  But RVing wasn't our thing and we never pulled another trailer with it.

The guy who bought it had been asking me if I wanted to sell it ever since we moved here.  He already had one Chevy Avalanche that he used in his lawn mowing and landscaping business.  So we gave him first crack at buying it as well as a comfortable discount.  Within hours the deal was done and he was one proud new owner.

That being said, I'm sure I will miss it, but truth is we no longer need a truck or even a second vehicle.  And even if we did we could rent one for what we needed it to do.

But we will always appreciate the years that truck gave us.  It was good for us.

Another Update

I know this is starting to sound like a broken record, but I like to keep track of how far I've come toward recovery from my open heart surgery on May 14, 2019. Yesterday was the one month anniversary of the surgery, and I'm still "recovering."

My recovery has been plagued by problems with my leg.  The wounds from the vein harvesting are having a hard time healing.  Especially one of them which extends into the back of the knee joint of my leg.  The movement there from simple walking tends to re-open the wound slightly, thereby resulting in a new scab which becomes hard and dry.  My doctors want the wound to be exposed to the open air rather than be bandaged.  No medicines or lotions of any kind are to be applied to the wound.  Antibiotics keep the risk of infection down.

The wound opens frequently and the scab partially dissolves during showers.  Once the wound dries it tends to pull on the skin as it dries making for considerable discomfort, often mixed with serious pain.  It is made worse if the leg is swollen with fluids left over from surgery.  Occasional naps in my recliner or bed with my feet on pillows helps the fluid re-distribute from my legs

Compression stockings tend to help somewhat but they too eventually result in discomfort and pain.  Plus, installing the very tight stockings is both a challenge at best, and impossible at worst, depending on how swollen my leg is.

Meanwhile, I have been walking a controlled route through the house that allows me to accumulate one or more miles per day.  Some days, like yesterday, have to be skipped due to the pain from the healing of the leg.  The pain and the antibiotic's side effects makes any thought of walking any distance at all an impossible task.  Plus, I just feel like crap from the nausea and the feeling of pending diarrhea all the time.  Plus, my body temperature swings from warm/hot to cold/chilled due to the anemia from the lack of blood.

My weight loss is back to normal and blood pressure is excellent.  That alone is suggestive of success.  As does a daily log I've maintained from just after surgery.

Yet, in spite of the negatives mentioned above, I see and feel daily progress is being made.  It's just slow and fraught with difficulties.

Another Update on Recovery

Today starts the 26th day of recovery from my quintuple open heart bypass surgery.  I'm still recovering, and apparently I will be for a while.

My left leg, the 'vein harvest' leg, is still giving me a problem.  Add to that the swelling in both legs.  It just won't go away.  And it makes for some some serious discomfort, and at times, pain to the point of disabling me from doing much.

But I'm trying hard to get in at least one mile a day of walking.  So far the walking has been inside the house.  Yes, I mapped out a route from the front bedroom to the back bedroom, with a loop around the living room to give me 110 steps of 2 1/4' long.  All I had to do was make 11 complete round trips to get my 2,000 steps of 2 1/4' each to equal a mile.  That was enough to get me started without having to go outside to do it.

I gradually increased my stride and I can now do the same course with less steps while traveling the same distance.

But I've also increased my round trips to 15 and in doing so I increased my distance by half again.  Today I traveled 1.4 miles.  And I felt good afterward.

But soon afterward the swelling in both legs increased, as did the pain.

And I've even managed to cook a few times on my Big Green Eggs.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Last Friday I visited my cardiologist and his nurse practitioner.  After exchanging thoughts about what to do next, they settled on prescribing more antibiotics and to perform another ultrasound of both legs to see if perhaps there was a blood clot lurking.

Apparently, there is no blood clot and the antibiotics are just now starting to work.  I go back next week, hopefully to display my considerable progress.

Meanwhile, I'm starting to eat full meals again and enjoy the flavors.  I'm also sleeping better and thinking better.  Yes, 'thinking clearly' was also a casualty from all of this.

Mind you, I'm not complaining as much as just expressing frustration.  The legs are what's holding me back.  And each day seems to bring me a little closer to the end of this adventure.

And through it all, my Sweetie continues to carry on with my duties added to hers, along with helping me to stay focused on recovery.  I doubt I could do it without her.  She even gave up her cherished 3rd row seats to see Gene Watson in Biloxi because she knew I would not be well enough in time.  I owe her big time.

If you are even remotely interested in seeing what open heart bypass surgery looks like, this video is pretty much dead on what I went through. It's not for the squeamish.

https://youtu.be/gmZJgMMC2i8

Update on my Bypass Surgery

I’m finally able to absorb and record some of the events of the latest round with the open heart surgery.  I know Judy kept you somewhat up to date but I’m one for details.

Plus, I still need to record my version of it to tuck away in the chronicles of time here in my Blog.

The days are running closer and closer together and I ‘m a little confused by some of the events.  But I’ll try. Excuse me if I seem to jump around.

After a week delay, my open heart surgery was performed without incident on May 14^th.  The surgery itself apparently went well.  The recovery was five days of hospital.  It was not easy and even got worse at times.  I could not sleep at all due to pain and other problems that developed post surgery.

Then I went home and tried recovering here.  There was pain and other problems.  They too got worse.

This covers from the day before Memorial Day, because it was such a significant and difficult time. 

As usual, I was still in pain from my quintuple bypass surgery with pig aorta valve, aka ‘CABG-6’ and often referred to as ‘Cabbage-6’ on May 14^th.  

Everything  I’m adding here starts with severe pain.  Only not in my chest which had been cracked open like a walnut.  No, almost all my pain was now focused in my left leg where the veins were ‘harvested’ to replace the blocked arterial veins of my heart. 

Saturday morning I was up just before 6:00 AM to start my medications.  I was attempting to control the pain with simple Tylenol tablets because no other pain pills worked.  Almost all the strong meds caused really bad side effects that  were even worse than the pain.

Morning is the best time for me to start taking some of the pills.  There are many, but twice as many at night. I took my thyroid pill then immediately my two Tylenol pills.  There would be six more pills to take at breakfast.  I took them with water without fanfare, turned and suddenly my face flushed with moisture.  I was immediately enveloped by nausea.  That was immediately compounded by extreme dizziness and light-headiness, so much so that I quickly stumbled to my recliner only 6 feet away.  I passed out in the chair.

Judy woke about two hours later and found me that way.  I recall trying to tell her I had no energy and to call 911.  She did and a few agonizing minutes later they were there. 

At first there were a lot of questions which I tried to answer.  I could not speak loudly or clearly above just a whisper.  I didn’t have the energy to make a sentence: just use single words to answer their questions. 

Nor could I move.  I was totally helpless.  I was frightened.

I felt myself being hoisted onto a gurney and rolled along the sidewalk to the ambulance where I was hastily loaded.

I heard them tell Judy to ride up front.  Good.

An IV bag was introduced into my arm.  I was cold.

And we slowly, quietly left Terra Mariae headed to Lakeview Regional Hospital.  It was probably 7:00 AM.

When we arrived at the emergency entrance at the hospital I still could not speak more than a whisper.  The Trauma Staff went into ‘test mode.’  They systematically checked me for everything, including dehydration.  There was a chest X-ray, and I think some kind of ultra-sound.  Not sure by then.  I still could not move or speak clearly.  They planned a CT Scan and spoke of dyes that would make me feel warm and like I was peeing, and to not worry.  It was cancelled with me actually in the CT Scan machine.  I was freezing.  Heavy, warm blankets were lain across me.  More were added later.  Then they abruptly re-scheduled the CT Scan.

Then, everyone was gone except for Judy and me.  It was very quiet.  She held my hand.

The Trauma Surgeon returned.  He and Judy talked and talked.  Turns out he is Nephew # 2’s neighbor.

Another doctor came by.  But he was obviously credentialed well above all the staff on the floor.  He tried to assure Judy.

Meanwhile,  I just lay there like a corpse for six hours while they got around to admitting me back into the hospital.  Both of us were freezing.  Even through my blurry eyes I could see Judy shivering, she held on to me.

I finally got a room.  I was slowly coming around.  I was hungry.  It took a while. 

There’s more… A lot more…  But for right now,  break.  Tired. 

I just discovered that I didn’t post the part above to my blog above last night.  Too tired.  And now I’m already back from seeing my Cardio-surgeon.  The staples were removed from my chest and I was declared ‘good,’ but still with some problems that will hopefully go away in time.

And I have fluid around my heart.  Not much, but enough to make breathing difficult.  It’s worse when I lie flat or on my side.

But back to the story that resulted in the 911 Call.

The leg pain mentioned above was probably caused in part by the staples and the compression stockings, or made more painful by it.  But to not take any chances the emergency center took swabs of my leg damage so that cultures could be tested by the Infectious Disease Department,  

At one point the emergency crew concluded the inflammation was brought on by Cellulites, “…a common and potentially serious infection caused by bacteria. The bacteria infect the deep layers of skin and tissue beneath the skin. The first sign of cellulites is usually red and swollen skin.”  They continue to treat it like it was cellulites.

No matter what is causing it, it is still oozing 'stuff' from the holes and my leg hurts like hell.

This is what the leg looked like when 911 was called.

Compression stockings obviously have side effects.

In addition, after 15 days the staples were already covering over with new skin.  Extremely sensitive.  So much so I needed two pushes of morphine to reduce the pain of removing them.  The morphine didn’t help in the least.  I felt everything and it hurt like Living Hell.

Now I’m home and struggled to get any sleep at all last night.  And when I did I was soon awakened so I could pee off yet another few ounces of the 25 pounds of liquid built up in my body.  It’s gradually being absorbed and released in my pee.  I still have about 9 pounds to go.

This has not been fun.  Even now I occasionally have lapses into the dark world of fear that it could get worse.  Depression still rises its ugly head now and then and I try to overcome it with humor. 

I see my cardiologist tomorrow and home health later in the day.  I know they are going to be proud of me and how much progress I've made

Hopefully, I will be ready next week to start rehab.

This has been one of the most painful and emotionally difficult medical events in my life.  I'm told I will one day look back on it and be glad I had it done.