Back Surgery Update

It took 12 hours and 24 minutes for my back surgery.

But that's from the time I signed in at the Surgery Center yesterday morning until I climbed in the passenger seat of my truck to come home yesterday evening.  In fact, I could have come home a couple of hours sooner but the surgeon waited until 4:00 to call to let me go.  Then the nurse had to process me out.

I was up walking the halls an hour and a half after returning to my room.  Then a few more times before i left for home. 

I'm not even taking pain meds, and I plan to go out to dinner with the neighbors tonight.  i may even start my treadmill walks later today.  Definitely tomorrow.

Another successful back repair. The only thing left is a visit to the surgeon in two weeks, and doing the walking therapy, and a few 'non-of-this-and-thats' for about four weeks. I think that's pretty darn amazing. 

Oh, and I think it may have fixed the problem.

Back Surgery it is

The Lyrica they tried to stop my leg and foot pain only partially worked when it worked, and often not at all.  Plus, it was treating me to a bunch of its negative and very unpopular side effects. 

So I called to schedule the Plan B alternative, surgery.  The correct term for it is 'Bilateral L5/S1 Lumbar Decompression, or Laminectomy, or for those who don't want to look it up, it's one of the more common back surgeries in America, especially among over weight and couch potatos like me.

Hopefully, it will eliminate the pressure on my nerve bundle that is causing all this pain and lifestyle disruption.

It's scheduled for January 29th.  I should be home the next day.

Then I'm not to lift anything or do anything that might aggrivate the situation for 4 to 6 weeks, including driving or even riding in a car for long distances.  Given that the Salado Eggfest is in six weeks, it will be close but not enough to worry about.

Meanwhile, I will just keep using Lyrica until it's fixed.

Time For Routine Doctor Visits and Maybe Surgery

As always, the new year kicks off another series of doctor visits.  It's one of the joys of growing older. The visits are to make sure I keep growing older.

Most visits are routine just to make sure all the parts are functioning right but the very first visit of the year, January 3rd, was to see if I needed surgical intervention with the on-going nerve problem in my lower legs and feet.  Nerve tests and scans indicated that I do have a problem, and it is most likely due to some sort of pressure against my nerve bundle in my lower back, possibly at L5-S1.

The surgeon, Dr. Cartwright, seems to think surgery can fix it, and will schedule surgery in the near future.  But first, he wants to try Lyrica to see if I can get any relief.  He gave me a few samples to try, saying it may take up to five days before I see any results.

I took one that night and felt a slight improvement that very night.  I actually managed to get some decent sleep without be awakened by the foot pain as I've experienced most nights.  However, I have had a few moments since then when the pain returned, but for shorter periods of time and at less intensity.

I will continue to take the Lyrica for a few more days before assessing its effectiveness.  If it does not improve any more than what I'm experiencing now, I'll probably opt for the surgery.

Meanwhile, I saw my cardiologist for a routine follow-up visit and he says my blood pressure is good (I provided him with a 3-month record of random BP tests at home), as is my lungs and heart.  I was also given an EKG which was good, or he would have said something.  I go back in three months.

Today, I see my ophthalmologist for a routine visit to make sure my cataract and glaucoma remains in check.  With only one good eye, he likes to take no chances that I will lose vision in it, or lose the limited vision (20/400) in my not-so-good eye.

I usually do quite well on reading the eye chart, often with 20/20 in my good eye.  Rarely does it exceed 20/25.  I continue to read and see well enough without glasses to function quite well, but with obvious limitations.  It takes me extra time to see everything.  The amount of extra time is very slight but noticeable.   I'm just happy to be able to see at all.  We'll see how I do today.

Made It To 2013

Okay, so it's 2013.  I've been waiting all day for something really BIG to happen and so far, nothing.

Well, there was that 'Falling off the Cliff' thing in Washington, but it's always like that and will remain so until those idiots figure out that WE THE PEOPLE out weigh their egos and special interest groups, and we sometimes exercise our rights as citizens in the voting booth.

Anyway, so far everything else is going okay.  A little cool outside, but it's winter.  A little boring on TV, but it's New Year's Day.  A BIG turkey on the Egg because we had it and needed to cook it.  Should be done in about an hour.

So Happy New Year everyone.  Let's make the most of it.

Christmas 2012

Once again we found ourselves in New Orleans for Christmas, visiting Judy's sister Joyce, and husband Allen.  And once again we had a wonderful time, ate way too much food and thoroughly enjoyed the visit until we left for home early Wednesday morning.

We also celebrated Joyce's son, David's, birthday.  It was special because he turned 40.  And made even more special because he is obviously very happily in love with his new bride, Rhonda.

Here's the Movie: Christmas 2012 - The Movie

Sad Day at the Chicken Ranch

We'll be flying the Texas Flag high in the wind tonight for the man who made the Chicken Ranch famous around the world.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Larry L. King, a writer and playwright whose magazine article about a campaign to close down a popular bordello became the hit Tony Award-nominated musical, "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," and a movie starring Burt Reynolds, died Thursday. He was 83.

No, ours is not the original Chicken Ranch, but we aren't that far from where the magical transition to manhood took place for three or four generations of eager Texas boys.

It was both famous and infamous, and apparently a lot of fun offering what comes naturally, at a price, of course. Or if you didn't have any cash, perhaps a couple of chickens.

Given the whimsical nature of our little piece of Texas, and the fun atmosphere in and around the Big Green Eggs in The Chicken Coop, it just seemed the perfect name for us too.

And some of y'all thought we raised chickens here LOL.

Goodbye Mr. King, you did well and created two legends in the process.

Spring "Staff Flying At Half Flag" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

PS  On December 24th there was yet another sad announcement that Charles Durning also passed away.

 

Here he is with Burt Reynolds in 1982's 'Best Little Whore House in Texas'

Durning gave a singin’-and-dancin’ turn as a look-the-other-way Lone Star State governor that earned him his first Oscar nomination, part of which was for his giddy and memorable performance of “The Sidestep” as he wriggles his Houston-sized body and duets with a 10-gallon hat the way Astaire twirled Rogers.

I've Created the perfect Diet for Lazy People

The Ounce-A-Day Diet

The Simplest And Easiest Diet In The World

If you're like every other dieter on this planet, you've suffered through many frustrating days, weeks and months, perhaps even years of self-torture only to discover that every diet you tried was either expensive, very difficult to follow, or unsuccessful. Perhaps all three. To make matters worse, any pounds that you did manage to lose quickly came back within a few days after you thought you had lost them forever.

The reason for all your troubles is that the word "pound" or "pounds" is set as the benchmark for all diets to achieve.  I've addressed that and more in my web site:

http://ounceaday.blogspot.com/

Once In A Blue Moon - The Movie

An Egghead friend of ours from Fort Meyers, Florida is a photographer.  He's very good at it.

We've never met but he has shared some of his photos with us on the Green Eggers Forum.  We all Oooo and Aaaa at his skill and thank him for sharing with us, but I have come to the conclusion that his photos are so good that they should be seen by others outside our small group.  So I downloaded the images he posted this year and compiled them into a video which I uploaded to YouTube as an 'unlisted'  video.  Then I sent the link to him.  It was a total surprise.  He loved it and asked me to change it to "public" on YouTube so that everyone can see what he sees through his camera lens. 

I think you might enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CGPZrC1o9c&feature=g-upl

It was a fun project and I was happy to do it because he takes some really cool photos that should be seen beyond our small Forum. 

Update:  only one week after creating the Once in a Blue Moon - The Movie, it has received 500 views and is growing quickly as viewers pass on the site to others.  The power of the Internet is absolutely amazing.

Thanksgiving 2012 Has Come And Gone

One more day 'til Thanksgiving.  And like every year, we've got two refrigerators crammed to the limit.  Same with the pantry and just about every cubbyhole in the house.  No, it's not just for us two, it's for two more: Joyce and Allen will be here tomorrow and lay over until Saturday or Sunday before heading back to Metairie.

Yes, we'll be cooking a turkey.  18 pounder and a bunch of side dishes that amplifies the turkey flavor a lot.  I guess the turkey also amplifies the side dishes too.  Anyway, it will be good for sure.

I'll return here and add some photos later.  Right now I'm obligated to make sure the rum is still good.

Here are some photos...

Jim and Julie Roberts Visit

We had company yesterday, Jim and Julie Roberts from Alexandria, VA.  They were in town visiting relatives before heading to San Antonio to visit more relatives.  Judy is a cousin of Jim's and they wanted to stop by the Chicken Ranch for a quick visit.

We had some pulled pork and slaw on Hawaiian rolls for them to snack on.  The day was absolutely beautiful so we did it picnic style.

I didn't get seated before the auto timer went off but it's still the best photo.

Jim and I enjoy our conversations about a lot of topics.  I wish we could have had more time but eventually we would have had to talk about politics and that may have charged the atmosphere.  Even so, he is a logical thinker and is able to clearly see both sides of an issue without resorting to fisticuffs or gunplay.  In Texas, that's important...

Knee Surgery Update

Knee replacement surgery is a piece a' cake for some and not for others.  I fit into the 'not for others' category. Mine still hurts like a SOB at times and is quite annoying when I try to sleep.  But it seems to be getting better very slowly each day.  At least I can do most normal activities again.

According to the surgeon, I'm coming along great.  Well, that's a relief.  I thought I was going to die of old age before I got well.

Meanwhile, the burning/tingling pain in my lower legs and feet is getting worse.  I saw the back surgeon who fixed my back two years ago and he ordered a nerve test done.  I'll know the results soon.  The doctor who performed the test traced the problem to L5/S1 in my lower back, probably from a pinched nerve.  It could be that a simple steroid shot will fix it.

I'm off the Ambien sleeping pills as of a few days ago, so sleep is not coming easy.  The pills are a prescription only narcotic and have some dangerous side effects, including of all things "burning/tingling sensation in lower legs and feet."  But they did allow me to sleep soundly, often for six or more hours straight.  They also prevented me from having dreams.  I loved that...  but the pills can blow out a kidney over time.  That's why my doctor reluctantly prescribed them in the first place and has since discontinued the prescription.  I'm okay with it.

At least I'm alive, mostly well, up and about and doing things.  Some people would give anything to be  able to do that.

Plano Outlaw Eggfest 2012

Once again we had a wonderful time at the Plano Outlaw Eggfest in Plano, Texas, this time on November 3rd.

Of course, a few of us met up at Twin Peaks on Friday for lunch and eye candy.  The girls like it too.

And Friday night we had a little Meet & Greet at the American Legion Hall.

Then Saturday morning about 40 of us fired up the Eggs and fed well over a hundred 'tasters' who stopped by throughout the day.  The food was good so everyone was satisfied that they came.  A few even won some nice door prizes, including three Big Green Eggs.

 
We saw some old friends and met some new ones.  One couple lives here in Spring, less than a mile from us.  Ricky and Dee Cobb.  They are Eggheads but this was the first Eggfest they attended.  They had a great time and will be attending the Salado Eggfest in March.

Of course there was an After Party at the hotel.  We cooked some more food and drank a lot of liquid while rooting for LSU to beat Alabama.  No, LSU lost in the last few seconds.

We headed home early the next morning and had pretty much everything back in place by the afternoon.

I'm working of a video of it.

Fun trip...

Knee Surgery Update

It has now been 79 days since my knee replacement surgery.  I'm fine, still a little stiffness and restricted range of motion but not enough to worry about.  I figure it will take about six months to get back to normal, maybe longer.  It really doesn't matter how long at this point because I can pretty much do what I want to do.

We will be taking our first long-drive in a couple of weeks for the Plano Eggfest in Plano, Texas.  Two weeks ago I probably would have had a problem sitting for that long but I'm thinking it shouldn't be a problem by November 2nd when we leave.

Meanwhile, I have little moments where the knee will suddenly become painful.  It happens mostly when I first go to bed.  But that's why I take a couple of Tylenol and an Ambian to help me get to sleep.  Maybe in a few more weeks I'll be able to discontinue both drugs.  As Martha would say, "That would be a good thing."

Knee Surgery Update

It has now been 40 days since my knee replacement surgery.  And I'm still having problems with pain and swelling.

They tried all the well known, high-octane pain meds but none of them worked as expected.  No pain relief at all but all of the negative side effects worked, including a couple of scares that almost resulted in a 911 call.  One even had me hallucinating.  That was enough to make me stop taking anything but Tylenol.  And even Tylenol isn't working well.  It just takes the pain level down from an 8 to maybe a 6 or 7.  It doesn't help at all on days when I have physical therapy.

So here I sit with my swollen knee and foot, in about a level 6 pain, all the while wishing this little adventure would be over.  But, like they say, it could be worse.

Tomorrow starts a new week of therapy and they are not giving me any mercy.  They want me back to normal as bad as I do but they don't have to suffer the rest of the day, all night and into the next day from an hour of flexing, bending and other forms of torture.

At least I can still wear my "Temporarily out of Service" shirt.

Meanwhile, we've had visitors.  Our long time friend Wanda from Jacksonville came to spend a few days the week before the Labor Day weekend.  She's a lot of fun and we really enjoyed her visit.

The following weekend, Joyce and Allen flew in from New Orleans to celebrate Allen's and Judy's birthdays.  New Orleans had just experienced Hurricane Isaac and getting away for a few days seemed like a good idea.  We had a great time and everyone except me pitched in to do some of the little jobs that I haven't been able to do.  As it turned out, remodeling the guest bath wasn't such a little job after all.  Allen changed out the light fixture and sink faucet.

My Sweetie also had another birthday but she worked to make sure everyone, especially me, was well fed and comfortable.  She's a Saint, for sure.

Finally, life is getting back to half way normal.  I even cooked a pizza in the Coop yesterday.

I now have a new right knee.  And it hurts like a SOB.  Just like last time.  Surgery was non-eventful and I woke up in my room at TOP's Surgery Center with tubes and hoses and drip-bags everywhere.  I wasn't hurting then but all the good stuff wore off and I was reduced to only the prescribed pain meds.  They weren't working very well.  Still aren't.  And they make me feel strange.

The Doctor let me come home Saturday morning.  Meanwhile, I have to perform a lot of therapy here and at KSF's Therapy Center starting tomorrow.  The staff knows me well from two years ago when I was having some major problems with anemia, and inflammation in my leg.  The doctor gave me almost two units of the blood I donated before surgery but it didn't help much.  Plus, the hydrocodone pain meds were simply not working to relieve my pain.  I was in a real mess and got behind on my therapy at the most critical period.  It took almost a year before I could start seeing some improvement.  I sure don't want that to happen this time so they prescribed percoset this time.

Here's some pictures...

Yeah, I threw the one with the zipper in myself.  Gotta have some humor in everything we do or it just isn't worth doing.

Oh, and I learned today that replacement knees don't hold up forever.  Twenty years is about tops.  I'm not sure I want to do it again.  For one thing, it's even more complicated, and the success rate is much lower.  I may just have to squeak when I wear these out.

Visit to Casa de Ranger for the Belifest

Over the weekend we drove to San Antonio to visit with some long-time friends and fellow Eggheads for a small gathering at Casa de Ranger, the fitting name for Lawn Ranger's home and outdoor kitchen.  Although it was quite warm and the air filled with smoke from multiple Big Green Eggs going full blast, it was a most enjoyable two days.

In as much as the people's names won't mean that much to anyone except Eggheads who already know who they are, I just decided to create a little video of the event.

Hope you enjoy it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NLISt1qUQU&feature=g-upl

Knee Replacement Surgery

Two years ago when I had my left knee replaced with an artificial one, my doctor said it's just a matter of time before I will need the right one replaced.

Well, that time will be August 1st, hopefully real early in the morning.

I've already done much of the paperwork and lab tests, started taking iron supplement pills and donated my first unit of blood.  I donate the second one next week.  And a few days before surgery i have to have another blood test and start injecting a form of blood thinner into my stomach.

Meanwhile, I've been trying to get done what will need doing for the next couple of months.  Nothing serious because we pretty much keep everything up to snuff around here.  But we did want to do some landscaping of our front entrance.  And as usual, we picked the hottest, most humid days of the year to do it.  But it sure looks better than before.  It has been raining lot lately.  We're not complaining, for sure. 

Visit With Elvis

While on our way to Hiawassee, Georgia, we stopped in Memphis to tour Graceland.  It was exactly what we expected and a lot that we didn't expect.  Elvis fan or not it's worth the trip.

We didn't take our camera in, although we quickly learned that we could have so long as we didn't take flash photos.  So we used our iPhone.  A big difference in quality but the photos still came out pretty good.

Judy assembled this video entirely by herself.  I think she did a really good job.

Enjoy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgqFX71YIA8&feature=g-all-u

Georgia Mountain Eggfest 2012

After leaving Athens, Texas, Judy and I made our way to Hiawassee, Georgia for the Georgia Mountain Eggfest.  

Here's the morning view from our hotel balcony.  Nice huh...

We arrived on Wednesday and left for home Sunday morning, driving 600 miles to New Orleans with only two stops.  (It was all downhill). We wanted to say hi to Judy's sister, Joyce and husband, Allen, who had just returned from an Italian vacation.  We were all tired so we went on to our hotel and left them to get some sleep before having to return to work.

We spent a few hours putting together a video of the Georgia Mountain Eggfest.  Here's the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5IisF7huo4&feature=g-upl

Judy put this video together of our boat ride on the lake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJTCCOD4oTI&feature=g-all-u

I'll see what I can do about adding photos of our visit with friends, Richard and Charlotte in Lewisville, Arkansas and our tour of Elvis' home in Memphis.

I think it's safe to say that we could live in Hiawassee.  We may go again next year and spend more time looking around.

Athens Eggfest

Judy and I attended the second annual Athens Eggfest in Athens, Texas.  It was on Mother's Day. 

As expected, we saw a lot of old friends and met some new ones, not to mention eating a lot of really nice food that was cooked on the Big Green Eggs. 

It is hard to describe what an eggfest really is so I usually take a lot of photos, borrow photos from others and add some music to a video I post on YouTube for all the world to see.  Here's the link to this year's Athens Eggfest 2012 - The Movie.

http://www.youtube.com/?utm_source=navclient

We left Athens driving to Hiawassee, Georgia for the North Georgia Eggfest.  Since we had a few days to get there we stopped to visit friends, Richard and Charlotte, in Lewisville, Arkansas, then stopped in Memphis to visit Elvis (he wasn't home), then spent the night in Huntsville, Alabama before driving some serious mountain roads on into Hiawassee on Wednesday.  I should be posting something about that part of the trip later.

Enjoy the Athens Eggfest video...