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.

Heart By-Pass Surgery Re-Scheduled

My cardio-surgeon called to say he set up a new date for my surgery - May 14th.  Same time and place. 

There was no mention that I would need to go though the Pre-Op again at the hospital.

So, for all of us who were anxiously waiting for an outcome, we're back on track with a new surgery date.

Meanwhile, thanks to everyone who wished me well, no matter when the surgery is.  I'm blessed to have so many friends, including a few friends I've actually never met.

I'll keep you posted.

Heart Bypass Surgery Postponed

Just the whole idea of having your body opened up and your heart stopped for a number of hours while arterial blockages are bypassed using veins and arteries harvested from other areas of your body sounds like some kind of futuristic medical intervention on board the Starship Enterprise somewhere out there in the cosmos.

But that is exactly what I was scheduled to have done today, May 7th, 2019 at little Lakeview Regional Hospital in Covington, Louisiana

However, just hours before I was to leave for the hospital, my Cardio-Surgeon called to ask if I would be willing to postpone my surgery so that someone with an urgent need for surgery could be treated. 

Of course I agreed to it.  After all, I feel pretty good, and apparently my situation is not nearly as urgent as the other patient.

Besides, as complicated as it all sounds, open-heart by-pass surgery has become a routine and very common form of treatment for blocked arteries, as evidenced by the number of friends and neighbors who stepped up to give their own accounts of their open heart surgeries.  I'm beginning to think that half the people who live in our little age-restricted community of Terra Mariae have had the surgery.

The worry and anxiety I may have had never materialized.  If anything, everything I heard and read told me that I would become a 'new man' within hours after the surgery.  My blood would flow freely again giving me energy and stamina, not to mention giving me a longer life.  For the first time in years I will be able to do things and go places without the worry, discomfort and sometimes pain of a stressed heart.

Except now I have to wait a few more days for what is nothing short of a miracle to make me whole again.

I can live with that - literally.

Carotid Surgery a Success

First of all, the carotid artery surgery went well and I’m on the road to recovery.  I actually feel pretty darn good.  But I’ve got to wear a huge bandage on my neck until next Thursday when I go see my cardio surgery doctor. 

Meanwhile, my regular cardiologist wants me to have another echocardiogram.  He didn’t say why but I suspect it’s because of the number of blockages in my heart arteries.  I think there are 7 now.  A nurse told us they don’t like to do more than five, maybe six bypasses at a time .  Sometimes, a blockage may be on the back side of the heart making it harder to get to.  That takes more time, not only to harvest the veins in my legs, but to install them in the heart.  They don’t like to keep me on the heart/lung circulating machine for a long time because that can cause organs to stop working or become damaged by the long delay.  I guess I’ll know why he wants it when he tells me to come do it.

It appears that my open heart surgery will be week after next instead of next week.  They seem to be concerned about something.  But they are both fully convinced that the blockages need fixing soon.  

Meanwhile, I had to be kept hooked up to the machine to monitor my vitals all day yesterday.  I could hardly move with all those damn tubes on me/in me.  By afternoon I was getting yancy (a kind word for impatient as hell).  I even told the surgeon the story about the guy who “Prayed to God to give him patience, and to be quick about it.”  He just laughed. 

After he removed and replaced the bandage, he decided that I needed a prescription for a pain medication (although there was no pain) and another type of blood thinner or something that he wanted me to take last night.  But the Pharmacy was closing at 6:30.  We hustled and arrived at 6:33 and was able to get the medicine.

Meanwhile, Judy had not slept in the two days.  She was exhausted.  

Meanwhile, the machine they had me hooked up to all that time was checking my heart beat, blood pressure, breathing and my oxygen saturation.  The alarm kept going off when I would doze off because I would stop breathing repeatedly soon after falling back asleep.  The alarm was because my oxygen level was dropping to under 90%.  They like it to be 100% or close to it.  The alarm would continue to sound until I started breathing again and brought my oxygen percentage to above 90%.  That went on quite a while.  The nurse then told me that I probably have Sleep Apnea.  I’ve known that for years but it never seemed to have caused any serious problems.  But it turns out that undiagnosed/untreated sleep apnea probably contributed to my heart condition and other issues, including my lack of energy and even being overweight.

Needless to say, I’ve already been researching my options.  I don’t like the idea of having a mask on my face but everyone I’ve talked to said they love their Cpap Machines, and they are finally getting good sleep.  And they feel better.  I’ll first need to go to a sleep lab to get an official diagnosis and severity determination.  Then they will determine which type device is recommended for me.  I think Medicare may pay for it, but I may have to pay for any upgrade device. 

And it appears that exercise (probably walking) is also in my future.  I know the walking only works if you get your heart pumping really good, so I’ll probably look into getting another treadmill, probably with a heart rate/breathing rate monitor I wear and can download the data.  I don’t like walking in the street or going to gyms.  And I do like to actually see the data to show me how well it is working, or not.

Getting old and staying alive has become a frigg’n full-time job. 

And on top of all this, I’ve got people all over, including some I’ve never even met praying for me.  One is forming a prayer circle where they all hold hands and pray.   I also have some special friends who will keep their fingers crossed for me.

Life is what it is, then you die.  Then what???  But right now, I'm getting everything fixed that can be fixed.

More about the procedure:  https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/efficacy-of-mandibular-subluxation-for-carotid-endarterectomy-with-combined-fixation-using-interdental-wire-and-putty-2329-9495-1000170.php?aid=69940 

Multiple Surgeries On The Calendar

We spent almost two hours with my new heart surgeon today.

Good news and bad news!  Wait!!!  There is no good news!  Unless you figure the statistical odds of something going wrong is less than 1 in 500.  That’s not much.

There were three people in the waiting room this morning on what was described as a ‘slow day.’  They see patients 5 days a week.  That probably means they have seen an average of about 25 patients a week since January 1^st (about 14 weeks).  That would make it about 375 patients. 

Breaking the odds down from 1 in 500 to 1 in 375 means (assuming I know what the hell I’m calculating) the odds are 2.6 in 375 of something going wrong with my upcoming surgeries(s).

Yes, ‘Surgeries.’  All serious, and all life-threatening unless fixed.

Here’s what my blockages look like.

The first surgery is Tuesday of next week to repair my Carotid Artery.  I go to the hospital tomorrow for the ‘pre-op’ stuff.  Probably just some blood work and legal forms.  It was determined that my Carotid Artery has upwards of a 75% blockage.  It needs to be fixed first.

The week after the carotid artery surgery I’m to be scheduled for open heart surgery to repair five blockages ranging from 80% to 90%.  That should keep me alive and ticking for awhile.

Then, they will determine when I should return for aortic valve replacement.  But it should be done within two years.

He was complimentary of my being in good shape, my heart being strong, and he was blown away surprised that I was still able to lift 100 pound stones during landscaping projects.  He even said he liked my shoes and wanted to know how I kept them looking so well.  (Mineral Oil).

I asked him if changing my lifestyle would help slow the blockage build-up, and he looked at me oddly before saying “no.”  Judy thinks the odd look was because he is fixing me back to 100%.  And it took 78 years to get to this point in my health.  It’s not likely that I can attain this level of blockage again before I die of old age. 

So in celebration we went to a favorite high-calorie restaurant, Abita Café in Abita Springs, and had some high-calorie lunch.  And I may have a Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla and Fireball Bourbon Float for dessert later today.  Hey!  If I’m gonna live, I’m gonna live good… Know what I mean Vern?

Now you know the latest.  

I may have that Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream and Fireball Float now.  Seems like as good a time as any.

Life is Catching up to Me

Well, after 77 years and 11 months, my life is finally catching up to me.  And if things don't go right in the next few weeks, it might just pass me up.

Yesterday I underwent an 'exploratory angiogram.'  It was initially scheduled to see why I had what appeared to be a 77% blockage in my carotid artery.  It turned out to be only a 50% blockage.

But my cardiologist decided to check my other arteries while I was there.  And he was quite surprised to find that all four heart arteries had 80% blockages.  He was surprised because I had undergone a stress test last year and I was fine.

Obviously something has to be done about it, so we contacted a recommended heart surgeon and I have an appointment day after tomorrow.  It's more of an introductory meeting but I'm sure to be scheduled for open heart surgery within the next two weeks.

I know open heart surgery is pretty common these days, and has a very high success rate, but this time it's me who will be on the operating table.  Instead of having a one-in-a-million chance of something going wrong, I see it as a one-in-one chance of something going wrong.  At that moment, all the millions of success stories mean nothing until my surgery is over and I'm up walking around.

I already know some things will need to change in my life, lifestyle among them.  Food intake is surely on the list, as is exercise and restful sleep and etc, etc, etc.......

I'll try to keep my blog updated but it too may end up being a casualty to the need for change.

Wish me luck.

Eggheads Visiting La Maison des Poulets

During the past few weeks we've had a flock of visitors to La Maison des Poulets (aka Chicken Ranch).

First there was Gene 'Crimson Gator' Skillin and his friend Tim from Florida.  Gene was on his way to compete in a steak-cooking event in Katy, Texas.  Tim is a certified SCA Judge and was serving as a Judge at the contest.

I posted about their visit below on February 17th along with a video of Gene cooking Waygu steak for dinner.  But here's the video link if you missed it:  https://youtu.be/TKqUL-S47fI

Then came Jay "SSN686" and Kathy Taylor from Florida.  Jay was serving as a Judge at a BBQ event in Hammond, Louisiana, just a few miles west of us.

While here, Jay cooked some of his famous Shrimp Burgers.  They are definitely a crowd-pleaser.  Here's the link to the video of him cooking them: https://youtu.be/fL-LKG9SElk

And no sooner than Jay and Kathy left for home on Sunday, Pete 'Celtic Wolf' Benac from North Carolina arrived towing his RV trailer, Wolf Den.  He parked it at a nearby RV park and 'camped out' there the whole week before heading to Florida.

Pete came ready to cook some Lamb Chops for us. And I made a video of that cook as well.  Here's the link to it: https://youtu.be/q2LKr_gxQAI

We had a feeling we would see a few old friends now and then.  After all, we're on the East/West route.

Terra Mariae Mardi Gras Parade

I've said many times how much we love living here in Terra Mariae.  And although it is a small community, we still like to have a good time.  Since this time of year is pretty much anything Mardi Gras, there's no better way to have fun than to have a Mardi Gras parade.

It helps to dress the part...

It doesn't have to be a big and noisy parade .  In fact, small and quiet is perfect for us.  After all, we residents are all over 55, some by a long shot, and noise no longer excites us.

But we all like to have a good time.  That's why a parade is perfect.  Especially one like we have.

I put together a little video so you can watch our parade from start to finish.  Don't worry, it takes less than ten minutes, unless you enjoy it so much that you want to watch it again.

So kick your feet back and watch the video.  You'll be glad you did.

Here's the link: https://youtu.be/Cp1Ckveco-E