Nobel Ruminations

I think some important folks have been over looked for the Nobel Peace Prize. To name but a couple: First of all that irrepressible Yaqui Medicine man, "Don Juan Matus". If everyone would submit a year of their life to the teachings of this Yaqui, the world would be a better place for sure! For now I want to add one other person to this overlooked list, Terence McKenna. "The world sorely needs Terrance right now."

 Footnote to me previous post re Nobel laureates. In the winter of 1976 I was riding a 3rd class bus through the Sierra Madres en route to Puerto Escondido from the Ciudad Oaxaca. 2/3 of that route is dirt road starting in Oaxaca at 5000 ft. altitude through the mountain passes of 8 to 9000 ft. At this little village in the mountains we stopped and this odd couple joined our group of passengers,

One of the newcomers was a gringo or a mexican-american of about 5 to 60n years of age. The other passenger was and old indio, perhaps 7 to 80 years of age and he was the man for sure. The younger dude was deferential in attitude and demeanor. For the next 4 hours I listened to their interactions and I truly believe I saw Don Juan Matus and his apprentice Carlos Casteneda in this mystical mountain range of high mountain pine forest in the tropics. It was a sublime journey I have shared with no one until now. I remained stoked, awed, and in wonder to the present.

Wounded Knee

During February of this year (2012) I knuckled down in a serious attempt to loose some weight.  I slowed down my eating and began a daily walk,  My walks were pretty aggressive; Meaning they were brisk, lengthy, and intense.  By April I had lost right at 30 pounds, yea! The pendulum always swings back, and sometimes with a vengeance. Something happened on one of my mid April walks.  I believe it was the evening I missed a step off a curb.  You know, an elevation change that caught me off guard.  At first I really did not notice much other than a bit of soreness in my right knee that began to get sorer quickly.  Soon, the pain was just about intolerable at certain times and my mobility was wrecked.

My medical needs nowadays are meet by the U.S. Veteran Administration.  Luckily for me there is a huge VA Medical center about 30 miles from the house and there is where I went on April 26 2012.  Now the VA has a lot to be desired as far as service goes.  Long waits and surly employees are often the norm: However, the price is right and medically speaking, quality is fair.  Appointments are your best bet but walk-ins are your only option sometimes and the wait-times can be excruciating. That first day after waiting 3 hours I saw a nurse, and explained the problem.  She in turn took her version of my problem to the doctor who, in turn ordered an X-ray and brace.  So off I went to X-ray Department and then to Prosthetics Lab.  While trying to take a seat in the Prosthetic Lab's waiting room there came an audible popping sound from my right knee. Suddenly I find myself on the floor, my mind's eye taking note of the white dots blinking in synch to throbs of pain.  I named it, "White Hot Spots of Pain", or WHSOP (pronounced whysaup). The WHSOP were quite intense and very entertaining to those who witnessed the episode

That day I got a brace and after struggling home and back to the VA the next morning I realized that a brace alone wasn't enough to keep me mobile.  So I received this walker-type device that you push along until you can go any further, then it servers as a chair.  Here, I will show you.

So, what do you think?  The thing really does help me get around.  I am able to walk while taking some of the weight off my right knee.  And the fact that the thing doubles as a pretty comfortable chair is a real boon to my autonomy. A few days after getting the, you know, I have know idea what the proper name of this device is.  I dread calling it a walker because that term conjures up images of folks older than I pushing these aluminum, silver colored devices down the halls of nursing homes.  But I truly do not know the correct name, so I deem it an Urban Mobility Device, my very on UMD,  (I just added UMD to the spell check, so it is official).

 A few days after getting my initial prescriptions, the brace, and my UMD I was informed that the doctor was unable to see determine anything from 2 sets of X-rays and thus he scheduled me for an MRI.  In typical VA sluggishness, that MRI was set to occur at breakneck speed in exactly one month.  My MRI appointment is currently scheduled for June 6 2012.

For reasons not exactly clear, the pain management of my knee was passed off to another doctor at the VA by my Primary Care Physician(PCP).  My initial meeting with the doctor for pain treatment was next to impossible to schedule.  To make a long story short, I will just say that the appointment only occurred after I saw a patient advocate.  Patient Advocates are there for VA patients who feel their rights have been violated and my Advocate wholeheartedly agreed that my rights had been trampled upon and his inquiries had me sitting across the desk from the Doctor in two days time.  I was well treated after seeing the Patient advocate.  My meeting with this doctor was documented on my Facebook Timeline and I will copy that exert here::  I met with on one of my Doctors this morning and flowers along the yellow brick road were harvested, synthesized, and made palatable. Tonight there will be restful sleep. Tomorrow I wake up, apply some sort of camphor gel that really feels nice, put the brace back on, and trudge.

It is nice to have some effective tools to fight the pain.

There is nothing to do really until the problem is diagnosed.  Meanwhile I put gel on it, wrap it, fasten-up a brace around it, and use the UMD to get around on it.  I will keep you posted from here and Facebook.  You all have a great Memorial Day!

Robin Maroney
May 27 2012

Crossroads

I have decided to move my personal computing more into the google offerings and am making a new commitment to write more in my Blog.

July 2011 has been quite a month actually. My sister married off her eldest daughter, Sara. The wedding was cool and it was nice to see family members in a celebratory mood. The groom is a yankee, but seems pretty cool and Sara really was happy.

I am working a few websites this week, starting with http://horizonautocenter.com in the morning. I will travel to the office in Rockwall to do the work, mainly because the resources for that website are on a local machine there. Plus it willl be nice to see everyone at the shop.

Max is full-on into Summer vacation and has his sleep/wake cycle almost exclusievly nocturnal. So much like his Mother!

I trully hope this is something I continue every night from her e on. Welcome back to Robin's Ruminations

Where I am, my Perspective

To be honest with my self is tough because I am not doing so good in a lot of areas. Let me make a list and call the list, Major Life Areas:

• Social
• Financial
• Physical Health
• Mental Health
• Psychological

One at a time I will examine the above areas with an eye towards honesty. One might ask, "Why might you be doing this?"; To which I would reply, to improve my lot through self-discovery via the process of writing it down in an effort to face the facts and claw my way out. Using my Blog to this purpose brings some miss-givings, being public and all. Maybe the potentially public aspect of this writing will be a benefit rather than a humiliation. Will my need for honest self-appraisal be hindered by the public nature of a blog? I hope not. I only have one follower, whom I already share my thoughts and feelings with quite openly, so to answer the question of hindrance by potential discovery, no, not at first anyway. Perhaps that will change. We shall see. Enough of this speculation, and on to the real deal.

Okay, so let me begin by discussing the above bulleted items, the first being:

Social:

Recent times have seen my social life becoming extremely limited due to the inadequacies of other areas, economic being chief among them. If having a normal cash flow was currently operative I doubt this area would even appear as a topic of concern. I believe myself as functioning with normal social skills, they just don't get practiced often. Maybe other relevant observations will occur to me as I continue on to other areas.

Note: After putting more thought into this "Where I am Perspective", I believe that the potential for harm does exists in continuing the exercise in this public forum. As I get into it more I realize how unpleasant it would be to see the text from other areas splashed across the net. Therefore I am taking it private at this point. Perhaps I will share the conclusions, plans developed, and other facets in the Blog format later on. Until then, goodbye.

Robin Maroney -November 20 2010

Surprise Surprise - June 22 1st & Only Post

This is going to be short. Yesterday, all day my under arm hurt on my right side. Later as I was getting into the shower, I discovered a large bump, angry and red in my right armpit and it hurt bad. I was just going to start my second round of medication in preparation for the colonoscopy. So I called the VA Hospital and they advised me to come in and deal with this and reschedule the camera going up my rectum. Fine, so I went this morning and the diagnosis is:* Hidradenitis suppurativa (also known as "Verneuil's disease"^[1], "Pyoderma fistulans significa,"^[1] and "Acne inversa"^[1])
I got antibiotics, a topical solution and I am back in tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM to see my doc.

My arm hurts and I am blue. That will be all for now. Oh yea, my colonoscopy has been rescheduled.

Next post I will lay out the new diagnosis as I have been effected.



*Wikipedia.

2 Post Monday June 21 2010

I consumed the second bottle of the fowl-tasting lemon stuff and almost threw up! That stuff is God-Awful! I truly detest the magnesium citrate, the after taste is like something that was once alive and has decomposed in your mouth. I am now hungry. As I sit here I here I have a cup of vegetable broth going along with Gatorade. The heavy stuff begins in less than 3 hours.

1st Post Monday June 21 2010 "The Day Before"

I have a procedure scheduled tomorrow morning called a colonoscopy Today I began prepping about 30 minutes ago by drinking a small bottle of nasty tasting stuff that had a lemon twang to it, the drink was Magnesium Citrate. I will do another bottle at 1.00 PM. At 6 PM I start in on this solution that you mix with water create a concoction that equals 4 liters. The medical folks expect me to consume a glass every 10 minutes till it is all gone. My stomach is a bit quesy now and I have been told to expect prodigious bowel movements.

I have been reading up and have had lot's of helpful advice from freinds and family who have been througgh the procedure. The following is what I read this morning:

Preparing for a colonoscopy

The few days before a colonoscopy are extremely important to ensure that the colon is clear of all waste. Here are a few tips that could help you in the few days before a colonoscopy.

Colonoscopy preparation tips

Talk to your doctor.

Discuss the different colonoscopy prep options, and choose one that is most likely to provide you with a safe, effective, and tolerable prep.

Watch what you eat. (I have been instructed not to eat)

Most healthcare providers will recommend a specific diet to be followed for the prep to be more effective. Follow your physician’s recommendations about what you can and cannot eat before a colonoscopy.

Complete the prep.

A clean colon results in the most effective colonoscopy, and your prep is more likely to be thorough if you complete the entire regimen. Be sure to read all prep instructions, follow the recommendations for a precolonoscopy diet, and complete each step when instructed.

Stay near a restroom.

While it’s not the most pleasant thought, understand that after you take your prep, you will experience a significant amount of "bathroom time." The prep is meant to give you diarrhea, the action that cleanses the colon. It’s also a sign that your prep is working. Many who have undergone bowel cleansing recommend the use of ointments and wet wipes to greatly reduce the effects of significant amounts of bathroom time.

Follow your physician’s instructions.

Your physician will provide you with detailed instructions on how to prepare for your colonoscopy—follow them exactly.

Stay hydrated. (I am drinking a lot of water)

Drink at least the amount of fluid required by the prep—hydration before, during, and after the prep and colonoscopy procedure is very important. Colonoscopy preps cause the body to lose a significant amount of fluid. It’s important that you prepare the body by drinking before the prep, stay hydrated by drinking during the prep, and replenish your system by drinking after the prep. If your body does not have the necessary amount of liquids you can get very sick. So make an effort to drink extra liquid for a few days before your procedure, and this will leave your body in good shape to avoid dehydration.

Schedule someone to drive you home.

(got this covered, after some difficulty, I truly hope they do a good job with the narcotics)

Because of the sedatives used during the colonoscopy, you will not be allowed to drive and should find someone to transport you home.

Pass on the word.

Now that you’ve learned the value of getting screened for colon cancer, tell those you know about the importance of getting screened. It could save a life.

Yada, yada and more yada.
More to come.