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