Remicade battle ♿️ 2015

Here I am at home. Unassisted walking for the first time in 20 mos. 

253 and dropping

Visited Doc today. 

B/S control is fairly tight. Bonus 'side' effect-

Weight: 253. This is first time I've been 253 and not I'll since 1995. (Diagnosed T2 diabetic in 1997). 

There really is something to this not eating. 

And to think, soon I'll be able to add exercise!

B/S control? After 17 years?

Well, this week, a milestone:

The high deviation is because of the drop; I'm excite to see where this goes!

I am currently taking 1-2 Metformin pills, 1000mg, plus 5-10 units, but not necessarily daily, of Novolog, and even more sporadically 5-8 units of Novolin, if I think there is going to be a higher carb situation. 

Wow. I did have 1 hypo- and 1 hyperglycemic reading, on the same morning. I have that set at <70 and >140. I had a 64, ate some heavy carbs and it shot up to 154. 

The best thing is that the waking B/S seems to be so in check. Normally 300-350++, this has really been where I've improved so dramatically. 

June 14, 2013- Jan 15, 2015 left foot wound

Today, at his office in St. John's Town Center, Dr. Swain declared my foot ulcer closed. It was first discovered June 15, 2013 after midnight. Earlier that day, I had assisted a employee of Brooks company with a 'valet' garbage pick up. I had done this with the guy 7 times over the prior 11 days. 

One pair of sneakers completely gave out. The process included running up and down stairs of 10 buildings, each with two unconnected landings, for a total of 20 trips up and 20 trips down. 280 trips on the stairs at 313lbs over 11 days. 

Thus began my journey in foot care & wound care. They are not the same, as I would find out. 

I tried putting Neosporin in the wound and covering it with a band aid. It was recommended that I soak the foot in Epsom Salt (by my Mom). After a couple of weeks doing this, and it NOT getting better, I called a foot doc that had some surgery on my angle in October the year before. The first avail appt was 9/5. 

Sept-Dec, I was under the DPM care, which involved a bi-weekly visit to one of his offices for a debridement. I also had a home health nurse visiting 3xs a week. During this time I had a lot of exudate discharging from the wound. I was fitted with a wound vac; but the treating nurse did not accurately follow the wound vac protocol, which included putting foam between my foot and the hard plastic basket. The result: The wound got significantly worse. I finally asked the DPM to discontinue the wound vac. He agreed and said he would enroll me in a study he was conducting instead. 

In January, I entered a foot study he was conducting. It involved receiving (or not, if in the control) ultrasonic waves, with the thought that they would promote healing. 

At first, the wound improved greatly. The visits were basically 2xs a week, and each time I would get the debridement, then the protocol. 

After that, the visits were once a week, and the protocol applications were even more spread out. The DPM discussed with me the possibility of osteomyelitis being present, and that this could involve the removal of the outer 1/3 of my left foot (4 & 5th metatarsals). 

The study ended, and from May-July, the DPM kept pushing the idea of osteomyelitis. On June 17, he had me go to the emergency room of St. Vincent's, with the intent of being admitted and him performing surgery. The ER doc did not agree with the idea that the osteomyelitis had progressed to the degree that the foot required major surgery. I was discharged. 

The DPM opinion and the ER doc opinion were both based on X-Rays; the DPM (or his office) did not want to do the work required to get an MRI, necessary for an actual conclusion. It was then that I determined I needed a new doc, or at least a second opinion. 

I called the ins, and requested that they give me a wound center to go to. In the 2000's, I had a wound on my leg that was successfully treated. The provided me with one: Memorial Wound Care. 

The first avail appt was 8/19. So I continued seeing the DPM through June, July and Aug. The DPM finally got the MRI ordered for Aug 15. I had the MRI done, they told me the results would be avail 8/20. I went to the wound center 8/19. I saw Dr. Swain for the first time. He immediately had a plan: at the first sign of infection, he would remove a piece of bone from my 5th metatarsal. 

I went to the wound care center 2xs a week, from 8/19-11/6. One day was a doc visit, the other was for the nurses to change the dressing. During the nurse visit on 11/6, the head nurse, Lu (for Lucinda), called the doc. The foot had suffered a blow out indicative of infection. Dr Swain came to the wound center, inspected the wound, then made some calls. Next, I was admitted to the hospital for a metatarsal resection. 

I was in the Hosp from 11/6-11/10. On 11/7, Dr. Swain, DPM, performed successful surgery. Why do I call it successful? In just over 60 days, he declared the wound closed!

After the surgery, visits to the wound care center were once a week through the end of the year. That was supplemented by a twice weekly home nurse visit. The nurses changed the dressing, just as was originally being done at the nurse visit at the wound care center. 

He said that care would have to be taken over the next year; I would need special shoes & inserts. But no more wound dressing, no more home nurse visits, no more big procedure to prepare for a shower (the wound couldn't get wet). 

Here is what the wound looks like today:  

And a close up:

It looks like maybe there is still a scab. But if he says it is closed, I'm rejoicing!! 19 mos, almost to the day. But 5 mos to the day under this Doc's care, and 2 mos + a week after the surgery. 

second hospitalization in 15 days 11/25-26

Well, I was only in hosp 28 hours. 

Arrived Tues @ 7:10am, discharged Wed, 11/26 @ 11am. 

Did not get out of Recovery until 4pm.

Was on O2 by nose until 5am.  Then was helped out of bed and made lap around hall, on knee walker, with nurse in toe.

Doc showed at 7:30am. Dietary delivered brkfst, ice pop, jello, chicken broth, two 32oz powerade zero. 

Doc said repairs successful. Only (irregularly) was that my stomach (organ) was very thick. Thickest she had ever worked with. 

Nutritionist showed while doc still there. Not much to add. Drink as much fluid as possible. Any issues, both said to call.

Wow. 

First BM Sat, very hard nuggets. Followed by looser movement this morn (Sun). 

No Pain. 

B/S avg around 200. Taking crushed up Metformin (since Thurs). Ate each day crushed up in jello pudding. 

Still very weak. Still enduring. 

She (Doc) did not use mesh in hernia (umbilical) repair. 

I spend a lot of time thinking about the two TV and two laptops being stolen. And that they came back for the truck with the spare key. It makes me sad that they would steal from someone with nothing.

I probablly will not even replace TVs. living without a laptop is a little harder. These iDevices are OK for a lot of things. But not for everything.

I saw a PIC of Mak today. It has now been over a year since I brought her back from Patti's on a bus.

Weird. I was working 2 jobs, one 50 hr and one 25 hour, plus going to Grad school at FSU (3 hour drive) for 9 credits- that's full time in Grad school- and stil had time for that kid EVERY WEEK,

I hope she's happy. Life without a Mommy. I still miss Danielle. Everyday.

Rigth now is a period of separation from my Mommy. I don't like it, but I will learn to live with it. We always hae to adjust. I'm sure this will be the hardest one. Dani was tough. Tara was tough. Dave was tough. Lisa was the toughest. Mak was tough. Rose was tough. Trista was tough. Now my Mom.

I used to be the one who left. Ever since I losst my manhood in that 2005 accident, others are making that choice, not me. Weird. My Dad is still there. Brooks is still there. Mark is still there. To some extent, Patti and Rebecca are still there. Mary has her own issues. But mostly I am now isolated. Unable to do forr others, they have cut ties. Hmmm. Utility. It is important.

Another Hospitalization (11-6 through 11-10

Here I lie in bed. It is 1am. Another emergency non-emergency hospitalization. 

Isolated. Here and in life. 

My niece did stop by with my medical device on her way out of town. She was gracious enough to go to Walmart and pick me up a pkg of underpants and undershirts. Plus H2O. 

Timeline of recent events (recap):

10-18: leave for KIS with visiting parents. House is robbed. Losses consist of two TV (32"), two W7 based laptops (one belongs to the boy) and truck/AB POBox key combo. 

11-2: burglars use keys to drive truck 1/4 way down driveway. Truck is secure. Thanks, 1990s. 

11-4: saw foot doc. Something off w/wound, possible development. No graft application. Had graft prev two weeks. 

11-5: got sign off from cardio, primary for 11-25 surgery. Took w/Gastroenterologist letter to,surgeon office. 

11-6: Went to wound clinic for nurse visit. Entire side of foot blown out. They call doc, he arrives 90 min later and sends me to hospital. 

11-7: Foot surgery. Doc removes small bone in foot. Bound to a knee walker. Foot is 100% non-weight baring. Have three holes: original, infection, & surgical entry point. Whole thing is big mess. 

11-10: discharged with antibiotics, pain med & home nursing. No pain med since surgery, not sure why they gave me meds. Here are three views of wound, 11/11 (post-discharge)

Yuck. 

We'll see. 

Fri: Drive BAB

Sat: visit the boy in Tpa lockup, go to 'Ice' @ Gaylord Palms

Sun: Drive BAB

Mon: Primary Followup

Tues: Podiatric Followup

Wed: Pre-op check-in

11/25: Surgery!!!

Cosi Fan Tutte on TV

I am currently watching this Opera on PBS. I have always enjoyed this Opera, about the fickleness of women. And the stupidity of men. 

I mean, who would make a bet to see if their woman will be unfaithful?

In this story, the twin sisters go for the opposite of their betrothed, who have gone off with the army. But the two return, disguised, and each woos the opposite sister. The bet is to determine who will be unfaithful. In the end, both sisters are, and agree to marry the disguised men. 

I think I love this particular Opera because it is one of the few opera's I have seen live, here in Jacksonville. 

Still, pretty stupid.