Some CC/Update

[Guest guest]

Hello there everyone,

Thought I would post an update on how things are going with me lately. I

was offline a lot last week because I spent most of the week trying to get

a PICC line inserted for IV antibiotic treatment. (Robin sweetie you know

how much fun that is) After the 9th attempt to thread the PICC line up

around the shoulder they gave up afraid they were going to pierce one of

the blood vessels. I felt like a snowblower had driven up and down my veins!

Thursday I had to report to the day surgery unit where they put in a

Hickman catheter, which is where they make a small cut over the jugular and

then tunnel this tube through so it comes out on your chest. I've named

mine Leroy.

How lovely.

I know some of you have had Hickmans before so you will know how pleasant

an experience it is. It is stitched right onto my chest so it isn't going

anywhere.

The reason for the IV anti-biotics is the stupid g-tube again, the whole

area is infected with some weird bug I must have picked up the week before

when I was in hospital to do the dental work.

The dental work went very well, but 2 days surgeries within a week was a

bit much on the old system.

Thanks to Kathleen I am using cervical traction regularly to keep my head

from sinking into my shoulders completely, and I faxed a letter off to Dr.

Milhorat's office this morning updating him on things. I know that the

time is coming I will have to talk to him about re-doing the bone fusion to

achieve stability. Unfortunately I will have to wait until the nice

insurance company from Universal studios (where I had the accident that

fractured and dislocated my c2 vertebra) decides they will pay for my

medical treatment. Until then I am trying to keep the neck as stable as

possible.

Speaking of legal stuff, my lawyer in Florida flew up to Canada last

weekend to meet me and go over things, do interviews etc. I think he was

kind of shocked when he saw me, I guess there is no way to explain

something like chiari over the phone, not to mention the cranial settling I

have now becasue of the C2 fracture and the bone graft being re-absorbed.

My course is going well, so far it is not too much. NObody there knows

anything about my chiari, I just told them I fractured a vertebra in an

accident and had surgery (which explains my neck). It is nice to be

learning stuff again. As long as I can handle it physically I will keep

going. But boy what I would not give for my pre-chiari memory!

Well that's the news in this part of the world,

Married life is treating me just fine...: )

Darlene

" A man is what he thinks about all day long. "

World ACM Association...

http://www.pressenter.com/~wacma/