July 14, 2013

This is my third attempt at writing this Journal post. [SIGH]

I just remembered that today is Bastille Day.

liberté, égalité, fraternité

In discussing my health in recent days, I have centered on the pain in my jaw/head. As such, I have neglected mentioning my left leg, which is always we can painful. If you have been a reader of Nick’s Bytes, then you are well aware of my leg. No matter what my total pain level is, the minimum is three out of 10 based exclusively on my leg.

In recent days my leg is been unusually swollen, week, and painful. I postponed going to the Veterans Administration emergency room because of my leg. My recent trips to the VA hospital and Newburg clinic have been made more difficult because of my leg. It is not only the weakness of the leg but also extreme pain that I have whether I am walking, standing, or even sitting. I am sitting at the moment, and my leg is throbbing: it is much more painful at the moment then my jaw.

Due to my leg, I have been unable to do the apartment cleaning that needs to be done, especially since I no longer have a caregiver. Just as troublesome, is that I have not been able to pick up my mail for over a week. I drive from my apartment to the mailboxes; however, my boxes in the back of the building and I find it too painful to walk the distance from the parking lot to my mailbox.

Tomorrow morning I have scheduled a visit here at my apartment by my MD2U physician. My jaw is number one on my list; my leg is number two.

If you are interested in the tank accident that began my leg problems, you find the comedy at Nick's Bytes: The Rogue's Tale.

I can’t end this journal post without adding the photographs I have taken of the Kitty Kids and Little Girls kittens. The little ones are beginning to move around and explore a few feet beyond the back of the closet. I would love to pick one up; however to do so would require putting down my cane and I am concerned, with my leg in his present condition, of falling on a kitten and badly injuring it. So I must wait until my legs are stronger.

Donate a penny 

to help support SSN, 

his 3 Kitty Kids, 

& LG's kittens?

Day Forty-one

My left thigh and knee are still weak and painful. This has happened several times in the past forty years, ever since my leg was injured when I was an army officer stationed in Germany. Besides the  injury to my leg below my knee, the muscles in my thigh were torn and my knee wrenched. In time it will heal; meanwhile, I have difficulty walking and cannot drive because I can't lift my leg to engage the clutch in my car.

If you are interested in the story of how my leg was injured, it's published here: The Rogue's Tale.

My sister, Debbie, must be visiting my mother. I always end my daily phone calls to Mom by saying, "I love you." Unless my sister is in earshot, Mom responds, "I love you, too." Today she didn't say those words. I wonder why she does that?

My caregiver and I hung all but one of the remaing pictures that made it to my apartment. We also moved the location of my large dream-catcher. 

Actually, my caregiver did all of the work because I'm in lots of pain when I stand; however, I did tell her where I wanted them to be placed.

When I can stand and walk again, I'll share them with you in this blog.

I'm still reading Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums. Being unable to move around means I should be finished with it by this evening.

I don’t know if I’ve accidently taken a double dose of Furodemide, but for the past hour I have been urinating about once every 12 to 15 minutes. With this inflamed thigh, my movement is very slow, so about the time I return to my chair, I have get up and head back to the bathroom. Maybe I need to just stay in the bathroom until all of kidneys have emptied themselves?

Two of the three kitty kids are taking afternoon siestas: Alex and Little Girl. Meanwhile, Sugar is grooming herself.