Shelby's class

I had class today with Shelby. It wasn't easy, being 7 days out of surgery. Thank goodness for wheels! My head and arm are exhausted but thankfully Shelby was a great lil girl today. By the end of the hour she not only mastered today's commands but also the ones from last week that we missed. She is one sharp cookie!

Miss Shelby in her new vest:

Pincushion day

This morning I had my lumbar MRI. I haven't heard otherwise so I'm guessing the x-rays ruled out tumor etc. since I got the call to come in for an MRI. They ordered it without contrast but once the people at the imaging center saw how many spinal surgeries I've had, they showed the doc in charge and he did an override. So, contrast it was.

We headed over to my clinical trial check-up. I didn't realize visit 4 was a labs day. So, there went some blood. The lady didn't do as nice a job as the MRI girl, constantly shifting the needle around, wiggling it, pushing and pulling, trying to get me to bleed. Anyone who knows me knows I bleed like a stuck pig and my draws are notoriously easy...if you know what you're doing.

My chair is going to take longer than expected; it has an expected ship date of July 2.

I hate being stuck in this situation. I need all my brain stuff replaced, need my right subclavian artery fixed, and God only knows what I've messed up in my lumbar where they did the L2-3-4-5 laminectomies, tumor removal, and filum terminale release (followed by 4 month leak).

And of course I was denied a Medigap supplement by the only company that offers one here. Screwed. We can't pay 20% of all of those surgeries, not again. Not an option. Just doesn't seem right to live in America and not be able to get the care needed to live.

New York, Chiari Institute, Testing

I spoke with my NY nurse yesterday and today. On Tuesday I'm going to my local radiology facility for a DEXA bone scan, x-rays of the cervical spine, MRI of the c-spine, an and MRI of the brain.

Two days after that I will be 3 months post-op from my arterial surgery, so the imaging should be good and accurate. A bonus is I have to stop taking vitamins and minerals for the rest of the week!

Other than that, the situation is just lousy in general. I dread the whole darn thing and what will come afterward.

DD's CPAP; surgery info

The pulmonologist called today and believe it or not, the CPAP is FINALLY being taken care of. It's been 3 months since the first sleep study and 7 weeks since the second/CPAP titration. Her first study she averaged 12 events an hour; on the second with the CPAP, only 1 an hour.

Someone asked today about what the latest was with me and it occurred to me I might ought to give more info for those who have missed it. We leave the 3rd; have the 4th to relax and check out the city; pre-op appointments with the 2 surgeons on the 5th; surgery is the 6th.