Homeless - 93

Greetings,

The year of 2013 didn't begin as well as most other years in my life; not that those times were legendary by any measure.

There were times in the final quarter of '12 that my toes would ache, especially my left big toe. I know that it sounds wimpy but consider the usage that those appendages endure and you may be able to see their value. During those times the pain would be enough to keep me from sleeping or rouse me from sleep. Walking to class on a spacious campus without valet parking became an ordeal. My calves would cramp up and I would have to sit until they subsided. I had no problems during a hard workout but a few minutes afterward, I couldn't put any pressure on my left foot without whimpering  like the lightweight I am. After a few minutes the pain would go away.

I know what you're thinking but I don't have medical insurance. I thought, and hoped, that the condition was temporary. I think that is called denial. And that toe was turning all sorts of unpleasant colors.

The first week in January, the discomfort escalated enough that I thought to hell with it and went to an ER.. To make a short story even shorter (?), I have high blood pressure, extremely so. That condition initiated a response on their part that consisted of throwing two tiny pills down my throat. Then they withdrew blood for lab analysis. Then a sonogram (?) tech came in to do a probe on my left leg. Previously, the ER nurse tried to get me to shed clothes and put on a hospital gown - you know, one of those flimsy garments with easy access to your butt. I told her that that ain't happening and removed the outer layers of what I was wearing until I was down to tank top and shorts. Did I mention the cold weather? Anyway, I drifted off during the hour-long sonogram procedure three times and apologized. The tech replied it was common due to the BP medication I was given.

The ER doctor returned later with the analysis - clogged arteries in my legs were the cause of lower leg cramps and the pain in my toes. He said that this event was a wake-up call. The obstruction of blood flow that was causing the pain could have easily been an event in my heart or brain. He gave me prescriptions for pain, high BP and cholesterol-lowering medications. Thanks to Wallmart, I can get them cheaply. He also urged the care of a primary care doctor. He said that the BP has to come down and that I need the attention of a vascular surgeon in the near future. But before that visit, I need a couple of tests performed to determine the degree of blockage in my circulatory system before the vascular surgeon can address my issues. I was given a list of low-cost clinics for continuing care. After much phone work, I found one and scheduled an appointment for the following week.

After the clinic doctor reviewed my medical data, she prescribed more of the same meds sans painkillers; seems that the clinic doesn't deal in that med. She also urged reduced physical activity; no working out but stretching out is okay. Whoopee-do but I employed her advice and still do but I cheat a little by doing low reps and lower weights. It ain't the same as a good workout.

Okay, now I have a death sentence hanging over my head. Intellectually, we all know that being born entails that somewhere down our path on this planet, we die. On an emotional level, it is an entirely different story. All the activities that person performs during the course of a day acquires an enhanced degree of immediacy and value - nothing is taken for granted.

The thing I'm wondering is the appearance of this condition. I broke a little finger playing water volleyball in '04 or '05. I know; that sounds kind of wimpy, too. That injury necessitated surgery. Since I hadn't seen a doctor in years, the surgeon wanted some tests done - cardiac stress test (including sonogram of my young supple heart in action - I saw the movie) and blood analysis. Everything came back green. Did my current condition develop since moving into BT in '07?

So if any of you know of a vascular surgeon in the Dallas area who is willing to prolong my life on a pro bono basis, please let me know. After all, there are things I want to accomplish before I leave the planet.

And as if the gods, being the fickle bitches that they are, didn't pile enough on my plate, I contracted the flu a couple of days after the ER visit.

In my experience, you're walking along minding your own business and something at the visceral level throws a switch and you know you're coming down with some evil. Oh no, not this time for me. It was a full court press. I suddenly started shivering, sinuses knotted up and a fever came upon my young hide for a few moments and then subsided. The gods were letting me know that my butt was theirs and the next twelve days were a miserable time, bundled up in BT. Oddly enough, my illness coincided.with the coldest night temperatures for the Dallas area. Knowing the contagious aspect of this evil, I shunned humans; no visiting the rec center for scrubbing up, no visiting the library. I also had no interest in eating. I lost weight. Normally, I'm around 195 - 200 pounds. During that time, my weight dropped to 180.

I pulled through that evil to a more joyous time - that of feeling well.

Continuing in next post...