Summer II

I'm not sure if I mentioned in my last post that both my mom and dad were going to Indianapolis with me. My parents have been divorced for at least 25 + years. I think they realized when their first granddaughter was born that they would have to find a way to get along for birthday parties, etc. Once they both got married, then the four of them were around each other. I love that about my family. That we can all get together and get along for not only me and my sister, but my nieces and nephews. My step-sister's side of the family also does really well being around each other. Needless to say, I was not worried about them being in a car together for 4 hours. Somehow they always find things to talk about. 

Also not sure if I have ever mentioned my strong dislike for Indianapolis. If I travel, I prefer to travel north to the Chicago area or Michigan. I'm not sure what it is about Indianapolis but I get turned around every single time. It is also a trigger for me because that is where Joey was always at when he was in the hospital and where he had his transplant. The construction right now in Indianapolis is insane. I missed my exit when I got there and got turned around. Finally, I was nearby the doctor's office, but had to work my way through the roundabouts. We have roundabouts here in Fort Wayne and they are not this bad. Not to mention, when you don't know where you're going, you end up driving in circles (literally). My mom was in the backseat minding her business. My dad was keeping quiet to let me find my way. Finally, I was like if anyone has any idea which way to go, let me know. What was supposed to be a 2 hour trip, took about 2.5 hours. I got there a few minutes late. I hauled ass into the office completely forgetting the disk in the car with my imaging on it. I was definitely frazzled and I had to pee! I filled out the intake paperwork and went back to the room to wait for the doctor. He said he would not rush into a second surgery quite yet. He did say that my C6-7 disc had gotten worse overtime. He mentioned that the discs above (C2-3 & C3-4), could potentially cause problems as well. He showed me side-by-side photos of my MRIs. He did recommend that I get an updated EMG (nerve conduction study). I have not had one for about 3-4 years. He also recommended that I get a cortisone injection. Thankfully, I could get one that same day. The nurses got approval from my insurance. I got x-rays taken and waited for the next doctor to get the injection. I had to take my shirt and bra off and put on a gown. Otherwise, didn't have to remove anything below my waste or any earrings, etc. I was only getting the right side at C7 done on this day. They can't do both sides at once. You lay down on your back. They put drapes around the spot where the injection will go. The doctor uses some machine to see where the injection is going. He inserts the needle and numbs the area and then inserts the Cortisone injection. It didn't hurt, but it's certainly not comfortable. Total time was maybe 10-15 minutes. I walked back to the room and that's when my entire right arm/hand went numb, which is normal. I got my bra and tank top on but then I couldn't do my t-shirt. My mom was on the phone with my step-dad and so I had my dad slide my t-shirt over my head. It's fine, mom. I got it. She laughed. Now, they both start making fun of me. They thought they were funny for sure. We get out to the car and at this point, I can see my arm moving. I can tell my brain is telling it what to do, but I can't feel anything. Nothing. My dad was driving home. He made it very clear that we were not using GPS. He had told me at some point, you have to use common sense instead of the GPS. That's the problem though. I have zero sense of direction when I am in Indianapolis. We get out to the car, and my dad is trying to push the button on the trunk. I said, "what are you doing?" He said, "I was going to put you in the trunk." Funny. I sit down in the passenger seat and realize that I can't feel my arm to close the door. I said, "hello, can someone get the door?" My mom thought it was hilarious so she gets out and shuts the door. We asked my dad if he could stop and get food and we were told that no, he had to get home to mow. Well, that opinion was vetoed. We got onto 69 and then stopped and got McDonald's. I don't eat McDonald's unless it's a sausage, egg, and cheese McMuffin which is about two times a year. But, man, that fish sandwich and fries were delicious. 

If I sat still, I could tell the slightest difference in my right and left arm. If I was moving or typing at work, it felt no different. That tiniest bit of relief lasted two days. My injection in my left side was scheduled in two weeks. 

In the meantime, I met with my surgeon. That was last Thursday. I told him I went to the doctor in Indianapolis and got an injection and that I had another one scheduled in two weeks. I explained that this doctor said the discs above could potentially cause problems. He shook. his head and said it was very unlikely. Without knowing that the doctor in Indianapolis suggested an EMG, my surgeon suggested I get one. I am just waiting on that to be scheduled. Then, I will follow-up with him again. I asked the surgeon hypothetical questions. Such as, had I had a MRI a week before surgery, would he have replaced both discs. Thinking back, I am not sure he answered my question. He said that insurance wise, they only do MRIs once every 12 months. He said in fact, he had read an article, or publishing that "they" were thinking even 12 months was too much. He said, he did not agree with that at all. I asked him while the MRI showed my C5-6 disc was worse, what if it's the C6-7 causing all of the problems? He said possibly, but the C5-6 was compressing on my spine. Now the C6-7 is compressing. He then said in his ten years, he's never seen anything like this. He agreed with the doctor in Indianapolis that my arthritis has progressed significantly over the last few years. I always tell my parents I am a medical marvel. 

My dad and I went down to Indianapolis today for my second injection. He drove both ways. It took us maybe an hour and a half each way (he does drive 90mph). We got down there early so we stopped at Starbucks to use the bathroom and get coffee. It was my dad's first time at Starbucks! He only gets black coffee, so it wasn't anything to special for him. He said it was good and it tasted like Folgers. HA! 

The injection this time was a lot more uncomfortable. I got extremely nauseous. After he was done, they put an ice pack on my neck and the nurse got me a Sprite. I felt a lot better after that. This time, my arm never went completely numb. However, we got into the elevator and I went to push the button and my hand was shaking so bad. Unfortunately, that's common for me, just not that bad.

I'm home now. It will be interesting to see how I feel the next few days. I don't have a follow-up appointment with the doctor in Indianapolis yet. I'm hoping he will do a Zoom visit or telephone. I can't keep taking days off to drive down there.  Hoping the EMG gets scheduled soon too.

I forgot to mention that I asked the nurses what they thought about the roundabouts. They said it helped with traffic but didn't love them. The nurse said the city was on Letterman because of all the roundabouts. Apparently, it has the most in the US? I'll have to see if I can find the video. 

Summer

For as long as I can remember, summer was never my favorite season. I loved when spring came so I could open all the windows in my house. Before I knew it, summer was here, and the house was closed back up and the air conditioner on. Now that I suddenly have seasonal allergies, I can no longer have the windows open in my house. 

I was never one of those girls that looked cute hot. You know those girls I am talking about? They could sit in the sun for hours or go hiking and still look good. Makeup untouched and the cute messy bun. As I gained weight over the years, my dislike for summer grew stronger. I didn't feel comfortable wearing tank tops or shorts. Winter, I could layer up with cardigans and leggings. The apartment I lived in for 10 years had a really nice pool. That certainly helped my dislike for summer. When I found the beach in St. Joe, my stance on summer started to change. I realized if I were around water, summer was actually nice. I have gone kayaking a few times at a nearby state park which has also helped change my tune about summer. 

It's 5:15 p.m. and currently 88 degrees. I have been in and out all day sitting on my patio. About 1:00 when the sun hits my entire patio, I put the umbrella up and sat for a while. The sun is completely off my patio now and there is a breeze, albeit a warm one. I haven't left my house all day. Somehow sitting outside makes me feel like I am not wasting my day. It's amazing all of the sounds you take in while you're outside. I hear lawn mowers, birds, bugs, and the squirrels talking to each other (or my cats). A plane just flew over my house too. Lets not forget everyone's air conditioners running. I hear the sound of the car doors closing. Is someone here? Not likely. Just me and the cats. As the day winds down, the sound of my neighbor's kids are playing and their parents are enjoying their music (too loud for my liking). 

Sitting in the sunshine feels like I am plugging my body into an outlet to be recharged. I can now say I am a fan of summer. I just had to find things that I enjoy. Yes, there are still days where the humidity keeps me inside. Even then, I try to sit outside for 10-15 minutes.

I celebrated my 43rd birthday on July 5th. I had intended on going to the beach, but the weather was a little iffy. Mostly cloudy and chance of rain. I woke up on my birthday and threw some clothes on, stopped and got coffee and a blueberry muffin, and headed up to Michigan City to walk around the outlet mall. I got a new purse from Kate Spade, shirt from Guess, and a hat. I have never been one of those girls to wear a baseball hat. I left that to the hot girls sitting in the sun. One of my favorite bloggers wears a LA hat. I love it (the fit and color, but not so much the LA part). Another blogger I follow wears the same hat but a different color and it's NY (also a fan of the fit and color, but not NY). A handful of times I have gone to the website (Urban Outfitters) to buy this hat, but I couldn't do it. I grew up in a household where we watched the Bears and the Cubs. I even contemplated which one (NY/LA) would be less controversial since I am a Bears/Cubs fan. I knew I wanted a green hat, but the Cubs don't do green. I tried on a hat at Lids and actually really liked it. I still kept going back and forth. I texted my dad a picture of me in a green LA hat. I get a text back "no." I get another text that says "My watch responded with no. I didn't mean that." Blame it on the watch, Dad. HA! I walked around this little store for the longest time looking at all the hats. I came to the conclusion that I physically could not get a NY/LA hat. FINALLY, on my fifth or sixth trip around the store, I found a Bears hat and it was green. I got the dad seal of approval.

I left the outlet mall, turned the map on in my car, and followed the blue. I wanted to see if I could find the lake. I think I drove maybe 10 minutes (just confirmed, it was 11 minutes) and ended up on a street lined with beach houses on both sides. The houses were so eclectic. There were tons of people riding bikes, walking, and driving golf carts. In a split second I was in this city that I had no idea even existed. I kept trying to find a place to pull over, but it was all street parking for residents. I finally found a gravel loading area and pulled over. I got out of my car, and there it was -- Lake Michigan. It looked like an ocean. 

I FaceTime'd my niece to show her what I found. I then FaceTime'd my dad. The connection was not great, so we got disconnected so he called me. He asked me if I ended up going out to dinner the night before with my mom and sister. 

I explained that we did go to dinner, but that I blew up at everyone. No one had asked what I wanted to do for my birthday dinner and I just let it out in the parking lot where we were. It just hit me that everyone has their own shit going on. 

As I stood there on the phone with my dad looking over Lake Michigan, I had a breakdown. Yes, I have expressed how being alone feels. Hell, I've been expressing it on this blog for 10+years. It just goes deeper than that. I explained some of my thoughts that go on in my head. Such as, every 4th of July, I drive to/from the fireworks alone. I drive to/from my parents for holidays alone. When my family goes to dinner and the waitress asks how the checks should be split; my mom and step-dad are together, my sister, brother-in-law, and three kids are together, and "she's by herself." No one understands how I feel, I told my dad. No one understands what it's like to be alone all of the time. No one understands what it's like to live life everyday without someone to lean on. No one understands these thoughts happen everyday all day. In short, it's fucking exhausting. 

I got off the phone with my dad and back into my car. I stopped and got gas and a package of Grandma's Cookies. I stopped at Culver's and got a cheeseburger and fries and drove home. 

I am extremely grateful that I no longer have to printout directions on MapQuest and hope that I don't get lost. Being able to open the app on my phone with a Map has really given me the comfort to get out and explore. That's how I found the beach in St. Joe, Michigan. That's how I found this amazing little town called Long Beach, Indiana. 

During my conversation with my dad, he mentioned going to the beach with me. I told him I have been wanting to take him but he doesn't do the sun or heat. He said after working in a warehouse all of those years, he hates being hot, but he would make do. I told him I had an umbrella. We made plans to go to the beach the following weekend. Honestly, the weather could not have been more perfect. It was in the 80's, sunny, and no humidity. 

That Saturday, I drove over to my dad's and picked up him and my step-mom. We stopped and got breakfast sandwiches. Before we even pulled away from the window, my dad spilled his coffee on himself. He was insistent that we were not going back to his house (5 mins away) so he could change. Since I was driving, we went back to his house. We wiped the center console down in my car, he changed his shirt, and we pulled out of the driveway. He then realized he forgot his sunglasses. I backed up down the street and into his driveway. He gets back into the car and says, "you're still in reverse." I said, "I know. I wasn't sure if we'd have to back up again." He called me a smartass. 

We got to the beach and got our chairs and umbrella situated. We took a nice walk down to the lighthouse and back. My step-mom and I were talking about my little outburst on the 4th. I told her I like to stay in town for the 4th so I can watch the fireworks with my family. The day tends to be a little lonely though because I am home all day until we go get dinner. I told her maybe next year, I would plan to be at the beach and stay at the B&B. She said that we have such high expectations for our birthday which typically leads to us being disappointed. She said she plans what she wants to do for her birthday. It's her day. She even scheduled a surgery on her birthday once. I get what she's saying. I have even wrote a blog before about expectations. I don't fault anyone for my expectations nor am I mad at anyone. I am simply disappointed in my situation.  

We were at the beach for about 3-3.5 hours. We then went to my favorite restaurant and had dinner. We left there and I drove by the B&B I stay at and then drove through one of the neighborhoods with huge houses that overlook Lake Michigan. I showed my dad where I had my picnic.  We got back into town around 7:30 I believe. It really was a good day. 

Five months ago I had my disc replacement. 0/10 improvement. About a month ago, I had a MRI of my neck. I hadn't had one since December 2021 (before surgery). My surgeon sat in front of me and told me I need another surgery. I had my C5-6 disc replaced. He's now saying I need my C6-7 replaced. According to him, that disc must have gotten worse from when I had the MRI in December 2021 until I had surgery in March 2022. He said, so what do you want to do? I just sat there and cried. First of all, I can't make a decision like that in a split second. Second, this is a lot of information for me to absorb. I didn't say much to him. I told him I needed to think about it. 

I texted my mom and sister and told them what he said. I didn't text my dad because I knew he'd want an answer as to what my plan was going to be. I got to work and told my boss. While we didn't think it was malpractice, we definitely agreed that I needed to get a second opinion. Now the question was from who? He suggested I reach out to an attorney in Indianapolis for a recommendation on a second opinion. It took me a few days to reach out. In the meantime, I just couldn't think about it. I'm a fixer. I'm not a procrastinator. If something is wrong or needs to get done, I figure it out by asking for advice or asking for help. No one can tell me what I should do. Even the doctors. It's a decision I have to make. Mentally, I just couldn't deal with it. I needed a few days or a couple of weeks. 

I got the recommendation and reached out to the doctor in Indianapolis. I wasn't sure if I could get an appointment without a referral. The woman I spoke to was so nice. She got every bit of my information. She said typically the surgeons there don't see patients until a year after surgery because you're still healing. I explained that I was OK waiting the 6-12 months to see if my nerves would repair. But now he was suggesting a second surgery and I was looking for a second opinion. She said she would have all of my records requested by the end of the day. I didn't ask how long it would take to hear back because I anticipated a few weeks at least. I called my dad after that phone call and told him what was going on. My dad can't understand why I just needed some time to digest the fact that I may need a second surgery.

Just short of two weeks, I got a call back from the doctor's office in Indianapolis and he agreed to see me. That appointment is tomorrow. I am anxious to hear what he has to say. 

I've made it up the beach 4 times this summer. I hope to get up there at least one more time. I am working on making some improvements around my house with much needed help from family. Still a lot I want to do. Checking off my list slowly. 

According to Google we're through the dog days of summer (July 3 - August 11). Lets enjoy the sun while it's still around! 

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! Hope everyone was able to enjoy time with family. Thought I would share this photo of me and my sister. I would guess I am 9-10 months old in this photo. 

I had my six-week follow-up with the surgeon on Friday. He said my x-rays look good. The bone spur I had is not showing signs of growing back. He said in 6-12 months, the scar where my incision is will be gone. He confirmed what the physical therapist said about nerves rejuvenating. He said they rejuvenate 1mm per day. He held up his index finger as an example and said to go from one said of his finger to the other would take roughly a week. He said the nerves will rejuvenate from my neck down. I asked if I would have had surgery two years ago, would I have had a better chance of immediate relief. He said there are no studies or literature that would answer that question. He suggested some medication to help with my pain. However, the two medications he suggested are terrible for your stomach (amongst other organs). I was taking one of the medications in the winter of 2020. While it did help my pain, it was affecting my stomach so I stopped taking it. The surgeon has referred me to pain management to see what other options I can explore. 

I have no restrictions now in what I can do and am able to return to work full-time. He said, I just have to listen to my body and know my own limits. While I have been working since surgery, I worked from home for the first few weeks. A couple of weeks, I went in a few days here and there. These last few weeks I have been working half days in the office and half days at home. 

Yesterday, I cleaned up some of the leaves outside my front door and vacuumed out my car. I did an order pickup at Target. I came home and made nachos for dinner. I cleaned up the kitchen and by then I was exhausted. I ended up falling asleep on the couch. Today, I cleaned my shower which I knew wasn't a great idea. But, it needed done. After showering, I ended up taking some of my nerve medication because my arms were hurting. I was fighting not to fall asleep on the couch by 5:00. The exhaustion is not getting any better. I may reach out to my family doctor this week. 

I had my last physical therapy appointment on Thursday. Since it was not improving my pain at all, the surgeon said to continue my exercises at home. 

We will see how work goes this week. I just know that being in the office half days has been a lot for me. I am going to take some pillows with me tomorrow and see if I can set up a better support system for myself at my desk. 

I am really trying to hang in there. I simply am mentally and physical exhausted. I am frustrated with my pain. I am frustrated with my lack of strength and endurance. 

Hope everyone has a great week!