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      Welcome!   03/05/2016

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ProfessorTomoe

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Everything posted by ProfessorTomoe

  1. Damn it damn it damn it damn it damn it et cetera ad nauseam. I absolutely HATE IT when doctors start changing scheduled appointments. I know they're human, and I know that they get enough patients who change appointments on them. But when I have a nurse call me and tell me that "something's come up," and under her breath she lets slip that it's a stinking CONFERENCE, I have no tolerance for that. Conferences don't just pop up, damn it! I've got three doctor's appointments, one lab-only appointment, and one house call tomorrow (!), and all of them were carefully scheduled around Mrs. Prof's available times. Now, I have two of the doctor's appointments on the same day, meaning one of them is going to have to go somewhere else, and I'm going to have to deliver the bad news to Mrs. Prof after she's dealt with a day of Jury Duty which, as the hours grow later and later, does not seem like it's going her way. She is most likely not going to be a happy camper when I tell her that we need to find yet another open time slot. And you wanna guess which doctor it was whose nurse called and made the change? Yep—the doctor from Spine Team Texas! Oh, how I've grown to detest them lately. They offered to let me keep my same time, but instead of seeing the doctor, I'd be seeing a physician's assistant. NOPE. I want to look that doctor straight in the eyeballs and give him EVERY SINGLE MINUTE of the 14 hours plus worth of agony I went through in order to get an injection that did me absolutely no good whatsoever. If I could borrow Eric Draven's empathic power from "The Crow," I'd give him those hours. I don't need them anymore. Damned rescheduling. Damned last-minute CONFERENCE rescheduling. He's really going to have to convince me to keep from changing doctors.
  2. I wondered about my blood sugar as well. I haven't been able to time out the highs and lows to match what I've eaten. If my sine waves flatten back out after my metformin supply is replenished, then that'll answer the sine wave question.
  3. Right, right. I remember that much. "DC Offset" was what I was looking for, in recording terms. I've been offset so that the mean of my signal is centered around a negative Y value.
  4. Things That Make You Happy

    I will grant you that rally is some seriously real racing. It does take a special kind of testicular fortitude to race rally, as to which Robert Kubica will attest. He went from racing Formula One to a successful rally career before nearly losing his life when he was impaled by a fence in a rally stage. IndyCar has its own hazards, as James Hinchcliffe will tell you. He nearly bled to death after hitting the Indianapolis wall a few years ago in a practice run. The deaths of Paul Dana during a practice, and those of Dan Wheldon and Justin Wilson during races have spurred on major safety innovations, such as the SAFER (Steel And Foam Energy Reduction) barrier and better driver safety tubs like the Dallara DW-12 (named for Dan Wheldon) chassis which helped Scott Dixon avoid injury beyond a sore ankle after Sunday's incredible crash. It also most likely mitigated the aforementioned James Hinchcliffe's injuries to the point where they didn't kill him instantly, giving the Holmatro safety crew time to staunch his bleeding and get him to a hospital where surgeons could save his life. I don't watch the races for crashes. A caution-free race is just as interesting to me as one which has several wrecks—sometimes moreso, especially in the small "bull ring" tracks like the 7/8th of a mile Iowa Speedway. No, I watch for the sleek rocket-ship-looking IndyCars themselves. I watch for the incredible speeds at which they run. I watch for the technology, even if it isn't as advanced as Formula One (I watch Formula One as well). I watch for the strategies, both on the track and in the pits. I watch to cheer on my favorite drivers and car owners. And now, I watch because it's a common love which my whole family shares. Basically, I just enjoy the hell out of the rocketships.
  5. Here we go with the sine wave again. See you in a couple of hours.
  6. ... and whether or not it is contributing to the "myelocyte problem" my PCP is concerned about, possibly. One thing I'm not looking forward to is him removing the pins. Those things are implanted into my bone and are protruding through my skin. I don't know if I want to be conscious when he pulls them out.
  7. Things That Make You Happy

    Reading all of the positive reports of Takuma Sato's historic victory in the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500, including the audio of the Japanese language broadcasters losing their mind when Sato-san won. Great race.
  8. 4:54 p.m. CDT 20170530. Mrs. Prof was unwell yesterday, so I've gone a whole day without my metformin. It's not like I'm taking much at a time—I'm cutting a tablet in half to get a 250 mg dose for morning and evening—but I'm a bit afraid of what being without it is going to do to me. I'm going to miss a third dose this morning, since she'll be off very soon to report for Jury Duty (no lifetime medical excuse for her, sad to say), so I won't have my metformin until tonight. Of course, she reassures me that it won't do me harm to miss a few doses. My anxiety is spiking over the issue. Meanwhile, yesterday was a "sine wave" day. I'd feel okay for a little while, then I'd suddenly feel like crap for a couple of hours. I'd respond by sleeping. I'd wake up below zero, but on the upward curve. Then I'd peak for a while, like nothing was wrong with me. Lather, rinse, repeat. I think I spent more time in negative territory than positive (can you tell I've forgotten my graphing math?), and I don't know exactly why. I'm guessing it's got something to do with my elevated white blood cell count, plus one or more of the underlying causes (stress and infection, most likely, but my toe isn't throbbing from infection). I'll probably spend most of the day with my foot elevated (i.e., asleep on the sofa), but I do have some Scribophile Moderator business I've got to be vertical to handle. I also have a conundrum—I've got to take a stand-up shower again before the podiatrist gets here Wednesday, and I'm not sure how I'm going to do it. No two ways about it—sponge baths are insufficient. However, my last attempt at a stand-up shower was not only painful, it got water all over the bathroom because I was trying to hang my left foot outside of the shower stall (the wall is on the left and the opening is on the right—picture that). Mrs. Prof is going to go in to CVS and do a bit of searching for waterproof stuff, including waterproof tape for this attempt (not present at the last attempt). I'm going to try wearing just a blue foot-only orthopedic boot instead of my full calf "moon boot" (I wore neither last time), and she's going to look for a "cast cover" that might fit over the blue boot. Barring that, it's down to roll-your-own with plastic trash bags and waterproof tape over the boot. Another thing that caused such a big problem last time was that I started the shower with me sitting on a shower stool in the center of the stall. This time, I'm going to have to start with the stool out of the way at the back of the shower stall so I can stand, get everything (skin) beyond sponge-bath clean, then move the stool to the center of the shower and sit to wash my hair. I did that back before I had a must-keep-dry bandage on my left foot—that's the real problem here, isn't it?—so we'll see how the above waterproofing plans work this time around. It sucks to have to do this much planning just to take a smegging shower. There is a part of me that wants to give up. I'm fighting it.
  9. All of time and all of space....

    Rimmer. To rhyme with, "scum."
  10. Things That Are Just Annoying

    I could use a fifth so much right now it's killing me. (old joke, still appropriate)
  11. Story Monday May 29, 2017

    Paul Taylor (Wapsi Square) had Fae down as well. He even handed one over to a Sub-Titan for sensitivity training, as it were.
  12. Trail Camera and Other Nature Images

    Mrs. Prof has not had the trail camera outside lately. Holiday-related, I guess. I expect she'll probably put it out again tomorrow.
  13. I'd love to, but I can't touch the Belgian-style ales I cellared away before I got really sick and injured. I really wish I knew the answer to the relaxation equation. I really do.
  14. 3:59 p.m. CDT 20150528. I received the results of my latest blood tests from my doctor (I guess he works the after-hours clinic on Sundays). My A1C is still at 6.1, which is at goal (normal is < 6.5), with my fasting glucose at 124. Not 100% wonderful, but not bad. All of my cholesterol and other numbers are at goal. However. (And I quote.) I pretty well fit all of the first three indications for myelocytes. I've been stressed out of my gourd, I've had an epidural steroid injection, and my podiatrist suspects an infection in the toe on which he operated. I've had the false positive for leukemia before, and I'm guessing this is another false positive. I'll just go back for a lab-only appointment on June 8th and hope that the myelocytes have gone back to where they belong. As for the high white blood count, I've had that for years. No one's figured out why I have that, but it doesn't seem to be causing any life-threatening problems. Yet.
  15. What Are You Watching?

    It was a hell of a race. Several more Hondas went kablammo, including Fernando Alonso's. Helio Castroneves came 5 laps short of winning his fourth race, but in the end it was Takuma Sato winning his first Indianapolis 500, marking the first time a Japanese racer (in a Honda-powered car, no less) has ever won the event. In other words, a driver with Formula One experience won the race—it just wasn't Fernando Alonso. Now watching the Big XII Baseball Tournament Final match between Texas and Oklahoma State. Texas is down by a couple of runs in the bottom of the 6th inning.
  16. 7:25 a.m. CDT 20170528. Rough night sleeping. Had trouble finding a comfortable position with my left iron-booted leg elevated. My right spine nerve pain kept flaring up and waking me up. I had to switch from one side of our sectional sofa to the other in order to get sleep of any consecutive length. (Our bed isn't that conducive to sleeping with an elevated boot.) As mentioned elsewhere, coffee is required at the moment to keep me awake, and I'm about to go get a much-needed second cup. Walking is a bit less painful, but still slow. I was having issues with pain in my second toe when I'd walk after the podiatrist re-wrapped my new bandages. That seems to have gone away, but I'm still skittish when I walk. My spinal nerve pain is also causing issues when walking, further contributing to my slow gait. If you'll remember, I've been referred to an ENT doctor for out-of-control coughing, mainly when I lie on my back. For some reason, I'm not coughing any more when I lie on my back. I am still getting odd coughing fits, and I've still got other nose and throat issues, so I'm still going. I'll just be going for different symptoms. I'll also have Mrs. Prof with me to provide corroborating evidence so the doctor won't blow me off as a nutcase.
  17. What Are You Watching?

    BIG TIME racing day today. Right now, I'm watching the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix. Mrs. Prof is still asleep—she had a busy day handing out cat medicine at the Pet Adoption Center yesterday, and she's not really an F1 fan. She is an IndyCar fan, though, and she will be waking up in time to watch the coverage of the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500, which starts at 10:00 a.m. CDT. We will both need mass quantities of coffee to make it through the race (assuming there isn't a rain delay)—her for physical fatigue, me to fight off medicine-induced sleepiness. We will watch the Indy 500, though, come hell or high water. There's too much intrigue in today's race, with Fernando Alonso driving, Scott Dixon on pole with a monstrously fast speed, and questions about Honda's engine reliability after James Hinchcliffe's engine went kablammo during carb day Friday, despite Honda's overall speed advantage. It's going to be a hell of a race.
  18. Worry not, my friend. I see it after I wave it. It's like a cursor with a trail, and it doesn't happen every morning. Only occasionally, and usually for just a few minutes after I wake up.
  19. The dizzy stuff is because of you Abilify dose, if I remember correctly, right? (Brain fade - please humor me.) Haven't experienced it with my own increase from 5 mg to 10 mg. However I am experiencing something almost as weird: afterimages after I wake up. I can wave my hand in front of my face, and it'll leave a "trail" of images that fade away behind it. Wikipedia calls it Illusory palinopsia. I call it weird, yet somewhat cool, when it happens. Turns out the culprit is most likely my Topamax. I can live with it, as long as the Topamax and hydrocodone keep working together.
  20. What Are You Ingesting?

    Euro-style ham, mushroom pizza, lambrusco wine, and squash. must be one hell of a song.
  21. Things That Make You Happy

    I just switched from 32-bit Firefox to 64-bit Firefox, with no apparent side effects, just by following the instructions posted on Mozilla's website. They actually got something right for a change!
  22. You know what'll really surprise the hell out of me? If he shows up carrying the stereotypical "little black bag" that doctors of yore used to carry. That'd be a hoot.
  23. What Are You Ingesting?

    I've added two items at both ends of the price spectrum to my Amazon Wish List. I'm now going to sit back and, as you suggest, see what happens. And go slightly mad in the process.
  24. Correct. It dates back to small town Americana, where one, maybe two doctors served an entire burg. It is a thing of ancient past, being resurrected, and most surprisingly so. The doctor and his nurse/wife are even familiar with the part of town in which I live, which is even more surprising since it's in "blue collar" Garland, TX. I'm not going to complain about it, either way.
  25. 4:58 p.m. CDT 20170526. Finally, a smidgen of good news from my podiatrist. He differed with my primary care doctor's opinion on the Charcot foot, thank goodness. Granted, I've seen him a total of three times (including in the hospital) compared to the countless times I've seen my PCP, but he is a podiatrist and does know what he's talking about. He believes the hospital and my PCP may have been trying to dramatically warn me that I could be heading toward a Charcot foot, perhaps. In any case, he doesn't think I have one. As for the rest of my podiatrist appointment today, he unwrapped my foot to get a look at how my toe was doing. Good grief—I've got radio antennae sticking out of the sides of my big toe! I should be able to pick up FM radio! Seriously, there are pins with rubber cushions on the ends sticking out of each side of my big toe, a nasty zig-zag set of stitches running down the top, and a fair amount of redness and swelling that concerned him enough to put me on Augmentin, just in case. There was also a bit of a problem with him re-wrapping my foot. I took a step after his first re-wrap and immediately jumped back from significant pain in my second toe—one that wasn't broken. He had to do a rather complex rewrap job before I could put weight on my foot (in the boot) without non-broken toes yelping at me. Now, for the weird part: he's going to pay me a house call next Wednesday to remove my stitches! You see, Mrs. Prof has Jury Duty on Tuesday (right after I received confirmation that I've been permanently removed from jury duty due to disability—what are the odds?) and is required to go in to her office to work on Wednesday, so she can't transport me to the podiatrist's office. He doesn't want my stitches to stay in any longer than next Wednesday, but he'll be leaving town for something on Thursday. Hence the Wednesday house call. Of course, that means Mrs. Prof will go into another absolute cleaning frenzy the night before, but that's a small price to pay for one of life's little rarities. So, for now, Mrs. Prof is over at a family friends' house, watching their kids while they attend the U2 concert at AT&T Stadium in Arlington (they're spending a mint—$200 tickets each, plus $50 for parking). She won't be home until well after midnight. I've been told by the podiatrist to continue elevating my foot for another week, which I do when I'm passed out from exhaustion and hydrocodone. I'll probably order up some sushi from the local Asian delivery place later on and try to find German food on Amazon for possible addition to a Wish List.