Ack! The longer it's been since I've blogged, the guiltier I feel. Then I procrastinate. Then I put it off. Then I tell myself I'll do it 'this weekend'. Then all of a sudden another week has slipped by. But, since I haven't left the house all weekend because of the weather......TA-DA!!!

All I can say is that it has been one heck-uv-a year in the health department for hubby and me. He had his diagnosis in July, but insisted on waiting till the first of October for the surgery, because he had a big motorcycle trip planned. He has always wanted to ride across the country, and this was his year. He was going to ride to the Moto-GP races in Indianapolis in September. Our daughter was going to fly out there from school and they would spend the weekend together, and then he was going to have a scenic ride back. Every man's dream....right? Well, as the summer progressed, he got sicker and sicker. He had an increasingly difficult time digesting food. He had horrific pains. He lost 30 pounds. He was just SO determined to go on this trip, he was blind to what was happening to him. Well, the first of September rolls around and he realizes he is not going to have the strength to ride his bike. So, he bought plane tickets. The time comes for him to leave, and he was so sick, he knew he wasn't even going be able to handle the plane ride. At this time, he finally called the surgeon and asked to have the surgery as soon as possible, which turned out to be only one week earlier than previously scheduled. The surgeon wasn't real happy with what he found inside. The intestinal wall had perforated, and there was an abcess hiding way back in the abdominal wall. He took out two feet of intestine and hoped that was enough. Hubby spend 10 days in the hospital. He was so nutritionally deficient, the surgeon was concerned that he wasn't strong enough to fight infections. He never said it, but I could tell the Dr. was really angry that hubby had let the pain and wretching go on for that length of time.

Well, I guess I got that number off my chest for awhile! Anyway, hubby is all better. Has gained most of his weight back and is as 'cranky' as ever. I had ordered NAP probiotics for his blood type, and he has been taking them, but not on a regular basis. I keep reminding him that he'll 'digest' much better if he lets the little buggers get in there and do their job. Needless to say, he is not one to listen to me on health matters. Otherwise he would have had the surgery in July and would have been HEALED by September and could have at least taken a plane to Indianapolis. (BTW, Daughter went to the races by herself. The weather was so windy and rainy, they called the big race off anyway)

I've been slowly healing. At least I have a good drug regimen that keeps me from burning too much. And I am getting more feeling in the parts that were numb. It's slow. But it is progress.

Well, there's more.......lots more. But I will save it for another weekend.

When is it going to stop snowing?

I was sitting, shooting the breeze with some friends of mine, and it dawned on us that as we age, all we seem to talk about is health matters. I remember when I was younger, and visiting ‘ancient’ aunts and grandparents, that all they talked about was their aches and pains. It seems we are becoming them.

I like the little poem that says: “Mirror, mirror on the wall……I am my mother after all!”

Anyway, that’s a little segue into the “Update on Linda’s Condition”. It seems they have put a name to the nerve problem. It is called Brown-Sequard Syndrome. There was some damage to the spinal cord during the incessant firing of the C7 nerve during the surgery. So, the burning in my right leg and torso continues. I take a drug called Lyrica that allows me to function and sleep. Without it, the burning is so bad I just about go out of my mind. Last week the neurologist added some Carbotrol the mix. I take a lighter dose during the day so I can get to work and function at some level. I don’t feel as bright and alert as I’d like. Sometimes I get a cup of coffee (avoid) in the afternoon. But I’m doing well with green tea in the mornings. I’m not nearly as dependent on coffee as I used to be.

An unfortunate side effect of these drugs is peripheral edema and weight gain. I have put on four pounds since the surgery. I can no longer get my wedding ring on. I’m taking some herbal diuretics, but they don’t seem to help. The roll around my waist is pretty ugly. I’m still doing Pilates and try to get aerobics in during the week. I do aerobics both weekend days, but that’s not enough. Work has been getting in the way. I must make time for it.

I’m still carrying on with my B Nonnie diet. Other than the occasional coffee and a teaspoon of mayo once or twice a week, I can’t see many avoids creeping in at this point. Of course, 100% compliance would be in order. Ok……this week I’ll try not to have any coffee. (Laying it out on ‘paper’ sure changes ones resolve, doesn’t it?)

Oh yeah, as if we middle aged folks haven’t had enough with the health issues. Hubby has come up with a one inch mass in his small intestine. He has been having pain and cramps for several months, but wouldn’t call a doctor until a couple weeks ago. A CT scan pointed out the mass. So, we can’t get in to see a surgeon until NEXT Monday. Looks like another surgery in the family looming pretty quickly.

Okay. There’s gotta be some good news in this blog. Daughter got four A’s and one B+ in her college courses this summer. She made the President’s honor list. We are very proud. She has also started her own fitness and diet program. She found a free diet website. It called www.sparkpeople.com . Lots of support for her there. So far she has lost eighteen pounds. I’m very pleased for her.

I've been trying really hard to change over to the Genotype Diet. It's been really hard. I've been dealing with many guilt trips because I've been "cheating" alot with black dot avoids. Following the B Nonsecretor diet, though, these foods are either beneficial or neutral. At this point, I've decided to abandon the stress of trying to change to the Explorer program and will fall back to the full-fledged B Nonsecretor diet. But, I will still take the Explorer 3-pack supplements, as I feel that my liver can use all the help it can get.

I think a lot of the problem is just dealing with the post-surgical issues. I'm dealing with constant pain and burning in my right leg and it's now moving into the torso. I only get relief at nightime when I take a dose of Lyrica. It knocks me out so I can sleep. From what I can learn from my physical therapist and the internet, the pain will get worse as things wake up closer to the spinal cord.

Whoopee.

Sorry for the downer blog. But, thought I should check in. I'm thankfull that I can still be productive and make a living.

Will wonders never cease? Hubby (A+ secretor) is migrating to a more vegetarian diet after about five years of being an Atkins-type eater. He has not been feeling well for awhile. He suffered from a bout of shingles in December. He has had the flu. And he was complaining of pains around the stomach area. One of our employees is going in for gall bladder surgery tomorrow, and when he talked to her about her symptoms, he realized a lot of his symptoms were the same. So, he's been surfing the 'net learning about what to eat and what not to eat. He's trying to eliminate the animal fat. He even switched from coffee and is drinking my green tea! (He thought it was black tea, because I store my bags in a tin that used to contain black tea). I think he is going to go back to coffee, though. He just doesn't want to put the half-n-half in it. So, I am pleased that he is finally coming around to a diet better suited for his blood type. (I think he is a Warrior.)

I've been slogging along with this recovery bit. The surgeon thinks the numbness in my right leg and trunk is from the C7 nerve getting excited and bothering the spinal cord. So, it may be a bit swollen. I'm slowly getting feeling back. But it is painful. At this point my leg burns constantly. I have to take a couple pills at night so I can sleep. I try not to take them during the day, as I have a life to live and they make me dopey. I usually give in around 4 or 5 PM. The left hand gets really achy around then, too.

I'm trying to get back on to the Explorer diet. This is my third day without coffee, again. We had to make two pots of green tea this morning. Hubby knows the beans that are avoid for me. He still thinks I'm crazy to follow this way of eating. That's another blog. The hard part is staying away from the black dot avoids. As I've said before, they were my B nonnie comfort foods. And I have a few pounds to lose, since I've been on activity restriction since the surgery. Next week I get to start Pilates again. I can't wait. And I'm determined to use the exercise bike more. It makes my leg burn more, but I'm tired of being fluffy.

On a happy note, our barbershop chorus went to the regional competition last weekend and we got third place! We were excited about that. (I think that's where I really picked up a couple pounds)

Hi,

Just testing the new blogosphere software. I'm afraid all my computer savvy was lost when DOS went away. Would you believe we still have two 386 machines running in our stores? Their days are numbered, but we don't need them to do alot.

Still quite a bit of nerve pain. I'm trying not to take the pain pills during the evening, but it does get tempting.

I got into my jeans and was able to zip them up and button them yesterday, so there is progress. For some reason my belly just swelled up after the surgery. It looked like my intestines were all twisted.

Anyway, we'll see if this posts okay.