My Season is Over

Officially ended my motorcycle riding season the other day when my brother-in-law moved the REB so I could get to the bike covers.  He then covered the bikes while I stood and stoopervised.  This is the first time I have covered them up, always having them ready to ride the instant a decent day occurred.  I'll patiently wait until Spring before I think about riding again. 

I recently befriended A young Wichita U. student, via the Royal Enfield Forum, that is having electrical problems with his new Military.  He is blowing headlights so I sent him a couple of 5 inchers that I had lying around.  Hope he figures out the problem as he is unable to find any locally.  He has an interesting web site, http://www.indianajosh.com/, and is well traveled for such a young guy.

Something Positive

Finally something positive to report almost 10 weeks after surgery.  On September 29th my surgeon put me on the drug Lycrica to help with the nerve pain in my right leg and foot.  Yawnnnn, no effect.  Last Monday I met with my local doctor and she tells me to double the dosage.  The next day the nerve pain in my leg and foot is noticeable reduced, hallelujah!  I feel SO much better I can't believe it.  Oh, I still have that pain in the ball of my foot that hurts like hell when I walk but I had an MRI for that yesterday so am hoping to find a cyst or some reason for the pain.  My back is doing fine.

Appointment With Surgeon

Last Wednesday Sue drove me to Wichita for an X-ray and an appointment with the surgeon.  Long story short, the surgeon was much more pleased than I was.  The surgeon says "you know it's only been eight weeks"  I said "It's been eight weeks already".  He thinks the pain in my foot will eventually go away but it might not so we will cross that bridge when we get there.  OK doc, I'll suck it up and get with the physical therapy.  Here is my X-ray for your enjoyment $109,000 worth.  I don't think I'll have to pay anything.  Medicare and Tricare for Life will pick up the tab (I hope). 

After Seven Weeks

My friend Richard stopped by to visit last night.  We chatted for a while and he reminded me that he hadn't seen anything new in my blog.  I confessed that I had been sitting around feeling sorry for myself.

Only I could have back surgery and end up with foot pain, serious foot pain.  There is a nerve running down there I guess cause I had pain in my leg and foot before surgery and had hoped I would get relief from that.  No such luck so far, my regular doctor has had me take a CAT scan, some kind of doppler test and an x-ray.  The latest, the x-ray, is looking for a stress fracture in my foot.  I wish they would find one, at least it would be fixable.  If it is nerve pain I'm just screwed. 

The x-ray was on Monday and here it is Friday and nothing said about it.  Oh, I've called the doctor's office a couple of times and just got the standard bs.  I'm for sure supposed to find out as soon as the doctor get do with her current appointment, that was an hour ago.

I see my surgeon on Monday, I don't expect much from him except that the back is doing OK now go away.

My right foot feels like a rock, can't move my toes, can't feel much.  I don't know if I could drive or not, damn foot couldn't feel anything.  The bike would probably be easier to ride than driving the car.  At least I could brake with my hand, maybe I'll look into a scooter...........

Rally on the River 2007

One Month

It was one month Saturday that I had my back operation.  I honestly thought I'd be getting along pretty well by now.  I never thought that I'd still be using a walker to get around.  So much for my plans.  Here I am still gimping around with the walker.  Today was the first time I have gone any place other than the doctor's or PT.  It was nice to be around people at Sunday School, but I was too worn out to stay for church.  

Today was a pot luck too, dang I hate missing those pot luck dinners.  If you don't go to church you won't understand what you are missing.

I have made some progress though, the pain is less and I'm using fewer pain pills.  I still can't sleep at night (it's past midnight as I write this).  I'm able to dress my self for the most part.  Not to be gross or anything but I've been wiping my own butt for a couple of weeks.  My wife, God love her, has been an angel.  Don't ever try something like this unless you have been married at least 35 years.  Any less and your spouse probably couldn't stand it.

People have been real nice to visit and bring me stuff.  My friend Neil finally got by and he brought me a box of old motorcycle mags to look at.  I was flipping through a 1969 issue of CYCLE when a name caught my eye.  It was a letter to the editor from my mother-in-law about how they used their cycles on the farm to check the cattle.  It wasn't long afterward that her son, my brother-in-law, stopped by unexpectedly along with his son and his family.  They all enjoyed reading that long forgotten phase of their parents and grandparents.

Enough of this nonsense.  Here is a photo of myself and my always present walker and brace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Weeks Post-op

  I won't bore with endless details of a hospital stay.  After four days in the hospital they kicked me out and I went home.  The first couple of days at home weren't too bad, I didn't have a lot of pain and could get around with the walker fairly well.  Something happened about the third day home and things have gone to crap since.  I have swelling in my right foot, constant pain down my leg and in my back.  The pain pills only seem to work about an hour but I can't only have one ever four.  My wife watches the medication for me, I call her the pill Nazi.  My doctor says my sacroiliac is off, one hip is higher than the other, that would account for the additional pain.

  At over three weeks post-op things haven't gotten much better and I seem to sleep all day and stay awake all night.  I've started physical therapy so maybe that will give me some relief.

  Motorcycles?  Honestly haven't given them much thought.  I'm getting a bad attitude.