This is my endodondist Dr Madison

I woke ten minutes past my normal wake up time which is rare for me. I had battled pain from my tooth all night. I had anticipated the pain so took two Tylenol before I retired believing if I can get to sleep I will remain unconscious the remainder of the night. Not so anymore; I woke at 1:30 a.m. in a constant annoying pain. The pain was not “nova” class but enough to keep me away in discomfort and fear. I laid there and devoutly wished for sleep to overtake the pain so I would feel like taking on the day in just a few more hours. Finally at 2:30 a.m. I had ha enough and drug myself out of bed and wheeled into the bathroom and knocked two more Tylenol and almost immediately the pain was gone an I was sleeping. I woke next at 4:40 a.m. then minutes late groggy, sleep deprived and wishing I could just stay in the warm bed but I had to get up—but in my mind, I had decided that I was going to schedule an appointment and get the tooth repaired. I was not going to loose another nights sleep to pain and fear.

My tooth and headache was gone by the time I got to the office but I was still committed to getting my tooth looked at if not fixed. I called dentists office—no one in left so I left a message and returned to my tasks. It was after 10:00 when the dentists office called. I was told that there was a an opening for 1:00 and did I want to take the time slot. I lucked out to find the office was located on a major bas route which I could engage round the corner from my office. I hated to leave the office and my phones unattended but I had toget my pain remedied.

I tried to get hold of Dianne to advise her of my movements from the office but I knew Dianne was going o be out helping Bridget over at the church. And that was cool—I could do this on my own. I only waited a few minutes before “Route 220” pulled up and whisked me away—I made good time and was not rushed when I got to the Dentists office, squeezed my bladder and got in and got ready. I was a bit surprised when Dr.Luke stopped his examination, took some xrays and began discussing options. He informed me that I needed a root canal and he could not really do that, he could extract the tooth which would be the cheapest way to go but he did not wan to go that route since there was good still left in that tooth and he would like to save it if that were possible. The other option was to be referred to an endodontist.. This really was my lucky day( odd as that sounds) because we found an endodontist just a block further South on the same street at 4:45p.m. but that was fine even if I had to wait four hours it would be done to day. If I had not taken that time slot another option even occur until the flowing Tuesday and I knew I could tolerate the pain or expectation of the coming event that long. The cost was high as much as $400.00 before they would scrape their first nerve but I knew I could pull it off it they could work their magic.

It was less then a ten minute roll to Rocky Mountain Endodontics and waited, trying to get hold of Dianne on my cell and watching people come and go and I was overwhelmed at the flow of humanity coming and going. I became part of the furniture as I wondered round looking in rooms and checking out staff. The staff even tried to get earlier scheduled patients to trade with my late hour appointment to get me out of there earlier, but no dice—these folks were living with the same pain was and they were not going to push their cure back for any reason or person. Eventually my time did come and I was ld back to the suite, shook hands with my doc and hopped onto the “operating chair”. I could have had nitrous oxide but that was $55.00 more and I would have done it regardless of the cost, but I don’t understand the concept and I sure as hell don’t trust something like laughing gas wearing off as the doc in deep in the middle of nerve central—so I just went with dear old Novocain.. I asked the doc how many of these he had done, and he said “nine”. I must have paled because then he added…”today” and add thathe had done more then 10,000 root canals in his careers.

Doc Madsen DDS was good. He talked me through the drilling and the scraping. He explained procedures as he did them always letting me know how much time I had left in the chair. I was surprised at how soon I was free of the dentist’s chair and $400.00. I clutched my cell m cell all the way through the operation and the cell chirped numerous times throughout and finally Dianne did get hold of me and picked me up…the day was darkening quickly—but I felt OK. I was out of pain—frightfully out of pain. I was told to experience some discomfort from the amount of work they did round the pulp, and gums but no pain..even after the Novocain wore off entirely…I felt nothing. I did not feel the sharp edges of the new filling I would not even know I had had mouth trauma. It’s weird but I am thankful—now I must return to Dr Luke’s office for a cap and to have the cavity next tooth over worked on, and I was warned that tooth may also be a root canal…another $400.00. I somehow know it well, and the hole thing will thousand(s) before I am done. But I am least sleeping through the night…some things arejust worth it.









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Quarter Century

The first “winter snow event” hit the Wasatch Front this morning. The local networks have been freaking out about the storm approaching storm and following the low-pressure systems movement as it entered the State. The temperatures were still pretty warm last night when I went to bed an sure enough I was woke what sounded like a locomotive outside my window as the cold front finally wandered in like a questionable relative, you know, the kind you kind like to see, but never really sure until they live when you can ascertain how the visit went.

I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the door of this house this morning to begin my morning commute and found no snow, no rain and best of all the temperature still seemed pretty warm—but how would I know since Dianne zipped the liner into my new yellow jacket and all of the sudden I am all puffy. As I got out on the road to the train station I did notice a light rain was falling but nothing to stop me. I was dressed inlayers, a ht and one glove for my hand which operated the wheelchairs joy stick.

The real storm did not make itself known or a couple hours after I got to work, coffeed and comfy at my desk ready for my day. As I watched the rain turn to sleet and finally huge fluffy flakes—I realized this was my 25 year anniversary of moving to Salt Lake. I mean, not to day, TODAY is not my exact anniversary but somewhere in this area and it was a day exactly like today. I had driven down from Blackfoot, Idaho the night before-right round this time of October and a Winter storm had blown in leaving 6-12 inches of heavy wet snow all over the valley floor. I was in Salt Lake interviewing for the Utah Independent Living Center position, the Center had put me in the Downtown Marriott for the night and I was more then impressed.

I got up and dressed and left for my interview which round 10:00 a.m.. I was surprised at the amount of tree limbs which had succumbed to the weight o the weight snow, traffic lights were out and traffic was pretty thin for a working day. The limbs and branches ha snapped due o the snow storm coming so early in the year. The leaves were still on the trees adding to the weight. I was surprise when I got to the address listed for the interview to find no one there as I broke new snow but pushed myself from my car to the sidewalk and up the ramp. A few minutes following my arrival the executive director showed shocked to see me. He had cancelled work for the employees a “snow day” I had
never heard of such a thing this far North. I got the job—Its now been twenty-five years and two jobs later and I am still here. It’s kinda of amazing of things which happen on a snow day like today.

Up On Campus...All Day

The Point is located in the upper most right hand section of the glass part of this building "The Huntsman Cancer Institute"!





Friday was a lost day but I guess but I guess important that I got started on what I have to do. The fasting blood draw was not such a bad thing. My day off so we did sleep in and got ready for the drive to University of Utah medical center. The day was beautiful and warm as we drove through the campus students sauntering back and forth cross campus, trees decked out in colors and dropping leaves everywhere. The scene made me homesick for another point in my life when all I had to worry bout was exams and a date for Saturday night.

We were hoping to get our flu shots on Friday, in fact that is why we had waited till my appointments but were surprised to find all the injections had been given away. This sorta of pissed me off but what can you do? They drew four vials of blood for the full panel of tests the doc had ordered. Then the doc did the CT and found I still had 200 plus CCs of urine in me and that sort of freaked her out and made her all the more determined to get me self cathing—this still freaks me out ut I am going to try to go through with the process to see what happens. I was fortunate in that Dianne rearranged her day so she go be with me on this adventure. Following the ‘stick’ we went over to breakfast at he cafeteria—ofcourse by the time we got there the kitchen had stopped serving but luckily there were some breakfast sandwiches left over which was good to break my fast with plus the coffee and doughnuts.

10:30 I did another scan, in side the huge moving doughnut nothing painful just awkward transferring from the chair to the scanner with pants dropped. Sure took me back to the hospital days following the wreck when I seemed to be naked all the time in front of everyone. We next went to lunch to kill time for my TRAILs intake which was scheduled for 3:00. We did this at the Huntsman Center, where I had the scan and we went to the Point. The point is a great little restaurant at the top of the Huntsman Center, very high end for university campus. I had a steak, which was a great steak, one of the best I have had in a long time

We finally got back to Rehabilitation Out Patient and hung out for a half hour and then I had the intake which I thought was to last half an hour our something like that but I was in there for two hours!! Sue somebody in the program director and worked me through the stations mostly weight machines and I have to admit I got pretty tired but I could also tell the work out would really do me some good i.e. drooping some weight, getting my cardio working and working some muscle systems which really need attention. So the only nights the facility is open is between 5:00 and 7:00 PM, Monday and Fridays . This is a pisser and very inconvenient but I am going to try it as long as I can. There used to be a wheelchair accessible weight room not from my house in Murray. I am going to check and see if that place is still open and if it is I will get my direction on how to used the machines and use this other facility on the weekends or something.

I am feeling a little better about everything now I just have do the whole penis thing. Org, the pain.

Urology?

guess you gauge how good your medical practioner is by how fast she gets things done and I guess getting things done quickly is good. But I have to admit I was a little freaked when the phone rang at my this morning and it was the scheduling nurse for a urologist, that my doc had contacted, and who was now scheduling me for “splatter test” which looks like it will be don 8:30 a.m. Veteran’s Day. The scheduler the procedure was non evasive but then proceeded to tell me two tubes would be inserted from and back to major urine residual and the test should take 90 minutes.

Now, is this TMI= too much information? Do I need to rehearse my terror of medical procedures in general and anything specific to do with urology I think I would have been this way even I had not had an accident 40 some years ago, when medical was still in one of medicine’s dark ages, and they jabbed and poked. I could not believe the level of barbarisms I was subjected to. I was inundated with such procedures the first year after my wreck, but since then I have pretty successfully avoided a repeat but not that is going to change. They are going to ‘measure this and measure that’ to gain knowledge on me what they can do next to help me. So I am banking on the terror I experienced was for decades ago was 60 percent an adolescent trying to cope having nearly everything physical ripped from him and 40% practioners operating(literally) with dark ages medicine and ancient technology. The scheduling nurse indicated the practice of urology come a long way in the past 40 years, technology had advanced and techniques had gotten a whole lot better and that they had gotten but good reports of the other spinal cords they had served. I am hoping by writing about this event and trying to familiarize myself with the it that I will be able to handle the event like an adult knowing all that is happening is happening for my own good and will help like an adult knowing all that is happening is happening for my own good and will help in he long run.

Some idiot from a pharmaceutical company indicating they had been instructed by my practioner to mail me out a box of CATHETERS!!!!!!! The idiot wrote down my address as I gave it to him assuring me I should have the torture devices by Monday, Tuesday at the latest—my appointment is not even till November 11 . How can this be?

I HATE IT!!

Just got back from an afternoon at the physicians office. I HATE IT! I have effectively avoided the medical profession, for the most part for the past forty years but, I’m afraid time has now run out. I have started a number of tests and procedures I just know is going to have a major impact on me and my quality of life. Sadly, I believe this medical course of action is best for where is best this point in my life but I am sure scared. I don’t think anything huge is wrong with me it just a bunch of little l things, like my kidneys, which could be a huge thing if were talking dialysis or transplant. I know its going to something like that I just know it. Besides all this medical intervention, they enrolled me in the TRAILS program a medically directed program heavy into physical activity. The doctor did a “hard sell” on Dianne primarily and some on me—like where am going to squeeze a couple hours of physical activity a week into my schedule—the only opening is Friday, a third of my weekend, being physical. I could do other days of the week but when I am working yen hours a day not much time is left over for anything else. I get home about 6:30 p.m. it would be grab some dinner then up to the U for trails. I have never been much for organized sports anyway and feeling like I am being forced to participate makes it even worse. This is not going to be good.

So Long Roy

Last Saturday and Sunday was one of those perfect Fall weekends of warm temps, and pristine air, brisk in the morning making a person wand to be outside doing something productive. In my case I had opened the garage door and drug out my new lathe, trying to get used to the new device. I was working hard not be to be disappointed with my purchase but was loosing the battle as I realized the wood adjustment process or any adjustment process on this lathe required a 9/16 box end wrench and physically turning the bolts to adjust things like, tail stock, movement of the tool rest and the tail stock spindle which I believe would take a significant amount of time for able handed lathers let alone for a partial quad, as myself, which literally took me hours to turn three pieces of wood. But, I did not get too exasperated when I would find I had too long a piece of wood for the stocks or would drop my new box-end, or inadvertently disconnect the power to the lathe. Some time during the six hours I worked in the garage I ventured over to my neighbor’s house partially to seek his advice and partially to vent out my frustrations on purchasing such a poorly outfitted lathe to meet my disability needs.

The sun shinning down on us was almost hot as we walked back to the lathe sitting in front my garage. Albert, my neighbor, dutifully looked at my lathe and I could sympathize with me and my plight, still wondering why I every ever gave my first lathe away, but clearly interested making the lathe workable for me. At some point in time Albert thought maybe some maybe some WD 40 type on the tool rest slider mounts might make a difference in the usability of the lathe, it did but minor. It was then Albert confided in me that his cat Roy had died and I was chagrined I did not know, if fact, old Roy had died on September 21^st almost a month and I had not noticed. Roy and Albert were always together—Roy followed Albert round the yard like a dog follows her master. These two did have a communication with other and it was good. But now Roy was dead and gone. Albert was quiet, more quiet then usual an I broached the question was he OK. Albert shook himself free of his sadness and indicated that he was OK, that they hd gotten over their sadness and moved on. Then Albert asked if wanted to see Roy’s grave—how could I refuse—she was buried over here at the side of the house. I was shocked when I did get over to the side of the house a found a whole pet cemetery. Cats and dogs who ha called Albert’s place home. I cannot believe I have been Albert’s neighbor for going on 15 years and I had just now come on this shrine not ten feet from our property line. I liked Roy, and I usually don’t like cats—Roy kept to his side of the fence only coming into our yard when Albert ventured into our yard.—I miss Roy because I know Albert missed Roy a lot and I think Albert was hoping he, Albert, would avoid this pain by “going” first will it did not happen. Alone again , naturally .

Lathe

a perfectly beautiful day. I spent the entire day out in my wood shop trying to work with my new)to me) lathe. There are major challenges with it and I have to get a couple more tool but all in all I think I like the lathe--I do need to spend alot more time with it though and clean out the garage and find my tools. I am trying not be frustrated.

The struggle

[Images from my new series--Train People]

This week has been a struggle for me trying to get something posted, and this posting is just a short piece in hopes of getting something more done today or later this weekend. In brief however, all week I have been struggling to raise some money for some one who needs the wheelchair ramp rebuilt into her home. I have actually found the money needed but there is no way to get the money to the person who needs it or to the Homedepot where the materials resided. It has been two or three weeks, because I got sick somewhere in the middle of the project and tomorrow I am off...I hate this kind of stuff. I am off to a meeting in thirty minutes. hopefully more to come.

One Good Turn...

I am not proud of myself but I had to do it. The more I thought about the lathe I had been contemplating purchasing in Tooele, the one I had written bout last Thursday the more I realized I had made a mistake; even if the lathe was only $90.00 or best offer. I was trying to put together a moving crew and it was just not happening. I had told the owner of the old lathe that I would contact him on Friday night or Saturday morning to firm up the sale, but if a “hot” caller called and wanted the lathe—then just let that caller have the lathe have the lathe.

Friday evening the Lathe Lady called to see what I was going to do and that a fairly hot caller had called and what should she do. I was relieved; I was just having any luck of getting a moving group together at all. I told her to let the lathe go. But, I had a major change of mind. I really had decided what I really wanted to do was to put money a side and take my time and then purchase a lathe which was better, a better lathe a lathe which was set up and ready to go. As I discussed this issue with Dianne I realized there was a lathe listed that would meet the need I had priced at what I could do and I made the call for the lathe a Rockwell 46010.

The Rockwell 46010 is an older lathe but a good lathe, Kirk was asking

$200.00 and I talked him down to $175.00 and best part Kirk lived just about ten blocks South of me. I told him I would come out and look at the machine and most likely purchase it. I was excited!

Saturday morning I called my son in law, Gabriel, to go over with me and

Lift the lathe into my van—But Gabe also has a pick-up and he ended up bringing the lathe in the pickup. The lathe is perfect and will much better meet my needs even without UCATs intervention. Kirk threw in some turning knives. The lathe came with a bowel chuck on it which we removed and I loaded a blank and I started turning and everyone took a turn even my next door neighbor Al.

I need to make room in the garage now, I have a lathe with a stand. But it’s going to be cold now and there is no heat in the garage so maybe I will still drop the lathe off at UCAT and see what they could do to make the lathe a little more accessible to me and my needs, but ne thing for sure is I will be turning again come Spring and Summer 2010 !

Whiner!!

Today's Broadcast

I went into work yesterday and I felt pretty good by the end of the day and today I was excited and I felt pretty decent--not a 100% but well enough for a Thursday/Friday but just before today's broadcast I started feeling really flakey like I did not have enough sugar or insulin about an hour before broadcast and by the time my buddy Kerry got to the office and I was keeping him company before the broadcast I started feeling really strange...light-headed. I ate a couple of peanut butter cups I had laying round my desk but something was happening.

The interview went off pretty good but Dianne could tell I was having some issues but I held it together well...I finished and set Kerry on his way and then I started to de-compensate. Bonnie did give me one of the left over lunches from a meeting which was being held in the office today and that helped a lot but I was still getting a weird stabbing, jabbing headache and of course Bonnie sent me home--which this time I did not fight as I usually do and now I am home--early. I am going to try to kick this thing I have and be able to get back to work on Monday!! I hate being sick.

Oops I have done it again...

“Oops, there I have done it again.” I don’t know how big an ‘oops’ this is but I am sure there is a little ‘oops’ regardless of how good a thing this turns out for me forgive the pun).

Today is the first day back to my office in more then a week, so after yesterday’s blog, entry I decided I had better do something or I just might die from this bronchitis if I don’t watch out. I could bring up Sheelan and her lost battle with ARDS and then having to bury her—needlessly. Sheelan DID NOT HAVE TO DIE!!! Anyway I decided I was not going out like Shee if I could help it. So, I actually called my SCI injury doc up at the University Medical Center and actually made an appointment and they slipped me and Dianne in the early afternoon.,I could go on and on about the appointment and maybe I well before this week is out but suffice to say. I say the doc and was helpful but I am OK, getting good oxygen and my lungs are clear enough and I seem to be on my way to healing.

I have looking for a lathe since the middle of the Summer. Yes, I know I gave away a perfectly good Craftsman lathe earlier in the Summer. I stand by the decision I made then, but I have realized need a lathe still. I still have a need to turn wood and make sticks. I even sent away for more hooks to screw into the wood sticks I turn. So, now every day I check out the local television stations “Classified “ ksl.com and I look for lathes new on the site AND TODAY I FOUND ONE ! Granted the lathe looks a bit doggy but should work, is on a mount and only $90.00!! But the lathe is in Tooele, a community about 30 minutes to the West. I am going to need a truck and back to move the piece and I don’t know what I am going to have to do to the lathe to make it really usable. The lathe is a very old Shop-Smith which I truly believe in. The lathe does look kinda a thrashed but I really want to believe the lathe is useable.

Because it is now late in the year and where I turn is in the garage, which has is not heated which means I probably will not be turning anymore wood this year anyway. This will give time to have the lathe put in the garage and then work at fixing the machine up one way or another until Spring. I have even thought of having UCAT work on the device all Winter and see what happens. That is not a bad idea the more I contemplate the idea. UCAT might even make the lathe even more usable for my needs. So, I have contacted UCAT who will adjustments and fittings and what ever else might be needed over the course of the Winter months. I am really getting excited now. I just called the Lathe lady and confirmed my commitment to buy the piece. I am going to be turning by Spring!!

Careful!!

I have been up since 2:30 a.m. and I am still at home …sick! This is now a week out of work and I do not seem to be getting a whole lot better! I hate missing work. I have just about finished all my Z-pack: I have but one more day left and I thought I would be well on the road to recovery by now. So, it has been tomorrow all week long and I think old Frank at work is getting pretty tired hearing me call in sick every morning.

Yesterday as part of an experiment, I ran to the market at lunch to get some peppers I could use in making some mushroom pepper steak. I am trying to get back to a decent diet. I had been feeling pretty good until I got dressed and out to the van and only then realized how weak I felt-not dizzy per-se but weak, washed out as Dianne would say. It was cold out side yesterday too and the temperature may have had some effect on how I felt.

I was laying in bed about 2:30 this morning and I think I kinda spooked myself. I got on this whole death thing. My lungs are still wheezing when I am lying down and I can now see how with just the bad luck, this mess sitting in my lung could ‘bubble up’ and solidify and then I would be dead—a very bad thing for me. I have seen this kind of death happen to another quad. Granted Sheelan was higher then I but there are still many parallels, the biggest was/is she was quad and struggled and lost her battle with goop in the chest. I was amazed, I had last seen Sheelan over the Christmas holidays at a party or two then she got sick, we saw her once in the hospital before she was in full blown ARDs(Adult Respiratory Distress syndrome) and then she was gone—life support then the plug was pulled and that was that. I have seen it happen and if I am not careful I could be next.

Z-Pack The Cure

I was railing so bad this morning I could not sleep, it sounded like my lungs were filled with water and I have to admit, the noise and lack of sleep really scared me. So right after showering and dressing I transferred into my power wheelchair and headed for the “InstaScare” in my neighborhood. You gotta realize this was my first time up and out all week long—I even got lost trying to find the clinic but eventually I did find the place.

I was lucky because when I got to the clinic no one else (patients)was there the place was crowded by the time I left. But I was in and out in ;less the 45 minutes with a script for Z-pack and the PAs assurance I would ready for work by Monday morning. I was last in that clinic on June 1^st of this year. Same symptoms, diagnosis and treatment; this disease process is becoming much too frequent. So, I have taken the meds and now I am just waiting to feel better. More clouds and rain and cold are coming into ‘Salt Lake tonight. I don’t feel safe.

Weeks End

What a week, I went into work on Monday with just a hint of a cough and by the end of the day I new I was going t be sick Tuesday and I was and have been home sick the remainder of the week. I hate leaving the phone unatteneded that long but I had too gthis cough, flu(?) or what ever has really floored me. I am at least getting up and showering, getting dressed and staying up all day and at least it is now my weekend. I am just praying I have this thing whipped my Monday morning when I return to work.

I dropped my cell phone into my coffee Tuesday morning. Actually, the cell was laying on the top of the coffee maker and when I turned I bumped the coffeemaker and I watched the cell take a nosedive into my cup--by the time I fished the cell out the cell was flashing blue lights randomly until finally it just lay there inert, dripping or oozing "Seattle's Roast" from all the cell's crevasses.
I have taken the phone apart now, like an autopsy, hoping that by drying out completely, the phone will resurrect itself and it kind of has, at least lights flash now and then and it makes cell phone noises--but I think its gone. Its time for a new one. Something to look forward to.