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Saturday, August 9, 2014

A desision has been made.....

I see the light....behind the drawer. When the furnace was removed to make room for a great big ol' drawer, the outside furnace cover was not yet sealed. Big ol' holes in that sucker....let in sunlight an' showers. Billy Bob gonna fix that. Thick plastic sheet an' RV sealer.

Speak'n of drawer, it's gonna require a drawer stop to keep it from open'n when we go round corners. The stops on the drawer guides are not strong enough. Poor design in my book. Now 'that' causes a problem. I don't have room at the top of the drawer. May have to disassemble an' run through the table saw.....remove a inch. A easy job.

Ok, I'm done Googl'n....done, finished. Right now I know so much bout backs that I could go to work at the hospital "fix'n backs". I know the in's an' out's of a laminectomy. I know the recovery time. I know everthing. It's gonna have to be done. The possibility of cur'n 'all' what ails me ain't all that good, but what it does cure, would be a bless'n.

So....it seems, I got to get myself ready for a hospital visit in Sept. That's my decision. Whether it works or not, I got to give it a try. I mean, the odds of it mak'n me worst is only bout 1 to 2%. The odds of "some" relief is bout 70 to 80%. I'm bet'n a dollar I'll be in the 70 to 80% range.   

Now let me tell ya why it's gotta be done. I cain't live the rest my life like this. It's gotten worse in the last 2 or 3 weeks. It will continue to get worse. Yesterday morn'n I weren't surprised that I couldn't hardly walk all day....hurted like a sum-a-gun. But this morn'n, I should have been all fine an' dandy. What I wasn't. I was look'n for a dad gum wheelchair. Tears was in my eyes as I stood there watch'n my morn'n coffee brew. I got freak'n dishes to do. Floors to sweep. Tools all over the place. Damn, I need help.

Back in Dec. of 2000, I hurt my back for the 3rd time in 20 years. Was off on workmans comp for 3 months. I lived on "Coyote", a 41 foots sail'n boat. I had nobody to assist me. The walk down the pier was right at a hunnert yards or so. That was the hardest hunnert yards I ever walk in my life. I never healed from that injury.
Of course, the last 14 years have tooken their toll too. Old age....stuff wears slap out. Two inches in my height has been lost. I used to be a tall dude ya know. but I'm now a short dude at 5' 8" hemm'n up all my pants. Dang, I need a sew machine.

My thoughts run into other issues I have. Like my dad gum heart. My doctor Fronkersteen in Deming has been cry'n for me to have a stress test to see if'n those bypass veins are leak'n. I put him off for 3 years. This year I decided...."what the hell, why not"? But....I won't be in Deming in Sept. Then I got to get off'n my ass an' find me a doctor that will renew my heart prescriptions. Blood press med, Plavix an' a "slow yer heart down" med Coreg for tachycardia. Would love to get off the Plavix, but that probly ain't gonna happen. Damn I hate bruises ever time I bump something.

24 comments:

  1. Bet you are glad the decision has been made. Now we all need to start praying that is all goes well. Maybe you need a new cardiologist in the area where you will have the surgery. It would be like having a second opinion.

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    1. Have ya ever heard of the old Billy Bob change his mind? The way I feeled this morn'n, I would do anything. Tomorrow morn'n, I may feel different. But....this afternoon, it's a go.

      I'm think'n Doc Fronkinsteen may renew for a year when I tell him I cain't come to Deming. Give him a sob story might work.

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  2. hi B.B. i know you really put a lot of thought into coming to your final decision on getting the operation on fixing your back pains . i am 100% sure you have made the right decision for yourself , now that that decision is made , i hope you can get it all done and recover and still be able to excape the awfully freezing snows in georga and get yourself safely down south to where you belong in winter.

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    1. Yes Louie.....much thought. Months of thought before I even come to Georgia.

      LOL...freez'n snows of Georgia. This ain't the snow belt, but it sure do get down in the teens.

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  3. Great decision, gotta give it a shot, meanwhile you have few things to putter about with to keep you buys.

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    1. Gotta give it a shot....yup, that what I'm think'n too.

      I'm think'n another project would git me off'n my backside.....before an' after surgery. I still got a chunk of oak plywood. What can ya make out of oak plywood???

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  4. Sooner is better than later. Please do not put it off any more than the medical folks force you. There is a hole in one and a 14# bass waiting for you.

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    1. I agree Barney. The sooner I get it done, the better. Only wished I had done it years ago.

      Hole in one??? ME??? Now that 14 pounds bass fish, I'm think'n I could do that.

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  5. hi B.B. after all said and done barney better watch out on the golf course . and forget about 14 # puny little bass , now you'll be going for the 16 foot sharks weighing approx a ton ,

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  6. Behind you all the way. You're wearing yourself out living with that pain day and nite. Will have you in my prayers too.

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    1. Your thoughts mean a lot to me Trouble. And YES to get'n wore slap out.

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  7. hi B.B. how many more things do you still have on your fix it list ? you should get every thing on that list done before surgery . i also am praying for your surgery to give you the best results possible .the odds are surely in your favor ,and very important is that you like and trust your surgeon . get your stress test and medication all worked out and do what ever you need to to prepare .

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  8. "Would love to get off the Plavix, but that probly ain't gonna happen. Damn I hate bruises ever time I bump something."

    Those bruises could well be a side effect of the Plavix however they could also be a side effect of you getting OLD. I don't take any Plavix and I get bruises from just a hard look at my hands or forearms. Mine may be aggravated by the clobetasol propionate that I use to treat psoriasis but I think it is mostly just an 'Ol Age Thing.

    I think you have made a good decision about your back. Too bad it can't be done tomorrow!

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  9. Billy Bob, do you know about the stress to be had lying in bed? I had it for simple reason I could not take steps w/o pain and weakness. It went well. If and when, maybe you can suggest it to the doctor if you feel you can't do the walking test - yep, that way is very stressful.

    It's looking more day by day that something must be done for my back also. I too am alone with no one to call on for help w/o much inconvenience.

    70-80% sounds very good; better than 50% odds. But no matter, the need is at critical stage for you. Again, I wish you the best ...of everything.

    Mmm, that smooth oak is beautiful. You do very well!

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    1. stress TEST, I meant to write.

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    2. Yeah Sissy, my last stress test, in 2007 was took lay'n on a bed. I cain't do the treadmill 'cause of my back. I'm think'n it's the nuclear stress test that needs done. Go through one them open claustrophobic image things...take pictures. I can handle that sucker...'cept'n for the needle. Damn I hate needles.

      I'm think'n I'm do'n something bout it before it gets to the critical stage. I can still walk....bout 50 feet with out tak'n a break. That's good ya know.

      Sissy, don't do like I did an' wait too dad gum long.

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  10. hi B.B. last september when i was in the valley babtist hospital in harlingen texas for 10 days because of a black widow bit i almost got my left leg cut off above the knee , anyway i still have both of my legs , that was the first time i ever stayed in hospital ,it was not a all exclusive vacation in club med . i was surprised to see that they had free wifi and no problem using my cell phone , so what i am trying to say is that i hope in the hospital you can still keep us all posted ? so when you get this surgery will you be check in a room for a few days ? if yes how many days do you think ?

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  11. hi B.B. last september when i was in the valley babtist hospital in harlingen texas for 10 days because of a black widow bit i almost got my left leg cut off above the knee , anyway i still have both of my legs , that was the first time i ever stayed in hospital ,it was not a all exclusive vacation in club med . i was surprised to see that they had free wifi and no problem using my cell phone , so what i am trying to say is that i hope in the hospital you can still keep us all posted ? so when you get this surgery will you be check in a room for a few days ? if yes how many days do you think ?

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  12. BB, I've been a faithful follower since I "met" you and Ben on the web when yall made your visit to the Field Lab a couple of years ago. I congratulate you on your decision and supporting you all the way from San Antone. I had a discotomy in '97 and still have pain every now and then but have to think how worse it would be if I hadn't done it. Best of luck to you - looks like you're in good hands.

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  13. After reading you for a little over five years and in particular the last two years, it was obvious you were in real pain. Glad you have come to a decision.

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  14. Congrats on the decision BB. As to getting your life altering meds prescriptions renewed, your Dr might be willing to coordinate with a local Dr or refer you to one if you ask him to. That is assuming that you don't have a copy of your records with you. If I'm wrong and you have your records, most any Dr could give prescriptions after an office visit. My wife and I went through that 2 yrs ago when we came to FL from AZ without seeing the Dr in CO we had used for 4 yrs. BTW, too much aspirin causes bruising. It's a blood thinner. I had my bypass 8/1/97 and had to cut back from IIRC 325mg to coated 81 mg a few months ago.

    Gary

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  15. Still sending hugs and prayers.

    And lacing up my chasin' sneakers.

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  16. BB - you do know that you have to have a stress test of some kind before any surgery, right? At least in Texas, and I assume in any state with good medical practice. Just lie on the tables and they shott you with something to make your heart race, no big claustrophobic tubes, just lie there. Worked for me when I had a broken foot.
    Glad you made your decision, and we're all with you, heart, soul, and internet ~

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