Downhill continues.....ouch

I had a doctor tell me one time..."Mr. Piep, you know too much about back issues". That was way before Google. Now, in 2014, with the help of Google, guess what? I know all bout the doctors that will be see'n me. I know their bedside manners, what they eat for breakfast, what kind of car they drive....I know everthing.

Then I got on Google an' learn how to read a MRI. That took a while. But with my MRI, the damage is obvious. Even a 6th grader can see that. I posted only one MRI image. I have bout 20 of 'em. An' some are worster than the one I posted. I have Mr. Arthur I Tiss of the spine. Along with the rusted out disks. I know tooo much bout back issues.

I been keep'n track of my down hill battle for the last couple months. It ain't git'n no better. People what seen me in person just 6 months ago would never recognize me today. I can't find anything to be "happy" bout or anything to be excitis bout. This really sucks.

Me an' Robert took a trip to Alabama yesterday to take a look see at a piece of lake front property. We drove mile after mile of wind'n country roads. The lake came into view. We're close. The seller guy says...."turn here, turn there, it's up on top that hill". "Sally da house" would never climb that steep rutted gravel road. As we approach the property, I'm think'n West Virginia....this sucks. The property has West Virginia wrote all over it....an' ya know, the old Billy Bob don't like West Virginia nary a bit.

Back at "da house", I takes me up a couple aspirin, sit back in my easy chair an' relax a bit. Outside a "spud gun from hell" awaits me. Very little was accomplished....but what was, looks absolutely awesome. Do you how much a ten pound bag of taters cost in Georgia? My god, almost $5. 

Today I will sit back, watch some golf on TV an' take it easy. 

Couches an' spud guns....good combination

Ha ha "Goldilocks and the three bears". Now that was funny. *a comment from yestarday*

I sit on that "damn couch" last night. An' let me tell ya right now, I didn't sit on it very long. Grrrrrrrrrr....that sucker is way too hard. Shoot I could build me a couch out of old oak pallets an' be just as good.

Now is the time ya got to understand something bout the old Billy Bob. No matter how many times  attempts to fix something, if'n it don't work, or I don't like it, I'm gonna fix it again. Even though it could easily be replaced with a brand spank'n new one. Yes Robert will be pick'n up another piece of foam rubber next week. I'm gonna get this thing right if'n it's the last thing I do.

Then I can sit back like the little bear did an' say...."this couch is just right".

I sure have been creat'n some turmoil around the house. Grandkids say I'm too grouchy....say'n stuff I ain't aughter. How the hell do ya spell aughter? Hell, I don't mean to be grouchy an' say stuff, but shoot, when ya hurt, your brain malfunctions. When your brain malfunctions, you ain't the same guy ya was last week. Anyways, if'n any my grankids are read'n this, I'm sorry an' will try to be a good "papaw". Shoot, I'll even brew ya up a pot of "girlie" coffee". "Billy Bob, 7 year olds do not drink coffee". Anybody else offended by me say'n something off course....I'm sorry to you too.

Mack says...."papaw, can we shoot the spud gun"? I says to him, "well shoot, lets go work on it first". We look at stuff an', my god, we got a lot of work to do before we can shoot this thing. I learned Mack something ya don't learn in school....how to draw a straight line down the side of a piece of pipe. Then he drill a bunch of holes in that pipe. This is the "fake" barrel cooler thingy. Then he paints it gloss black.

We begin work on the back grip an' trigger. Ha, I screw up an' have to start all over. This will work. Mack says..."where are we gonna put these long wires papaw"? I don't know I says. "Inside the handle papaw, nobody ever see 'em". This boy is learn'n. Then it got too dark to see outside.

Mack decided HE will paint the entire spud gun gloss black. That's the only color we have an' he wants to paint. He also wants to shoot a russet tater a hunnert yards. Damn, I can hardly wait.

Did I lift too much heavy stuff yesterday? Couch seat part bout 40 pound. This morn'n I got me a pain back there that just won't go away. Like a 16 penny nail in there. Dr. Bayer is work'n on it as we speak. An' I got me that ice pack back there too.

Got a pile of papers in the mail for my first appointment. I look 'em over an' all they gonna do is draw a gallon blood out me for test'n. I hate needles. Then I got to talk to a doctor. First appointment should be a breeze. But it still stresses me out just think'n bout that great big needle they gonna stab me with. Damn I hate needles.

See what I'm talk'n bout???

 

Couch update....Too much feet time....damn I hurts

Well, I rekon I done said too much again. Or could it a been the ways I say some things? I ain't perfect ya know. Ha...neither was George Foreman.

Whooooeee, I done mess up again. Actually in more ways than one. I worked too hard yesterday. Well, it wasn't really "hard", but it was way too much feet time. You knows me pretty good by now, an' you know I take lots of breaks....sit my ass down sip'n up on a good cup of coffee. Well, I didn't do that yesterday. I stayed on my feet work'n on that dad gum foam rubber replacement in the couch. Now I ain't say I didn't take a couple breaks....you know me better than that....Billy Bob is gonna take breaks.
Last night I couldn't get comfortable for 4 or 5 hours of restful sleep.....hurt an' toss an' turn all night long. This morn'n I'm dead to the world.

Then on top of that, the damn foam rubber don't fit. Ya see, when I bought this last foam rubber, I failed to measure the thickness. It's 4 1/2 inches, not 4 inches. I had also increased overall size by 1 inch. Boy howdy, it's gonna be tight. An' that's exactly what it was....it don't fit.

Another hour or so was spent on my poor old ach'n feet cut'n that foam rubber down to the correct size. Maybe it will fit now. But it's still gonna be a chore since it's over thickness. The old Billy Bob will fix that.
*pics go here*

 "Take a break Billy Bob, ya need it".

Now....where was we? Oh yeah, I was bitch'n bout all thse tests an' stuff they got me lined up to do. I got to think'n bout that stuff. When they find something wrong, they can fix it, right? Well I know a lot of stuff what ain't right an' get'n it fixed sure would ease my mind. This could result in more time spent in Georgia. There's a possibility I may be in the market for a big ol' propane tank so's I don't freeze to death this winter. They don't deliver propane for motorhomes. They have a minimum delivery an' "Sally da house" don't meet that minimum.

Ok, that's it for another day. Gonna go outside an' "try" to put that couch seat back together. Along with bout a hunnert breaks.
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Couch update:
It don't look that pretty, but that sucker is back in "da house" all bolted down.
Now you talk bout sit'n on a stump...I sit on that thing an' "Holy Crap...this is stiff like a log"
.

 I don't like it. But I'll be damn if'n I'm gonna go through that again. I'll get used to it.

I feeeel good.....well, close to good

I deleted the shit I writed up here so's no hard feel'ns. 

So....on with today............what ever it may be.

Speak'n of today, yesterday was a pretty good day at my house. Some pains in the lower back an' right hip, but a few aspirin an' a ice pack relieved that. My mind was straight most of the day, not think'n on all that negative shit what's been go'n on in there.

Had a very good visit from "yo mama"....drink'n coffee an' shoot'n the bull. Discuss'n the finer things of life an' how we got to where we are today. Dang, how did I manage this?

Robert showed up later in the afternoon. Gonna build "yo mama" a ramp. She just had foot surgery ya know, an' shortly she gonna have a knee replacement. I assisted Robert with the supervision of the project. He's a good boy....listens to his daddy.
*pic go here*

I also had Robert remove the broke down couch seat section so's I'll have something to work on today.
*beginning pics go here*

Ya see, I cain't sit on my couch. Even after all the work we did in replacing the "old" foam rubber.....with junk. The "new" foam rubber awaits me out there in the garage. 1.8 density 54 pounds support. Note: Most storebought couches has 33 pound support. That gonna be like sit'n on a old tree stump out in the pasture. Should be perfect.
For me, this is a project. For Robert, it's a "fix it" chore.

I went to bed a hour early last night with "git'n up early" in mind. My right hip hurted a bit. So's, I let some air out the mattress. Just enough to relieve the pain. It worked. Got up this morn'n in the least pain I had in weeks. Shoot, I didn't bump into nuttin go'n down the hallway to the coffee pot this morn'n.

I sure have been want'n to go play a round of golf. I don't care if I hit them out in the trees, in the lake, or down over a steep hill, I got me more golf'n balls. Had to hit out of water one time. Ask the OFM Barney, he'll tell ya. Landed right on the green pretty close to the hole. Have I ever hit a hole in one? Hell no, I cain't hit a ball that far. Dang I love golf ball swak'n. Hope to be back to it in the near future.

Ok, that's bout all the subjects I gonna touch on today. Maybe.....

Short post....Yeah right

Dang....Grrrrrrrr an' all that stuff.

Today's post was gonna be extra short....an' hopefully it still will be. I'm tired bout writ'n bout all this crap go'n on. But then again, this crap is part of my "adventurous" life. Everbody wants to read bout my adventures.....right?

In short, yesterday was not a adventure. In fack, I was highly pissed. Poor little girl was only do'n her job. Me, not know'n much bout get's surgery an' that kind of stuff, had no idea all this "new" stuff has to be done before I can "git fixed".  "Git fixed"???? That's just a maybe situation. I almost throwed in the towel right then an' there. I can be pessimistic if'n I want to. Thanks to Google, I am more pessimistic than I was at the start. There's some things that a laminectomy does not take care of. Mainly "back pains". Some relief, if all goes well, but will still experience back pains.

Now, bout all these damn tests I got to take. I'm think'n I realize the "whys" of 'em, but I'm also think'n there ain't no way I'm gonna pass 'em. Lets take a look at one of them that is gonna git a flat out "F". My breathing. Shoot, I cain't even walk to the "billy jeep" without get'n winded. I puff little cigars an' cough up a storm. I have to work really hard to get a full breath. That's COPD ya know, or as Dr Fronkinsteen said, emphysema. What the hell does he know, he's a cardiologist, not a freak'n lung specialist. But....I agree with him.

Then there's the "no energy" factor I have. I don't walk ya know or get any physical exercise. Now let me 'splain that one to ya. When I try to do any walk'n, or exercises, my freak'n back an' legs hurt something terrible. Would YOU walk if'n it hurt ya like that? It's not a "ya gotta walk to feel better" situation. I cain't walk. Period. Well, maybe I could on a golf ball swak'n course try'n to whooop the OFM Barney.

Then bout my heart condition. Shoot, it works just fine. Or I suppose it does. Blood pressure is OK, blood oxygen level is just fine, ain't got no chest pains....shoot, I feel fine. But, I had decided this was the year to have Dr Fronkerstune to give me that stress test he's been whinn'n bout for the last 3 or 4 years. So, no complaints for a stress test in Georgia before surgery. Should be able to also get my prescriptions renewed. Maybe even changed.

Now I got to have a complete physical by a general practice doctor. Now how in God's name am I gonna pass something like that? I'm 72 year old. Old people ain't anywheres near as physical as young kids. Well, let me take that back. Kids now days just sit on their ass text'n, play'n games an' stuff like that.

I'm think'n I'll do just fine on everthing except for the lung thing. I'm go'n with it....first appointment on 8/27/14 an' the last on 9/11/14. My god, I'm gonna be wored slap out.

Ha....got me another little project. Ya see, I need to "git off my ass" an' do something. I got a Walmart special cabinet that I'm gonna rework....modify.

Ain't gonna tell ya what I'm gonna do, but when it's finished, you can bet a dollar there will be some photos. Before, during an' after. Damn, I can hardly wait. I love projects.

Ok, I wrote too much. Yesterdays comments were perfect....'cept'n for one. In case ya think I don't read comments, I hope ya didn't bet a whole lot. I try my best to answer, but sometimes I'm lost for words. Hang in there. 
  

Update Update Update.....Oh my god! More trash thoughts.....negative stuff

Boy howdy, am I gonna survive another day? The last two days have been total hell at Billy Bob's house. "Am I gonna die or what"?

Ya see, it's like this....I don't feel worth a crap. Ain't talk'n bout my back here, we talk'n bout a overall feel'n. All the ways from the top my head (headaches) all the ways down to my toe nails (little bit of sciatica). My dad gum legs feel like jelly (the cheap shit from Walmart), I got them wooosie feel'ns (dizzy), eyes look'n different directions.....I call that "crazy eye", an' I think I got to puke (junk foods). A couple more issues, but we ain't gonna mention them this morn'n. I feel like hell!!!

As much as I try to not think bout those negative thoughts, there them suckers are. When I had my open heart surgery, I didn't have a negative thought at all. Never even thinked bout that kind of stuff. And open heart surgery is way to hell an' gone a more serious operation than a simple laminectomy (cut'n chunks of bone out yer back). This sucks.

Won't be long an' me an' Robert will be up at the doctor place fill'n out all kinds of papers for my surgery. I dread this. As mentioned earlier, what if'n Medicare don't want to pay?  Will my secondary insurance cover the operation 100%? They did once before for a procedure Medicare refused to pay for.

I researched the cost for a single laminectomy in Mexico and India. India is cheaper by bout a thousand dollar. In Mexico the cost is from $6000 for a single, to $16,000 for a double. With out insurance in the US, $20,000 to $40,000. Also in Mexico and India, the success rate drops considerably. Google is your best friend.

I rekon the most fearful thing I'm think'n bout is that I can have me a heart attack. Remember what Dr. Fronkersteen tole me...."did you think you would live forever"? Accord'n to what I read, bypass surgery is temporary....not permanent. It's been go'n on to 7 years (April 2008) since that surgery. How long do I have to live?

For some strange reason yesterday, I got to think'n bout fish'n an' golf ball swak'n. Maybe things ain't as bad as I thought.

Ok, Robert showed up....got to get some shoes on an' head up the road a piece
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Update......3pm

Ok, we done the doctor place thingy, but all is not well. My next appointment will be with a cardiologist. STRESS TEST an' all the good stuff to see if'n my heart will hold up to the surgery. I'm think'n it will 'cause I never have any heart issues. That I know of anyhows.

The appointment after that is with a general practitioner (family doctor) for a physical an' all the related stuff to make sure I'm healthy enough for a surgery. A breathing test will be done. I have COPD, so don't know how that will work out.

This reminds me of when I was in school an' we had test to see if'n we graduated to the next grade. I didn't always pass all them tests. I know how healthy I feel an' "OH SHIT....this sucks".

With all this information, I'm now back to square one...."can I stand this pain the rest of my life? What changes can I make? And then, on the other side the coin...."Billy Bob, you passed all your test with fly'n colors.

Oh shit, Robert just called. I have 4 appointments with doctors for all kinds of stuff. Sheesh!!! Heart. Lungs. Blood clot.???? And a gen. pract.   

No title....just nonsense

Yow boy howdy, here it is already noontime an' I ain't done a thing. An' I cain't think of all the stuff I was think'n bout writ'n this morn'n. Shoot, last night I has bout a hunnert subjects to write bout. They all gone.

But I do have one thing on my mind this morn'n, when is the best time to post a blog? Some people wait till even'n to do it. Others do it in the morn'n......that's me. Now I got my reasons for writ'n my stuff in the morn'ns instead of the even'n of the day I did all that stuff. It takes me no less than two hours ever morn'n to get some coffee down, get that other eye open an' time for some aspirin to kick in. It's my time of day for computer exercises. You know, read all the nasty news of the world, check out the "drama" on Facebook, read'n "yesterdays" blogs, do'n some silly blog write'n of my own an' most important, get my body in good enough shape to stand up. That take me 2 full hours.....more or less, but seldom less.

Now what the hell did I do yesterday that I can write bout today? Sheesh....I done forget.

Robert come back from the mountains yesterday afternoon. He had to pick up his travel trailer what he been pay'n rent for a space an' bring that sucker home.
*pic goes here*

Ha, travel trailers ain't that big.

Then we visited for a while. Talked him into go'n up there on the roof an' look at that leak'n roof vent. He fix it right up in case ya missed the update yesterday.

Shoot, turns out, I didn't "do nuttin" yesterday. My back issue grows a little worse each day, I couldn't get up to do stuff. Ice pacs an' aspirin, an' sip'n up cups all day long. But the golf tournament sure were good on TV. Lasted until almost dark time. Golf tournaments don't last that long.

My Walmart list also grows a little each day. Ya know how much I love shop'n at Walmart, but damn, I don't want to go. A mile of walk'n just don't excite me much this morn'n. I rekon one of them "handicap" gobber-doos would be OK, but the damn things don't go fast enough an' they ain't got no roll bar on 'em. "Beep beep, git out my way".

Think'n bout roll bar....way aback in bout 1974 or therebouts, I builded me a go cart. To redneck specs. I fount me a old 3 horsepower B&S motor. It needed some modification. I yanks off the heavy cast iron flywheel an' replace it with a light aluminum one. Reworked the carburetor so it would put more "modified" gasoline (denatured alcohol mixture) into the combustion chamber. Man boy howdy, that sucker would fly. Back to the roll bar. There was none.

I flip that go cart. On a tight corner. An' here go Billy Bob fly'n through the air....land'n with a splat on the hard surface blacktop park'n lot.  An' here come that go cart land'n right on top me lay'n there in pain. Dang, I thought I was dead git'n out from under that thing. I was skinned up, bruised an' see'n all crookit like. Once I figger out I ain't got no broke bones, or nuttin like that, I climbs back on that sucker an' have me a blast. Damn, I hurted the next morn'n something terrible

Tomorrow, me an' Robert will go sign some papers for my surgery. Git it started. Lots to be done. Cut back on my little cigar smok'n, breath'n exercises, eat up some healthy foods, a month supply of groceries, locate daily used items at hands reach (no bend'n over). Then I got to figger out what to do with that bed. I toss an' turn every night. That won't work. Wear'n the back brace to bed each night may help.