In the Horse Latitudes

Where there is no rain and not much wind. Not much moves. The game is about waiting.

The calendar informs me that my upcoming appointment with the neurosurgeon is on April 8, Passover.  I am not sure of his religious persuasion.  It's possible the appointment could be moved up or moved way back.

There is not much I can do in the meantime. No steroid injection cushion to ride, no new supply of pain pills. I am in the waiting game like everyone else. I do my at-home exercises and keep trying to drop a few pounds.

I ventured into the World of Cooties to visit my dermatologist. Had to be done. Like everyone, next is a trip for groceries. I'm keeping the delivery trucks busy, too. I can get wine faster than face masks.

The Orange Idiot Man wants to artificially start things up again, with his hot air being the wind to take us out of the Dead Sea, I suppose. But most agree it's a reckless notion and one that the state governors will deny.

Aleve and X-rated Sleep

I've never been a fan of the drug Naproxen (i.e., Aleve). Among men, Aleve has the reputation of being a chick pill for menstrual cramps.

But one of my doctors along the way (I think it was the dimwit at the Urgent Care Center), prescribed a stronger version of Naproxen, which I have been trying out (since nothing else on my long list of pain pills seems to be doing well). The full results are not in.

 The early report is, I had a vivid sex dream last night. So I'll take another tab tonight.

Hip Study

Further x-rays this morning at CCFL revealed nothing wrong with the hips other than some osteoarthritis.

The environment and the people are vibrating uneasily with the COVID19 fear. Still, there is a general politeness and a sense of unity about it all. Of course, there are the rowdy idiots who think it's a hoax or at best a huge exaggeration. These are spotted usually in traffic, driving like belligerent maniacs, similar to the freshly unchained rustics in their big pickups and Ford Expeditions, owning the road after the 2016 election.

Seismic Shift

I'm going to have surgery.

I don't know when, but it will happen. Much depends on how drastically the Covid19 crisis impacts the hospital priorities, supplies, and staff.

I'm hoping I can get in before the shit hits the fan.

I have been down the road of nonsurgical treatment and it didnt work. The ruptured disc won't heal by itself.  Almost five months of pain. I can't continue this way.

In a second opinion, Dr. M at CCFL convincingly recommended that I cut the cycle of pain and have a microdiscectomy.  She referred me to Dr. D who I will meet with April 8.

PT is off my calendar for now.  One day I'll go back ... as a recovering back surgery patient.

PT in the Days of CoronaVirus

I tense up in the waiting room, which is a shared room with regular patients and the PT people.  The regular patients are of varying decrepit appearances, and in my imagination any of them could be a carrier.

Once I get inside the PT gym, I feel less exposed, but that can be a false perception. So far, no one has mentioned the virus to me.  The therapists tend to wear gloves more often and use a lot of spray disinfectant on the workout machines and bed areas. Some patients wear masks. I'm not certain (at any location) if this means they have it or don't want to have it.

I will likely suspend my PT trips next week, or Cleveland Clinic might suspend them first. It's getting crazy out there, and everyone is moving toward increased home isolation.  Nothing is certain. Everything for everyone is day by day.  It's mid-March year 2020. Major concerts and sporting events (the Final Four & The Masters to name two) are canceled, as are any large gatherings of people. Cities are going into shelter and stay put mode.

Will the ban include precincts where voting is held? Let's hope not. FL seems determined to vote.

Dueling Ailments

The past two days, the sciatica (opponent number 1) has been intense in my left hip and leg. Nothing relieves it other than sitting and laying down. Both of which I did a lot of yesterday.

Maybe too much. The back (opponent number 2) locked up twice last night and then again in an even bigger way this morning. The pain and cramping goes across the pelvis coast to coast, and the legs freeze in place. The only way out of it is to wait, then sit somewhere with a firm base (NOT the soft edge of the bed or on a soft sofa). The legs will have the spaz-yips momentarily, then stop.

The leg pain is way too much like it was in November.

Renewed Hopes

The PT therapist discontinued massages for piriformis muscle syndrome and shifted to a new experiment in which she manually stretches the left-side abductors vertically.  The way I understand it, this is an attempt to "slide" the pinched nerve out of the way.

It's a hopeful new phase. I am struggling along in month five of the acute sciatic pain and lack of mobility.  Still looking for an answer.

Meanwhile, the past couple of PT sessions have been light because of the setback from the leg stretcher machine a couple of weeks ago.

I wonder about the CoronaVirus in the waiting room. Then again, it is more dangerous driving across town.  Getting to Cleveland Clinic FL is about a 45-minute trip each way.

In general, the mood everywhere seems better, now that the Dem primary race seems to be heading in a less insane direction.  Hopefully this trend continues because Biden can heal things, if he's nominated and if we give him an overwhelming turnout (one that has legit accounting) in November.