Wow; glad you’re still with us, my FRiend.
Here’s a “short list” of what’s happened to me, since early 2017 - 2021:
• Severe-acute pancreatitis. Horrible pain in stomach, both sides and lower back. Put on Oxycodone and morphine.
• Grapefruit-sized pseudo-cyst growing on pancreas, compressing stomach to golf ball size. I could only eat 1-2 teaspoons of applesauce at a time, before they rushed me to York Hospital, when ‘dry’ CT Scan showed it as pancreatic cancer tumor(s).
• ‘Wet’ CT Scan showed no cancer, just the very large pseudo-cyst.
• Large stone found in gall bladder. During one ERCP-endoscopy, they went thru stomach to gall bladder to open-up blockage. Stone
remains but isn’t interferring with daily activity.
• Spent 23 days in York hospital, fed/watered intravenously in L/R neck veins, 4 antibiotic IVs in both arms, plus nutrient IVs living on only 4 cups of ice chips/ day.
• Died 2x in York Hospital during 23 day stay; once in OR and once in my private room, on Oncology floor. Revived both times.
• Lost 131 lbs; down from 265 to 134 lbs when I was discharged. I looked like a freaking cadaver. Went from size 38 Lee jeans to size 32. As of todays PCP (Primary Care Physician) app’t, I’m up to 169lbs, and it’s because I eat dinner at 6-7pm, which basically goes to fat, which doesn’t stay around long. I should be at 175-180lbs, so I’m getting closer to where I should be.
• 15 ERCP operations (endoscopies) to insert/remove drainage stents from stomach into pseudo-cyst, at PSU-Hershey Med Ctr.
• 2 MRIs, 17 CT Scans; 13 X-rays, so far... another CT-Scan coming in Jan 2019 at PSU-Hershey.
• Discovery of AFIB/congestive heart disease.
• 5 stents placed in arteries leading to heart, thru groin. Operation took 6hrs.
• 911 ambulance rushed me to York Hospital, with massive stomach bleed from stent in stomach coming loose while I was on Plavix blood thinner for heart stents; taken off that med immediately. 10gal black blood pumped from stomach, which almost burst. I spent 11 days after being transferred by ambulance to PSU-Hershey Med Ctr/Hospital, losing 11 more lbs.
• Stomach stents removed, as pseudo-cyst shrunk to zero.
• Unknown infection in left foot’s big toe bone (Osteomyletis); antibiotics and tetracyclines were ineffective, so decision was made to amputate toe before infection spread into rest of foot, ankle and up leg bones, No cancer detected. 13 stitches out back in June ‘19, and toe area has healed nicely.
• Since pancreas took such a beating, it has now shut down, now making me Type 1 Diabetic. My BSL was 584/ A1C 16, when I was
rushed to York Hospital for treatment. I have 4 finger sticks to get BSL (Blood Sugar Level) reading and 4 varying insulin shots/day, on a sliding scale, which I do myself. A1C now down to 6.8; much better.
• I take 19 Rxs, 9 OTC (Over The Counter) meds everyday.
• Massive pinched nerve pain in right neck, moving to shoulder and down arm, feeling like 1,000 needles. Unrelenting pain feels like an
icepick sticking in my neck, right shoulder, and then the needles in right arm. Am now again on Oxycodone HCl 20mg, until I get into
Neurosurgery Dept at Wellspan, and PT (Physical Therapy) Dept. MRI upcoming to pinpoint source/cause of excruciating pain.
• York Hospital bill: $887,315.49, which Geisinger Gold Preferred and Medicare covered, with me paying $6,500 deductible. PSU-Hershey Med Ctr/Hospital bill: $227,575.82 which Geisinger Gold Preferred and Medicare covered all, since I met deductible. I have one entire file drawer in my sunroom office, filled with medical folders, of so many Drs, specialists, hospitals, etc.
• I spent $55-60,000 to rehab my entire condo, after 29yrs here. Smoking and my late 2 cats really destroyed the place, but it is
magnificent now. I have to think about resale value, as everything will go to my Sister, since Mom (5/2/12) & Dad (8/26/18) are now gone.
• Just bought a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee HEMI 5.7LV8, white with all blackout. 550hp, not the 707hp for $103,000+. That’s too much car for me in this physical condition, 10yrs ago, I would have easily written the check for the big one, and physically handled all that brute power.
• I’m up to 165lbs, now. Still wearing 32” Lee Jeans, after size 38” at 265lbs in 2017.
• Off all Oxycodene and Morphine painkillers as of Sept 1; found CBD Hemp Level 5 Pro-Sport Ointment and am getting restorative
neck/shoulder massage, 2x/ month. ZERO PAIN!
• Many tests still ongoing, especially for heart, w/ new meds all the time. Pancreas is kaput.
• Now using Entresto 97/103mg, which has immensly improved my heart problems. Latest ECHO Cardiogram showed massive
improvement over 3mos ago. Ejection Fraction in left ventricle is up from 20-25% to 50-55%.
• Diagnosed 12/20/20 with Peripheral Neuropathy in both feet. Having noticeable balance problems.
• Endocrinologist downgraded me to Diabetes 2 from Diabetes 1, put me on 1000mg Metformin 2x/day 1/5/21, added 5mg Glipizide, discontinued Novalog Insulin 3x/day, and reduced Lantus Insulin to single nightly shot; BSLs (Blood Sugar Levels) are now under control and on even-keel.
• Diagnosed 1/27/21 with Stage 2 (Mild) Kidney Disease.
• Fell backward off 6ft ladder, and severely injured tailbone on Feb 2; trying to nurse myself back to be able to sit. Can only stand or lay down right now. Fully recovered after 2mos.
• SUCKS TO BE ME! LOL.
!Spoilsport! 🤠 I remember when we first met You having quite the rodeo list and making Me look like an amateur. I did notice several months after I got Home seeing that I had a big a$$€d hole over My Carotid Artery, must’ve been while I was in the coma.
(Just had to make a ploy for attention with the ladder stunt , didn’t You ?🤪)
If You want some more weight, I’ve gained back the 100# plus I lost while in the Hospital and Rehab Center. I can get out the chainsaw and slice off as much as You want and send it to You.
damn, if yer gonna keep that up, you really should look into getting a powerport... 8^)