Boy- it's been a while......

The problem about blogging is you have to be in the right mood. For the last 4-5 months moods have changes with a different concoction of medicines. I still have depacote in my life- is it good or bad - most people I know say Yes. But the depacote eats away my stomach. as soon as I take it - my GERD and stomach indigestion start. I need to remain upright for 2-3 hours after taking the medicine so it totally works it's way to my lower intestines. Last week I had my 8th Endoscopy (my GERD is that bad). I had the procedure at 4pm and took my depacote at 9:30am. The GI Dr. said the Depacote and Prilosec were still in my esophagus and had not worked their way down to my stomach. So now I schedule my evening Depacote at 6pm and AM Depacote at 9am- followed with a walk , a workout and task that makes me upright for 2-3 hours. I still need the seroquel to sleep- in fact I've added over the counter benadryl. Sleep is peaceful - but not ready to go back to work. Given all the things going wrong in the econlomy now -perhaps it's a good thing that I'm not working with any "mood" problems.

I need to blog more.

Doctors, Doctors and more Doctors

Seems like the whole summer has been waiting in Doctor's waiting rooms. Of course I've yet to meet a doctor that runs on time. My last castastrophy was being bit by a Scorpion, just below my right Patella (7/2/08). I endured a whole month of a bloated right leg, antibiotics at first all IV then oral and changed each and every antibiotic each week. My leg was a big as an Elephant. They called it Celluliotis- just to put a name on it. So I had to mix all my drugs each day with Antibiotics. It took 5 almost 6 weeks until my knee could be touched w/o pain and was not hot do to the infection. Today is 42nd today since the Scorpion bit and my right knee is almost the same same as my left knee. Hence no work outs in July. I'm afraid to weigh myself because the depakote creates an awful taste in your mouth and you feed it with food. What do I weigh? God, I'm afraid to find out. Prior to Scorpion bit and changing to depakote at The Mayo Clinic -I was 177lbs. Still see my 3 or 4th post wouldn't it be nice to have one doctor incharge of my case. At least now I say "Well The Mayo Clinic said to do this..." it's working so far. But I fear I need to go back to Mayo for a follow up. Can't life be simple? I'm still sleeping too long and not ready for work. I concentrate on the wrong things and tend to focus on things that are not important. Is that a side effect? I'm ready for any advice.

Back on Land- Doing the Best I can......

Okay back from Mayo Clinic of Mood Disorder and Sleep Disorder. It would be nice to have a Medical Community like MAYO (latest survey puts John Hopkins first, Mayo 2nd and then UCLA Med Center-3rd). where every doctor is on stanbdby. Every piece of equipment is ready and available. When I need a Cat Scan or a MRI - it was okay - in twenty minutes a transport nurse will be here to get you down stairs for the Cat scan or MIR- no waiting. No tee off times for doctors, no other surgery or excuses got in your way. THE PATIENT WAS ACTUALLY #1. How refreshing. Not like telling me well we can get you a cat scan in 2 weeks ago across town etc. Their Diagnosis team was simple and complete. Why, when and who determined that. So I now comletely changed for a while. 1250mg depakote plus 50 mg at night and 750mg of depacote in the AM plus my Benicar/Lotill cocktail for Heart Pressure Medicine.....then they want me to take 25mg of Seroquel 2x per day. But I'm falling asleep already. Resisting that last 50 mg of Seraquel. Still taking Chineese Herbs for jundance. But making little headway there. Dozing off alot. Maybe soemone could give me some sound advice. I have a full body Slepp Study coming up this month-should be fun. But need to find 0ut where good men of Austin buy their clothes.

Working on new Meds- one family at a time.......

Seems I've had a ton of doctors over the last 18 months, all ready to write me an RX. Don't know if the answer lies in a "secret pill" or a "secret process" even turned to Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture. I was a skeptic at first but shortly amzed how a certain placement of needles could counter balance or re-balance the flow of one's electrolytes and energies. I doubt it no longer. But yet 95% of American medicine is based on an RX. Here at Mayo Clinic I'm learning CBT- Collaborative Behavior Therapy. A process to control your thoughts, thus controling your behaviors and reactions to others and incidents you face. Could be as simple as "deep breathing" or thinking "positive" thoughts before you react or speak. Calming of oneself. Remembering the good in the statement first and not the "what if" or "but". Mayo likes CBT, I'm learning more and more each day. Use CBT when you are anxious, or depressed. I need to use it when I'm chugging along 95 MPH doing my best manic imitation. Set a limit and control the number of things I really need to do. The others will get done in do time. It's peaceful here. There a certain Je'ne ce qua. Just seems that there may be a war in Iraq, the stock market is going to hell but Mayo is just calm and collected and fully expects to come out on the other side unscathed. Don't get me wrong Mayo is not in a time warp, today will still be the All-Star Baseball game at 7pm. John McCain and Barack Obama are feveriuosly fighting over the 10 Electoral votes for November and gas still costs the same (too much) but Rochester Minn is at peace with itself, it's direction and place and presence. Stats in yesterday's Twin Cities Tribune- show Mayo ranked 2nd in most respected Healthcare Facility in US- behind John Hopkins and ahead of UCLA/Med Center. I'm impressed.

Even Mayo Clinic Screws up......

Okay it's 4am and can't sleep. What's the deal? the Dr's orders were written wrong for the Sunday night medicines. I had a choice throw a fit and show I haven't learned anything from "anger management" lessions, page the doctor at home on Sunday night (and be rude) or try to tough it out. I chose the a last. They forgot my sleep med. I'm still taking Vicodan for my Cellulitis in my elphantitis knee and a new (did it before) mood drug. And was supposed toss in my Sleep med from my Austin Sleep Dr. - but it was eliminated from the chart. Another sleepless night. Shouldn't happen in a place with more Drs. than water but it does. Face it Life is not perfect. If you seek perfection, you needed to inhabit the planet before Christ at least. So, anyway it's time to thank all the wonderful Drs. I met at Mayo so far- Dr. Mark Frye- great guy, brilliant mind, Dr. Staab, same category -Man they both know there stuff on "mood disorders". thanks again to Dr. Nygyuen at St. Mary's for the triage on my leg, Dr. Nick Staros -the orthoped was hectic, busy but thorough, Grant Bauer is the Mood Disorder administrator - he the houdini behind the curtain with extra appointments,MRI, triage consultants, mobility rides and lots of fine details, I hope he can sleep without worrying what he might have missed. You, the faith based people hae been really nice, not overwhelming but there as a constant when I needed something like a pillar- a Communion, a short prayer a Sunday service, daingit, George Bush and others are right about Faith- it needs to be in one's life. And lastly the nursing staff have been super professional. My second stay in a clinic to improve myself and I could not have asked for a more caring bunch of individuals. All Mid-westerners with great ethics and "can-do" attitude. Mayo has been good to me. A step back, a time to reflect and revevaluate "why this drug" "why this remedy" and "why this course of action" Does it make sense? Sure I'm missing one night of sleep - but in the big scheme of things - it really doesn't matter. Oh, and almost forgot my fellow patients - Jeez nice class of people, Mayo knows who and how to select a good bunch of interacting social mis-fits that can listen and learn and have lots of remaining potential. Thanks Mayo - you'll be on contribution list.

Wow -it's been a while - but that's cuz I was Sick.

Never believe this but 3 days before I was to leave for Mayo Clinic, I was finisihing a river rock pathway on the north side of our house. The Riverrock had been delivered 3 years ago and sat there idle. Well, I figured it was high time that I finish the pathway started by the landscapers three years ago. In kneeling on the grassed over rock pile to sort out the river rocks I got bit by a scorpion on my right knee. Didn't notice much at first. I put ice on it the first night, thinking I sprained my knee, no help. The third day,just before we were to leave to go Mayo Clinic, Holli took me to the Seaton/Cedar Park new Hospital on July4th. I was the only patient. Diagnosed with Celluliotis of the knee via spider (scorpion) bite. I was given an IV drip and given Levaquin to take orally on the way to Mayo/Rochesther Clinic. Some how the pressurization of the Airplane caused the infection to accelerate. When I arrived at Mayo on Monday I had memory tests and brain challenge quizes all afternoon -then off to ER of St. Mary's at Mayo. 4:30pm- what a cattle call- seems everyone in Rochester gets sick on a Holiday weekend. At 11pm I finallly got a room in Hospital after another IV drip. I also saw an Orthopeed, if you are ever sick you want to be sick at the Mayo Clinic. Tons of specialists. I had infectious disease docs, internal med docs and ER fighting over me. Wow, this place is a Taj Mahal of medicine. Anyway after 3 days of in patient in the old Domatella wing, I was released to the Genarose Bldg. where the 3rd floor is reserved for "lock down" and the "Mood Disorder Clinic". More news later. But I'm safe and getting healthy. My elphantitis right leg is now down and all I have to show is swollen knee, a knee brace and lots of pain pills (mostly vicodan) and tons of different IV anti-biotics. Uninsom, Something with an "S", Levaqen, and more. I feel like a pin cushion, with more blood being drawn than I ever thought I had. More news later.

Off to Mayo Clinic Tomorrow - First Ever Clinic

Okay, May not be a post for awhile - or maybe one every day. I'm off to Mayo Clinic for First ever Mood Disorder (??nice word) Clinic. I need a two or third opinion. Austin's Medical community is too small -they all know each other and cover each other's tracts. Not that they are doing anything wrong. But are they always right? Is zonergram the right drug? Or does the Dr. prescribe it because some cute Drug Rep walks in the door handing out free pens and a free dinner to talk to some Research Director at **** resturant. I don't know. I don't have access to that information. All I know is I'm told I'm manic, well so is 60% of the people at Microsoft that I work with and have worked with- is that bad? They have a 94% market share on Worldwide computer operating systems. A $60B company and the richest man in the World and most the other top ten (except for the Walton clan). Can manic be that bad? Sure if it manifests in negative manic (ie Hitler or Manson). But Manic was bad for Jim Gray - Smartest man I met.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7152514 til he thought he could manage the sea at night. or Steven Fossett in his last flight.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14191383 Did he try too much?

So men see things as they are and say why, Manics see things that never were and say WHY the Hell not??? A little RFK paraphasing... So was RFK Manic? You be the judge.