Training Log Archive: bl

Left CH Wednesday, after 5 nights as inpatient. A second (thoracic) MRI showed additional sites of infection at several levels. At discharge, no organism was identified by culture (but up to two weeks allotted) and the source not evident (tho a distinct list of possibilities, including a cardiac echo which showed the post-op mitral valve leaking again). The treatment is 8 weeks of two antibiotics by PICC line. The morning dose requires 2.5 hours, the evening 2 hours. I can walk around, go to town, library, work etc, but needing to be in a "satisfactory" space for administration and discontinuing.

An added extra to merely getting old. It certainly affects outlook. Goodbye November - certainly a month to remember.

C • Best wishes 6

Yesterday’s MRI landed me in the hospital...! I got a call around noon from an RN in the ordering physician’s office. Spine infection, psoas and epidural abscess, severe spinal stenosis at one level and some more. I walked into the ED, was admitted and today am on antibiotics after interventional radiology’s getting a small fluid sample from a “fluid collection” adjacent to L1-L2 last night. Who would have known, thinking this was entirely mechanical LBP. Thinking back, not much in way of a symptom history to help. One drenching sweat episode in Africa and one similar at home about 2 months ago. Hopefully, the precise organism will be identified for the optimal antibiotic. And outpatient IV therapy. And nothing neurosurgical.

And get this behind. Another ‘soon to be behind’ yet again. The best laid plans of mice and men are often on the mend --- and as to the needed answer, who knows when.

Noted the fairly dismal forecast tomorrow for the Traverse. Hats off to starters and, more so, finishers! I'm happy indoors for Sunday.

Slow walk, fine day for a change. Parked at bus terminal and wandered amongst the buildings. State highway dept building was the most interesting/decrepit. Made a loop out of it which proved some adventure given the maze of fences. Can't imagine jogging these days. Have first MRI tomorrow.

Arranged two back MRIs yesterday. The second, this Wed., 11/27, is scheduled to be done about 90' before seeing the ordering physician. I'll arrive with a disc in hand. Time (2 wks) was lost with the usual hurdles. I spent about 2 hrs yesterday at CH chasing down a few key people. Without this, more delay. I need more insight than currently exists and what direction to take. Climbing up thighs in the middle of the night, utilizing a open bureau drawer as well (several times) and in the morning is too long a way from the level of activity I need to stay sane.

C • Good luck! 9

Similar to yesterday but most pleasant wx for a change. Bad back day. November already half over. Wow.

Contemplative walk at SPS late pm. Cold, gray. More students than I've seen before. SPS exudes a comfortable gentility on a well-endowed, lovely campus. Walked up to the chapel to see if I could determine when it was built, looking for a corner stone etc. 1886 seems a long time ago. Drove thru the community garden on the way home and witnessed a nice November sunset.

Spoke with scheduling at CH today to set up an MRI of my back. The fly in the ointment was an annuloplasty ring at the base of my mitral valve which needs filter thru a few screening layers.

Y again, after work. Back was somewhat better last night. Maybe related.
A very cold period we're having - don't think it was much above 25F today.
Gibson's after, reading a travel book about Alaska. Hope to visit next summer.

Y mid-pm. Full moon tonight. There was BOS talk of watching it rise fm Great Hill but did not look at all likely mid-morn. Clearing late pm but increasing cold and the lack of certainty plus errands much of afternoon left little interest.

Foothills PT having missed previous 2, preceded by Bear Brook walk with Willow. First we walked on the path where the barrels containing bodies were found in '85 & 2000. Then to the swimming area. Grey day.

Light weights at Y

After work, blue dome. Jogging didn't work.

NHSI physiatry visit resulted in probably not-unexpected ordering of T/L spine MRIs. Treatment likely won't change but insight should increase.

Bear Brook with Willow, early pm. More cloudy than not - still a fine November day, leaves gone, lots of visibility, quite a few hikers, bikers, even hunters. The first place I went to park was occupied by three hunters, 2 cars. Then went to Hayes Field. Had map & compass but did not need it. W’s friendly exuberance was too much at times, jumping on strangers, chasing them on bikes. Finally, a leash.

I had the Bear Brook murder podcast on my mind as a work colleague and I are going to do some sleuthing, probably Veteran’s Day. I’ve seen the path leading to where the barrels were found. Today, I drove on River Road again, by the first gate to the cemetery but turning in at the second. So many graves to behold but there was a woman weed wacking around a few closeby. I asked her if she knew where I might look. She pointed where to go, "the grave with the four Teddy Bears". I would not have cared to row-by-row search for the sake of “virgin discovery". I found the one stone, mentioning only mother and child, found in November, 1985. On top, only under a small stone, was a note naming the four victims by first name, signed by a sister of one.

Close to two hours of raking leaves which has become a burden over time.
Mostly done for the year with the help of Peter & Mel. Harks back to the year we paid around $400 for a few guys to mostly blow leaves from one place to another -- which didn't fly in the quality work column.

White Park after work. A bright, breezy November greeting after all the recent dismal days. The last day of October topped out at 68F, with hard rain and lots of wind to clear the air. I spent the middle part of it on the boat in a brightly lit shed.

Walking today was therapy: in the early morning hours, an office mate (sits <10' away) called the fire dept., fire/PD finds her & younger son in front yard. Husband found dead inside on the sofa, the fire in the same room, older teen son later apprehended as likely suspect.

Four killed in Orinda, CA in Air B&B Halloween shooting, my stepson's family's also small town.

Fires everywhere, raining or not.