Things are changing. And change is good . . . right?

Okay . . . it seems this blog is no longer about running.  I wish it were.  But it's not.  So if running is what you want to read about, just stop now!

No . . . this blog is slowing becoming an old man's 'whinner's blog' of little medical issues that really don't amount to much and are only really important to the person it's happening to.  But since THAT person is me . . . well . . . the blog just has to adjust some.

I'm guessing in another month or so I'll be branching into a whole new line of posts.  A few topics are already on my list to discuss:

• Prune juice (the natural approach) vs a laxative from CVS.
• Magnifiers, big print books,  Kindles . . . what are your options when you need to read.
• Secrets on how to pass a driver's test when you're a senior citizen.
• Planning for Medicare.
• How to remember where you put your list of things you wanted to remember.
• Knitting and quilting . . . men can do it too.
• Why are all these people passing me when I drive?
• Soft foods

This should really be exciting.  Stay tuned!

Hopefully in a few more weeks I can start back with my running theme . . . but for now . . . I'm whining!


The Hip

Houston . . . we have progress . . . just not so much of it.

Things ARE getting better but progress is slow at best.  Up until today my furthest walk has been ~ 2 1/2 miles and that felt pretty good.  And I've done that twice.  But the last two days I've stopped my walk at about 1/2 mile.  It was hurting and just not right . . . so I quit.  I could easily pushed through the pain . . . it really wasn't all that much.  Even the end of a marathon hurts way more.  But it just doesn't feel like something I should 'push through.'  So I quit.  Twice.

But today was a new day.  A totally beautiful morning and my hip felt good so decided to try it again.  And the result . . . a new 'comeback' time and distance record!  That's right, friends and neighbors! 5k in a few minutes UNDER one hour!  Whoaaaa!  And the pain never changed from when I started until I finished!  Encouraging!

My hip's range of motion is just about back to normal but there are a few positions I get into and things I do that just plain hurt!  For instance sometimes my hip just plain locks up.  And I have to carefully manipulate it a little to get it working again.  Another example: riding a bike kills me.  Not the down-stroke but as the pedal comes back up!!  Doesn't matter what resistance level I use.  WTF???  That's just plain crazy!  But it's real!  This REALLY hurts!

My next doctor's visit is in early December.  And we'll be talking about just what I should do when there is pain.  Do I back off / stop doing whatever it is I'm doing?  Or do I carefully push on through the pain?  I can do either . . . I just don't want to do the wrong thing and screw up my recovery.

But for right now . . . running is out of the question . . . for sure.

The Kidney Stones

We finally have all the information back regarding my kidney stones so I went to my Rocky Mount urologist to determine some plan of action.  Just sitting around waiting for another stone to pass seems like not such a good plan when you consider:

1. I live alone in a very rural place with not many folks around full time . . . so I have to drive . . . can't get anyone else,
2. It's about a 40 minute drive to the nearest hospital,
3. Of the three stones that have passed, one took 2 days to make the trip, one only about 4 hours and one stopped 3/4 of the way and just got stuck,
4. I guess I'm just a wimp when it comes to pain, and
5. I've got maybe 7 - 9 more stones just waiting for their chance to break out and make their own journey to sunlight!

My urologist consulted with all the doctors in his office and here is what they collectively said:

• The analysis of the stones I passed indicates these are not a type of stone that will break up if they try ultra sound blasting (lithotripsy) again.
• I have a huge prostate . . . so frickin' big it makes stone removal from my kidney REALLY, REALLY hard.  They really don't think going up 'that way' to the kidney is a viable option.
• The other option is to go in through my side/back with something like an arthroscope, get to the kidney and get those frickin' stones.  But they are afraid to try it that way.  It seems all my stones are in one little group in my left kidney.  Really high up.  And right up against my spleen and they think that is risky and tricky approach.

So, bottom-line, they have referred me to a doctor at Duke.  December 19th is my appointment.

Now aren't you glad you wasted your time reading this????    :-)