Phoenix Trip Update #9

Saturday PM

Since all of our medical issues have now been settled, we are going HOME!!! I told you in the last post that we were having a friendly debate as to where we were going from here. One guess won that debate. I really think that males should get two votes to one for the females just to even the playing field a little bit - of course, we would still lose, but it would be a smidge closer. So, the plans are to leave for Florida on Monday.

This time, however, I plan to go north to I-40 since we are not fighting a schedule. That route only adds a few hundred miles, but there is some interesting country that is not all desert. Don't get me wrong. I like the Great American Southwest - you know, cowboys, indians, OK Corrals and all that stuff - Bev, not so much. AND, she gets very testy in the heat and there is little I can do to turn that frown upside down. When I try to cheer her up, her response is usually something like, "YES, I love you - SHUT UP!".

Her disposition did improve when she got her way and I agreed to take her home to the cool breezes of Florida in August and September. This reminds me of some saying like "grass is greener on the other side" or something like that. Actually, it probably is greener in the swamp than it is in the desert. Oh, well!

We could not leave without saying goodbye to some of the people who were very special to us while we were here. While it wasn't possible to show our appreciation to all the wonderful people here, we felt we should single out the two young ladies who were instrumental in arranging appointments, keeping us informed, and taking care of us, in general. As I have mentioned in previous posts, their names are April and Traci and we went to see them yesterday at work and gave each a little gift. I have attached their pictures along with one of Traci and Dr. Kaibara. (Dr. Kaibara actually took the photo of us with Traci - the first time I have ever had my picture taken by a world-renowned neurosurgeon, WOW!). Really, Dr. Kaibara is a great doctor with a super personality. What else would you expect from a fellow golfer?

This will be the last post until we get home in about a week. Keep tuned and I will recap the highlights of the homeward journey when I get back online. We will be traveling right through "Tornado Alley" so who knows what we will see along the way. (Secretly, I have always wanted to be a Storm Chaser). BTW, a cold front came through today and the temperatures plummeted to 96 degrees. But, now we face severe thunderstorms with quarter-size hail. I just love this place.

In the meantime, Bev says, "I hate housework! You make the beds, you do the dishes - and six months later, you have to start all over again."

Phoenix Trip Update #8

Wednesday pm

It has been a few days since my last post, but I didn't want to bore you with our day-to-day existance. Well, maybe I will.

We have had a couple of exciting events: I went to the grocery store twice, rented two DVDs from Blockbuster, took my car to get the A/C fixed again, took the motorhome to get the rear A/C replaced (still doesn't work after $1,100), and found an inside air conditioned mall for Bev to shop at while I entertained myself by reading Cold Moon by Jeffery Deaver (very good book).

Don't know when we are going to get away from here. Bev's medical appointments have concluded, but there is still the matter of the neuropathy in my feet. I need to find out the results of my blood test and talk to the doctor. He didn't give me much hope last time and I doubt if that is going to change. He actually said it may be idiosyncratic (which I took to mean that only idiots got it, but he explained that it actually means they don't know what the hell causes it!!).

Anyway, we would really like to abandon the "Valley of the Sun" as it is called here, and go elsewhere. I am thinking of the great northwest (maybe Idaho, Montana, or the like), but my sweet little travelling companion is making noises about home. AND, you know who generally wins those debates! But, before we go anywhere, I am taking the motorhome back and get this*%##%@&* A/C fixed or you will see me on the evening news followed by an episode of "Doctor G".

Since some readers have commented favorably on the pictures, I thought I might include a few more. That is me at my blog station and Bev at her duty station. The temperatures were measured at 5:00pm and from left to right are : outside (114, in the shade); bathroom (102, giving a new meaning to "being on the hot seat"); back bedroom (105, no A/C right now); cold water (104, has been as high as 110); and front living area (89, typical). And there is a photo of the portable A/C (AKA "Lifesaver") which I fortunately purchased before we left Florida. I might mention that the measurements were made with highly accurate engineering thermometers.

I hope you enjoyed my 'lack of' news report. Send some comments, guys and gals. You, too, can have your posts on the internet to be read by anybody world wide!! (BTW, is anybody at Hernando Oaks getting this??)

My favorite country song titles continued: "I Gave Her a Ring and She Gave Me the Finger"

Phoenix Trip Update #7

Friday Evening

Nothing new to report, but I am a little disappointed with the lack of comments. It makes me think nobody is reading the blog. One of the advantages of the blog is that it takes the place of a lot of e-mails. Anybody that would like to send us an e-mail can accomplish the same thing by using the "comments" link at the bottom of each post. Then, when I sign on to the blog, I see where someone has sent a comment. I then click on the "comments" and answer your comment. It's really easy and fun. But, be careful, others can also read your comments.

I decided to include a few more pictures of St. Joseph's Hospital. Looks like a resort hotel, doesn't it?

Another favorite country song title: "I was on my John Deere breaking her field when I got her Dear John breaking my heart".

BYE

Phoenix Trip Update #6

Wednesday Evening

Today was the day we have been waiting almost a year for. Bev's appointment with Dr. Kaibara to get the results from all her tests and his diagnosis and recommendations. The conclusions were met with mixed emotions, but mostly with satisfaction and relief. The bad news was that surgery would probably do very little, if any, good and was not recommended from a reward vs. risk point of view. The good news is that Bev will not have to go through a difficult surgery. Instead, Dr. Kaibara emphasized the need for knowledgeable and aggressive pain management. It is important that she resume the physical activities that she enjoys such as golf and gardening. She will attempt to manage her pain with increased medication as needed.

The main satisfaction we received at Barrow is that we feel that we have left no stone unturned and have done everything that we can. I know that I would have always questioned myself if I had not tried to get the best help available for Bev. I feel like I have done that. Dr. Kaibara was patient, personable, and extremely informative in analyzing Bev's condition. He explained thoroughly, with the use of the myelogram CT scan, exactly what was taking place in the cervical section of Bev's spine. This knowledge was so important to our acceptance of the diagnosis. It is most unfortunate that all doctors do not think it necessary to provide this level of details. It is as if they assume the patient has no need for complex medical information and should blindly accept whatever the doctor told them.

Yesterday, I included some pictures in my post. Today, I want you to meet the wonderful, sweet Traci and the fantastic Dr. Kaibara (USGA handicap index 5.7 - I knew he was a serious golfer when I asked his handicap and he quoted his index).

We will be here a while longer because I decided to see if there was anything they could do about the neuropathy in my feet - but that is another story for another post.

Have a nice evening and remember: I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.

Phoenix Trip Update #5

Monday Evening:

As you notice, they were no posts for Saturday and Sunday. The reason is that there was ABSOLUTELY nothing to report. We didn't even venture out of the Bat Cave (with foil on all of the windows, we have to turn on the lights to see even in the middle of the day).

But, today was different! We got up at 5:00 am to make Bev's mylogram and CT scan appointments at 6:30 at BNI. Poor thing was so petrified about the mylogram that she could not go to sleep until 4:15. A total of 45 minutes sleep. I was luckier - I got 3 hours. She made it without any real problems, but we won't find out anything until she goes to the doctor tomorrow at 10:30. I will be able to give you more information on tomorrow's post.

Until then, I want everybody to know what a fantastic place this is. St. Joseph's is world renowned in several areas, but really excels in the area of neurological disorders including the pioneering of new brain surgery techniques. I would HIGHLY recommend BNI to anyone with complicated spine or brain problems which don't respond to their current treatments.

I decided to post a few pictures to spice up the blog a little. The blowout speaks for itself as does the RV Resort we call home. There is a picture of the hospital main entrance and the wing for the Barrow Neurological Institute. The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center receives all of the donations to that cause. The next picture shows Bev being wheeled to Radiology and the last is her recovering from the mylogram.

Till tomorrow. PBJ

Phoenix Trip Update #4

Absolutely nothing happened today except I finished putting aluminum foil on the inside of all our windows to reflect the 115+ heat. It really does look like a cave in here now - hard to tell day from night except that it gets cooler at night. Getting ready to cook pork chops for dinner. Goodnight!

Phoenix Trip Update #3

Another killer- hot day - 117 degrees. Good news: scheduled motorhome to get A/C fixed; Bad news: the appointment is a week from Monday. Hope we make it. If no one hears from us for a couple of days, maybe the authorities should be notified! Bev is a little unhappy right now. It is hard to just sit around reading or watching TV if you are hot and miserable. It is now almost 10:00 pm and it is just starting to cool off a little bit. A couple more hours and it will be comfortable enough to get a good night sleep.

Bye for now and a note from Bev: If you think that money can't buy happiness, you just don't know where to shop!!!