CT scan results

My last few weeks bounce rate on my blog web site has been 100%. That means that 100% of the people that looked at my blog stayed on it for less than 5 seconds. Either fast readers, or computer bots.
This past week has been a medical week.
On the 19th I did a Parkrun. Lots of stump pain. I walked a very slow 1:26:14. My stump swelled up afterwards, and I couldn't get the socket on for 2 days. The week before, I had done 5 km walks, 3 times. I think my stump needs more than a day or two to heal, and recover.

Wednesday I went to see the Prosthestist. We chatted lots, and decided not to cast a new socket. Because my stump swells so easy, a new socket should be bigger, yet I want one tighter for walking. My current socket is too big, but I can easily shove foam into it to make it smaller. A loose socket is a pain in the ass, but a very tight socket is unusable. I'll keep my "too big" socket.
He gave me some new putty like stuff. It feels like play-dough. I am supposed to put it in the bottom of my socket, and walk. It should squish and flow around the end of the stump, and form a perfect fitting pad between the end of the stump, and the bottom of the socket. It takes about 24 hours to set, and then it should feel like a soft silicone sealer, like you use to seal around your bathtub.

Thursday I went to a Podiatrist. My good foot is having typical problems due to my increased distances I walk each week. When I used to run I had the same problems. Toenails and nerve pains. The second toe on my good foot, has a nail I thought was going to come off. It now grows almost 90 degrees to the left. The nail grows mostly up and gets thicker. I have been using a Dremmel tool to grind it down.
He said that the nail had become detached on the side, so only half is growing, which makes it bend as it grows. He said the solution is to use the Dremmel tool weekly.
I also get a pain in my middle toes that feels like they are broken, but I can twist and massage the toes with out pain. There is a nerve that is in the pad of the foot that causes the pain. He touched it and my toes really hurt. It is fairly common, and called Morton's Neuroma.

He added a pad under my shoe innersole to keep pressure off the nerve, and that helped.

The receptionist came in with a handwritten file, and said that I was an old patient. I had seen this doctor in 2008 for the same problem. Increased running distance, and Morton's Neuroma. They had been in Pretoria then. 

If my brain remembered things better, I could have saved the trip.

Friday was an Oncologist day. First was blood tests. Then I had to drink a liter of liquid.  Then lay in a metal tube, while they injected radioactive Iodine into me. It made me feel hot, and like I had peed my pants. After they were done they asked me to lay still. Then they re-did some of the photos in my pelvic region.

Last CT scan in February 2018 showed swollen lymph nodes in my right groin. They said they must be from an infection. Well, the lymph glands in my right groin are still swollen. The Doctors agreed that this is not a cancer related event, but also agreed that it isn't good. So I am supposed to go see a Lymph Doctor.

On Saturday I did another Parkrun. I had not done any real walking since the previous park run, so I figured I would be out of shape. It turned out to be my fastest ever, 1:10:44, and I finished with no pain or discomfort in the stump. So now I think that if I don't walk during the week, and let the stump rest well, then I can do a faster Parkrun. Maybe some time on my Exercycle to get a cardio workout, and rest the stump.

 I was feeling better than after any other Parkrun, so went over to a friends house. On arrival there she pointed out that I had damaged my good leg in two places, and it was bleeding from both wounds. I had not felt a thing. She also pointed out that my calf was very hard and swollen. I fear there is something wrong with my good leg. It is red and hot, numb, swollen, and the lymph glands are swollen. 

Sigh :-(

Nov 10 2016 - Visiting the Oncologist.

Yesterday I did a blood test.
Then, I did X-rays of the chest and abdomen.

I fasted last night, and today I did a sonogram of the chest and abdomen.
The sonogram lady was cute. She measured all my organs, and checked for tumors.

Then I ate a huge breakfast, and read my book.
Then I went to the hospice. They have a good used book store, and lots of cheap "junk". I bought a book and 2 steak knives.

Then I went to the local library. I have not been in there for 10 years. It was so empty. They had one computer for people to use, but it was "un-serviceable".
I sat and read about Windjammers. Big old sailing ships. Cool things. The big ones had 1.7 acres (.68 hectors) of sails.

When leaving the Library a woman and daughter came up to me and asked if I could explain to them how the prosthetic leg works. I love talking about my leg, so I chatted till they kept saying goodbye over and over. :-)

Then I went for my appointment with the Oncologist lady. She looked at the X-rays, blood test, and sonogram. Then said that there is absolutely no indications that I have, or ever had cancer. She said that I am in remission. That is the first time she has used that word. She then cautioned me that AngioSarcoma is a sneaky cancer, so I am best to be vigilant and a little paranoid.
She then looked at my foot and leg. She said that it is swollen and the toenails are falling off. Duh!
She then said that she thinks is more likely from the Toxal chemo than from diabetes or cancer. She said that AngioSarcoma likes to grow in stressed parts of the body, so I should work at keeping the inflammation down in the foot and leg, with massage or compression stockings.

Then I went home. The rainbow socket worked great. At the oncologist my stump started hurting up near the groin, but when I inflated the air bladders, my  weight was distributed different, and I made it home with no problems. This rainbow socket is not very comfortable, but it doesn't hurt.

With all the oncology out of the way, I can start packing seriously. This time next week I should be in the RV watching bears with my Florida buddy. :-)
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The U.S. elections are over. HRC lost. I think America dodged a bullet there.
Most people I talked to didn't vote "FOR" Trump. They voted against the high debt, against big government, against the corrupt politicians (that is called a redundancy), against slack immigration policy, and against silly wars.
If anyone can sort out the U.S. finances, it should be Trump.
I like that he is a corporate negotiator, and may prevent hot wars by negotiation, I just hope he doesn't create trade wars.
Good Luck America.
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Oct 30 2016 - Yellow toenails and failed ParkRun.

Oct 30 2016
On Friday I spent 5 hours at the prosthesist trying to get my new socket to fit. We totally failed, and I ended up walking out with the old socket that I had put the two bladders in. I really wanted to use the new socket to do another 5km Park Run. That was not to be.

I had planned to do the Park Run with some friends. But with this older socket, I seriously doubted if I could do 5 km. I sort of wanted to cancel, but my friends wanted to go anyway, so we went, and pitched up in plenty of time for the start.

My friends started walking with me, and we watched everybody else zoom off into the distance. At about half way, I stumbled a few times.  I was gasping and wheezing, and having problems with my cane arm. I was not able to get the cane forward enough to help with balance. Maybe from my sore wrist. So with a heavy heart I quit.
We slowly walked back to the car. I was sad. Total distance walked was 3.1 km.

At home I showered and went straight to sleep for 3 hours. I have numerous blisters and am sore everywhere. My right shoulder and wrist are the worst.

My good foot is always swollen. Everybody asks if I have diabetes. I massage it every day, and keep it elevated. There is a problem with the circulation, and the foot is always cold.
I have also been worried about my toenails. They are turning yellow and flaking off. 

At first I thought they had a fungus, but now I am sure that it is "Yellow nail syndrome". Our "google friend" says:
Many of the symptoms of yellow nail syndrome are commonly associated with malfunction of the lymphatic system including yellow nails, lymphedema, and breathing (respiratory abnormalities). The lymphatic system is a circulatory network of vessels, ducts, and nodes that filter and distribute certain protein-rich fluid (lymph) and blood cells throughout the body. Researchers believe that in yellow nail syndrome, lymphatic fluid collects in the soft tissues in and under the skin (subcutaneous) due to obstruction, malformation, or underdevelopment (hypoplasia) of various lymphatic vessels. Researchers have also speculated that abnormal of leakage of fluid through very tiny vessels (microvascular permeability) may also contribute to the development of lymphedema in yellow nail syndrome.

I see the Oncologist next week. I'll ask her about the foot and the toenails.
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I have been thinking a lot about double above the knee amputations. I believe in the near future, it will be the norm to take off both legs, not just one. Until then, I will gladly keep my one good leg. :-)

With a little bit of electronic aid, there could be certain advantages to being a double amputee.

---Imagine a car mechanic with knees that bent the wrong way. He could easily spend all day bent over the hood of a car.
---Or if the knees would bend all the way backwards, and had motors to control how far they bent, then with feet flat on the floor, as the knees bent, the body would lower, So a painter could lower himself to the floor to paint there, then raise himself up to paint the ceiling.
---Put on real long legs, and you could take huge steps while walking. Or work on house gutters all day without ladders.
---With extensions to the sockets in the rear by the ass bone, and a longer shin, shorter thigh,  and an ankle that bends about 120 degrees, it would be possible to fold them all so it would form a seat like structure, made up of your legs. That would be great for people that get up and down from sitting all day.
---How about a fish tail suit to make you look like a mermaid, or merman. Some ex Navy seal just swam 300 meters underwater on one breath, with a fish tail.
---How about combat aircraft pilots. Less place for blood to flow during high g maneuvers. Or astronauts needing less nourishment, and room during space travel.
---Maybe build legs that could split from the knee to form 4 legs with feet. This would be very steady for sailors working during rough seas.
--- And my favorite. What about two sockets bolted onto a Segway. A wheel chair that keeps you eye to eye with others, and can't fall over.

My Birthday is coming up soon. :-)
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