Fall Is Here 10/17/2019

Fall Is Here

10/17/2019

Health Update:   Been in the ER again and lots of doctors visits.   After being bed fast for nearly 4 months with the suggestion of a friend was able to get an Aspire nurse to come to my house.  With her help was able to get a prescription approved that my insurance denied and a wheelchair.  BCBS assigned a case manager to help me coordinate and even had a social worker to call to offer suggestions for assistance and other resources.   My neurologist in Knoxville advised no multiple sclerosis medications until I get my back taken care of.  I finally made it to the neuro-surgeon for a consult and seen him at the hospital ER.  They are thinking that surgery is not necessary but physical therapy is.  However,  I have to consider my multiple sclerosis treatment and how to protect my brain.  There is a conflict there.  I don't want un-needed surgery but I do need to be able to walk and if my back is the majority of my physical problem then I need to get it fused.   If that will give me a better quality of life.  I think my back has interfered with my multiple sclerosis diagnosis and treatment for a long time.  I even attribute some of my tremors to the nerve impingement's in my neck and back.  But, at the same time I know there are other influences as well......

Missed half the summer being in bed and my blog post hasn't been kept up either.  It's hard to type when in the bed.  I couldn't sit up because that postiion put pressure on my lower back and caused a lot of pain. So, I ended up laying on myside most of the four months I was bed fast.  I also feel that I have had further injury to my neck during that time.  But, since I already had xrays and mri of neck recently I can't get another one for a while due to insurance approvals.  But, I do have another MRI scheduled for Friday in Knoxville of my brain and it will include my neck and brain stem.  I'm still having problems with my neighbors shooting some type of home made microwave gun. They take apart old microwaves and use the laser out of them.  I'm not so sure that my decline is not solely contributed to that.  My primary doctor noted soft tissue damage to my back (externally) plus my MRI showed a bone marrow edema (enhancement).  (Bruising).    The neuro-surgeon wants me to get a second opinion.  They are supposed to see about getting that scheduled someplace.  So, far haven't gotten anything setup.   

So,  I'll be having lots of doctors appointments, follow ups and decisions to make.  I've spent a lot of money recently on medical care.  But, I'm applying for financial assistance with Ballad Health to help with my ER visits and if I have surgery I will definitely need it.   Taking lots of vitamins as prescribed by neurologist.  5000 units of Vitamin D, Multi-Vitamin, Vitamin B12, Melatonin to help with sleep.  It does help.  Vitamin D is now commonly being subscribed for people with MS.  It's been documented to show that most people with MS has an vitamin D deficiency.  Weather its caused by the MS or the inability to enjoy the outdoors to get natural sun light or not is hard to tell.  So, take vitamin D. 

On a good note....I am walking again no longer bed fast.  I suppose the nerve root swelling went down on the impinged nerves with help from steroid's or did the steroid's help my multiple sclerosis or was it because I have been staying at my moms and the local morons haven't been able to shoot at me so much.  Either way I'm able to walk again.  I'm keeping the wheelchair just in case.  There are days I still have pain and I never know when this might happen again.

Since I'm able to walk again I went fishing while I could.  I caught a trout a pretty decent size one.  I hooked another one but as I got it up to the bank it got off the hook.  Looks like the river at TVA South Holston Dam was restocked.  Late in the day I was starring at the water and seen a whole school of trout swim by.  If I had a long handle on my fish net I could have scooped them up.  TVA recently added a wheelchair accessible ramp down to the rivers edge to fish along with fishing rod holders.  So, if your in a wheel chair that's an excellent place to go fishing.  There is a bathroom and picnic area before you get to the fishing spot.  Bring extra fishing hooks there is some rock and tree's that tends to trap your line and break hooks.  I want to go fishing again soon.  The weather is a little cold today.  I feel like I might be getting the flu or something.  Mom has had walking pneumonia and very sick.  She got over it for a while but sick again.  She has never fully recovered from it since February.  Plus I had pneumonia in February also.  So, I need to be careful.  I got a lot of issues already definitely don't need pneumonia again.

Here's some pictures of my fishing trip.

The Trout I Caught!