Life - Post Halo

Well, it's been 2 days since I've had my halo off, what a difference! I've gone from a bobble head to actually being able to control this big bowling ball on top of my neck and shoulders. I'm still not near as strong as I should be, but the 6 weeks of rehab I'm getting ready to go through should take care of that. The pin sites on my head are really closing up nicely. They are much smaller than I expected. When I first got the halo off, while still in the doctors office, those things looked like gunshot wounds, they were HUGE. It only took a couple of hours for them to close up though. I'm using Maderma (that stuff that's supposed to keep scars from showing up), we'll see how good it does. Worse comes to worse, I've got 2 scars on my forehead that will be badges of honor for having to go through the living hell that I lived for 3 1/2 months.

Showers still have never been better. My water bill will be high over the next month.

Not sure if I mentioned it in my last post, but it's apparently not going to be a great idea for me to ride the motorcycle anymore. I guess I'm a little more likely to break that bone in the future than the ordinary Joe. It REALLY bums me out to have to get rid of it, I really enjoy that thing. I guess the good news is that not biking will give me more time to work on my golf game.

I'm really sore, like I just worked out for the first time in years. Neck and shoulders are really hurting, but, it doesn't matter too much to me, I'm just glad to be out of that contraption.

I weighed myself yesterday, this is the first time in probably 6 or 7 years where I am below 185 lbs. I weighed in yesterday at a slender 175. My pants are all too big, the neck on the shirt I have on today is HUGE, my arms look like a 12 year old girls arms (not that there's anything wrong with 12 year old girls arms, but they don't look good on a 35 year old man).

So, in a week I start therapy and I won't go to work until after I finish that.

Not much else in the news. Uncle Josh is coming in today and the kids are excited to see him.

Everyone have a prosperous and safe new year.

No more halodom

Well, what an adventure today has been. Woke up late, it was raining. Suzanne and I got in the car and went to get my CT scan done and then darted over to the doctors office. I get to the waiting room, anxious, and wondering what he'll think of my progress.


In he walks and says "are you ready to get that thing off"? What kind of question is that? Anyway, it takes all of about 4 minutes, if that, to get this thing off my head and I immediately felt like a bobblehead doll. Doctor used the analogy of a bowling ball on a toothpick. That's exactly what it feels like, but I don't care cause it doesn't feel like a halo on my head.

So, we ride home, I have no collar on or anything, halo to NOTHING. It's a completely weird sensation. I have a feeling I'm going to be completely sore come tomorrow as I'm using muscles I haven't used in over 3 months (13.5 weeks to be exact).

Next on the agenda was shaving. Shaving the beard and head. I went through two sets of shears to do it, but I got it done. Then I went for a 45 minute shower (would have been longer if I had more hot water) where I took a razor to my head and face. What a GREAT feeling.

Anyway, I now intend to go lay in the bed I haven't layed in in over 3 months and actually lay down and sleep. After that, who knows...

Here's me right after I got the halo off and right after I shaved. Have a good laugh.

Parole hearing set for Friday

Well...the time is near. I go see the doctor tomorrow morning. Hopefully he'll have time to fit me into his busy workers comp miracle doctor schedule. Have I mentioned before that I really don't like this guy? Anyway, I have a CT scan scheduled for about 8 tomorrow morning and my doctors visit is at 9:30. If things go well, I'll be sitting in a shower from 10:30 AM - 4:00 PM tomorrow. My advance apologies to all of the North Texas area if you have no natural gas to heat your water tomorrow night. I've got 3.5 months of showers coming to me and I'm taking them all at once.

Hopefully, I won't have too many days left of looking like this:

Boycott Sears!!!

So, I bought my wife this not so inexpensive gift from Sears for Christmas. Winds up the product was broken so I ordered one online that I found for cheaper (with more accessories) and I had her go to Sears to return the other one. They wouldn't take it without a 15% restocking fee. I wound up cancelling my order for the replacement one and I had her just get an exchange at Sears. This is the LAST TIME I buy from those jerks and I'm letting all my friends know so that hopefully they can join me in not getting screwed by "the man".

I hope you all had a great Christmas, I sure did. The kids aren't wanting for anything, even though Dillon did tell us on Christmas evening that he was bored.

Kylie had a great birthday as well. We always make it a point to celebrate her birthday at the end of the day. Santa is in the morning and Kylie's birthday in the evening. I tell you, by the end of the day we sure were worn out.

I go to the doctor day after tomorrow. Get a CT Scan and hopefully I get this thing off of my head. I'm ready to get back to not being a freak show (or at least get to being less of one) when I go out. The beard is looking SWEET, though.



Wishing all of you a wonderful new year...

You're getting your halo off on Dec 26...NOT

Doctor called me today to say he has "emergency" surgery to attend to on Dec 26th and he has to push my next visit back to Dec 29th. So, 8 days went to 11 days. At this point, hours and minutes matter. Oh well...guess I have no choice to wait (or go to Home Depot and get the tools and do it myself).

"We've got to protect the nation from bland food"

Finally, someone with the nations best interests at heart.

Tabasco scraps museum to ‘protect the nation’
La. company needs levee to make sure it's safe, prevent ‘bland food’

NEW ORLEANS - The maker of the world famous Tabasco hot pepper sauce has scrapped plans for a museum to pay for a more urgent need: the building of a levee to protect itself from another hurricane.
McIlhenny Co. will shore up its Avery Island facility in Louisiana, 15 months after Hurricane Rita's tidal surge came within inches of flooding the plant and halting production of Tabasco, The Times-Picayune newspaper reported Thursday.
The plant, which sits over 9 feet above sea level and 13 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, will be protected by a 17-foot levee that will cost $4.5 million.

MRI says I'm normal

So, no more excuses for my behavior, I guess...

Anyway, doctor was worried that the fall may have damaged an artery in my neck. The word is that there's no problem there. For those of you that don't believe me, here is a copy of the radiologist report, hope you can make more sense of it than I can.

TECHNIQUE:

MRI angiography was performed through the carotid bifurcations bilaterally using 3D time-of-flight MRI angiography. 40 total images were obtained.

FINDINGS:

MR angiography through the carotid bifurcation demonstrates a normal appearance to the bifurcation bilaterally. Specifically, there are no areas of stenosis and no ulcerations are seen. The visualized vertebral segments appear normal.

IMPRESSION:

1. Normal carotid bifurcations bilaterally, without stenosis or other abnormality.

2. A dominant right vertebral artery is noted incidentally. The left vertebral artery is small, but appears patent at all visualized levels. Please note that an MRA of the brain (circle of Willis) was requested, but technically was impossible to perform due to the presence of a halo, which precludes placement of the oil.

CHEESE!!!!!

The Lord really has blessed me with beautiful children.

I hate MRI machines

It feels like you're being buried alive. No, that's not a picture of me.