Stumble Bum

What I have in common with Brian Pallister Premier of Manitoba

Size 15 shoes.

My Left Foot and Ankle

I’m unsuccessfully trying to ignore continuing bad news on the health front.  My left ankle fusion has officially been pronounced a failure, only the third in three hundred. Options range from do nothing, and increase pain meds and pain management strategies, (good for this summer) to cut the damn thing off (good for the long term). I’m hoping for the middle option, an ankle replacement (good for the mid-term), which two foot surgeons in Winnipeg can do these days.  Recovery; another year.  If and when the ankle replacement fails, there is no do-over option yet. So off comes the left foot anyway.

Had my first amputation information session May 3rd.  Waiting for the ankle replacement surgeon’s people to call to set up an appointment. Meanwhile braces and mobility aids and pain. Glad I brought my wheelchair.

Torso

Pain screams across my back from left to right at kidney level, down my side, into my groin, and unfortunately in my case, into my scrotum causing my right testicle to swell. This usually wins the award for the highest pain between 1 and 10, though today the left ankle is closing in. My GP looked at the imaging report and sighed and acknowledged there was nothing he could do about it. Have started taking Nabumetone again, an old school NSAID that works for my sister too. No coverage for it here in Manitoba. My sister gets Nabilone, a THC based product, while my doctors prefer to prescribe oxycontin, which I maintain at a very low dose, working with other strategies including meditation and distraction.

Testosterone

My stepson often had friends over to the porch of our house in Wolseley on Tuesday evening to drink beer and bullshit, which became known as Testosterone Tuesdays. I am maintaining a slightly different schedule for my own Testosterone Tuesdays. I am injecting testosterone every other Tuesday because my T Levels are abnormally low.  My biggest hope here is that my energy levels increase, my moods and bone mass improve. I’ll take whatever bonuses there may be ahead, but

I have had only had one testosterone Tuesday. I’ll let you know how it turns out by the end of the summer.

My Summer Residence

I am safely ensconced at my brother’s six-bedroom ranch style bungalow at the International Peace Gardens straddling the 49th parallel. It’s a good place, a good thing and my brother once again the good person of the day.