EBD fundraiser

[EastBayDave]

after another day at the doc testing, they've put it off until Nov. 4th. They tell me now apparently I need 3 procedures done. Retina repair, glaucoma fix, & cataract "replacement" whatever that means (apparently "lens" replacement.) Recoup will be 8-12 weeks. Great.

oh boy...fun fun fun....:wtf

 

[carries an axe]

Thanks for the thoughts man.

I'm curious how you post w/no fingers? I've already got the program "Dragon Naturally Speaking" which is good for letter writing. It has a voice interface for all commands.

Wondering what your using?

Dave

I have dragon too, But I primarily use Apple's native dictation software coupled with a capacitive stylus strapped to my palm. One letter at a time.

 

[EastBayDave]

I have dragon too, But I primarily use Apple's native dictation software coupled with a capacitive stylus strapped to my palm. One letter at a time.

Ah, cool.

Luckily for me small movements of the fingers are ok, I just can't "grip." As in grabbing a wrench/screwdriver or something. So, I can still type at a reduced level (there was a time I did 105CPM, now about 1/4 that.) But wrenching is next to impossible.

I go to twist a ratchet or turn a screwdriver, & one or more of the fingies goes "pop" & I wince in pain. Tried just toughing thru it, but it's hard when your "flinching" every time you try to turn a screwdriver. I end up dropping whatever tool I'm using.....sux.

 

[EastBayDave]

surgery tomorrow

:rant After numerous delays, I go under the knife tomorrow for the 1st eye fix. The other eye will come later after 12-18 weeks (!) recovery time, identical issues. I am totally freaked out!

They r attempting to fix detached retina (no guarantee.) Also they will cut the optic nerve to hopefully "pull" the eye's muscles back into place. They also will replace the eye's lens due to glaucoma, & I'm totally freaked by all three of these things. Doctors never tell the truth, & I wouldn't be surprised to come out blind in that eye. Whine, snibble, cry! :cry

Please wish me luck! :wow

 

[1footdown]

best wishes to you, Dave. May you heal quickly and I hope your vision is better afterwards!

 

[ThumperX]

Dave, please check in the moment you can!

 

[EastBayDave]

Dave, please check in the moment you can!

Hi there, checking in. Well they said it went well. Was a nightmare for me; 2.5 hours of surgery w/me awake (sort of/drugs...weeee) the whole time. They did all three things, I have a big terminator/Borg looking thingie on me eye that must stay for 7-10 days & I'm not supposed to be out of bed but me bored.

Hurts like a SOB but what the heck. The drugs seem to take the edge off but make me sick to me stomach. Hurts to look at anything as it causes movement & I think eye is swollen bigger than the socket is :cry Got stitches in the eyebrow where they went over the eye to get at the back of it. ~2" long/weirdness...

So won't be around much next few days/in bed mostly cuz I'm supposed to keep head at a certain attitude. No lifting/physical exertion for 18+ days or the stitches could come loose. So, will be obeying docs instructions mostly. Hella way to enjoy me birthday eh'?

I will get in here soon as I can (when it stops hurtin' so much), probably in a couple more days. Meanwhile missing my coffee & can't watch the too-bright to watch tv. Just petting the kitty & biding me time; can't sleep hardly at all. Yawn...

see you all later me thinks?,

-ebd

 

[ThumperX]

Know we are thinking of you.
Need anything?

 

[horsepower]

Stay strong, Dave. :thumbup

 

[EastBayDave]

Stay strong, Dave. :thumbup

Thanks all. Sorry ain't been around much; but mostly lying down here. Go back to eye doc for checks tomorrow...

-ebd

 

[EastBayDave]

update:

Update:

Went yesterday for the "Trigger-Finger" fix= 3 shots in the damn palm of both hands. Wahoooo!!! Yeeeouch. Little mini-whine...hard to type now....hands all swollen up....wearing metal "braces" to keep from bending fingers on 4 fingers, especially to keep from getting locked up at night due to natural finger curl. Fun. Supposed to keep me from "locking" the tendons at night....not going to be typing much for awhile.

Eyes: Yeah I also had the glaucoma, retina, and mascular degeneration fix. 3 things all at once in one operation. Still hurts but swelling steadily going down. Still can't see shxt captain! But appears to be steadily getting better. I'm not wearing the Borg thingie anymore. Everything still a blur but slowly improving. Supposed to take 18 more weeks.

I can now see a little out of the eye 3 weeks since surgery, but it's recuperation is so so slow man. Due to the lens transplant (plastic lens), it's much "clearer" now, so colors are brighter & more vibrant- much more brighter= notice colors are very much brighter than before. It's due to the new clear plastic lens doc tells me. New one is totally clear but focus/text still blurry...

That's about it for now; more as available...can't type w/these metal thingies on my fingers (4), so goona be absent a bit except reading...

-ebd

 

[Mr Pepsi]

Damn Dave, that sucks. What about a session with Doc Wong? I imagine he would be more than willing to give you some instructions on how to DIY.

EDIT: Maybe I didn't read far enough. Looks like you have been to the Doc and gotten some answers.

 

[MysterYvil]

How are your eyes and hands doing?

 

[EastBayDave]

How are your eyes and hands doing?

Thanks for inquiry. About the same as last post; a few changes:

1st off, sorry typo's can's see too good right now; no word proc. here.

Eyes: Improvement is now very slow; have been back several times & now I'm getting big hairy migraines because one eye is so far apart from the other. Can't wear my old prescription glasses because of it. If I try the migraines come back & get worse the more I try to read. So, been off the computer a lot & not watching TV anymore...(sniff = missing all the great college-bowl football games, as well as the NFL!) The only thing that helps is closing me eyes/sleep= doing a lot of that lately. :thumbdown

hands: back twice now for shots & wearing 3-4 braces except while doing, uh, really basic things :laughing , it's starting to look like I'm going to need surgery as they aren't getting better. Wearing the braces except when typing/etc., the *"trigger-finger" (* stenosing tenosynovitis (stuh-NO-sing ten-o-sin-o-VIE-tis) is not getting better really.

If I stay off the pc & don't type, the pain does lighten up a bit; I've noticed in the last month since suspending most of my typing it's slightly better. I also notice it gets worse soon as I start typing again. So, most of my few posts are one liners...:thumbdown

Due to all this crap, I haven't touched the bike in months. Other than keeping the Battery Tender on it, da bike still needs tons of work. Can't turn a wrench or see =makes wrenching impossible.

Christmas was really bad again this year. Kids got a couple things, wifie bought me a 49er clone t-shirt which made my month. 1st Xmas present in a few years. All my crap causing all kinds of family issues/depression; you guys don't want to know. :thumbup

So there you have it; starting to look like the distant 2nd summer may be missed as well? Can't ride if you can't grip the bars or see. Geeze, sorry about this post. I've whined far too much today=sorry about that folks. It's a bad scene man...

-d

 

[limey]

Hang in there Dave and wishing you all the best for 2013 for you and your family. Hope thing start healing up quick!

 

[KrustyKruser]

Dave, keep on with the recovery. Wising you an enjoyable 2013. Let me know if I can help with anything. I'm in the northbay but could swing by this spring.

 

[EastBayDave]

Hang in there Dave and wishing you all the best for 2013 for you and your family. Hope thing start healing up quick!

Thanks guys; sorry slow reply haven't been on in a few days. Trying to stay off pc more & more to hopefully help cure fingies troubles. Helping just a tiny bit, but still looks like I'll need surgery on at least 2 of the 4 problem fingies.

Whatever you do, don't get in the habit of "beating on the keyboard" like I was. 105wpm be damned. From now on soft keyboard (non-clicker), & taking my time (if I type at all) every time on.

-ebd

 

[EastBayDave]

Just an update in what seems like time consuming health fixes:

The eyes are the biggie right now. Had the big 3rd surgery on the left eyeball, went under general & they transplanted the lens (w/a plastic piece), & fixed the retina & optic nerve issues w/the left eye. Couple follow up injections, cauterizing, & other minor fixes & now awaiting time for recovery.

SO, they started on the right eye last Friday. 2 injections one day, 3 on the other Thursday so they could do the eye laser-surgery (the painful one.) This is the one where they cauterize the retina eliminating the hundreds of blood vessels that don't belong (diabetes complication.) Painful as a SOB I'm here to tell ya. :cry Now I have to wait the multiple 7-18wks. recovery time.

Hands, on the 5th round of cortisone injections on 4 fingies of both hands. The left index finger has come back, the others have not. The ortho surgeon says looks like surgery on the other 3 if the next set of injections don't help which is the way we heading sadly.

Painful to do much of anything, I'm limited to typing only a few hours a day, & that's about it. Waiting time for this is horrendous. Can't start fixing the bike or doing any manual labor until the hands are useful, as I can not grip a wrench. Sucks the big donkey di_k for sure man...:mad

So, still stuck where I was in the fall, can't drive (eyes), can't wrench (hands), so can't do much of anything except watch tv. Now the bastids even took WSBK away. :cry

I'll update again in a month or two; still breathing so happy! :teeth :ride

 

[firstbuell]

yo Dave,

status?

 

[EastBayDave]

About the same except had another round of cortisone injections in both hands, & 2 new surgeries on the right eye. The left hand got a little better, the right was better then turned back worse. I guess a surgery on the right hand is needed? Not happy w/the ortho-doc.

The left eye seems quite a bit better after 4 surgeries. Has leveled out now & they've done 2 surgeries on the right eye. The last one was a painful SOB which almost had me jumping out of the chair. Don't know what the doc did, but that long azz needle going THRU the eye hurt like one SOB. Thought I was back in the dentist chair x10! Yeeowie! :mad

So, now awaiting for this to heal so I can at least see well enough to drive. I can't now & having to have someone drive me everywhere sux! I'm stuck at home, still can't work on the bike, & unknown how long from now this will all take to get better. If I sound a bit pissed, you got it. Doc's, hate'em. Never get an accurate estimate when things will be better, IF ever. Ugh.

Then the pipe between house & sewer pipe in street broke the other day; got an estimate of $11,000. I told the guy that's more than my 2 cars & bike, & I'm supported only by SSDI? (no retirement) He shrugged as if to say "too bad." The county says your liable from your property out in the street to the big pipe. So I gotta get hole dug in street/sidewalk. It's temporarily jury-rigged for now. Ugh.

I should hold a "wrenchday" here someday; but w/the shape everything is in here, I'd be too embarrassed to allow anyone to see the house/garage. Can you say "Hoarders?" Times are tough, least I still wake up each morning.

-ebd