One Month Since The Fall

It's been a Whole Month since I fell off the ladder. Sometimes it feels like a week; sometimes a year! Time just doesn't pass normally when you are limping around and housebound.

On the other hand, I am nearly healed. I had a Dr appt Thursday (more below) and I drove there myself. Surprisingly, driving was easy. I brought the walker with me but I was basically just pushing it along in front as I free-walked.

I went grocery-shopping yesterday without the walker (though I knew the cart would have served if needed). It was nice to choose my own fruits and veggies again! I had the store delivery for the first time last week and it was obvious they didn't waste any time selecting ripe fruits or firm veggies - it is "grab&go").

Deb did a wonderful effort shopping for me before that, but my computer-made shopping has a lot of shorthand to save space. For example, only *I* know that "cukes" means the mostly-seedless mini or long English cucumbers, not the standard kind. So it was great to get to pick&choose.

I've done a couple loads of laundry. The stairs are no longer a problem (but rest assured I am VERY careful). I do time it so that I'm going down to the basement for other reasons as well (Dr visit, shopping). In other words, bring laundry down into the washer as I'm driving somewhere, move it to the dryer when I return, bring the dried stuff back up next day...

I can let the laundry sit because all my clothes are 100% casual cotton. I gradually switched to that after I retired. First, I don't much care about "fashion and fit". I'm a relaxed fit-camo pants kind of guy (though I still color-coordinate. Second, I am a serious static-electricity generator. I used to be able to dimly light fluorescent lamps just be touching them and The Mew's furs crackled when I stroked them! 100% cotton solved that.

Now, the latest Dr visit...

It was very irritating at first, but very satisfactory by the end. When you enter the building you meet a front desk person who wants a form filled out. I KNOW it is all about Covid-19 symptoms, it asked 2 questions I HAD to answer "yes" to. First was "Do you have any body aches"? Well, duh, I fell off a tall ladder, so "yes". Second was "Are you congested"? I've smoked for 50 years, so "yes". I shouldn't have checked those boxes.

It generated 15 minutes of delay while the front desk decided I was save to visit the Dr. You would think I had checked off the "Are you a terrorist?" box, LOL! But I was allowed to pass the desk eventually.

I was still at the Drs office before the appt to fill out the same form I had the previous week (in some ways, Dr offices understand computer records about as well as I know what "acromioclavicular separation" means). Then I was escorted to a waiting room.

What an appropriate name for a room. I waited and waited and waited. After 30 minutes (glad I brought a book to read) I heard some people saying "goodnight, see you tomorrow" and went out to make sure I had not been forgotten.

They apologized that the Dr was running behind but wopuld be there "in a few minutes". Yeah, right. After 25 more minutes, I decided that when it an hour, I would leave. I was JUST about to put on my coat when he came in. I was his last appt for the day. I told him I had just gotten up to leave. He apologized for being "busy". I told him "you're busy; I'm hungry".

Actually, that started us off well. He actually wanted to just talk at first, and not about my problems. World stuff. I guess doctors need to talk too. And I discovered (as I expect he did) that we have a lot in common. Maybe that's a professional thing to decide how to talk to a patient or maybe not. But he seemed sincere about the almost 100% we agreed on. Not that I'm a trained behavioral psychologist, but I've been a keen observor of human nature and I could see him relax.

I suspect he gathered that I was fact-based, anatomically-aware, and generally positive toward information and advice. So he got down to the cause of the injury. I had told that to the hospital (which he had the report of) and his own PA. But I can repeat myself, I can repeat myself...

So I told him the whole sad story while he took notes. He was appropriately sympathetic (unlike SOME doctors I have visited in far-gone years). A pessimist would say he was looking for errors in my recitation of the event; and optimist would say he was looking for me emphasis on certain parts. I just told him my best recollection. Well, maybe he saw something I hadn't emphasized before.

Anyway, he was surprised when I mentioned that the hospital said it had sent him a more-detailed report on their examination (xrays, ctscan, mri). That surprised him (see above about doctors and computers) but he found it when he looked. There were some things I didn't know myself.

One was "spinal stenosis"; apparently that is an arthritic tightening of the lower lumber spinal disks. But that was pre-fall, and he said that at 70, it is normal. Disks wear out, and I've led an active life. So, not to worry overmuch about that.

He did some physical tests. Held my knees firmly and had me push them together and apart, asking about pain (and feeling the strength of movement I assume). Had me try to lift each leg while holding them down. My left leg was fine; the right is weak. Checked my right arm for mobility. Explained that the shoulder joint is a 3-way joint and looser than the 2-way hip joint. Showed me some mild stretching exercises I could do at home.

His basic evaluation is that I am healing faster than average for even younger patients because I am very good shape. Oh, I bet he says that to all the guys, LOL! Seriously, he is likely correct. I don't do deliberate exercises, but I am constantly active (well not THIS month). I bet if I only got 10,000 steps in a "regular" day, I would be slacking. I stay standing up 90% of a day normally (but WOW does settling onto the easy chair to eat dinner feel great).

He says my ribs are healing well but don't stress them another 3 weeks. That wasn't a surprise. The first 2 weeks, I felt some slight movement and an occasional clicking sound, but that has gone away. I don't even detect any pain when I cough or do my deep-breathing exercise (recommended by the hospital).

I think the Dr was glad to have me as the last patient of the day as it was a pretty positive visit. He said most of his patients are hurt, angry, sullen, and just want strong meds. We discussed meds. I told him about the Percoset and my concern with it being Oxycodone. I also mentioned the replacement med was Tramadole and that it seemed useless and ineffective.

I told him I was a bit disappointed that the PA had refused a refill on the Percoset, as it HAD worked. And that I had been off it for 5 days before the PA visit without the slightest odd feeling. He made a note of that.

And then he asked me about my smoking. The connection was obvious. How prone to addiction am I? I described my smoking habit. I'm an odd one. About once or twice a week, I stay up REAL late on the computer. I mean, 10pm to dawn and past (I stayed up 36 hours once). I smoke then and only then. And only there. I can have an open pack of cigs by the computer in plain sight for days and not have the slightest desire for one.

He actually smiled. Well, of course he told me I should quit. But I sort of know that. What he mentioned was that it's a "habituation by situation". I LIKE having a lit cig in my hand handling the mouse. I LIKE having something to do while I sit and think about what to type. I'm not saying he approved of it in any way; he strongly encouraged me to quit.

So I asked him about what the hospital xrays, ctscan, and mri might have shown. He initially said "not much" because it depends on what they are looking for. But then he corrected himself saying the ctscan makes very good images. So he looked through the hospital report and found a part describing lungs.

The lung section was detailed. Apparently, they could tell that I had had a single lung lobe collapse (from hitting the ground I suppose) but that it had reinflated normally and that my oxygen level was 98%. He said that, if there had been any lung masses, they would had said so. So I'm clean of lung cancer. That is a relief.

Not much else to say. As I left the Dr, I told him the hour wait was worth the conversation and diagnosis. He told me that, in return, he appreciated my cheerful outlook and willingness to listen to advice. I like this Dr (internist). Funny thing is that I remember him very differently from my only other visit in 2018 (for an annual physical). He acted like he didn't know what that was. Maybe I'm recalling a previous Dr.

As I left, the doors were locked and I had to find someone to let me out. I had the only car left in the parking lot, LOL! It was THAT late. The drive home was easy and rather enjoyable.

All for now...