just a...

short post. i'm a half hour behind for my painkiller dosage. although the pain has greatly diminished over the past two days, it still hurts on both ankle sides. the sharp pain is still enough to keep me in bed for 18-20 hours a day.

well, meester vicodin is no longer my best friend. after three doses in twelve hours, with not enough food, i figured it would be better to just go the route of omitting any narcotics from my system; i just can't process it quickly enough.

and after barfing up extremely acrid tea and strawberry banana yogurt, i vowed to stick to just maximum dosages of acetaminophen or ibuprofen. who cares if i can't sleep...i just can't handle the nausea/listlessness/out of control. and for someone who has slept through two small earthquakes in peru, sleep is rarely a problem for me ;)

hope your weekend starts off well!

btw...

here's my orthopedic surgeon. all i can say is that he's a god :) soooo...if any of you out there need a top notch ortho specialist, you should consider the orthopedic associates...and yes, this is a plug. they're going to perform a left knee replacement for lois on the 2nd of august...which is about the time i may be able to start putting weight on the left leg. we are going to be such a housebound mess ;)

major...

killer throb invading the leg right now. after having it propped on two blankets and two pillows throughout the night, i made the grave mistake of actually trying to stand while i urinated. blood? circulation? lest i forget...

more like pull out all yer hair and beat forehead on sink...it so fucking kills!!!

of course, in my pic posting delirium, i was looking for an empty pee jug online. instead, i came across this bizarre site. pics of bodily fluids and feces would easily change my blog rating to 'R' dontchathink?

while i'm pondering the procedures necessary to make my blog an 'adults only', i am convinced the heavy doses of norco (which i have discontinued using) have finally been flushed through my system. it's time for meester vico to do his thing.

i was in such a haze yesterday. all day, there seemed to be a massive heartburn pit located right below the sternum. the double doses of narcotics were definitely blocking hunger pangs. it was so surreal to take a swallow of water and have it splash into a nearly empty stomach; you know you should eat but can't get yourself to do it. i was so listless...



until the metal plate started throbbing some. it was as if my body were trying to reject it, like an incompatible transplanted organ. you know, i don't get how people like to joke about taking painkillers, making the experience so euphoric. i just become a really hungry, grouchy fuck...who blogs way more than usual. i guess that's one side effect she wishes i had all the time

perhaps...

i don't use enough expletives or discuss controversial subjects...this is my rating though (how come J had an 'R' rating when all he talks about is politics, atheism, and sci-fi?).

fed up...

although i really should still be in bed, i just could not stand it anymore. got home at around 2:30 yesterday afternoon and had lain in bed since then.

sure, the pain is explosive at times, but i needed a change of scenery...even if it meant gritting my teeth and blogging.

the surgery went well. got there at 8:20 to check in. about 90 minutes later, i was prepped and in the OR. all i remember hearing was the time (9:55) when i moved from the gurney to the operating table and waking up at 11:45, when the nurse told me i should take a pain killer.

the anesthesiologist, dr. quinby, was awesome. very thorough and personable. he even gave me a patch for motion sickness; ever since i contracted labyrinthitis in 1996, i seem to get dizzy/nauseous more easily. it was so great to come out of the anesthesia without any side effects!

my surgeon, dr. mcelhinney, informed lois that it all went well, although it was more difficult than planned. apparently, the inside ligaments of my left ankle had to be completely reattached. it's a good prognosis though. the ligaments should regenerate and the plate and six screws will give me that added support. it's just a shame that i'm going to be setting off all security in airports from now on...look! it's the chinese terrorist w/ the leg of steel and a suitcase full of volleyballs.

RUN!

i should mention that the results are out. after a week of popping three different narcotic pain killers: percocet, vicodin, and (now) norco, i've settled on vicodin. percocet turns me into mr. hyde on a bad drug trip. and norco is like vicodin, but less effective w/ the pain relief; it has twice the narcotic ingredient but 35% less acetaminophen. so i've had to settle on the lesser of three evils. percocet works the best...i just wanna scratch everyone's eyes out (incl. myself) in my dizzy rage. vicodin doesn't make me crazy and dizzy...it just doesn't take the edge off as well as the big P. oh yeah, i forgot to mention that perc and norc dry you out worse than a strong antihistamine, effectively kill yer appetite, and give you the worst constipation. and i think norc makes me babble incessantly ;)

it's...

gotta happen. let's just get it over with. see you soon.

he had...

good english...but i could not freakin' hear him.

just got off the phone w/ this company, which is considered to be a fee happy and very mediocre credit card company. unfortunately, it's also a very large company that bought out the good credit card company (if there is such a thing) with which i had a large limit.

last month, i had spaced out making an online payment for this card, which is usually due the 28th of each month. and wouldn't you know it...the due date was memorial day. of course, in making my payment that friday, it meant (through their shoddy calendar) that my $3.50 balance wouldn't come through until tuesday...a day late.

sooo, i could either rush a payment for $15 or deal w/ the $35 late charge.

such great options...why don't you just break my other leg?!?

granted, i wasn't going to do either. instead, i called and asked them to waive the late fee since i've been such a good customer...who pays on time...and usually the balance amount. well, after straining to hear the guy (Edward), i found out at the end of the call that the 1-800 number that i had called, sent me to a call center based in a country w/ more than 7000 islands.

give up?

yes, people, the guy who was handling my account was in the philippines...a mere 7600 miles away.

i'm just glad i didn't have to speak tagalog...

meet...

my new best friend. i hope he doesn't put me on a bad trip like meester perc (whom i mentioned in an earlier post). and as a new best friend, i'm praying that he does his damnedest in binding to those pesky opioid receptors in the brain and fool me into thinking that there's not an invisible ghost pounding the shit out of my lower left leg.

it's all set. no more food after midnight, so no worries about these guys. get to the surgical center at 8:30...get prepped...go nightynight and get cut at 10:00. supposedly, the procedure is supposed to take an hour, which i find hard to believe. i guess repairing two ligaments and cleaning up a broken bone for a plate and screws is easier than i thought. i'm just most worried about anesthesia because i've never gone under the knife...i'm sure i'll come out fine...i just don't want to be barfing my brains out when it all wears off.

ima...

clean baby now. it was an ordeal to take a shower, but i feel so much better now. leave it to lois to teach me how to bathe while incapacitated; she mastered the art when she had to contend with a broken back or foot surgery (but not at the same time ;)

i'm not sure if i can do that more than a couple times a week...sponge baths are just fine with me. anyway, the kid in the stolen photo looks as happy as i feel...whew!

now...things would be a helluva lot better if i didn't jam my foot while wheeling to the computer desk. the dull throb is marching double time now.

so...

on edge right now. i can tell you that percocet makes me a bundle of nerves. not only am i nauseous as hell but everything pisses me off. the narcotics intensify all the sounds and smells around me...and not in a cool psilocybe mushroom sort of way either.

i've done three things all day: lain in bed w/ a terrific head/stomach ache, watched the tube/movies, and attempted to eat while in a drug induced stupor.

i do not know if i can last two more days until the surgery. i am going completely apeshit. hopefully, i can get vicodin instead, which i don't recall reacting so adversely with my nervous system.

ugh

my nerves were never this bad, even when i was on 80mg of prednisone for my uveitis or lariam (which gives you insane nightmares) to guard against malaria while in bolivia. i AM so FUCKING grouchy!

well, my leg is screaming at me since i'm nearly three hours late with this dosage...wish me luck. i hope i don't have a psychotic PCP episode by morning, geez!

i lied...

i'm gonna grit my teeth and blog a little more...imagine that! any freedom away from the bed is going to be welcome, even if the pain of sitting at the computer is making me a bit lightheaded ;)

ugh. the crutches have already made a sore spot under my arms. unfortunately, they're a half inch too short when i set them for 6'0" and too tall when they're at 6'1".

argh

luckily, the friends who received my dad's transport chair, brought it over last night. so i can slumber in it and prop my leg up while i blog. it's not heaven but at least i don't have to clunk around w/ the crutches...i just wonder how long it's gonna be before lois does a 'whatever happened to baby jane?' btw, rides are only a quarter ;)

goin' crazy...

it has only been two days and i SO want to rip off the splint. i can feel the bone just thumping against the bandages. granted, i was happy to get the appointment for surgery in four short days but i don't know if i'm gonna make it.

must go back and lie in the cool bed in the guest room. the dvd player has this movie in it, waiting for me to hit 'play.' it has been many years since i saw it last. and lately, i had been itching to head to the pool hall. looks like it might be august or september before i can go again...sigh. oh well. mebbe i can invite someone over for a game of boggle...

it's funny how we totally take things for granted and get frustrated when those things aren't at our disposal. right now, i still have the urge to cook and help clear the dishes. i think over the course of four weeks, i will have a profound appreciation for mobility...i am so lucky that the crutches/transport chair are temporary.

leg's startin' to throb, so i'll catch ya later...

i am...

already going bonkers. here's a little timeline of the pain and opiate ride of my injury:


8:00 (right after it happened)...bad
8:30 (on the way to the hospital)...downright unbearable.
9:15 (shot of synthetic morphine)...starting to dissipate.
10:00 (synth. finally kicks in)...feelin' good, but the floor seems far away
10:30 (they want to discharge me)...getting up on crutches makes things spin
11:00 (get an IV because my dinner made two unexpected visits)...just wanna sleep
1:00 (wanna send me out again)...oh yeah, how about me barfin three more times?
3:30 (ya gotta go but in a wheelchair)...car ride home, stop once for the cool air. get home, barf four more times in the garage.

we're just having a little bile fest in my blog...watch yer step

no more nausea, just a dull throbbing pain. do you see mr. percocet? he's laughing at me right now because he's holding out. that shot of synthetic morph (don't remember the name, only that it started w/ the letter 'd') worked its magic, even though the side effects sucked. i can't believe that the injection was only 2mg...it seemed like the nurse was pumping in a few tablespoons with that syringe.

just three more hours until i can pop another one...will someone come by w/ a rubber mallet? just tap me on the head every few minutes until i pass out, 'k? thanks

sometimes...

these don't mix. i've been playing volleyball on a pretty competitive level for twenty years...and i've had assorted injuries such as torn rotator cuff, dislocated fingers, sprained toes, and a torn knee meniscus. in fact, the messed up knee put me out of commission for ten months this last time.

yesterday was my first day back on the court since last august. saw a bunch of friends, joked, and tried to get back into the swing (no pun intended) of things.

all it took was a half hour and a bad set. yep. i jacked another part of my body. luckily, it was not one of the abovementioned parts. unfortunately, it was much more severe than the above...combined.

a break...the fibula...in two places...surgery set for tuesday morning. btw, the x-ray is very similar to my situation.

sigh

things were looking up for me this spring/summer. after a tough couple years (uveitis, death of father), the good times seemed just around the corner. i was gonna work out a few times a week, get healthy; we were set to go to texas for a week and see lois' family. i was gonna treat cindi to some gelato in cherry creek.

well, all that is gonna have to be postponed for a month or two. the orthopedic surgeon said i'm going to need a plate and screws to secure the half dollar sized break just above the outside left ankle. after the surgery, i'm not supposed to put weight on it for four weeks...and then it's on to assorted casts and physical therapy. SO much fun. oh well, like i had any other plans this summer...so mebbbe i'll post a bit more and get some reading done...and watch a shitload of nettflix movies! just gimme more drugs!!!

happy...

father's day, dad...still miss you...your laugh...and your gentle loving demeanor. i'll watch wimbledon this month for both of us. i hope you're up there in fine form, playing doubles in city park with ed chin, holding court until dusk.

this...

is for cindi. i know she likes America...and this is one of my favorite songs of theirs. maybe watching this video will make her forget about her throbbing knee for at least four minutes ;)

once again...

stuffed.


this whole weekend has turned into a gastronomic fete for me. tonight, we had reservations at this joint ;) not a very big place...on 17th avenue's restaurant row. the food was divine. we shared five small plates (tapas-like), had a few glasses of wine, and just about inhaled a couple desserts. the only bad thing was the coffee...not the quality...but the price.

excellent coffee

sticker shock though

FOUR AND A HALF FREAKIN' DOLLARS A CUP!

oh well. at least they mis-charged us for the glass of dessert wine, which should have been $12...not $10. so i guess that's like only paying $3.83 for the coffee.

if you'd like to check out the menu...go down the list (watch out for the food stains) and see that we ordered the cucumber carpaccio, heirloom tomato and house pulled mozzarella, provençal platter, cheese platter, and p.e.i. mussels. for dessert, it had to be the vanilla-fig crème brulee and chocolate torte (downright orgasmic).

eh-knee-weigh

we met our good friend, regina, whom we try to meet a few times a year for dinner. you know, three birthdays and another gathering.

tomorrow, regina is heading for guadalajara, mexico. this part of mexico is also called the bajío...it's the triangle just northwest of mexico city. it's known for a few things...agave plants (the main ingredient of tequila and mezcal)...the birthplace of the mexican revolution...and enclaves of ex-pats who have retired in san miguel de allende and ajijic (that's pronounced 'ah-hih-HEEK') for the cheaper living, art cliques, and mild climate.

of course, we're jealous...but always happy to talk about the country we've visited the most. we even talked her into going with us maybe next september (2008) for independence day; the night of september 15th (i know it's the 16th...but the real celebration is the night before...on the 16th there's a parade and everything is closed - oh joy) in mexico city is truly a spectacle that any mexicophile should experience...imagine being shoulder to shoulder with 200,000 people in this plaza, which is the size of FIVE football fields. sheer mayhem...but a very cool one at that ;)

does...

this age make me look fat? 'cause that's what i am today.

sorry about not updating the police concert, etc. i've been really busy lately. last month, i started working part time as a travel agent for a company that usually specializes in trips to asia. the agency has been in business for a quarter century and is interested in broadening their regional scope. of course, that's where i come in. i hope to become their latin america specialist in the coming months. right now though, i'm still studying the worldspan system, which is a bit different than the apollo system i learned nearly ten years ago.

soo...that's why my posts have been either vague or devoid of real content.

as for the police concert, it was pretty great...not spectacular, but well worth the $24.50 i paid (considering the face value was $108). if you listen to the new playlist, it's most of the songs that they played...in order, even ;) sting's voice was almost as good as his physique. the guy has taken care of his body over the years. i hope i'm toned like that in eighteen years! and stewart copeland is a percussion GOD! he's the main reason i've wanted to see the band ever since the age of eleven. when he's behind the drum kit, he makes it seem so effortless.

here's the song list:

• Message in a Bottle

• Synchronicity II

• Don't Stand So Close to Me

• Voices Inside My Head/ When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around

• Spirits in the Material World

• Driven to Tears

• Walking on the Moon

• Truth Hits Everybody

• Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

• Wrapped Around Your Finger

• The Bed's Too Big Without You

• Murder by Numbers

• De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da

• Invisible Sun

• Walking in Your Footsteps

• Can't Stand Losing You

• Roxanne

• King of Pain

• So Lonely

• Every Breath You Take

• Next to You

you know, i'm just getting cheap in my old age. at first, i didn't want to pay the $50-$225 for a ticket...and then, i refused to buy a parking pass at the pepsicenter for $22.50.

HELLNO

we went out to eat...for thai food...at where else...and parked the car near the light rail stop at pearl/buchtel, where we boarded the train and paid $3 to get to the concert. this alternative was so much less stress than waiting in the car after the concert, fighting to leave the damn parking lot.

and tonight? no, no thai food on the menu...but this place. it's ten minutes from the house...all kinds of parking...excellent service...super cold beer...and sashimi to die for. of course, i know the majority of my readers don't eat the stuff but oh well. ya don't have to try it, just look at the pretty colors ;)

well, we're off to bed. i think happyfeet is in the player...life is good!

wotta guy...

i am also considering buying a couple tix for this show in october. as the police show, these seats range from $57 to $202. well, there's someone on ebayy who wants to sell his two tix for a mere $270. a deal if they're the expensive seats. he even assures us of his integrity:

THIS IS FOR 2 TICKETS TO GENESIS, SATURDAY OCTOBER 6, 2007. SECTION 302, ROW 5, SEATS 3-4. THESE TICKETS ARE GOOD SEATS, PERFECT VIEW AND SOUND! I AM OPEN TO OFFERS?

I AM HONEST AND WOULD NEVER SCREW SOMEBODY OVER, PEOPLE WORK TO HARD FOR THERE (sic) MONEY. I WILL STAY WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY UNTIL THE TICKETS ARE IN YOUR HAND AND YOU ARE SATISFIED. THERE WILL BE NO PROBLEMS. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED.

you know, i'm only disappointed with his incorrect use of the possessive form of 'their.' after all, he's so honest to offer two $77 seats for $270!!! gee, buddy, are ya gonna donate the other $116 to my favorite charity then?

mother teresa would kick you in the balls...or cut 'em off w/ a dull spoon.

EVERY STEP OF THE WAY lalala

i'm gonna...

do it. i was gonna go downtown to get a pair of tix but decided to check to see what was available through the tikketmaster website. of course, the only $50 and $90 seats that remained were behind the stage. and there's no way i would pony up $225 for a ticket...

hmmm.

on a whim, i thought i would check eBayy to see what tix were commanding. and i was surprised...there are actually some affordable tix that are in decent seats. i think i'll do a buy it now for two upper level seats for $49...which is a dollar less than one seat ;) and they're actually in the middle of the arena.

i may actually be able to see their faces!!! this concert has been 24 years in the making since i didn't get to see them at this place when tickets were a paltry $15 to see them in 1983!

how times have changed...

die...

layted. yes, i went to the corneal specialist for my six-month check up for my uveitis. got the peepers dilated...and, as usual, the left eye does not look like the picture - it usually takes two drops for the iris to open up like that. as for my right eye, it's HUGE. i wish i knew some way to get the left eye's muscles to work correctly. after two years of this shit, i've gotten used to all the "maintenance" but i just want a little more relief...i'm tired of being on automatic.

news is pretty good regarding the eye. it has been quiet inside (i.e., no flare ups) but a wee bit of inflammation has me back on daily drops for at least four months. lucky for insurance...i don't know how people could afford these damn drops

a 15 ml. supply would probably last me six, maybe eight, months. i couldn't imagine having to buy it twice a year at that price!!! man, i'd only be seeing red from anger and crying. what sucks even more is that there's no generic equivalent. so...if we calculate it, 15 ml. is a mere half ounce. that means lotemaxx is roughly $4472 a pound...or $35781.48 A GALLON.

and i complain about filling up the car...