Medical Day... Earth Day

It's been 40 years since Earth Day began. I can remember how a small movement became a world-wide effort. Can you remember the "Crying Indian" commercial on television?

Do what you can to save the environment.

My wife took a FMLA Day to be with me today. We started our day, even before breakfast, by going to the local medical center. I needed a CAT Without Contrast Scan for pulmonary nodules that were identified during one of my liver scans a year ago. I've had four CAT Scans since that discovery in order to keep track of any growth or new nodules... Ruling out cancer. So far, things have remain basically the same.

We will continue this testing for a two year period of time. The Pulmonologist believes that the nodules are scar tissue from past episodes with pneumonia. WE can only be sure over time.

My wife is a juvenile diabetic and had to have blood drawn at the same medical center for her A1C (Gluco-hemoglobin Test) test. This test result shows how controlled her blood sugars have been over a three month period of time.

After these two tests were completed, we headed to breakfast at a local restaurant. We still had one more hospital to get to by 10:30 a.m.

We arrived at another hospital for my pain management. I have been receiving series of three epidural steroid injections for lower back pain and numbness in my legs. Today was my last injection in this series. I have had four separate series over the past few years. Success is determined by relief for at least a six month period of time. My last series actually held my pain for over a year and a half. If the epidurals fail to help, it is a strong indicator that surgery is required. I keep my fingers crossed that they continue to give me relief.

When the doctor injects steroids into me, it plays havoc with my blood sugars. I have been on insulin for about two months now. I had started out on metformin for a number of years, but it wasn't cutting it anymore and I was placed on Lantus. I started with a basal rate of 10 units. I have currently and slowly worked up to 24 units. I suspect a few more units will be needed to bring me back into a normal range of blood sugars.

I'm hoping to be back on the water tomorrow if my back is okay when I awake.

Your health, like that of our Earth, is extremely important. We have no idea how many people we have a positive effect on in our lives, They need us to be with them for years to come.

Take care,
Dad