My Motorcycle Injuries

Sometimes I feel that I have far too much time on my hands. For what, you ask? Philosophical thinking, self reflection, and generally useless ponderings. I was thinking a few days ago about my life. Not in a big picture way, but rather in an "accident that occurred years ago" way. My thinking centered on the subject of "purpose". I sometimes feel that this accident of mine was more of a directed blessing, as opposed to a random and tragic event.  To explain...there are some positive things that would not have occurred without the accident. One of them involves heart health. I lost fifty pounds as a result of the accident's aftermath. I have a lot of heart related issues in my family history such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides levels, mini strokes, etc. I feel that I would be in fairly bad shape with my heart at this stage in life if I had not lost the weight and started to monitor my heart health years ago after the accident. My blood...

I went to my cardiologist yesterday for an annual checkup visit. He did the usual things with an EKG and a stethoscope. I like the guy enough, but I really see these visits as a waste of time and money...really. The reason that I'm obligated to go is that I have a stent in my aorta placed very close to the heart. It's due to an impact rupture from the motorcycle accident. Still, the visit was filled with questions about how I'm doing and feeling, so hey, it makes me feel as though I'm an important person. He scheduled me for a stress test because I've never taken one. He tried to do one several years ago but my insurance company denied the request. I have a different insurance company now, so we'll see if it actually happens in a few weeks. Otherwise, he says that I'm totally healthy. But, if I'm the epitome of great health and fitness, why the stress test? The world may never know. In the process of being set up for a stress test, I asked him if it invo...

 I had an appointment with my cardiologist today. He said that I don't age and that I'm in great shape. The man was completely happy with my health. Nice, right? The appointment went well and the doctor really made me feel good about myself, but then...I asked him about me taking statins. My endocrinologist has been talking to me about taking a statin for years, so I asked the cardiologist what he thought about this because I have an appointment with endo-boy early next week. My cardiologist said that it's a good idea for me to take a statin because of the diabetes. You know, higher risk of a stroke or a heart attack and all. So next week I'll finally submit myself to taking another pill daily, which will make my endocrinologist as happy as someone who's patient will live long enough to continue to support his lavish lifestyle. Yay for him. So I get to add another pill to my daily routine thanks to the accident injuries. I'm waiting for something good to come of...

Yes, that's another photo of my arm. Narcissistic, isn't it? I took that photo a few days ago while having a CT Scan taken of my chest. It's an annual ritual for me and this photo involves the IV needed for the tracer scan that they pump into my body for the procedure. I think that it's radioactive, but I never fully read the warnings that they make me sign before the appointment. Blissful peace of mind until it kills me, right? The story related to this procedure is a little whacky. My aorta ruptured near my heart due to the force of impact during the accident. Something in my circulatory system landed in the hole and caused the internal bleeding to minimize. That same "thing" either dissolved or moved along when they installed the stent and didn't cause me any further problems. Consequently, the staff at the original cardiologist's office called me "the miracle man". Life's a freak show. My current cardiologist insists on having my ches...

  I have a CT scan done of my chest once a year. It's ordered by my cardiologist so that he can see if the stent in my aorta is either leaking or has moved. The stent was placed there because of a force of impact rupture that occurred during the motorcycle accident. I went for the scan this year after a bit of a struggle with my new insurance company, and I received a call from the cardiologist's office a few days later telling me that everything was peachy keen with my aorta. They usually schedule an appointment for me to see the doctor after the scan for the sake of an examination that includes an EKG but...they made no mention of an appointment, and here I am a couple of weeks later and they haven't called me.  I, uh, haven't called them yet and I'm pretty certain that it won't be happening. I hate going to doctor's appointments, and I'm thinking that I'd rather just skip this one. I've been told every year since the accident that I have a hea...

It’s the night before Christmas Eve and (all through the house 😁) I’ve gotten everything ready for the weekend. I’ve helped to decorate my house inside and out, the presents are wrapped, and I’ve taken care of everything necessary for the services on Sunday. I had to do a little extra for the services because Sunday is Christmas Day and there were some things to do in preparation beyond the usual. All in all I feel pretty good about the way in which the past couple of weeks have worked out and I’m ready for the things needed to celebrate the holiday. In all honesty, I’m not really big on the whole Christmas thing as far as all of the secular type of glitter and festivity, but it makes my wife happy so, you know… My body has been OK through it all, and I haven’t been hindered in getting things done, so that’s the good part. The not-so-good part is that the pain in the injury related areas of my body continues to get worse in small increments with time. I really don’t know what to do ...

I went to my annual appointment with a cardiologist this morning. It coincides with a CT scan that checks on the status of an aortic stent near my heart. I was told that the stent in my aorta remains solidly in place with no leakage, everything on the EKG looks good, my BP and pulse are great, and my heart looks to be in good shape. He seemed genuinely satisfied with my condition and wished me well until I see him again next year. The only weird thing about the visit was that he told me to contact him immediately if I experience any chest pain and/or shortness of breath. M'kay...so how does this align with the rave review of my health? I mean, praise and joy followed with a dire warning of the potential for absolute doom? See what I'm saying?  This was my last medical appointment related to my accident injuries until July. It feels liberating, but I've had enough appointments over the past couple of months to leave me tired of it all. The aftereffects of my injuries are a c...

So yeah, today marks the beginning of a new month. Consequently, it also marks the end of a long January that was filled with medical stuff; things that involved blood samples, big machines, exams, and doctors who barely know me but control a lot of things in my life that include pills and money. Sounds like a cheesy made-for-tv movie, yes? The end result for all of my January adventures involves good health, happy doctors, and nothing changed within my mortal existence. I get tired by midday often, and my leg is feeling brittle at the knee, but overall I’m in pretty good shape…you know, despite the whole aches and pains thing. Strange, but lately I think about riding from time to time when I see someone on a motorcycle. I know (intellectually) that I really have no desire or need to ride at this stage in life, but my mind takes me back to the point that something was taken away from me through the carelessness of another driver six years ago. I feel so stupid when I think this way, bu...

January will be a little busier than usual for me concerning medical visits. I went for my annual CT scan last week, and I will need to go for a five vial bloodletting within a week from now for the sake of diabetic testing. I’ll then have to go for an appointment with my endocrinologist to make certain that the numbers related to the blood tests are acceptable. I’ll finish the month with an annual appointment with my cardiologist that involves an electrocardiogram along with a general physical exam that will involve things related to heart health.  I’ve already been informed by phone that the CT scan showed that the stent in my aorta shows no sign of movement or leakage. Good news, yes? I realize that all of these things are a necessity, but I grow tired of it all. It interferes with my schedule, involves needles and sticky things attached to chest hair that are pulled off with a sense of disregard, requires money because of insurance deductibles, and serves to remind me that the ...

Early appointments grant quicker exits! I went to have my annual CT Scan today. I need to have one done every year because of the potential for movement or leakage with the stent in my aorta. It was placed there because of a rupture caused by the forced impact of the accident. My heart is quite healthy, but the stent needs to be monitored in order to ensure that there isn’t a leak. I set the appointment for early in the morning because they wanted me to fast for three hours before the appointment and I figured that it would be easiest to go before breakfast and eat something afterward. Also, I didn’t think that the wait would be as long if I scheduled the procedure for the earliest possible time. I set the appointment for their opening hour and I was right about the wait. Everything went as well as I think it could have with my visit to the imaging center today. In a sense it all started a few days ago when I had a blood sample taken for the sake of today’s scan. The...

                                So…I received a call today from someone in my cardiologist’s office informing me that everything is A-OK with the stent in my aorta. The term she used was “no significant changes”.  That phrase threw me off a little, but my wife assures me that it’s a common way to speak within the medical and scientific communities. I don’t think that you can really use terms like that in the rest of the world with any rate of success.  “Hey, did my investment pay off well?”                                                                                                                      ...

                                                           Yikes! I had an appointment with my cardiologist today. I have to meet with him once a year to check on my heart health because of the stent in my aorta. The surgeon who actually performed the procedure after the accident moved his medical practice out of state a few months after I was released from the hospital. I was never coherent enough in the hospital to actually meet him there and I only met with him once after my time in the hospital. The cardiologist that I’ve been going to since then came highly recommended and I like him a lot. He’s a good physician and he is a very good communicator. I keep going back yearly because I’m told that the stent is close to my heart and it needs to be monitored for movement and leakage. Who knew that a trauma induced aortic rupture would cause...

So…today is the day after Halloween and I’m at home. There was a certain thrill on the first day of November in years past because it meant that I could score on a supply of surplus candy that was on sale at the grocery store. I’m not very picky about candy except for the stuff that has coconut in it. I’m not certain why, but I hate the texture and taste of shredded coconut. In any case I won’t be going to the store today in order to buy the things necessary to engorge myself on candy tonight. I still believe that candy should replace vegetables as a major food group. The thing is that I’m not certain which I would choose to omit from my list of the motorcycle accident injuries if I were miraculously given the choice by God; the aftereffects of the broken bones or the diabetes. A fully functioning body or candy…hmm. I usually spend Wednesdays at home while working on a sermon for the evening service. Less than a year ago I had an “episode” while preaching at the pulpit in a church serv...