TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

Today I had my first real feel for what they do at the Wound Center.  It turns out my vascular doctor was there after all.  He also found out how close I live to the center (close is relative in a semi-rural area) so now he says he will schedule my appointments at the Center and not have to make the trek to his regular office.  He debrided my heel again and then prescribed an ointment called Santyl which is an enzymatic debridement ointment.  He also strongly suggested I do HBO (I had to laugh over that because he meant Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, not a cable channel).  They showed me the chambers themselves and there was a patient in one of them.  The treatment lasts two hours, 5 days a week.  I was told I would probably have to commit to two weeks of it.  I really don't care.  I can sleep, watch TV or bring a movie to watch they said.  I could also bring a book to read.  I didn't ask about a kindle mostly because I don't have one....LOL

The nurse showed me how to do the dressings on all the spots that need it and how to apply the ointment.  She then showed me a trick she learned with the type of pressure stockings I have.  They have an opening at the top that will let your big toe show.  She placed a heavy plastic bag on my foot, slid the pressure sock on over it and got it placed correctly (heel here is still touchy) then pulled the bag out of the toe opening.  Easy.  Much easier than it normally is, anyway.

Darn doctor really hurt me doing the debridement of my heel.  He apologized to me but it still hurts.  I hate taking pain pills and have managed not to take one.....yet.  I will before attempting bed again.  Last night was very bad for me.  I awoke from a great dream with incredible pain in my right leg.  It wasn't even where I have stitches or staples.  It got me up and out of bed.  I made it to my computer room, took a pain pill, tried to find a way to put my leg to cause the least pain and waited for the pain pills to kick in.  When they did, I laid back in my recliner and fell asleep until around 10am.

The Beast is in his *wonderful* mode and realizes that what I am going through is serious.  The vascular doctor told me I was doing much better than he expected.  He didn't expect me to be walking as well as I am.  That made me feel good.  I told him I was upset because I am not doing as well as *I* wanted.  Then I laughed and he said, *You are going to take some getting used to....*  My sense of humor sometimes escapes people.

Bratfink and the Boy sent me flowers today, which I thought was sweet.  The card said it all.  The flowers are for my broken heart and healing body.  My broken heart is over the death of my cousin.

I got to talk to her husband.  He called me to inform me of Patsy's passing and gave me the information for the memorial service location so I could give it to my family.  He has taken her death very hard but his kids and grandkids are keeping him occupied and busy.  Like he told me today, it was a good marriage and he loved her.  He said that she had told him when he came home from the store that she was going to die.  He told her if she did, at least there would be no more drugs nor any more pain for her.  Damn but now I am crying again.  Oh well.  Life is truly short.  Jimbo said, *We are losing people, Brat.*  I agreed.  I knew exactly what he meant.  WE are now the old people at the head of the table.

Love you all.  Enjoy the surprising weather if it applies to you.