Health Issues

I termed our 2021 trip The Last Hurrah. I felt it might well be our last. Our health was OK for most of the trip, but I went downhill in September and we limped home. 

I was "down" for most of October and some of November. I did little but lay in bed and my recliner. The RV has yet to be cleaned.

In the last three years, I have developed two maladies, Leukemia and Crohns. Neither is fatal - unless the Leukemia morphs into the acute form. It slows me down, fatigue and shortness of breath. Sometimes I don’t feel like doing more than laying in bed and sitting in my recliner. Happily most days I am near-normal – just needing to hit the mattress by 7pm.

At the end of February, I had surgery to correct one eyelid not opening all the way after having surgery for Melanoma the second time. I looked really bad for two weeks. Now only a partially black eye.

They found a stone in my bladder, so of course, he wants to remove it. That's the end of March. He is also thinking about surgery on my prostate. I am not on that page.

We hope to be able to get away for a few weeks to eat Cajun in Louisiana. Fingers crossed.

Dorothy

Back, shoulder and knee pain

I have had back pain for many months but thought it was “old age”.  It became so severe that I was unable to do much more than walk from bed to recliner.  Cooking was a challenge because it requires standing up.  Finally, I went to the pain clinic and after an MRI I found out that I have three bulging disks which are sitting on nerves.  I have had pain in my leg also but attributed that to post-polio syndrome.  I had a cortisone injection to relieve the pain and also started physical therapy.  The PT has been a big help and I hope I am on the road to recovery.

Before we left on our trip last year, my knee was hurting but had to see an orthopedic surgeon about my shoulder pain.  I was not able to make right-hand turns, so driving was a problem.  I had arthritis in my shoulder.  Physical therapy helped with that a lot, so I ignored the knee pain.  I still have some pain, but I can live with it. 

The knee pain has gotten a lot worse and it’s hard to walk.  Finally, after encouragement from Don and the physical therapist, I have an appointment to get the knee checked out.