Day 4331

Well, I've got two more medical procedures behind me now. I think everything went well. My upper GI endoscopy has the longest name imaginable. Technically the procedure is called a esophagogastroduodenoscopy. The doctor wanted to do a follow-up biopsy of my esophagus when they discovered that I had a condition known as Barrett's esophagus. Very rarely Barrett's esophagus leads to esophageal cancer, so early testing is always wise. I think they discovered why I have reflux issues so often. The upper part of my stomach protrudes into my esophagus a bit. The doctor didn't think this was serious and said most people learn to live with it. Surgical options are available, but I'd rather just learn to eat foods that don't cause reflux.

The Colonoscopy I had done at the same time also went well. They removed one very small polyp from my colon. Polyps are very common at my age, so I was pleased that I only had one. The worst thing about today's Colonoscopy was the prep liquid I had to drink last night. This always seems like an enormous amount of water to drink in a single evening. I was up most of the night. I was hoping that this would be my last Colonoscopy ever, but the doctor said since they found a polyp, I would have to have one more five years from now. I might also need to have one more upper GI endoscopy, depending on the results of today's biopsy.

Hospital visits are always interesting. The administrative part of the visit is always slow and tedious, while the medical part is usually very swift and efficient. I think I sat in the waiting room this morning for longer than it took to do the procedure. When you sit in a waiting room for any length of time you realize that most patients are older and many are extremely overweight. Old people are why health care is so expensive. If we just threw the old people to the wolves, health care would be a lot less expensive. Since I am an old person, I'm happy to get good care though. I do try to do my part to stay healthy. I stay active, exercise a lot, and eat healthy food. No fast food for this guy. It's probably been decades since I've been to a McDonalds.

Janet wanted to vote today, so we stopped at our polling place while she was driving me home from the hospital. It was a cold, rainy day and the only things on the ballot were a bunch of constitutional amendments. No one was actually running for office where we live. You have to be careful when you vote for propositions or amendments. They seem to be worded as obscurely as humanly possible. If you don't read the ballot slowly and carefully, it's easy to end up voting for the opposite of what you intended.

I missed getting a minimum of 10,000 steps for the first time in a long time today. The doctor said it would be OK to take a walk later in the day, but it was raining outside so walking was out of the question. I can't decide whether to leave the pumps running tonight. If the pumps run dry, there's a chance they can overheat, but if I leave them off there's a chance of a roof leak. We need the rain, but rain is never my friend. Rain disrupts my walks, Dawn gets dirty on her walks, and there's always that pesky roof leak.

The Rolling Stones are in town tonight. It's a sign that I'm getting older that I have no desire to sit out in the cold at the Cotton Bowl and hear them in the rain again. Been there, done that. It always seems to rain when the Stones come to the Cotton Bowl.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4323

We definitely made the right decision when we adopted Dawn. Younger Dalmatians have way too much energy for us these days. Charlie, Oliver, and Pepper are fun to play with when we visit them at the kennel, but they'd run circles around us at home. I must have had a lot more energy when I was younger to be able to walk Dot and Dash at the same time. Dot and Dash slowed down a lot when they reached Dawn's age, but when they were young and healthy, there was no stopping them.

I thought that Pepper would be a little more subdued because the last time we saw her, we were taking her to the vet to be spayed. She was still wearing a cone when we saw her today but it didn't slow her down much. She appears to have fully recovered and I think she only has to wear the cone for a few more days. Pepper is very playful and unlike Oliver and Charlie, never appears tired. I think she would play all day if we had the time. I can't get over how large Oliver is for a young dog. Pepper is twice as old as Oliver, but only half the size. Charlie is the most energetic of all when we first arrive, but he tires more quickly than the others. He always lets us know when he is tired of playing and is ready for his treats.  As always, we had a lot of fun playing with the dogs while Dawn took a long nap on our bed.

On the way home we drove by Dawn's training class site and filled in the hole that Janet was afraid of falling in. When I saw the hole, I could see why Janet was worried. The hole was obscured by grass so it was hard to see, but it was quite deep. If a dog inadvertently got their paw in the hole while they were doing a training exercise, they could easily break a leg. A person could twist an ankle pretty easily as well.  While we were filling the hole, a city water utilities worker who was in the vicinity gave us a strange look, but said nothing. We only used about half of the bag of dirt I bought. We took the rest of the dirt home and  who knows what I will do with it. There are certainly no holes in our yard. Maybe I'll buy a plant and pot it in one of the big empty pots in the greenhouse.

I made good time on my long walk today. My speed must be related to the weather. On cooler days I always seem to walk faster. I still have a little foot pain, but I'm going to stop complaining about it. My bones are old and I do a lot of walking. I'd probably have the same discomfort if I spent a lot of time at the gym. Actually, I did have a lot of aches and pains at the gym. They were just different. I had problems with my shoulder when I was lifting weights and problems with my knee on the treadmill. I guess I should be happy that I'm still pretty mobile.

I did some bookkeeping this afternoon. Finally, my Florida trip, the expensive car repairs, and the plumbing expenses have all been paid for. Since I use a credit card for everything, expenses sometimes don't show up until several months after an event has taken place. It can be disorienting. The big charges are easy to remember, but some of the little ones remain a mystery. The only time I wish I was still working is when I am paying bills. The rest of the time I am very content to do nothing. 

I'm dreading my upcoming colonoscopy and EGD. It's a safe, routine procedure, but I'll have to go to the hospital and be anesthetized again. I've never liked being anesthetized. I'm not a very trusting person and I always wonder if I'm going to wake up again. I can't say that I like the prep for a colonoscopy either. That's just disgusting.

Luckily there's nothing to worry about tomorrow. It's supposed to be another nice Fall day. I hope this beautiful weather continues. After a month of clear skies and cool breezes, Winter is going to be a real disappointment.

Patch is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day