Just to keep things going

my car battery died this morning.  Can't complain; it was 5 years old and never gave me a problem.  Still, ugh.

I'll be headed for my pelvis MRI soon.  I'm hoping the doctor will tell me something today, since they insist I have it done so he or she can immediately look at the scans.  I'd like to know something before the 8th.

Health update

I got my MRI results yesterday: my one disc is herniated which is why I have the nerve pain going down the left leg.  I have to do physical therapy with traction and make an appointment with a pain management clinic.  The physical therapy may not be enough on its own, and if that happens, I go to the pain clinic for an injection into the herniated area.

The physical therapy is going to be expensive: $90 a week for 4 weeks.  Ugh...   I don't know about the pain clinic.


The good news is: when this is all done, the herniation will be healed, no permanent damage.

The MRI also picked up a large mass in my pelvis, the size of a baseball.  They don't know what it is since the scan was for the spine and didn't give enough of a look at it.  So I have to get an MRI of my pelvis to investigate what the mass is and see my ob-gyn for the results.

I'm thinking alien pod or unborn twin.

As for Casey:  her ultrasound showed an enlarged heart because one of her valves leaks.  They put her on medicine which cleared the fluid in her lungs and got her heart rate back to normal in a week.  But it's putting some strain on her kidneys, which already were sensitive, so she's on a kidney health diet and her medicine was cut in half.  She goes in 2 weeks to make sure the medicine is still effective and for an ultrasound of her kidneys.

She and I are making a lot of money for the medical industry. ;)

All the tests and vet visits had her exhausted and a little sore when I brought her back from her heart workup.  She dropped off to sleep for hours and I noticed Elphie & Rico were missing.  Elphie never leaves my side, so I went looking for them.  They were watching over Casey and didn't leave her side while she slept.

Just like if I cry out from a spasm, they're instantly by my side.

So that's it for now; I get my pelvic MRI on Monday afternoon and I'm getting the doctor's appointment now.  Hopefully, I won't have to wait too long to find out what this large mass is.

All Ears® featured article: The Other Disney

I wrote an article about Roy O. Disney and got very lucky because All Ears® published it in their weekly newsletter!

FEATURE ARTICLE

The Other Disney
by
Erin Blackwell
AllEars® Guest Columnist

In 1957, two years after Disneyland opened, the Los Angeles chapter of the Big Brothers of America asked Walt Disney to talk at a benefit dinner honoring one of his boyhood friends, Walt Pfeiffer. As they darkened the house lights so everyone could see him clearly, Walt spoke warmly. "I was fortunate. I had a big brother. And he's still with me. And I still love him. I argue with him. Sometimes I think he's the stubbornest so-and-so I ever met in my life. But I don't know what the hell I'd do without him. He's the president of the company now..."

From out of the darkened audience came a voice: "I'm Chairman of the Board, Walt."

Everyone laughed, and the loudest was Walt himself, for that voice was that of Roy Disney, Walt's older brother.

Have you ever believed so much in one of your ideas that you were willing to risk everything?  Your home, your car, your future, your family's future...  honestly bet every single thing so you'll have NOTHING if you're wrong? Now, have you believed in someone else so much you'll risk everything on them -- when everyone else is willing to bet it all against them? That's harder in some ways. That's what Roy Disney did.

And yet, I'd bet an annual premium pass that I can tell you one fact about Roy Oliver Disney that you didn't know, one fact that will show what Walt meant, when he said, "My big brother would say, 'Kid, go ahead!' He said, 'Kid, I'm for you!'"

                                 .                       .                .                       .                           .

To read the rest of the article, subscribe to the All Ears® newsletter or read it in their archives next month.  I hope you like the article!

I met the stars from Disney's Sorcerer's Apprentice!

The wolf pack!  My animal shelter got a group together to go up to their home at Howling Woods Farms (where you can also see a clip of them from the movie) a few months ago.  I meant to post the pictures, but didn't get around to it.  But!  Here's Bandit and his pack playing with farm volunteers in the snow!



I can't wait to see them again!

Walt Disney on "What's My Line"

I never saw this before! I like how they're talking about Disneyland and its additions (pointing out how it's not a kids park, but adults too), the article by his family, and Lewis' joke about the government.

What a week, and it ended lousy.

On top of all the other health bits, they found Casey has a heart murmer and an enlarge heart from a leaky heart valve.  But they're controlling it with medicine.

Today: my stepfather's kids had their lawyer send us a letter and a form: they decided what we can have of our mother's belongings and put it in the lawyer's office.  The form says we agree to that as STEP-CHILDREN, we will only get what they've picked.  If we don't sign the form, we get nothing.

It was a day for doctors.

Starting with rushing Casey to the hospital early this morning; we thought she had a stroke.  She cried out in pain, waking me up, and was shaky on her feet.  She couldn't move her head and her body was tight.  When we got there and asked us for any information, John luckily remembered she had fallen down our family room steps, striking her back and neck hard.  She has a spinal injury, maybe to the vertebrae.  She has medication which will slowly be weaned out so we can see if this is permanent; hopefully, she'll be fine.  Meanwhile, the pills helped almost immediately.  She's moving around like normal -- even the arthritis in her back legs isn't bothering her as much -- and she has her spirit back.

Then it was my turn: the orthopedic doctor says the problem is neurological now.  He wanted me to take steroids as an anti-inflammatory for a week, but my insurance won't cover it. So I'm waiting to hear about that.  I have another anti-inflammatory to take after that and Vicodin for the pain.  I have to get an MRI and go to physical therapy.  I might have a ruptured or herniated disc, but I'm hoping it's more like sciatica and not something I have to deal with my whole life.

Casey and I had the same physical tests, actually: reflexes, mobility, what can we move until we cry out in pain... bending legs and feet.  And we both had cute doctors - although she probably didn't notice.  She did like his deep voice though and just cuddled into John's arms, focusing on the doctor's voice as he talked.

So Casey and I are chilling on the couch, drugged up and happy not to have the pain even if temporarily. (I thought Vicodin would make me more stoned and laughing at stupid things.  My head just feels a bit out of it.)  I'm going to lay down now because this sitting up and leaning forward is straining the back.  I just have to convince the dogs to let me have a space and maybe drug up John who's picking on me.  I don't get to cuddle in his arms, I guess. :)

The back problems continue...

... it's never fully healed from the injury in November, probably because it starts feeling good and I start picking things up and running around.  So it was strained and now I have a pain shooting all down my left leg.  I called the doctor and I'm waiting to hear about an appointment.

Just a FYI.